History and culture of Western Civilization will reveal 4,000 years of tradition on your 14-day historical Greece tour. From the famous images of the Parthenon to gilded Byzantine churches, the dramatic walls of Mycenae to the Venetian streets of charming harbors, you will step into history in a time-honored setting uncovering the often-overlooked treasures of Greece along the mainland, islands, and Peloponnese Peninsula.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Athens – Dining Beneath Mythology
Illuminated columns provide a famous welcome to Athens, the Acropolis softly lit as it stands above the city. Over the next three days, you will find this landmark to be a compass point, helping you make sense of where you are and what stories surround you. Touch down, check-in, and take a wander through the neighborhood. It looks and feels like the 17th century, all narrow lanes, squat archways, quiet chatter, whitewashed houses, and floating smells. You will be in the heart of Athens, getting a feel for how the city ticks after dusk. Over the next two weeks, you will jump far back in history, but for now, just relax and feel how history is able to flow right through you.
What's Included:
Day 2
Athens – Ancient Greece to Lively Athenian Neighborhoods
Day 3
Athens – Intimate Streets and Markets Food Tour
Day 4
Nafplio – 4,000 Years Of History Comes Alive
Day 5
Nafplio – Venetian History and an Epidaurus Performance
Day 6
Nafplio – Discovering Ancient Greek Viticulture
Day 7
Mystras – The Wonderful Ruins of a Byzantine Citadel
Day 8
Monemvasia – Beautiful Old Cobbles On the Coast
Day 9
Aeropoli – Exploring Traditional Mani Peninsula Villages
Day 10
Pylos – Mycenaean Ruins and an Afternoon By the Sea
Day 11
Nafpaktos – Ancient Greece on a Phenomenal Scale
Day 12
Nafpaktos – Immersed in Ottoman and Venetian Eras
Day 13
Galaxidi – A Fabulous Myth To Finish On
Day 14
Athens – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Dive into Greece’s unknown Byzantine history with a day spent in Mystras
- Watch a theater performance at the ancient Epidaurus amphitheater
- Immerse yourself in Venetian eras, spending three nights in Nafplio and two in Nafpaktos
- Explore the myths and wonders of Ancient Greece, especially in Olympia and Delphi
- Discover the enigmatic remains of the Acropolis and Agora in Athens
- Go local and feast on the inimitability of the Mani Peninsula, where traditional villages transport you to a historic time
- Live the world of the Mycenaeans, in destinations like Pylos and Mycenae
- Travel through the 17th and 18th centuries with a tour of key Athenian neighborhoods with a focus on food
- Uncover hidden towns on the coast, including 12th-century Monemvasia, which was previously only accessible by water
Detailed Description
For most visitors to Greece, history begins and ends at the Athens Acropolis and Agora. Perhaps there is another set of ruins as well, but it is rare that the historical narrative goes beyond a handful of Corinthian columns. As grand as it may be, the Acropolis is just one piece in the great historical patchwork. There is all that came before, such as Mycenaean culture, and then all of those stories that followed, most notably the Byzantines, Ottomans and Venetians. Local traditions have been preserved, especially along the coast. On the Greek mainland, you can find many fragments to a country’s tale, each proudly preserved so it seems you are living out a specific time and place. And while the Acropolis and Agora are highly popular, much of the mainland’s history goes undiscovered.
This tour will stitch together the last 4,000 years, hopping between the eras as you travel from Athens, and then through Peloponnese. Each day, you will be in a different century, often an entirely different civilization, making sense of how and why the land you stand on is so coveted. Local guides lead your way throughout, experts in a particular time and place. For most nights, you will be sleeping amid the history, such as inside a Byzantine citadel or on the edge of a grand set of ruins. You will also understand how history has become the here and now, in villages and destinations that have effortlessly moved their traditions forward into today.
Your first six nights will be split across Athens and Nafplio. The Greek capital provides a very classical introduction, with the Acropolis and Agora worthy of their fame. Go beyond that mythology by exploring Athenian neighborhoods, to find yourself in the 17th and 18th centuries. Crossing into Peloponnese on day four you can stop in Corinth and Mycenae, epic old cities that stretch the Greek story back another millennia. Nafplio is part Mycenaean part Venetian, a charming place on the coast to rest and relax. Seeing a performance at the Epidaurus amphitheater is just one way the past and the ancient past blur together around Nafplio.
For the next seven nights, you will be on the road, hopping across Peloponnese to discover the complete wealth of stories. Mystras is a Byzantine citadel in a wonderful state of preservation while Monemvasia is all medieval cobbles and millennia-old churches. The Mani Peninsula villages showcase local life unchanged, along with an ancient war against pirates. Mycenaean Pylos evokes Homer’s Iliad, and then jumps into Hellenic and Byzantine stories. Traveling onwards, you can spend half a day in ancient Olympia before the Ottoman-era charm of Nafpaktos. Then on the way back to Athens, there will be the oracle at Delphi and neoclassical style in Galaxidi. And while you visit the huge abundance of historical sights, 14 days allows you to travel slowly and really take it all in. Don’t take just our word for it - consider reading some of our travelers’ reviews of Greece, and see how you can customize your own dream vacation.
Starting Price
$5,700 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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