GREECE "Birth
Place of Democracy..." This is the Land of History: This is the country which produced such giants in philosophy as Socrates and Plato, leaders such as Pericles, Aristides and Themistocles, conquerors such as Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great (who having conquered the world of his time, cried because there were no more worlds to conquer), and Leonidas of Sparta. In this country of Greece, the Cycladic, the Mycenean, the Minoan, the Spartan, the Macedonian, the Athenian and Corinthian civilizations thrived. This is the homeland of the legendary gods and goddesses, the prestigious Parthenon and the world famous Delphi, where kings and notable people from all over the ancient world came to consult Pythia's oracles. In Epidaurus was the center of healing by the god Asclepios. Mt. Olympus, the dwelling place of the twelve Olympian gods is Greece's highest mountain!
DAY 2: ATHENS-CORINTH-MYCENAE-EPIDAURUS-NAFPLION DAY 3:
NAFPLION-TRIPOLIS-MEGALOPOLIS-OLYMPIA DAY 4: OLYMPIA-PATRAS-DELPHI DAY 5: DELPHI-ATHENS DAY 6: ATHENS-SOUNION DAY 7: ATHENS-PIRAEUS-3/DAY CRUISE TO
THE GREEK ISLANDS-MYKONOS DAY 8 : RHODES DAY 9: KUSADASI (EPHESUS)-PATMOS DAY 10: PIRAEUS-ATHENS DEPARTURE
In the morning drive along the coastal road of the Saronic Gulf to Ancient Corinth, passing by the Corinthian Canal. It was Corinth where the Apostle Paul lived and preached for a year and a half, and to the church there that he wrote two of the New Testament letters. We see all of the Greek and Roman sights associated with his ministry: the Agora, the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Odeon, the Bema, as well as the small museum. Then we proceed to Mycenae to visit the remains of the prehistoric citadel fortified with the Cyclopean walls, the Lionesses’ Gate, the Mycenaean Palace and the Tomb of Agamemnon. After lunch, through Argos on to Nafplion, the first capital of modern Greece, we stop to take pictures. Then we continue on to visit Epidaurus, the Sanctuary of Asclepeios. We see the best preserved ancient theater in all of Greece, famous for the harmony of its design and the perfection of its acoustics. Return to the hotel in Athens.
In the afternoon we have our excursion to Cape Sounion. Driving along the coastal road, past the beautiful beaches of Kalamaki, Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni, and Varkiza, with its countless coves, we have a splendid view of the Saronic Gulf. A crowning feature of the tour is Cape Sounion, famous for its radiant sunsets and dominated by the Doric, white marble Temple of Poseidon overlooks the blue Aegean Sea. Return to the hotel in Athens.
In the evening we have a performance of the Sound & Light (09:00 - 10:45 p.m.), that depicts the Parthenon over the centuries on Pnyx Hill, opposite the Acropolis. Then we have a traditional dinner with Greek folk dances, bouzouki music and songs in a typical tavern in the oldest and most picturesque district of Athens, Plaka. |
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DAY 1: ATHENS ARRIVAL
You are offered the enjoyment of a cruise in just one day to the Greek
islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra, including buffet lunch on board &
round-trip transfers. Sail for Aegina, an attractive and tranquil
resort, there we can either join the optional excursion to the Temple of
Aphaia, one of the finest and certainly the best preserved of the Greek
temples or walk around the harbor or browse in the small fishing port of
Aegina. Then we continue our voyage to Poros where the first naval
arsenal of independent Greece was established. Poros provides delightful
scenery marked by the low pine-wooded hills. Our last call is Hydra, a
fashionable artists’ colony, a retreat of intellectuals and a favorite
film location. The colorful harbor is ringed by an amphitheatrical town
with well-preserved sea-merchant family mansions. We have time at
leisure for strolling, shopping or swimming. Return to Athens in the
early evening. 
In the morning drive through the fertile plain of Boeotia, crossing the
towns of Thebes connected with the tragedy of king Oedipus, Levadia and
Arachova, famous for its colorful woolen rugs and carpets. Arrive at
Delphi, the center of the Ancient World, the “omphalos” (navel) of
the earth - whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the
Hellenic world. On the slopes of Mt. Parnassos, in a landscape of
unparalleled beauty and majesty, lie the archaeological site of Delphi.
We visit the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, the
Temple of Apollo and the museum containing such masterpieces of ancient
Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias.
Lunch in a local restaurant. Return to Athens. 
