Fam Trip, Athens, Peloponnese and Northern Greece

Exploration Tour of Greece for Faculty (2018)

As believers of first hand experience and personal knowledge, we invest on people (instead of printed advertising) and their personal development. Thus we believe that visiting the sites, museums and people of Greece as a part of “on hands” education is very important for students so encouraged faculty to come and experience Greece and its cultural wealth as a potential educational destination for future study tours. This fam trip was offered in Summer 2018 at a lower than actual cost,  as an exploration tour, with  no obligation on the part of the participants except to consider us as their future travel partner for organizing group travel arrangements for the next group study travel to Greece, Turkey or Italy.

The tour was a huge success with 10 participants from various schools and colleges, such as DePauw University, Miss Hall’s School, Michigan Technology University among others.

Itinerary

Day 1 Thursday, June 14: Depart from the US to Athens

Day 2 Friday, June 15: ATHENS   Arrival in Athens International Airport. Meeting and transfer (to hotel near the Plaka and Acropolis area).  Short orientation. Special welcome dinner in selected restaurant.  Overnight with breakfast at 4****hotel near the Acropolis, hotel Herodion. (D)

Day 3 Saturday, June 16: ATHENS At 8:30am meet your professional guide for a tour of the Acropolis site (on foot) and also visit the Acropolis Museum.  Afternoon free.  Dinner.  Overnight with breakfast at Hotel Herodion. (B, D)

Day 4 Sunday, June 17: ATHENS-SOUNION At 8:30am guided visit of the National Arch. Museum and then drive along the Attica Riviera, to reach Cape Sounion, for a guided visit of the Temple of Poseidon. Visit the St. Paul's Monastery in Lavrion, where Greek Orthodox nuns from all around the world are welcoming visitors, show their premises and are eager to discuss their daily monastic life. Dinner (included) on the waterfront, facing the sea. Overnight in Athens. (B, D)

Day 5 Monday, June 18:   ATHENS - ELEUSIS - NAFPLION.  At 8:30am departure for 3 day land tour to mainland Greece and the Peloponnese with your private guide and coach. Visit Eleusis, the site of the Eleusinian mysteries, dedicated to the Goddess Demeter.  Pass by Corinth Canal. Lunch on the way. Continue to the famous ancient Greek Theatre of Epidaurus, well preserved, famous for its excellent acoustic, and still in use for Ancient Greek performances today.  Visit the sanctuary and the archeological museum. Drive to Nafplion, once the capital of Greece, with its picturesque port and hill fortress of Palamidi. Dinner in traditional restaurant. Overnight with breakfast in Nafplion at Hotel Marianna (B, D)

Day 6 Tuesday, June 19: NAFPLION - MYCENAE. At 8:30am, departure with your private bus and guide for the site of Mycenae. Visit the Royal Palace of Agamemnon, the Royal Tombs and Tomb of Atreus. Continue to visit the Nemea archaeological site with temples, an Olympic stadium, and a small museum.  Visit to a local winery in Nemea, famous for the red variety of "agiorgitiko", enjoy wine tasting and lunch.  Free afternoon in Nafplion, to climb the Palamides Fortress or visit the renovated Nafplion archaeological museum.  Special cooking demonstration of Greek pastries at the home of our friend and your hotel owner and special traditional Greek dinner on their local organic farm, when you may taste local specialties overlooking their orange grove. Overnight (breakfast included) at hotel Marianna. (B, L, D).

Day 7 Wednesday, June 20: NAUPLION - ARACHOVA.  8.30am Depart in the morning with your private bus and guide towards the famous site of Delphi.  Upon arrival, visit the oracle and the fascinating archaeological museum. In the evening, group dinner at Taverna Oistros, a special treat by ETC. Overnight (breakfast included) in Arachova at Hotel Likoria (B, D)

Day 8 Thursday, June 21: DELPHI - KALAMBAKA - Monasteries of Meteora. At 8:30am, drive via Brallos through the mountains and a scenic drive via Trikala to reach Kalambaka, famous for the monasteries of Meteora, built on huge cliffs overlooking the plain of Thessaly. Dinner and overnight in the 4****star hotel Divani Meteora (B, D)

Day 9 Friday, June 22: KALAMBAKA- VERGINA - VERRIA – NAOUSSA. Start in the morning after breakfast to reach the site of Vergina, the archaeological site of the Royal Tomb of King Philip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great and its golden treasures.  On the way, stop at Verria -a city visited by Apostle Paul with a monument in his honor, and an interesting small Byzantine museum. Drive to Naoussa and visit the School of Aristotle, where Alexander the great is believed to have studied. Visit a local winery for wine tasting. Dinner in a typical restaurant and overnight in Thessaloniki in the 4****star hotel Mediterranean Palace (B, D)

Day 10 Saturday, June 23: THESSALONIKI-PELLA.  From Thessaloniki  drive to Pella-to visit the ancient capital of Alexander the Great and the Macedonians and a city tour of Thessaloniki.  We will visit the Rotunda, Roman Agora, the archeological or Byzantine museum, the White Tower, the Walls of the city, the Church of St Demetrios - the patron saint of the city. Dinner  and overnight in Thessaloniki in hotel Mediterranean Palace. (B, D)

Day 11 Sunday, June 24: THESSALONIKI-PHILIPPI. Drive to Philippi, the ancient site where St. Paul baptized the first European woman, Lydia.  See the city prison and the early Christian Basilicas and the arch. Museum. Drive back to Thessaloniki. Dinner and overnight in hotel Mediterranean Palace. (B, D)

Day 12 Monday, June 25: THESSALONIKI-DION-THERMOPYLAE-ATHENS. After breakfast, depart for Athens. Visit Dion - the sanctuary of the ancient Macedonians at the slopes of Mount Olympus. Drive to Thermopylae to visit the monument of Leonidas, the King of Sparta, at the site of the famous battlefield.  If time allows, we may also stop in Thebes to visit the newest renovated archaeological museum of Greece with a rich collection of archaeological finds from the area.  Afternoon arrival in Athens.  Dinner on your own.  Overnight in Hotel Herodion (B)

Day 13 Tuesday, June 26: ATHENS - PIREAUS - the island of AIGINA.  Morning departure to reach the port of Piraeus.  Board the ferry to the island of Aegina. Visit the Temple of Aphaia. Enjoy some local island treats such as pistachio nuts. Return by ferry to Piraeus early afternoon and onto Athens hotel for farewell dinner in a selected restaurant in Plaka. Overnight at Hotel Herodion. (B, D)

Day 14 Wednesday, June 27: ATHENS - US. Morning breakfast. Transfer with private bus to Athens airport or extend your stay in Greece to visit islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Delos or Crete.