Christmas Getaway to Greece - Discover Athens, Thessaloniki and Alexander the Great’s empire

Arrive in Athens

We have arrived! We meet our local representative and transfer to our hotel.

At Leisure

Let’s enjoy the rest of the day at leisure; settle in, relax, and get to know our surroundings, stretch our legs, take a stroll and soak up the atmosphere.

Experience Athens and the Acropolis

Half day

Let’s discover Athens on a half day guided excursion. Step back in time and uncover the awe-inspiring Acropolis of Athens, an ancient citadel perched on a hilltop overlooking the city. This iconic settlement is home to the Parthenon, a beautiful Doric temple, and the Erechtheion, a temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. Remember to wear comfortable and sturdy shoes for walking around the Acropolis, not much has changed over the years and it still can be a bit rocky!

Experience more as we uncover the Panathinaikos Stadium (from the outside), host to the first modern Olympic Games and the only stadium in the world that is built entirely of marble!

At Leisure

Afternoon

Fall in love with Athens; explore the Plaka district, a historic area known as the "Neighbourhood of the Gods". Savour some Greek specialties starting the afternoon off with a good strong Greek coffee or aperitif in one of the cafes while sampling some culinary delights at a traditional tavern.

Soak up the festive atmosphere; take a leisurely stroll to Syntagma square to see the House of Parliament and experience the hourly changing of the guards (get there early to have the best viewing spot).

Our expert local guide will be happy to recommend places of interest to see and visit and point out the best shopping spots.

Visit Meteora

Morning - Full day

This morning is an early start as we depart for Thessaloniki. Along the way we make a stop en-route to visit the region of Meteora or fondly known as the "Garden of Rocks". There are six surviving monasteries today from the twenty-four original in this region; the monasteries became the centre of Orthodox faith during the late Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Today we will visit one of the monasteries (entrance is included) now an UNESCO World Heritage site. The area is also a Natura 2000 Ecological zone for the protection of rare species of birds and flowers.

Transfer to Thessaloniki

Afternoon

In the afternoon, we continue our journey to Thessaloniki arriving late in the evening, just in time for dinner and an early night after our journey.

Dinner is included every night of our stay in Thessaloniki.

Full Day Guided Excursion to Pella and Vergina.

Full day

Let’s get ready for another adventure as we set off on a full day excursion to Pella and Aigai (Vergina).

First stop we uncover Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great.  The archaeological site of Pella is one of the most important political and economic cultural centres of Greece. We admire the mosaic floors of houses dating back to the 4th century BC and part of the Agora, one of the biggest public areas of the ancient Greek world.

Continuing from Pella, we explore Aigai (modern Vergina), the famous museum site where the tomb of King Philip II, father of Alexander the Great is located. This is the second most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century, after the Tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt. There will be a short visit to the small theatre where Philip was killed before we return to our hotel.

Christmas Eve Dinner

After our day of discovery, we sit back, relax and enjoy our festive Christmas eve dinner.

(Christmas is celebrated on the 24th of December).

At Leisure in Thessaloniki

Full Day

Today is Christmas day; a day to relax and unwind after a few busy days of exploring.

Enjoy a relaxing walk and discover Thessaloniki; soak up the decorated city streets and enjoy the day at our leisure.

Discover Thessaloniki

Half day

Uncover Thessaloniki on a half day guided excursion, starting in the historical centre of the city. We drive pass the seafront boulevard, the White Tower, and the statue of Alexander the Great, also passing through the Aristotelis University campus area. Experience more as we take in the magnificent views of the city; an excellent opportunity for an insta shot! From the old city, we descend to the church of St. Dimitrios, patron saint of Thessaloniki, passing Egnatia street, the Rotonda monument, the Arch of Galerius and St. Sophia before returning to our hotel.

Thessaloniki At Leisure

Afternoon

The afternoon is at leisure to further explore the second largest city in Greece and the capital of Central Macedonia “Greece’s cultural capital”. With over 3,000 years of history there is plenty to discover; monuments and traditions dating back to the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Jewish civilisations. Many of the churches are included in UNESCO's World Heritage list

Depart for Athens & Experience Dion

Morning

Today we say a fond farewell to Thessaloniki and depart for Athens. En-route we visit another treasure in Greece’s history, Dion.  Set at the foothills of Mt. Olympus “the mountain of the gods of Greek mythology”, one of the biggest archaeological parks in Greece surrounds this sacred city of the Macedonians, we enjoy some time in this splendid place before returning to Athens.

Arrive in Athens

Evening

Arrive in Athens in the late evening (approximately 7:30pm). Enjoy a last night to soak up the atmosphere of this remarkable city.

Depart Greece

Transfer from our hotel to Athens Airport for the return flight, with guide assistance.