Description

Day 1

We start our tour, driving on the Athens - Corinth National Road, having on our left the Saronic Gulf and the island of Salamis, where in 480 BC the famous battle of Salamis took place.

After about an hour, we make our first stop at the Corinth Canal. There, we will admire and take pictures of the magnificent Canal, which connects the Saronic with the Corinthian Gulf.

Then, just a little further, you will visit the town of Ancient Corinth, the richest city of Ancient Greece and the only one that had two ports. The city is also well known for the visiting and teaching of Apostle Paul in it. At the archaeological site, you will see the Temple of Apollo, the Pirene and Glafki fountains, the Ancient Agora and the location called “Vima” (Step) where the Apostle Paul was led to be tried by the Roman Proconsul Gallio, who refused to prosecute him . You will also see the Roman Odeon and the Ancient Theatre. The museum is situated in the same location.

Of course, we will continue our drive to the Acrocorinth rock, where the fortress by the same name stands at an altitude of 575 meters above the ancient city. There, we will make a brief stop and take pictures.

We will continue our 5-day tour heading towards Myceane. The route between Corinth and Mycenae passes through picturesque, small villages and fields of olive oil trees and grapes. Upon our arrival at Mycenae, we make a stop and have lunch at a traditional Greek tavern. After your lunch, we will drive towards the ancient city of Mycenae.

The city of Mycenae was the kingdom of the legendary King Agamemnon, whom Homer has praised. Mycenae is famous for its Mycenaean civilization, which lasted from 1,600 to 1,100 BC. At the Acropolis of Mycenae, you will admire the Cyclopean Walls and cross the impressive Lion Gate. The museum is situated in the same location.

A little further, the tomb of Agamemnon, stand impressive majestic, which is nothing less than this great King deserved.

We will continue our tour heading towards the city of Nafplion.

Nafplio is the capital of the Argolis prefecture. In the 19th century, it was the first capital of Greece (from 1828 to 1834), after the liberation of the country from Ottoman rule. The old city has been given the status of a “traditional settlement” by the Greek state.

It is full of historic buildings and ideal for walks through its narrow, picturesque alleys. At Nafplio, you will dine and have the time to walk the narrow streets, admiring the historic picturesque buildings and the small water castle of Bourtzi, in the middle of the harbor. Then, you will visit the historic Palamidi fortress.

The fortress located just above the town, dominates the area. This is an amazing fortress that was fortified by the Venetians from 1686 to 1715 and has been kept in immaculate condition, giving all visitors a sense of awe. It is a Venetian monument, which is kept in excellent condition. You will explore the fortress with its numerous turrets and enjoy the breathtaking view, taking many pictures.

At Nafplion we will stay overnight.

Day 2

We will start our second day at about 9.00am

We will drive northeast towards the Diakofto village.

From Diakofto you will take the small train, the popular “Odontotos” (gauge rack railway), which will pass through a route more than magnificent. I would like note that the route of the train takes you through a virgin forest with huge plane trees, over ravines and parallel to the Vouraikos gorge. It is so beautiful that no one can describe it in words).

You will meet your tour driver at Kalavryta where you will have the opportunity to visit the holocaust museum, walk in this picturesque village and have lunch.

Then you will take the way towards the Cave of Lakes

This is one of the most beautiful caves in Greece, where you can admire the stalactites and stalagmites, which have formed after the passing of many thousands of years. You must enter accompanied by a guide and once you enter, the spectacle is breathtaking

After your visit you will be driven south towards the village Lagadia.

The views are scenic as you will pass through traditional villages forests and small towns.

Arriving at Lagadia you will make check in at your hotel and later you will have the opportunity to walk and explore this village and you will admire a wonderful sunset as well.

We will overnight at Lagadia

Day 3

We will start our third day of our 5-day tour early morning at about 8.30am heading west towards Ancient Olympia.

Amazing route through forests mountains and small villages.

We will arrive at Ancient Olympia after 1,1/2 hours.

The historic and famous city of Ancient Olympia is located on the west side of the Peloponnese. It is, of course, the city which gave birth to the Olympic Games in 776 BC. 

At the archaeological site, you will admire the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera (Heraion), the Palaestra, the Gymnasium, the Ancient Stadium, the Zanes, the workshop of the famous sculptor Phidias, the circular Philippeion and many more . The museum is situated in the same location, where, among many exhibits, you will see the famous statue of Hermes of Praxiteles.

After your visityou will have lunch in a local restaurant.

Finishing your lunch and heading towards the north, we will arrive at Rio, where we have two options, depending on the kind of experience you want to live.

A) We can cross the famous and impressive Rio – Antirrio Bridge, which boasts a length of 2,880 meters, state-of-the-art technology and incredible resistance to weather conditions.

B) We can reach Antirrio, onboard a small boat which moves parallel to the bridge and will give us the chance to take many pictures

After Antirrio, we will move northeast and reach the city of Nafpaktos. This is one of the most ancient Greek cities and is related to important historical events, such as the battle of Lepanto, between the great alliance of Spain, Venice, Genoa, the Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal States (called Lega Santa) against the Ottoman Empire.                                            

This wonderful port village is the place where we will overnight.

At evening you will have the chance to walk along the picturesque harbor, and you can enjoy your dinner beside the sea.

Day 4

We start our third day driving northeast towards Delphi.

The route is really scenic .Mountains in our left and wonderful natural beaches ( part of Corinthian gulf ) in our right side .You will pass beside small coastal  villages such as Galaxidi and Itea and you will cross the huge olive fields of Amfissa as well .We will reach the archaeological site of Delphi after about 1,1/2 hours

At the archaeological site, you will admire the Temple of Apollo, the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, the Roman Agora, the Athenian Treasury, the Ancient Theatre, the Stadium and many more. The amazing museum is situated in the same location. A few meters away, one can see the famous Castalia Spring and the Ancient Gymnasium.

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. 

Then, after passing the towns of Lamia, Karditsa and Trikala we will reach the area of Kalabaka, in Meteora, where you will check in at your hotel.

After a little rest, your tour driver will take you to the best spot from where you will admire an amazing sunset .

After the sunset you can enjoy your dinner at a traditional reastaurant in Kalabaka . 

We will overnight at Kalabaka .

Day 5

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!