Delphi, Hosios Loukas, Meteora & Thermopylae

Day 1

Delphi

Our tour starts in the morning and by taking a ride following the highway after approx. 2hrs we will arrive at the Monastery of Hosios Loukas. Hossios Loukas is the largest surviving monastery of the Middle Byzantine period in Greece, famous for its Byzanitne mosaics, founded in the early 10th century by the hermit Hosios Loukas whose relics are kept in the monastery to this day. You can spend about 1,5hr for your visit to the Monastery.

Your driver will wait for you and take you for a wonderful scenic ride, and finally 45min later arrive at the picturesque traditional village of Arachova, where you can enjoy a nice stroll in the village, look for local products and have a quick coffee. Our short break will revitalize us and get us prepared for our visit to the navel of the world, the Archaeological Site of Delphi. After a few minutes of driving from Arachova you will reach Delphi. Legend has it that Zeus, sent his two eagles across the world, one from the East and one from the West, and he said that the point where the two eagles would meet would mark the center of the earth, the navel of the world.

Delphi used to be the most important sanctuary dedicated to God Apollo, the place through which the God was believed to be offering his Oracles through Pythia, the Priestess of the Sanctuary, who was always eager to give her advice to everyone from mere citizens to mythical heroes and legendary leaders of cities. The perpetual inner need of mortals and the endless effort of the human race to foresee and learn about the future but also have the blessing of the Gods gradually converted the Oracle of Delphi into an important information and cultural center and allowed it to collect all the offerings that the cities were sending as donations, which resulted in the creation of a local treasury of immense value.

You will also explore the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia with the renowned Tholos, The Castalia Spring, the Temple of Apollo, the Great ancient theater, the stadium, where the so called Pythian Games and the treasuries that the city state erected in order to express the gratitude towards the Gods. Inside the archaeological museum of Delphi which is our next stop you will have the chance to admire many important ancient Greek artifacts from the excavations at Delphi, including the famous statue of Antinoos and the unique bronze statue of the Charioteer. You can spend approx. 3hrs on the Site and its Museum.

Your driver will be waiting for you to take you to the village of Delphi and escort you to your accommodation.

Overnight in Delphi.

Day 2

In the morning take your time to enjoy the unique peaceful scenery of the village of Delphi and the breathtaking views it offers to the olive grove before you will depart for the Meteora. After approx. 3,5hrs driving you will reach Kalabaka where we suggest to have a lunch break before our visit to Meteora. You will have the time to visit three monasteries on this day. We will keep the rest for the next morning.

There are only a few sites in the world that can take a person back to the dark ages. Meteora is one of them. Meteora is one of the largest complexes of monasteries in Greece, inferior only to Mount Athos. The cultural and historical value of the site combined with the remarkable natural beauty of these uniquely formed monasteries has established Meteora as a protected site on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the 9th century AD the first monks gathered in the area and began forming a community that since then grew and flourished into the unique and beaming monastic community of Meteora. Of course our tour would not be complete without a short walk among the beautifully formed natural trails. At the end of our path we will make a stop to rest, snap some photographs to remember this heavenly place and enjoy the undeniably sublime and breathtaking scenery.

Overnight in Kalabaka.

Want to make this experience even more special? We can combine this tour with an organized helicopter panoramic ride for an even more “uplifting” experience on your first or second day in Meteora.

Day 3

On this morning you will have the time to visit the rest three monasteries before you will depart to Thermopylae. Lunch in Kalabaka. After having visited Meteora, approx. after 2hrs driving we will reach Thermopylae, widely known for the ballte of 480B.C. that took place there. Today’s visitor can see the monument erected on the sport depicting the Spartan King Leonidas. The scenery has pretty much changed at the battlefield nowadays. For this reason, “Thermopylae’s Innovative Centre of Historical Information” is a must see on the spot to help the visitor understand the morphology of the ground and the narrow passage of the battlefield, that due to erosion has changed.

A traditional restaurant is our next stop and our chance to taste the authentic Greek cousine with local delicacies in the fish town Kamena Vourla. After your lunch your driver will take you back to Athens after a 2,5hrs driving. Lay back and take your time to take in all the diverse experiences gained on this tour.