Ancient Greece Uncovered

A fascinating journey that brings to life the wonders of the Classical Greek civilisation and the histories of the Byzantine and Roman periods.

This wonderful week-long odyssey features stays in ancient Olympia and the bustling metropolis of Athens. Enjoy escorted tours of some of the most fascinating and absorbing sites of Classical Greece, including the staggering Temple of Apollo at Delphi and the 5th-century Acropolis of Athens.

What's Included:

• Seven nights’ carefully chosen bed and breakfast accommodation
• Two evening meals
• Guided city tour of Athens
• Visit to Mycenae
• Day trip to the site of Olympia
• Visit to Delphi
• Tour of Nafpaktos
• Corinth Canal tour
• Return flights to Athens
• Comfortable, air-conditioned coach travel and transfers throughout
• Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

• All mandatory local taxes and charges

  Highlights:

• Discover Athens and its treasure chest of archaeological sites
• Explore the UNESCO World Site of Mycenae, among the most important archaeological sites in Greece
• Visit the Corinth Canal and Epidaurus, a small city famed for its temple and theatre
• Discover historic Delphi, the home of the Temple of Apollo
• Wander around the site of Olympia, the home of the Olympic Games movement
• Stop off at the picturesque town of Nafpaktos, overlooking the Gulf of Corinth

Operator: Newmarket Holidays

Day 1: Arrive and transfer to your hotel in Athens

Upon arrival, meet your friendly tour manager and transfer to your hotel. This evening, you’ll have time to explore the many bars and restaurants of the renowned Plaka district of this cosmopolitan city.

Day 2: Included walking tour of Athens

This morning, you’ll join your tour manager for a walking tour of Athens, which contains a wealth of treasures for its visitors. You’ll start with a visit to the famed Acropolis, the ancient citadel and its surrounding monuments sprawled across a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. Next, you’ll visit the Acropolis Museum, one of the most important museums in the world, which houses the findings of the archaeological site, Athenian Acropolis. Finally, you’ll enjoy a walking tour of Plaka, the neighbour that is situated at the base of the Acropolis and the oldest and most beautiful neighbourhood in Athens. The guide will lead you around its narrow-cobbled stone streets, family-run tavernas and sidewalk cafés.

Day 3: Transfer to Nafpilo via Corinth Canal

After a leisurely morning, you’ll say a temporary goodbye to Athens as you continue your journey to visit the Argolis region. The first highlight of this fascinating day will be the Corinth Canal and hopefully you’ll get to see how ships navigate this man-made wonder. Next up is Epidaurus, a small city famed for its temple and theatre. Dating back over 2,600 years, the theatre was built with outstanding acoustics, which allows for people seated at the top of the theatre to perfectly hear sounds from the stage. It is also here that modern medicine first developed its theories and there’s an excellent museum dedicated to this.

Day 4: Included visit to Mycenae

Following breakfast, you’ll visit of the day is the UNESCO World Site of Mycenae, among the most important archaeological sites in Greece. According to mythology, this was the town of the legendary king Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks during the Trojan War. This was also the setting of many myths in ancient Greek tragedies, especially the tragedies connected to Agamemnon and his family.

At the end of the day, you'll return to your hotel.

Day 5: Included visit to the site of Olympia

Today, you’ll visit the site of Olympia, the home of the Olympic Games movement. Before entering the main site, you’ll tour the museum of Olympia, which contains the remains of one of the Seven Ancient wonders of the world, the Temple of Zeus. During your visit of Olympia, you’ll learn the origins of the Olympic movement and perhaps for the more adventurous travellers, practice your 100m spirit at original racetrack, which dates back over two millennia. Often overlooked by most visitors, are the picturesque gardens which contains a wide variety of flora and fauna. In the evening, you'll return to the hotel.

Day 6: Included visit to Nafpaktos and transfer to Delphi

Today, you’ll leave the Peloponnese to return to the mainland with your journey to Delphi. One of the highlights of this journey is to cross on the Rion-Antirion Bridge, which is one of the world’s largest bridges. There’ll be time to stop at the picturesque town of Nafpaktos, which has excellent views across the Gulf of Corinth. With its peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, you can enjoy a coffee or an ice-cream before continuing to Delphi for one night.

Day 7: Included visit to Delphi

This morning, you’ll explore one of Greece’s most iconic sites, Delphi and its renowned museum. Containing a wide variety of ancient friezes, statues and ancient artefacts, this museum also houses the 5th century bronze sculpture of the Charioteer. From the museum, you’ll continue to visit the main site of Delphi, which dates to the era of Apollo and Zeus and the fabled oracle. A guide will take you around the magnificent treasury houses, the theatre and the ruins of one of the ancient world’s most holy sites. After your visit, you’ll drive through the picturesque Greek countryside for your final night of the holiday, back in the Greek capital. There’ll be opportunity for you to sample typical Greek cuisine and hospitality for the final time.

Day 8: Fly back to the UK

Today you’ll be transferred to the airport to begin your journey home.