Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Athens - Nafplion - Olympia - Galaxidi
100% customisable for you
Your Greek adventure starts today. Head to the airport, whizz through security and enjoy some nibbles and refreshments in the airport lounge before departure. Flight time to Athens is just under four hours, a good amount of time to get stuck into your holiday read before touchdown. A private driver will be waiting to whisk you into the heart of the historic centre of Plaka, where you’ll find home for the next two nights: a charming hotel near the Acropolis rock. Spend the rest of today settling into your new Greek surroundings. We recommend heading out for a stroll in the nearby area to get a taste for local life before getting a good night’s rest ready for a day of exploring tomorrow.
You only have one full day in Athens, so there’s not a moment to waste. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel this morning you’ll be met by a friendly local guide who will be taking you on a grand tour of the city. This is a great opportunity to not only see some of the city’s most beautiful sites, but also to learn about daily life in Athens, local customs and traditions and anything else you’re keen to find out about. Later this afternoon you’ll be met by another local guide who knows everything there is to know about the archaeological history of Athens. In their company, you’ll head off on an electric bike ride to the Acropolis (a fortress and military base during the Neolithic period). After soaking in the sites of this fascinating archaeological site, continue on to the districts of Thission, Psiri, Monastiraki and Plaka, also by electric bike.
Today you’ll be swapping the hustle and bustle of Athens for the coastal calm of one of the region’s most beautiful cities: Nafplio. After a delicious fresh breakfast at the hotel this morning, collect your hire car and travel two hours around the scenic Saronic Gulf to your next hotel: a classic guesthouse in the centre of the city, where you’ll be staying for the next two nights. Spend the rest of today soaking in your new coastal surroundings. You’ll be staying near Syntagma Square, a beautiful hub of activity where elegant terraced restaurants rub shoulders with important historical buildings. We recommend going for a stroll around this part of town before heading over to the Archaeological Museum and the nearby beach. If you’d rather get into the wilderness, we could also arrange for you to head out on a guided hike along ancient paths leading to viewpoints overlooking the Gulf of Argolis.
The classic Mediterranean landscapes of Nafplio seem to have hardly changed since the founding of the city by Nauplios, son of Poseidon and Amymoné, one of the Danaides, in antiquity. Today you’ll be heading into the heart of the old town in the company of a knowledgeable local guide. The walk is relaxed and based around you, so can be entirely spontaneous. We recommend strolling the narrow streets of the centre and admiring the Venetian influence of certain buildings before continuing on to the two fortresses that stand out against the pure blue of the sky: Acronauplia and Palamidi, built at the beginning of the 18th century by French engineers. The rest of the evening is yours to spend at leisure. You could continue exploring the city, find somewhere for a delicious bite to eat or simply kick back and relax at the hotel. We could also arrange for you to spend the afternoon touring a nearby olive grove and oil mill or visiting a local beekeeper’s honey farm.
Your tour of the Peloponnese Peninsula continues today. After a hearty fresh breakfast this morning, hop back into your hire car and travel to Olympia, one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, a three-hour drive away. Settle into your comfortable, contemporary hotel, where you’ll be staying tonight, which is within walking distance of Olympia’s fascinating UNESCO-listed archaeological site. Then head out and spend the rest of today discovering this ancient wonder. Olympia was a national shrine of the Greeks, a sanctuary for worshipping Zeus and, of course, the home of the ancient Olympic Games. The site was home to several treasures of Greek art, including temples, monuments, altars, theatres and statues, the vestiges of which can still be admired today. You can explore Olympia at your own leisure or we can arrange for a knowledgeable local guide to lead you through the site.
You’re back on the road again today, this time to your final destination in the Peloponnese: the picturesque coastal town of Galaxidi, a three-hour drive away. Along the way you’ll drive across the Charilaos Trikoupis bridge, which crosses the Gulf of Corinth. On arrival, settle in for two nights in a beautifully-designed hotel in the heart of town. Spend the rest of this afternoon discovering Galaxidi. You can take a tour of the museum, which presents a collection of local archaeology and documents the important maritime trade that took place from here in the 19th century.
Your last full day in Greece is all about discovering nearby Delphi, a beautiful town lying on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. This morning you’ll be met by a clued-up local guide and whisked into the heart of this archaeological gem. In ancient times, Delphi was considered the navel of the world, a place of worship, where governors and common people met. The site is home to plenty of fascinating vestiges of its ancient past, including an amphitheatre and a sanctuary that once attracted crowds of pilgrims. There is also an archaeological museum detailing the history of the famous Delphic sanctuary and the most prominent Oracle of the ancient Greek world.
Sadly the time has come to bid the Peloponnese Peninsula a warm farewell and embark on the journey home. After a one last delicious Greek breakfast at the hotel this morning, hop back into your hire car and travel three hours back to the airport in Athens. Drop off your hire car and enjoy some peace and quiet in the airport lounge before catching a four-hour flight back to the UK.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges