The Wonders of Classical Greece

Welcome to the historic heart of the Mediterranean and its capital city, Athens. On arrival, we are met and transferred to our hotel. The rest of the day at leisure.

After a relaxing breakfast, we meet our guide for our fascinating half-day city tour. Our first stop is to visit the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of modern times took place in 1896. From here, we view the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library and Constitution Square. On the Acropolis, we take time to visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens:  The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts the order in the mind”, the Parthenon.  Our final stop is the Acropolis Museum for a guided tour to see where many of the ancient statues and wonders of the classical world have now found their final resting place. Tonight we enjoy a ‘welcome’ dinner at a local restaurant. 

A free day to discover Athens on your own. For the history buffs, delve deeper into the ancient history with visits to museums, art galleries or even another closer visit to the Acropolis and Parthenon. 

For the shoppers, a plethora of markets and shops await your bargain-hunting skills.

After an early breakfast, we depart Monemvasia with our guide for a full-day excursion to Sparta and Messini. Our drive takes us through the lush valley of Evrotas before reaching a modern-day Sparta, once a powerful city-state in ancient times. Famous for its mighty warriors, Sparta dominance peaked around 650 BC. Its unique social hierarchy and the governing system moved through various levels of success, failure, dominance and rulers before its eventual destruction. From Sparta, we continue on to the castle town of Mystras.  The stunning landscape surrounding the area is composed mainly of pine trees and cypresses, small lakes and rivers. The history of Mystras dates back to the 13th century. Over the years, the town was occupied by the Byzantines, Turks and Venetians before being abandoned altogether in the 1830s. In 1989, the ruins of Mystras, including the fortress, palace, churches and monasteries, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, the only remaining inhabitants of the town are the nuns at the Pandanassa convent. After lunch at a local restaurant (at own expense) we leave for ancient Messene – Ithome, to explore the spectacular archaeological site. The city was founded in the 4th century B.C. by Epaminondas, the general from Thebes. Here we will see the theatre, the Arsinoe fountain, the

Free days to relax and explore on your own.

This morning we have a 3-hour drive by coach to Nafplio where we will spend the next 3 nights.

After breakfast at our hotel, we transfer to the Port of Tolo to board our cruise boat for our excursion to Hydra and Spetses. On arrival in Hydra, we have free time to explore the Island.

100 meters from the port, on your left, as you disembark the ship, you can visit the museum of Hydra where you can view exhibits from the Greek Revolution and the Balkan wars. You can visit the cathedral, a large monastery in the centre of the port dedicated to Holy Mary. You will easily spot it by its tall bell tower with the clock. The church museum and the town hall are also situated there.
You can wander around the cobblestone streets, admire the three-story mansions of the captains of the Greek Revolution, enjoy donkey back riding and take lovely photographs of the 2 bastions at the 2 edges of the port.

After our morning in Hydra, we cruise towards Spetses. Not long after our departure, we’ll see the island of Spetses, as well as Spetsopoula, the private island owned by Stavros Niarchos. On arrival, more free time to explore the museums, and historic churches and experience quaint lifestyle of the locals.

Early evening arrival back at our hotel in Nafplio.

A free day.

We head back to Athens today to connect with our flights home.