Hellenic Treasures

Enchanting Greece : A 7- day Tour . Tour starts weekly in Athens, APR Through OCT

CLASSICAL GREECE! Athens, Nauplia , Olympia , Delphi: See where our own Western civilization began, and how modern Greece lives today !

Add Crete & Santorini , or Rome . Compare with the 9 Day version
Ten days with Meteora   add Crete & Santorini , or Spain and Andalusia

DAY 1 - Saturday , Mondays, Wednesdays in Athens
WELCOME TO ATHENS!
Our staff escorts you from the airport to your hotel, with time left to start exploring Athens.

DAY 2 - Sunday - ATHENS (B)
On your first morning in Athens we show you the top sights: the Acropolis and its museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, the Theater of Dionysus.

The Acropolis hill, so called the "Sacred Rock" of Athens, is the most important site of the city. During Perikles' Golden Age, ancient Greek civilization was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some of the architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.
The first habitation remains on the Acropolis date from the Neolithic period. Over the centuries, the rocky hill was continuously used either as a cult place or as a residential area or both. The inscriptions on the numerous and precious offerings to the sanctuary of Athena (marble korai, bronze and clay statuettes and vases) indicate that the cult of the city's patron goddess was established as early as the Archaic period (650-480 B.C.).

During the Classical period (450-330 B.C.) three important temples were erected on the ruins of earlier ones: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Nike, dedicated to Athena Parthenos, Athena Polias, and Athena-Apteros Nike, respectively. The Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the sacred area was also constructed in the same period.
The monuments on the Acropolis reflect the successive phases of the city's history. Some of them were converted into Christian churches, houses of the Franks and later on, of the Turks. After the liberation of Athens from the Turks, the protection, restoration and conservation of the monuments was one of the first tasks of the newly-founded Greek state. This major effort is continued until today, with the large-scale restoration and supporting of the monuments, which started in the 1970's and is still in progress.
The first excavations on the hill were conducted between 1835 and 1837. More systematic work was carried out in 1885-1890 by Panagiotis Kavvadias.

In the afternoon, plunge into the city as you like ( on your own ) for sightseeing and shopping.

DAY 3 - Monday - MYCENAE, EPIDAURUS & NAUPLIA (BD)
We set forth from Athens to tour classical Greece, passing Corinth and its steep-walled canal as we go. We stop at Mycenae, to visit among other things , the famous tomb of Agamemnon.
Mycenae : the center of ancient Mycenaean civilization (2800-1100 BC); the legendary home of the Atreides, is situated upon a small hill-top on the lower slopes of Euboea Mountain, between two of its peaks, on the road leading from the Argolic Gulf to the north (Corinth, Athens, etc.).
The site was inhabited since Neolithic times (about 4000 BC) but reached its peak during the Late Bronze Age (1350-1200 BC), giving its name to a civilization which spread throughout the Greek world.

During that period, the acropolis was surrounded by massive "cyclopean" walls, which were built in three stages (ca.1350, 1250 and 1225 BC) except on its SE flank where a steep ravine provided natural defense.
A palace was built on the summit of the hill while towards the Argolic plain lay the wall - painted "Cult Center", the main gate or "Lion Gate" and "Grave Circle A" which contained the treasures now displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. On the NE side, a tunnel leading to a subterranean fountain was built in "cyclopean" masonry in around 1225 B.C.
More tombs, "Grave Circle B", and large tholoi as well as houses were discovered outside the walls. Mycenae was occupied without interruption until 468 B.C. when it was conquered by the city of Argos and its population banished. It was reoccupied in the 3rd century B.C. for a relatively short period. It had been abandoned for some time when Pausanias visited the site during the 2nd century A.D.

On to Epidaurus, site of the temple of Asclepius. On to Nauplion ( short stop ) .
We drive through the central Peloponnese , pass by Tripolis and Megalopolis on our way to Olympia, where we spend the night .

DAY 4 - Tuesday - OLYMPIA (BD)
Tour this ancient site of the Olympic games. We visit the great Temple of Zeus, one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, and tour the museum. We drive through Rion, Antirion and Nafpaktos and along the Corinthian coast on our way to Delphi,where we overnight.

DAY 5- Wednesday - DELPHI (BD)
Tour Delphi, site of the famed oracle, at the foot of Mount Parnassus. During the Mycenaean period, the female deity of Earth was worshipped in the small settlement of Delphi. The development of the sanctuary and oracle though, began in the 8th century B.C. with the establishment of the cult of Apollo. Under the protection and administration of the Amphictyony, the sanctuary continued to be autonomous after the First Sacred War and, as a result, increased its panhellenic religious and political influence. The Pythian Games were re-organized, the sanctuary was enlarged and it was enriched with nice buildings, statues, and other offerings. In the 3rd century B.C. it came under the domination of the Aetolians and later, in 191 B.C., was conquered by the Romans. During the Roman occupation the site was sometimes plundered but was also favoured by some of the emperors. With the spread of Christianity, the sanctuary lost its religious meaning and was permanently closed down with a decree of emperor Theodosius the Great.

We tour the ruins of Delphi and its oracle, sacred to Apollo and Dionysus. In the afternoon, we drive via the lovely Kalambaka a small town situated at the foot of the astonishing complex of Meteora , we spend the night at Kalambaka .

DAY 6 - Thursday - ATHENS (B)
We tour Meteora , perched at the top of huge rocks which seems to be suspended in mid-air , stand ageless Monasteries, where you can see exquisite specimens of Byzantine art , Meteora is from the biggest and most important group of monasteries in Greece after those in Mount Athos . We can locate the first traces of their history from 11th c. when the first hermits settled there. The rock monasteries have been characterized by Unesco as a unique phenomenon of cultural heritage and they form one of the most important stations of cultural map of Greece.

On to Athens via Trikala , Lamia , Thermopylae , visit the Leonidas Monument , and Kammena Vourla. Arrive Athens in the evening. 

DAY 7 - Friday - ATHENS/ DEPARTURE (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Compare with the Triangle of Ancient Lands : Egypt Greece Israel

Rate per person in US $

Enchanting Greece 7 days . Tour starts weekly in Athens, APR-OCT

Rates include:

• All transfers in Greece.
• Hotel accommodation with tax, & continental breakfast daily.
• Seat in a coach-group tours, with guided sightseeing as per itinerary Including all entrance fees.
• Meals as indicated, pre set menu: BLD = : Breakfast Lunch Dinner.
• Lonely Planet Travel Guide book.

Not included:

• Gratuities Personal expenses.
• Beverages, and meals not specifically listed.
• Trip Cancellation Insurance/Travel Insurance (Please ask us for the flyer)
• International airfares between New York and Athens .

Sample hotels in Athens :
Deluxe: Divani Palace Acropolis. First : Electra Palace. Stanley