The 7-Day Athens and Paros best budget package

Day 1: Athens

This is your first day in Athens. You will check in at the Hotel Philippos, located in Plaka, next to the Acropolis. Afternoon at leisure. You can go shopping for posh jewellery, clothes or accessories in Kololaki or visit one of the many museums located in the centre. Sleep well during your first night in Athens.

Day 2 : Athens – Cape Sounion

A walking sightseeing in Athens is what you are having in your program after breakfast , including guided tours of the Acropolis (the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike , Erechtheion, and the Acropolis Museum ). Get amazed by the Theatre of Dionysus, the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, the Temple of Oympian Zeus , and the Agora where Socrates was teaching his students, the Temple of Hephaistos that is still in a good condition and the Areopagus, the ancient Athenian law court where Apostole Paul preached in 54 A.D. and converted the first Athenians into Christianity.

You can have lunch in Plaka and you can rest for a while. In the afternoon you are going on an organized trip to Cape Sounion. You will be driven along the Athenian Riviera to visit the Temple of Poseidon, overlooking the Aegean Sea.

Capture the magic of the ancient columns and imagine looking at the ship that brought Theseus back from Crete. Return to Athens full of wonderful memories. Spend the night smiling for having acquired so much knowledge.

Day 3: Athens – Delphi – Athens

In the morning you will start the full day excursion to Delphi, the most famous site of prophecy in ancient Greece where god Apollo was fortelling the future through the mouth of the Oracle. It is situated on the side of Mount Parnassus , residence of the Muses who according to Mythology were dancing in the local forests. You will visit the temple, the theater, and the museum with numerous exhibits from all the ancient world.

You can have lunch in the town of Delphi. You will come back to Athens in the evening.

Day 4 : Athens – Piraeus – Paros

After breakfast you will be transferred to Piraeus to embark the ferry boat for Paros. You will arrive after approximately 4 hours. You will be transferred to your hotel PETRES or a similar one. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore.

You can go to the famous Kolybithres beach to admire the millions of years old granite rock formations. You can also practice in kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaking, scuba diving, jet skiing, water skiing, canoeing and kite-board.

For the night we suggest Cine Enastron, the open-air movie theater of the island and a jazz, classical or traditional music concert. Enjoy your first overnight in Paros.

Day 5: Paros

After breakfast you will start the bus tour around the island of Paros. You will first do the tour of Parikia, the capital of Paros where you will visit the famous Byzantine Church of Ekatontapyliani, the church of “The Hundred Doors”. Leaving the church, you will wander through the narrow streets of Parikia and you will visit the old Venetian castle on the southwestern side of the harbour.

After Parikia, you will head towards the marble quarries of Marathi and on to the highest village on the island, Lefkes. This village was the former capital of Paros. You will enjoy a short walk through the village to visit the 17th century church of Holy Trinity. Leaving Lefkes, you will be driven to the small village of Pisso Livadi, where you will have time to enjoy a nice lunch in one of the local taverns, or swim in the clear blue sea on the small sandy beach.

The final stop is at the small resort of Naoussa, where you will walk through the narrow streets, admire the whitewashed houses and discover the small harbour area with its dozens of little fishing boats, lying side by side. You will return to the hotel at 17:00. The afternoon will be at leisure.

You can have fresh fish in a traditional tavern, listen to Greek island songs and why not dance. Relax during your second overnight in Paros.

Day 6: Paros (optional Antiparos / Santorini)

Today you are to decide what you want to do after breakfast. You can stay in Paros to relax, swim and charge your ‘batteries’. You can also visit the Archaeological Museum with collections dating from the Neolithic period. Then a stroll around the park seems a bright idea and why not some meditation at the Tao’s Center. If you want action you have 2 choices:

1) If you are passionate with caves and ancient ruins, you can go on an optional day cruise to Antiparos, with lunch and swimming. Antiparos is a small rocky island only one nautical mile away from Paros.

There are a lot of things you can do on this tiny island, of only 35,09 square kilometres!

You can visit the Antiparos cave not only for its wonderful stalactite formations but also for the ancient vessels found inside, dedicated to goddess Artemis. Lots of important people have been hiding here during the years! You can also visit Despotiko, the ancient Perpesinthos, built in the 7th century BC that stands intact! Admire the sanctuary of god Apollo, widely worshipped in the Cyclades.

Once in the main settlement of Antiparos, you can detect traces of Kastro, the Venetian castle built in 1440 to protect the locals against pirates, a square structue with a tower in the middle where the archon was living. In the old castle of Antiparos you can find the Folklore Museum of Antiparos where old objects, specimens from Cycladic figurines, traditional uniforms of Antiparos and photographs from the excavations of Despotiko are displayed.

Finish your journey by visiting the peaceful and superb beaches of the island and by admiring its numerous caves.

2) Your second optional trip will lead you to Santorini (Thera) and its duration is 12 hours. This magnificent Cycladic island with the whitewashed houses on the rock is the venue that more and more people choose every year for their wedding.

Santorini is a must destination as it combines unique beauty with archaeological sites, geophysical phenomena and refined entertainment. You can start your day by visiting Akrotiri that was accidentally discovered in the 19th century. Τhis ancient settlement of Thera was buried under a thick blanket of ash and pumice since 1646 BC, as a result of the eruption of the volcano of Thera.

The explosion was equivalent of 40 atomic bombs and was 100 times more powerful than the eruption of Pompeii. Not only it altered the topography of the island but also was responsible for the end of the Minoan civlilization. From Santorini you can also buy a mini cruise to admire the small island of Nea Kameni and its active volcano. This island emerged from the sea after the volcanic eruption.

You can climb all the way up to its top and then you can visit the other small island of Palea Kameni to swim in the hot waters that emerged from the hot springs, located at the bottom of the sea. Back to the Santorini for a local dish and a glass of extraordinary wine, due to the volcanic soil. An island you probably fall in love with.

Tired but happy for having seen and done so many interesting things, you will spend your third overnight in Paros.

Day 7: Paros – Piraeus

Enjoy your breakfast and spend the morning the way you like as it is at leisure. You will depart from Paros in the afternoon.You will arrive in Piraeus after approximately 4 hours and you will be transferred to your hotel in Athens where you will spend the night.

Day 8: After breakfast  the “Athens and Paros best budget package ” comes to its end. Be sure all your belongings are packed and have a safe trip home. Come back to Greece soon to explore new places guided by Vikings Navita.