9 Days Hellenic Marvel from Ages Past Tour Package
Duration: 9 Days / 8 Nights
Priced From: $2,662 (All pricing reflects per-person Land Only expenses)
Dates: May, Jul, Sep
Greece is a country without rival when it comes to bewitching travellers with ancient monuments, exciting legends, noteworthy legacies and romance. Our tour, though only nine days in duration, packs so much in that it promises to satiate the thirst of any intrepid traveller thirsty to explore Classical Greece, but be warned that it will also leave you hungry to come back for more. Our guides regale us with the histories of 6th century temples and 14th century fortresses, of stories of betrayal and assassination, of ancient rivalries and of paying homage to the gods. We visit Sparta, whose near-barbaric military training served to produce the most formidable army in ancient Greece and we spend some time in Olympia, where rival states laid down their arms and set aside their differences to participate in the ancient Olympic Games. Here we find the Stadium, the Temple of Hera and the Temple of Zeus, which once housed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world -- a gargantuan statue of the god Zeus. Via the Monasteries of Meteora, we travel to Thermopylae, the site of the great historical battle between the Spartan King Leonidas and the massive Persian army and we end this classic tour with exploration of Athens.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Athens
Today we arrive in 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. Dinner if required.
Day 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 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 6 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 7 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 8 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 9 Departure
Departure from Athens. Breakfast. KALO TAXIDI!!
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