Athens Trip Overview
This is really a unique tour starting from Athens. It is considered one of the most popular multi-day tours in Greece. In 4 days you are going to learn many things about Greek history and Mythology covering the Period of the Mycenaean civilization the Greek dark ages, the Archaic, Roman, and Byzantine Period. The route to the Peloponnesus peninsula and then to mainland Greece is breathtaking passing through traditional villages and forests with pine and fir trees valleys with olive trees vineyards and cotton plantations. On the way, we’ll meet Greek orthodox churches and monasteries. The Corinth canal 6, 5 km long, Mycenae,Nafplio,Sparta,Olympia,Delphi, Arachova,Livadia. The unique Rio-Antirio bridge which connects mainland Greece and Peloponnesus, and many seaside towns and villages like Nafpaktos and Galaxidi. You are going to taste the amazing Greek traditional cuisine at the best restaurants with a spectacular view.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 days
Starts: Athens, Greece
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Athens Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Athens, Attica, Greece
This is really a unique tour starting from Athens. It is considered one of the most popular multi-day tours in Greece. In 4 days you are going to learn many things about Greek history and Mythology covering the Period of the Mycenaean civilization the Greek dark ages, the Archaic, Roman, and Byzantine Period. The route to the Peloponnesus peninsula and then to mainland Greece is breathtaking passing through traditional villages and forests with pine and fir trees valleys with olive trees vineyards and cotton plantations. On the way, we’ll meet Greek orthodox churches and monasteries. The Corinth canal 6, 5 km long, Mycenae,Nafplio,Sparta,Olympia,Delphi, Arachova,Livadia. The unique Rio-Antirio bridge which connects mainland Greece and Peloponnesus, and many seaside towns and villages like Nafpaktos and Galaxidi. You are going to taste the amazing Greek traditional cuisine at the best restaurants with a spectacular view.
Itinerary
Day 1: Argolis
Stop At: Corinth Canal, Isthmia, Loutraki 201 00 Greece
We’ll pick you up from your hotel in Athens or Piraeus port and we start by driving via the coastal highway to Peloponnese we are going to visit the Corinth Canal The first stop of the tour to Argolis, is the famous Canal of Corinth Shortstop there to take photos and if we are lucky we might see a sailing boat going through the Isthmus.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos), Argous 105 Ancient Korinthos village, Corinth 200 07 Greece
Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos) After the canal in about fifteen minutes, we are going to Ancient Corinth. In Ancient Corinth, you will see the temple of Apollo (the God of Oracles and the Sun), the Theater, the Roman Odeon, the Glauke fountain, the Vima (step) from where St. Paul preached to the Corinthians in 52 A.D and finally the Lechaion street and the Archaeological Museum.
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes
Stop At: The Diolkos, Palaia Ethniki Odos Athinon-Patron Poseidonos 76, Loutraki 201 00 Greece
The Diolkos was a paved trackway near Corinth in Ancient Greece which enabled boats to be moved overland across the Isthmus of Corinth. The shortcut allowed ancient vessels to avoid the long and dangerous circumnavigation of the Peloponnese peninsula.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Acrocorinth, Corinth 200 07, Greece
Acrocorinthos or “Upper Corinth”, the Acropolis of Ancient Corinth was the citadel of ancient Corinth and medieval Corinth.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mycenae, Mycenae, Argolis Region, Peloponnese
Mycenae was the Kingdom of King Agamemnon very known from the Trojan war. You are going through Lion’s Gate in the old kingdom you’ll see the grave of Agamemnon, the Archaeological Museum, and the Cyclopean Walls
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Nafplio, Nafplio, Argolis Region, Peloponnese
Nafplio a really romantic seaside town, the first capital of Greece until 1834. The old town has classic stone-built buildings and picturesque streets. There a stop for a traditional Greek lunch is a must.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Palamidi Castle, Eikostis Pemptis Martiou, Nafplio 211 00 Greece
Palamidi is an impressive fortress in the town of Nafplio
Duration: 45 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 2: Sparta-Mystras-Olympia
Stop At: Sparta, Sparta, Sparta Municipality, Laconia Region, Peloponnese
Sparta was the birthplace of King Leonidas. You will see the statue of King Leonidas and you’ll visit the archaeological museum.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil, 129 Othonos Amalias Street, Sparta, Sparta Municipality 231 00 Greece
The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil, in Sparta (Peloponnese), transports you to the culture, history, and technology of olive and olive oil production in the Greek realm, from prehistoric times to the early 20th century.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mystras, Mystras, Sparta Municipality, Laconia Region, Peloponnese
Mystras occupies a steep foothill on the northern slopes of Mt. Taygetos, 6km. NW of Sparta. The castle on the top of the hill was founded in 1249 by the Frankish leader William II de Villeharduin. After 1262 it came under Byzantine control, and at the middle of the 14th century became the seat of the Despotate of Moreas. In 1448 the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XI Palaeologus, was crowned at Mystras. In 1460 the hill was captured by the Turks and in 1464 Sigismondo Malatesta of Rimini managed to capture the city but not the castle. For a short period, Mystras came under the control of the Venetians (1687-1715) but was again taken over by the Turks. It was one of the first castles of Greece to be liberated in 1821. The foundation of modern Sparta by king Otto in 1834 marked the end of the old town’s life.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Olympia, Olympia, Elis Region, West Greece
In western Peloponnese, in the beautiful valley of the Alpheios river, lies the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece. Dedicated to Zeus, the father of the gods. Ancient Olympia was the birth place of the Olympic games started in 776BC.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of Olympia, Archaia Olympia, Olympia 27 065 Greece
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, one of the most important museums in Greece, presents the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, father of both gods and men, where the Olympic games were born. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains finds from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period. Among the many precious exhibits the sculpture collection, for which the museum is most famous, the bronze collection, the richest collection of its type in the world, and the large terracottas collection, are especially noteworthy.
Duration: 45 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 3: Rio Antirio-Nafpaktos-Galaxidi-Itea-Delphi
Pass By: Rio-Antirrio Bridge (Charilaos Trikoupis), Gefira Charilaos Trikoupis, Antirrio Greece
The Rio–Antirrio Bridge officially the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, is one of the world’s longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges and longest of the fully suspended type. It crosses the Gulf of Corinth near Patras, linking the town of Rio on the Peloponnese peninsula to Antirrio on mainland Greece by road. It opened one day before the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, on 12 August 2004, and was used to transport the Olympic flame.
Pass By: Nafpaktos Old Port, Naupactus 30300 Greece
Nafpaktos is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, situated on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth. It is named for Naupaktos an important Athenian naval station in the Peloponnesian war. As a strategically crucial possession controlling access to the Gulf of Corinth, Naupaktos changed hands many times during the Crusades and the Ottoman–Venetian Wars. It was under Venetian control in the 15th century and came to be known by the Venetian form of its name, Lepanto. It fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1499 and was used as naval station by the Ottoman Navy in the 16th century, being the site of the decisive victory by the Holy League in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Except for a brief period of Venetian control in 1687–1699, Lepanto remained under Ottoman control until Greek independence in 1829.
Stop At: Galaxidi, Galaxidi, Delphi, Phocis Region, Central Greece
Galaxidi is a small port situated on a natural double harbor surrounded by mountains. The deeper main harbor provides docking facilities for yachts and small fishing boats and is lined with restaurants, bars, and stores.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Itea, Itea, Phocis Region, Central Greece
Itea is a sea port town and a former municipality in the southeastern part of Phocis.
Stop At: Delphi, Delphi, Phocis Region, Central Greece
Delphi was the most famous oracle of the ancient world. It was regarded as the center of the world. Between the 6th and 4th centuries BC the Delphic oracle became internationally known for the oracular powers of Pythia, the priestess who sat on a tripod, inhaled ethylene gases, and muttered incomprehensible words that foretold the future.
Duration: 2 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 4: Delphi-Arachova-Osios Loukas-Livadia
Stop At: Delphi Archaeological Museum, Ethniki Odos Amfissas – Livadias, Delphi 330 54 Greece
In the Museum of Delphi, you can admire unique treasures such as the world-famous bronze Charioteer, a masterpiece of classical Greek art.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Arachova, Arachova, Boeotia Region, Central Greece
Arachova It is a tourist ski resort destination due to its location in the mountains, its traditions, and its proximity to the town of Delphi. Its name is of South Slavic origin and denotes a place with walnut trees.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Monastery of Hosios Loukas, Distomo 32005 Greece
Osios Loukas Monastery, set in the folds of Mt. Helikon.Founded in about 1011 A.D. Hosios Loukas it’s one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art and has been listed on UNESCO’S World Heritage sites, along with the monasteries of Nea Moni at Chios Island and Daphni in Attica.This octagonal Byzantine structure is in excellent condition containing many well-preserved mosaics and paintings
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Ancient Stadium, Delphi 330 54 Greece
The Stadium of Delphi lies on the highest spot of the Archaeological Site of Delphi. It overlooks the sanctuary of Apollo and has a view of the Delphic landscape. It was built either within the second half of the 4th century B.C. or even after the Galatian attacks. It measured 178 meters in length and knew several refurbishment phases. The Stadium of Delphi is the best-preserved ancient stadium in Greece.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Temple of Apollo, Delphi Greece
It is an imposing temple of the Doric order whose existence was woven through the turbulent history of the site and endured numerous incarnations before it settled to the ruinous state we find it today, and which dates back to the 4th c. B.C. The temple of Apollo was first built around the 7th c. B.C. by the two legendary architects Trophonios and Agamedes. It was rebuilt after a fire in the 6th c. B.C.. and was named the “Temple of Alcmeonidae” in tribute to the noble Athenian family that oversaw its construction with funds form all over Greece and foreign emperors. This temple was also of the Doric order and had 6 columns at the front, and 15 columns at the flanks.
This temple was destroyed in 373 B.C. by an earthquake and was rebuilt for the third time in 330 B.C.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: The ancient theater of Delphi, Delphi 330 54, Greece
The theatre of Delphi, one of the few theatres in Greece for which we know the exact date and design, is located inside the temenos of Apollo and against the northeast corner of its peribolos, or enclosure wall. This is where the musical contests (song and instrumental music) of the Pythian Games and other religious festivals took place, which made this theatre the intellectual and artistic equivalent to the athletic stadium at Olympia.
The theatre’s original form is unknown; it is possible that the spectators sat on wooden seats or on the ground. The first stone-built theatre was built in the fourth century BC and was subsequently refurbished several times. The theatre’s present form, with its stone-paved orchestra, stone seats, and decorated stage, is the result of a 160/159 BC
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Treasury of the Athenians, Delphi Greece
The Athenian Treasury at Delphi was constructed by the Athenians to house dedications and votive offerings made by their city and citizens to the sanctuary of Apollo. The entire treasury including its sculptural decoration is built of Parian marble. The date of construction is disputed, and scholarly opinions range from 510 to 480 BCE. It is located directly below the Temple of Apollo along the Sacred Way for all visitors to view the Athenian treasury on the way up to the sanctuary
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Livadia, Livadia, Boeotia Region, Central Greece
In Levadia the watermills, the small waterfalls, the stone bridges, and the huge centuries-old plane trees create a landscape of exquisite beauty. And most importantly, tourism has not damaged the beauty of the landscape.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
