Greece’s Temples, Theaters & Sacred Landscapes

Greece’s Temples, Theaters & Sacred Landscapes, An Archaeological Exploration

April 12-25, 2027 (14 days |16 guests) with archaeologist Jenifer Neils

Itinerary

(B)= Breakfast, (L)= Lunch, (D)= Dinner

Monday, April 12, 2027: Fly to Athens, Greece

Tuesday, April 13: Arrive Athens | Welcome dinner
Upon arrival at Athens International Airport (ATH) you will be transferred to our luxurious hotel in the center of Athens. Enjoy a welcome dinner overlooking the Acropolis. Three nights at the 5-star Athens Capital Hotel – MGallery Collection. (D)

Wednesday, April 14: Athens: Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, PM at leisure
Set out this morning to ascend the Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and learn about its Parthenon and Erechtheion temples. We will also see from above, set on the slope of the Acropolis, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Theater of Dionysus before we explore the stunning nearby Acropolis Museum. Enjoy a traditional Greek lunch in the Plaka, Athens’ ancient center at the foot of the Acropolis, with its narrow, labyrinthine streets. The rest of the day is at leisure, perhaps to explore the Plaka’s shop-lined alleys and/or revisit the Acropolis Museum. (B,L)

Thursday, April 15: Athens: Agora, Kerameikos, National Archaeological Museum
This morning’s walking tour begins with the ancient Agora, the marketplace that was the center of ancient Athens’ economic, social, and political life, to stroll its paths to the Temple of Hephaestus and visit the Agora Museum, housed in the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos. Continue on to the Kerameikos, which was the city’s cemetery from the 12^th century B.C. through the 6^th century A.D. and is something of an urban oasis today. It is populated by marble stelae (grave markers), many of which are carved with portraits. After lunch we explore the National Archaeological Museum, which contains the richest collection of Greek antiquities in the world, including Neolithic, Cycladic, and Mycenaean artifacts. Return to our hotel for an evening at leisure. (B,L)

Friday, April 16: Corinth | Epidaurus | Nafplion
Drive to the Peloponnese Peninsula, stopping at ancient Corinth to see the Temple of Apollo, Roman odeon, and museum. Continue to Epidaurus, an ancient sanctuary that was dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the well-preserved, 4^th-century B.C. theater with its extraordinary acoustics. Continue on to the delightful port town of Nafplion. Two nights at the 4-star Liberty Urban Luxury Hotel Nafplio. (B,L,D)

Saturday, April 17: Mycenae | Nafplion: Archaeological Museum, Palamidi Fortress
En route to Mycenae we drive past Tiryns for a view of its impressive Cyclopean walls. Tiryns and Mycenae are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Mycenae, we start with a visit to the Treasury of Atreus, a well-preserved tholos (beehive-shaped) tomb, and then pass through the celebrated Lion Gate into the ruins of the fortress-palace of legendary Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Return to Nafplion for lunch. After a visit to the Archaeological Museum, drive up to the Palamidi Fortress for marvelous views of the Gulf of Argolis. Enjoy an evening at leisure for exploring this charming town, which was the first capital of modern Greece. (B,L)

Sunday, April 18: Argos | Olympia
We depart this morning for Olympia, stopping on the way to see the Roman baths and theater at Argos. Continue to the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Olympia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Olympic Games were held for 1,000 years. Explore this extensive site, including the original stadium, plus the museum with such treasures as the sculptures from the pediments of the Temple of Zeus and Praxiteles’ spectacular Hermes sculpture. Overnight at the 4-star Olympion Asty Hotel. (B,L,D)

Monday, April 19: Galaxidi | Delphi
Depart the Peloponnese via the Rio-Antirrio bridge, one of the world’s longest multi-span, cable-stayed bridges. After lunch in Galaxidi, overlooking the Gulf of Corinth, we drive to Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spectacularly situated on the slope of Mount Parnassus. This was the most celebrated oracle in antiquity, believed by the ancient Greeks to be the center of the Earth. We walk up the slope, along the Sacred Way, past monuments and treasuries to the theater and up even farther to the stadium where the Pythian Games were held. Check-in to our hotel in Delphi and gather for dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Amalia Hotel. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, April 20: Delphi | Kalambaka
This morning, we visit the Delphi Archaeological Museum, where we will see the famous bronze Charioteer and a colossal marble group of three dancing women. After lunch, we drive to Kalambaka where tomorrow we will visit the breathtaking karst landscape of Meteora (“rocks in the air”). Check-in to our hotel and gather for dinner. Two nights at the 4-star Grand Meteora Hotel. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, April 21: Meteora | Kalambaka: PM at leisure
Perched dramatically atop towering rock pillars, the Meteora monasteries are among Greece’s most breathtaking sights and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beginning in the 10th century, ascetics sought solitude in the area’s natural caves, and by 1336, the first monastery was founded. Today, a winding road leads visitors to several of these remarkable sanctuaries, still distinguished by their serene isolation. Explore their richly decorated interiors, featuring centuries-old frescoes, intricate carvings, and venerated icons. After lunch, choose to explore more monasteries and look-out points, or return to our hotel to relax and enjoy the amenities. (B,L)

Thursday, April 22: Dion | Vergina | Thessaloniki
We depart for Dion, the Macedonians’ sacred city where Philip II and his son, Alexander (the Great), made sacrifices to Zeus at the foot of Mount Olympus. Explore the vast site and visit the museum. Continue to Vergina, the site of ancient Aigai, the first capital of Macedon. In 336 B.C., Philip II was assassinated in Aigai’s theater and his son, Alexander the Great, was proclaimed king. In 1977 the burial sites of several kings of Macedon were found, and the site museum displays their glorious frescoes, gold, and other treasures. Continue on to Thessaloniki, ancient Macedonia’s most important seaport and today Greece’s second largest city. This evening is at leisure for exploring the many cafés along the seaside promenade right outside our hotel. Three nights at the 5-star Makedonia Palace Hotel. (B,L)

Friday, April 23: Mieza | Pella | Thessaloniki
This morning we drive a little over an hour to Mieza, “shrine of the Nymphs,” a town where Aristotle taught a young Alexander the Great. Both the shrine and the school complex consist of two natural caves, and we will see the ancient theater and, if they are open, the Macedonian tombs. Continue on to Pella, capital of ancient Macedonia and birthplace of Philip II and Alexander. Highlights of the site include its exquisite pebble mosaic floors and museum. Return to Thessaloniki for an evening at leisure. (B,L)

Saturday, April 24: Thessaloniki: City tour, Archaeological Museum, Byzantine Museum | Farewell dinner
On our last day we will explore Thessaloniki, named after the daughter of Philip II and sister of Alexander the Great. Our guided city tour includes the imposing Byzantine City Walls, the Churches of Agios Dimitrios and Agia Sofia, the Rotunda of St. George, the Roman Arch of Galerius, and the Roman Agora. After lunch, we will tour both the Archaeological and Byzantine Museums before returning to our hotel with time to relax, pack, and freshen up before our farewell dinner. (B,L,D)

Sunday, April 25: Fly home
Transfer to Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia” (SKG) in time for independent flights homeward. (B)