12 Day Tour Package at Peloponnese, & Northern Greece, Ioannina, Thessaloniki

Day 1:  Athens – Acropolis – Ancient Corinth - Nafplio: 

• Our driver will pick up from your hotel after your breakfast, and you will proceed to visit Acropolis and have a perfect city tour in Athens (Panathinaiko Stadium, the University of Athens, the Academy of Athens, and the National Library). Continue passing by National Garden, Hadrian’s Arc, St. Paul’s Church, Parliament, Tomb of the Unknown soldier, Schliemann’s House (Numismatic Museum), Catholic Cathedral, Old Parliament, Constitution Square, Russian Orthodox Church. Afterwards, driving along the mainland coast to Peloponnese, we will have a short stop at the Canal of Corinth (6 km length and 80m height). We continue to reach at Ancient Corinth which was one of Saint Paul's beloved cities. We will have the chance to visit the Ancient Market and the Bema of Apostle Paul or Galionas, a large, elevated rostrum standing prominently in the center of the Roman Forum of ancient Corinth, from where the city’s officials addressed the public (probably because of the monument’s connection to Saint Paul, the Bema was transformed into a Christian church during the Byzantine period). We will walk at the same paths that Apostle of Nations walked and preached hundreds of years earlier! Finally, we will reach at Nauplio for overnight.

Day 2: Nafplio - Ancient Epidaurus – Argos - Mycenae - Mystras: 

• Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at 08.30 to visit the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, one of the best Ancient Theatres worldwide with amazing acoustic. Then we will visit the most romantic town of Greece, the seaside town of Nafplio. There you can visit the Castle of the town that you can reach by climbing 999 steps (!), or take a small boat and visit ''Bourtzi',' the fortress at the entrance of the harbor, that is also the trademark of the town. We continue to explore the city of Argos. Afterwards, we will visit the archaeological site of Mycenae, an ancient town with great power during the ancient years, with the famous ‘’Gate of Lions’’ and the “Atreus King Tomb”. We will finish our second day at Mystras area. Overnight at Mystras.

Day 3: Mystras – Ancient Sparta – Diros Caves: 

• After your breakfast, we will visit the Byzantine town of Mystras. Let yourself be captivated by this destination’s medieval splendour! Wander around the castle city the Upper and the Lower Town, and sense through the silence the city's sheer grandeur: the Palace of the Despots (Anaktora), the Houses of Laskaris and Frangopoulos, the beautiful Cathedral of Saint Dimitrios and the impressive Monasteries of Our Lady Pantánassa, and of Οur Lady Perivleptos. Then, depart to reach the city of Sparti. If you want, you can visit the unique Museum of Olive Oil of Sparta, a great Museum showing the unique history of olive production in Greece. Afterwards, we leave Sparta to arrive at Areopolis and then at Diros, famous for its marvelous subterranean caves as a part of an underground river. About 5,000 meters have been exposed and accessible by small boats and through narrow passageways and one is surrounded by formations of stalagmites and stalactites. Caves have served as places of worship in Paleolithic and Neolithic times and their inhabitant believed that the caves were the entrance to the underworld. We will return back at Mystras for overnight.

Day 4: Ancient Messene  – Palace of Nestor or Temple of Epikourios Apollo  - Ancient Olympia: 

• Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at 08.30 to reach at Ancient Messene. The ancient Messene is a spectacular archaeological site, a UNESCO monument, which combines diverse beauties as it is built at the one side at the Messenian valley. The city was founded on the 4th century B.C. by Epaminondas. We leave from ancient Messene to reach at Pylos in order to visit the Palace of Nestor. The site is the best preserved Mycenaean Greek palace discovered. The palace is the primary structure within a larger Late Helladic era settlement, once probably surrounded by a fortified wall. The palace was a two-storey building with store rooms, workshops, baths, light wells, reception rooms and a sewage system. The settlement had been long occupied with most artifacts discovered dating from 1300 BC. The palace complex was destroyed by fire around 1200 BC. In June 2016 the site re-opened to the public after the roof was replaced by a modern structure with raised walkways for visitors.
• ** ALTERNATIVE TOUR** After Ancient Messene if you wish you can visit Vassae and the Temple of Epikourios Apollo instead of the palace of Nestor in ancient Figaleia. At an elevation of 1.130 meters stands the eternally proud temple of Apollo Epikurios. The inspiration behind its construction and the architect is the great Ictinus. This universal architectural gem was the first of the great monuments of Greece to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986. The temple was built at the height of the Greek civilization in the second half of the 5th century BC (420-400 BC). Finally, we will depart to reach at Ancient Olympia.  Overnight in Olympia.

 Day 5: Ancient Olympia - Honey, Olive Oil and Food Tasting  – City of Preveza: 

• Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at 09.00 to visit the archeological site of Ancient Olympia, which lies in the lush valley formed by Alfios river, where the first ever Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. You will visit the Temple of Zeus, the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece, which was housing one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world that Phedias had created, the gold and ivory statue, dedicated to Zeus. Then, visit the temple of Hera, the shrine of Pelops (one of the oldest in the sanctuary), the Council house where the athletes took the Olympic oath, the Treasury houses, the Gymnasium and the Palestra, where they used to exercise for a month prior to the Games. Finally you will visit the stadium, where the marble starting blocks are still in position. We will visit the flea market to taste delightful experience of free wine and olive oil tasting, savoring the distinct blends of olive oil and the iconic Greek olives.  We will visit a local honey farm, where under the shade of the trees we will have a coffee / juice and enjoy hand-made local desserts all made with honey produced in this farm for generations. Leaving Ancient Olympia, we will cross over the amazing bridge of Rion – Antirion, one of the biggest in Europe, in order to reach at Preveza city, and a port of Epirus. Preveza is located at the southernmost tip of Epirus, despite the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf. Overnight in Preveza.

Day 6: City of Preveza – Nikopolis - Anccient Kassope - Ioannina: 

• After your breakfast, we will visit Nikopolis, the city founded by the Romans, and its archaeological site that covers the greatest land area of any other ancient city of Greece. We will continue to Ancient Kassope, the ancient Greek city in Epirus. Kassope occupies a magnificent site on a high platform overlooking the sea, the Ambracian gulf and the fertile lands to the south with the slopes of the Zalongo Mountain to the north. Afterwards, we will depart to reach at Ioannina. Overnight in Ioannina.

Day 7: Ancient Site of Dodoni – Perama Caves at Ioannina: 

• Our driver will pick you up from your hotel to reach at the Ancient Dodoni, a worship center of Zeus and Dionysus that was also known as the oracle of the ancient Greek world. Afterwards, we will visit the Perama caves. The cave is part of an underground riverbed, which was built during the pre-Ottoman period that is about 1,500,000 years old. Explorations continued in 1953-1956, when new apartments were discovered. Great passageways, extensive chambers, rich and original decorations, were referred to a luxurious palace, where only the gods of divinity could live. So the Perama Cave was dedicated to Pluto and Persephone. We will then return back to Ioannina. Overnight in Ioannina.

Day 8: Private tour at Ioannina – Meteora - City of Thessaloniki: 

• After your breakfast, we leave Ioannina to reach at Meteora, Kalambaka. We will visit the BYZANTINE MONASTERIES of Meteora that are included on the UNESCO world heritage monument list, having our first stop at the great monastery of Varlaam, founded on the 16th century and located on the top of a rock at 380m height! Our second visit will be at the Monastery of St. Stephan, of the 15th century, also built on the top of another huge rock, where you will admire a small treasure of Byzantine and Christian items, at the museum inside the monastery! We leave from Meteora and through the valley of Tempi, admiring huge figures of Olympus the highest mountain in Greece and home of the 12 gods in the myths, we will arrive in Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 9: Private Tour in Thessaloniki: 

• Our driver will pick you up from your hotel to have a city Tour in Thessaloniki. We will visit the Archeological Museum, the White Tower or ‘Lefkos Pyrgos’, the Triumphal Arch of Galerius (Kamara), the Rotunda, the central Aristotelous Square, the historical quarter of Ladadika and the traditional markets of Modiano or ‘Louloudadika’, the flower market. Overnight in Thessaloniki.

Dsy 10: Explore Pella  – Vergina: 

• After your breakfast at your hotel, we will drive to Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great. There you can see the exquisite floor mosaics of the 4th century B.C. villas, in the site, as well as in the new Museum. Then drive to Vergina (ancient Aigai), to live the experience of visiting the unique Museum, created in the Great Tumulus, covering the royal tombs of Macedonia. Admire the astonishing findings from the tomb of King Phillip II, Alexander's father, and feel the thrill of the greatest discovery of the 20th century. Then you will return to Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 11:  Dion – Mount of Olympos - Volos: 

• Our driver will pick you up from your hotel to visit the Archaeological Park of Dion, the sacred city of the Macedonians, at the foot of mountain Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. It is in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, between the regional units of Pieria and Larissa, about 80 km (50 mi) southwest from Thessaloniki. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks, deep gorges, and exceptional biodiversity. We will visit the area of "Prionia" to admire the natural beauty at the foot of Olympus. After the photo tour and your rest, we will depart to reach at Volos.. Overnight in Volos.

Day 12: City of Volos  – Delphi - Athens : 

• After your breakfast, we will drive to the archaeological site of Delphi, passing from Thermopylae. There you can admire the statue of Leonidas (short stop for photos), as a memorial of the battle of the 300 Spartans against thousands of Persian soldiers of the Persian Empire. Then, we will visit the famous sightseeing of Delphi, with the ancient stadium, the oracle and the museum. Afterwards, we visit the most famous winter resort in Greece, Arachova, a traditional and at the same time modern small city in an altitude of 1000 meters. Return back to Athens in the afternoon.

***TRAVEL INSURANCE: We would also like to draw your attention to the importance of taking out an insurance policy in the event of an unexpected happening that may cancel or interrupt your trip.
Here is the link to see what the travel insurance covers: Click Here for Travel Insurance