Enjoy an incredible week in Greece, with overnight stays in Athens, Delphi, Olympia, and Nauplia. All highlights are included with Local Guides: the Acropolis, the Roman Temple of Zeus, and the Theater of Dionysus in Athens; visits to the Archaeological Museum in Delphi and the excavation sites; the remains of the Gymnasium and the Temples of Hera and Zeus in Olympia; the Beehive Tombs, Lion Gate, Agamemnon’s Royal Palace remains, and Citadel fortifications in Mycenae; and the well- preserved 2,300-year-old open-air theater in Epidaurus. On your way back to Athens, cross the bridge across the Corinth Canal.

Highlights Acropolis
Archaeological Museum
Mycenae Excavations

Transatlantic flight

Day 1: Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Arrive in Athens, Greece

Day 2: Time to rest or to start exploring the Hellenic capital. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome drink.

Athens

Day 3: Sightseeing with a Local Guide features a visit to the Parthenon’s crowning beauty atop the ACROPOLIS, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, the beautifully preserved Theseum, Roman Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and the Agora where Socrates taught. Vistas of the Royal Palace, government buildings, and elegant homes in the modern city provide a striking contrast to the remains of the glorious past. The rest of the day is at leisure. How about a Greek dinner tonight? Your Tour Director knows where to find local fare and entertainment reminiscent of Zorba the Greek.

Athens – Delphi

Day 4: On the way to Delphi your Tour Director will tell you about Marathon, where in 490 BC 10,000 Athenians defeated more than twice that number of Persian invaders, and Thebes, the setting of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. In the afternoon, a fascinating guided tour of Delphi's ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo in its dramatic setting on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Hear about the Oracle and tour the EXCAVATIONS. Finally, visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM to admire the Charioteer, an extraordinary 5th-century BC bronze statue.

Delphi – Olympia

Day 5: Olympia is the founding city of the Olympics, dated from 776 B.C.E. Travel through the picturesque fishing villages along the coast to Patras on the Peloponnese. The afternoon is dedicated to OLYMPIA, where the athletes of antiquity performed in honor of the King of Deities. Learn about the history of those original Olympic Games as you walk with your Local Guide among the impressive remains of the Gymnasium and the Temples of Hera and Zeus. Also visit the MUSEUM that displays Praxiteles’ magnificent statue of Hermes.

Olympia – Mycenae – Epidaurus – Nauplia

Day 6: Spectacular scenery on the way through the Arkadian mountains. Two major features today: MYCENAE, where 19th-century excavations reveal impressions of the splendors so vividly described by Homer. Admire the Beehive Tombs, the Treasury of Atreus, Lion Gate, Europe’s oldest known monument, remains of Agamemnon’s Royal Palace, and the impressive fortifications of the Citadel. Then a short drive to EPIDAURUS for a tour of its amazingly well-preserved 2,300-year-old open-air theater. Overnight in nearby Nauplia.

Nauplia – Athens

Day 7: Return to Athens via the bridge spanning the impressive Corinth Canal. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Homebound flight.

Day 8: Your homebound flight arrives the same day.