Grecia
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Planned itinerary
Selected hotels
Day 1. Athens

Arrival in Athens and transfer to the chosen hotel. Because the museums and archaeological sites are closed in the afternoons, we recommend you take a walk, starting with the central square of Syntagma and the Greek Parliament, heading towards Plaka, Monastiraki and Psiri. These are the most central and historical areas of Athens and, walking through its streets, you will have a first, representative impression of the city, admiring the mythical ruins of antiquity - in the open air - mixed with shops, cafes and bars; as well as small restaurants, most with live music. Here you can enjoy Greek folk music, the famous Bouzuki and other folk instruments, and also the typical songs of Rempetica. For lunch or dinner we suggest you go to small taverns or restaurants, where tapas (= Mezedes) or portions are served, to be able to taste the typical Greek specialties. Regarding nightlife, Athens offers unlimited options of all kinds; both for those who appreciate quiet nights, and for those who are looking for the authentic party. Also, for you to feel like true Greeks, you have to try a cold coffee, since in recent years coffee has become a national tradition.

Day 2. athens free day

After breakfast, we suggest taking the Guided Tour of Athens .

The guide will pick you up at the hotel to start the tour with a visit to the New Acropolis Museum , which is located at the foot of it. Inaugurated in 2009, it is a modern glass structure that contrasts with the works exhibited inside: the precious sculptural decoration of the sacred rock temples of the ancient city and the essence of classical sculpture. Other works such as statues-offerings from the archaic, classical and Hellenistic periods, and various finds from the sanctuaries located at the foot of the hill. After the visit to the museum and going up to the Acropolis to visit the sanctuary of the goddess Athena, patron saint of the city in ancient times, we will pass through the ancient theater of Dionysus, the cradle of tragedy, comedy and drama, as well as through the ruins of the sanctuary of Aesculapius, therapeutic center of ancient Athens.

At the Acropolis we will visit the masterpieces of the 5th century BC: the monumental entrance of the Propylaea, the temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion with the statues of the Caryatids, and finally the Parthenon, the most emblematic work of the ancient city. From the top of the hill we will see the Roman odeon of Herodes Atticus, the monument to Philopappus, erected on the top of the hill of the Muses, as well as the Pnyx, the terrace where the public assemblies of the first direct democracy were held. of antiquity, and in which the heart of the political life of Athens beat.

We will continue our tour of Athens passing through the Areopagus , the hill on which Saint Paul preached the Christian faith to the Athenians, and through other interesting monuments around the Acropolis, before reaching the center of the modern city.

Free afternoon in Athens to explore its colorful streets full of flowery buildings, enjoy its shops, bars and all the life that the city offers.

Day 3. Athens-Corinthian-Epidaurus-Mycenae-Nafplio

Breakfast at your hotel and rental car pick up, then head to the Peloponnese Region. Your first stop will be at the famous Corinth Canal , a great architectural work devised in ancient times by Periandro, Tyrant of Corinth, and completed by the French in 1893, thus facilitating the passage from the Ionian Sea to the Saronic Gulf and saving days of navigation to ships.

Then, through the fields full of orange and lemon trees of the Argolis , head towards the ancient city of Mycenae , a Homeric city of enormous importance in antiquity, where one of the most important cultures of ancient Greece developed. The entrance to the royal citadel is through the Puerta de los Leones, the oldest sample of monumental sculpture in Europe. Inside you can see the Royal Tombs, the Palace complex and the rest of the houses of high dignitaries, as well as other important buildings. Once outside the Acropolis, visit the monumental vaulted tomb called the Tomb of Agamemnon, where archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the famous Treasure of the Atreus (it is exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and among the pieces the famous gold mask stands out).

Then depart for Epidaurus , a sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine. Inside the sanctuary is the most famous theater in the ancient world for its acoustics . It is made up of a circular clay orchestra (the scene) almost 20m in diameter, surrounded by horseshoe tiers, divided into two levels by a corridor, the diazoma. The lower level has 32 rows of stands, divided into 12 kerkidès by 11 stairs. The upper level has 20 rows of stands and 22 kerkidès.

The acoustics of the Theater of Epidaurus are exceptional, allowing the last spectators above the stands to hear and distinguish the actors speaking in low voices. Various representations still take place today. It is believed that this theater could have reached a capacity of more than 14,000 spectators in total, which makes it one of the largest and largest ancient theaters. Visit of the museum and departure to Nafplio . Accommodation at the chosen hotel in Nafplio

Day 4. Napflio-Olympia

Breakfast at the hotel. Free time to enjoy the city of Nafplio. We recommend getting up early and going up to the Citadel that stands on the mountain, offering beautiful views of the city and the bay. Then you can stroll through the alleys of the city and walk to the port from where there are impressive views of the island of Burtzi on which stands the so-called Castel Pasqualigo, built by the Venetians and modified many times.

If preferred, it is possible to make an excursion to Tiryns. This city is reached by crossing a fertile and green valley that surrounds the magnificent city of Tiryns, famous for its ruins of the ancient city of the same name. Due to the impressive walls that surrounded the city in ancient times, the ancient Greeks used to say that this city was built by Cyclops. In the afternoon departure to Olympia, where you will spend the night in the city.

Day 5. Olympia-Delphi

Breakfast at the hotel. Then we recommend a visit to the archaeological area of the cradle of the Olympic Games.

Visit the Pritaneo (building where the ceremony for the proclamation of champions was held), the Filipeion, the Doric Temple Hereon, dedicated to the goddess Hera. In her honor, special running competitions were held, the Hereas, in which only virgins from the Elide region participated. To the southwest of Hereon is the Pelopio, an altar built in honor of Pelops, from whom the Peloponnese took its name. Nearby, the Doric Temple of Zeus (in its interior was the chryselephantine statue of Zeus, the work of Phidias). Outside the sacred enclosure you can visit the Boulefterion, the Palestra, the Gymnasium, the Baths, the Stadium and the Archaeological Museum of the Olympic Games.

You can then have lunch at our friend Haris's Ambrosia Tavern and leave for Delphi. We recommend that you walk over the suspension bridge to cross the Gulf and continue to Lepanto, famous for the naval battle that took place in 1571, and the Galaxidi fishing village. Arrival in Delphi and accommodation.

Day 6. Delphi-Kalambaka

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Delphi at your own pace . According to mythology, it is the center of the ancient world (the omphalos) as the two eagles that Zeus released from the two ends of the world coincide. Famous for its Oracle and the prophecies of the Pythoness who, inhaling the vapors that sprouted from cracks in the earth, entered a trance pronouncing the Divine Oracle . Here all the high officials of the cities (Polis) went before making an important decision to ask for advice from the Gods. The great sanctuary was located at the foot of Mount Parnassus.

In the archaeological site you can see the Theater, the Castalia Fountain, the Ancient Stadium, where the Pythian games were held, the Temple of Apollo, and the Treasures of the different cities (Pavilions and temples that each City-State had where they made their offerings to the Gods every time they came to ask for advice).

Then we leave the archaeological site to visit the important Museum of Delphi , where true wonders are kept, especially the famous Charioteer of Delphi. After lunch we recommend a visit to the Monastery of Osios Lucas to admire its unique mosaics. Then departure to Thessaly through the massif of Mount Parnassus and Iti. Arrival in Kalambaka and accommodation.

Day 7. Kalambaka-Meteora Monastery-Athens

Breakfast and then we go up to the Meteor Monasteries to make the visit. Austere monastic center since the eleventh century, which is not only an ideal place for prayer for those who seek to exercise humility, discipline desire or relaunch faith, but is also a center that attracts the attention of the visitor in order to admire this miracle of nature, unique in its kind, and that invites peace and tranquility to those who visit it. The strangeness, majesty and mystery of this place, called many to get away from the world and retire to this peaceful place, thus giving rise to the Meteor Monasteries, converted over time into an oasis for the spirit, one of the places most interesting in all of Greece. Currently, of the 21 monasteries only 6 are inhabited. Inside you can see beautiful frescoes, as well as original icons worked by the monks themselves, true works of art. After lunch return to Athens to return the car. Arrival at the hotel and accommodation.

Day 8. Athens

After breakfast, transfer (not included) to the airport.

Budget hotels or similar

Athens : 3* Jason Inn 4* Acropolia Spirit

Nafplio: 3* Agamenon 4* Ippoliti Luxury

Olympia: 3* Neda   4* Olynpia Asty

Delphi : 3* Parnassos 4* Amalia Delfis

Meteor: 3*   Famissi                                4* Great Meteor

 

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