5 Days Private Tour: Meteora - Delphi - Olympia & Argolida

 Setting off with a drive along the national highway heading towards northern Greece. After visiting the battlefield of Thermopylae we will drive to the unique Meteora.

First, we will drive to Thermopylae. It was here that 10 years after the Battle of Marathon, King Leonidas and his 300 brave Spartans heroically faced the Persian army. In the historical center, an informative 3D movie will be shown.  

As if traveling through time you will feel the presence of heroes who stood their ground for their freedom against a foreign conqueror. To conclude you will visit the statue of Leonidas standing exactly opposite Kolonos Hill where the persistent Spartans left their last breath.   

Walk around the Thermopylae Battlefield to see the landscape.

Following we will continue with a drive through the mountains, not taking the national highway, to see the real Greek country side. Passing by the cities of Lamia, Trikala and Karditsa we will reach Kalambaka, a beautiful small city that is dominated by the Meteora. You will have time to take an evening walk and enjoy a local dinner after settling at the hotel. 

We will visit the monasteries and a closer look at the holy rocks. On the rocks that are like suspended in the air (that’s what Meteora means) there is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries, still in use. Meteora combines natural beauty and cultural heritage, a fact that make them a unique destination between the world’s monuments protected by UNESCO.

Great Meteoro, as its name shows is the biggest and most impressive of the six.

Visit the Roussanou or Saint Stefan Monastery, two of the most known monasteries. 

Roussanou Nunnery gives you the opportunity to walk in the trees before you arrive at the hanged from the sky monastery, while Saint Stefan is the easiest to access. 

 After having breakfast we will drive to the most famous Oracle of ancient Greece.

Delphi is an ancient Greek sanctuary with a PanHellenic character dedicated to god Apollo. It functioned as an Oracle and was considered ‘the naval’ the center of the word and is today a symbol of Greek cultural unity. The scenic location allows you to have a view of the Greek mountains and two more sites the Gymnasium and the secondary sanctuary of Athena Pronea.

Delphi is a town on Mount Parnassus in the south of mainland Greece. It's the site of the 4th-century-B.C. Temple of Apollo, once home to a legendary oracle. We will overnight here.

At the site you will visit the temple of Apollo where Pythia spoke to the oracles, the theater and the stadium where the Pythian Games were held.

In the museum you will be able to see some incredible findings like the famous charioteer and Gold Ivory statues. 

Aráchova is a mountainous village nestling picturesquely at the foot of Mt. Parnassós in Viotia, Southern Greece. It is the most cosmopolitan winter destination in Greece, a great favorite for passionate ski lovers and celebrities, or just first-time visitors who wish to relax in a dreamy mountainous setting with modern tourism facilities. Its modern ski resort, its close proximity to Athens, and its breathtaking mountainous landscape are the strongest reason why. Apart from the mountain activities, Aráchova is also famous for its bustling nightlife and as the favorite mountain resort of Athenians. 

On the third day we will visit a picturesque little town of Nafpaktos and then head to the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

Nafpaktos, is a small town by the Olympic Rings sea having a view towards the battlefield where the naval battle of Lepanto took place in 1571 between the Ottoman Empire and the united western powers.

This day we will drive to the birthplace of the Olympic Games to visit the site and overnight.  

This is one of the largest sites in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games and the Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus. Walking through the site you will pass by the Gymnasium, the Palaistra, the workshop of Phidias, the Temple of Zeus and you will end up at the Stadium where for every four years the Greeks competed for glory and for spiritual elevation honoring their cities. 

The museum is also quite unique as it includes the renowned statue “Hermes of Praxiteles” with its perfect analogies and tools that belonged to Phidias himself. With the tools he created one of the seven wonders of the world “the gold ivory statue of Zeus”. 

The Museum of the History of the Ancient Olympic Games hosts 463 ancient works, from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, and other museums in the Greek territory. The exhibits cover a wide chronological range, from the 2nd millennium BC until the 5th century AD. Ancient exposed in thematic units and through them shows the history of the Olympic games, the longest ancient institution. Apart from ancient art, the visitor has the possibility of detailed information through the rich visual material.

this day you will visit the area of Argolis, where lie some of the most famous archaeological sites of Ancient Greece.

Dated to the 2nd millennium B.C.E. representing what Homer wrote about, Achilles, Agamemnon and Helen of Troy. The palace of Mycenae gave its name to a whole era.  

In the site you will see the famous Lions' Gate (the oldest architectural sculpture in Europe), the cyclopean walls, the burial circle A and the remains of Agamemnon’s Palace.   

Worth visiting there is also a modern museum exhibiting the findings of the “City Of Gold".  

Just before leaving the site we will make a small stop at the treasury of Atreus, the best preserved Tholos tomb found and one of the finest examples of the Mycenaean architecture.  

Tiryns is a Mycenaean archaeological site in Peloponnese, and the location, from which mythical hero Heracles performed his 12 labors protected by UNESCO along with Mycenae.  

After that we will travel towards more recent history of Greece to the city of Nafplion. Considered the most scenic city it functioned as the capital of Greece until 1834. Nafplion offers you a outstanding combination of fortresses and castles (Palamidi), Bourtzi, a huge port opened to the Aegean Sea and the unique architecture of the old city of Nafplion revealing Venetian, neoclassical and oriental elements. After walking in the idyllic old city we will stop for lunch at a traditional tavern by the sea, and drive up to the castle of Acronafplia for a panoramic view of Nafplio. Here we will overnight. 

On the last day you will visit the most famous ancient theatre, still in use and the famous for its wealthy ancient Corinth.

After a short drive you will be able to visit one of the most important ancient Greek sanctuaries to God Asclepius the God of healing and medicine located in peaceful environment spread on a hilly area and reaching its highest point is the theater of Epidaurus.  

Following will be the site of Epidaurus. Reaching its highest point is the theater of Epidaurus. The best preserved ancient Greek theater dated 4th century BCE a proof of what miracles the ancient Greek minds could create. You can test the acoustics great even today and climb up until the upper seats just to close your eyes and dream you attended an ancient Greek tragedy. 

Ancient Corinth, located at the foot of the hill includes the Roman Agora of Corinth, the temple of God Apollo and a small museum. Apart from its archaeological and historical interest though the site is also one of the most popular religious destinations in Greece. In this amazing place Apostle Paul preached Christianity, was judged by the tribunal in the Agora and established the best organized Christian church of that period. 

The temple of Apollo at Corinth is one of the earliest Doric temples in the Peloponnese and the Greek mainland. Built around 560 B.C.E., of local monolithic limestone on top of an imposing, rocky hill to the north of Acrocorinth, the Archaic temple was an emblem for the Greek city of Corinth, reflecting its growth and prosperity. 

 Ancient Corinth is dominated by the hill of Acrocorinth, the oldest and largest castle in southern Greece. We will stop here for some incredible photos.  

Our first last stop is the Corinth Canal. Eventually opened in 1892 it separating the Peloponnese from the rest of Greece all the while connecting the Saronic Gulf to the Corinthian Sea. Having time to walk across on a pedestrian bridge and admire the canal closer, you may go bungee jumping on some days (if you’re game).  

And after that we will drive back to Athens.