7-Day Private Tour of the Peloponnese Including the Mani Peninsula

ITINERARY IN BRIEF

DAY1. Departing from Athens, Corinth Canal, Epidaurus (UNESCO), Ancient Mycenae (UNESCO), Medieval Nafplion

DAY2. Medieval Monemvasia

DAYS 3 & 4. The Mani Peninsula

DAY5. Sparta, Ancient Messini, Mystras (UNESCO)

DAY6. Ancient Olympia (UNESCO)

DAY7. Patra city, (Achaia Clauss Winery option), Ancient Corinth & return to Athens

DAY1. From your hotel or cruise ship terminal you will travel in style in one of our new model black Mercedes E Class or AudiA6 vehicles with full leather & WiFi as your informative driver takes you north from Athens for our first stop to see the impressive Corinth Canal & learn of its short but eventful history before continuing to see many of the most significant and unique sites in Greece in your first day. Our next stop explores the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Sanctuary of Asklepios and working Theater of Epidaurus with its amazing acoustics (you are welcome to recite poetry or sing opera in the center circle if you wish!), to the UNESCO listed site of Ancient Mycenae with its palace of Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks in the Trojan war, its awe inspiring ‘beehive’ tombs & first class museum. ,

In the afternoon we reach the historic Nafplio & first capital of modern Greece with its dominating Palamidi castle overlooking the Venetian quarter now housing many local crafts shops which are a joy to explore. After checking into your hotel you are free to dine in one of the seafront taverns in view of the impressive Bourtzi fortress lying in the bay.

DAY2. After enjoying an unhurried breakfast, we continue south for around three hours to Monemvasia. Originally separated from the mainland by an earthquake, this Gibraltar like rock was an ideal inaccessible natural fortress for settlement in the 6th century by the local inhabitants seeking protection from Slavic invaders in the 6th century. Sitting on a plateau 100 meters above sea level you will find a remarkable walled city, constructed and added to by the Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans until its liberation in the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. Originally only reachable by ship, we can now traverse the long narrow causeway onto the rock & up to the imposing walled entrance where we must continue on foot into the old and well preserved city. After checking in to one of the many charming converted guesthouses you are free to wander the living history of its twisting labyrinthine streets, heritage buildings, multi colored bougainvillea covered guesthouses and sea views.

DAY3. From Monemvasia we travel around 3 hours deeper into the Peloponnese for 2 days dedicated to the Mani Peninsula.

DAYS 5 to 7 We continue our journey & explore the sites of Messini, Mystras, Ancient Olympia, Patra city, Achaia Clauss Winery, and Ancient Corinth before your return to Athens.