Overview
In Athens, visit the Acropolis, still standing after 2,500 years. Your Local Guide will give you many insights on this ancient masterpiece. 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. In Epidaurus, climb the limestone steps of the amazingly well-preserved, 2,300-year-old open-air theatre and marvel at the perfect acoustics. You’ll step back into the Middle Ages when you walk around the medieval Byzantine Citadel of Mystra, a castle founded in 1249. You’ll also love the mystic mountain 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, as you cross over one of the world’s longest cable-stayed bridge, the spectacular Rion-Antirion Bridge, linking the Peloponnese peninsula to the Greek mainland. From ancient ruins to contemporary engineering —with beautiful landscapes in between—this affordable Greece tour is perfectly designed for value-minded travel lovers. You’ll agree that your Greece holdiay is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Itinerary
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 Local Host.
A day to relax and discover Athens at leisure. Our suggestion: join an optional day cruise to the islands of Aegina, Hydra, and Poros. In the evening, free time to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the tavernas and nightclubs in the old Plaka district with its narrow streets and sound of bouzouki music. (B)
Join the included guided tour of Athens, featuring the highlights of this ancient capital with a visit to the Acropolis. Cross the Corinth canal, a project conceived in ancient Greece but only completed in 1893, and head for the coast to the picturesque seaside town of Nauplia. Today's Distance: 90 mi/ 145 km (B)
This morning, stop in Epidaurus, located in the hilly countryside dotted with pine trees and oleanders. In this magnificent setting, visit the ancient open-air theatre, which can still seat 14,000 spectators.
Later, enjoy the included guided excursion to the archaeological site and museum of Mycenae, with the imposing ruins of the great city that dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. It played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture and is linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Travel into the Peloponnese to Sparta, where history hangs between reality and legend. Today's Distance: 126 mi/ 202 km (B/D)
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. Today's Distance: 99 mi/ 160 km (B/D)
Explore Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed as a tribute to of the king of deities. Spend some free time in this pretty town, or learn more about the history of the Olympic Games on the optional archaeological site sightseeing tour. Later, drive north to Patras, the capital of the Peloponnese and the west coast's largest port. Continue crossing the spectacular Rion-Antirion bridge through the picturesque fishing villages along the south coast of the mainland to legendary Delphi. Today's Distance: 134 mi/ 215km (B)
Enjoy free time in town or join the optional morning sightseeing tour of the archaeological site in Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke. It was the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world'. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious hub and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world. On to Kalambaka. Today's Distance: 143 mi/ 230 km (B/D)
Discover Meteora, a cluster of spectacular Christian-Orthodox monasteries 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. Your included visit is certainly the day's highlight. Continue south to Athens. Today's Distance: 224 mi/ 360 km (B)
Spend a full day at leisure to explore the unseen parts of the city, do last-minute shopping, or to visit a museum. Tonight, enjoy the optional Greek dinner. (B)
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- 9 Breakfasts
- 3 Dinners
- Athens Moxy Athens City (First-Class)
- Nauplia Rex (First-Class)
- Sparta Maniatis (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Olympia Olympia Palace (First-Class)
- Delphi Apollonia (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Kalambaka Famissi Eden Resort Hotel (Tourist Class)
- Airport transfers at your arrival and departure destination are not included in the price of the tour.
- Itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and specified internal flights. International flights not included.
Enjoy inside visits to Europe's the must-see sites with a great mix of included excursions, free time and affordable value. Read more
Cosmos build free time into every one of their holidays, so you can eat, shop, and explore the way you want. Read more
Cosmos' easy going, fun-filled and multilingual Tour Directors and Local Guides love exploring as much as you do. Read more
Trip Reviews (14) View All Most Recent 'The Best of Greece' Reviews
The food was not very enjoyable. Some of the buffet breakfasts and dinners were inedible. The hot food was cold and the cold food was warm! The included lunches were at restaurants that didn't cater for everyone. Some of us only felt like a sandwich but only cooked food was ever offered! The 'included' wine was awful.
Most of the optional tours were fine. The driver and tour guide were great.
Availability
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you enquire. Additional savings may apply. We guarantee the lowest price in Australia. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Cosmos. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from Cosmos. These should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
