Athens Trip Overview
Take a unique sightseeing & photography small group size tour, which will guide you not only in Greek History (Bronze Age to modern times), but guide you also into landscape and scenery photography. We visit majestic Peloponnese and photograph the most interesting ancient & medieval sites, castles, monasteries, villages, landscapes. Tour is also about sunset and sunrise photography so be prepared to venture into the most beautiful sceneries for our photography historical trip.
Like all vacations in Greece local food is high in our list of things to do, we will taste local gastronomy and wines
Nikolaos your driver is a professional artist and worked as photographer & portrait painter for websites & newspapers. His passion not only for History, but for architectural, landscape and people photography led him to pursue photography tours. Kalavryta, Olympia, Pylos, Methoni, Mani/ Cape Tenaron, Monemvasia, Sparta, Nafplion… are his best choices in Peloponnese. See his photos & portraits
Additional Info
Duration: 8 days
Starts: Athens, Greece
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Athens Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Athens, Attica, Greece
Take a unique sightseeing & photography small group size tour, which will guide you not only in Greek History (Bronze Age to modern times), but guide you also into landscape and scenery photography. We visit majestic Peloponnese and photograph the most interesting ancient & medieval sites, castles, monasteries, villages, landscapes. Tour is also about sunset and sunrise photography so be prepared to venture into the most beautiful sceneries for our photography historical trip.
Like all vacations in Greece local food is high in our list of things to do, we will taste local gastronomy and wines
Nikolaos your driver is a professional artist and worked as photographer & portrait painter for websites & newspapers. His passion not only for History, but for architectural, landscape and people photography led him to pursue photography tours. Kalavryta, Olympia, Pylos, Methoni, Mani/ Cape Tenaron, Monemvasia, Sparta, Nafplion… are his best choices in Peloponnese. See his photos & portraits
Itinerary
Day 1: Corinth Canal, Diakopto, Rack train – Kalavryta, Monasteries (Mount Helmos – Overnight)
Stop At: Corinth Canal, Isthmia, Loutraki 201 00 Greece
The marvelous man-made Corinth canal connecting the Aegean and Ionian seas, as well as the Peloponnese peninsula with the central part of Greece.
More than 2500 workers digging 6.400m for twelve years (from 1881 to 1893) Stop for photography, walk across on a pedestrian bridge and admire the canal from 80 m high
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Diakopto 250 03, Greece
Diakopto is a town and a former municipality in Achaea / Peloponnese. The town of Diakopto is situated on the Gulf of Corinth, near the mouth of the Vouraikos river and at the lower end of the Vouraikos Gorge.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Diakopto 250 03, Greece
Diakopto is a town and a former municipality in Achaea / Peloponnese. The town of Diakopto is situated on the Gulf of Corinth, near the mouth of the Vouraikos river and at the lower end of the Vouraikos Gorge.
Duration: 1 hour 8 minutes
Stop At: Mega Spileo Monastery, Kato Zachlorou, Kalavrita Greece
Meet your driver in Zachlorou train station, continue by car to Mega Spileo Monastery.
The monastery is located in a large cave in a sheer cliff, where the western slopes of Mount Chelmos drop down to the gorge of the Vouraikos river. The cave was known in antiquity, and the geographer Pausanias reports that the daughters of Proetus found refuge there during their madness. In the first Christian centuries, Christian hermits occupied the cave.
According to tradition, the monastery is one of the oldest in Greece, reputedly founded in 362 by the Thessalonian brothers Symeon and Theodore, who with the help of Euphrosyne (a local shepherdess, honored as saint for her part in these events) discovered in the cave the icon of the Theotokos painted by Luke the Evangelist.
Several of the monks became members of the Filiki Etaireia and took part in the Greek War of Independence. On 8 December 1943, the German 117th Jäger Division destroyed the monastery and executed 22 monks and visitors as part of reprisals that culminated a few days later with the Massacre of Kalavryta.
Monastery and surrounding areas are great for photography.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Agia Lavra Monastery, Kalavrita 250 01 Greece
Agia Lavra is a monastery near Kalavryta. It was built in 961 AD, on Chelmos Mountain, at an altitude of 961 meters, and can be described as the symbolic birthplace of modern Greece. It stands as one of the oldest monasteries in the Peloponnese.
It was built in the 10th century but was burnt to the ground in 1585 by the Turks. It was rebuilt in 1600 while the frescoes by Anthimos were completed in 1645. It was burnt again in 1715 and in 1826 by the armies of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt. In 1850 after the rebirth of modern Greece, the building was completely rebuilt. The monastery was burned down by German forces in 1943.
It is famously linked with the Greek War of Independence, since it was here that the call for Eleftheria I Thanatos (Ελευθερία ή θάνατος) was first heard on 25 March 1821, launching the revolution against the Ottoman Empire. That day, Bishop Germanos of Patras performed a doxology and administered an oath to the Peloponnesians fighters. The revolutionary flag was raised by Bishop under the plane tree just outside the gate of the monastery.
To this day, the vestments of Germanos, documents, books, icons, the Gospel of Tsarina Catherine II of Russia, sacred vessels, crosses, etc. are preserved in the Monastery’s museum, along with the holy relics of St Alexios, given by Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaeologus in 1398. Pieces of embroidery, made with gold or silver threads woven in pure silk materials in Smyrna and Constantinople, are also possessions of the Monastery and they date from the 16th century.
Winter hours: Daily 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-16:00. Summer hours: Daily 10:00-13:00 & 16:00-17:00.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kalavrita, Kalavrita, Achaea Region, West Greece
During the late Middle Ages, the town was the center of the Barony of Kalavryta within the Frankish Principality of Achaea, until it was reconquered by the Byzantines in the 1270s. After that it remained under Byzantine control until the fall of the Despotate of the Morea to the Ottoman Turks in 1460. With the exception of a 30-year interlude of Venetian control, the town remained under Turkish rule until the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, in whose early stages Kalavryta figures prominently, it was here that on 21 March 1821 the flag of the revolt was raised at the monastery of Agia Lavra by bishop Germanos III of Old Patras
Stay for overnight. We can arrange accommodation for you in selected Boutique Hotels A’class or 3/4* Hotels with breakfast (additional cost 110€ per double room / weekend-holidays 130€ per double room – if more than 1 room 15% less. Driver’s room complimentary). If you wish to do do your own hotel reservation, you need to reserve an extra room for your driver.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 3 /4 stars. See additional info
Day 2: Cave of Lakes, Arcadian mountains, Ancient Olympia ( Archaeological site & Museum) Overnight
Stop At: Kastria Cave of the Lakes, Kastria Greece
The Cave of the Lakes, is located near the village Kastria. It is 17 km from Kalavryta.
The cave is an old subterranean river consisting of three levels. During the winter when the snow melts it is transformed into a flowing river with waterfalls. During the summer, it dries up, leaving behind 13 lakes.
Daily from 09:30 to 16:30 Holidays and summer time extension
Tickets Adults: 9 € – Children/ Over 65: 4,50 €.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Aroania, Aroania, Achaea Region, West Greece
Drive via Arcadian Mountains to Ancient Olympia
Aroanian mount – Chelmos (2355m), which means ‘Snowy Mountain’ in Slavic, stands proud with its biggest section extending to the Kalavrita area. Is the third highest mountain in the Peloponnese and its natural beauties, the rare species of plants, birds and animals make it stand out. The mount attracts a large number of visitors mainly due to the ski-center that is situated in Vathia Lakka, 14 km. east of Kalavrita and the climbing routes. It offers an unsurpassed experience since there nest landscapes of unique beauty, traditional settlements, archaeological areas, caves and rivers. The mountain is suitable for excursions round the all year.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Lampeia, Lampeia, Elis Region, West Greece
Lampeia is a mountain village, a community and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Archaia Olympia, of which it is a municipal unit. In 2011 the population of the village was 468, and of the community, which includes the village Amygdali, 529.
Lampeia is situated south of Mount Erymanthos, in the valley of a tributary of the river Erymanthos. Its elevation is about 800 m above sea level,
The name Lampeia was taken from the mountain Lampeia, which is part of the Erymanthos range. According to Pausanias the river Erymanthos has its source on the mountain Lampeia, which is sacred to Pan. The area was part of Arcadia. Due to its inaccessibility, Lampeia saw few invaders. Also the Ottomans stayed in the lower areas for strategic reasons. The Zoodochos Pigi monastery in Lampeia was a center of Greek culture and education. Several inhabitants fought in the Greek War of Independence, and some well known families of politicians (Petralias, Panagoulis, Stefanopoulos, Zafeiropoulos) came from Divri/Lampeia.
Photography tour of the village
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Dasos tis Folois, 270 66 Greece
Foloi oak forest is a designated site under NATURA 2000 that dates back to ancient times. It’s the only flat forest in Greece situated on the boundaries between Elis, Arcadia and Achaia, at an altitude of 600meters. It covers a total surface of 218.000 acres and it consists mainly of broadleaf oaks.According to mythology, the forest was named after the Centaur Pholus, who gave roof to his friend, Hercules, on his way to locate the Erymanthian Boar. Pholus offered Hercules a divine wine which excited the rest of the Centaurs who attacked the two friends. During the battle, Pholus was injured by mistake from one of Hercules’ arrows. The hero decided then to name the forest Foloi after his friend.
Photography tour of the magnificent forest and admire the breathtaking view to the plain of Alfeios and to the mountains.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Archaeological Site of Olympia, Archaia Olympia 270 65, Greece
Olympia (Ολυμπία) is one of the most influential ancient Greek sanctuaries, located in western Peloponnese, in Elis. It is is positioned in a serene and rich valley at the confluence of the Alpheios and the Kladeos rivers. In antiquity it was famous beyond the borders of mainland Greece for hosting the Olympic Games every four years, starting in 776 BCE.
The archaeological site is located withing walking distance of the modern village called Ancient Olympia and it includes ruins from Bronze Age to the Byzantine eras. The site covers an expanded area of ruins scattered among low trees, as well as the ancient stadium where the Olympics took place. An impressive array of artifacts which were unearthed during excavations are on exhibition at the nearby Olympia Museum.
Entrance fees (Combine Site & Museum): Winter 6€ /Summer 12€. Under 19 y free
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Museum of the Olympic Games, Olympia Greece
For the ancient Greeks, the Olympic games existed since mythical times, but no definitive time of their inauguration can be identified with any certainty. The first Olympiad was held in 776 BC, and this is the year that provides the first accurate chronology of Greek history. That’s because after that date, the names of all Olympic winners were officially recorded. Koroibos, a cook from Elis, had his name saved for posterity as the first winner of the games in the one-stadium race. The athletic games were held every four years during the second (or possibly the first) full moon in August, and the festivities lasted five days.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Olympia, Olympia, Elis Region, West Greece
Stay for overnight. We can arrange accommodation for you in selected Boutique Hotels A’class or 4* Hotels with breakfast (additional cost 110€ per double room / weekend-holidays 130€ per double room – if more than 2 rooms 10% less. Driver’s room complimentary). If you wish to do do your own hotel reservation, you need to reserve an extra room for your driver.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 3 /4 stars. See additional info
Day 3: Nestor Palace, Gialova, Voidokilia, Navarino Bay, Pylos Castle, Methoni (overnight)
Stop At: Palace of Nestor, Ethnki Odos Kiparissias Pylou, Chora, Pylos-Nestor 246 00 Greece
The Palace of Nestor was an important center in Mycenaean times, and described in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad as Nestor’s kingdom of “sandy Pylos”.
The best preserved of all Mycenaean palaces lies 17 km north of Pylos and is a thrilling sight. It’s described in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ as the court of the hero Nestor, who took part in the voyage of the Argonauts and sent 90 ships to fight in the Trojan War. Originally a two-story building, the palace’s walls stand up to 1 m high, and from the raised walkways and explanatory text you get a good idea of the layout of a Mycenaean palace complex.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Voidokilia Beach, Greece
Voidokilia Beach is a popular beach in Messinia in the Ionic Sea. In the shape of the Greek letter omega (Ω), its sand forms a semicircular strip of dunes. On the land-facing side of the strip of dunes is Gialova Lagoon, an important bird habitat. The beach has been named “A Place of Particular Natural Beauty”. It is part of a Natura 2000 protected area.
Above the beach is Nestor’s Cave and above this are the ruins of 13 century Frankish castle (Old Navarino or Palaiokastro). Overlooking the beach at the north eastern end is the tomb of Nestor’s son, Thrasymedes of the Mycenaean period (1680–1060 BC) with Neolithic finds at the same site showing occupation as early as 4000 BC.
The beach is presumed to be Homer’s “sandy Pylos” where Telemachus was welcomed by King Nestor when searching for his father, Odysseus. According to myth, Nestor’s Cave is where Hermes hide the cattle stolen from Apollo.
If weather permits, photo tour & swim
If weather permits photography tour & swim
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Divari Beach, Gialova 24001 Greece
Gialova is a village on Navarino Bay. The name derives from Greek γιαλός (shore) and Turkish ova (lowland) “lowland shore”.
Gialova’s aquatic habitat, being an important stop for a variety of migratory birds, has been declared the southernmost Habitat of National Importance in the Balkans. It is considered a protected area hosting 258 species of birds out of which the 79 are included in the “Red Book” (species under threat of extinction).
Time for photography and lunch in front water
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Ormos Navarinou, Greece
The Battle of Navarino was a naval battle fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence (1821–32), in Navarino Bay (modern Pylos), on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. Allied forces from Britain, France, and Russia decisively defeated Ottoman and Egyptian forces trying to suppress the Greeks, thereby making Greek independence much more likely.
An Ottoman armada which, in addition to imperial warships, included squadrons from the provinces of Egypt and Tunis, was destroyed by an Allied force of British, French and Russian warships. It was the last major naval battle in history to be fought entirely with sailing ships, although most ships fought at anchor. The Allies’ victory was achieved through superior firepower and gunnery.
The sinking of the Ottomans’ Mediterranean fleet saved the fledgling Greek Republic from collapse. But it required two more military interventions by Russia in the form of the Russo – Turkish War of 1828/9 and by a French expeditionary force to the Peloponnese to force the withdrawal of Ottoman forces from central and southern Greece, to finally secure Greek independence.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Niokastro: Pylos Castle, Bay of Navarino, Pylos, Pylos-Nestor 240 01 Greece
Two castles are built on the summits of the two hills at the ends of the Bay of Navarino, overlooking the town of Pylos: the older castle of Navarino, called Palaiokastron or Palaionavarinon and the more recent castle, called Niokastron.
The latter was built in 1573 by the Turks, and in 1686 was given over to the Venetians. It again came under Turkish domination in 1715, along with the castle of Koroni and Palaionavarino. In 1816 it was captured by Ibrahim Pasha and remained under his control until 1828 when it was liberated by the French general Maison. During the Second World War it was used as the seat of the Italian and, later, the German headquarters.
Large-scale restoration work has been carried out for many years. The restored hexagonal Fortress on the top of the hill houses the Museum and the Underwater Archaeological Research Center.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Methoni, Methoni, Pieria Region, Central Macedonia
Methoni is one of the most historic small market town of Peloponnese and was very famous for its port because its spot had a great strategic and commercial importance.
Its name may be derived from Mothona, a mythical rock.
We will stay in Methoni for overnight. Take advantage of a breathtaking sunset for a unique photography
We can arrange accommodation for you in selected Boutique Hotels A’class or 3/4* Hotels with breakfast (additional cost 100€ per double room / weekend-holidays 120€ per double room – if more than 1 room 15% less. Driver’s room complimentary). If you wish to do do your own hotel reservation, you need to reserve an extra room for your driver.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 3 /4 stars. See additional info
Day 4: Methoni castle, Kalamata, Kardamili, Oitylo, Limeni, Areopolis (overnight)
Stop At: Methoni Castle, Methoni, Pylos-Nestor 240 06 Greece
We will visit Methoni castle early in morning.
The castle of Methoni – actually a fortified city- is one of the most important and the most beautiful castles in Greece. It was built by the Venetians after 1209 at a strategic location, on a rock penetrating the sea and is separated from the land by an artificial moat.
Nowadays the fortress, even though in ruins, continue to be impressive. The castle of Methoni occupies the whole area of the cape and the southwestern coast to the small islet that has also been fortified with an octagonal tower and is protected by the sea on its three sides. Its north part, the one that looks to land, is covered by a heavily fortified acropolis.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Kalamata, Kalamata, Messenia Region, Peloponnese
Kalamata is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula, after Patra.
The history of Kalamata begins with Homer, who mentions Firai/ Pharai, an ancient city built more or less where the Kalamata Castle stands today. It was believed that during ancient times the area that the city presently occupies was covered by the sea, but the proto-Greek and archaic period remains (Poseidon temple) that were unearthed at Akovitika region prove the opposite.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kardamili, Kardamili, Messenia Region, Peloponnese
Kardamili is a spectacularly beautiful seaside village located in the Mani, a stunning region in the southern Peloponnese, the coast of Greece defined by travel connoisseurs as the New Côte d’Azur. Set dramatically against a backdrop of crystalline aqua-blue waters, majestic cypress trees, wild olive groves, verdant rolling hills and distant snow capped mountains, it is one of the prettiest of villages that overlook the calm seas and splendid sunsets of the Messinian Gulf. Just 35 km from the nearby city of Kalamata, it remains one of the south Mediterranean’s best-kept secrets: an exclusive, small, unspoiled resort that boasts stately villas, enchanting stone maisonettes, lush gardens, a picturesque harbor and fantastic beaches.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Caves of Diros, Diros 230 62 Greece
The famous spectacular Alepotripa and Vlichada caves are located in Pirgos Diros.
The caves were inhabited by people from Paleolithic times, but that ended when an earthquake struck the region in 4 B.C.E. Today, locals conduct boat trips on an underground lake here, taking visitors down narrow channels and into illuminated caverns festooned with stalagmites and stalactites. The boat tours take about half an hour, and the guides generally give their commentary in Greek only, but ask if your guide speaks English, many do. Note that you’ll need to negotiate some steps to reach the entrance to the caves.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Areopoli 230 62, Greece
Areopoli is a well preserved historical town with stone paths and traditional tower houses which were built for social and defensive reasons. The town took its name from the Greek God of War Ares and was the capital of the historical district of Inner Mani (Mesa Mani). Like the rest of the Mani settlements, Areopoli is known for the contribution during the battles of Greece against the Ottoman Empire.
At the central square of the village “Platia Athanaton” you will come across the statue of Petrompeis Mavromichalis, the famous chieftain and offspring of the Mavromichali family. Mavromichalis family originated from Areopolis and is widely known for their fighting spirit during the battles of Greece. Around the central square there are a lot of traditional restaurants and cafes.
We will take a walking photography tour and stay for overnight.
We can arrange accommodation for you in selected Boutique Hotels A’class or 4* Hotels with breakfast (additional cost 100€ per double room / weekend-holidays 130€ per double room – if more than 2 rooms 10% less. Driver’s room complimentary). If you wish to do do your own hotel reservation, you need to reserve an extra room for your driver.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 3 /4 stars. See additional info
Day 5: Caves of Diros, Gerolimenas, Vathia, Cape Tenaron, Porto Kagio, Mani (Overnight)
Stop At: Gerolimenas, Gerolimenas, Laconia Region, Peloponnese
Gerolimenas is a picturesque small coastal village at the southern end of the Mani Peninsula, in Laconia, Peloponnese. Τhe name, which means “Old Harbour”, is thought to derive from the ancient “Ἱερός Λιμήν” (Hieros Limen), meaning “Sacred Harbor”. One of the remotest settlements in the Peloponnese, until the 1970 it was reached mainly by boat. In the past it was a major fishing center, and featured substantial infrastructure such as a shipyard, ice supplies, and a fish market. Today the main industry is tourism.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Vathia, Vathia, Laconia Region, Peloponnese
Vathia is a village on the Mani Peninsula, in south-eastern Laconia. It is known for its tower-houses built on a hill dominating the surrounding countryside. On the hills and mountain sides around Vathia proper are clusters of abandoned houses, towers and chapels known as the perichora, meaning environs. Currently, Vathia is a tourist attraction during spring and summer due to the abundance of wild flowers that cover the nearby hills and its scenic views. Moreover, it serves as an iconic example of the south Maniot vernacular architecture as it developed during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Great opportunity for photography. Your driver will guide you through this unique abandoned village.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Cape Tainaron, Kokkinogia 230 66 Greece
Cape Tainaron is situated at the end of the Mani Peninsula. Cape is the southernmost point of mainland Greece, and the second southernmost point in mainland Europe. It separates the Messenian Gulf in the west from the Laconian Gulf in the east.
Near Tainaron, there is a cave that Greek legends claimed was the home of Hades, the god of the dead. The ancient Spartans built several temples there, dedicated to various gods. On the hill situated above the cave, lie the remnants of an ancient temple dedicated to the sea god Poseidon (Necromandion – Death Oracle). Under the Byzantine Empire, the temple was converted into a Christian church, and Christian rites are conducted there to this day. Cape Matapan was once the place where mercenaries waited to be employed.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Porto Kagio Beach, Porto Kagio Greece
The site was that of the ancient port of Psamathous, mentioned by Pausanias. The modern name comes from the Venetian Porto Quaglio and the French (Frankish) Port des Cailles (Quail Port).
Some 17th- and 18th-century maps called it “Maina”, so some authors consider it to be a possible location for the castle of Grand Magne, but medieval portolans mention no such castle here.
The Ottomans built a castle here in about 1568, to protect the port, which was used for galleys patrolling the Kythera Channel. The Venetians attacked the castle in 1570, and the Ottomans surrendered and abandoned it. In 1670, the Ottomans returned and built a new castle. They were driven out in 1770 during the Orlov Revolt. Porto Kagio was the base of Lambros Katsonis’s pirate fleet, and it was at Porto Kagio that it was finally destroyed. In World War II, Porto Kagio was a place where many British soldiers escaped to Egypt.
Duration: 2 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 3 /4 stars. See additional info
Day 6: Monemvasia, Ancient Sparta, Mystras, Mount Taygetos (overnight)
Stop At: Monemvasia Fortress, Monemvasia, Monemvasia Municipality 23070 Greece
Monemvasia is a town and a municipality in Laconia. The town is located on a small island off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The island is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200 m in length. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 m. above sea level, up to 300 m wide and 1 km long, the site of a powerful medieval fortress. The town walls and many Byzantine churches remain from the medieval period.
The town’s name derives from two Greek words, mone and emvasia, meaning “single entrance”. Its Italian form, Malvasia, gave its name to Malmsey wine. Monemvasia’s nickname is the Gibraltar of the East or The Rock.
In more recent history, the town has seen a resurgence in importance with increasing numbers of tourists visiting the site and the region. The medieval buildings have been restored, and many of them converted to hotels.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of Sparta, 71 Agiou Nikonos btwn Dafnou & Evangelistria, Sparta, Sparta Municipality 231 00 Greece
The Archaeological Museum of Sparta comprises the oldest provincial archaeological museum of the country. Its neoclassical building was constructed between 1874 and 1876 in the center of the city and it has been declared a listed building for its architectural and historical interest. Ticket general 3€
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Acropolis and Ancient Theater, north end of Sparta, Sparta, Sparta Municipality Greece
Sparta was one of the most important Greek city-states throughout the Archaic and Classical periods and was famous for its military prowess. The professional and well-trained Spartan hoplites with their distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and lambda-emblazoned shields were probably the best and most feared fighters in Greece, fighting with distinction at such key battles as Thermopylae and Plataea in the early 5th century BC. The city was also in constant rivalry with the other major Greek cities of Athens and Corinth and became involved in two protracted and hugely damaging conflicts, the Peloponnesian Wars of the mid- to late 5th century BC and the Corinthian Wars of in the early 4th century BC.
Thucydides wrote: Suppose the city of Sparta to be deserted, and nothing left but the temples and the ground-plan, distant ages would be very unwilling to believe that the power of the Lacedaemonians was at all equal to their fame. Their city is not built continuously, and has no splendid temples or other edifices.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Archaeological Site of Mystras, located 5 km from the town of Sparta, Mystras, Sparta Municipality Greece
Mystras, the ‘wonder of the Morea’, was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered by the Byzantines, then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandoned in 1832, leaving only the breathtaking medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape.
General ticket: Summer 8€ / Winter 4€
Duration: 2 hours
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 the olive and olive oil production in the Greek realm, from prehistoric times to the early 20th century. The Museum’s objective is to highlight the ineffable relation of the olive with the identity of our country and, more generally, the Mediterranean basin. The olive and olive oil are presented here from different optical angles: the economy, nutrition and the olive’s uses, religious worship, art and technology. The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil offers you the opportunity to see the very first testimonies about the presence of the olive tree and the production of olive oil in Greece: Rare fossilized olive leaves, 50,000-60,000 years old, from the island of Santorini, the oldest findings offering proof of the presence of the olive tree en Greece Linear B Tablets of the 14th century BC (exact replicas), with the first written testimonies about the olive and olive oil.
General Ticket 3€
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Sparta, Sparta, Sparta Municipality, Laconia Region, Peloponnese
Stay for overnight. We can arrange accommodation for you in selected Boutique Hotels A’class or 3/4* Hotels with breakfast (additional cost 120€ per double room / weekend-holidays 130€ per double room – if more than 2 rooms 10% less. Driver’s room complimentary). If you wish to do do your own hotel reservation, you need to reserve an extra room for your driver.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 3 /4 stars. See additional info
Day 7: Mount Parnon, Agios Petros, Astros, Argos, Nafplion (overnight)
Stop At: Agios Petros, Agios Petros, Arkadia Region, Peloponnese
Agios Petros Kynourias is a traditional village, built on the slopes of Mount Parnonas at an altitude of 950m. It is the ideal place for those who love peace, fresh air and mountain getaways. It offers good food in restaurants and taverns and accommodation in beautiful hotels and hostels.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Paralio Astros, Paralio Astros, Arkadia Region, Peloponnese
Paralio Astros, the amphitheatric coastal village of Arcadia with its picturesque alleys and traditional tile-roofed houses, intensively resembles a Greek Island.
Paralio Astros is the port of the historic Astros of Kynouria, where the 2nd National Assembly was convened in April 1823.
At the port of Paralio Astros, you can see tourist boats, fishing boats and high-speed boats, while tourist hotels, cottages, restaurants and cafés spread around them.
The medieval fortress, which looms at the top of the hill of Paralio Astros, offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area and olive grove.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Palamidi Castle, Eikostis Pemptis Martiou, Nafplio 211 00 Greece
The fort of the Palamidi, which has been preserved in excellent condition, is one of the greatest achievements of Venetian fortification architecture.
The hill of Palamidi, which takes its name from the Homeric hero Palamidis, does not seem to have been systematically fortified
