Olympia - Delphi - Meteora
This short but satisfying 4-day coach tour staying at 3 and 4 star accommodations, immerses you in the spirit of ancient Greece, taking you to sights such as Olympia, Delphi, and UNESCO listed Meteora.
This route takes you through ancient port towns, and important historic hubs such as Nauplia, Mycenae, and Epidarus, where you’ll explore one of the ancient world’s most impressive theatre’s.
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Starting from Athens drive westwards along the scenic coast, until you reach the Corinth Canal with its breathtaking views where take a mid-way stop. You will then continue along for a visit to the coastal road of the Saronic Gulf to Epidarus. On the headland called "Nesi" at Palaia Epidaurus, the theatre of the ancient city is quite well-preserved, in the shape it acquired during the latter years of its function.
Then depart for a visit to Nauplia, where you will have some time to see the first capital of Greece. After visiting Nauplia, continue on to Mycenae which was the kingdom of the mythical Agamemnon and is the most important palatial centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean Civilization. In the afternoon depart for Olympia. Dinner and overnight in Olympia.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Today, leave for Olympia is one of the most celebrated sanctuaries of ancient Greece, dedicated to Zeus, the father of the gods, it sprawls over the southwest foot of Mount Kronos. Although secluded near the west coast of the Peloponnese, Olympia became the most important religious and athletic centre in Greece. Here you will visit the archaeological site and the museum. You will then take a drive via Patras to Rion, and cross the channel on the state-of-the-art new suspended bridge considered to be the longest and most modern in Europe. Arrive in Nafpaktos, then continue to Delhi. Dinner and overnight in Delphi.
Situated at the foot of Mount Parnassos, within the angle formed by the twin rocks of the Phaedriades, lies the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, which had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. The sanctuary of Delphi, set within a most spectacular landscape, which for many centuries was the cultural and religious centre.
Here you will visit the archaeological site and the museum, where one can see among other archaeological treasures, the unique bronze statue of the Charioteer dedicated to Apollo by Polyzalos, the tyrant of Gela, in 478 B.C. when he won the chariot race at the Pythian Games. After the visit, you will depart for Kalambaka. Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka.
Today you will see one of the most amazing places in Greece, the UNESCO cultural heritage site of Meteora meaning 'suspended in air'. This is a very unique community of 24 monasteries. There were no steps to access the monasteries so the Monks descended in nets or on retractable wooden ladders up to 40m long to the fertile valleys below to grow grapes, corn, and potatoes. After a visit to this spectacular site, start the drive back to Athens.
Afterward, board a flight connecting back to home from Athens airport in Greece and conclude the tour with a lot of memories.