ARGOLIS-OLYMPIA-DELPHI-METEORA (Four Or Five Days)

One of the most popular and interesting excursions!  Visit some of the most beautiful parts of Greece and the most important archaeological sites in Argolis, Olympia, Delphi and Meteora.

Itinerary

Day 1

Leaving Athens behind we drive on the coastal road towards the West.  Our first stop (after approximately one hour) is the Corinth Canal. There we’ll make a short stop, enough to see the Canal, (approximately 6 km long connecting the Aegean with the Ionian Sea), take photos and visit the local cafeteria. Twenty minutes later we’ll arrive at the small town of Ancient Corinth where we’ll visit the archaeological site with the unique monolithic Temple of Apollo (one of the oldest in Greece, 585 B.C.), and the Bema from where St. Paul preached and the museum.

Driving afterwards through the hills of Corinth, among thousands of olive trees and vineyards, we’ll arrive at the prefecture of Argolis where we’ll visit the archaeological site of Mycenae.

Mycenae, ‘Rich in Gold’, was the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon who dominated the Aegean Sea after the distraction of the Minoan Empire. The city looks out across the plain of Argos to the sea.  Its elevated position and its huge Cyclopean Walls offered protection from surprise attacks by pirates and enemies.  At the peak of its power (1300 B.C.) the population resided around the fortress where the Royal Family resided.  The Palace, symbol of power of the Mycenaean rulers, was reached by a large ramp beginning at the Lions Gate.

Outside the fortress lie the impressive beehive tombs including that ascribed to Agamemnon known also as the Treasury of Atreas.

After concluding our visit to Mycenae we’ll drive through the plain of Argos among endless farms of orange trees and forty minutes later we’ll arrive at the picturesque town of Nafplion (First capital of modern Greece from 1829 to 1834). Nafplion is the most ancient city in Greece.  According to the myth it was founded by Theseas who first conceived the idea of organized cities where people could live together.  The city lies under the imposing rocks of Palamide the most formidable Venetian Castle in the Eastern Mediterranean.  The smaller Castle of Acronafplia (where the ancient city was founded) crowns Nafplion and at the entrance of the harbor, in the Argolic Gulf, there is yet another, third castle, Bourtzi, situated on a small islet.

Whether you decide to have lunch in the old medieval quarter, with the narrow, stoned paved streets, or by the port, with the view of Bourtzi, Nafplion is the best choice for lunch in this trip.

After the conclusion of Argolis tour and lunch in Nafplion we’ll depart for Olympia through the mountains of Arcadia and Messenia in central & south Peloponnese, a very scenic drive. Finally we’ll arrive in Olympia where we’ll have diner and spend the night.

Day 2

After breakfast we are going to visit the archaeological site with the Temple of Zeus (where the gold and ivory statue of the god was placed -one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – work of the master sculptor Fedias) the Temple of Hera (where the lighting of the Olympic Flame takes place every four years) the original ancient Olympic Stadium and many more monuments.  After the archaeological site we will visit the Museum.

The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains finds from the sacred precinct of Altis and the rest archaeological site dating from the prehistoric era. Among the many precious exhibits you we will also see the famous marble statues of Hermes of Praxiteles and the Nike (Victory) of Paionios.

After the conclusion of our tour we can have lunch in the town of Olympia and then start our trip to Delphi, where we’ll arrive in the evening. In Delphi we can have diner in a local Greek restaurant and stay overnight.

Day 3

After breakfast we will visit the famous Oracle of Delphi.   We will see the Castalia Spring and the main archaeological site (the Temple of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Theatre, the Stadium, etc.) and the Museum with the famous statue of Antinoos and the unique bronze statue of the Charioteer dated from 475 B.C.

After our visit to the Museum we’ll drive down the slope for about a mile to visit the ruins of the Temple of Athena Pronea and the Tholos.

After the conclusion of our Delphi Tour we can have lunch in a traditional Greek restaurant in town and then we’ll depart for Meteora. We will enjoy our drive through the mountains of central Greece and we will pass by various towns and villages, (Lamia, Domokos, Trikala) After our drive we will arrive at Kalambaka (the town right below the rocks of Meteora) where we’ll have diner and can spend night.  We can also stay overnight in the nearby village of Kastraki.

Day 4

After breakfast we’ll start our tour to the Monasteries until lunch time in the afternoon.  After lunch we’ll start our return trip to Athens.  Almost half the distance to Athens we can stop at Thermopylae to see the statue of Leonidas, the King of the Spartans, who fell in the battle with all his 300 warriors fighting the Persians of Xerxes in 480 B.C.

Another Option (5-Days)

You can offer yourself the luxury of one extra day in this tour turning it from a four to a five day tour.  This way you will have more time to enjoy the sites and the scenery in a more relaxed way and also see Epidaurus.  If you choose this option then the itinerary will change slightly as follows:

After lunch in Nafplion (the first day) we can continue with the tour of Argolis, visiting Epidaurus. (extended Argolis tour). Epidaurus is famous for its ancient Theatre and the sanctuary of Asclepios.

The sanctuary of Asclepios was a healing centre as well as a cultural centre in ancient times.  Epidaurus was built around the 4th Century B.C. and has a multitude of buildings most famous of which is the ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. The Theatre of Epidaurus has reached our days almost intact.   The view, aesthetics and acoustics of the theatre are breathtaking.  It’s still in use today and hosts carefully selected theatrical plays, concerts, and festivals during the summer.  For an actor to perform in the Theatre of Epidaurus is considered the greatest honour and the ultimate acknowledgement of his or her talent, if he wins over the tough audience.

After concluding our visit to Epidaurus we’ll return to Nafplion and the afternoon will be free to explore the old medieval quarter with the traditional restaurants hidden in the narrow, stone paved streets and the port with all the modern cafeterias with view to the Bourtzi Castle.

Next morning, after breakfast, we are going to visit Palamide fortress.  Here you will have a choice of either climbing the authentic stairway of 999 steps to the entrance of the castle or driving directly to the top!

After visiting Palamide we are going to drive over the mountains of Arcadia to Bassae.  In Bassae we will visit the imposing Temple of Epikourios Apollo.  We can have lunch in any of the towns we will drive through during our trip.  (Megalolpoli, Karytaina, Andritsena).

The Temple of Epikourios Apollo, one of the most importannt and imposing ancient Temples, stands in the bare and rocky landscape of Bassae 1.100 m above the sea level.  Attributed to Iktinos, one of the master architects of the Parthenon, in Athens, the Temple dates back to 420-400 BC.  Excavations have revealed that this surviving Temple was was the third to have been erected on the site.  The remains of the two previous Temples date back to 600 and 500 BC.  It is very interesting that some of the architectural elements of these two previous Temples can still be seen today.

After concluding our visit to Bassae we will continue to Olympia where we will have dinner and stay overnight.

All my tours are private (vehicle reserved exclusively for you) and flexible.  It is always up to you to modify the suggested itinerary according to your personal preferences, even during the tour, if feasible.