Athens Trip Overview
Don’t even think of spending all your time in Athens! Join us and explore real Greece; both the “must-visit” Delphi & Meteora, but also the best-kept secret of the unique villages of northwest Greece.
Combine the amazing UNESCO Delphi and Meteora with the Zagorochoria and Tzoumerka villages where it seems like the stones give birth to stones! Taste the authentic hospitality of spending each night at a beautiful location with amazing accommodation.
Let your private driver treat you to authentic Greek lunch each day while exploring places that even locals dream of. We try to be attentive to our visitors’ reactions, emotions & preferences in order to make the experience unforgettable for all of us! Furthermore, we like to create special moments during the tour which you don’t even see in the itinerary but we hope you’ll remember for some time.
All lunch “experiences” and accommodation are included and have been “selected” from us for you to have an ideal tour and stay.
Now you know why!
Additional Info
Duration: 5 days
Starts: Athens, Greece
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Athens Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Athens, Attica, Greece
Don’t even think of spending all your time in Athens! Join us and explore real Greece; both the “must-visit” Delphi & Meteora, but also the best-kept secret of the unique villages of northwest Greece.
Combine the amazing UNESCO Delphi and Meteora with the Zagorochoria and Tzoumerka villages where it seems like the stones give birth to stones! Taste the authentic hospitality of spending each night at a beautiful location with amazing accommodation.
Let your private driver treat you to authentic Greek lunch each day while exploring places that even locals dream of. We try to be attentive to our visitors’ reactions, emotions & preferences in order to make the experience unforgettable for all of us! Furthermore, we like to create special moments during the tour which you don’t even see in the itinerary but we hope you’ll remember for some time.
All lunch “experiences” and accommodation are included and have been “selected” from us for you to have an ideal tour and stay.
Now you know why!
Itinerary
Day 1: Starting from Athens: Delphi & Hosios Loukas Monastery
Stop At: Delphi Archaeological Museum, Delphi 330 54, Greece
The Archaeological Museum of Delphi, one of the most important in Greece, exhibits the history of the Delphic sanctuary with the famous ancient Greek oracle. Its rich collections are comprised primarily of architectural sculpture, statues and minor objects donated to the sanctuary. These reflect its religious, political and artistic activities from its early years, in the eighth century BC to its decline in Late Antiquity.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Delphi Greece
The archaeological site of Delphi is one of the most important ones in Greece, second only to the Acropolis of Athens. The magnitude of the Delphi contributions to the entire ancient civilization cannot be overstated.
Many political decisions were taken after the consultation of the Oracle, and no colony was founded around the Mediterranean without the consent of the sanctuary at Delphi. In proportion to its immense influence, the settlement at Delphi grew from a small village to an imposing depository of fine Architecture and Art.
At the Delphi, sanctuary excavations have unearthed settlements that date as far back as the Neolithic era. However, evidence of the site’s importance dates back to the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 B.C).
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes
Stop At: Athena Pronaia Temple, Delphi 330 54, Greece
The first photo you see when you google “Delphi” but still a place that most tourists miss out on! We don’t!
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at a unique location away from the tourist traps of the area. A beautiful evening at a beautiful place.
Day 2: Starting from Delphi: Tzoumerka villages and sites; a fairy tale trip!
Stop At: Nafpaktos Old Port, Naupactus 30300 Greece
Leaving the Delphi area we dive along the coastline next to Nafpaktos town and the huge Rion Bridge. Although Nafpaktos is a great place for coffee, we’ll skip and enjoy coffee at a better location to come.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mesolongion, Mesolongion, Aetolia-Acarnania Region, West Greece
We pass through Mesolongi, Amfilohia, and Arta town only to leave behind and start approaching the Tzoumerka area.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Rodavgi, Rodavgi, Arta Region, Epirus
This is where the magic starts even for locals! The best part of unspoiled Greece. Villages like Rodavgi, amazing food places at unbelievable locations and authentic hospitality.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Plaka Arched Bridge, Unnamed Road, Voria Tzoumerka 470 43, Greece
The famous bridge of Tzoumerka. A 19th-century stone one-arch bridge in Greece that collapsed during the floods of 1 February 2015, and rebuilt in 2020.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Pramanta, Pramanta, North Tzoumerka, Ioannina Region, Epirus
Pramanta village is our destination and a great base to overnight and continue exploring the amazing landscape of Tzoumerka.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kalarites 440 01, Greece
OPTIONAL: Time permitting the options to visit several sites and beautiful locations are several. Kalarytes villages, Kipinas cliff-hanging monastery, Anemotrypa cave.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Amazing hotel, amazing location.
Day 3: Starting from Pramanta: Kipinas monastery, Amazing Syrrako village & Zagorochoria villages
Stop At: Kipinas Monastery, Tzoumerka, North Tzoumerka 440 01 Greece
If there were one monastery throughout the Tzoumerka area that should be on every traveler’s itinerary, this would be it. The Holy Monastery of Kipinas is literally chiseled and built into the surrounding rock. One of Greece’s most beautiful and impressive churches.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Syrrako 440 01, Greece
A narrow, winding road above the gorge of Kalarritikos River will take you to the village, whose incredible view will make you forget the difficult road trip. You’ll be amazed by this gorgeous village once we pass the stone gate and go up the paved alley that leads into the village. The experienced craftsmen of the village have built the stone buildings so they look like pieces of art.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Monodendri 440 07, Greece
Monodendri village is next to Vikos gorge in the Zagoria area in north-western Greece. Just outside the village, we will walk along a precipitous ledge above the gorge and peer across to where the horizon is cracked open for the 12km-long, 900m deep canyon.
The large square, manor houses, and churches reflect the wealth of its citizens during the Turkish occupation. The settlement is home to the 15th-century monastery of St Paraskevi and the 17th century Church of St. Minas.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Aristi, Aristi, Zagorohoria, Ioannina Region, Epirus
The natural scenery surrounding the popular Aristi village is great. It is a good place for lunch. The local “pites” (pies), filled with cheese, meat or vegetables are highly recommended, as well as the local wine. The central square of Aristi has some traditional cafes and the imposing church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary.
Aristi is the last village before reaching two of the most famous Greek villages; Megalo (Large) and Mikro (Small) Papingo.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Papigko, Papigko, Zagorohoria, Ioannina Region, Epirus
We are exploring Epirus and we will be very close to the Albanian borders. This region is probably the best-kept secret in Greece. Papigo villages (large & small) both have kept their traditional appearance with large manor houses, cobbled streets, and fresh mountain springs.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Dilofo, Dilofo, Zagorohoria, Ioannina Region, Epirus
Woo! The beauty of Dilofo village -like all of the villages of Zagorochoria- lies in their uniformity. The local slate prevails in all the constructions, creating this impressive outcome. Dilofo maintains its traditional architecture without any modern interventions and it has been characterized as a historic region because of its architecture. Cars are prohibited.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Expect the best and unique.
Day 4: Starting from Dilofo village: Metsovo town & Meteora
Stop At: Metsovo, Metsovo, Ioannina Region, Epirus
This will be our lunch location after exploring the lively and beautiful traditional town.
Metsovo is one of the most famous traditional villages in Greece mostly because of their unique and colorful handwoven textiles, products of centuries of shepherding.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Meteora, Kastraki, Kalambaka 422 00 Greece
We shall make the first visit to the amazing Meteora monasteries’ area to get a feeling of the unique landscape with the sun setting down. Time permitting it may be possible to visit one of the monasteries. There will be totally different lighting than the morning visit to follow the next day!
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: We shall be located right next to the Meteora rocks with a view from the hotel (depending on the time of booking).
Day 5: Starting from Meteora: Visit of the monasteries, lunch, Thermopylae, Athens
Stop At: The Great Meteoron Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, Kalabaka 422 00, Greece
We shall be visiting two of the monasteries that are open on a specific day. The gigantic rocks of Meteora dominate imposingly in Kalampaka between mountains Koziakas and Antichasion. This masterpiece of nature reveals all its glory for centuries as a unique geological phenomenon in beauty and an important monument of Orthodoxy.
The Great Meteoron Monastery, built on an imposing rock, is the oldest, the biggest, and the most important among the monasteries of Meteora which are preserved today.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Varlaam Monastery, Kalambaka Greece
In 1350 a daring ascetic named Varlaam ascended to the rock. The monastery was named after him. He built three churches, a small cell and a water tank. After his death the rock remained abandoned for about 200 years until 1517 when the two priest-monks Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades started to construct the first buildings from the beginning.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Monastery of the Holy Trinity at Meteora, Kalabaka 422 00, Greece
Probably the most photographed monastery. According to historical sources Holy Trinity must have been built between 1458 and 1476.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Battlefield of Thermopylae, Thermopylae Greece
The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, in 480 BC.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Syntagma Square, Plateia Syntagmatos, Athina, Greece
Expect to be back in Athens around 5 pm!
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Back to your own Athens/base accommodation.