9-Day Classical Tour Athens, Olympia, Zagorohoria, Thessaloniki, Kalambaka &Delphi

Day 1:ATHENS – CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION

Arriving in Athens, we’ll smoothly transfer you to your hotel in our comfortable vehicles. Our English-speaking assistant will be with you, ensuring your comfort and care throughout the journey.

In the afternoon, at the hotel, our representative will provide you with all the essential trip details. Get ready for an engaging presentation about the city, where you’ll gain insights into its vibrant daily life. Feel free to ask questions and clear any doubts, setting the stage for a pleasant and hassle-free experience throughout your trip.

With the rest of the day at your leisure, embrace Athens at your own pace. Immerse yourself in the captivating sights, sounds, and flavors of this remarkable city.

Day 2:DAY AT LEISURE AND ATHENS BY NIGHT

This will be a free day in Athens, where, after a delicious breakfast, you will have the chance to visit some of the famous attractions and places of interest in the city. Alternatively, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll in the city center and make your own discoveries as you go along.

In the evening you will join a walking tour through the most stunning districts of Athens, such as Anafiotika, Thisio, Monastiraki, and Plaka.

Day 3:FROM ATHENS TO OLYMPIA, THE CRADLE OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES

After collecting your rental car, you will head towards the Peloponnese peninsula.

The first stop will be at the Corinth Canal, a great engineering feat first devised in 630 BC by Periander, a tyrant and one of the seven sages of antiquity, and completed by the French in 1893. This channel, about 6 kilometers long, facilitates the passage from the Ionian Sea to the Saronic Gulf and thus saves days of navigation around the Peloponnese peninsula.

On the route, you can make a detour to Kalavryta, a city with magnificent views and steep slopes, river springs, and pine forests. At a distance of about 17 kilometers from Kalavryta, you will come across the Cave of the Lakes. The cave extends for 2 kilometers underground and has 15 lakes inside. The combination of the colors and waterfalls together makes an impressive spectacle.

Alternatively, you can drive to Diakofto and from there catch the train known as “Odontotos” towards Kalavryta. This train rises to a height of 750 meters above sea level and crosses the entire Vouraikos Gorge. The views are splendid, with lush forests, waterfalls, and tunnels carved into the rocks. This is the tour of such striking beauty, that you should not miss out on the chance of taking it.

After these two compulsory stops, you will arrive at the destination of the day, Olympia. There, you will visit the site of the former Olympic stadium, where the first Games were held (776a.C). The importance of the Olympic games was such that all Greek cities ceased hostilities and participated on a large scale.

Olympia was also the most important sanctuary of the Ancient Greeks, a place to worship Zeus, the king, and father of all gods. Here also stood his gold and ivory statue, a gigantic sculpture made by Fidias himself and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Total distance: 285 kilometers

Day 4:FROM OLYMPIA TO ZAGOROHORIA

After a delicious breakfast, you will leave Olympia and cross the Antirio Bridge to continue to Nafpaktos. Nafpaktos is known for being the scene of the Lepanto naval battle, where Miguel de Cervantes participated. There, you can visit the Old Port and Lepanto Castle with incredible views of the Corinthian Gulf.

Further on, you can visit Ioannina, the capital of Epirus, located 500 meters high on the shores of Lake Pamvotis. We also recommend visiting one of the most important caves in the world, the Cave of Perama. This cave is a huge opening in the depths of Mount Goritsa.

Following your way, you will reach the Zagori region, where the Pindus mountain range is located. The Pindus is the most important mountain belt in the country, with peaks that exceed 2000 meters in height. There you can either visit the Pindus National Park or the majestic Vikos–Aoös National Park, where you can go hiking and kayaking in its rivers.

In the depths of this region, you can find Zagorohoria (towns of Zagori), a series of towns that are frozen in time, with great Slavic and Northeast European influence. The town of Kipi has the best examples of the architecture of the area, for instance, the Plakida Bridge. It is suggested, likewise, to visit the town of Konitsa, which was very affected during the Greek civil war.

After a full day traveling through this amazing region, you will have a well-deserved rest in the heart of Zagorohoria.

Total distance: 550 kilometers

Day 5: FROM EPIRUS TO GRAND THESSALONIKI

Leaving Zagorohoria after a hearty breakfast, first, you will visit Metsovo, a tree-shaded village with its two-story mansions and stone-built drinking fountains perched on the side of the Pindos mountain range.

You will continue on your way and make a short detour to pass through Kastoria, one of the most captivating cities in northern Greece, on the shores of the homonymous lake. It has more than fifty medieval churches, including Taxiarjis Tis Mitropóleos, Agios Nikolaos, which has the best-preserved frescoes in the city, and Panagiá Kumnelidiki, which stands out for its drum-shaped dome.

Finally, you will arrive in the great city of Thessaloniki, which means “victory of Thessaly.” It is a city with a glorious past and the cultural and economic center of the Macedonia region for centuries. You can visit several of its unique monuments, such as the White Tower, the Arch of Galerius, and the Rotunda. You can also visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture, awarded in 2005 with the prize of the Museum of the Council of Europe.

Total distance: 410 kilometers

Day 6:FROM THESSALONIKI TO METEORA (KALAMBAKA)

After a tasty breakfast, you will leave Thessaloniki, driving south through the fertile plain of Thessaly and the Tempi Valley. You will have the opportunity to admire the impressive mass of Mount Olympos, the highest mountain in Greece and the home of the twelve gods of Greek Mythology.

You resume your journey towards Meteora, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. Meteora combines the natural charm of the region with the eternal monasteries or meteors hanging on the rocks. The first monastery, “The Great Meteoro,” was built by Athanasius after being expelled from Mount Athos to escape his pursuers. Nowadays, only six remain in use: five for males and one for the female monastic community.

After visiting the monasteries on this hectic day, you’ll have a well-deserved rest.

Dress code in monasteries: Appropriate clothing for everyone is required to enter the monasteries. Men are not admitted to wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts over the knee. For ladies, skirts, and shawls are available at the entrance in case they do not have such clothing to cover themselves.

Total distance: 111 kilometers

Day 7:FROM KALAMBAKA TO THE ORACLE OF DELPHI

After a delicious breakfast, you will depart for Delphi. On your way, you will have the opportunity to stop at Thermopylae, where the statue of the Spartan king Leonidas I is to be seen.  King Leonidas was the intrepid leader who confronted the Persians and died in the homonymous battle.

You will finally arrive at Delphi, the center or navel of the ancient world, and host to the notable Delphic Oracle was located (consulted either by kings or pilgrims). Delphi was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and attracts thousands of visitors up to the present day.

When all your questions to the Oracle of Delphi have been answered, you will have time for a well-deserved rest.

Total distance: 237 kilometers

Day 8:FROM DELPHI TO ATTICA, THE RETURN

After a delicious Greek breakfast, you will start your journey back to Athens.

You will drive along the slopes of Mount Parnassos rising to 2457 meters in height and you will make a short stop in Arachova, a popular winter resort full of taverns and handicraft shops.

Further down the road, you can visit the town of Levadeia, which, in ancient times, flourished and grew in importance as a consequence of its possessing the celebrated oracle of Trophonius, found in a cave.

Back in Athens, you will return your rental car to the station and your adventure through Greece at our own pace will have come full circle. Now it is time to have a well-deserved rest with the memories of all the places you have seen and the people you have met still fresh in your mind.

Total distance: 186 kilometers

Day 9: FAREWELL GREECE!

At the agreed time, our driver will transfer you to Athens Airport to board your international flight back home or to your next destination. You will check in your luggage and benefit from the tax return resulting from any last-minute tax-free shopping for family and friends.