Thermopylae

Viewing Points

Leave Athens for a wondrous tour of ancient Greece. With a private driver and an overnight stay in Meteora, enjoy plenty of time to appreciate the exciting landmarks and towns that lie beyond the capital. Sample the local cuisine, learn about Greek mythology, and glimpse into the distant past. Before reaching Delphi, see the plain of Boeotia, the birthplace of King Oedipus and origin of many great legends. Pause at the Oracle of Delphi and Castalian Spring, a source of inspiration for generations of poets and warriors. Break for lunch in Arachova and head for Kalambaka where you’ll spend the night. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the charming streets of these villages in Meteora. Check-in at your hotel with plenty of time to catch a sunset tour on the Meteora Rocks. Your driver will pick you up after a buffet breakfast to visit the Byzantine Monasteries of Meteora. See why these otherworldly structures that stretch to the sky are a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Next, tour some picturesque surrounding villages and dig into a traditional Greek lunch. Make a short stop at Thermopylae to admire the statue of Leonidas, a memorial of the battle of the 300 Spartans against thousands of Persian soldiers. Arrive back in your hotel in Athens that evening.

Admire the authentic mainland of Greece, first visiting the historic Thermopylae, the original location of the famous battle between ancient Greeks and Persians in 480 B.C. See the battlefield, the statue of King Leonidas and visit the museum. The journey continues with beautiful views of the mountains and fields until you reach Meteora.  Visit 2 of the 6 remaining Byzantine monasteries, built back in the 14th and 16th centuries. Take photos and videos of the marvelous landscape while your guide shares the local history. Afterward, your driver will take you to Kalambaka, a scenic town below the rocks with many options for a delicious traditional Greek lunch.  Visit the oldest church in the area, where you can see a Greek inscription on the wall which testifies to the existence of an ancient Greek temple at the same location. During your free time in Kalambaka, you may also visit the Natural History Museum.

We start our tour early in the morning from Athens till Meteora. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel/ apartment or the airport/ port. The travel time is about 4,5 hours. The first stop is at Kalabaka, a town of the municipality of Meteora in the Trikala regional unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. The population was 12,000 at the 2011 census, of which 8,330 in the town proper. The Meteora monasteries are located near the town. We arrive at Meteora and visit up to three Monasteries. Breathtaking at first site, the Monasteries are of great cultural and natural importance. Split from earthquakes, weathered from the wind and the water over millions of millions of years, these immense rocks are an authentic masterpiece of mother nature. The Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries. The six (of an original 24) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to meteor. Please be modestly dressed. Women are suggested to wear long skirts & long sleeves. If you do not have, you will be given a skirt on your way in. Next stop is at Kastraki, a picturesque village near Meteora, where we have free time for lunch at a traditional Greek tavern with your friends and family or shopping. As we leave the magnificent Meteora behind us, let us not overlook the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BCE, which has long been the topic of cultural motivation, as it is perhaps the most famous military last stand of all time. The monument of the Great Leonidas, King of Sparta, in Thermopylae, will grace our path on our way back to Athens in the late afternoon. The drive is about 4,5 hours.

See the Gates of Fire, deriving from the hot sulphur springs and the cavernous entrance to Hades. Experience the monument of King Leonidas, erected in 1955 and created by the sculptor Vasos Falireas. At the Thermopylae Museum, learn about the 480 BC battle that changed the course of Greek history and western civilization before seeing the baths of Thermopylae. In Delphi, see the Temple of Apollo, the Ancient Theater, the Stadium, the Athenian Treasury, the Gymnasium, and the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. The Naxian Sphinx, which dates to 560 BC, is a fascinating stop before seeing the Metopes of the Athenian Treasury, Omphalos, Kleobis and Biton, Statue of Antinoos, and the famous Charioteer. Enjoy a traditional lunch on the Caldera at Delphi, overlooking fabulous Itea and Amfissa before driving back to a designated location in Athens.

Experience Athens, Santorini, and points beyond on this tour. Wander the ancient temples of the Acropolis. Visit the monasteries around Meteora. Watch the sun set during a cruise around Santorini. Day 1Meet your driver at Athens airport for transfer to your hotel. Enjoy some free time in the city after checking in. Day 2Admire the Parthenon and the other archaeological wonders around the Acropolis. Spend time wandering the narrow streets of Plaka. The area is full of traditional architecture and culture.  Day 3Enjoy the scenery away from Athens. Discover the winter village of Arachova nestled in the mountains. Visit the historical sites and museums of Delphi, once home to the oracle of ancient Greek legends. End your day in the town of Kalambaka. Day 4Visit two of the monasteries of Meteora built on the cliffs above the town of Kalambaka. Learn more about the lives of monks. Dine on a traditional Greek lunch back in Kalambaka. Stop in Thermopylae to check out a statue of Leonidas, leader of the famed 300 Spartans. Return to Athens. Day 5Get an early start and catch a ferry to Santorini. Meet your driver on the island and transfer to your hotel. Explore during the area during the rest of your day. Enjoy the island’s renowned white buildings and sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. Day 6Spend your morning in town. Explore the shops or stroll around. Meet your driver at the hotel in the afternoon. Take a cruise around the island while enjoying a buffet. Marvel at Santorini’s volcano and hot springs. Enjoy the sunset sailing in the caldera. Savor Greek delicacies prepared onboard.  Day 7Return to Athens on the ferry. Enjoy views of the islands and the sea. Meet your driver at the terminal for the return to your hotel. Day 8Meet your driver at the hotel for return to the airport.

Journey starts early in the morning, driving north from Athens on the national highway past the cities of Halkida and Thiva, finally reaching Arachova, a popular winter destination and host to the largest ski center in Greece. Only two hours away from Athens is Delphi, the place ancient Greeks believed was the navel of the world. Visit fascinating archaeological sites and the museum there, and have lunch enjoying the views of Amfissa and Itea. Later, the drive continues through quaint traditional villages before reaching Kalabaka. Accommodation will be provided there. Visit the holy monasteries of Meteora, a site of significant religious and historical importance. On the way back to Athens, stop at Thermopyles, where Leonidas and his 300 men had a great battle against the Persians.

Begin your adventure with pickup from Piraeus port or your hotel in Athens at 8 AM am and embark on an incredible journey to the monasteries of Meteora, one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world.  Make your first stop at The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoro, the largest and oldest formation on the site, breathtakingly suspended in the air. Make a second stop at the Monastery of St. Stephen, a small church built in the 16th century. This fascinating structure rests on a plain rather than a cliff and was damaged during World War II before nuns took over the site and reconstructed it. Admire the treasures of Byzantine at the museum inside the monastery. Finish this mesmerizing day trip at the picturesque villages of Kalambaka, where you can treat yourself to a delicious traditional Greek lunch. On your way back to Athens, make a short stop at Thermopylae and the Statue of King Leonidas, dedicated to the great battle that took place in 480 BC. Get dropped off back at your hotel at around 8:30 PM.