Are you ready for the best tour of Greece?
Day 1: We will depart from Athens and follow the coastal road to the Corinth Canal. After a short stop there, we'll continue our journey towards the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the ancient marvel that is known around the world due to its excellent acoustic.
Our next stop will be Nafplio, a picturesque town of great importance and culture where mountains, Venetian fortifications and elegant neoclassic houses meet the waves of the Saronic Gulf. We will then drive to Mycenae and visit the Archaeological Site, the ancient city and the Tomb of King Agamemnon.
Our next destination will take us through central Peloponnese, pass us by the towns of Tripolis and Megalopolis to the site of Ancient Olympia. This was the cradle of the ancient Olympic Games. Olympia will also be the place where we dine and spend the night.
Day 2: After our breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the Archaeological Site of Olympia, the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus and the Ancient Stadium. Olympia is the place where, every four years, the torch of the modern Olympic Games is lit and where the Archaeological Museum is located. We will hop on our bus and drive through the legendary plains of Ilia and Achaia, towards the impressive cable-stay bridge. This marvel of modern engineering connects the towns Rion and Antirion, passing over the Corinthian Bay.
The passing over the bridge will offer a splendid view of the never-resting sea. We will head towards the picturesque towns of Nafpactos (Lepanto) and Itea and on our way to Delphi. It will be the place where we will have dinner and rest for the evening.
Day 3: We will enjoy an early breakfast and get ready for our visit to the Archaeological Site and the Museum of Delphi. Delphi was home to the Oracle who used to be the most famous and influential of the ancient world. Later on, we'll depart for our next destination, Kalambaka. It is a small town, located at the foot of the astonishing rocky complex of Meteora. Our next dinner and accommodation will be here.
Day 4: As soon as we finish our breakfast, we'll visit Meteora. This miracle of nature provided shelter for the monks. They built their Monasteries on top of the impressive vertical rocks that seem to suspend in mid-air. We'll have enough time to admire perfectly preserved artefacts of Byzantine art and get a glimpse into monastic life through the centuries. We shall visit two of these Byzantine monasteries and then we'll depart from Kalambaka. Our next destination is Thessaloniki.
Making our way through the astonishing valley of the longest river in Greece, Haliakmon, we will arrive at Thessaloniki. It is the second largest city in Greece but is considered to be the most vibrant. It is a perfect place to have dinner and sleep.
Day 5: As the sun rises, we'll have finished our breakfast and start touring the city. It is a city of great beauty and rich in history. Thessaloniki was the «co-reigning» city of the Byzantine Empire, coming second in population and prestige only to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). We'll walk to unique monuments and feel the glorious Byzantine past in some of the oldest and most characteristic churches of the Christian world. We will make a visit to the Museum of Byzantine Culture, which was awarded with the Council of Europe’s Museum Prize for the year 2005. The rest of the day will be at your disposal. You may walk in the lively centre of the cosmopolitan city. We will gather later so as to have dinner and rest.
Day 6: After regaining our energy from a nice sleep and breakfast, we will leave the hotel so as to make a unique approach to the historical region of Macedonia. The first layover will be at the picturesque town of Edessa, where we will see its famous Waterfalls. We'll then commence our journey towards Naoussa, a site of exceptional beauty and importance. It is the place where Aristotle’s School used to be. A picturesque site where the great philosopher taught the doctrines of morals and politics to many young Macedonians, amongst which was Alexander the Great himself.
Next destination will be Vergina, the ancient town of Aigai. We'll experience a visit to the unique Museum that was built on the Great Tumulus, the royal tombs of the Macedonian dynasties. You can observe the astonishing findings from the tomb of King Phillip II, Alexander the Great's father, and feel the thrill of one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century.
Not far from Vergina, there is the town Veria (Biblical Beroea), where Saint Paul’s Bema is located. Then we'll stroll through the old Jewish neighbourhood and its colourful market. Enjoy a walk in a city, where the past is still alive. According to our plan, we'll return to Thessaloniki for one more pleasant and relaxing night.
Day 7: We'll wake up, gather for breakfast and depart for the site of Pella. It was the capital of Macedonia during Alexander's reign. In the new Museum, you can see the exquisite floor mosaics of the 4th-century b.C, among other elegant artefacts. We'll then visit the Archaeological Park of Dion, that used to be a sacred city for the ancient Macedonians. It was built at the foot of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and house of the 12 Gods of the Greek Mythology.
On our way back to Athens, we'll drive through the extraordinary plain of Thessaly and the Valley of Tempi. This road trip will let you admire the gigantic figure of Mount Olympus on the South. Then we will pass by Lamia, Thermopylae (where we will see the Leonidas’ Monument) and Thebes.
As we arrive in Athens late in the afternoon, our journey will be near its end, signalling the closure of your Grand Tour Of Greece 7-Day Tour.