Classic Greece

On this eight-day trip through Greece, you’ll balance must-see tourist hotspots with local secrets. Start and end in ancient Athens, home to many impressive ruins and sites like the Acropolis. Discover archaeological sites that tell the story of human history, creativity and civilisation at Delphi, Mycenae and Epidavros. Stay in small mountainous villages and coastal towns with fresh air, hospitable locals and nature’s best scenery. Hike the Menalon Trail and find waterfalls, sweeping views and old monasteries. Eat your way through the countryside with mezze, salads, seared meats, local bread and freshly caught seafood and wash it down with a wine tasting at a family-owned winery.

Itinerary

Day 1: Athens

Yiasou! Welcome to Greece. Your adventure begins in Athens with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe explore some of the iconic ancient sites, including the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After, celebrate the start of your trip with a mezze feast – an array of small plates typically accompanied by a glass of wine or ouzo in a rustic taverna. Zucchini balls, moussaka, salads and stuffed vegetables are just a few of the flavoursome dishes that may be on offer.

Day 2: Delphi/Nafpaktos

This morning, make the drive to Delphi – an archaeological site, home to the Athena temple complex. Here, you’ll take a tour with a local guide and learn more about its history as you walk by the Plestios River Valley. After, drive to your seaside overnight stop for free time exploring the traditional architecture of the town or kicking back on the beach. Maybe tuck into some fresh seafood for dinner.

Day 3: Nafpaktos/Kalavryta/Dimitsana

Start your day with a drive to Diakopto, then take a scenic train journey from there to Kalavryta – a mountain village and one of the most popular ski resorts in the country. The train journey climbs from sea level to a height of 750 m through Vouraikos Gorge, so you’ll get beautiful views along the way of forests, waterfalls and tunnels. When you arrive, you have the option to visit the Holocaust Museum for some sobering history. After, drive to a nearby mountainous village for the night where you can hole up in a good restaurant for a replenishing feed and a chat with the warm, hospitable locals.

Day 4: Central Arcadia/Dimitsana

Give your legs a stretch today on a 2-hour hike along the Menalon trail. The route starts with a short, uphill section in the Lousios Valley before gently ascending to the outskirts of a fir forest. Visit a couple of monasteries along the way and stop for a picnic lunch with your group when you find a spot with great views over the river. Tuck into some fresh bread, local cheese and fruit before driving back down to Dimitsana, where you have the chance to stroll around the little shops and buy local produce like honey and local picked herbs. The village also has some cool cafes, where you can relax and chat with the locals. Tonight, return to your village accommodation and ask your leader for the best spot for dinner and maybe a few drinks.

Day 5: Mycynes/Nafplio

Today you’ll visit the grand archaeological site of Mycenae – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll have a local guide to take you around the ruins of the ancient Mycenaean civilisation, which once dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th centuries BC. Continue your journey with a stop for a wine tasting and included lunch at a local vineyard. The winery was founded in 1999 and is a family business focusing on producing wines with love, quality and passion. You’ll try some of their favourite dry wines, both red and white, over a traditional meal that might include beef cheeks flavoured with cinnamon and cocoa, juicy lamb or moussaka. Travel onwards to Nafplion, a gorgeous coastal city in the Peloponnese, and enjoy a free afternoon to wander the gorgeous streets, sit by the coast and people-watch or find an alleyway bar for another glass of local wine.

Day 6: Nafplion

Today is yours to spend as you wish. You may like to spend the day cruising to the islands of Hydra and Spetses, or learning to create flavoursome local dishes in a cooking class. If you’d like to uncover more of Greece’s ancient history, the fortresses of Palamidi and Bourtzi await. Or perhaps you’d like to spend the day simply strolling the picturesque streets of Nafplion, with a coffee here, a glass of wine there, taking in the buzz of the town.

Day 7: Nafplio/Epidauros/Athens

This morning, with a local guide, you’ll make your way to Epidavros for a tour of the famed theatre and its surroundings. The history of this place, once a city in ancient Greece, is associated with the healing god of Asklepios – the son of Apollo, mythology states that this was his birthplace. After, head back towards Athens, stopping to view the Corinth Canal on the way – an artificial canal connecting the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. When you arrive in Athens, you can opt to join a farewell dinner with your group to celebrate a trip well-travelled.

Day 8: Athens

As there are no activities planned after breakfast today, your trip will come to an end. If you’d like to stay in Athens longer, just speak to your booking agent.

Departure Dates