Grand Tour of Greece: Athens, Meteora, the Peloponnese & the Islands

Today you explore the classical heart of Athens with your expert guide. You climb the sacred Acropolis, taking in the Propylaea gateway, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheion with its famous Caryatids, before standing before the Parthenon, the supreme masterpiece of classical architecture, with breathtaking views over the city to the sea. You descend to the superb Acropolis Museum, where the temple's sculptures are displayed in its sight. In the afternoon you explore the ancient Agora, the heart of classical Athens where Socrates walked, with its Temple of Hephaestus, and wander the enchanting Plaka. The grandeur and atmosphere are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel. This evening, savour Greek cuisine in a Plaka taverna. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore more of Athens and its great museum.

Today you delve deeper into Athens and journey to the sea. You may visit the world-class National Archaeological Museum, home to the treasures of Mycenae, including the golden Mask of Agamemnon, and countless masterpieces, and take in the vast Temple of Olympian Zeus and the marble Panathenaic Stadium. In the afternoon you drive along the scenic Athenian Riviera to Cape Sounion, where the gleaming Temple of Poseidon stands dramatically on a headland above the Aegean, glorious at sunset. The history and beauty are captivating. As the day ends, you return to Athens, having explored the ancient city in depth. This evening, savour a final Athens dinner, perhaps on a rooftop beneath the floodlit Parthenon. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to sacred Delphi and begin your tour of the mainland's wonders.

Today you journey to sacred Delphi, the most spectacular of ancient sanctuaries. You drive north-west from Athens through beautiful countryside, passing the pretty town of Arachova, to Delphi, set on the steep, pine-clad slopes of Mount Parnassus above a vast sea of olive groves, considered by the ancients the very centre of the earth and home to the famous oracle of Apollo. With your guide you walk the Sacred Way up through the sanctuary, past ancient treasuries to the great Temple of Apollo, the theatre and stadium, and visit the superb museum with its magnificent bronze Charioteer. The spectacular setting and history are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel near Delphi, high among the mountains. This evening, savour a mountain taverna dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to the astonishing monasteries of Meteora.

Today you journey to Meteora and marvel at its astonishing cliff-top monasteries. You drive north through beautiful mountain scenery to Meteora, one of the most extraordinary sights in the world, where six medieval Orthodox monasteries perch impossibly atop soaring pinnacles of dark rock that rise hundreds of metres from the plain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With your guide you visit several of the monasteries, climbing steps carved into the rock to take in their beautiful Byzantine frescoes, icons, treasures and the old winch-towers by which they were once reached, and marvel at the dizzying views over the whole otherworldly landscape, magical in the late-afternoon light. The scale, beauty and spirituality are captivating. As the day ends, you watch the pinnacles glow at sunset. This evening, savour dinner in the village of Kalambaka. Rest well, for tomorrow you cross to the Peloponnese and Olympia.

Today you journey south to the Peloponnese and Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. You drive from Meteora, crossing the Gulf of Corinth by the spectacular Rio-Antirrio bridge, through beautiful countryside of olive groves and vineyards, to Olympia in its green valley. With your expert guide you explore the sacred sanctuary of Zeus, the great Temple of Zeus that once held one of the Seven Wonders, the Temple of Hera, and the original stadium, where you can stand on the ancient marble starting line where athletes once raced. The superb museum holds masterpieces of ancient sculpture. The history and atmosphere are deeply moving. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel near Olympia. This evening, savour local Peloponnesian cuisine and wine. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Mycenae, Epidaurus and elegant Nafplio.

Today you journey across the Peloponnese to two legendary sites and elegant Nafplio. You drive east to Mycenae, citadel of Agamemnon and heart of the Bronze Age civilisation sung by Homer, passing through the famous Lion Gate into the fortress, seeing the royal grave circles and the great beehive Treasury of Atreus. You continue to Epidaurus, marvelling at the best-preserved ancient theatre in Greece, whose acoustics carry a whisper to the highest row. In the evening you arrive in Nafplio, Greece's most elegant town, on its beautiful bay. The myth and grandeur are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into romantic Nafplio. This evening, savour a taverna dinner in its marble squares. Rest well, ready to enjoy Nafplio and the Peloponnese tomorrow.

Today you enjoy elegant, romantic Nafplio and the beauty of the Peloponnese. You wander Nafplio's enchanting old town of neoclassical mansions, marble squares, bougainvillea-draped lanes and welcoming cafes, take in the little island fortress of Bourtzi in the harbour, and climb (or drive) to the mighty Palamidi fortress crowning the town for sweeping views. You may journey to spectacular Byzantine Mystras near Sparta, a fortified city of frescoed churches rising up a mountainside, or visit a family winery for a tasting. The elegance, beauty and Byzantine wonder are captivating. As the day ends, you take in the harbour at sunset. This evening, savour a seaside dinner of fresh fish and local wine. Rest well, for tomorrow you return towards Athens and sail to the beautiful island of Mykonos.

Today you leave the mainland and sail into the beautiful Cyclades. You drive back towards Athens, pausing at the Corinth Canal, and transfer to the port to board a fast ferry across the sparkling Aegean to glamorous Mykonos, the most famous of the Cyclades, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. (A domestic flight can be arranged to save time.) In the afternoon you begin to explore, wandering the dazzling maze of Mykonos Town, with its blue-domed churches, chic boutiques and iconic windmills, and the pretty waterfront of Little Venice. The beauty and glamour are captivating. As the day ends, watch the sun set from Little Venice. This evening, savour a seaside dinner and the stylish atmosphere of Mykonos. Rest well, ready to explore Mykonos and the sacred island of Delos tomorrow.

Today you sail to sacred Delos and enjoy the beauty of Mykonos. In the morning you take a short boat trip to Delos, one of the most important sites of the ancient Greek world, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, exploring with your expert guide the temples, the famous Terrace of the Lions, grand mosaic houses, theatre and sanctuaries of this uninhabited open-air museum. Returning to Mykonos, the afternoon is yours to relax on a beautiful beach of golden sand and turquoise water, or explore more of the dazzling town. The history and beauty are captivating. As the day ends, enjoy the island's famous sunset. This evening, savour Mykonos dining and atmosphere. Rest well, for tomorrow you sail to green, authentic Naxos.

Today you sail to Naxos, the greenest and most authentic of the Cyclades. You board a ferry across the beautiful Aegean to Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades, and are met and transferred to your hotel. A lovely counterpoint to glamorous Mykonos, Naxos is fertile, authentic and unspoilt. In the afternoon you explore Naxos Town, wandering up through the maze of lanes to the Venetian Kastro (castle) that crowns it, and out along the causeway to the great marble Portara, the massive gateway of an unfinished ancient temple of Apollo, which frames glorious sunsets over the sea. The authenticity and beauty are captivating. As the day ends, watch the sun set through the Portara. This evening, savour an authentic Naxian taverna dinner of fresh fish and local wine. Rest well, ready to explore the island tomorrow.

Today you discover the beautiful interior and beaches of authentic Naxos. You journey into the mountainous, green heart of the island, visiting unspoilt traditional villages such as Halki, with its old Venetian towers and citron distillery, and Apiranthos, a beautiful marble-paved mountain village, amid olive groves, vineyards and ancient marble quarries where a giant unfinished kouros statue lies in the hillside. You take in Byzantine churches and sweeping mountain views. In the afternoon you relax on one of Naxos's long, beautiful golden beaches, such as Agios Prokopios or Plaka, swimming in the clear turquoise water. The authenticity, scenery and beaches are captivating. As the day ends, you return to Naxos Town. This evening, savour a final island dinner, reflecting on the magnificent journey you have made across Greece. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning on beautiful Naxos, perhaps a last swim, a stroll through the old town, or a coffee by the harbour, you are transferred to the airport or port for your onward journey home (via Athens). You leave having experienced the full splendour and variety of Greece, the Acropolis, Agora and museums of Athens, sacred Delphi on Mount Parnassus, the astonishing monasteries of Meteora, the great ancient sites of the Peloponnese and elegant Nafplio, and the beautiful islands of Mykonos, sacred Delos and authentic Naxos. The images stay vivid long after you land, the Parthenon high above Athens, the temples of Delphi and Olympia, the cliff monasteries of Meteora, the Lion Gate of Mycenae, and the whitewashed islands and sunsets of the Cyclades. This grand tour has captured the very best of one of the most captivating countries on earth, and you depart already dreaming of a return to beautiful Greece.