Description

Day1

On the first day, we start from Athens, heading towards the northwest.                                                                                                    

We will make a short stop at the beautiful, traditional village of Arachova, which is a famous ski resort during the winter months. We will then continue and a little later, we will arrive at Delphi.                                                                                       

Arriving at Delphi, we visit the place the Ancient Greeks considered to be the center of the earth.                                   

There you will see the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia , the Castalian Spring, the Roman Agora  , the Athenian Treasury , the Royal Thrones  , the Theater , and the Temple of Apollo ,   in the basement of which (called “Abaton” which means that no one could enter) the priestess Pythia sat and gave her prophecies.                                                                               

The visit is completed by entering the dazzling museum of Delphi.                                                                                         

Time for a meal at a traditional Greek tavern in the new village of Delphi!

After your meal, we will head north to Kalambaka.                                                                                                                               

During our beautiful journey, we will pass through stunning small villages as well as the cities of Lamia and Trikala.                           

In the afternoon, we will reach Meteora and check in.                                                                                                                                           

After some rest, we will take the sunset tour of the enchanting Meteora rocks.                                                                                 

Dinner at a local restaurant will follow.

Day 2

We will start our day with visits to the three most important monasteries of Meteora.

 Meteora is located on the northwestern border of the Thessalian plain. It is a large cluster of dark rocks with a maximum height of 530 meters. This strange and unique landscape was created by nature about 30 million years ago.                  

This wild and inaccessible place attracted Christian hermits as early as the 10th and 11th centuries, with official operation of the monasteries beginning in the 14th century.

At their peak, there were about 24 monasteries in operation. However, today only 6 of them remain active. The area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site The landscape and the natural environment, as well as the sight of the monasteries on the top of the rocks are breath-taking!                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Of course, we will make all the necessary stops in order to take pictures.

After we finish our tour, we will have lunch at a local restaurant.                                                                                                      

After lunch and leaving behind us the magical Meteora, we will head northeast. The route is beautiful! We will cross forests, picturesque villages and rural areas.                                                                                                                                          

After 2 ½ hours, we will approach the city of Veria. There, we will check in at your accommodation.

Your afternoon will be free for a walk in the beautiful city and a visit at Apostle Paul’s Altar, the “Bema”, where he taught in the first century.

Day 3

We will start our day with a visit to Vergina (the site of ancient Aigai), the first capital of Macedonia.                                          

There, we will admire the graves of the ancient Macedonians, and especially the tomb of Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.                                                                                                                                                                                             

The view of the entrance to the grave is breathtaking, while the exhibits, made of gold, located in the same place, will leave you speechless!                                                                                                                                                                                             

Very close nearby, the palace of Philip is situated, where archaeological works are carried out. Nevertheless, you will still enjoy a satisfactory tour of the area.

Leaving Vergina behind us, we will head north, and after 50 minutes we will reach Ancient Pella, which was the second capital of Macedonia.                                                                                                                                                                               

Ancient Pella was founded by Archelaus I of Macedon (413-399 BC) and had its greatest prosperity during the reign of Philip II (360-336 BC).                                                                                                                                                                                                   

There, we will visit the archaeological site with its beautiful mosaics, as well as the archaeological museum, which is amazing and rich in exhibits.                                                                                                                                                                                    

After we finish our visit, we will have lunch at a local restaurant.                                                                                                                              

After lunch we will continue heading south and in about one hour we will reach the village of Litochoro at the foothills of Mount Olympus.

There, you will spend your afternoon and stay overnight.

Day 4

After breakfast, we will visit the archaeological site and the museum of Dion. 

The archaeological site is enormous in size and literally nestled in the green of the trees.                                                                                

You will see the ruins of the old sacred city of Macedonians, the Roman theater, the temple of Isis, the public baths and the villa of Dionysus.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

In the museum, there is a prominent position for the “Hydraulis of Dion”, which is considered to be the oldest keyboard instrument in the world.                                                                                                                                                                                             

After the visit, we will take the national road to Athens.

Our next stop will be Thermopylae where you will see the statue of Leonidas and the place where the famous Battle of Thermopylae was fought: 300 brave Spartans with their allies, 700 Thespians, against the huge Persian army.

Early evening, we will return to Athens, having completed our wonderful tour.