Classical 5 day private tour

5 day tour (Private tour)

Athens - Corinth - Mycenae - Epidaurus - Nafplion - Olympia - Delphi - Meteora - Athens

Day 1: This is one of the most popular tours, for travellers that want to explore the highlights of Greece in a few days and that is why it is called the classical tour of Greece. Your 5 day tour will start with the drive through the National Highway to the Peloponnese. A stop will be made by the famous Corinthian Canal or else Isthmus that separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, for pictures and coffee. Your journey towards Epidaurus will continue with a 40 min. scenic drive along the coast of the Saronic gulf. On the way your driver will point out for you to see the ruins of the ancient port of Kechries where St. Paul embarked his ship after preaching to the Corinthians to get to Ephesus. Reaching Epidaurus you will have a private tour of the spiritual sanctuary of Asclepius and the theatre with the most famous acoustics in the world. Leaving ancient Epidaurus you will continue with the drive to Nafplion, a picturesque sea port town on the Argolic gulf. This was the first capital of modern Greece; it's a city with beautiful monuments and neoclassical buildings as well as two famous forts Palamidi and Bourtzi, which is located on an island opposite the port. You will be able to stroll around, take pictures and have lunch in the "shade" of the tall neoclassical buildings next to Sydagma square. Continuing your journey in the afternoon you will also drive and visit Mycenae, the centre of power in the late Bronze Age till the 11th century BC. There lies the famous Lions Gate and the Acropolis where Agamemnon was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and that is where you will be able to explore all of its pathways. Leaving the Acropolis you will also make a short stop by the treasury of Atreus, also known as the tomb of Agamemnon. Then you will drive back to Nafplion where you will spend the night.

Day 2: After having breakfast, you will drive from Nafplion to Olympia. Once there, you will enjoy a private tour through the site-birthplace of the Olympic Games, where still lie the ancient gymnasiums, the temple of Zeus and Hera, the ancient Olympic stadium, the Philippeion, the workshop of Phedias and many more. A few meters away from the site is where you will visit one of the most impressive museums in the world, since it houses the originals pediments of the temple of Zeus and Hermes by Praxiteles etc. You will spend the night in Olympia.

Day 3: After enjoying your breakfast, you will begin your drive to Delphi, through the large and lush valley of Elis. Along the way you will pass the city of Patras and you will then cross one of the largest suspension bridges in the world that connects the mainland to the Peloponnese. You can then have a short coffee stop in the historical city by the sea called Nafpaktos, in the waters of which the famous battle of Lepando between the fleets of the Ottoman Turks and the Christian Alliance was fought. There you can admire the well preserved Venetian fortification of the small port and the statue of the famous Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, who also participated in the battle there. The rest of your drive will be absolutely impressive since you will be taking the coastal road having the sea on one side and the mountains of the Greek mainland on the other. Continuing your drive along the Corinthian gulf coastline you will pass some of the most beautiful fishing villages. Then you will continue your journey towards Delphi across the largest olive grove in Greece next to the city of Itea, before you start your windy drive, up to mount Parnassus. In the elevation of 600 meters (1800 feet) are built both the ancient sanctuary and the modern town of Delphi. There you will enjoy a private guided tour through the museum where the famous bronze charioteer is kept, as well as the site, where the ancient treasury houses, the temple of Apollo, the Oracle, the theatre and the stadium still remain. On the way down you will also have time by the Castalia spring, the gymnasiums and the temple of Athina Pronaia. You will spend the night at a hotel in the village of Delphi.

Day 4: In the morning you will enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Then you will begin your journey towards Kalambaka, driving by the central Greece towns of Amphissa, Lamia and Trikala. You will visit one of the most amazing places in Greece, Meteora. Meaning "suspended in air" the name Meteora soon came to encompass the entire rock community of 24 monasteries, the biggest and most important group of monasteries in Greece after those in Mount Athos. There were no steps and the main access to the monasteries was by means of a net that was hitched over a hook and hoisted up by rope and a hand cranked windlass to winch towers overhanging the chasm. Monks descended in the nets or on retractable wooden ladders up to 40m long to the fertile valleys below to grow grapes, corn and potatoes. Each community developed its own resources and by the end of the 14th century, the Grand Meteoron emerged as the dominant community. The rock monasteries have been characterized by UNESCO as a unique phenomenon of cultural heritage. You will spend the night at a hotel in the center of the village of Kalambaka, overlooking the rock formation of Meteora.

Day 5: You can either start your day with a visit of another monastery, or with the drive back to Athens. Along the way you will see among other things and stop by Thermopylae, where in 480BC was fought one of the most historical battles in world's history. You will also get the chance to see the tumulus of the Spartan soldiers. Along the way you will also pass the city of Thebes famous for Oedipus and the battle of Plataea nearby as well as the area of Marathon where the other famous battle of the Medic war was fought in 490BC. Soon after that you will arrive back to Athens and drop you off at the hotel or airport.

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Reviews (1)

  • Aimee Churchill

    Our family took a private four day version of this tour with Olympic Tours. We were all incredibly pleased with our tour. Niki and all members of her company were amazing to work with. Niki was incredibly helpful and responsive when we were planning our tour and deciding what we wanted to do. She provided helpful hints to help maximize our experiences. The private tour guides that we utilized at the historical sites added to our enjoyable experiences. They were all incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. Our drive for the tour, Kostas, was incredible. He couldn't have been more helpful. He provide helpful hints for us in each area we visited and he made sure that we made the most of our experiences - he made sure that we got to enjoy the beach, he took us to see Meteora during sunset. During our tour we had to make a stop at a medical center and the dentist. Kostas took care of arranging everything and got us where we needed to be.
    The service provided by Niki and her company was so welcoming and personable. She created a welcoming atmospher that allowed us to simply sit back and enjoy our experience.

About Us

It would be a pleasure to send you my proposals, through our travel agency, and organize your touring experience in Greece, just for you!

 15561, Agiou Ioannou Theologou 43, Athens

 27065, Praxitelous Kondyli, Ancient Olympia

+30 6972426085

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Our Awards

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ricksteves

Recommended by Rick Steves

bbc

Niki was the official Olympia Expert in BBC live broadcasting to explain the significance of the lightning of the Olympic flame for the 2012 London Olympics

Client Testimonials

Niki's knowledge of the history there as well as how she related it to all of us was a perfect balance!
Julie
Niki knows her stuff, and she comes across as an intelligent and credible source of verified information. My wife and I used her as our group tour guide in Olympia and then again in Athens, and we were very pleased.
Tony
I definitely recommend other cruisers to book independently through Niki Vlachou.
Madge