Classic Greece

Depart US for Athens, Greece

Upon arrival you will be met by TROY TOURS representative and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: Dinner
Hotel: Dorian Inn Hotel

This morning enjoy a city tour of Athens, combining a visit to the Acropolis with the major landmarks of the city. The tour begins with a drive to the center of Athens and the majestic sight of the Acropolis. You will be dropped off at the foot of the pedestrian road leading up to the site. With cameras in hand, walk up to the site to enjoy the beauty of these magnificent buildings. See the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheionand the temple of Athena Nike. The buildings on the Acropolis are considered by many as the most impressive architectural feats of the ancient times and are listed as UNESCO world heritage sights. Your guide will explain and give you insights about the sight, the history and the legends surrounding it. Concluding your visit to the Acropolis it is a short walk (5-10 minutes, downhill) to the Acropolis Museum. Opened in 2009, the new museum looks on to the Acropolis and features amazing displays. The artifacts are situated in such a way so as that the guests can actually understand and envision what the Parthenon actually looked like in antiquity. It is considered one of the most beautifully situated museums in the world. This dazzling modernist museum at the foot of the Acropolis’ southern slope showcases its surviving treasures still in Greek possession. After concluding the first part of the tour, board the coach to continue to your next stop; the Panathenaicstadium, used to host the first modern Olympic Games in I986. A brief “photo”stophere (15 mins) and continue to the see the major landmark buildings of Athens. From the coach enjoy the national gardens and the Greek parliament. See the traditionally dressed Evzones stand guard outside the building. You will enjoy views of the temple of Zeus and the Zappeion before turning into the city centre once again to see the National Library and   the University of Athens, two most impressive neoclassical buildings.

Afternoon at leisure until dinner at a local Greek restaurant

Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Dorian Inn Hotel

After the breakfast, your tour will begin with a scenic drive via the coastal road from Athens towards the Corinth Canal. It will take about an hour to get to Corinth, we will cross the bridge that connects the mainland with the Peloponnese, over the narrow canal. After a brief stop we will continue towards Mycenae; one of the most important cities of ancient Greece. We will walk under the famous Lion gate up to the Mycenaean acropolis and the Palace. We will see the tomb of Agamemnon and the ruins of the Cyclopean walls that protected this mighty city. After Mycenae we will set off to Epidaurus.

The site of Epidaurus, which is listed as a world heritage site by Unesco, is vast. With ruins of temples and hospital buildings devoted to the healing gods; it is considered to be the birthplace of Asklepios. The monuments, particularly the temple of Asklepios, the Tholos and the Theatre are considered some of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture and date from the 4th century BC. For most travelers Epidaurus is known for the magnificent theater that still stands there –and is still used for plays and other performances. The theater is considered a marvel of engineering as the acoustics are unrivaled even by today’s standards. After our visit to Epidaurus Theater we will walk down the pine filled site towards the exit of the site. A highlight of the tour is our overnight at the port town of Nafplio, one of the most historic and beautiful towns of Greece.

Meal(s): Buffet Breakfast & Dinner
Hotel: Amalia Nafplion

In the morning set off from Nafplion to Olympia. Enjoy a spectacular drive through the mountains of Arcadia to Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, first held in 776 B.C. Olympia, one of the most important sites in antiquity and one of the most interesting today. The town itself is not remarkable but the surroundings are stunning. Not only is the amazing site of ancient Olympia lovely to walk though and admire but also the nature surrounding is of exquisite beauty. You will visit the main site and afterwards the very interesting museum. At the main site you can see the temple of Zeus which once housed one of the 7 wonders of the World –a statue of Zeus made out of ivory and Gold. Your expert guide will show you the gymnasium where the athletes trained, the nymphaeum and of course the main stadium in which the games were held. The museum is a short walk from the site and contains the 4th Century BC statue of Hermes by Praxiteles, plus a number of other finds from the excavations including the Nike of Victory by Paeonios. The site of Olympia is one of the most important in Greece and one of the most awe inspiring due to its beauty and wonderful setting. It is not only that it is so rich in history –it is a lovely spot to visit. After the sightseeing set off to the town of Delphi. Driving north to Patras, cross the Gulf of Corinth on the new and most impressive suspension bridge to mainland Greece. Delphi, situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassus to see the home of the legendary oracle the most revered site of ancient Greece and considered to be the navel of the world

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Hotel: Amalia Delphi

Today, in the morning enjoy the sightseeing of Ancient Delphi, probably the ancient worlds most famous oracle. The site is at the foot of the mountain; the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, here we start our walk. Passing by the Castalia Spring we will visit the archaeological site and view the monument of the Argive Kings, the treasury of the Athenians, the Athenian Stoa, the Polygonal Wall, the monument of Platea and the Temple of Apollo. The site is very large and there is a lot to see including the famous oracle where in ancient times people believed they would learn what their future held.

Enjoy the views from the site, they are incredible –the setting is so impressive that in ancient times it was considered the navel of the world. After your walk around the site you will visit the museum. The Delphi museum has spectacular exhibits including the frieze of the Treasury of the Sifnians, the NaxianSphinx, the Statue of Antinoosthe metopesof the Athenian treasury and the famous bronze Charioteer. It is well worth visiting the museum as the exhibits complement what you saw at the site and allow you to get a better understanding of the role Delphi played in antiquity.

A picturesque early afternoon drive brings you to Thermopylae, famous for the heroic defense by Leonidas and his three hundred courageous Spartans against the invading Persians.

After seeing the memorial, continue the drive cross the fertile Thessaly region to Kalambaka.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Hotel: Amalia Kalambaka

When you awaken to see the awe-inspiring rock formations unfold before your eyes, you will easily understand why we call this place Meteora, which means “suspended in the heavens above.” Today we will climb above the charming mountain villages of Kastrakiand Kalambaka to visit two of the six surviving Monasteries of Meteora, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in the world.

See how the monks live today and enter some of the most captivating Byzantine basilicas in Greece.

In the afternoon you will head south to Athens for dinner and overnight stay.

Meal(s): Buffet Breakfast & Dinner at a local Greek restaurant

As the tour ends, say farewell to the vibrant city of Athens You will be transferred to airport for your return flight home

Meals:  Quick Breakfast