Day 1
Our private-hire 3-Day sightseeing tour of
Ancient Olympia-Delphi-Meteora 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 Corinth with its lovely sea views along its coastal route, giving you the opportunity to see where the great naval battle of Salamina took place in 480 B.C.After a pleasant one and a half hour drive, we will make a short stop at the famous 6 km long
Corinth Canal, which connects the Aegean and the Ionian Sea. You will have the opportunity to take some stunning pictures and perhaps try a Greek coffee or an ice-cream.We will drive along the beautiful scenic sea route towards Patra in the western Peloponnese to arrive at the ruins of
Ancient Olympia. This extremely important religious sanctuary, (known as the Altis), is located north of the Alfeios River and Mount Kronos (named after the Greek deity Kronos). Well known as being the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, the most famous games in history.
The first Olympic Games were in 776 B.C. and were dedicated to the god Zeus. The winners were awarded with a simple wreath made from the sacred olive trees of Olympia – no gold or silver medals. These Games were a celebration of the deeply religious spirit and heroic past of the Greeks – combining the ideals of freedom and the physical development of both body and mind. During these Games war was prohibited and a ceasefire was ordered. In spirit something like the ceasefire which was generally accepted during the Christmas periods of World War1 and World War 2. The Games were abolished by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius 1, as they were considered a pagan ritual; however, they were revived in 1896, organised from Athens and have continued every four years since. We will visit the
Temple of Zeus and the
Temple of Hera; here is where the
Olympic Flame of the modern day Olympic Games is lit using the reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror in front of the Temple of Hera the flame is then transported by a torch to the place where the games will be held. For those of you wearing flat shoes, why not join the Olympic heroes of yesteryear and take a run along the original running track of Olympia.
Continuing on our sightseeing tour we will visit the
Archaeological Museum of Olympia, situated opposite the excavation site in a valley northwest of the
Kronion hill, one of the most important museums in Greece, representing the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, father of both gods and men, where the
Olympic Games were born. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains finds from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period. Some of the best known exhibits are the
Nike of Paeonius, which was featured on the medals awarded during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the famous statue of
Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus by Praxiteles and the statue of
Zeus and Ganymedes. The museum also contains findings from Archaic and Classical periods, a large collection of bronzes and a collection from the Olympic Games. After visiting the site we will take you to a local taverna in the village of Ancient Olympia for a well deserved meal. Next on to your hotel in Ancient Olympia to overnight.
Day 2
After breakfast we will continue our 3-Day private-tour driving towards the town of Patra and cross over the Gulf of Corinth via the
Rio-Antirio bridge, Europe’s longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge, which was completed in 2004 just in time for the Athens Olympic games. After crossing the Rio Bridge we will take the National Road towards Nafpaktos and Delphi a pleasant two hour drive following first the coastal route then turning inland passing the calming grasslands and olive groves. Finally we climb up the winding mountain road to Delphi.
The sanctuary of
Delphi, at the foot of Mount Parnassus, was the most famous
Oracle of Ancient Greece and is 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 sightseeing 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/Meteora where we will end the second day of our 3-Day tour and spend the night.
Day 3
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 third 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. Meteora is one of the largest and important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece. Today this complex has 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.
After 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 3-Day private-hire sightseeing Tour of Ancient Olympia-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.
