The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece.

Four Day Tour

DAY 1

We start our tour by driving south along the beautiful coastline of Corinth. Our first stop is at the Corinthian canal. We will make a stop here to look at the canal and if we are lucky we might see a ship going through the isthmus. After the canal we will go to Ancient Corinth. The site itself is very beautiful. This is where St. Paul preached to the Corinthians. The site of Corinth is influenced by Roman architecture. Here you will see the Octavian temple and the Lechaion Way. Ancient Corinth also has a beautiful museum which is known for its beautiful amphorae. After seeing the site of Ancient Corinth we head towards Acrocorinth which is 4 km (2.5 miles) above the main city.

From there we travel through the farmland and pass through small villages. As we travel we will see many apricot tress, olive trees and vineyards. The Peloponnese region grows some of the best olives and grapes. After that we will reach Ancient Nemea where the ancient Nemean Games were held. Nemea is surrounded with vineyards. From Nemea we head to ancient Mycenae. There you will see the tomb of Agamemnon and the ancient city of Mycenae, which was discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. After seeing Mycenae we drive down to Nafplio "the old Venetian town" which was re-built by the Venetians in the 16th century and was the first capital of Greece. We will have lunch there by the seaside. Then we can visit the famous castle called "Palamidi".

We continue our tour by traveling through many orange fields and olive trees in order to reach Epidavros. When we get there we will see the ancient theatre of Epidavros which was built in 4 B.C. and is known for its great acoustic sound. The theatre is used today by Greek actors who perform various ancient Greek plays. You will also see the Sanctuary of Asklipeios and the beautiful museum of Epidavros.

Then we travel through the mountains of Arcadia and we stop at the picturesque town of Lagadia for Greek coffee or a refreshment. We continue to Olympia where we sleep over. The hotel we stay at is the Europa hotel. Its a very nice hotel with a pool and great breakfast. The following day we will see ancient Olympia.

DAY 2

Then we travel to Delphi. On the way to Delphi we pass the city of Patra which is the 3rd largest city in Greece. We drive over the Rio-Antirrio bridge which connects the Peloponnese with central Greece. Then we travel along the sea side which has a spectacular view and many little islands and villages. We will stop in the village of Galaxidi for a stretch and have Greek coffee with Greek pastry. Then we go to Delphi where we sleep over. The hotels are fedriades hotel, or parnasos with breakfast. In the morning we will see the archaeological site of Delphi.

DAY 3

When we reach the site Delphi the first thing that you will see on the left side is the temple of Athena Pronaia, the Tholos monument and the Greek gymnasium (this is where athletes warmed up before the Pythian Games.) To the right you will see the Castalian spring. The Oracle of Delphi would cleanse herself here before entering the temple of Apollo.

When you enter the archaeological site of Delphi while walking on the Sacred road you will see the Market place, the Athenian treasury, the temple of Apollo and its sanctuary. A bit further up you will see the ancient theater and lastly you will see the Stadium where the ancient Pythian Games were held (chariot races, running and wrestling were some of the sports.) After that when you come down you make a right and you walk to Delphi’s beautiful museum. When we are done with the archaeological sightseeing we break for lunch at this beautiful local Greek taverna which has a view of a spectacular valley of olive trees. We then travel towards Meteora.

On our way we go through the olive groves of the city of Amfissa the biggest producer of olives. They also make the best olive in Greece. Then we climb the mountain of Bralo which has a spectacular view high up and a little village in the mountains. We will make a stop in Thermopylae. Then we climb high up to the mountain of Bralo which has a spectacular view and a little village. Then we make a stop in Thermopylae. This is the famous location where the 300 Spartans with King Leonidas bravely fought against Xerxes and his Persian army. Here you will see where the battle took place and the statue of King Leonidas and a small museum. Then we climb the mountains of Domokos. When we come down from the mountain we enter the biggest farm area in Greece which is called Thessalikos kambos. It produces cotton, tomatos, cucumbers and many more vegetable and the best watermelons in Greece. Sometimes I stop here to get some vegetables to take home. We will make a quick stop for refreshments. Then we travel to Kalambaka where you have the choice of two hotels Iridanos or Meteoritis.

DAY 4

The following morning after breakfast we will see 5 or 6 monasteries depending on how anxious you are to see all of them. With my tour you get to see all the monasteries vs a bus tour where they only show you two monasteries. That’s one of the main differences. After the monasteries we have lunch and travel back to Athens ςith a stop on the way for stretching and a quick snack.