North Greece Extended

A memorable journey that will take you to three significant UNESCO World Heritage sites.  This itinerary may be customized as a 5 or 6 day tour according to your travel preferences.  Please contact us for details and pricing.

Delphi – nestled high at the foot of Mount Parnassos, it is one of the most sacred and beautiful ancient sites in Greece, known as the cultural and religious center and referred to in the ancient years as the “Navel of Earth.”  You will have the opportunity to visit the Sanctuary of Delphi (4th century BC).   Here is where according to mythology, the Pythia, name given to the priestess who served as the Oracle, was widely credited for her prophecies inspired by the spirit of the god Apollo.  She was without a doubt the most powerful woman of the classical world as she influenced the fate of states and individuals for 1000 years.

Visit the Temple of Apollo, the Castallian Spring, the Ancient Stadium that hosted the Pythian Games, and follow the sacred way to the Athenian Treasury.  Tour the Museum of Delphi, home to a unique bronze Charioteer, the Naxian Sphinx, the Statue of Antinous, and many other archaeological treasures.

Meteora – one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, characterized by UNESCO as a unique phenomenon of cultural heritage.  Feel the natural beauty of the landscape combined with the historical and spiritual context of the area.   Admire ageless Monasteries containing historical and religious treasures, including 16th-century frescoes that mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting.

At Meteora, in a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monasteries were built by monks who were previously hermits in the area and who settled on these “columns of the sky” from the 11th century onwards.  With much determination, it took months and years to carry the construction materials to the top of the rocks some as high as 550 meters (1800 ft), using ropes, folding ladders, nets and baskets.  Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties only 6 of them have made it through the centuries.  You will have the unique opportunity to visit 2 or 3 of these monasteries.

Mount Athos  – Agio Oros (Holy Mountain) – Situated in the peninsula of Halkidiki, Mount Athos, with densely forested slopes reaching up to 2.033 meters  in an area of extraordinary natural beauty.  It has been inhabited since ancient times and is known for its nearly 1.800 year Christian presence and its long historical monastic traditions, which date back to at least 800 AD and the Byzantine era.   Mount Athos is a self-governed part of the Greek state, and it has been divided into twenty territories, featuring a rich collection of well-preserved artifacts, rare books, ancient documents, and artworks of significant historical value.

Only men are allowed at Mount Athos according to the Protocol of the monastic state.  A visitor to a monastery who is accommodated in a guest house, can have a taste of the monastic life by following its daily schedule: praying, common dining, working according to the duties of each monk and rest.  During this time, women may explore the peninsula of Athos and visit the island of Samothrace to experience the legacy of the ancient Cabeirian Mysteries.