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www.dantours.com • 5

Day 1

Arrival

You will be greeted at the airport by our local
representative and transported to your hotel.
Along the way, enjoy your first taste of the sights
and sounds of this remarkable city, birthplace of
the West.

Day 2

| Athens

We will journey through three thousand years
of history, and behold sights that are sure to
leave you breathless. We start from the modern
– bustling, café -lined Syntagma (Constitution)
Square. To the east we are greeted by the
Parliament, formerly the Royal Palace, and the
Memorial of the Unknown Soldier. Our next stop is
the New Royal Palace (now Presidential Mansion),
situated along one of the most beautiful streets of
the city. Our voyage will next take us to the place
of the first modern Olympic Games of 1896, the
Panathinaiko (Panathenaic Stadium). From here,
the Ancient World unveils before us; you’ll marvel
at the sheer scale of the Olympieion, the Temple of
Zeus, the largest temple in Greece - started in the
sixth century BC, it took 700 years to complete.
As you look upon the inscriptions on the Arch of
Hadrian you bear witness to the spread of Greek
culture first to Rome and then to the world at large.
On the one side is the city of Theseus (Athens),

while on the other is the city of Hadrian – The
Arch was erected in 132 A.D. as the boundary
between the two.Inside the new Acropolis
Museum you will be surrounded by the glory of
classical Athens - the famous Caryatids from
the Erechteum, the “Kritios Boy”, all found right
here. You’ll follow the steps of Pericles, Hadrian
and Lord Byron on your way to the Acropolis,
past the Temple of Athena Nike, through the
Propylaea and find yourself in the shadow of the
Parthenon. It has served as a temple, church,
mosque, and a store room (for gunpowder).
Through it all, it never ceased inspiring the minds
and souls of all who behold it. In the afternoon
we leave the city, through the lovely beaches of
Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza to arrive at the
southernmost point of Attica - Cape Sounion; a
rocky point some 200 feet above the sea, home
to the Temple of Poseidon, its sentinel for two and
a half millennia.(B)

Day 3

Saronic Islands Cruise

We set sail for the Island of Hydra from marina
Trokadero – our celebration of the sea begins! The
lack of cars on the island makes it the ideal place
for a stroll along the waterfront – explore shops
and galleries or maybe have a swim. Back on the
boat we’ll have lunch as we sail the narrow strait
between the mainland of the Peloponnesus and
the Island of Poros – destination: Aegina. Upon
arrival at the island, you can explore the town or
join the tour to the Temple of Aphaea, sister to
the Parthenon and the Temple at Sounion. You’ll
return to Athens for the night. (B,L)

Day 4

Delphi • Thebes • Levadia

• Arachova

We travel northwest, through the fertile plains and
lush hills of Boeotia, land of Oedipus – this land,
and especially the city Thebes is the spiritual centre
of Greece. Much of the mythology surrounding
Dionysus – god of wine and ecstasy, and Herakles’
doomed labour to Mt.Olympus took place right
here. These plains bore witness to countless battles
that shaped the very nature of Greece itself. We will
pass through Thebes and its neighbouring towns
Levadia and Arachova as we travel to Delphi for
the ancients, the Omphalos, the “navel”, or centre,
of the world. As you stand here, on the slope of
Mt.Pernassus, the sight before you is awe inspiring.
Behold the Sacred Way, the theatre, and the great
treasury of the Athenians – built with the spoils
from the victory over the Persians at the battle of
Marathon, and finally, take in the glory of the Temple
of Apollo.Our expert guide will breathe life into these
ancient stones and the role they played long ago.
The visit to the museum will bring you face to face
with the greatest finds of the complex – the bronze
charioteer of Delphi, with eyes of silver and lips of
copper, the statue of the athlete Agias, attributed to
the great Lysippos, and many other unimaginable
treasures. We will share a lunch in modern Delphi,
and make our way back to Athens.(B,L)

Day 5

Departure

After breakfast, we’ll bid farewell to the friends we’ve
made, exchange some numbers and transfer to the
airport for our flights.(B)

Athens Experience

5 Days – 4 Nights

Operated Daily

Athens Experience