"sun, bright, shiny","land of light"
Full Day Tours
Below follows a list of all Full Day Tours, which can be altered according to your wishes.
ATHENS [Duration : appr. 9 hrs] Request Form
(ACROPOLIS HILL: PROPYLEA, TEMPLE OF ATHENA NIKE, PARTHENON AND ERECHTHEION, DIONYSUS THEATRE AND HERODES ATTICOS THEATRE, TEMPLE OF ZEUS, THE OLD OLYMPIC STADIUM, THE CHANGING OF THE GUARDS IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT, LUNCH AT A VERY NICE LOCAL TRADITIONAL RESTAURANT, THE LYCABETTUS HILL-HIGHEST POINT IN ATHENS- THE ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN AGORA LOCATED IN PLAKA-THE OLD CITY OF ATHENS, THE NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM OR THE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM).
Tour Details
Our excursion begins by visiting the “sacred rock” of the Acropolis Hill, passing by its entrance called Propylea, the temple of Athena-Apteros Nike (Athena Wingless Victory), Parthenon, the temple devoted to Athena Parthenos, Erechtheion of Athena Polias with its world famous female statues of Caryatides, the ruins of Herodes Atticos Odeon the first world theatre still in use nowadays, Dionysus Theatre which hosted the world famous comedies and tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes (ancient poets) and Areopagus (Mars Hill)used as a court of appeal in antiquity and by St. Paul to deliver his famous speech.
We move on with and the Temple of Zeus, a colossal ruined temple in the center of the Greek capital Athens dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, the Old Olympic Stadium called Panathenaic ( of all Athenians) or Kallimarmaro (best marble) Stadium, built in 1863 and hosted the first Athenian Olympic Games in 1896. We get to see the Former Royal Palace, the Presidential Palace (Maximou Mansion) which hosts the offices of the President of Democracy and the Prime Minister, the House of Parliament with the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in front, as well as the Changing of the Guards.
We make a stop for Lunch at a very nice local restaurant and after, we drive by the buildings of the Architectural Trilogy of University Street; the Academy, the University of Athens, and the National Library, to reach up to Lycabettus Hill which offers a spectacular 360o panoramic view of Athens city.
Continuing our tour we head towards Plaka, the oldest picturesque neighborhood of Athens with stone-paved streets and traditional shops. There we go through the Ancient Greek and Roman Agora. The Greek Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity, the religious and cultural centre, and the seat of justice. Early in the 6th century, in the time of Solon, the Agora became a public area. The Roman Agora was built between 19 and 11 B.C. with a donation of Julius Caesar and Augustus. So the administrative and commercial centre of the city was transferred from the Ancient Agora to the Roman Agora and the Library of Hadrian. During the Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation the area was covered with houses, workshops and churches along with the Fetiye Moosque.
We conclude our tour by visiting the New Acropolis Museum with findings of the Acropolis Sacred Rock or the National Archaeological Museum which is the largest museum in Greece.
ATHENS & CAPE SOUNION [Duration : appr. 9 hrs] Request Form
(ACROPOLIS HILL: PROPYLEA, TEMPLE OF ATHENA NIKE, PARTHENON AND ERECHTHEION, DIONYSUS THEATRE AND HERODES ATTICOS THEATRE, TEMPLE OF ZEUS, THE OLD OLYMPIC STADIUM, THE CHANGING OF THE GUARDS IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT, THE LYCABETTUS HILL-HIGHEST POINT IN ATHENS- THE ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN AGORA LOCATED IN PLAKA-THE OLD CITY OF ATHENS, DRIVE THROUGH THE COAST LINE, STOP TO VOULIAGMENIS LAKE, DINNE TO A GREEK TRADITIONAL SEA-FOOD RESTAURANT ON THE BEACH AND CONTINUE UNTIL CAPE SOUNION AND TEMPLE OF POSEIDON-THE SOUTHEST POINT OF ATTICA).
Tour Details
Our excursion begins by visiting the “sacred rock” of the Acropolis Hill, passing by its entrance called Propylea, the temple of Athena-Apteros Nike (Athena Wingless Victory), Parthenon, the temple devoted to Athena Parthenos, Erechtheion of Athena Polias with its world famous female statues of Caryatides, the ruins of Herodes Atticos Odeon the first world theatre still in use nowadays, Dionysus Theatre which hosted the world famous comedies and tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes (ancient poets) and Areopagus (Mars Hill)used as a court of appeal in antiquity and by St. Paul to deliver his famous speech.
We move on with and the Temple of Zeus, a colossal ruined temple in the center of the Greek capital Athens dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, the Old Olympic Stadium called Panathenaic (of all Athenians) or Kallimarmaro (best marble) Stadium, built in 1863 and hosted the first Athenian Olympic Games in 1896. We get to see the Former Royal Palace, the Presidential Palace (Maximou Mansion) which hosts the offices of the President of Democracy and the Prime Minister, the House of Parliament with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front, as well as the Changing of the Guards.
We drive by the buildings of the Architectural Trilogy of University Street; the Academy, the University of Athens, and the National Library, to reach up to Lycabettus Hill which offers a spectacular 360o panoramic view of Athens city.
Continuing our tour we head towards Plaka, the oldest picturesque neighborhood of Athens with stone-paved streets and traditional shops. There we go through the Ancient Greek and Roman Agora. The Greek Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity, the religious and cultural centre, and the seat of justice. Early in the 6th century, in the time of Solon, the Agora became a public area. The Roman Agora was built between 19 and 11 B.C. with a donation of Julius Caesar and Augustus. So the administrative and commercial centre of the city was transferred from the Ancient Agora to the Roman Agora and the Library of Hadrian. During the Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation the area was covered with houses, workshops and churches along with the Fetiye Moosque.
Afterwards we make a beautiful coastal drive along the Saronic Gulf during which we get to see the most popular southern suburbs of Athens like Old Faleron, Glyfada, Voula, Varkiza, Vouliagmeni, Lagonissi, and Old Fokea.
We make a stop at Vouliagmeni Lake ("Sunken Lake") a rare geophysical formation of brackish water lake fed by underground currents seeping through the mass of Mount Hymettus, functioning as a spa with an underwater cave never fully explored.
Moving in with our excursion we can have lunch or dinner at nice traditional Greek fish tavern on the coast side with beautiful sea view.
We will continue until we reach Cape Sounion and visit The Temple of Poseidon where ancient Greeks made sacrifices to the God of the sea Poseidon. It was originally made of 34 Doric style columns but the temple was destroyed in 480 B.C. by Persians and today only 12 are standing. The view from the edge of the cliff is extraordinary at the southest edge of Attica where the Saronic Gulf meets the Aegean Sea! If the weather is clear you can see the islands coming out of the dazzling waters during the day, or the sun diving in the dark blue waters at night, making this one of the most spectacular spots to capture by camera!
Finally, we drive back the same route in night view this time...
CAPE SOUNION, BRAURON, MARATHON, RHAMNOUS [Duration : appr. 9-10 hrs] Request Form
(CAPE SOUNION, TEMPLE OF POSEIDON, BRAURON-ARTEMIS’TEMPLE, THE MARATHON LAKE, THE TYMBTH OF MARATHON, THE MARATHON MUSEUM, LUNCH IN A TRADITIONAL FOOD RESTAURANT, AND FINALLY THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF RHAMNOUS WHERE LIES THE TEMPLE OF NEMESIS).
Tour Details
We begin our tour by a beautiful coastal drive along the Saronic Gulf during which we get to see the most popular southern suburbs of Athens like Old Faleron, Glyfada, Voula, Varkiza, Vouliagmeni, Lagonissi, and Old Fokea.
We make a stop at Vouliagmeni Lake ("Sunken Lake") a rare geophysical formation of brackish water lake fed by underground currents seeping through the mass of Mount Hymettus, functioning as a spa with an underwater cave never fully explored.
Moving in with our excursion we reach Cape Sounion and visit The Temple of Poseidon where ancient Greeks made sacrifices to the God of the sea Poseidon. It was originally made of 34 Doric style columns but the temple was destroyed in 480 B.C. by Persians and today only 12 are standing. The view from the edge of the cliff is extraordinary at the southest edge of Attica where the Saronic Gulf meets the Aegean Sea! If the weather is clear you can see the islands coming out of the dazzling waters during the day, or the sun diving in the dark blue waters at night, making this one of the most spectacular spots to capture by camera!
Afterwards, we drive up to Brauron. The city was named after the goddess. The Temple of Artemis Brauron (Doric style flourished in the 5th-4th c. B.C.) was among the most important sacred sites in the ancient times. Vravrona (or Brauron), about 20 km from Athens, was one of the 12 towns of Attica that was united to Athens by Theseus. According to a myth, this is the temple where Iphigeneia was brought by her brother Orestes, and served as a priestess in a local temple of Artemis. Iphigeneia had been transferred to Tauris by goddess Artemis herself, when she saved her from the sacrifice in Aulis.
Continuing our tour we reach the Marathon Lake (water from a drainage basin of 118 square kilometres with an average runoff of 14,400,000 m³ per year) at Marathon area. This is a lake formed by the Marathon Dam- height 54 m, width 28 m at the base and 4.5 m at the crest, length 285 m. It is constructed from concrete which is unique worldwide because its external cladding of white Pendelikon marble is the same marble used in construction of the Parthenon and the other buildings in the Acropolis. We will make a short stop there to take some photos of the lake being the main water source of Athens.
Approaching the Marathon plain we come across the Tymvos (Tomb) of Marathon –the burial ground of Athenian and Plataians solders who fell in the battle against the Persians (10.000 against 500.000 soldiers) in August 490 B.C. The outcome of the battle, which was victory for the Athenians, was announced to the city of Athens by a soldier named Pheidippides who run the distance from the Marathon Plain to Athens fully armed and died of exhaustion after announcing “Nenikikamen” (we have won). The worldwide known Marathon Race was established in honor of this event. Greek runner Spyros Louis won the Marathon Race at the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. Afterwards, we visit the Marathon Museum composed of five rooms with findings dated from Neolithic till after Roman period including the Trophy room.
We have lunch at a traditional food restaurant and we complete our tour visiting the area of Rhamnous which was an important frontier of equal reputation with the one of Cape Sounion constructed during the Peloponnesian War to control the ships bringing cereals to the city of Athens. There we can see the remaining of the Temple of Nemesis a Goddess similar to Artemis (Diana).
ATHENS & ANCIENT CORINTH [Duration : appr. 5 hrs] Request Form
(CORINTH CANAL, RUINS OF THE CITY OF ANCIENT CORINTH, TEMPLE OF APOLLO, ACROPOLIS HILL: PROPYLEA, TEMPLE OF ATHENA NIKE, PARTHENON AND ERECHTHEION, DIONYSUS THEATRE AND HERODES ATTICOS ODEON, AREOPAGUS(MARS HILL), TEMPLE OF ZEUS, LUNCH AT TRADITIONAL RESTAURANT, THE OLD OLYMPIC STADIUM, THE CHANGING OF THE GUARDS IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT, THE LYCABETTUS HILL-HIGHEST POINT IN ATHENS).
Tour Details
Driving along the National Highway is how this tour begins, until we reach the Corinth Canal or else Isthmus completed in 1893 – 6 km length, 25m width, 8m depth- which connects the Aegean with the Ionian Sea. Our 15’ stop there gives us the opportunity to take some marvelous pictures and then continue our route until we reach the Ruins of the city of Ancient Corinth.
You can see the long rocky wall of Acrocorinth leading to Lechaion (artificial harbor of the Corinthian Gulf) where the road leading to Ancient Agora starts. The Temple of Apollo (6th c. B.C.-restored 1st c. AD) is the only Greek monument standing, as all others are mainly Roman. Afterwards, we drive back to Athens up to the “sacred rock” of the Acropolis Hill, passing by its entrance called Propylea, the temple of Athena-Apteros Nike (Athena Wingless Victory), Parthenon, the temple devoted to Athena Parthenos, Erechtheion of Athena Polias with its world famous female statues of Caryatides, the ruins of Herodes Atticos Odeon the first world theatre still in use nowadays, Dionysus Theatre which hosted the world famous comedies and tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes (ancient poets) and Areopagus (Mars Hill)used as a court of appeal in antiquity and by St. Paul to deliver his famous speech. We take lunch at a very nice traditional restaurant.
We move on with and the Temple of Zeus, a colossal ruined temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, the Old Olympic Stadium called Panathenaic ( of all Athenians) or Kallimarmaro (best marble) Stadium, built in 1863 and hosted the first Athenian Olympic Games in 1896. We get to see the Former Royal Palace, the Presidential Palace (Maximou Mansion) which hosts the offices of the President of Democracy and the Prime Minister, the House of Parliament with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front, as well as the Changing of the Guards.
Ending our excursion, we drive, to reach up to Lycabettus Hill which offers a spectacular 360o panoramic view of Athens city.
Mainland Greece
Below follows a list of all Full Day Mainland Greece Tours, which can be altered according to your wishes.
ARGOLIS TOUR [Duration : appr. 9 hrs] Request Form
(CORINTH CANAL, ANCIENT CORINTH, MYCENAE, NAFPLION, THEATER OF EPIDAUROUS).
Tour Details
Argolis full day tour begins driving west along the National Highway, until we reach the Corinth Canal or else Isthmus completed in 1893 – 6 km length, 25m width, 8m depth- which connects the Aegean with the Ionian Sea. Our 15’ stop there gives us the opportunity to take some marvelous pictures and then continue our route until we reach the Ruins of the city of Ancient Corinth.
You can see the long rocky wall of Acrocorinth leading to Lechaion (artificial harbor of the Corinthian Gulf) where the road leading to Ancient Agora starts. The Temple of Apollo (6th c. B.C.-restored 1st c. AD) is the only Greek monument standing, as all others are mainly Roman. Another interesting spot to see is the museum of Acrocorinth which hosts many objects and findings like the head of Goddess Tyche (Luck), the Bema where Saint Paul preached, and the fountain of Glauke.
Leaving Acrocorinth we visit Mycenae 'Rich in Gold', the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon, the most important and richest palatial centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilization. Great Cyclopean walls surround the almost triangular acropolis, accessed through the famous Lion Gate, symbol of the Mycenaean rulers' power. The palace, symbol of the power of Mycenaean rulers, dominates the citadel's highest point. According to the myth, Perseus's descendants reigned at Mycenae for three generations. After the last of them, Eurystheas, died childless, the Mycenaeans chose Atreus, son of Pelops, father of Agamemnon and Menelaos, as their king. We can see Grave Circle A, whose six large shaft graves contained numerous gold objects and other works of art. Beyond this is a series of buildings, possibly the residences of high officials. Outside the fortification walls, west of the Lion Gate, is Grave Circle B, which encloses fourteen shaft-graves. The "Treasure of Atreus (Agamemnon)" the most impressive of the preserved Mycenaean tholos tombs, situated at Mycenae, on Panagitsa hill, was constructed in ca. 1250 B.C. and was in use for a long period.
Driving through the citrus fruit Argolis plain we reach Nafplion a seaport city expanding up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, first head of state of newly liberated Greece, made it the official capital of the First Hellenic Republic in 1829 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and nowadays is a very popular destination both from Greece as well as from abroad. We will have the opportunity to see Acronafplia the oldest part of the city. Until the thirteenth century, it was a town on its own. The arrival of the Venetians and the Franks transformed it into part of the town fortifications. Other fortifications of the city to visit are the Palamidi Castle with 999 steps to climb and Bourtzi island, which is located in the middle of the harbor.
Continuing our tour we drive to reach Argolid Epidaurus, known for its sanctuary, as it was the birthplace of Apollo's son Asclepius the healer. The Asclepeion at Epidaurus was the most celebrated healing center of the Classical world. The prosperity brought by the Asclepeion enabled Epidaurus to construct civic monuments, including the huge Ancient Theater of Epidaurus worldwide known for its perfect acoustics to all 15.000 spectators, its symmetry and beauty, which is used again today for dramatic performances. The advanced design of the rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as the murmur of the crowd, and amplify high-frequency sounds from the stage.
In the end we drive back to Athens...
ARGOLIS WINE TASTING [Duration : appr. 9 hrs] Request Form
(CORINTH CANAL, ANCIENT CORINTH, NEMEA, NAFPLION, LUNCH AT A PICTURESQUE RESTAURANT, MYCENAE).
Tour Details
Argolis Wine Tasting full day tour begins driving west along the National Highway, until we reach the Corinth Canal or else Isthmus completed in 1893 – 6 km length, 25m width, 8m depth- which connects the Aegean with the Ionian Sea. Our 15’ stop there gives us the opportunity to take some marvelous pictures and then continue our route until we reach the Ruins of the city of Ancient Corinth.
You can see the long rocky wall of Acrocorinth leading to Lechaion (artificial harbor of the Corinthian Gulf) where the road leading to Ancient Agora starts. The Temple of Apollo (6th c. B.C.-restored 1st c. AD) is the only Greek monument standing, as all others are mainly Roman. Another interesting spot to see is the museum of Acrocorinth which hosts many objects and findings like the head of Goddess Tyche (Luck), the Bema where Saint Paul preached, and the fountain of Glauke.
Nemea, an ancient site where according to mythology Heracles overcame the Nemean Lion of the Lady Hera is our next stop. Here during Antiquity the Nemean Games were played. We make a visit to a Winery to taste a popular wine variety all over Greece “Agiorghitiko” (St. George' swine) a soft, fruity red wine in many styles. Its sensory attributes are similar to Beaujolais Nouveau but, unlike its French counterpart, the St. George ages well for about 5 years. According to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the best examples of Agiorgitiko tend to have moderate to low acidity, with a deep, ruby color, red fruit aromas and a sweet spicy note.
Driving through the citrus fruit Argolis plain we reach Nafplion a seaport city expanding up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, first head of state of newly liberated Greece, made it the official capital of the First Hellenic Republic in 1829 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and nowadays is a very popular destination both from Greece as well as from abroad. We will have the opportunity to see Acronafplia the oldest part of the city. Until the thirteenth century, it was a town on its own. The arrival of the Venetians and the Franks transformed it into part of the town fortifications. Other fortifications of the city to visit are the Palamidi Castle with 999 steps to climb and Bourtzi island, which is located in the middle of the harbor. We stay at Nafplion for lunch at a picturesque restaurant with sea view.
Leaving Nafplion we visit Mycenae 'Rich in Gold', the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon, the most important and richest palatial centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilization. Great Cyclopean walls surround the almost triangular acropolis, accessed through the famous Lion Gate, symbol of the Mycenaean rulers' power. The palace, symbol of the power of Mycenaean rulers, dominates the citadel's highest point. According to the myth, Perseus's descendants reigned at Mycenae for three generations. After the last of them, Eurystheas, died childless, the Mycenaeans chose Atreus, son of Pelops, father of Agamemnon and Menelaos, as their king. Grave Circle A, whose six large shaft graves contained numerous gold objects and other works of art. Beyond this is a series of buildings, possibly the residences of high officials. Outside the fortification walls, west of the Lion Gate, is Grave Circle B, which encloses fourteen shaft-graves. The "Treasure of Atreus (Agamemnon)" the most impressive of the preserved Mycenaean tholos tombs, situated at Mycenae, on Panagitsa hill, was constructed in ca. 1250 B.C. and was in use for a long period.
In the end we drive back to Athens...
DELPHI [Duration : appr. 9 hrs] Request Form
(BATTLE OF CHAERONEA MUSEUM/OR OSIOUS LUKAS BYZANTINE MONASTERY, DELPHI ORACLE, DELPHI ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM).
Tour Details
Starting our tour to Delphi we drive northwest along the national highway to reach Chaeronea of Boeotia. Thebes of Boeotia was a major force in Greek history, and was the most dominant city-state at the time of the Macedonian conquest of Greece. The Sacred Band of Thebes (an elite military unit) famously fell at the battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC against Philip II and Alexander the Great. Battle of Chaeronea Archaeological Museum contains beautiful mosaic floors, remains of Cadmea as well as many other ancient remains from nearby areas. There you can admire the Lion of Chaeronea, a nearly 20-foot-tall (6.1 m) funerary monument erected in honor of the Sacred Band, as well as the bust of the ancient biographer and essayist Plutarch, born in Chaeronea.
Alternatively, we drive up near Distomo at Hosios Loukas Monastery, situated at a scenic site on the slopes of Mount Helicon. The beginning of the monastic activity in the region starts from the Hosios Lukas himself, living there the last years of his life, from 946 to 953 when he died at the age of 56. It is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art, and has been listed on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. It consists of a complex of two churches, the monastery of the Virgin Mary dating to the second half of the 10th century and the Catholic, built in the first decades of the 11th century to house the relics of Saint within an underground crypt. The mosaics that decorate the walls of the Catholic are top masterpieces of Byzantine art. Hosios Loukas was known and loved, as he lived. .He treated patients, advised people to different types of problem and was gifted with the ability to foresee the future; he had predicted the conquest of Crete 20 years ago. The relics of St. Luke were said to have exuded Myron, a sort of perfumed oil which produced healing miracles.
Continuing our tour towards Delphi we drive through Arachova situated at Parnassos Mountain. It is a picturesque settlement of magnificent view with traditional elements, one of the most popular winter resorts of Athenians and VIPs due to its snow center, its natural beauties and vivid lifestyle.
After a while we reach the Pan-Hellenic Sanctuary of Delphi which was the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. Delphi was regarded as the centre- the navel of the world. According to mythology Zeus sent out two eagles from the ends of the universe to find the navel of the world and they were met at the point of the oracle. It was for many centuries the cultural and religious centre and symbol of unity for the Hellenic world. Following the Sacred Way, leads to the temple of Apollo with its famous Adyton, where Pythia delivered her oracles and priests of Apollo interpreted them. Cities, rulers and ordinary people consulted the oracle, expressing their gratitude with great gifts gathered to small votive buildings-Treasuries, often displaying the glory of entire cities that offered them, like the Treasury of Athenians.
The archaeological site of Delphi includes- among other buildings- two sanctuaries, dedicated to Apollo and Athena. We first encounter the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia and within the walls we see the famous Tholos, the symbol of Delphi today.
Going northwest we come across the Gymnasium, a place for exercise and learning, the Palaestra and the Baths. Further up, the Castalian spring, the sacred spring of Delphi, were travelers satisfied their thirst and purified themselves before consulting the oracle. Above the temple is the Theatre where the theatrical and musical contests of the Pythian Games took place every four years, to honor Apollo for his victory over dragon Python who guarded Goddess Earth. These were the second most important games in Greece after the Olympics. Finally, the Stadium where the athletic contests were held.
Last but not least, the 2270m2 Archaeological Museum of Delphi, with 14 exhibition rooms, 558m2 of storerooms and conservation laboratories, of the most important in Greece, exhibiting by architectural sculpture, statues and minor objects the history of the Delphic sanctuary from its birth to its decline.
After the museum visit we take lunch at a very nice traditional restaurant with olive trees valley view, before we take our way back to Athens...
