- All Year.
5 Day Tour to visit Mountains & Picturesque Villages...
Book a 5 day alternative private tour package in Ancient Greece to visit mountains, protected National Parks and traditional villages with special tour in Delphi & the the Monasteries of Meteora. Meet villages like little secrets hidden in the Mountain of Centaurs and Greek mountains characterized by diversity and rare scenery which lure every visitor.
Get to know the mythical tales of Mt. Pelion, the mountain of Centaurs the natural paradise and the summer habitat of the twelve gods of Olympus all combined in a single magical journey! In Portaria you can even cross the Centaurs' Path! Travel and do some hiking to the highest mountain in the country, Mount Olympus in Macedonia -known from Greek mythology as the home of the gods! Visit Zagoria, a complex of 46 mountainous picturesque villages on the northeastern part of Greece famous for its natural beauty. Walk the famous Vradeto steps, get a good look of the Voidomatis River and hike to the Beloi viewpoint for panoramic photos of the Vikos Gorge one of the deepest gorge in the world! Enjoy the country life and mountain activities! Ideal destination for hiking lovers
Location
Day 1: Athens - Delphi - Mount of Pelio
- Our driver will pick you up from your hotel in order to reach Delphi. We will visit Castalia Spring, visit the archaeological site and we will view the monument of the Argive Kings, the treasury of the Athenians, the Athenian Stoa, the Polygonal Wall, the monument of Platea and the Temple of Apollo famous for its oracle and Delphi museum, with its spectacular exhibits include the frieze of the Treasury of the Sifnians, the Naxian Sphinx, the Statue of Antinoos the metopes of the Athenian treasury, the famous bronze Charioteer, originally created to commemorate a victory during the 476 B.C. Pythian Games, and many other artifacts. We have lunch in Delphi area or at the traditional Village of Arachova, before we depart for Pelion the mountain of Centaurs. Check in and then have free time to explore the village. You can stroll around and explore the incredibly dense network of cobblestone trails and enjoy the taverns with delicious food. Overnight in Pelion at Village of Portaria
Day 2: Villages of Pelion - Litochoro at Footsteps of Olympus
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After breakfast we will explore Pelion area, the summer habitat of the twelve gods of Olympus. Pelion is a place of indescribable beauty, irresistibly attractive with many traditional villages around within the nature. You can visit Portaria village, stroll at the stone streets, admire the green nature and beautiful, Pelion mansions, get a coffee around the main square, with the huge age-old plane trees, full of traditional Greek restaurants and shops where you can get local products (sweets, jams, liqueurs, etc.).We continue our trip to reach at Makrinitsa is the so-called "balcony of the Pelion", which is none other than the large square with plane trees with panoramic views of Volos and the Parasitic Gulf, the church of John the Baptist, the marble fountain with the four bronze lion heads and the immortal water as well as the cafe Theofilos where you will see the large mural of the famous Greek painter Theofilos Hadjimichael from 1910, entitled "Battle in the Cold Fountain". Next stop will be at "Milies" is inextricably linked to the legendary train of Pelion, the famous Moutzouris, which offers truly unforgettable experiences to visitors to the mountain of Centaurs. The first reports about the existence of the village date back to 1510, visit the church of the Patriarchs built in 1741 to admire the remarkable post-Byzantine hagiographies and relics. At the end you will head to Litochoro Village at the footsteps of mount Olympus for overnight
Day 3: Litochoro Village - Hiking at the Paths of Olympos - Meteora
- After breakfast you will meet your driver for an amazing exploring experience. Mt Olympus apart from Greece’s highest mountain and lush nature, is renowned from mythology as the home of the 12 Gods. You will reach at a shelter where you will enjoywe some of the 55 peaks of Mount Olympus getting memorable photos. Next stop will be "Prionia area". The hiking tour will take you through beautiful easy trails, to chapels, waterfalls and places with spectacular views. En route you will learn in an interactive way about the mythology and nature of the mythical mountain. The route at the foot of Mount Olympus is a pleasant. A fantastic visit of the area, in the gorge of Enippeas, is the old Monastery, founded by Saint Dionysios on Olympus, in 1542.
Half an hour from the Monastery in a cave, is the hermitage "Holy Cave" and the holy water of the Saint. Agios Dionysios, practices in a cave under a rock, which is about 20 minutes walk from the old monastery. The place was named "Holy Cave" and survives to this day, while attracting thousands of visitors daily. After this amazing day we will head to Meteora for overnight.
Day 4: Meteora - City of Ioannina - Zagori Village
- Our driver will pick you up from your hotel to visit the BYZANTINE MONASTERIES of Meteora that are included on the UNESCO world heritage monument list. Visiting Meteora you will enjoy a unique and imposing scenery of ageless monasteries, containing priceless historical and religious treasures, standing between Earth and Sky at the top of huge rocks. This wonderful tour will be completed at the picturesque village of Kalambaka, where you will have a traditional Greek lunch! We will continue to reach Ioannina the capital of Epirus a multicultural city. You will have a panoramic tour by the car in order to admire the beautiful city. We will visit the beautiful fortified old town, and the castle. This is the oldest Byzantine fortress in Greece! We will admire the Lake Pamvotida and its Small Island of “Ali Pasha" accessible only by boat. That is the only inhabited island on a lake in Europe! You must not forget to sample the traditional spices and herbs harvested from the mountains of Epirus, a special delicacy or the famous desserts of 'sker bourek' or 'sugar pie', and the exceptionally delicious baklava or other syrup pastries. At the end we head to Villages Zagorochoria for overnight.
Day 5: Tour at Villages of Zagorochoria - Vikos Gorge - Athens
- After your breakfast we will start our journey to visit the traditional stone villages of Zagori called Zagorochoria declared a national historical monument, known for the amazing stone bridges that have been standing since the 1800’s and the footpaths that connect the villages that are still in use today. Zagori area is home to the impressive Vikos Gorge, which is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the deepest canyon in the world in proportion to its width. Rising up to 1,040 meters in several places, the steep walls of the gorge offers a fascinating sight to its visitors. Be sure to take your camera because you’ll want to take plenty of pictures! Passing by village of Monodentri village we will reach at the area of "Oxia' the most suitable area to see the amazing panoramic view to Vikos Gorge. The Gorge, with its northwest-southeast direction, has been carved over millions of years by the Voidomatis River and is a site of major scientific interest. However, in order to best experience the gorge, you will certainly want to bring your hiking shoes! Most people spend around 3-5-hours walking through the gorge (optional with guide) and exploring the beauty within. Another highlight of the area is the "Stone Forest" a unique natural phenomenon. An impressive formation that fascinates every nature lover. It is the only one in the whole country and one of the two in the whole world. It took many years to cause this corrosion and disintegration of the slabs to offer this impressive result. The image is beautiful and special as the stone forest is essentially located in a normal forest consisting of oaks and maples. We will depart from Zagori towards Athens. Our Services ends.
Highlights
- Delphi & Delphi Museum
- Monasteries of Meteora
- Traditiona villages of Pelion
- The path of Centaurs in Pelion
- Litochoro Village
- Mount of Olympus
- City of Ioannina & panoramic city tour
- The Island of "Ali Pasha"
- Lake of Pamvotida
- The Byzantine fortress in Ioannina
- Traditional stone villages of Zagori region
- Vikos Gorge (the second deepest gorge in the world)
- "Stone Forest" at Zagori
Inclusions
- Pick up & drop off from your hotel in Athens
- Private transportation with English speaking driver
- 4 Nights accommodation with Breakfast
- Majestic sunset tour on Meteora Rocks (optional)
- 1 bottle of waterper person, tissues
- All taxes
Exclusions
- Entry/Admission in archeological sites
- Gratuities (optional)
- Hotel city tax
Useful Info
All our drivers are professional English-speaking drivers, have high experience and they have a good knowledge of the sites that you are going to visit. They can provide you general information for each one, but they are not official guides. They will lead you to paths past the tourist crowd and they will also suggest you local, traditional restaurants where you can taste the known Mediterranean cuisine.
- During the trip to Ancient Greece, we suggest you to have local guides in each archaeological site as you will receive deep information
- Alternative, you can book licensed tour guide accompany you throughout your tour
- We are owner of car Rental Company www.premiumrentacar.gr with wide fleet of Cars & Minivans that's why we can keep the cost low
- From 1 to 4 persons, we provide you Mercedes E class or MPV, Citroen Picasso or similar
- From 5 to 8 persons, we provide you Mini Van type Mercedes Vito/Viano or similar
- From 9 to 17 persons, we provide you Minibus Mercedes Sprinter 18 seats
- Upon your arrival at Athens airport or Piraeus, our representative will be waiting there holding a sign with your name written on it, helps you with your baggage, and accompany you at your car, provide you mineral water & Tissues.
- If you are already in Athens, our driver meets you at your hotel in Athens or Airbnb (or from your specific address)
- Also, we will give you a folder with vouchers of the hotel, tickets and contact numbers in each area that you are going to visit.
- We provide you 4* star hotels or 3* stars hotels with high standard services in great locations. Please note that you can ask us for 5* star hotel with extra supplement.
- After your booking we will send you the detailed program with the names of the hotels.
- If you wish we can arrange your accommodation a day before and after your tour.
- Our tour packages are PRIVATE only for you and not for other passengers.
- You can add or remove everything from our proposed program in order the tour to be modified to you, also note that we can accommodate from 1 person to 36 persons or more.
To take full advantage of your stay in Greece, we would also like to draw your attention to the importance of taking out an insurance policy in the event of an unexpected happening during your trip. To this effect, we have collaborated with INTERAMERICAN, the largest private insurance company in Greece.
- 1,5€ per room / per day for 3* star hotels,
- 3€ per room per / day for 4* star hotels.
- 12 euro / person for Delphi & Museum
- 3 euro / person for each monasteries of Meteora
*** Children under 18 years of age are free of charge
Cancelation Policy
- In order to confirm any booking, 30% payment in advance is required, fully refundable in case of any written cancellation received 40 days prior the arrival date.
- For any cancellation OR change between 39 days to 20 days prior the first day of arrival, cancellation fees equal to 50% of the total cost of program applies.
- For any cancellation OR change within 19 days prior the first day of arrival and/or non shows, full cancellation fees applies – the total cost of the program.
- A written notification of any cancellation or change is necessary to be sent to PRIVATE TOURS Greece.