Delphi and Meteora 2 Day tour

Description

Day 1

We start from Athens and make our first stop 10 minutes at lake Yliki, which provides the irrigation system of Athens with water. We continue our route, passing outside the town of Livadia. We meet the monument erected in honor of the executed citizens by the Nazis, in the village of Distomo, during World War 2.

Passing Distomo, we arrive at the monastery of Hosios Loukas. It is an amazing Byzantine monastery and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Having completed the visit to the monastery, we continue, reaching the picturesque Arachova village (famous as a ski resort), where we stop to take some photographs.

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! We then continue towards Thermopylae, making short stops to take beautiful photographs of picturesque villages.

We continue our Delphi and Meteora tour and after passing the towns of Karditsa and Trikala, we reach Kalambaka . There, we’ll check in our accommodation, and rest.

A little later your tour driver will take you for the sunset tour, and then for dinner.

Day 2

After you get a good breakfast, we start our tour of the monasteries. The landscapes and the natural environment, as well as the sight of the monasteries on the tops of the rocks, are beyond words!

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.

You will have time to visit three of the most important monasteries. Finally, you will make all the necessary stops to enjoy the scenery and take hundreds of photos. After completing your tour, you will dine at a local restaurant, tasting excellent Greek cuisine.

After your meal, we will take the road back. In about the middle of our route, we will stop at Thermopylae, where the Thermopylae battle took place with Leonidas and the 300 Spartans battling against hundreds of thousands of Persians. We will stop at the Leonidas monument and walk in the battlefield. The tour driver will also show you the hot springs of Thermopylae, with hot water gushing abundantly.         

After Thermopylae we’ll take the way back to Athens                                                                                             

You will leave this tour, with a sense of utter satisfaction. However, you may need to purchase a new card for your camera because the existing one may have already reached its capacity from the hundreds of beautiful photographs you will have taken!