Day 1
Our 2-Day Delphi – Meteora sightseeing tour begins early in the morning with our door-to-door service, from either Athens City Centre, your Hotel, Athens Airport, Port of Piraeus, Ferry Boat or Cruise Ship. Wherever is most convenient for you.
Driving with our private-hire (chauffeur-driven) minibus, we take the motorway to Thebes and Levadia. After a pleasant two hours drive passing by grasslands and cotton fields we climb up the winding mountain road to make a short stop at charming
Arachova. There you will have time to stroll around the picturesque town, shop, have a coffee or snack, and take photographs of the truly breathtaking views.We will then continue on our 2-day private sightseeing tour towards
Delphi which is located 8 km away.
The sanctuary of Delphi, at the foot of Mount Parnassus, was the most famous
Oracle of Ancient Greece and is set in a landscape of incomparable beauty. Delphi was considered the ancient centre, (or navel of the world), a symbol of intellectual and religious unity that reached its peak from the 6th to the 4th century B.C. This thinking prevailed in Thessaly and Central Greece with the religious-political associations of the Amphictyonies, (league of neighbouring ancient Greek states), that played a role in the most important moments of ancient Greek history, such as the establishment of colonies.
Excavations began in the region in 1860, striking findings came to light that reveal different aspects of the ancient public life. Projects continue until today, with significant excavation and conservational activity.
On arrival at Delphi, with our private-tour, you will visit
The Castalian Spring and then move on to the main archaeological site for the
Temple of Apollo, The Treasury of the Athenians, The Theatre, The Stadium, The Tholos and much more. The
Museum of Delphi focuses on the history of the Delphic Sanctuary and Oracle and has on permanent exhibit the remarkable bronze cast of the Charioteer of Delphi After visiting the site we will take you to a local Greek taverna in the village of Delphi. On leaving the taverna we will continue on to the city of
Kalambaka where we will end our first day of our 2-Day tour and spend the night.
Day 2
Meteora lies on the edge of the Pindos mountain range in central Greece and is one of the most extraordinary and unique places in the world; where a miracle of nature gave rise to a marvel of human ingenuity, it’s a place of beauty and wonder of saints and artists of God and man. The stone forest of Meteora is one of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth, and one of the most impressive geological phenomena of our planet. The monasteries perched atop these inaccessible rock peaks are amongst the most religiously significant places in the world, and have been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, both for its religious and natural significance.
After breakfast at your hotel, the second day of our private sightseeing tour begins, we will drive up the spiralling road of the cliffs of Meteora to the monasteries. The word Meteora means “suspended in the air”, this will become quite apparent why, when you first catch sight of the magnificent monasteries.
At the end of the 14th century, the Byzantine Empire’s 800 year reign over northern Greece was being increasingly threatened by Turkish raiders who wanted control over the fertile plain of Thessaly. The hermit monks, seeking a retreat from the expanding Turkish occupation, found the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be an ideal refuge. The original monks who inhabited the monastery were safe from the political upheaval as access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) made difficult, requiring either long ladders lashed together or large nets which were used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith – the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only ‘when the Lord let them break’. In the 1920’s there was an improvement in the arrangements, steps were cut into the rock, making the complex accessible via a bridge from the nearby plateau.
More than 20 monasteries were built, beginning in the 14th century, of which only six remain today and are currently in operation and can be visited. Meteora is one of the largest and important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece. Of these six, four were inhabited by men, and two by women. Each monastery has fewer than 10 inhabitants. Today they have been restored with exquisite art and paintings and with most of the murals and décor in tact. The James Bond movie, “For Your Eyes Only”, was filmed here at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity.After visiting the site we will take you to a local Greek taverna in the city of Kalampaka or the village of Kastraki.On leaving the taverna we will begin our drive back to Athens, passing through the cities of central Greece.
We will make a stop at
Thermopylae, (meaning the Hot Gates); this is where the great battle of Thermopylae, between the 300 Spartans of King Leonidas and the Persians, took place in 480 B.C. A
Statue of King Leonida stands nearby to remind us all of what was sacrificed to ensure the country’s independence. Your 2-Day private-hire Tour of Delphi-Meteora will come to an end as we continue our drive back to Athens along the national motorway to your designated drop-off point. Lunch and admission fees to monuments and sites
are not included in the price of your private tour. Your tour is flexible, giving you the opportunity to change your itinerary according to your personal wishes. Just discuss any changes you would like, with your chauffeur-driver.
