Delphi, Meteora and the entire Macedonia – 6 Day tour

Private six-day tour to the central Greece and Macedonia. You will visit the most famous oracle of antiquity in Delphi the impressive location of Meteora, and you will enrich your knowledge by visiting all the important sites in Macedonia such as Vergina, Ancient Pella, Philippi, Dion and the city of Thessaloniki .                  
 

 

Description

Day 1

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 Kalabaka. During our beautiful journey, we will pass through stunning small villages, rural areas, 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.                                                         

The landscape and the natural environment, as well as the sight of the monasteries on the top of the rocks are breath-taking!

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.

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, 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 your visit, you will have lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch we will head east, and following a 2-hour trip, we will reach Kavala.                                                                                             

After the check-in at your accommodation, you will have the chance to walk into the beautiful city and admire its impressive port.

Day 4

 

We will start our day, visiting the ancient town of Philippi, which is very close to Kavala. This city, which in ancient times was called “Krinides”, was founded by residents of the island of Thasos. At later times, Philip was called to help the inhabitants threatened by conquerors. So, as he became the master of the city, he gave it his name.                                               

The city received the visit of Apostle Paul in 49-50 AD (his prison is still preserved), who founded there the first Christian church in Europe. If you wish, you can also visit the church of Saint Lydia, which is very close. Lydia was the first European to be baptized by Apostle Paul, in the river, just beside the chapel.

Leaving behind us the city of Philip, we will head west and, after 1hour and 45 minutes, we will reach the city of Thessaloniki.The city has many points of interest, such as the White Tower, the Archaeological Museum, The Arch of Galerius (known as “Kamara”), the Rotunda, the church of Agios Dimitrios with its underground catacombs .

After our meal, we will visit some of the above sights and then we will check at our hotel.                                                                                 

In the evening, you can dine and have fun in the traditional and famous Ladadika district.

Day 5

We will start our day by visiting the other places of interest of the beautiful city of Thessaloniki such as the Roman forum and we’ll go to visit the north part of the city and the castle  Heptapyrgion, also popularly known by its Ottoman Turkish name Yedi Kule  .                                                                                                                                                                               

After completing the city tour and enjoying a delicious meal, we will leave the city behind us and head south. After about an hour, we will reach the foothills of Olympus.According to mythology, the 12 gods of Olympus lived here: Zeus, Hera, Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Ares, Aphrodite and Hephaestus.

We will check in at our accommodation, located in the beautiful village of Litochoro.

In the afternoon, you can explore the picturesque village and dine at a local restaurant.

Day 6

 

We will start our day by visiting the enormous archaeological site of Dion Pieria, as well as the museum.

The archaeological site is located in a natural environment, which could easily be described as a forest. It is a place that nature lovers will immensely enjoy!                                                                                                                                                                   

Upon completion of your visit, we will take the road of return to Athens. Our next stop will be Thermopylae, known from the Battle of Thermopylae, where the 300 brave Spartans of Leonidas, along with their allies, 700 Thespians, faced an army of hundreds of thousands of Persians.

After seeing the battlefield and the statue of Leonidas, you will have the opportunity, if you wish, to visit the Information Center, where you can see a video about the Battle of Thermopylae.

So, we finish our tour and return to Athens, knowing that we have explored a large part of Greece.