DAY BY DAY JOURNEY

 Day 1: Arrive in Athens

Upon arrival at the Athens Airport meet your guide for an orientation tour of Athens. Drive by the temple of Zeus, the Arch of Hadrian, the stadium where the first Olympic games were held in 1896 and the statue of Harry Truman. Continue driving by the three gems of Neoclassical Art i.e. the University, the Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Library. The tour ends at Constitution Square that is overlooked by the Parliament House, guarded by the National Guard.

Check into the iconic 5* Hotel Grande Bretagne for a three-night stay in a classic room. The Grande Bretagne is considered one of the finest and most historic hotels in Europe. Fully refurnished during the Olympic games of 2004, it provides the best views of the Acropolis and the rest of Athens from its elegant rooftop bar and restaurant.

Day 2: Athens Full Day Tour

Our tour this morning will take you to the Acropolis Hill, where the everlasting beauty of Classical Age, the Parthenon stands. At the foot of the Hill we will admire the glory that Athens has been i.e. the Ancient Agora, the Mars Hill and the Hill of the Pnyx where democracy was born. We continue to the Acropolis Museum, that has been recently named as one of the best European museums and houses the treasures of the Acropolis and copies of the missing marbles that are in the British Museum. (B) 

Day 3: Athens-Cape Sounion

This morning visit The National Archaeological Museum a unique museum where you can follow the evolution of Greek Art from the very beginning down to the Roman times. The vast exhibition space – numerous galleries on each floor accounting for a total of 8,000 square meters – house five large permanent collections: The Prehistoric Collection, the Sculptures Collection, the Vase and Minor Objects Collection, the Metallurgy Collection and the Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities Collection in Greece. An unforgettable experience for any student or admirer of Greek art. (B)

Later today it’s off to famous Cape Sounion. Located 45 miles away from Athens there lies the Temple of Poseidon. A drive through the most lavish sea-side resorts outside Athens will bring us to this Cape famous for its sunsets as well as for its legendary and historical background. (B)

Day 4: Athens-Nafplio

Nafplio is one of the most beautiful towns in the area of Argolis (in the eastern Peloponnese) as well as one of the most romantic cities all over Greece. It was the first capital of the newly born Greek state between 1823 and 1834. According to mythology, the town was founded by Náfplios, the son of god Poseidon and the daughter of Danaus. The town’s history traces back to the prehistoric era when soldiers from here participated in the Argonautical expedition and the Trojan War alike. The town declined during the Roman times and flourished again during the Byzantine times. Frankish, Venetian and Turkish conquerors left their mark in the town and strongly influenced its culture, architecture and traditions during the centuries. Ancient walls, medieval castles, monuments and statues, Ottoman fountains and Venetian or neoclassical buildings fascinate the visitor with their unique architecture and beauty. Overnight at The Hotel Amphitryon in a deluxe sea view room. (B)

Day 5: Mani

Today we depart for the Mani, the name given to the middle “finger” or peninsula of the southern Peloponnese, a part of Greece that is rarely visited by tourists. Known as a dry and bare region, its sparse beauty surprises many when the wildflowers blossom from the rocky terrain in springtime. We drive south to Areopoli, the capital of Mani. Its narrow cobbled streets and towering houses are imposing and best explored during the “siesta” when the silence makes the streets resonate with defiance as stark as the landscape. The Diros Caves are eleven kilometers South of Areopoli, a network of caves that allegedly run all the way to Sparta. The cave tour includes a boat trip on the lake within the caves. Messinian Mani, to the North of the peninsula, is home to picturesque mountains, known for its excellent trekking. Stoupa, once a large market town, is home to many modern resorts, its beaches as good as any in the country. It is also here that the famous Nikos Kazantzakis met with Alexis Zorbas who later became the hero in the well-known book of Zorba the Greek. (B)

Check into the Kyrimai Hotel for a two-night stay in Superior Sea View room. Housed in a fully restored nineteenth century building complex, just off the southernmost tip of Mani, in rural Greece, Kyrimai Hotel combines traditional architecture with modern comfort. Its rooms face Mani’s crystal-blue sea as well as its glorious landscape, while its one-of-a-kind menu embraces local elements that have stood the test of time, but with a modern twist.

Day 6: Mystras

The archaeological site of Mystras is found about 5 km from the historic town of Sparta, in Laconia Peloponnese. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece and includes well-preserved Byzantine churches, the remains of a Palace and strong walls. The most famous churches of Mystras are Agios Demetrios, where Konstantinos Paleologos, the last Byzantine Emperor was crowned, and Agioi Theodoroi with beautiful frescoes. Today the Palace of Mystras and some churches are under restoration process. In the courtyard of Agios Demetrios, you can visit the Archaeological Museum of Mystras with many Byzantine and Ecclesiastical exhibits. In 1989, Mystras was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. (B)

Day 7: Mani-Messini

After a breathtaking drive through the Peloponnese, we arrive at the site of Messini. Here we find the ruins of the large, late-classical city-state of Messini, founded by Epaminondas in 369 BC, after the Battle of Leuctra and the first Theban invasion of the Peloponnese. (B)

Check into The Romanos for an overnight stay in a standard room. A Luxury Collection Resort, this an exceptional 5* property stretches along the new prime destination of Mediterranean, Navarino Dunes at Costa Navarino. Live an unforgettable experience of authentic Messini and its surrounding environment with a history that has been shaped for more than 4500 years. Enjoy alluring scenery featuring extensive grounds with olive groves, indigenous trees and plants as well as golf landscapes next to the sparkling turquoise waters of the Dunes Beach. This is the perfect location for an unrivaled relaxation within the 321 incomparable rooms, suites and villas of The Romanos Resort, offering unique gardens, golf and sea views, iconic sunset backdrops of the Ionian Sea–a  truly memorable experience not to forget.

Day 8: Olympia

Early morning departure from the hotel, heading for Olympia. Situated among wooded hillsides in a most peaceful and harmonious landscape Olympia symbolizes friendship and reconciliation among people during the Olympic games, that were first declared here in 776 B.C. The Olympic games were held to be one of the two central rituals in ancient Greece. The games first started in Olympia, Greece, in a sanctuary site for the Greek deities near the towns of Elis and Pisa (both in Elis on the peninsula of Peloponnesos). The Sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia housed a 13-metre-high (43 ft) statue in ivory and gold of Zeus that had been sculpted by Phidias circa 445 BC. This statue was one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. By the time of the Classical Greek culture, in the fifth and fourth centuries BC, the games were restricted to male participants. (B)

Overnight at the Hotel Europa in a Superior Room. Built on the top of Drouvas Hill in Ancient Olympia, at the foot of which there is the Sacred Altis with brilliant monuments and the stadium of the Ancient Olympic Games with a view of the Arcadian Mountains and the Alfeios Valley, the hotel features 80 spacious and pristine guestrooms appointed with marble floors. Each offers balcony with views of Alfeios River. It offers 3 bars (two indoors and one pool bar) a Greek restaurant, a pool-side tavern and free Wi-Fi.

Day 9: Olympia-Ancient Corinth-Athens

This morning drive along the coastal highway with a splendid view of the Aegean Sea. After crossing the Corinth Canal (short stop), which connects the Aegean and Ionian Seas, arrive in ancient Corinth. Visit the ancient ruins of the city where St. Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla. We will visit the first century shops, the Agora, Temple of Apollo and the Bema seat. Return to Athens for overnight at The Sofitel at Athens Airport. (B)

Day 10: Departure

After breakfast, you will be met and privately transferred to the Athens airport for your departing flight. (B)

PROPERTIES

PRICES PER PERSON 

Starting at $8799 per person based on double occupancy