20 Days Hellas and the Land of the Eagles Tour Package
Duration: 20 Days / 19 Nights
Priced From: $5,372 (All pricing reflects per-person Land Only expenses)
Dates: May
This 18-day adventure begins in Albania's capital, Tirana, an abundant city with fascinating museums, cobbled streets and a curious blend of architectural style that does not seem to be consistent with historic Albania as displayed in other regions. We enjoy the sights of the Byzantine fortress and a spot of exploration of this, the cultural and political centre of Albania, before setting off farther afield, where we visit historic structures, restored castles and ancient fortresses built by, among others, the Romans, the Illyrians and the Turks in ages past. Picturesque towns and breathtaking natural sceneries mark our journey along the Albanian Riviera, followed by the majestic mosques, breathtaking chapels and fascinating museums in towns en route as we circle around and head back to the capital. Heading into Macedonia, we take a couple of days to visit Ohrid, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, to tour ancient monasteries and fortresses and to cast off on a boat trip on deepest lake in the Balkans before pressing on to Athens, Greece. The remaining eight days of our tour are spent basking under a Grecian sun and travelling through countryside and time, as we explore this remarkable destination that boasts fascinating historic sights enough to rival any county in the world. Splendid monuments of ancient times litter the landscape in Greece, from the crumbling ruins of Apollo's Temple in Corinth or the theatre in Sparta that dates from the 2nd century BC, to the Temple of Hera in Olympia and the striking monasteries in Kalambaka whose frescoes depict the persecution of Christians by the Romans. Arriving back in the heart and soul of the country, Athens, it would be remiss for us not to pay a visit to the site referred to as the 'finest monument of Greek civilisation,' the Parthenon, before we end our tour.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Tirana
Today we arrive in Tirana, capital of Albania. Tirana is located on a plain on the site of a Byzantine fortress and has been the capital since 1920. Overnight in Tirana. Dinner if required.
Day 2 Tirana - Berat
After breakfast we proceed to the beautiful museum town of Berat, Albania's second museum town, sometimes called "the city of a thousand windows" due to its particular architectural style with houses with lots of windows almost on top of each other. This is a town with 2,400 years of history. Sightseeing in Berat: the Fortress, Onufri Museum and several churches and mosques. Onufri was an Albanian master painter of the 16th century who had a weakness for a particular shade of red that today is known as Onufrian Red. Many of his wonderfully painted icons still remain in the museum while others can be found in churches in Albania and Greece where he worked. Downtown we visit the Leaden Mosque, the King's Mosque, the Bachelor's Mosque and the Alveti Tekke. On the way back from the castle we will visit at an Albanian winery to taste local Albanian wines. Overnight in Berat. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 3 Berat - Gjirokastra - Saranda
After an early breakfast we drive to Gjirokastra, the birthplace of former iron-fisted former dictator of Albania, Enver Hoxha. Gjirokastra is a picturesque town, perched on the side of a mountain above the Drino River. Above the Bazaar Mosque in the centre of town is the Memedheu ABC Monument, commemorating the Renaissance of Albanian education around the turn of the 20th century. We will visit the district museum housed in the building in which Enver Hoxha was born. We also visit the pre-Ottoman citadel with a weapons museum and former political prison. We continue on to Saranda, the southernmost town on the Albanian coast and only a few kilometres from Corfu. On the way we pay a quick visit to the 'Blue Eye", a fresh water spring in the shape of an eye, amongst dense vegetation. It is a beautiful and relaxing natural site with spectacular turquoise colour. We enjoy lunch at the Lekuresi Fortress (your own account) in Saranda with great views of the bay and the island of Corfu. Overnight in Saranda. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 4 Saranda - Butrint - Saranda
Saranda became important in Roman times as a strategic point along the sea route between Italy and Greece. Indeed, it is possible to see the Greek Island of Corfu from here, which appears to be floating on the surface of the Adriatic. Today we have a morning visit to the Greek and Roman ruins of Butrint, Albania's most important archaeological site. Butrint dates from the 7th century BC, later becoming a Roman colony, then falling under the sway of the Venetians and Turks. Virgil claimed that the Trojans settled Butrint, but no evidence of this has yet been found. Within a century of the Greeks arriving, Butrint had become a fortified trading city with its own acropolis, the ruins of which we can still visit. The rediscovered city is a microcosm of almost 3,000 years of Mediterranean history--its 6th century BC fortification evokes the city's military power and symbolizes the rich culture of the once thriving ancient city. After a leisurely lunch overlooking the Ionian Sea we return to Saranda with the balance of the day free. Overnight in Saranda. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 5 Saranda - Korca
After breakfast we depart for Korca (pronounced: 'Korchah') through Kelcyra and the spectacular Vjosa canyons stretching to Permet, the mountains of Leskovik and the colourful fields of Erseka. Korca is a historic place with rich cultural traditions and some interesting buildings from the Ottoman period, including one of the most important mosques in Albania. Our sightseeing in Korca includes the Museum of Medieval Arts. Opened in 1980, it covers a period from the 5th to the 19th century and there you can see works by Albania's most famous painters of the Middle Ages. Overnight in Korca. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 6 Korca - Voskopoja - Korca
After breakfast we depart for the town of Voskopoja which became one of the most developed and prosperous cities in the European part of the Ottoman Empire between the 17 and 18th centuries. Testament to this are the first Printing House in the Balkans in 1720, the Academia of Voskopoja founded in 1744, the famous Basilicas, the painted house walls by the famous Albanian painters including David Selenica and the Zeografi brothers. Overnight in Korca. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 7 Korca - Pogradec, Albania - Ohrid, Macedonia
This morning we proceed to Pogradec next to Lake Ohrid, the deepest in the Balkans. We stop at Tushemisht village for a visit of the villa of the former Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha. Afterwards we precede to the city of Ohrid, a World Heritage Site in neighbouring Macedonia, and have a sightseeing tour. We will visit the Church "St. Sofia", built between the 11th and 14th centuries as the seat of the Archbishop; and "St. Clement", a classic Orthodox Byzantine church dominating the Old Town and a link between Byzantine and Italian Renaissance art. Overnight in Ohrid. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 8 Ohrid Area
We have a full day in the Ohrid area. We visit Plaoshnik where in the 9th century St Clement of Ohrid founded the first University of Europe and educated 3,500 students. A boat trip on Lake Ohrid and a typical Koran (a rare fish) lunch in one of the nicest restaurants is possible for those who would like an extra treat (your own account). After lunch we visit the Samuil fortress. For a short time in the early 11th century, Ohrid was the capital of a Slavic empire ruled by Czar Samuel. His fortress, situated on the hill in the center of modern-day Ohrid, crowns the city and consumes the city?s skyline. This was once one of the most impregnable strongholds in the Balkans, with walls 3 km (1.8 mi) long and 16 meters (48 feet) high. Today, 18 towers and four gates still remain from the original structure. With its strategic location, overlooking the town and the lake, it provides an ideal place for taking in the whole panorama of Ohrid and its surroundings. Overnight in Ohrid. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 9 Ohrid - Sveti Naum - Galcica National Park - Ohrid
This morning we have a tour of the monastery of Sveti Naum. The monastery was established in the year 900 by St Naum of Ohrid himself, who is also buried in the church. Due to the beautiful setting, the monastery is among the most popular destinations in the Republic of Macedonia. Afterwards we proceed to Prespa Lake for a drive through the National Park of Galcica. The park is bordered on two sides by lakes Prespa and Ohrid. The views the park afforded of both lakes is impressive. The waters of Ohrid Lake are breathtaking--variegated with different blues as if home to large reefs of rock beneath the surface. The shores are also punctuated with lovely villages of whitewashed houses with red tiled roofs. Overnight in Ohrid. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 10 Ohrid, Macedonia - Elbasan - Durres, Albania
After breakfast we depart for Durres with a stop at Elbasan Castle, site of ancient Skampa. Excavations suggest that the walls of Elbasan were built in the first half of the fourth century AD. In 1466 Sultan Mohammed II rebuilt the walls and renamed the town El Basan ('The Fortress') in Turkish. We continue to Durres, Albania's second largest city. Formerly Durrazzo, Durres is one of the oldest towns in the country. Legend says that it was founded by Epidamnos, the Illyrian King of the area, who called it by his own name and named the port area after his grandson, Dyrrah. It was for centuries the largest port on the Adriatic, and the start of the Via Egnatia to Constantinople. Landings here by Italian troops in 1939 met brief but fierce resistance, and those killed defending it are now regarded as the first martyrs of the War of National Liberation. We visit the Roman amphitheatre and the Archaeological Museum, situated near the sea and rich in objects excavated in Durres. Overnight in Durres. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 11 Durres - Kruja - Tirana
After breakfast we travel to Kruja, a small town perched high on the face of a hill and the centre of the Albanian resistance against the Ottoman Turks under the leadership of national hero, Scanderbeg. We visit the fortress of Kruja, the Scanderbeg Museum, Ethnographic Museum, and the old bazaar full of souvenirs, including hand-made articles. Afterwards we depart for Tirana. We take a tour of the capital including Ethem Bey Mosque, Clock Tower and Shijaku House, built in15th century, where we will experience the collection of beautiful paintings of Master Shijaku. Late afternoon we return to hotel in Tirana. Overnight in Tirana. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 12 Tirana, Albania - Athens, Greece
Today we fly from Tirana to Athens, off-and-on the capital of Greece in its many incarnations over several thousand years. The city received a major facelift for the 2004 Olympics and is looking better than ever, with buildings and monuments cleaned and renovated, and newly created pedestrian areas near the Ancient Agora and Acropolis. Overnight in Athens. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 13 Athens - Mycenae - Nauplia
We board our coach to drive to ancient Corinth for a brief visit. Back in ancient times Corinth was one of the three major powers in Greece, and took part in all the battles against the Persians. It was from one of the richest cities and this is quite evident by its remains, including the huge Agora (market place) and Apollo's Temple (6th c BC). We continue to Mycenae. The citadel occupies the triangular summit of a low hill between two gorges. The Mycenaeans excelled in this style of building using large, unworked stones. These massive fortifications were begun in the 14th century, followed by Tiryns and Dendra, Argos and Athens, as well as a host of subsidiary forts and eventually, a huge wall across the Corinthian isthmus. The famous Lion Gate, and similar constructions at Gla and Tiryns, were built in the 13th century BC. Here we will see vestiges of a kingdom that, for 400 years (1600-1200 BC), was the most powerful in Greece. We enter through the Lion Gate and see the Great Court where Agamemnon is believed to have been murdered in one of the chambers. Later we travel to Epidaurus, a sanctuary of Asklepios, the God of Medicine. The sanctuaries of Asklepios, the healer god, were as much sanatoria, health farms or spas, as places of worship. This was the most prestigious centre of the cult in the Classical period and received a galaxy of splendid buildings spanning the whole of the 4th century BC. Epidauros came into prominence only in the later 5th century, when the cult was received at Athens in 420 BC and the tragedian Sophockles became its priest. There was a revival at the sanctuary in the 2nd century AD, and worship on the site continued in the form of a Christian basilica. We continue toward Nauplia. Overnight near Nauplia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 14 Nauplia - Mystra - Sparta
This morning we spend a bit of time exploring the charming seaside town of Nauplia before joining we a dramatic winding mountain drive toward Sparta, arriving mid-morning. We will visit the archaeological remains of ancient Sparta, including the 2nd century BC theatre, the site's most discernible ruin. Along the road to Tripolis a path leads to the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia. Like most of the deities in Greek mythology, the goddess Artemis had many aspects, one of which was Artemis Orthia. In earliest times this aspect of the goddess was honoured through human sacrifice. The Spartans supplanted this activity for the only slightly less gruesome one of flogging young boys in honour of the goddess. We continue to our tour of Mystra, an impregnable fortress built by Guillame de Villehardouin in 1249. When the Byzantines won back the Morea from the Franks, Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus made Mystra its capital and seat of government. It soon became populated by people from the surrounding plains seeking refuge from invading Slavs. During the rule of the despots, while the empire plummeted into decline elsewhere, Mystra experienced a renaissance, but then declined under Turkish rule. It was captured by the Venetians in 1687 and it thrived once again with a flourishing silk industry and a population of 40,000. It was recaptured by the Turks in 1715, and from then on it was downhill all the way. It was burned by the Russians in 1770, the Albanians in 1780 and Ibrahim Pasha in 1825. Not surprisingly, at the time of Independence it was in a very sorry state, virtually abandoned and in ruins, though since the 1950s much restoration work has taken place. Overnight in Sparta. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 15 Sparta - Olympia
Driving from Sparta to Olympia, we arrive in the early afternoon. After lunch we will have a tour of the site of ancient Olympia and the excellent on-site museum.This was a place in ancient Greece where rival states shed their protective armour and congregated in peace to enjoy the ancient games and make offerings to the Gods. The temple of Zeus once dominated the entire complex and housed the 13 m (43 foot) statue of Zeus, considered by the Greeks to be one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We will also see the Stadium as well as the Temple of Hera, which is the site's most intact structure. This is the oldest structure in the precinct, originally dedicated to Zeus as well as Hera, and gradually rebuilt from wood into stone. The walls were of mud-brick with a tiled roof. The games, which were the most prestigious athletic event in Greece, were held in conjunction with a festival to Olympian Zeus. Three heralds were sent to all the Greek states to announce their date and declare the universal truce, under which all hostilities were suspended for one week. The games were brought to an end in AD 393, under an edict of the Emperor Theodosius that banned all pagan festivals. The temples were destroyed in AD 426. Overnight in Olympia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 16 Olympia - Delphi
We drive via Patras to Rion, crossing by car ferry to Antirion, arriving in Delphi in the early afternoon. On arrival we will have a guided tour of this spectacular site and its excellent museum. It was in Delphi that according to mythology Zeus released two eagles at opposite ends of the world and they came to rest at the navel of the world. The historical origins of the sanctuary at Delphi are obscure, but according to legend the young god Apollo superseded an older female deity, Mother Earth, and killer her son, the serpent Python. In Homer the sanctuary is called Pytho, and oracles were given by the Pythia (priestess) between the Shining Rocks (Phaidriades) on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassos long before the cult of Apollo Delphinios was established there from Crete. Later Dionysos, who took over the sanctuary in winter, and Athena, whose precinct lay on a lower terrace 1 km (2/3 mile) to the southeast, were also worshipped there. Overnight in Delphi. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 17 Delphi - Kalambaka - Monasteries of Meteora
Today we drive from Delphi to Kalambaka. Our route takes us through the central plains, a rich agricultural land often referred to as the "bread basket" of Greece. Later this afternoon we have a panoramic drive around the Monasteries of Meteora, built upon rocks that rise vertically from the plains below. These "Rocks of the Air" are visible for miles around and are crowned with old monasteries that cling to their summits. The afternoon light provides ideal conditions for photography. Making our roadside photo stops today allow us to spend more time on the sites tomorrow when we visit the monasteries. Overnight in Kalambaka. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 18 Kalambaka - Athens
This morning we visit several monasteries (usually 3 in total; periodic closures determine which ones we visit), including the Metamorphosis (Grand Meteora), built on the highest rock at 613 m (2,030 ft) above sea level. Its striking series of frescoes depict the persecution of Christians by the Romans. Later today we return by road to Athens, visiting Thermopylae, where the great historical battle between the Spartan King Leonidas, the ultimate soldier-king, and the huge army of Persians took place. We also make a brief stop at Marathon, where in 490 BC 10,000 Athenians defeated more than twice that number of Persian invaders. Overnight in Athens. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 19 Athens: City Tour
Today we enjoy a guided tour of Athens, the very heart and soul of Greece. Our first visit takes us to the National Archaeological Museum, an unrivalled treasure house of Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean and classical Greek art. One of the most interesting sections is the Mycenaen hall with all of Schliemann's gold finds from Mycenae. The museum contains the world's finest collection of antiquities and treasures from all over the ancient Greek world, spanning some 7,000 years. We then proceed to the Acropolis, adorned with magnificent buildings dating from the 5th century BC, the Golden Age of Athens. It was during this time, under the leadership of the great statesman, Pericles, that Athens was the most glorious intellectual and artistic centre of the ancient world. The prosperity of Athens and new wealth enabled Pericles to initiate the magnificent building programme on the Athenian Acropolis. On the highest point on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, called the "finest monument of Greek civilization." The temple was dedicated to Athena "Parthenos," the virgin and patron goddess of the city. The temple had a dual purpose: to serve as a treasury for Athenians, and to house the magnificent ivory and gold cult statue of the goddess made by Pheidias, the same sculptor who was commissioned for the enormous cult statue of Zeus at Olympia. Overnight in Athens. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 20 Departure
Departure from Athens. Breakfast. KALO TAXIDI!!
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5/09
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