Highlights:
• Greece: Ioanina, Metsovo traditional village, Vergina treasures, Thessaloniki sightseeing, Athens sightseeing with Acropolis and its new museum, Corinth Canal, Epidavrus, Mycenae, Nafplio, Ancient Olympia, Delphi, Plaka – Athens old town
• Italy: Florence the Duomo, the Third “Pietà” by Michelangelo, the Museum of the Accademia, Venice Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, Piazza San Marco, Rome Piazza della Repubblica, Via Veneto, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Coliseum, St. Peter’s 3Basilica, Chapel Sistina, Naples, Pompeii.

11 days / 10 nights

Arrival to Rome Airport, meet with our representative, transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Rome.

We will leave Rome, by the “Sun Route” motorway, crossing the regions of Lazio and Umbria, to reach our destination, Florence. Guided visit of the city. The Duomo, the Third “Pietà” by Michelangelo, the Baptistry with the golden bronze doors by Ghiberti, Giotto’s Belfry, the Museum of the Accademia with the David by Michelangelo, Piazza della Signoria. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Late in the afternoon we arrive to Venice. Overnight in Venice

In the morning, guided visit of the city: Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, Piazza San Marco and the Duomo. Lunch ina typical restaurant and free time. Early in the afternoon we start our trip back to Rome. Overnight in Rome

Our tour starts from Piazza San’Eustachio, behind the Pantheon, having first a cappuccino at Caffe San’Eustachio. We’ll visit the Pantheon and the gorgeous Piazza Navona, built on the ruins of the Domitian’s Circus. Then we visit the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel and coming out of it we walk around to Saint Peter’s Cathedral. Then we drive to Colosseum. Palatine Hall and Forum. From there, you walk out of the Campidoglio towards the Trevi Fountain a baroque jewel, make a wish, and walk to Piazza di Spagnia, do a little shopping. Return to hotel. Later you can walk in Via Veneto and Villa Borghese. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Leaving Rome and travelling on the Autostrada del Sole, we drive through the Regions of Lazio and Campania. From the road you will enjoy the view of the famous Abbey of Montecassino. Once in Naples, there will be a short panoramic tour of the city: the pier of Santa Lucia with its impressive Castel dell’Ovo, the historical centre Piazza del Plebiscito, the Royal Palace, the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, the San Carlo Opera House, the Gallery of Umberto I and the imposing Maschio Angioino. After the lunch break in a typical restaurant we will visit the excavations of this world-famous Roman town Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of the Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. In the evening we take the Ferry from Brintisi to Igoumenitsa Greece. Overnight on board.

Drive in Egnatia high way to the beautiful city of Ioannina. Walk around the lake and the craft market. Then drive to Thessaloniki with a short stop to the traditional village of Metsovo. Upon arrival to Thessaloniki to our hotel we take a walking guided tour to the city visiting the ancient ruins, the museum and 2 Byzantine churches. Dinner in a Greek tavern at Ladadika the old part of the city next to the harbor.

Guided visit to Vergina where we’ll see the King Philip – father of Alexander the Great – tomb and the Macedonian treasure. Then driving south we arrive to Meteora. Here we’ll have guided visit to two of its historic Byzantine Monasteries standing between earth and the sky atop huge rocks and containing historical and religious treasures. After our lunch in a tavern we drive through central Greece and we arrive to Delphi. Overnight at Delphi.

Delphi was known in the ancient times as the navel “omfalos” of the world. At Delphi you might get Pythia’s chrism for your future and the future of the world, as it had happen to too many Kings and Emperors in the past. Even Alexander the Great got her chrism before conquering the word. Lunch on the way and after passing the new bridge connecting mainland with Peloponnesus and driving on the west part of Peloponnesus we arrive to Olympia. Overnight at Olympia.

This morning we’ll have a guided visit to Ancient Olympia, the archeological site with the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera, the altar of the Olympic flame, the Olympic stadium of 45,000 seating capacity where the first Olympic games took place in 776 B.C, the archaeological museum with the famous Hermes sculpture of Praxitelus. Lunch on the way and after driving through central Peloponnesus we arrive to Nafplio the first capital of Greece in its modern history. Overnight at Nafplio

We start our today’s tour with a walk around the beautiful Nafplio, which was the first capital of Greece after Greeks revolution against Turks in 1821. Then short drive to Mycenae. Guided visit to Homeric city of Mycenae (1300 B.C.) – home town of King Agamemnon, leader of Greeks in the Trojan war – to see the Lions Gate, the Cyclopean Walls, the Royal Tombs and afterwards we’ll visit the ancient open theatre of Epidaurus, 4th century B.C (16 000 seats capacity) famous for its acoustic. Lunch on the way and after a short stop at the Corinth canal we arrive in Athens. Overnight in Athens.

Optional: folklore night in a Greek tavern at Plaka, Athens old town, with Greek food, wine and Greek dances.

Athens sightseeing, Constitution Square (Syntagma), the House of Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier and the National Library. Driving down Herod Atticus street, you will see the Evzones in their picturesque uniform and the Presidential Palace. On your way to the Acropolis you will see the Hadrian’s Arch, visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus and you will make a short stop at the Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896. Then 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 to Acropolis with the new Museum of Acropolis. Transfer to Athens airport in the afternoon to get your flight back home.

Or have an overnight in Athens with dinner in Plaka, Monastiraki or Psiri area and get your flight next day.

NOTE: Alternative routings might be Flying Rome Athens instead of ferry transportation