9 Day Tour in Ancient Peloponnese & Meteora at UNESCO Heritage sites

Day 1: Athens – Corinth – Cog Railway - Dimitsana

• You will be picked up from your hotel in Athens at 8 am and driven along the mainland coast to Peloponnese. Your first stop will be at the Canal of Corinth, which is 6 km in length and 80m in height. From there, you will visit Ancient Corinth, one of the beloved cities of Saint Paul where Apostle Paul arrived from Athens to Corinth in 52 AD. After leaving Corinth, you will take the Cog Railway at Diakopto which links Kalavrita with Diakopto and goes through Vouraikos Canyon. The little train travels through streams, climbing the fantastic narrow gorge up into the mountains, through tunnels, over waterfalls, along cliffs and through forests of pine and oleander. The journey ends at the town of Kalavryta, where your driver will meet you to continue the tour at the mysterious, magnificent, and unique "Cave of the Lakes." After visiting the cave, your day ends at the beautiful and historical Village of Dimitsana, a winter traditional village full of narrow stone streets. After checking in, you can have an excellent walking tour in the narrow streets of Dimitsana, admiring the beautiful architecture and historical sightseeing. 

Day 2: Lousios Gorge & Monasteries of Prodromos & Philosophou

• After breakfast, you will leave from the hotel and drive 20 minutes to reach the start of the path that leads to the Monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos, which was built in the 19th century. After walking for about 20-30 minutes, you will reach the monastery and admire the wonderful view of Lousios River. The monks will help you and show you how to continue walking in the Lousios Gorge and visit the next monastery of Philosophes, one of the oldest monasteries of Greece that was built in 963 (the old monastery) and 1691 (the new one). Finally, you will reach Nafplio for overnight

Day 3: Nafplio - Mycenae - Epidaurus - Monemvasia

• After breakfast, you will visit the beautiful town of Nafplio, the first capital city of Modern Greek history. You will walk next to the coast, visit the Castle of the Town and the amazing view of the small island of Bourtzi in the middle of the city's harbor. Your next stop will be at Ancient Mycenae with the famous "Gate of Lions" and "Atreus King Tomb." Afterward, your last stop will be at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, which can seat 15,000 spectators. At the end of the tour, you will visit the second famous Tower Town of Peloponnese, Monemvassia, a mystical stone-built settlement nestled at the edge of a big rock by the sea that was founded by the Byzantines in the sixth century. You can wander around its narrow cobbled streets, the Upper and the Lower part of the town, and admire the beautifully restored stone buildings. We suggest you taste culinary delights at a fine restaurant on the roof of a tower house.of the town, and admire the beautifully restored stone buildings. We suggest you to taste culinary delights at a fine restaurant on the roof of a tower house. Overnight in Monamvasia

Day 4: Monemvasia - Mystras - Sparta: 

• After breakfast, we'll depart from Monemvasia and head to the nearby Byzantine town of Mystras. There, we'll explore the castle city's Upper and Lower Town, taking in the sheer grandeur and silence of this once-thriving city. Highlights will include 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 Our Lady Perivleptos. We return Sparta, we'll visit the unique Museum of Olive Oil of Sparta, which offers a fascinating look into the history of olive production in Greece. Afterward, we'll head to Sparta, where we'll spend the night.

Day 5: Sparta - Diros Cave - Pylos:

• We will leave Sparta and head towards Areopolis and Diros, which are famous for their marvelous subterranean caves. These caves are part of an underground river and about 5,000 meters have been exposed and made accessible by small boats and through narrow passageways. Visitors are surrounded by formations of stalagmites and stalactites. The caves served as places of worship in Paleolithic and Neolithic times, and their inhabitants believed that the caves were the entrance to the underworld. Finally, we will reach the city of Pylos, which is definitely worth a visit. You can explore the great Castle of Methoni or the Castle of Navarino. Overnight stay in Pylos.

Day 6: Pylos - Ancient Messene - Vassae  - Temple of Apollo Epikurios - Olympia:

• At 08:30, we will pick you up from your hotel to take you to the spectacular archaeological site of Ancient Messene, a UNESCO monument. The city was founded in the 4th century BC by Epaminondas and is located in the Messenian valley. After exploring the site, we will leave for Vassae, which we will reach. Here, at an elevation of 1,130 meters, stands the magnificent temple of Apollo Epikurios, also known as the Temple of Epicurean Apollo. The temple is considered a universal architectural gem and was constructed by the great Ictinus. In 1986, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. After visiting Vassae, we will head to Ancient Olympia, where you can check into your hotel and have some free time for yourself. Overnight in Olympia.

Day 7: Ancient Olympia - Honey, Olive Oil and Food Tasting  - Delphi: 

• At 9:00 AM, we'll pick you up from your hotel to visit the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia. This site is located in the lush valley formed by Alfios River, where the first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. During your visit, you can explore the Temple of Zeus, which was the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece. The gold and ivory statue, created by Phidias and dedicated to Zeus, was housed here and considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. You'll also see 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 the athletes used to exercise for a month prior to the Games. Finally, you'll visit the stadium. 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. After lunch, we'll continue on to Delphi for an overnight stay.

Day 8: Delphi - Meteora - Sunset tour around the Rocks: 

• After breakfast, we'll visit the archaeological site of Delphi, including the Ancient Oracle, Stadium, Ancient Theatre (which can seat over 5,000 spectators), and the Museum of Delphi, where you can see the "Charioteer," one of the finest bronze statues ever made. Delphi is best known for the sanctuary dedicated to Apollo and its oracle during the classical period. Then we'll head to the mountainous village of Arachova, a bustling winter destination at 1,000 meters altitude. Take a break and try the famous Arachova's formaela cheese in various forms. Driving through Central Greece, we'll arrive at Kalambaka, a small traditional town at the foot of the majestic grey rocks of God, in the shadow of the great Meteora Monasteries.Enjoy the sunset around the rocks of Meteora as the most highlight of your trip. Overnight in Meteora.

Day 9: Meteors - Athens:

• Our driver will pick you up from your Athens hotel at 09:00 for a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Byzantine Monasteries of Meteora. Our first stop will be at the Holy Monastery of Great Meteoro, the biggest and oldest of the monasteries. It was built on top of a gigantic rock formation and is known as the "monastery suspended in the air." Our next stop will be at the Great Monastery of Varlaam, founded in the 16th century and perched at a height of 380m on top of a rock. After the monastery tour, we will head to the picturesque village of Kalambaka for a traditional Greek lunch. On the way back to Athens, we will make a short stop at Thermopylae, where you can see the statue of Leonidas, a memorial of the famous battle of the 300 Spartans against the Persian Empire. We will drop you off at your Athens hotel at the end of the tour.

***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: Read more...