3days: Athens Corinth, Delphi, monasteries, cave, 300 battlefield

Corinth Canal. Four miles long, with sheer rock walls that rise nearly 260 feet from the waterline, the canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf, theoretically saving mariners a journey of hundreds of nautical miles around the Peloponnesus peninsula. A Corinthian ruler named Periander is said to have first proposed it around 600 B.C. He settled instead for a limestone-paved road with a rudimentary railway, on which small ships could be carted across the isthmus.

Ancient Corinth was a significant city-state of the Peloponnese and was known as the wealthiest city of the ancient world. During the Classical period, Corinth played a pivotal role in various wars. In 331 BC, Ancient Corinth was the site where Alexander the Great allied against the Persians. Fast forward to the Roman era, specifically 51-52 AD, Apostle Paul not only visited the city but also lived there for a couple of years. After his visit, in later years, he wrote two of his epistles to the Corinthians, which are part of the New Testament.

Acrocorinth, standing at a height of 575 meters, was initially fortified between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, eventually evolving into an Acropolis. Its unique morphology provided a strategic advantage for defense against various forms of attack. The castle fortress remained active until the Greek Revolution of 1821.

Charilaos Trikoupis Rio-Antirrio Bridge. The Rio–Antirrio Bridge (Greek: Γέφυρα Ρίου–Αντιρρίου), officially the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, is one of the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges and longest of the fully suspended type.

Nafpaktos. Overnight & swimming (optional). Nafpaktos is a town well-known to the Greeks. Having a Medieval charm and a fairytale vibe, Nafpaktos Greece never fails to charm visitors. Its small Venetian port, laid-back beaches, and lush green landscape make Nafpaktos a beautiful destination to visit!

Delphi Archaeological Museum. - archaeological site and museum. - temple of Athena tholos monument - kastalia the holy spring - gymnasium. 2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Meteora overnight & sunset at meteora

Great Meteoron Monastery. Definitely the biggest and one of the most impressive monasteries in Meteora is the Holy Monastery of Transfiguration of Jesus. The monastery was constructed on top of the biggest rock named accordingly “Platis lithos” or “Wide Rock”, having a total area of more than 50 acres and height reaching more than 613m above sea level. The first to climb was the monk Athanasios, a prominent ascetic figure of the Meteora’s early hermitic community who later became a Saint of the Greek Orthodox church. He was to be followed by other 14 monks and in 1340 AD they manage to build God’s Mother church, thus organized into the very first systematic monastic community in Meteora.

Varlaam Monastery. In 1350 a daring ascetic named Varlaam ascended to the rock. The monastery was named after him. He built three churches, a small cell and a water tank. There is a rich and important collection of about 300 manuscripts. Some of them are exhibited in the sacristy of the monastery and the others are in special places for preservation and protection. Their multi-coloured artistic decoration attracts somebody’s attention. There are a few miniatures. The first letters of the texts and a lot of titles are decorated. At the end of the 16th century and at the beginning of the 17th century the most well-organized workroom for manuscripts production in Meteora ran in the monastery.

Theopetra Prehistoric Cave is definitely a site worth visiting, not to be missed by anyone ! Open 2025 after 8 years renovation. The oldest known artificial structure. Among the oldest human footprints in Europe.

Battlefield of Thermopylae. Battlefield of 300, the Ancient hot gates, Leonidas and 300 Spartans' monument, and hear a full detailed description of the battle.