The Best of Greece

10 Day Tour from Athens to Athens

Vacation Overview

On this Best of Greece tour, discover the best of historic and mythical—as well as modern—Greece. As the birthplace of Western civilization, Greece has some of the world’s most fascinating archaeological sites, and now is your chance to explore the Greek Isles on your affordable tour of Greece. Your tour starts and ends in Athens and overnights along the way in Nauplia, Sparta, Olympia, Delphi, and Kalambaka.Step back in time as you visit some of Greece's ancient sites where the Mycenaean civilization thrived in Greece between 1600 and 1200 BC. At the Mycenae archaeological site, learn about this civilization as you enjoy guided sightseeing of the monuments erected here between 1350 and 1200 BC. In Athens, visit the Acropolis, still standing after 2,500 years. Dedicated to the goddess Athena, the Acropolis sits high on a rocky hill and is a symbol of the wealth and power of Athens at its apex. Visit the amazingly well-preserved, 2,300-year-old open-air theater in Epidaurus and marvel at the perfect acoustics. You'll step back in history—but not as far back as Ancient Greece—when you enjoy sightseeing of the medieval Byzantine Citadel of Mystra, a castle founded in 1249. Also visit the fantastic landscape of Meteora with its 24 rock-top monasteries set in almost inaccessible sandstone peaks.On this affordable Greece tour, you’ll travel to Olympia, legendary home of the Olympic Games, and Delphi, where people visited in ancient Greece to seek the advice of the Oracle. But that’s not all…you’ll experience modern Greece as well. Cross over the world's longest cable-stayed bridge, the spectacular Rion-Antirion Bridge, which links the Peloponnese to the Greek mainland. From the ancient ruins to contemporary engineering —with beautiful landscapes in between—this tour through Greece is perfectly designed for value-minded travelers. You’ll agree that your affordable Greece tour is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation!

Itinerary

Day 1   ARRIVE IN ATHENS, GREECE

Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring the Greek capital with the help of the CosmosGO app. Later, meet your Tour Director.

Day 2   ATHENS

A day to discover Athens at leisure, visiting one of the museums or strolling through the Plaka district, or an opportunity to see island life from a small cruise ship on the optional 3-island cruise, visiting Aegina, Poros, and Hydra.

Day 3   ATHENS–CORINTH–NAUPLIA

Join the included guided tour of Athens, featuring the highlights of this ancient capital with a visit to the ACROPOLIS. Next, cross the CORINTH CANAL and head for the coast to Nauplia.

Day 4   NAUPLIA–EPIDAURUS–MYCENAE–SPARTA

This morning, journey into the Argolis to stop in EPIDAURUS, located in the hilly countryside dotted with pine trees and oleanders. In this magnificent setting, visit the ancient OPEN-AIR THEATER that can still seat 14,000 spectators. Later enjoy the included excursion to the ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE and the MUSEUM OF MYCENAE, a city fortress cursed by the gods but rich in gold and warrior kings. Travel deep into the Peloponnese to Sparta, where history hangs between reality and legend.

Day 5   SPARTA–MYSTRA–OLYMPIA

Enjoy the included visit of the medieval BYZANTINE CITADEL OF MYSTRA, at one time known as the “Florence of the East.” Before arriving in Olympia, visit an OLIVE OIL MUSEUM.

Day 6   OLYMPIA–PATRAS–DELPHI

Explore Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed in honor of the king of deities. Spend some free time or learn more about the history of the Olympic Games on the optional sightseeing tour. Later, drive north to Patras, the capital of the Peloponnese and the west coast’s largest port. Then, via the spectacular RION-ANTIRION BRIDGE through the picturesque fishing villages along the south coast of the mainland to mystical Delphi.

Day 7   DELPHI–KALAMBAKA

Join optional morning sightseeing of the archaeological site in Delphi. Once called the “Navel of the Earth,” Delphi was the greatest oracle of the ancient world, where people flocked to seek advice. Now, it’s one of the grandest sites in Greece. On to Kalambaka.

Day 8   KALAMBAKA–METEORA–ATHENS

A short drive to Meteora, a cluster of spectacular Christian-Orthodox MONASTIC BUILDINGS perched in an unforgettable manner on a set of rising rock formations. They were originally built by hermit monks living in caves carved into the rocks. Later, drive south to Athens.

Day 9   ATHENS

A full day at leisure to explore the unseen parts of the city, do last-minute shopping, or maybe join the optional Greek dinner.

Day 10   ATHENS

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Vacation Highlights

ATHENS Guided sightseeing

Visit the Acropolis CORINTH CANAL EPIDAURUS 

Visit the open-air theater MYCENAE 

Guided visit of the archaeological site SPARTA 

Visit MYSTRA 

Visit the Byzantine Citadel of Mystra and olive oil museum RION-ANTIRION BRIDGE DELPHI 

Visit METEORA 

See the Monastic buildings

Meals

Buffet breakfasts daily; 3 dinners

Excursions that may be added to your vacation:

Athens Saronic Islands Cruise

Visit three Greek islands and enjoy lunch on board your modern cruise ship.

Greek Dinner & Culture

Enjoy an unforgettable evening of authentic Greek food, culture, dancing, and music at this fun interactive dining experience.

Nauplia by Night

Late afternoon take a small caique to the little island of Bourtzi with free time to explore. Then sail back to Nauplion to enjoy a dinner in a typical small Greek restaurant in the old part of town.

Dinner in Delphi

Enjoy dinner and drinks at a traditional Delphi restaurant, with lovely views of the surrounding olive tree-dotted valley.

The Wonders of Ancient Delphi

Experience the magic of Delphi, home to Apollo's famous Oracle, as you visit the Delphi Archaeological Site and its impressive museum. 

Olympia Archaeological Site

This ancient site is the most famous of Greek sanctuaries, where Zeus was worshiped and where his ivory and gold statue was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World.