The Famous Classical Athens & Classical Greece tour

DAY 1: Athens
Welcome to Athens, the beautiful capital of Greece. Check in at your hotel, located next to the Acropolis new Museum, in the picturesque Plaka area. Your classical tour of Greece is about to start. Profit out of your free afternoon to see as many ancient Greek or Roman ruins as you can in Athens.

Take pictures of the illuminated Acropolis. Then try some local dishes like pastistio, mousaka, souvlaki or kalamarakia and greek salad for dinner. Spoil yourself with a baklava or a kataifi.

Do not hesitate to dance to traditional songs although you may not know how to . You will spend your first overnight in Athens, the place where Pericles was glorifying his country during his Golden Age.

DAY 2: Athens
Good morning, Athens! After breakfast, at 09:30, you will start your three hours walking tour of Athens. You will visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch and the old Plaka district. Next you will visit the Acropolis, the Temple of Nike, the Parthenon and the Propylea. From the Acropolis hill, you will have a breathtaking view of the surroundings. Take great pictures of the Agora, the Observatory, the Democracy hill ( Pnyx ), the Philopappos Hill and the Mars Hill.

Admire the theater of Dionysos and the “Herodion”, the Odeion of Herodus Atticus where ancient Greek drama was first staged. Your afternoon is at leisure to visit Athens or Piraeus on your own and for shopping. Look for hand-made leather shoes, bags and jewelry. Try to attend one of the numerous theatrical performances, musicals or concerts down town. Relax during your second overnight in Athens as a wonderful tour is waiting for you in the morning. (B)

DAY 3: Epidaurus-Nauplia-Mycenae-Olympia
Have your delicious breakfast and then you will start your tour by coach at 08:30 from Athens. The drive is westwards, along the scenic coast, until you reach the Corinth canal. You can take wonderful pictures of it during the short stop. You’ll continue the Classical Tour of Greece along the coastal road of the Saronic Gulf.

The Epidauros Theatre, Nauplion and Mycaene will surely amaze you.
The theater is known for its exceptional acoustics. They permit almost perfect transmission of sounds from the stage to all twelve thousand spectators. You will then depart for Nauplion, the first capital of Greece, in 1829.

You will have a short stop here to admire the imposing castle. Afterwards, you will continue your journey to Mycenae. In Mycenae, you will visit the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon, first sung by Homer in his epics. It is the most important and richest palatial of classical Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilization. In the afternoon you will depart for Olympia where you will have dinner and spend the night. (B,D)

DAY 4: Olympia-Delphi
Good morning, Olympia with the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece, dedicated to the father of all gods, Zeus. The sanctuary sprawls over the southwest foot of Mount Kronios, at the confluence of the Kladeos and Alpheios rivers. It is located in a lush green landscape. Olympia became the most important religious and athletic center in ancient Greece.

Its fame rests upon the Olympic Games, held every four years to  honor Zeus. You will also visit the interesting Archaeological Site and the Museum. Then you will continue your Classical Greece tour via Patras to Rion.

You will go across the channel to Antirrion, on the “State of the Art” new suspended bridge. It is considered to be the longest and most modern bridge in Europe. You will next pass through Naupaktos and continue onto Delphi for dinner. It is here where you will spend the night, surrounded by the vibes from the past. (B.D)

DAY 5: Delphi-Kalambaka
Good morning Delphi! After breakfast it is time to see the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, situated at the foot of Mount Parnassos.
It had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece and was regarded as the center of the world. The sanctuary of Delphi, is set within a breathtaking landscape and was a place uniting the ancient Hellen’s world as well the location that the Pythian games took place. These very important games in Greece, only second to the  Olympics, were held every four years, too.

You will visit the rich archaeological site and the Museum. You can see among other archaeological treasures, the unique bronze statue of the Charioteer. It was dedicated to Apollo by tyrant Polyzalos, when he won the chariot-race here.

After visiting mystic Delphi, you will depart for Kalambaka for a short visit of the village upon arrival. Enjoy your dinner with local specialties and products and have a pleasant sleep under the rocks of Meteora. (B, D)

DAY 6: Meteora-Athens
Good morning Kalambaka! Today you will visit one of the most amazing places in Greece, Meteora, which means in Greek ‘suspended in the air’. The name Meteora soon came to encompass the entire rock community of twenty-four monasteries.

In the past, there were no steps leading to the monasteries.  Monks descended in the nets or on retractable wooden ladders up to forty meters long. The rock monasteries have been characterized by UNESCO as a unique phenomenon of cultural heritage.

After visiting Meteora, you will start the drive back to Athens. You will pass through Thermopylae, where you will have a stop at the Monument of King Leonidas . It is here where the three hundred Spartans fought against the whole Persian army and died for their country. Full of wonderful memories from your Classical Greece tour, you will spend your third night in Athens. (B)

DAY 7: Athens
After breakfast, you can take some more pictures of the city center if you have spare time. This is the end of our services. We, the team of Vikings Navita tours, hope that you enjoyed your seven days Classical Greece tour. Have a safe trip home!

N.B.  B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner