Country Walkers
Even with 5,000 years of history, Greece never stops surprising.
Standing trailside above Delphi’s Temple of Apollo, with the sweep of Mount Parnassus as a backdrop, there’s no better stage for appreciating the ancient Greeks’ dramatic flair. Fortunately, your guides are experts at weaving history, myth, and tradition into a captivating mosaic that brings these places to life. You’ve experienced this while surveying the Peloponnese Peninsula from Acrocorinth’s fortress gates and riding the rails through the magnificent Vouraikos gorge. Soon you’ll be strolling through green forest and massive sandstone pillars to the dizzyingly perched medieval monasteries of Meteora. Greece isn’t just antiquities, however—you’ll also savor its vibrant culture and contemporary cuisine during a visit with a local chef at his restaurant in Kalavrita and a private wine tasting in Polydrosos. Yiamas!
Vacation Inclusions
- Exceptional boutique accommodations
- 15 on-tour meals: 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
- Local guides with you throughout tour
- Local wine and/or beer with dinner
- Entrance fees and special events as noted in the itinerary
- Telescopic walking sticks provided on tour
Featured Destinations
Meteora
Meteora
The natural sandstone towers of Meteora, Greece, 160 mi/260 km northwest of Athens, are the site of spectacular monasteries. Atop gray-rock pinnacles jutting some 2,000 ft/600 m in the air (meteora means "hanging between heaven and Earth"), these 11th-century religious centers contain ancient manuscripts, ornate icons and Byzantine artifacts. Spend at least a day in the area and visit the impressive monasteries, including the 615-ft-/200-m-high Megalo Meteoro (Metamorfossis), or Varlaam, which was built in 1542 and features stunning post-Byzantine art. http://www.meteora-greece.com. For overnight accommodations, you can stay in the town of Kalambaka, located under the rock formations. It has post-Byzantine churches and an 11th-century cathedral (with frescoes) that are worth exploring.
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Destination Guide
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Arachova
Arachova
Arachova (or "Rahova" as it was known during the Turkish occupation) is a beautiful large village that is built on five hills. These hills are Coumoula, Sfalaki, Countrouli, Ai-Giorgi and finally Afano, which is the highest area of Mount Parnassos that is inhabited.
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Destination Guide
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Kalavrita
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Athens
Athens
Even though you've probably come here to see the "glory that was Greece," perhaps best symbolized by the Parthenon and the superb statues and vases in the National Archaeological Museum, allow some time to make haste slowly in Athens. Your best moments may come sitting at a small cafe, sipping a tiny cup of the sweet sludge that the Greeks call coffee, or getting hopelessly lost in the Plaka -- only to find yourself in the shady courtyard of an old church, or suddenly face to face with an ancient monument you never knew existed. With only a little advance planning, you can find a good hotel here, eat well in convivial restaurants, enjoy local customs such as the refreshing afternoon siesta and the leisurely evening volta (promenade or stroll) -- and leave Athens planning to return, as the Greeks say, tou chronou (next year).
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Destination Guide
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