Highlights: Athens sightseeing with Acropolis and its new museum – Corinth Canal – Mycenae – Epidaurus ancient theatre – Nafplio – Ancient Olympia – Pylos – Diros Cave – Monemvasia – Mystras – Lousios Gorge – Ladonas river / lake – Kalavryta – Athens night singer show

8 days / 7 nights

Morning arrival to Athens Airport. After meeting in the airport, you will be transfer to the heart of Athens where you will have opportunity to admire Acropolis, the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens, Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion, and finally Parthenon – a place any civilized person has to visit. We complete the visit with the New Museum of Acropolis. We will also see Temple of Zeus – chief of the gods. Then we walk to Plaka, Athens old town, in Ermou str. with its fashionable shops and Monastiraki flea market. In the afternoon drive to Peloponnesus and after a short stop at Corinth canal we arrive to Nafplio / Tolo where we’ll have our dinner and overnight.

Breakfast in the hotel and check out. After leaving from the hotel we will visit the ancient Theatre of Epidaurus famous for its remarkable acoustics. Then drive to Mycenae to see the archaeological Site and the Tomb of Agamemnon. Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, was the leader of the Greek army in the Trojan war. Then we’ll visit Nafplio the first capital of Greece after Turkish occupation. In the afternoon drive through central Peloponnesus we’ll bring us to Olympia, the cradle of the Olympic Games. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast in the hotel and check out. In the morning visit the Archaeological Site with the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Stadium with its capacity of 40,000 spectators where the first Olympic games took place in 776 BC and the archaeological Museum with the famous status of Hermes of Praxiteles. Then drive west along the coach line* we arrive to Pylos with its magnificent views. Dinner and overnight.

*Note: Optional routing: Alternatively, we can follow the road to Figalia to visit the Temple of Epicurus Apollo made by Iktinos one of Parthenon architects. Then with short drive we reach Neda river, one of most beautiful rivers in Greece, where we can have a short 2 hrs trekking along the river.

Breakfast in the hotel and check out Drive to Kalamata and from there following a zigzag road to Mani area we arrive to Diros Cave. A lake cave of unique beauty, with stalagmites and stalactites in a lake, which we will explore by boat. In the afternoon, we’ll continue our trip to Monemvasia the end of Europe. A Castle settlement, still inhabited, with fantastic views of deep blue Mediterranean Sea and surrounding area, and the small cafe and taverns in the narrow streets. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast in the hotel and check out. Today we’ll see one of the most important sites of Byzantine history of Greece. We drive north cross Sparta and afterwards we arrive to Byzantine Mystras, home place of last Byzantine Emperor Palaiologos where we’ll have a guided tour. Then drive to Taygetos mountain over Evrotas river and arrive to Dimitsana for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast in the hotel. Today we’ll explore one the most beautiful nature of Greece. We start with a walk around to historic village of Dimitsana. In the Greek liberation revolution in 1821 Dimitsana with its 11 gunpowder mills was the main supplier of ammunition for the fight against Turks. Then we have a couple of hours walk in the fantastic Lousios gorge where we’ll visit the Moni of Philosofou – the old monastery from 17th century and we’ll reach the beautiful village of Stamnitsa. Return* to Dimitsana for dinner and overnight.

*Note: If we skip the next day to make our tour 7 days / 6 nights we drive to Kalavryta for overnight.

Breakfast in the hotel and check out. Today we’ll have a relax day in the nature with optional activities. Ladonas river flows out smoothly to exceptionally beautiful locations. Many areas around the river are suitable for hiking, biking and rafting. Ladonas lake is ideal for rowing, windsurfing, fishing, swimming, boating bicycling and walking. In the middle day we are going to have our picnic and in the afternoon, we take our road to Kalavryta for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast in the hotel and check out. Today we’ll see Kalavryta the place where started the Greek revolution against Turks in 1821, the Place of Sacrifice, on the hill of the Holocaust in the WWII and taking the Cog railway we cross the Vouraikos gorge to Diakofto. From there we start our trip back to Athens* and we arrive late afternoon to the airport for your flight back home.

*Note: If we skip day 7th we can have an overnight in Athens with Greek night in a tavern with bouzouki and rebetika songs or Greek night pista (singer show).

Alternative programs:

Alternative 7^th day: Kalavryta – Cog Railway cross of Vouraikos gorge – Athens

Breakfast in the hotel and check out. Today we’ll see Kalavryta the place where started the Greek revolution against Turks in 1821, the Place of Sacrifice, on the hill of the Holocaust in the WWII and taking the Cog railway we cross the Vouraikos gorge to Diakofto. From there we start our trip back to Athens. Greek night in a night club with bouzouki and rebetika or Greek night singer show.

Alternative 8^th day: Morning shopping in Athens. Sounio Poseidon Temple – Departure

Breakfast in the hotel. Free morning in Athens. Midday check out and HD guided tour to Sounio to Poseidon Temple. Dinner in a tavern to admire the sun set and transfer to the airport for your flight back home.