Itinerary
Day 1: Athens - Delphi - Kalambaka
Stop At: Temple of Apollo, Delphi Greece
Arrive at Delphi at around noon. Famous for its ancient ruins including a theater and the Temple of Apollo, Delphi was considered the center of the earth and universe, and played a central role in the classical Greek world. On arrival, visit the the mountainside archaeological site and view the Temple of Apollo, famous for its oracle.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Pass By: Meteora, Kastraki, Kalambaka 422 00 Greece
In the afternoon, after lunch (own expense) travel through central Greece and the city of Lamia. After a short stop in Lamia, continue to the city of Trikala for a short stop and cross the Thessalian Plain to Kalambaka, a small town built at the foot of the majestic grey rocks crowned by the Meteora monasteries. Following a short stop for souvenir-shopping, overnight stay in Kalambaka at your choice of a centrally located 3- or 4-star hotel in the town.
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight at 3* or 4* hotel
Day 2: Kalambaka - Meteora Monasteries - Athens
Stop At: Meteora, Kastraki, Kalambaka 422 00 Greece
Leave in the morning for a tour of nearby Meteora’s monasteries. Visit two different Byzantine monasteries built on rocktops and commanding fantastic views over the plain. Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Built on the top of sandstone pillars, the monasteries provided monks with totally inaccessible retreats for centuries. Meteora is considered one of the most beautiful area of mainland Greece, and its monasteries are one of its most unusual and distinctive attractions.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Stop At: Leonidas Monument, Lamia, Thermopylae 350 09 Greece
During your return to Athens, enjoy an optional visit to a factory making Byzantine-style icons, and stop for photos at the monument to the heroic Leonidas, King of Sparta, at Thermopylae. Your tour returns to Athens in the late afternoon.
Duration: 15 minutes
Meals included:
•
No accommodation included on this day.
See Availability.
Athanasiou Diakou 26, Athina 117 43, Greece
Traveler pickup is offered
Complimentary pick up/drop off service from/to Athens centrally located hotels.
08:30 AM
2 days(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
To enter the monasteries, appropriate clothing is required. Ladies should not wear short skirts and must have long sleeves. Men are not allowed to wear shorts.
Not wheelchair accessible
Please note that from 1/1/2018, a new hotel accommodation tax has been applied and will be paid directly in hotels as following: 5* hotels - 4 Euro per room/per night, 4* hotels - 3 Euro per room/per night, 3* hotels - 1.5 Euro per room/per night.
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 42 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : Angela_E
A fabulous way to visit two ‘must see’ destinations. Our guide Anna bought Greek history and culture to life.
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
Posted By : juan_c
Anna was such an outstanding tour guide complementing the beautiful scenery around Delphi and Meteora. She spoke with such enthusiasm that she kept us engaged. Words cannot describe the majestic peaks of the monasteries. I would also like to thank George for driving us safely and making the journey as comfortable and safe as possible!
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Posted On : 2024-04-25
Posted By : Mahesh_V
We had a great trip. The guide Annamarie was awesome and knowledgeable. The trip was planned well with sufficient breaks. The accommodations were decent as well
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Posted On : 2024-04-23
Posted By : Adele_G
This tour is a great way to see two wonderful sites that are quite far from Athens. The tour includes a lot of driving but it is all well worth it. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and conveyed lots of great information at the sties we visited and as we drove through Greece.
It should be noted that this tour company does not offer pick-ups from all hotels in Athens, so you should keep that in mind. I was under the impression that I would be picked up from my hotel but later learned that I needed to walk to a meeting point where I would be picked up.
A note on the dress code for Meteora. Women and men must both have their shoulders covered. Men can wear any shorts or pants that go past their knees. Women need to wear long skirts or they can wear shorts or pants and wrap a scarf around their waste to give the impression that they are wearing a long skirt.
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Posted On : 2024-04-21
Posted By : Jeffrey_B
I just realized that I didn't write this review, which is unfortunate, because I might have been able to remember the guide's name. We actually took this trip in the fall of 2021 when all the COVID rules were still in place. We booked a room at the Royal Olympic Hotel which was conveniently right next to the pick up spot. This was a two-day trip, and then we were planned to go on a cruise. There were about 8 of us in total, which is a great size for the best trips. There were beautiful views at Delphi, and we got some great photos. However, there is nothing (we think in the world) that compares to the breathtaking views in Meteora! To this day, it was the best trip of our lives. We happened to be on a cruise last year, and we were talking to a couple on a bus during a wine tour who said they planned to spend a few days in Athens at the end of the cruise. We told them about this excursion, found that it was still available, showed them some of our pictures, and raved about everything, including the accomodations and meals provided. They saw us the next day and were excited to tell us they booked the excursion. The problem was we didn't get their contact information to find out if they had a good time, since we recommended this to them. You know what? I bet they had the same amazing time we did. Nice job!
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Posted On : 2024-04-08
Posted By : Daleen L
This 2 day tour is absolutely worth it.
The bus is luxurious and comfortable, with fast wifi. Our driver Thomas, is very capable and an excellent bus driver, easily navigating narrow winding roads.
We opted for the 3 star hotel (Orfeus) and it was perfect. Our rooms were newly renovated with very comfortable beds and clean and crisp linen. Dinner and breakfast at the hotel were delicious.
Our guide, Evangelos, was very knowledgeable and shared information about all the areas of Greece we drove through. He is very friendly and goes out of his way to make sure all our needs were taken care of. At every site visited he was just a treasure trove of information! Delphi and Meteora are both mind blowing!
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Posted On : 2024-02-21
Posted By : Daleen_L
This is absolutely worth it. Yes, it’s far and it’s two long days but the bus is very comfortable with great wifi and the stops are frequent. Our guide, Evangelos, was a veritable encyclopedia and gave interesting facts all the way. The sites visited are spectacular. Delphi and Meteora are mind blowing. Lunch on each of the two days was delicious and enough options for everyone, even for our friend with a dairy allergy. We spent the night in the 3 star- the rooms and bathrooms were newly renovated and very smart. Dinner and breakfast at the hotel were great.
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Posted On : 2024-02-09
Posted By : Alice_I
We had a lovely 2 day tour to Delphi and meteora with our wonderful guide Mariana and our driver Tomas! The tour is both relaxing and tiring—relaxing bc you spend a lot of driving time on the bus to rest your legs and there are beautiful stops for the sites, but tiring bc you’re stuck on a bus for a long time… (double edged sword!)
Here’s a bit of the breakdown of our tour:
Day 1 - Delphi site seeing and meteora hotel
7:40am: Pick up at hotel
8:20am: Meet at the key tours office to transfer buses and hit the road around
2 hour drive
10:15-10:35 bathroom and coffee break (1 snack and 1 gum = 16 euros, so bring your own snacks and water!)
Drive through Parnassus/Arachova
11:24-1:25: Delphi (ticket provided - used for Delphi and museum) w guided tour and then free time to take photos and visit the museum
1:35-2:50: Lunch break (self paid at Symphony)
4-4:10: Pass of Thermopyles (no bathroom break) to see King Leonidas monument
4:45-5:10: 20-25 min Bathroom and coffee break at Kanelis Village
5:10-6:45: 2 hour drive to meteora kalabaka
Check into hotel (Divani for 4 star and Orfeas for 3 star. They are literally across the street from one another.)
730: dinner at the hotel buffet style
Day 2 - meteora
810am: check out and get into the bus
830: Stop for photos of st Nicholas (not great photos since you’re on the bottom)
845-10:20 Varlaam monastery - they let women borrow skirts! Guided tour and free time to take photos
10:30 short photo stop to view some monasteries
10:40-11:45 St Stephen’s monastery - free skirts for women to borrow. guided tour. (Tip: when you get photo time, leave the monastery and go up the side of the road a bit to get a great picture of the monastery)
2 hour drive
1:30-2:30pm: Lunch at Kanelis Village cafeteria style (self pay… it is pricey!)
2 hour Drive
4:20 Cafe break and bathroom
445- 6:45pm: Back to Athens and hotels!
overall, a lovely time on the tour. Hopefully the review was helpful with the timetable for those who need to know when the bathroom and snack breaks are! We had a total of 33 passengers and it was a lovely time we everyone.
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Posted On : 2023-12-30
Posted By : YooJin_C
Perfect weather, great food, clean and nice coach, the best sceneries of Delphi and Meteora with fun and intelligent tour guide Marianna!
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Posted On : 2023-12-28
Posted By : Eliana_Maria
I had a great experience joining this tour. There were only 9 participants in my group, led by the tour leader, Nichos, who is a licensed historian. He was very passionate in explaining the sites we visited and welcome any questions we have. I saw how the other tour leaders rushed through their explanation and other groups always moved faster than ours. But Nichos took time to explain above and beyond.
Delphi and Meteora themselves are amazing places, but learning all the history behind them makes the visit even more interesting. Visiting these two places without a guide is probably not worth it.
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Posted On : 2023-12-19
