Pearls Of Greece Private Tour - 8 days/7 nights

Arrive at Athens Airport and travel to the city center for a two nights stay at a first-class boutique hotel which enjoys an excellent location close to the city’s architectural treasures. This evening we’ll gather for our first dinner in an elegant restaurant boasting amazing views over the Acropolis.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch on your own, dinner included

Accommodation: Overnight in Athens

We’ll meet at your hotel for a guided walking tour of Athens visiting the Acropolis, one of the great ‘Wonders of the Ancient World’. Ascending the hill, you’ll soon experience the Parthenon itself – its blindingly white marble columns with their perfect symmetry and balance completely dominate the skyline. We continue to the new Acropolis museum, with its amazing glass floor displaying ancient houses, streets and even an olive press below. Exhibits include superb sculptures and an incredible series of carved pediments from the temple of Athena. After time on your own for lunch, you’ll end the day with a panoramic tour to the most important monuments and landmarks of the city. Enjoy the rest of the day on your own.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Athens

After breakfast, we depart for the Peloponnese, the rocky peninsula home to many of Greece’s greatest archaeological sites. The tour begins with a drive along the coastal road for a stop at the impressive Corinth Canal, the 6 km long and only 21.4 meters wide canal which separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. Then, continue to Agamemnon’s blood-soaked realm, the mighty fortified palace of Mycenae, destroyed in 468 BC where you will see the Beehive Tombs, the Treasury of Atreus, the Lion Gate and the remains of Agamemnon’s Royal Palace. We complete the experience with a visit to a well-known winery located in the Nemea region, one of Greece’s premier wine-producing areas, famous for its full-bodied reds, many produced from the local Agiorgitiko grape, a dark, fruity red often referred to as the “blood of Heracles”. We’ll then drive to the attractive town of Nafplio, the first capital city of Greece with its Venetian charm, staying at a central hotel for two nights. Dinner is on your own this evening.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included, dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Nafplio

With its marble pavements, looming castles and remarkably homogeneous architecture, Nafplio is a stage set of spectacular Venetian fortresses, Greek churches and neoclassical mansions. The first capital of Greece is one of the most elegant and romantic cities, a wealth of narrow alleyways and a lovely seafront promenade but the best is perhaps just watching the sun coloring the bay an ecstatic red. In the morning join your local guide for an exploration of this fascinating town followed by a private boat tour. In the late evening enjoy a Hands-on-cooking class with dinner in the house of a Greek family.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included, dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Nafplio

This morning we’ll reach nearby Epidaurus, birthplace of Asclepius – the god of healing, and whose sanctuary here became the greatest center of medicine in the Classical world. The ancient Greeks believed that one should be healthy in both mind and body, so the plays and music performed here in the acoustically perfect theater played an integral part in the therapeutic process. In the early afternoon, we head west through the beautiful Peloponnese countryside towards the ancient site at Olympia, for an overnight stay in a central hotel with dinner included.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included, lunch on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Olympia

This morning we’ll discover the ancient site at Olympia, home to the Temple of Zeus, one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. The sanctuary not only lies in a beautiful and peaceful setting but its largely non-reconstructed remains allow a unique opportunity to visualize how this complex would have looked during its heyday. Also within the sanctuary is the ancient Temple of Hera while just outside the precinct are the gymnasium and well-preserved stadium. The archaeological Museum is a treasure trove of artifacts excavated from the sacred precinct including superb architectural sculptures from the Temple of Zeus itself. Drive to the charming town of Galaxidi for the next two nights in a small family hotel, near the town center.

Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Galaxidi

Today’s excursion takes us to explore Delphi, one of the most beautiful and celebrated ancient sites. Nestled between twin cliffs on a slope of Mount Parnassus and spilling out onto the Sacred Plain, Delphi is where the oracle representing the revered god Apollo presided over the ancient world. We see the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo, walk the marble Sacred Way and climb to the 4^th century BCE theater still in use today. We’ll also visit Delphi’s Museum that houses the bronze “Charioteer,” one of antiquity’s greatest statues. Drive to the nearby mountain village of Arachova for sightseeing and time on your own for lunch. Dinner is included in a local tavern.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included, lunch on your own

Accommodation: Overnight in Galaxidi

Morning transfers from Galaxidi to Athens airport (approx 4 hrs drive)