Quick
Trip to Athens
A
4 Day tour of this Hellenic Wonder City
Compare
with the 5 day version
, or add Rome Italy . Add
Santorini and Mykonos
If
you only have a few days, but you want to enjoy Athens and the surrounding
region, this is the way.
Add this short tour onto any other Travel in Style tour for an even better
travel adventure.
Cairo and Athens In A Week
DAY
1 - ATHENS
Arrive at Athens Airport, where you will be greeted by our staff and transferred
to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you like. Take
your first look at this great ancient-modern city. Wander through the
Plaka, and up to the Acropolis if you like, guidebook in hand.
DAY
2 - ATHENS CITY TOUR (BL)
After breakfast, a half day seat in a coach tour:
we tour the great Greek capital, including Constitution (Syntagma)
Square, Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier, and the National
Library.
Driving
down Herod Atticus street you will see the Evzones in their picturesque
uniforms and the Presidential Palace.
On
your way to the Acropolis, you will see the Panathenaic Stadium (where
the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896), the Temple
of the Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch.
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.
Lunch
is included at a local charming restaurant .
DAY
3 - ARGOLIS (BL)*
Leave Athens along the Saronic Gulf coastal road to the Corinth Canal,
which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea. Drive on to Mycenae,
the Homeric City of the Atreides, "rich in gold" of the ancient poets.
(Visit the Lion's Gate, the Cyclopean Walls and the Royal Tombs). Drive
through the fertile plain of Argolis to Nafplion, a picturesque
town nestled at the foot of the Palamidi Fortress. After lunch, leave
for Epidavros to visit the theater (4th Century B.C.), famous for
its astonishing acoustics. Return to Athens by the national road
connecting Epidavros with Corinth. Lunch in Mycanae
or Nafplion.
DAY
4 - DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to connect with your flight.
Extend to
Alexandria and Cairo ? Add
Delphi, Nauplia , and Olympia
RATES
per person in USD
| |
Deluxe |
First
Class |
| Triple |
$
795. |
US$
715. |
| Double |
$
805. |
US$
725. |
| Single |
$
1025. |
US$
945. |
Your
tour includes:
- Transfers
from and to the airport in Athens
- Accommodations
in a Moderate deluxe ( 5 -star), Hotel Divani , or First Class (4-star)
hotel such as the Novotel, Titania , Stanley, or Royal Olympic.
- Meals
as specified including B = Breakfast, (or cB,
Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D
= Dinner
- Tours
in an air-conditioned minibus/van
Sample
Accommodations in Athens with breakfast (B)
as indicated below, or at comparable properties, according to availability:

Divani Caravel : 5 Stars Moderate
Divani Palace Acropolis : 5 Stars Moderate
Electra Palace (four stars).
Please
note that for Nov - Mar period :
- Argolis
is only on Tuesdays, Thursday & Saturdays . You may consider
Delphi if your tour doesn't coincide with Argolis.
- Delphi
: on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.
In
Athens you may wish to visit on your own:
The
Ancient Agora of Athens was the heart of ancient Athens,
the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity,
the religious and cultural center, and the seat of justice.
The site was occupied without interruption in all periods of the city's
history. It was used as a residential and burial area as early as the
Late Neolithic period (3000 B.C.). Early in the 6th century, in the time
of Solon, the Agora became a public area.
After a series of repairs and remodeling, it
reached its final rectangular form in the 2nd century B.C. Extensive building
activity occurred after the serious damage made by
the Persians in 480/79 B.C., by the Romans in 89 B.C. and by the Herulae in A.D. 267 while, after the Slavic invasion in A.D.
580, It was gradually abandoned. From the Byzantine period until after
1834, when Athens became the capital of the independent Greek state, the
Agora was again developed as a residential area.
The first excavation campaigns were carried out by the Greek Archaeological
Society in 1859-1912, and by the German Archaeological Institute in 1896-97.
In 1890-91, a deep trench cut for the Athens-Piraeus Railway brought to
light extensive remains of ancient buildings. In 1931 the American School
of Classical Studies started the systematic excavations with the financial
support of J. Rockefeller and continued until 1941. Work was resumed in
1945 and is still continuing. In order to uncover the whole area of the
Agora it was necessary to demolish around 400 modern buildings covering
a total area of ca. 12 hectares.
Rate
doesn't include :
- International
air fare from /to your home country .
- Visa
Fee :if and when applicable
- Trip/travel
insurance
|