Winter in ATHENS & THESSALONIKI – 7 Days

Details

**(Thermopylae* Volos* Pilio* Thessaloniki* Kerkini Lake* * Kastoria * Prespes * Pella* Vergina)**

7 Days
from 995/per person
Greece

Itinerary

1st day Athens – panoramic city tour

Arrival at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. Our transfer will be waiting for you at the airport. After boarding our luxurious vehicle, sit back and relax as the driver transports you to the center of Athens for a panoramic tour showing the highlights of the city. We will see the Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Zeus and after to the Constitution square called "Syntagma" where the presidential guard, called "Evzonos", is in front of the Greek parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then we will pass by the Presidential Residence and the Panathinaikos stadium that was originally built in 329aC, where the first Olympics of the modern era in 1896 were held. Dinner and transfer to the Hotel for check in. Overnight in Athens. (Dinner)

2nd day Athens – Thermopylae - Volos – Pilio - Thessaloniki

Breakfast at the hotel and we will depart for the second biggest town in Greece, Thessaloniki. First stop at Thermopylae, which is a mountain pass near the sea in northern Greece which was the site of several battles in antiquity, the most famous being that between Persians and Greeks in August 480 BCE. Despite being greatly inferior in numbers, the Greeks held the narrow pass for three days with Spartan King Leonidas fighting a last-ditch defense with a small force of Spartans and other Greek hoplites. Arrive to Volos, which is known as the city of the Argonauts, in Greek mythology, Volos was where Jason boarded the Argo on a quest for the Golden Fleece at Colchis. As a nod to this ancient hero there’s a replica of an ancient Trireme ship berthed at the city’s port. A picturesque drive north of Volos will bring us to the mountainous Tsagarada, one of the oldest villages of Pelion, and perhaps the most well-known both in Greece and abroad. Founded in 1500 in a wild chestnut forest, from a distance it looks immersed in lush and vast forests. Looking to the east, you can admire the unparalleled beauty of the panoramic view of the Aegean Sea and to the west, the verdant slopes of Pelion. Lunch and continue to Thessaloniki. Dinner and transfer to the Hotel for check in. Overnight in Thessaloniki. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

3rd day Thessaloniki – Christmas Park in Drama

Today, after our breakfast, we will visit the bride of the North, as Greek’s call, the city of Kastoria. We will make a stop there and then we will head to Prespes, the national park and the Village of Psarades. The National Park of Prespa encompasses the lakes of Mikri and Megali Prespa- in part- (big and small Prespa), which are separated by a sandy islet of alluvial sediment and are encompassed by tall mountains. The big Prespa lake covers an area of 272 square kilometers. and has a depth of 55m. This has seen rich fish fauna (18 species) and many species of rare birds (pelicans, herons, pygmy, cormorants). Optional tour and upon weather conditions, we can have a boat tour around the lake. Boating in Lake Prespa is one of the most popular activities and is a cognitive route and naturalistic. Guests can explore the lakes with characteristic wooden boats called "plaves". Transfer back in Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

4th day Thessaloniki – Kerkini Lake - Thessaloniki

Breakfast at the hotel and start our trip to Kerkini Lake, one of the most valuable wetland habitats in Greece, ideal for nature observation of about 300 species of birds and rare animals. Among many species, admire the beautiful flamingos and the magnificent buffalos, inextricable parts of the Greek fauna. All these are combined with the wonderful view of Mount Beles and the verdant valley of Serres forming the paradise of the alternative tourism. There we will have some briefing about the lake and then we will have a boat tour in the large gatherings of Flamingos, Pelicans and the Cormorants. After the boat tour we will visit the buffalo farm. Transfer back to Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

5th day Thessaloniki – Pella – Vergina - Athens:

Breakfast at the hotel and departure from Thessaloniki to Athens. Our first stop will be Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, there we will visit the archaeological site and the museum. The excavations have brought to light the interesting findings of the ancient city, exhibited at the local museum. You will certainly be impressed by the outstanding mosaic floors that used to decorate the city’s grand mansions – the most famous are the ones depicting the Abduction of Helen, Rapture, the Amazonomachy (the battle of Amazons), and the Deer Hunt. We continue with Vergina and the archaeological site of Vergina. We will admire the finds from the royal tombs which are global monuments and the tomb of Philip II with beautiful frescoes. Time for lunch and resume our trip to Athens. Dinner and check in at the hotel. Overnight in Athens. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

6th day Athens – city tour – Acropolis – Acropolis Museum

Breakfast and get ready for the most amazing city tour through history, which gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city!! We will start our tour with Acropolis, the Architectural Masterpieces in the world of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally "the harmony between material and spirit", the monument that "puts order in the mind", the Parthenon. Then we will visit the New Acropolis Museum which is only 300m. away from the sacred rock of Acropolis and where at last 4000 priceless statues found their home and admire the wonders of the classical era. We continue with a walk to the ancient Agora (Market) of Athens. The Ancient Agora, where the place that ancient Greeks used to do their trades, but also used to gather to discuss city matters, thus, creating the idea of Democracy. It’s a magnificent walking tour, there we will see the Stoa of Attalos, originally erected during the 2nd cent. BC as a gift of the king of Pergamon, Attalos II, to Athens and was one of the world's first shopping malls, which was 116 meters in length and two floors high, supported by Doric, Ionic and parchment columns. Then we will see the temple of Hephaestus, more widely known as Thisio, which is probably built around 460-420 B.C. by an unknown architect. Then we will have free time at Plaka, lunch and time to enjoy Athens. Dinner. Overnight Athens. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

7th day Athens:

Breakfast and transfer to airport to take your flight back home. (Breakfast)

Included:
- 3 nights in Athens at Hotel 4* (Novotel Athens 4*, Brown Lighthouse 4* or similar) or Hotel 5* (Wyndham Grand Athens 5*, Radisson Blu Park Hotel Athens 5* or similar) with breakfast
- 3 nights in Thessaloniki at Hotel 4* (Astoria Capsis 4* or similar) or Hotel 5* (Porto Palace 5* or similar) with breakfast
- Private bus and guided tour according itinerary
- Entrance fees at Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, Archeological Site of Pella, Archeological Site of Vergina
- Lunches and Dinners
- Boat tour at lake Kerkini
- Oneiroupoli at Drama
- Accommodation Tax
Not Included:
- Tips
- Porterage fees
- The boat tour at Prespes

Prices & Hotels

(Wyndham Grand Athens 5*, Radisson Blu Park Hotel Athens 5* or similar) with breakfast

Prices
	Hotel 4*	Hotel 5*
Price per person in double room	995,00 €	1.195,00 €
Single Supplement	495,00 €	595,00 €
Child 0 – 1.99 y.o.	195,00 €
Child 2 – 11.99 y.o.	reduction 50%
Child 12 – 17.99 y.o.	reduction 30%
Prices refer to min 2 pax
Special discount for groups