Overview

The majesty of Classical Greece is sure to fire the imagination under the Aegean sun.

In the clear bright light under the heat of the Aegean sun, it is not difficult for the imagination to bring alive the tales
of Classical Greece. Largely unchanged for centuries, there are an astounding number of ancient sites in stunning locations.
The general rush of modern Athens; the shimmering ocean, olive groves and the charming villages along the Peleponnese
coast; the splendour and mystery that is Delphi; the fascination of Olympia – too many sites for any itinerary to totally encompass, means this is a destination to return to again and again....

Our itinerary for mainland Greece includes as many of the principal sites as possible and so we offer a multi-centre tour owing to the distances that are covered.

Accommodation

London Hotel, Glyfada,

4 Star

London Hotel is situated in Glyfada the beautiful and fashionable suburb of the Athenian Riviera. The hotel is located just 100 meters away from the beach, and very close to the tram stop to the Acropolis and Athens Centre. The Glyfada shopping district is just a short walk from the hotel and here you can find a wide selection of shops, as well as restaurants, cafes and bars.  There are a total of 75 recently refurbished and high quality rooms including single, double, triple and also family rooms. Meals are buffet style and are taken in the light and airy restaurant on a half board basis.

Palace Hotel, Glyfada

4 Star

Hotel Palace is situated on the beach side of Athens Riviera called Glyfada. The Hotel Palace is a 4-star hotel with a restaurant, bar and pool facilities. Last renovation of hotel was in 2006. Glyfada is the most well known tourist area of Athens with all sorts of activities, restaurants, bars and a shopping area. Rooms are spacious and well equipped with air conditioning, TV phone and private facilities that include a hair dryer. Meals are half board and buffet style.

Kanelli Beach Hotel

3 Star

+

Directly beside the sea in the picturesque village of Selianitika, this family run hotel is an ideal resort for a quiet beach holiday and extends a warm welcome to its guests. Enjoy views of the Corinthian Bay from your room, and experience the real thing, a few steps from the hotel. From here it is easy to reach the ancient sites of Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus and the Corinth Canal. There are 40 rooms that have been recently renovated and offer balcony, air conditioning, TV, Phone and private facilities. A pleasant dining room overlooks the Gulf of Corinth.

Hotel Zeus

3 Star

The hotel is an ideal choice for your group visit in Delphi and is a hotel that features modern facilities and an experienced staff that offers a warm and enjoyable stay. A number of facilities create an attractive and enjoyable environment for a group. In the lobby area there is a spacious bar-café and TV room. There is also access to Wireless internet. All 5 floors of the hotel are accessible with elevator. The hotel has also private parking. The 34 rooms offer magnificent views to the olive-tree valley and the Corinthian gulf or to the garden and Mount Parnassos. They are equipped with colour satellite TV, 3 channel music, safety box, and mini bar, direct dial telephone, air conditioning and bathroom with bathtub.

Sample Itinerary

• Day 1

  Fly to Athens and transfer to your hotel. Depending upon the time of arrival it may be possible to include a visit/excursion.
• Day 2

  Visit to the Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, City tour, Central Market (Plaka/Monastiraki). Return to the hotel for dinner.
• Day 3

  Visit Corinth canal, Epidaurus, Mycenae. Overnight in Selianitika
• Day 4

  Visit to Delphi. Overnight in Delphi
• Day 5

  Return to Athens. Archaeological Museum. Free time during the afternoon for shopping.
• Day 6

  Depart after breakfast. Transfer to the airport for the return to the UK.

  This is a suggested itinerary only and can be of any length, combined in a variety of ways and be tailored to include the excursions and visits that you require. Any quotation will INCLUDE excursion and entry fees as stated in the itinerary. We will provide a guide price for any additional visits/activities.

Excursions

EXCURSION OPTIONS.

THE CITY OF ATHENS.

The history of Athens begins more than 3000 years ago when, during the prehistoric times, its first inhabitants created their first settlement on the rock of Acropolis. It took hundreds of years until the sacred rock of Acropolis find its glory during the golden age of Pericles 495 - 429 BC with the construction of most of its Monuments like the Parthenon. During those thousands of years Athens went through times of power and times of decline. Finally Athens became the Capital of Greece in 1834 mostly for its location and historical importance. Since then Athens grew to the city we know today, an important financial European capital that hosted the last Olympic games with a great success. The infrastructure of Athens has been developed very fast within the last 10 years with new highways, a new airport, new metro lines, a new tram line and a new railway, the Proastiakos rail, huge shopping centres, stadiums and sport centres and the port of Piraeus has been developed to one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean.

ACROPOLIS.

Acropolis means 'high city' in Greek. Most city-states in ancient Greece had at their centre a rocky mound or hill where they built their important temples and where the people could retreat to if under attack. The most famous acropolis is the one in Athens.

PARTHENON.

The classical Parthenon was a temple constructed between 447-432 BCE to be the focus of the Acropolis building complex. The architects were Iktinos and Kallikrates (Vitruvius also names Karpion as an architect) and it was dedicated to the goddess Athena Pallas or Parthenos (virgin). The temple’s main function was to shelter the monumental statue of Athena that was made by Pheidias out of gold and ivory. The temple and the chryselephantine statue were dedicated in 438, although work on the sculptures of its pediment continued until completion in 432 BCE.

ACROPOLIS MUSEUM.

The New Acropolis Museum opened in 2009 and has been designed to exhibit all the artefacts and treasures that has been found on the Acropolis. This modern and well organised museum offers several galleries for the visitor to wander through.

PLAKA.

The Plaka is the oldest section of Athens, and is located at the foot of the Acropolis. Most of the streets have been closed to traffic, though you should still keep a watchful eye for a speeding motorcycle or delivery truck. It is now an area of restaurants, Jewellery shops, tourist shops, and cafes. Though it is quite commercialized it is still a neighbourhood and arguably the nicest neighbourhood in central Athens. There is a myriad of tourist, souvenir shops which are great for present shopping. Gold is inexpensive in Greece, carved icons, paintings and coral are frequently found together with some amazing postcards that can be sent home and be the envy of your friends.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM.

It is the most important archaeological museum in Greece and one of the richest in the world concerning ancient Greek art. Its collections are representative of all the cultures that flourished in Greece. It will absorb as much viewing time as one can give it and really is a world class museum. The well stocked gift shop is also ideal for souvenir hunters. The construction of the museum begun in 1866 and completed in 1889 with the gradual addition of the west wing in 1874, of the north in 1881, of the south in 1885 and finally of the east wing. The building was erected in a large plot donated by Helen Tositsa, with the financial support of Demetrios and Nicolaos Vernardakis, the Archaeological Society and the Greek state.

CORINTH CANAL.

The famous Corinth Canal, which separates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece, connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf. The Corinth Canal, though only completed in the late 19th century, was an idea and dream that’s dates back over 2000 thousand years.

EPIDAURUS.

Epidaurus theatre is one of the most important ancient sites in Greece, with an almost perfectly preserved amphitheatre built 2,500 years ago and still hosting Greek dramas today. The World Heritage listed site is located at the eastern end of the Peloponnese. The theatre is one of the best preserved structures from Classical Greece, having lain hidden and protected beneath layers of earth for centuries. Excavations began in 1881 and since 1954 ancient Greek dramas have been staged at the theatre which draws huge crowds for the annual festival, held in July and August. According to Greek mythology Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asclepius, the god of healing and son of Apollo. The site later became one of the most important centres of healing in the ancient world and by the 4^th century BC the sick were travelling from far and wide to seek medical and mystical cures at the sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius.

The ruins of Epidaurus include the foundations of the Temple of Asclepius, a sanctuary of Egyptian gods, a sports stadium, Odeon and bath complex. But without doubt the major attraction is the wonderful theatre, with its legendary acoustics which amaze and delight 21st century audiences. If you drop a matchstick in the centre of the original beaten earth stage it can be heard by people sitting in the highest of the 55 tiers!

MYCENAE.

Mycenae is a fascinating place, and walking through the Lions' Gate you become part of the past, and it is not hard to imagine the drama that once took place here. Myth and history intertwine, leaving only the ruins as a memory... Mycenae was once a mighty kingdom of Ancient Greece, and its ruler, Agamennon, was considered one of the greatest of them all. Agamemnon, who was the eldest son of Atreus, inherited the kingdom of Mycenae. There is evidence that it was already inhabited in the 5th Millennium BC, but its true greatness came during the Late Bronze Age (1400-1200) when it was a strong military and economical power. Because of its' outstanding position, it was to name the whole civilization in Greece of this time.
It was now that the Lions' Gate was built, and in the whole area new buildings were added or old ones repaired. A magnificent palace was constructed, and the site was surrounded by great walls. The Treasury of Atreus was also built, a grave chamber shaped as a dome. The city was crowned with an acropolis even before the Mycenaean civilization, and the location of the site was very strategic.

DELPHI.

Central among the number of imposing ruins that are interspersed on the Southern slopes of Parnassos Mountain is the temple of Apollo. It is an imposing temple of the Doric order whose existence was woven through the turbulent history of the site, and endured numerous incarnations before it settled to the ruinous state we find it today, and which dates back to the 4th c. B.C. The temple of Apollo was first built around the 7th c. B.C. by the two legendary architects Trophonios and Agamedes. It was rebuilt after a fire in the 6th c. B.C.

The theatre at Delphi is located further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo and it presented the seated audience with a spectacular view of the entire sanctuary below and the valley beyond. It was built in the 4th c. B.C. of the local Parnassus limestone and was remodelled several times subsequently. Its 35 rows can accommodate around five thousand spectators who in ancient times enjoyed plays, poetry readings, and musical events during the various festivals that took place periodically at Delphi. The lower tiers of seats were built during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

OLYMPIA.

Olympia is the ancient settlement in Greece where the Olympic Games began. They were held to honour of Zeus, King of the Gods and the games were part of a great five day festival held every four years at Olympia, a valley near a city called Elis. The first Olympic Games were held in about 776BC. At the outset the only event was a short sprint, from one end of the stadium to the other. Gradually over time more were added until there were four days of many different competitions. The spectators travelled from all over Greece to watch the games.