| Day
1 |
Wednesday,
March 10th |
Athens |
|
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| The
group will meet at the Hotel Plaka in the heart of Athens.
Dinner has been arranged at a local ouzeri at the foot of
the Acropolis, to sample some wholesome, traditional Greek
fare and to get acquainted. |
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|
View
of the Acropolis from the roof garden of our hotel |
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| Day
2 |
Thursday,
March 11th |
Athens |
|
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| On
our first full day in Greece, we will take it easy and spend
the morning exploring the Plaka district with its warren
of shops. After lunch, we will climb up the Acropolis—the
ancient citadel and religious centre of the Classical city.
The most important building on the summit is the Parthenon,
which was dedicated to the city's patroness, the goddess
Athena. Other notable structures include the Erechtheion,
with its famous 'Porch of the Maidens' and the Propylaea. |
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|
The
Parthenon |
The
Caryatid Porch of the Erechthion |
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| Day
3 |
Friday,
March
12th |
Delphi |
|
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| In
the morning, we will drive to Delphi, the site of the Sanctuary
of Apollo and the most important religious centre in the
Classical Greek world. Situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassus,
it was the home of the famous oracle whose pronouncements
carried enormous weight both in Greece and abroad. |
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|
Delphi.
The Tholos of Athena Pronaos |
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| Day
4 |
Saturday,
March
13th |
Delphi |
|
| |
| Today
we will tour the archaeological remains of the Sanctuary
of Apollo at Delphi. Within its precincts are a
number of important buildings—the Temple of Apollo,
a Stadium, a Theatre and numerous treasuries built by individual
cities to house their offerings to the god. Afterwards,
we will visit the Archaeological Museum whose exhibits include
the famous ‘Bronze Charioteer.’ |
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|
Delphi.
Theatre with the Temple of Apollo below |
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| Day
5 |
Sunday,
March
14th |
Olympia |
|
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| We
will drive along the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth,
stopping for lunch along the way, to Naupaktos where we
will take the short ferry crossing to Patras. From there
we will take the national road to Pyrgos and on to Olympia
where accommodation has been arranged at one of the local
hotels. |
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|
Olympia.
The Palaistra |
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| Day
6 |
Monday,
March
15th |
Olympia |
|
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| At
Olympia we will tour the archaeological remains of the
Sanctuary of Zeus—the site of the first Olympic
Games. Monuments include the Temples of Zeus and of Hera;
the Palaistra where the boxers and wrestlers trained; the
Gymnasion, which was used for the discus and javelin; and
the Stadium where the races took place. Then we will visit
the Archaeological Museum whose treasures include the pediment
friezes from the Temple of Zeus and the marble statue of
Nike (‘Victory’) by Paionios. |
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|
Olympia.
Fallen columns from the Temple of Zeus |
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| Day
7 |
Tuesday,
March
16th |
Pylos |
|
| |
| We
will spend the daygradually making our way south through
the hills of eastern Elis to Pylos on the Messenian coast
where we will spend the next three nights. Along the way,
we will stop at ancient Bassae, site of
the ancient Temple of Epicurean Apollo. |
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| Day
8 |
Wednesday,
March
17th |
Pylos |
|
| |
| In
the morning we will tour the Palace of Nestor
at Ano Englianos, a Late Bronze Age site identified with
the legendary king who was considered the wisest of the
Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan War. The palace was
excavated by Carl Blegen in the 1950's and remains the only
example from Mycenaean times to be completely uncovered.
We will then proceed to the local museum at Chora to view
the material recovered in the excavations. |
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|
Navarino
Bay from the Palace at Pylos |
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| Day
9 |
Thursday,
March
18th |
Sparta |
|
| |
| On
Sunday, we will drive to Sparta where we will spend one
night. On the way, we will stop at the Menelaion,
the supposed site of the palace of Menelaos and Helen. Part
of a Bronze Age settlement has been found along with a Classical
temple dedicated to the Homeric king and queen. |
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| Day
10 |
Friday,
March
19th |
Nafplion |
|
| |
| In
the morning, we will take a drive out to the abandoned Byzantine
city of Mystras. The site is exceptionally
well preserved and its many churches have been lovingly
restored. A highlight of the visit is the Frankish castle
on the summit of the hill. In the afternoon, we will proceed
through Tripoli to the port of Nafplion on the Gulf of Argos. |
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|
Nafplion
from across the bay |
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| Day
11 |
Saturday,
March
20th |
Nafplion |
|
| |
| Nafplion
is an excellent base for visiting the many Classical and
Bronze Age sites of the Argolid. We will set out Friday
morning and drive to the great Mycenaean fortress at Tiryns
to tour its remains. We will have lunch in the village of
Mycenae, before touring the site. Mycenae
is a Late Bronze Age citadel, which Homer says was the seat
of Agamemnon, leader of the Greek forces during the Trojan
War. The massive fortification walls, entered through the
Lion Gate, still survive, as do many of the buildings of
the interior. |
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|
Mycenae.
The Lion Gate & the Circle A cemetery |
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| Day
12 |
Sunday,
March 21st |
Nafplion |
|
| |
| On
Wednesday, we will turn our attention to some of the Classical
sites in the vicinity and drive north to Nemea,
site of one of the major Panhellenic Games. Along with the
Stadium and other buildings associated with the competitions,
there are the remains of the Temple of Zeus. We will then
head north to ancient Corinth to have lunch
and explore the remains of the Roman agora and the Temple
of Apollo. |
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|
Corinth.
The Temple of Apollo |
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| Day
13 |
Monday,
March
22nd |
Nafplion |
|
| |
| In
the morning, we will drive along the Bay of Nafplion to
visit the small Early Bronze Age site of Lerna and then
up to Argos to examine the ruins of the sanctuary of Hera.
The afternoon will be spent at Epidaurus where we will explore
the remains of the Sanctuary of Asklepios, the Greek god
of medicine. Among the many buildings, the most notable
is the Theatre, perhaps the most perfect example in all
of Greece. |
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|
The
Theatre at Epidaurus |
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| Day
14 |
Tuesday,
March
23rd |
Athens |
|
| |
| On
Tuesday morning we will return to Athens for two nights.
In the afternoon, we will drive down the south coast of
Attica to Cape Sounion to visit the ruins
of the Temple of Poseidon. It marks the spot where, according
to legend, King Aegeus threw himself into the sea that bears
his name in the belief that his son Theseus had been devoured
by the Minotaur. |
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|
The
Temple of Poseidon at Sounion |
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| Day
15 |
Wednesday,
March 24th |
Athens |
|
| |
| We
will spend the morning exploring the remains of the Classical
Agora, a short walk from the hotel. The agora was the heart
of ancient Athens and the site of many of its most important
public buildings as well as serving as the principal market.
In the afternoon, we will visit the National Museum, which
holds the country's most important archaeological treasures,
including the gold from Mycenae and the miniature frescoes
from Santorini along with a host of famous objects from
Classical times |
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|
The
Athenian Agora |
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| Day
16 |
Thursday,
March 25th |
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|
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| End
of tour. |
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The
price of the trip includes:
- hotel
taxes and gratuities
- accommodation
based on double occupancy in Hotels
- overland
transportation via mini bus
- all
visits and sightseeing as per itinerary
- the
services of your tour conductors, Margaret
Morden & William Rowbotham
The
price of the trip does NOT include:
- gratuities
for individual services
- single
supplement ($750 extra if you request single
accommodation)
- meals,
apart from breakfasts when provided by establishment
- all
items and expenses of a purely personal
nature
- travel
to and from Greece
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