Ancient Greece tour and Day Cruise to the Saronic islands and Santorini

Arriving in the mythical city of Athens, the transfer to your hotel will be conducted in one of our private vehicles.

When you arrive at the hotel, a member of our team will help with check-in, also inform you of all the details of your trip with a brief presentation of the city and its day to day schedule, answer your queries and dispel any doubts you might have. The rest of the day is for you to relax, and enjoy Athens at your own pace.

After your breakfast and at the appointed time, we will commence the panoramic tour of the Athenian Neoclassical Center: the Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the University, the Library, and National Academy, the Ilion Palace, the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Gate, the Panathenaic Stadium, and many other monuments and sites of great interest.  You will learn all there is to know about their history and background from the licensed English-speaking Tour Guide accompanying you on this tour.

After the panoramic tour, we will visit the "sacred rock", the spectacular, unique and magnificent Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. The entrance fee to both sites is included. At the end of the visit, you can either choose to return to your hotel or go off to start your own adventure through the charming and picturesque streets of Plaka.

In the evening, a walking-tour is included and will take you through the prettiest areas of Athens, such as Anafiotika, Thissio, Monastiraki, and Plaka.

Today we will head towards the Corinth Canal, where we will make a brief stop to take some photos and marvel at this famous channel that connects the Aegean Sea with the Gulf of Corinth.  With this impressive engineering feat ships can avoid circumnavigating the Peloponnese peninsula for more than 400 km to reach the Ionian Sea. Continuing our tour we will visit the theater of Epidaurus, worldwide famous for its acoustics and still in use today for a range of performances, especially in the summer. We will also spend time at the museum of Asclepius, father of modern medicine, and then travel through the city of Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece.  Our journey will take us to Mycenae where we will visit the prehistoric Acropolis, Lions Gate and the tomb of "Agamenon". In the afternoon we will traverse central Peloponnese and arrive in the city of Olympia in the early evening. Dinner and accommodation.

In the morning we will visit the site of the old Olympic stadium, where the first games were held around 776 BC. The importance of these games was apparent, given the extensive participation of the Greek cities, which suspended hostilities throughout the celebrations. The Olympiad was recognized as the only accepted chronological event all over Greece and, in essence, it constituted the period of four years between two consecutive events.

Olympia was also the most important sanctuary of Ancient Greece, a place to worship Zeus, the first among the gods. A gigantic sculpture in gold and ivory was made by Phidias and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After our visit to the Museum of Olympia, we will continue our journey to Delphi passing by a modern architectural wonder this time, the suspension bridge of Rio - Antirion.

We will arrive at Delphi, have dinner and rest.

In the morning and after a good breakfast we will visit Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the center or navel of the ancient world, where the renowned Oracle of Delphi served as a counsellor of kings and pilgrims. We will also visit the museum which houses the "bronze charioteer", a masterpiece of Greek sculpture. With the best impressions from the site and its treaures, we will leave the slopes of Mount Parnassus, the native home of Delphi, and continue our journey to the plains of Thessaly, where the city of Kalambaka is located. Arrival, dinner and overnight stay.

Early in the morning we will visit Meteora, also recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1988.  In this mysterious landscape, the natural beauty is combined with the compelling presence of the eternal monasteries suspended or "meteora" on top of the huge rocks. Currently there remain only six in use, five for the male and one for the female monastic community.  On the way back to Athens, we will pass by Thermopylae, where we can see the statue of the Spartan King Leonidas I, famous for leading the battle against the Persians in 480 BC. Back to Athens in the afternoon and drop off to your hotel.

Dresscode in the monasteries: Sleeveless clothing and shorts over the knee for men are prohibited. For ladies skirts and shawls are available at the entrance in case they don’t have such clothing to cover themselves.

In the morning, after your breakfast, you will be transferred to the port to commence your full day cruise to three of the most beautiful islands of the Saronic Gulf, Aegina, famous for its variety of pistacios, Poros for its scenic beauty and Hydra, the greenest of these islands, where cars and larger vehicles are prohibited. On board the ship, you will also have the chance to enjoy lunch with the accompaniment of traditional Greek dances.  At the end of the day you will be comfortably transferred back to your hotel.

Early in the morning, one of our private vehicles will be waiting for you to transfer you to the port of Piraeus where you will embark on the ferry to the island which is an inexhaustible source of inspiration: Santorini.

Approaching the island by ferry you will be amazed by the imposing sight of the city of Fira, with its white houses overhanging the cliff that overlooks the volcano.

Upon your arrival to the island, one of our English speaking representatives will be waiting for you at the port to welcome you, transfer you to your hotel and offer a first-hand account of some of the notable characteristics of this picturesque island. The rest of the day is free, which you may use to wander through its narrow streets and later on have the chance to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

Considered the lost continent of Atlantis, this is a free day for you and your companions to enjoy this magical island. Why not hire a car to explore it, taste the wine in one of its numerous local wineries and the excellent local cuisine in one of its top-rated local restaurants!

At the agreed time, you will be transferred to the airport of Santorini, from where you will board your flight to Athens.

Your arrival at the airport will correspond to your international flight, which should preferably have a departure not earlier than 12:30 hrs. Having spent a few fantastic days with us, we hope to see you soon so as to create together new and extraordinary moments that will be lovingly etched in your memory. Have a nice trip! or as Greeks say Kalo taksidi!