Cruise with Derek & Athens to Meteora Tour

Escorted Tour Highlights

• ● Corinth Canal and Ancient Corinth visit
• ● Cog railway ride through Vouraikos Canyon
• ● Explore Cave of the Lakes
• ● Overnight stay in Nafplio
• ● Visit Mycenae and Epidaurus Theatre
• ● Discover Ancient Olympia site
• ● Cross the Rion–Antirion Bridge
• ● Tour Delphi and Apollo sanctuary
• ● Visit Meteora monasteries
• ● Return to Athens via Thermopylae

 Your Tour Itinerary in Detail

‣ Day 1: United Kingdom → Athens International Airport

● Fly UK to Athens - Where you will be met by your Guide and transferred to your hotel. Rest of Day at leisure

‣ Day 2: Athens | Cog | Cave of Lakes | Nauplio

● After Breakfast we will be driving along the mainland coast to Peloponnese, an hour later, we will make our first stop, at the Canal of Corinth (6 km length and 80m height).

● We continue to reach at Ancient Corinth which was one of his beloved cities of Saint Paul. We will have the chance to visit the Ancient Market and the Bema of Apostle Paul or Galionas, a large elevated rostrum standing prominently in the center of the Roman Forum of ancient Corinth.

● Then we will arrive at "Diakofto" to take the Cog Railway (Odontotos) which links Kalavrita with Diakopto through Vouraikos Canyon; one of the most beautiful natural sights and of the most spectacular railway rides in Greece. It has been mentioned as the most beautiful train trip in Balkans. The little train travels through streams climbing the fantastic narrow gorge up into the mountains, through tunnels, over waterfalls, along cliffs and through forests of pine and oleander.

● The journey ends at the town of Kalavryta. Our driver will meet you there to continue the tour at the mysterious, magnificent and unique "Cave of the Lakes", a rare creation of Nature. Consisted of 13 in total Small and large lakes, with different colours each one, depending on the oxides contained in the rocks. You will see the wonderful hanging bridge and the waterfalls falling that will cause you the feeling a floating corridor. Also you will admire strange stalactite formations. In winter when the snow melts, the cave is transformed into a subterranean river with natural waterfalls.

● We have a stop for lunch at the picturesque village of Kalavrita.

● Overnight in Nafplio

‣ Day 3: Nauplio | Mycenae | Epidaurus | Olympia

● After your breakfast, you will have time to visit either Palamidi castle, which you can reach by climbing 999 steps or to take a small boat and visit ''Bourtzi',' the fortress at the entrance of the harbour.

● Then, we will leave for Epidaurus and we will visit the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, famous for the breathtaking acoustics that is still functioning today!

● Next visit will be at the famous ancient town of Mycenae and the Archaeological site - the Lion Gate, the Cyclopean Walls, the Royal Palace and the tomb of Agamemnon.

● Finally we will reach at Ancient Olympia for Overnight.

‣ Day 4: Ancient Olympia | Delphi

● After Breakfast visit the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia, where the first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. The temple of Zeus is located there which is the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece. Dedicated to Zeus, in which in antiquity was hosted one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world.

● You will also visit the temple of Hera, the shrine of Pelops (one of the oldest in the sanctuary), the Council house where the athletes took the Olympic oath, the Treasury houses, the Gymnasium and the Palestra where they used to exercise for a month prior to the Games.

● Finally you end up to the stadium, where the marble starting blocks are still in position. Leaving Ancient Olympia, we will cross over the amazing bridge of Rion – Antirion, one of the biggest bridges in Europe. For the wine lovers, we suggest a tasting tour in a winery.

● Then we will head to Naupactus, a beautiful seaside small town, where you can visit the Venetian Castle, the Venetian Port, and after lunch we will reach at Delphi for overnight.

‣ Day 5: Delphi | Meteora

● After your breakfast, our driver will drive you at the Ancient Oracle, the Stadium, the Ancient Theatre, with a capacity that exceeds 5,000 spectators and of course the Museum of Delphi. Delphi is perhaps best known for the oracle at the sanctuary that was dedicated to Apollo during the classical period.

● Afterwards, we can visit the traditional winter village of Arachova and have a coffee or lunch break.

● Depart from Arachova and driving through Central Greece we arrive in Kalambaka, a small traditional town that is built at the foot of the majestic grey rocks of God, at the shadow of the great Meteora Monasteries. Overnight Meteora

‣ Day 6: Meteora | Athens

● Visit Meteora enjoying a unique and imposive scenery of ageless monasteries, containing priceless historical and religious treasures, standing between Earth and Sky atop huge rocks. We are going to visit the first great monastery of Varlaam, founded on the 16th century and located on the top of a rock at 380m height!

● Our second visit will be at the Monastery of St. Stephan, of the 15th century, also built on the top of the top of another huge rock where you will admire a small treasure of Byzantine and Christian items at the museum inside the monastery!

● Return to Athens passing by the small towns of Domokos, Kamena Vourla, at the seaside and Thermopiles where the statue of Leonidas is on display as a memorial of the battle of the 300 Spartans against thousands of Persian soldiers of the Persian Empire. Our driver will drop you off at your hotel late in the afternoon.