7 Days Private Tour: Argolida - Sparta - Monemvasia - Mani - Olympia & Delphi

The first day we will visit the mythical land of Argolis and overnight at the picturesque town of Nafplio.

Our first stop is the Corinth Canal. Opened in 1892 separating the Peloponnese peninsula from the rest of Greece and connecting the Saronic Gulf to the Corinthian Sea. You will have time to walk across on a pedestrian bridge to admire the canal closer, (if you’re game,) on some days bungee jumping is an option.   

After just a short drive you will be able to visit one of the most important ancient sanctuaries dedicated to the God Asclepius, the god of healing and medicine, located in an ideal environment and spread over a hilly area.

The highest point is the theater of Epidaurus. The best preserved ancient Greek theater dated 4th century B.C.E. It is proof of what fantastic miracles the ancient Greek minds could create. You can test the acoustics, great even today. Climb up until the upper seats just to close your eyes and dream you attended an ancient Greek tragedy.

Next we will visit one of the Unesco protected monuments. Mycenae (dated to the 2nd millennium B.C.E) represents the era of Achilles, Agamemnon and Helen of Troy. You will visit the cyclopean walls, the burial circle A and the remains of Agamemnon’s Palace. This citadel gave its name to a whole era!

In the site, you will see the renowned Lions Gate, the oldest architectural sculpture in Europe.  

Worth visiting is also the 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.

We will move towards a more recent history of Greece and the city of Nafplion. Considered as the most scenic city, Nafplion functioned as the capital of Greece until 1834. This romantic city offers you an outstanding combination of fortresses and castles (Palamidi, Bourtzi), a huge harbour open to the Aegean Sea and the unique architecture of the old city of Nafplion revealing Venetian, neoclassical and oriental elements. After walking around the picturesque old city we will stop for lunch at a traditional tavern by the sea.  

We’ll drive up until the castle of Acronafplia for a panoramic view of Nafplio.

Bourtzi is a little islet with a fortress in a huge port opened to the Aegean Sea.

After breakfast we will travel back to medieval history at Mystras and visit famous Sparta where we will overnight.

We will head towards Mystras driving into the southern Peloponnese peninsula through the mountainous landscape of the Greek country side. Reaching Mystras you will automatically understand why this location stands so unique within the Greek sites. Known as the ghost city, fortified on a citadel, Mystras is one of the two locations in Greece that preserves not only medieval churches but also ordinary houses, mansions and palaces of the Byzantine Empire in combination with Frankish elements.

Walking in the site on the upper point you will reach the citadel and enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding areas while walking down hill you will meet the palaces and the Royal courtyards. Although known as the ghost city most of the monasteries are still in use and the monks will gladly show you around their small society. Before you exit you will come across the chapel of St. Demetrios, on its floor survives a plaque depicting a two head eagle (the symbol of Byzantium). It was on this very plaque that Konstantine Palaiologos kneeled before he was crowned the last emperor of the Byzantium.

Following that we will spend the rest of our time in Sparta known as the eternal rival city of the Athenian Democracy. Sparta revolved around a different Cosmo theory for the ancient Greek standards. Initially known as the birth place of Helen of Troy and the Kingdom of Menelaus (in Mycenaean period), Sparta was organized as a purely military society in the ancient Greek period. It was the city of the two Kings were a few aristocrats ruled and of course the city where Leonidas and his 300 Spartans marched from to face the Persian army in Thermopylae in 480 BCE.    

Continuing we will pass in front of the stadium where the statue of King Leonidas stands marking the ending point of Spartathlon race (Athens – Sparta 245,3 km).   

We will visit the museum of (olive and) olive oil and learn interesting things about greek olives and olive oil.

Monemvasia is a living old city, developed on an island that is connected to the Greek mainland. A fortress and a prosperous city of the Byzantine empire Monemvasia (literally means one entrance) still survives, the narrow streets, the mansions, the small houses, the churches , the wall, the gate and the citadel, the city is still inhabited. Here history comes truly alive, we will spend half of our day at Monemvasia where you can have lunch by the sea upon the old wall and walk in the city continually discovering new points of interest.

Agia Sofia (St Sophia's Church), the main sanctuary in Monemvasia's upper town, is a large Byzantine church built on the edge of a cliff with a vertiginous view of the bay below. Beyond the Venetian loggia that makes up the façade, the interior is palpably calm and refreshing. Admire the impressive dome, finely sculpted marble capitals and fragments of 13th c. frescoes.

We will see hidden treasures of greek nature in Mani Region and overnight at the traditional village of Areopoli.

Gytheio is in the southern Peloponessos. It is a port town with lots of good fish restaurants, some great ouzeries and is within driving distance of the Mani, Mystras, and much of the south-eastern coast of the Peloponessos. It also has some amazing old buildings built in the last two centuries. Gytheio (or Gytheion) is a pleasure to wander through with the neo-classical houses, shops and spectacular old apartment buildings, hugging the side of Mount Koumaros all the way down to the sea. It makes you feel like you are in the type of Greek port that disappeared with the introduction of mass tourism into the country.  

The cave of Diros, is found 10 km from Gytheio and 5 km from the Pyrgos Dirou. Actually there are three caves, the Alepotrypa, Katafigi and Glyfada. This is a unique experience traveling barely a subterranean river length 1,600 m. The magic of the color, and the beautiful shapes, formed by the stalactites and stalagmites makes a unique spectacle. After the ongoing research at the cave of Diros to date, the total length reaches 6.500 meters and is still unknown the final length.

The word Areopoli, which means "city of Ares", the ancient Greek god of war, became the official name in 1912. It was the seat of Oitylo municipality. The Greek War of Independence was started at Areopoli on March 17, 1821 by Petros Pierrakos, also known as Petros Mavromichalis, the last bey of Mani. Now Areopoli has grown into a flourishing town. Its tower houses, constructed with field stones, are distinct from the traditional blue and white buildings that characterize many Greek villages.

After breakfast we will drive to the seaside village of Kardamili, cross the cosmopolitan town of Kalamata and visit the incredible archaeological site of ancient Messini before we overnight at Olympia.

Kardamili is a wonderful, picturesque, historic, coastal village of Messiniaki Mani which is situated 35km southeastern to the city of Kalamata. There, the visitor can admire overgrown mountain sides, olive groves, wonderful beaches, well cared stone mansions of traditional architecture of Mani, verdant gardens and the lovely, picturesque small port.

Kalamata is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula, after Patras, in southern Greece and the largest city of the homonymous administrative region. The capital and chief port of the Messenia regional unit, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf.

Kalamata is renowned as the land of the Kalamatianos dance and Kalamata olives.  

The remains of this vast ancient city are as extensive as those of Olympia and Epidavros, yet Ancient Messini receives only a fraction of their visitors. Picturesquely situated on a hillside below the village of Mavromati and still undergoing excavation, the site comprises a large theatre, an agora (marketplace), a sizeable Sanctuary of Asclepius and one of the most impressive Ancient Greek stadiums. Entry includes the small museum at the site turn-off; don't miss the impressive Arcadian Gate 800m beyond, either. The remains of this tremendous ancient city are complete with a grand ancient stadium and a fountain house.  

We will overnight at the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

After breakfast we will drive north, wee will cross Rio Antirio Bridge that is a technological miracle and stop at Nafpaktos before we arrive at Arachova to overnight.

We will visit the archaeological site and the museum of Ancient Olympia. 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”.Apart from ancient art, the visitor has the possibility of detailed information through the rich visual material.  

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 second millennium BC until the 5th century AD. Ancient exposed in thematic units and through them yperchilietis shows the history of the Olympic games, the longest ancient institution.  

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.  

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.  

After visiting the Oracle of Delphi we will head to Hosios Loukas Monastery to admire its umique frescoes and to the picturesque town of Livadia before we return to Athens.

We will leave for the site of Delphi, an ancient Greek sanctuary with a PanHellenic character devoted to the god Apollo. It acted as an Oracle and was thought to be ‘the naval’ the center of the world and continues to be a symbol of Greek cultural unity. The extraordinary location allows you to view the Greek mountains and two more sites, the Gymnasium and the secondary sanctuary of Athena Pronea.

On location you will visit the mystical temple of Apollo where Pytheia spoke to the oracles, the ancient theater and the stadium.

The site also has a museum where you will find the famous charioteer and Gold Ivory statue.

We will visit the monastery of Hosios Loukas, which represents the second golden age of Byzantine art (11th -12th century) in particular its golden mosaic decoration and fine architecture.

Livadia is the capital of Viotia Prefecture and has about 30,000 inhabitants. It is built at an altitude of 200 m, in the western part of the prefecture, at the edge of the plain of Kopaida and the small river Erkyna flows through it. It is surrounded by mountains; Parnassos to the north of the city and Elikonas to the south. The old town of Livadia (Mideia) was built at the foot of the later. It is a unique,“properly” Greek city with a history and a mythology that became a source of inspiration for poets, painters and sculptors of all ages. We will have lunch or a coffee by its famous river and Krya Springs.

We will drive back to Athens.