5 memorable day private tour 2 Zagoria Vikos Gorge Ioannina

Athens to central and west Greece. Travel Greece to discover the ancient history and at the same time the modern life of the country.

Delphi was the most celebrated place in the ancient world! Here the democratic laws of Athens were approved. The most uncompromising philosophers respected Delphi. Even Socrates was declared as the wisest of men! Learn the future secrets discovering the secrets of the past here in Delphi.

Meteora is in a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks & nuns settled on these ‘columns of the wind & sky’ from the 11th century onwards. 24 of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century.

Highlights of the 5 memorable days private tour 2 Zagoria Vikos Gorge Ioannina

• The famous Corinth canal
• The oracle of Delphi
• The impressive Meteora
• The traditional Zagorochoria
• Europa’s deepest gorge, Vickos
• Ioannina the capital of West Greece
• Experienced English-speaking tour driver

Itinerary

Tour Description

Day 1: Levadia | Arachova | Delphi | Thives | Distomo | Bralos | Lamia | Karditsa | Trikala | Kalambaka

Delphi Greece is one of the most important archaeological sites of Greece, the most important in the ancient world, and accordingly, it seems to appear in the itinerary of every traveler who is attracted to the oracle that influenced affairs in the known world for over a thousand years.

Start your Greece private tour from your cruise ship or your Athens hotel to a trip through the centuries. Greece tours private chauffeur will drive you through the fertile plain of Beotia, passing through THERMOPYLAE (hot gates) about 220 km from Athens, the place that the battle of the 300Spartans and LEONIDES took place.

Thermopylae…

Visit the modern memorial to King Leonidas on one side of the highway that shows the Spartan King on the top of a memorial wall with the words “Molon Laveh” written under the statue. The phrase means, “Come and get it”, this is the phrase that Leonidas said to the Persian king Xerxes when he told Leonidas to hand over his weapons. The phrase has become a slogan of defiance all over the world. Shortly After the battle, the ancient memorial was placed just across the highway from the modern memorial. It is a small carved stone plaque that says, “Stranger, tell the Spartans that we lay here obedient to their laws”. This ancient memorial is on a small hill across the national road from the modern one and KAMENA VOURLA.

Arrive at Delphi, the center of Ancient World – the «Omphalos» (Navel of Earth) – whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic World. On the slopes of Mount Parnassus, in a landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty, lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios.

Our private Greece tour continues visiting Delphi’s Treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo, and the Delphi Museum containing such masterpieces of Ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. Lunch in Delphi, and start traveling through central Greece to Kalambaka. Overnight.

Day 2:  Kalambaka | Meteora | Zagorochoria

Begin in the morning traveling with Splendid Greece Tours to reach Meteora. Here visit the unique in the world the breathtaking METEORA and its byzantine monasteries built on the top of high rocks standing between Sky earth & wind. You will visit one of the biggest and most important groups of monasteries in Greece after those in Mount Athos, the rock monasteries of Meteora. The Monasteries have been characterized by UNESCO as a unique phenomenon of cultural heritage and they form one of the most important stations of cultural map of Greece. Belonging to a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, on these ‘columns of the sky’, monks have settled from the 11th century onwards where twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the lopment of post-Byzantine painting.

The monasteries of Meteora are 6:

• The Monastery of Great Meteoron. It is the biggest of the Meteorite monasteries.
• The  Monastery of Varlaam is the second, after the Great Meteoro, big in size monastery.
• The Monastery of Rousanou. It is dedicated to ‘The Transfiguration’ but honored to Saint Barbara.
• The Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas. It is the first to meet on our way from Kastraki to Meteora.
• The Monastery of St. Stephen. It is one of the most attainable as we don’t have to cope with innumerable stairs to reach it.
• The Monastery of Holy Trinity is very difficult to reach. The visitor has to cross the valley and continue high up through the rock before we arrive outside the entrance.

Have lunch in Kalambaka in a traditional homemade Greek food restaurant by the feet of Meteora.

After lunch, Greece tours private chauffeur will start traveling to northwest Greece and our next stop will be at gorgeous Zagorohoria, with its traditional Western Greek Architecture. Overnight in the picturesque villages of Metsovo.

Day 3: Metsovo | Zagoria

Splendid Greece Tours continues, in the morning.  Now visit the traditional Zagorochoria and admire the stone bridges and cobblestone paths, maintained in an excellent condition, are the trademark of this region. You will overnight at Papingo, be amazed by the relaxing and rejuvenating feeling as well as the beauty of the place. will start the drive to Zagoria some of the most picturesque and traditional villages in Greece. Overnight in Metsovo.

Day 4:  Papingo | Gorge of Vikos | Ioannina

Your Splendid Greece Tours private chauffeur will drive you today to the Gorge of Vikos, the deepest Gorge in Europe. Outdoor activity clubs, trekking groups visit the impressive area, traveling from all over the world to cross it. Late lunch and our next stop is at the Cave of Perama, in Ioannina, the largest cave in Greece and one of the largest in Europe, covering a total area of 14,000 sq. meters.

The cave is located 4km from Ioannina, in Perama, at the foot of Mt. Goritsa. Perama village is the first after about 2km. 1940 discovered by a resident of the village who was looking for a shelter to avoid bombardments during the Greek-Italian war. During 1951-1955 the speleologists IOANNIS PETROCHEILOS and ANNA PETROCHEILOU explored the cave and discovered teeth and bones of ancient cave bears. Opened in 1956 to the public.

Visit inside the cave where you can see fossils and remains from the prehistoric Era and impressive murals dedicated to the Gods of the Underworld, Pluto, and Persephone. Free evening in Ioannina. Enjoy your dinner over the lake with its magnificent view of the lake island. Overnight in Ioannina.

Day 5:  Ioannina | Igoumenitsa | Parga | Prevesa | Agrinio | Nafpaktos | Antirio | Rio, Athens

Morning at leisure. Begin our drive back and leave from the unforgettable Ioannina and Splendid Greece Tours will drive us through Igoumenitsa- Parga – Preveza while we have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Ionian Sea waters and some of the Ionian Islands. Your Greece private tour ends in Athens in the afternoon.

Celebrate now the glory of ancient and new, in this gallery of images to the original fields of dreams ….

Important notes

Tour Type

• Shore Excursion – Private tour
• Activity level: Moderate

Included

• A professional driver with good knowledge of the history and culture of Greece
• Transport by air-conditioned vehicle appropriate for the size of your group
• Accommodation is based on availability (for multiple-day tours only)
• Pick-up from and return to your hotel
• Free Pick-up & drop off from Piraeus cruise port
• First-class transport: By Mercedes E-Class or similar; Mercedes minivan or Mercedes minibus according to the size of your party. All new models with full leather and A/C.
• Road tolls and local taxes
• Our terminal: Leof. Andrea Siggrou 37, 117 43 Athina, Greece.
• The private tour is 100% exclusive for your party

Excluded

• Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and museum
• Wine tasting fee (wine tours)
• Athens Airport transfer:  arranged on request with a surcharge
• Gratuities (optional)
• Food and beverage
• Your private chauffeur/guide will discuss a program best suited to your interest and mobile abilities. Option for a professional tour guide with a state license at an extra cost.

Additional info

• Dress: religious and marmoreal sites: shoulders and knee must be covered
• Terms & Conditions, F.A.Q , Privacy policy & Cookies
• Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
• A voucher will be emailed to you with our contact numbers and all necessary information for your tour.
• This is your ticket and proof of purchase. On the day of the tour please present a paper voucher in order to redeem your tour/activity.

Persons with Disabilities

• Due to uneven surfaces, certain sites are not recommended for persons with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair. Such sites are the Acropolis, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, Mycenae, Delphi, and Meteora
• In all cases, we recommend comfortable flat-soled walking shoes, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

Opening hours & Admission fees

• Opening Hours: Summer April 1st to October 31st from 08:00 AM to 07:30 PM
• Winter: November 1st to March 31st from 08:30 AM to 03:00 PM
• Free admission fees: Children under 18 & Students from E.U.
• Reduced admission fees: Citizens of the E.U. aged over 65 & Students from countries outside the E.U.

Free admission days

• March 6: In memory of deceased Minister of Tourism & visionary Melina Mercouri
• June 5: Environment international day
• April 18: International monuments day
• May 18: International museums day
• September 27: International tourism day
• The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)
• National Holidays
• Sundays in the period between 1 November and 31 March
• The first Sunday of every month, except for July, August, and September
• NOTE: If the first Sunday is a holiday then the second is the free admission day

Holidays in Greece

• January 1: closed
• January 6: 08:30 AM – 03:00 PM
• Shrove Monday: 08:30AM – 03:00 PM
• March 25: closed
• Good Friday: 12:00 PM – 03:00 PM
• Holy Saturday: 08:30 AM – 03:00 PM
• Easter Sunday: closed
• Easter Monday: 08:30 AM – 03:00 PM
• May 1: closed
• Holy Spirit Day: 08:30 AM – 03:00 PM
• 15 August 15: 08:30 AM – 03:00 PM
• October 28: 08:30 AM- 03:00 PM
• December 25 & 26: closed