Day 1: Athens
Arrival at Athens International airport, meet will your escort and transfer to the hotel in Athens city centre. The rest of the day free at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Athens – Corinth – Mycenae – Athens
Breakfast at the hotel. Leave Athens and drive South West to the Corinth Canal which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea (short photo stop). Drive on and visit the Ancient Town of Corinth where St. Paul lived and preached for two years (After that Paul left Athens and went to Corinth). The remains of the City, which include the Agora (market place) and Apollo’s Temple (6th century B.C.) clearly show how rich and important Corinth was in Ancient Times. After lunch in a local restaurant, continue to Mycenae to visit the remains of the ancient city of Mycenae, a major centre of Greek civilization from 1600BC to 1100BC and a world heritage monument. Mycenae was one of the major centers of Greek civilization and a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. Visit the archaeological site, home to the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon. See the Cyclopean Walls, the Lion’s Gate, the Royal Tombs, including Agamemnon Clytemnestra’s, and the Treasury of Atreus, a magnificent 14th-century B.C. structure. Return to Athens late in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Athens
Breakfast at the hotel. Begin the tour in Athens, the cradle of democracy. At first visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the Erechtheion and see the city view from the Hill of Areopagus, where Paul the Apostle at 51 AD first preached Christianity to the Athenians. Apostle Paul came to Athens from Veria the year 51 by boat. Awaiting the arrival of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, walking around the city, talking to people in the synagogue and the market upsetting himself with the plurality of cult figures and idols. Similarly, the doctrine of the crucified Jesus and his resurrection amazed some epicurean and stoic philosophers, who characterized him as “gossiper”. He was not chased from Athens for his teaching. Instead he was led to the Supreme Court to officially report and present his views of his teaching. Then we visit the Ancient Agora and the Acropolis Museum. A short walk through the narrow streets of the old town, the famous Plaka with a multitude of shops and cafes. Continue to the small church Notre Kapnikareas, one of the most important Byzantine monuments in Athens in the middle of Ermou street and also see the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, also known as ‘’The Cathedral”. The rest of the day, will be free at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel
Day 4: Athens – Osios Lucas – Delphi – Kalambaka
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart from Athens with our guide to visit the monastery of Saint Luke (Osios Lucas) which is one of the most important monuments of Byzantine architecture and art and has been declared a monument of World heritage by UNESCO. Visit to the worldwide famous site of Delphi, known from the ancient years for its mystic energy and power of Ancient God Apollo, located on the slopes of mount Parnassus in a landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty lie the ruins of the sanctuary of Apollo Pythios. Visit the treasure of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo together with the museum containing masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture such as the bronze Charioteer. Departure for the city of Kalambaka. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 5: Kalambaka – Meteora – Vergina – Thessaloniki
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Meteora, famous for its impressive scenery with ageless Monasteries*, that contain priceless historical and religious treasures as well as exquisite specimens of Byzantine art, standing between earth and sky atop huge rocks. Once you finish visiting the monasteries proceed to the town of Kalambaka for lunch and then drive to Vergina, a small town in northern Greece near Veria, principal of the prefecture of Imathia. The town became internationally famous in 1977, when the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos unearthed what he claimed was the burial site of the Kings of Macedonia, including the tomb of Philippe II, father of Alexander the Great. These finds established the site as the ancient town of Aigai. Visit the museum which was built to protect the tombs, and was inaugurated in 1993 to exhibit the artifacts and show the tumulus as it was before the excavations. The two most important graves were not despoiled and contained the main treasures that you can admire in the museum. The tomb of Philippe II, the father of Alexander, was discovered in 1977 and is separated in two rooms. The main room included a marble sarcophagus, and inside was the larnax made of 24 carat gold and weighing 11 kilograms. Inside the golden larnax the bones of the dead were found and a golden wreath of 313 oak leaves and 68 acorns, weighing 717 grams. The facade of the tomb of Alexander IV of Macedon: In 1978 another burial site was also discovered near the tomb of Philippe, which belongs to Alexander IV of Macedon son of Alexander the Great. It was slightly smaller than the previous and was also not despoiled. Your guide will accompany you inside the museum to see some of King Philippe’s most important possessions, including the King’s Shield and gold-trimmed breastplate. According to legend, the golden chest containing the King’s bones was washed with wine and wrapped in purple cloth. Also you can learn how it was unearthed before seeing the golden chest. Also on display are gold diadems of unparalleled artistry, lavish wall paintings and a golden wreath of oak leaves. Following the visit of Vergina Archaeological site, our bus will take us to a small hill nearby the city of Veria where local tradition believes that St.Paul has preached. A small shrine, known as the Altar of St.Paul was erected on this spot. Many religious ceremonies are still held at this Altar now days. Following the visit to the Altar we will return to the city of Thessaloniki early in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
*In order to visit the Monasteries, skirts for the ladies and long trousers for the gentlemen are required.
Day 6: Thessaloniki – Amphipolis – Philippi – Kavala – Thessaloniki
Breakfast at the hotel. Meet with the guide and drive to the city of Kavala, following the Egnatia highway, built on the path of the Roman ‘Via Egnatia’. Passing by the lakes of Koroni and Volvi and the village of Asprovalta, on the way, visit the famous Lion statue and the Archaeological Museum of Amphipolis. Then drive to Philippi. You will see the place where St. Lydia was baptized, as well as the archaeological site of Philippi, i.e. the ‘Forum Romanum’, ruins of the two early Christian Basilicas (the prison where St. Paul was held and preached in 50 AD), as well as the ancient Greek theatre. Later, arrive in Kavala for short tour around the city where you may see the most important monuments of the city and its port. Early in the evening, drive back to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Thessaloniki – Thermopylae – Athens
Breakfast at the hotel. Meet our guide and begin the tour with a panoramic drive around the city. See the main landmarks of the city. Make a brief stop at the White Tower, in order to take some pictures. Then continue your tour by visiting Agios Demetrius Byzantine church which is the most important church of Thessaloniki for religious, historical and artistic reasons. The most famous and interesting part of the church, is the underground ancient “Crypt”. The crypt was re-discovered after the fire of 1917 and was finally restored as an exhibition/museum in 1988. According to the Christian Tradition, the saint was imprisoned here and died in 303 A.D. You will also have the opportunity to visit “Vlatadon” Monastery, also known as Tsaous Monastery. This is a monastery in the region of Thessaloniki’s Upper Town. It is the only monastery of the city’s Byzantine period, established in the mid-14th century that remains open until today. During the 15th century the abbey flourished. After the capture of Thessaloniki by the Turks, the monastery was given some privileges, validated with a “firman” by the Sultan Mehmed II in 1446. Moreover, some Ottoman style buildings prove that in the 16th century the monastery was inhabited by Turks. In 1801 Patriarch Cyril Loukaris restored the church of the monastery, but in 1870 a fire destroyed part of it, including the library. The damages were repaired at the expense of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Today the Abbey belongs to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. From the original building, the only thing that remains is the sanctuary and a few other architectural elements. Near the church of the monastery, which is dedicated to the “Transfiguration”, there is a vaulted chapel, from the 14th-century with frescoes of the era of the “Palaeologus” family. According to local tradition, the monastery is built at the place where Apostle Paul preached and lived during his stay in the city. 93 codes and the file of the monastery are saved, which were transferred to “Moni Iviron of Agio Oros” during the Second World War. Then return to Athens passing by the heroic monument of Leonidas at Thermopylae (short photo stop) where 300 strong Spartans battled the army of the Persian Empire. Arrive in Athens early in the evening for dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 8: Athens
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
Package Includes:
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Air-conditioned Motorcoach
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Professional guide during the tour
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4 nights hotel accommodation at Stanley Hotel or similar in Athens on HB basis
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1 night hotel accommodation at Famissi Eden Hotel or similar in Kalambaka on HB basis
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2 nights hotel accommodation at Capsis Hotel or similar in Thessaloniki on HB basis
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VAT and all legal taxes included
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Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and museum
Package Does Not Include:
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Porterage service
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Anything that is not specified in the program as included
