Welcome to Athens! You will be greeted on arrival and transferred to your hotel in Athens. Time at leisure to discover Athens! Redolent with history and mythology, Athens is a vibrant city, enlivened by bustling outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets that wind through the city's ancient sites, and its fair share of urban eccentrics. It is a city full of contrasts.

Optional Activity:

• Experience authentic Greek cuisine at a local restaurant.

This morning enjoy a city tour of Athens. On this privately guided tour, your expert guide will reveal the secrets of the Acropolis & the Parthenon, the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Kallimarmaro Stadium, built of marble for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Enjoy the ancient wonders and explore the birthplace of democracy. Twist and turn through the Plaka’s narrow streets and find ancient sites, cafes, and shops full of history and character.

Optional Afternoon Activity to Add:

• Visit the south coastal suburbs of Athens (Glyfada and Vouliagmeni) which offer very good dining options and a lively nigh life scene.

Today, your private tour will begin with a scenic drive via the coastal road from Athens towards the Corinth Canal. It will take about an hour to get to Corinth and cross the bridge that connects the mainland with the Peloponnese over the narrow canal.

After a brief stop, continue towards Mycenae, one of the most important cities of ancient Greece. You will walk under the famous Lion Gate up to the Mycenaean Acropolis and the Palace. Continue to the tomb of Agamemnon and the ruins of the Cyclopean walls that protected this mighty city. After Mycenae, set off to Epidaurus.

The site of Epidaurus, which is listed as a world heritage site by Unesco, is vast. With ruins of temples and hospital buildings devoted to the healing gods, it is considered to be the birthplace of Asklepios, the ancient Greek God of Medicine. The monuments, particularly the temple of Asklepios, the Tholos, and the Theatre, are considered some of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture and date from the 4th century BC. For most travelers, Epidaurus is known for the magnificent theater that still stands there and is still used for plays and other performances. The theater's acoustics are unmatched even by modern standards, and it was considered an engineering marvel. Walk down the site's pine-lined path toward the exit after seeing the Epidaurus Theater.

One of the tour's highlights is a stop in Nafplio, one of Greece's most historic and picturesque port cities. In the late afternoon, head back to Athens.

 

It's time to bid farewell. Your mini-break in Athens finishes today! Enjoy time at leisure until your transfer to Athens International Airport for your flight home.