10 Night Ancient Byzantine and Modern Greece

Day 1 - Day of arrival - Athens

Your transfer from Athens Airport to the Herodion Hotel will take approximately 40 minutes (35 km) depending on traffic.

The Herodion Hotel is very much a Sunvil Hotel, low key, very conveniently located in a quiet, upmarket residential area below the Acropolis (289 metres) and a short stroll to the museum (85 metres) and Plaka. Syntagma square, the city centre and the shopping district is a 15-minute walk. Much of the area that covers the archaeological sites is pedestrian and this is 100 metres from the hotel as is the metro station. In the afternoon you have a guided visit to Cape Sounion. You will have a guide to yourselves so make the most of it and ask any questions you may have on any aspects of your visit to Greece. The drive to Cape Sounion will take you along the scenic coast road, passing through some of Athens’ well-known suburbs like Glyfada and Vouliagmeni, with views of the Saronic Gulf. Sounion is the site for the 5th century B.C. Temple of Poseidon, God of the sea. The ancients knew where to build.! The view from here is breathtaking, standing on the edge of a precipice with a 197-foot drop to the sea. On a clear day one can see seven islands from this spot. There is something truly mystical about this spot and many, including Lord Byron have fallen under its spell. You will have no problem finding a place to eat in the evening or on any other of your evenings in Athens - in fact you will be embarrassed for choice!

Overnight at the Herodion Hotel

Athens

Day 2 - Walking tour of Athens

The exact timings of your half day walking tour (approx 3.5 hours) of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Acropolis and the historical city centre will depend on the exact opening times of the sites which vary according to the season. Every effort is made to make sure your guide will be the same on all three days of your Athens stay. You will visit the Plaka district. The Acropolis will be covered in depth, including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion (dedicated to the goddess Athena), the Propylaea (entrance to the Acropolis), the Temple of Athena Nike, the Roman Odeon (theatre) of Herodes Atticus and of course the Ancient Agora (market). The settings of course are quite unique with views to the city’s three hills of Filoppapos, Mars and Pnyx. Don’t forget the roof garden at the Herodion with some of the best views of the Acropolis which you have just visited but without the walking!

Overnight at the Herodion Hotel

Acropolis, Athens

Day 3 - Guided tour of Athens by minibus

Today you will be driven around the city with your guide, viewing well known and popular areas which you did not have the time to visit on foot and which are away from the centre. The Greek Parliament, the changing of the guards, the National Gardens, the Zappeion building, the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch will be covered. The tour will culminate with a guided visit to the Acropolis Museum. The museum is ranked 11th best in the world and 8th best in Europe and architecturally stunning, let alone the displays within. All the archaeological finds from around the Acropolis are on display except for (unfortunately) the Elgin Marbles which can be found at the British Museum and are the constant subject of political debate as to their return to this stunning museum.

Overnight at the Herodion Hotel

Changing of the guard

Day 4 - Delphi

We have worked with Christos, your driver, who will be taking you to Delphi, Olympia, Mistras then driving you on the day excursions from Tolon for many years. He is the font of all knowledge. Like any taxi driver there is not much he does not know as to what is going on in Greece! The drive north to the mountains where Delphi is set will take in the region of 2.5 hours (161 km). On the way you may want to stop at the mountain village of Arachova on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassos and a minor ski resort in the winter. The village is well known for hand-woven rugs and carpets. In the ancient world Delphi was known as the navel of the world and famous for its oracle. You will meet your local guide at the site and you will visit the main site, the museum with some spectacular local finds (especially the Bronze Charioteer) and the temple of Athena Pronaia. You will be overnighting in Delphi so stay as late as possible at the site, when you guide and all the people are gone because it is at its most magical then. A visit to Delphi is an unforgettable experience. You can almost feel the gods around you. We have featured the Kourelis, family run Acropole for many years on our very popular fly-drive holidays. Set one street back from the main street of Delphi, the hotel is in a quiet and peaceful position yet within easy walk of the centre with its restaurants and cafes as well as the archaeological site and museum. Many of the rooms have stunning views of Delphi Gorge and the Olive groves of Itea.

Overnight at the Hotel Acropole

Delphi

Day 5 - Olympia

From one famous site to another! The drive from Delphi to Olympia will take in the region of 3.5 hours (226 km) so this will be a busy day as you will meet your local guide at the site. Christos will know the most comfortable way of making the trip with perhaps a stop on the way at his suggestion. Olympia hosted the original Olympic games when war between neighbouring states was stopped and competition via athletic and literary prowess replaced military confrontation. The ruins are extensive, including athletic training areas, a stadium and temples dedicated to the gods Hera and Zeus. The museum is one of the most important in Greece. The museum also contains one of the most famous statues in the history of art, the 4th century BC “Hermes” of Praxiteles perhaps the only original surviving work of the most famous sculptor of ancient Greece. The family run Europa Hotel, is another hotel we have used on our fly-drives for many years. It stands at the top of Drouvas Hill above the ancient site of Olympia, 1km from the centre. This is a roomy, modern hotel which has always been well maintained and with mature and extensive gardens, ideal for relaxing after visiting the site and museums. Views from the hotel are of the Alfeios River Valley. A very comfortable base with a good traditional Greek Tavern in the gardens.

Overnight at the Hotel Europa

Ancient Olympia site, birthplace of the Olympic Games

Day 6 - Mystras

It is just over two hours from Olympia to Mystras. Once more Christos will advise you as to the best time to leave because after your visit to Mystras you will then be overnighting in Tolon a further 2 hours from there. Mystras is not usually visited but to miss it because of a little longer in the taxi would be criminal as it was the last centre of Byzantine learning and culture. This fortified town is situated on the slopes of the Taygetos mountain range. The archaeological site is located above the modern village of Mystras and the modern city of Sparta in the valley below. Today only a group of nuns inhabits the town, living in the Monastery of Pantanassa. The majority of the most important churches are still standing with some wonderful frescoes. The palace of the despots has undergone substantial restorations and it is a significant attraction. Mystras was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. This is a magical place but the mountain on which it is built slopes steeply so make sure that you enter the site from the top gate and ask Christos to wait for you at the bottom gate because to walk all the way up is exhausting. Your overnight stay will be in Tolon in one of the most popular small hotels in our entire Greek programme. The Minoa is right on the sea, with a small beach to one side and close to Tolon’s fishing harbour. The Minoa offers not only an excellent location, perhaps the best in the village, but a standard of comfort and facilities above its official category and, in our opinion, is one of the best run and most comfortable hotels in Tolon.

Overnight at the Hotel Minoa

Mystras

Day 7 - Mycenae and Epidavros

We have featured Tolon for over forty years, and seen the village grow into a thriving small resort with a very wide appeal. We are not surprised – beach apart, the sheer range of things you can see and do from here is enormous. Built around the curve of a sheltered bay, Tolon has a very long sandy beach - narrow at the village end, widening out as you walk around the bay. Mycenae and Epidavros are two of the most emblematic classical sites in Greece. Both are within easy reach of Tolon (Epidavros is 30 minutes away and Mycenae a 40-minute drive from Epidavros) so you will have plenty of time to explore both locations. In each case your local guide will meet you at the site and Christos or his wife will be your drivers. In the second millenium BC, Mycenae was one of the main centres of Greek Civilization and a military superpower that dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades and parts of southwest Anatolia. At its peak in 1350 BC the town had a population of around 30,000. Epidavros is best known for its sanctuary, the Asclepeion. It was the most celebrated healing centre in the classical world (around 6th century BC) and the place where ill people whether physically or psychologically went in the hope of being cured. They were first diagnosed in the sleeping hall where the god would advise them as to what to do in order to be cured. The sanctuary included a 160-room guest house. Epidavros was all about relaxation and de-stressing and the magnificent theatre, still in use today, seats 15.000 people, the acoustics of which no modern theatre has managed to replicate.

Overnight at the Hotel Minoa

Epidavros

Day 8 - Nemea

Nemea is also a short drive from Tolon, about 45 minutes. This site was discovered and excavated by Professor Stephen Miller from Berkeley University in California. It has been his lifelong work. Professor Miller took his dream one stage further and every 4 years to coincide with the Olympics, Nemea stages its own revival of the Olympic games in the stadium which has been excavated. Participants run in chirons (small tunics) and barefoot over the 90-metre track in the stadium. Participation costs 5 euros and participants come from all over the world to take part in the opening ceremony and then the competition. It’s very much a family affair and all ages can run. Originally the games were rstaged every year in turn at Delphi, Olympia, Nemea and Corinth and celebrated the end of hostilities while the games were in progress. If you feel like participating then do look at https://nemeangames.org Tyrins is a Mycenaean archaeological site and is the fort from which the mythical hero Hercules performed his 12 labours. In 1300 BC the citadel and lower town had a population in the region of 10,000 people. It reached its height of importance between 1400 and 1200 BC and its palace and Cyclopean walls (built with enormous stones) were legendary. The site is a forty-minute drive from Nemea.

Overnight at the Hotel Minoa

Nemea

Day 9 - Nafplion and Argos

Both Nafplion and Argos are a thirty minute or so drive from Tolon and are living cities. Nafplion with a population of over 30,00 was once the capita;l of Greece. It's a very beautiful, neoclassical and gracious coastal city topped by a magnificent Venetian Castle. In antiquity, the city was once the seaport of Argos and has been occupied by Byzantines, Franks,Venetians and Ottomans. It is one of the most popular destinations in Greece and attracts many tourists and especially Greeks on short city breaks. If you have the energy, it’s 857 winding steps to the top. Neighbouring Argos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the oldest in Europe with a current population of over 20,000. Ancient Argos was a major Mycenean settlement in the late Bronze age (1700-1100 BC) and was important throughout the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Argos is not a tourist destination but it has numerous archeological remains spanning thousands of years. The UK retailer Argos was named after the city.

Overnight at the Hotel Minoa

Nafplion

Day 10 - Ancient Corinth and Corinth canal

Ancient Corinth and the famous Corinth canal separating the Peloponnese from the mainland mark your final day on a private tour which has explored the most famous sites in southern Greece. Ancient Corinth is a very impressive archaeological site and was one of the most important centres of Greece in ancient times and rivaled Athens and Thebes. It was strategically located on the thins strip of land that connects the mainland to the Peloponnese and was a commercial and naval power. It was a thriving and sophisticated town. In 400 BC it was estimated that the population was around 90,000. The Romans made it the provincial capital of Greece. The Corinth canal was built in the late 1800s, took 11 years to build and has a very interesting history which your guide will explain. Large ships can no longer use the canal but small cruise boats still do and it is a very exciting experience. The canal is 6.4 km long and only 25 metres wide.

Overnight at the Hotel Minoa

Corinth canal

Day 11 - Day of departure

After breakfast, you will be transferred back to Athens to catch your return flight home.

In ten days, you would have learned an enormous amount of about ancient and current Greek life and will have seen some of the most famous monuments in the world.