Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip

Crowd-Free Sites and Quiet Beaches
Out of Season on the Peloponnese Peninsula

Athens - Nafplion - Olympia - Galaxidi

Starting from between £1,255 to £2,000 per person for 8 days depending on the time of year, type of accomodation and activities

Itinerary Highlights

  • Enjoy the gems of Greece’s Peloponnese Peninsula, from Athens to Galaxidi, in the warm and crowd-free spring or autumn months
  • Explore the peninsula at your own pace in a spacious family-friendly hire car
  • Make lasting memories everywhere you go: guided walking tours with a local, electric bike rides and visits to archaeological sites
During the spring and autumn, Greece is still enveloped in a warm Mediterranean climate, but the hordes of crowds that settle here in summer are either yet to emerge or have all but disappeared. This is the perfect time to embark on a journey through the Peloponnese Peninsula, a region full of archaeological heritage and beautiful beach towns. Your adventure begins in Athens, loops down to Nafplio and Olympia and finishes up in Galaxidi. Along the way you’ll have the opportunity to visit three of Greece’s most important archaeological sites, stroll along calm Mediterranean beaches and soak in the culture of a selection of vibrant towns and cities.
Monastiráki - Athènes - Grèce © Pauline Chardin
Monastiráki - Athènes - Grèce © Pauline Chardin
Péloponnèse - Grèce © Marie Genel/PINK/saif images
Péloponnèse - Grèce © Marie Genel/PINK/saif images
Delphes - Phocide - Grèce © Luis Recinos
Delphes - Phocide - Grèce © Luis Recinos
Nauplie - Grèce © efesenko / Fotolia
Nauplie - Grèce © efesenko / Fotolia
Grèce © Giuseppe Masci/stock.adobe.com
Grèce © Giuseppe Masci/stock.adobe.com
Galixidi - Grèce-Centrale - Grèce © Girogos/stock.adobe.com
Galixidi - Grèce-Centrale - Grèce © Girogos/stock.adobe.com
Nauplie - Péloponnèse - Grèce © Gargolas / Getty Images / iStockphoto
Nauplie - Péloponnèse - Grèce © Gargolas / Getty Images / iStockphoto
Grèce © Dagmar Schwelle/LAIF-REA
Grèce © Dagmar Schwelle/LAIF-REA
Nauplie - Péloponnèse - Grèce © efesenko / Getty Images / iStockphoto
Nauplie - Péloponnèse - Grèce © efesenko / Getty Images / iStockphoto
Delphes - Grèce © Emilie Delfaut
Delphes - Grèce © Emilie Delfaut
Péloponnèse - Grèce © Alessio Paduano/4SEE-REA
Péloponnèse - Grèce © Alessio Paduano/4SEE-REA
Athènes - Grèce © Pauline Chardin
Athènes - Grèce © Pauline Chardin
Grèce © Loredana Nicu/stock.adobe.com
Grèce © Loredana Nicu/stock.adobe.com
Athènes - Grèce © Loredana Nicu/stock.adobe.com
Athènes - Grèce © Loredana Nicu/stock.adobe.com
Athènes - Grèce © Faustine Poidevin
Athènes - Grèce © Faustine Poidevin
Grèce © Getty Images/iStockphoto
Grèce © Getty Images/iStockphoto

Itinerary

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.

Suggestions

Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included

GUIDED HIKE TO THE HEIGHTS OF THE GULF OF ARGOLIS



In the coastal city of Nauplia there are ancient paths laid out for hiking, which lead to numerous ruins and provide wonderful viewpoints over the Gulf of Argolis. Spend three hours exploring the ancient sites and its natural beauty, in the company of a private guide (with plenty of snacks to keep you fuelled along the way).



PRIVATE VISIT TO A LOCAL BEEKEEPER’S HONEY FARM



Visit a local beekeeper’s honey farm in the company of a private guide and learn all about the society of bees, the work of the beekeeper and the production of honey. You’ll have the opportunity to discover how the Greeks have traditionally managed their beehives since the archaic period, why honey was reputed to be the food of the Olympian gods and how the inventor of beekeeping was Aristeas, son of Apollo and the nymph Cyrene. Round off your visit with a tasting of the different varieties of honey cultivated on site.



PRIVATE TOUR OF AN OLIVE GROVE AND OIL MILL



The olive tree that Athena donated to the Greeks is not only rich in symbolism – wisdom, strength, fidelity and abundance, but also in its nutritional value and importance to the Greek diet. From the orchards to the oil mill and the press, you’ll have the opportunity to learn all about the cultivation and production of olive oil with your local guide. Round off your tour with a tasting of the oils produced on site alongside some other delicious nibbles.



PRIVATE TOUR OF OLYMPIA



Nestled in the delightful Alpheus Valley is the archaeological site of Olympia, one of the rare ancient sites whose spirit is still relevant today. Olympia was a national shrine of the Greeks, a sanctuary for worshipping Zeus and, of course, the site of the ancient Olympic Games. Your guide is full of interesting stories about the origins and practices of this ancient sporting Mecca.

Why visit Greece with Original Travel

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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A few of the benefits of travelling with us to Greece

  • Our local Concierges
  • The Original Travel app
  • Airport lounge access
  • Destination Dossier
  • 24-hour helpline
  • Expert guides
  • 100% carbon absorption

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A rough idea of the price

Depending on the time of year, type of accommodation and activities

The estimated cost for this trip starts from £1,255 to £2,000 per person. The final cost of the trip depends on the way we tailor it especially for you. The final cost varies according to several factors, which include the level of service, length of trip and advance booking time. The exact price will be provided on your personalised quote. The average starting price for this trip is £1,650 per person.

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