
An unforgettable cultural immersion experience of Hellenic heritage - Aug 2023
Join Ancient Origins' exclusive tour of Greece sacred past in August 2023 visiting some of the country’s most important ancient sites including: Highlights : Athens, Acropolis and Acropolis museum; Temple of Poseidon at Sounion; Marathon; Mysteries of Eleusis – 2023 Culture Capital of Europe; Island Aegina; Oracle of Delphi; Meteora Monasteries; Olympia; Messene; Mycenae, Palace of Agamemnon; Ancient Corinth and Corinth canal, plus optional: Palace of Knossos on Crete and ancient Akrotiri on Santorini. You arrive on Friday 18 August and will be collected at the airport and transferred to your first hotel in Athens. An orientation and meet-and-greet will be arranged early evening at a convenient time when most participants have arrived. Dr Micki Pistorius’ journalist career commenced in printed and television media. She obtained a DPhil in Psychology, profiled hardened criminals, and authored several books on the subject. She completed BA Hons in Biblical Archaeology and has affinity for the Bronze Age. She trailed Odysseus from Mycenae on mainland Greece to Troy in Turkey, followed the footsteps of Alexander the Great to Taxila in Pakistan, and traced her Tancred crusader ancestral lineage to Hauteville in France. She lives and writes on a tropical island. Register your details to hold your place on this exclusive tour. To secure your place a deposit payment of US$500 per person is required within 48 hours of completing the form. Payment details are noted at the end of the form.
THE SPLENDOURS
OF GREECE
Travel with peace of mind, knowing that your payments are 100% financially protected in case any of our suppliers becomes insolvent, in which case you would receive a full refund..

18 August - 29 August 2023
12 DAYS/11 NIGHTSClients will have a private transfer from Venizelos airport to the hotel, irrespective of arrival date and time. At the end of the tour, clients will also be transferred privately to Venizelos Airport. Where clients arrival times are close to each other, then the transfer will be on a shared basis.


We descend and stroll over to the Philopappos Hill, just below the Acropolis to view the prison of Socrates and the Pnyx Hill, where the Athenian Assembly met and the stateman Pericles made his famous speech.
We visit the new Acropolis Museum, including the third floor Parthenon Gallery displaying original friezes as well as plaster copies of pieces missing – in December 2022 Pope Francis donated three fragments of Parthenon Marbles – the head of a horse, the head of a boy and the head of one of the metopes – that had been in the possession of the Vatican since the 18th century to the Acropolis Museum and hopefully these will be on display. We are holding thumbs that negotiations with the British Museum may be concluded to view the missing Elgin Marbles in their place in the Acropolis Museum.
After the museum we go to Anafiotika – a quaint little village on the slopes of the Acropolis, resembling a Greek island, where we have lunch at any one of the little restaurants lining the alleys. After lunch we wander through the Plaka to the Roman Agora, with Hadrian’s Library, the Horologion of Kyrrhestos /Tower of the Winds, and the Vespasianae or public ancient toilets. The rest of the afternoon is free for wandering around the shops and flea markets of the Plaka and dinner. Return to the hotel.

We walk (10 minutes) to the ancient Kerameikos, a cemetery built along the ancient Sacred Way. We view the tombs of famous statesmen, artists, warriors and ordinary people and the museum. At the end of Kerameikos is the Akademes or school of Plato.
The bus picks us up and takes us to the National Archaeological Museum. Highlights at the museum is the Golden Mask of Agamemnon, the Bronze statue of Zeus/Poseidon, the jockey from Artemision, the Antikythera device and shipwreck display. Antiquities of Thira (Santorini), and the collection of Mycenaean Antiquities covers several halls. The Death Mask of Agamemnon as well as the jockey from Artemision are included in the exchange agreement between Greece and the British Museum. So if we are lucky enough to view the missing Parthenon Marbles, we may miss out on the mask and jockey, as they would be traveling to Britain.
The bus takes us to the famous Syntagma square, where we have lunch at any of the street cafes and view the changing of the guard in front of the Parliament building. The bus takes us to the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch for a photo session. This is the remnants of the largest temple built in Greece. It took six hundred years of interrupted construction until it was finally completed under Roman Emperor Hadrian’s reign. Next to it Hadrian’s Arch has an inscription: “This is Athens, the city of Theseus…” walk around the Arch and read another inscription on the opposite side.
The bus then takes us to the Panathenaic Stadium, completely built of marble where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. After a photo session the bus takes us back to the hotel, from where you can wander among the souvenir shops and Flea Markets in the Plaka or the neighborhood of your hotel.
If possible, we will enquire whether there is a show at the Theatre of Odeon, or a light show of the Acropolis from Pnyx Hill during our Athens stay.

From Brauron we drive to Thorikos (30 minutes) and Lavrion. Thorikos was also one of the twelve original settlements that were united in the synoikismos attributed to Theseus to form Archaic Athens. Thorikos directly faces Crete to the south, across the open Aegean Sea and is celebrated in mythology as the residence of Cephalus, whom Eos carried off to dwell with the gods, as well as the landing place of the goddess Demeter, when she came looking for her lost daughter Persephone. There are Mycenean tombs at this site. There is also a theatre believed to be the oldest standing theatre in the world. Just a few kilometers further, we find Lavrion, the site of the ancient silver mines, where we will visit the Mineralogical Museum, and the Archaeological Museum of Lavrion explaining the silver mines and their economical attribution to Athens, especially during wars. We have lunch on the Port of Lavrion.
We get back on the bus and drive to Sounion (10 minutes) to the magnificent Temple of Poseidon, crowning the cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea. Legend tells that it was here that King Aegis of ancient Athens committed suicide by jumping from the cliff – giving the Aegean Sea its name. There is also a Temple of Athena on this site. The Temple of Poseidon is one of the most beautiful sights in the world.
We take a leisurely drive back along the scenic east coast of Attica, past the beaches of Varkiza, Vouliagmeni and Glyfada. If you like we can stop for sundowners and dinner (at your cost) at a beach side restaurant to watch the sun set on the Aegean Sea, whereafter we return to the hotel.

From Neo Maki it is a short drive to the Archaeological Museum of Marathon with the highlight of the tumulus of Plataeans. This is where Athens and Plataea under General Miltiades fought the army of King Darius of Persia, and won. The myth has Pheidippides running from Marathon to Athens after the battle, to announce the Greek victory with the word "nenikēkamen!" we've won! whereupon he promptly died of exhaustion. The distance eventually became fixed at 42.195 kilometres (26 miles 385 yards).
Then we drive to Rhamnous (20 minutes) where we find the sanctuary of the goddess Nemesis – the goddess of vengeance as well as a temple of the goddess Themis, the goddess of justice. The ruins of the ancient fortified acropolis offers a stunning view of the island of Evia.
We will drive to the Gulf of Elifsina to visit Eleusis (1 hour 10 minutes), site of the ancient Eleusis Mysteries celebrating Demeter’s search for Persephone, her descent and return from Hades. Eleusis has been voted the 2023 Culture Capital of Europe. Those brave enough can approach the Ploutonion, where Hades abducted Persephone to the Underworld, and we see the Telesterion, the "place for initiation" and even the sacred sanctuary of Demeter where only the high priestesses were allowed. Eleusis was also the end of the route of the Sacred Way from Athens, which hosted fine processions.
The bus will take us back to Athens in the late afternoon. If there is a show in celebration of the Culture Capital 2023, in Eleusis, we can book tickets for you.

The bus returns us to the hotel.

We visit the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. In ancient times this was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world to be in Delphi, marked by the stone monument known as the omphalos (navel). Besides the Temple of Apollo, we visit stoas, the Sybil rock, and of course the famous circular Tholos of Delphi. We have a peek at the statue of the Charioteer at the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.
After lunch we drive 4 hours to the town of Kalambaka to arrive early evening and check into the hotel. We will only be staying here for one night.

After an early lunch we board the bus and take a long drive (3 and a half hours) to reach the town of Nafpaktos in the late afternoon, where we book into our hotel. Nafpaktos was indebted for its historical importance to its harbour at the entrance of the Corinthian gulf. During the Peloponnesian War it was the headquarters of the Athenians in all their operations in Western Greece and the scene of the Battle of Nafpaktos in 429 BC. Relax and explore the port area on your own time and find a taverna.

Few people know before the site was dedicated to Zeus, female Olympics or Heraea were celebrated at the site. This was founded by Hippodameia out of gratitude to Hera, for granting her marriage to Pelops. The Temple of Hera and Metroon or Temple to an ancient Mother Goddess marks the site as originally female.
We drive down to Kalamata (80 km) to check into our hotel.

We return to Kalamata and have the afternoon free. This evening we visit the Kastraki restaurant and castle for a dinner overlooking the sea. Preset menu dinner is on us, (drinks excluded).

After Mycenae we stop for lunch and drive to ancient Corinth, a cosmopolitan city flourishing on trade. The agora of Corinth is a major archaeological site featuring many stoas and the beautiful Temple of Apollo. Following in the footsteps of St Paul along the broad paved streets, we wonder if he quenched his thirst at the Fountain of Glauke and the Pirene Fountain. Did he curse the temple prostitutes as he gazed up at the temple on Acrocorinth or did he attend the ancient theatre? The Corinthians were the first to build a paved slipway called a ‘diolkos’ to haul their boats over the Isthmus.
Then we cross the Isthmus of the Corinth Canal and drive back to Athens (1 hour) to our hotel.

For those wanting to extend their tour with a 6-day extension to Crete and Santorini click here

ANCIENT ORIGINS TOUR OF GREECE 18 August – 29 August 2023
Price per person based on double occupancy: $4695
Single occupancy supplement: $845
BASIC TOUR DEPOSIT $500
Please note prices are based on two people sharing a room. If you require a single room, the single supplement price will be extra.
* Travel with peace of mind, knowing that your payments are 100% financially protected in case any of our suppliers becomes insolvent, in which case you would receive a full refund.
TOUR DEPOSIT $500 PER PERSON
A deposit of $500 per person is required to secure immediate booking. The remainder of
the payment will be required ten weeks before the start date of the tour.
Any problems or queries contact us here
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS:
1. Cancellations must be received in writing and will be processed according to the date the written notice is received. Although a verbal cancellation is appreciated, it will not be accepted as final notice. Departure is defined as the date of the first flight from travellers country, or the trip departure date as indicated on our Trip Schedule, whichever comes first. 1. Money will be refunded minus the following cancellation fees/penalties per person (unless different for a particular trip, then the special cancellation schedule of that trip will apply):
- From time of booking up to 90 days prior to departure $500.00 per person
- 89-60 days prior to departure $750.00 per person
- 59-31 days prior to departure 75% of total land cost
- 30-0 days prior to departure No refund
2. Aside from the above penalties, any additional penalties on airline tickets imposed by the airlines- in cases of cancellation or date changes after issuance of tickets - will be totally charged to the traveler. In addition, any costs involved in obtaining visas will also be collected from the traveler and cannot be reimbursed by Ancient Origins or its suppliers.
3. Hotel rooms booked on our tours are run of The House (ROH), any special rooms with views or upper floors will entail a supplement that clients will be responsible to cover.
PRICE PER PERSON INCLUDES
- Private airport arrival transfer to hotel in Athens
- Shared group departure transfers
- Accommodation
- Breakfast and Lunch
- Transportation on AC buses
- Museum and site entrance fees
- English-speaking guide & tour leaders
- Domestic flights, ferry and boat fares
EXCLUDES
- Flights to and from Greece
- Visa fee
- Drinks during meals
- Dinners (excl. Day 10)
- Tips
- Bottled water
- Personal items
ACCOMMODATION
Athens - Royal Olympic 5*
Kalambaka - Divani Meteora 4*
Patra - My Way 5*
Kalamata - Elite City Resort 4*
