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 in Athens

Afternoon

Let’s enjoy the rest of the day at leisure; perhaps a visit to one of the many museums like the National Archaeological Museum, or Settle in, relax, and get to know our surroundings.

Discover the Highlights of Athens

Half day

Let’s uncover Athens on a half day guided excursion. We step back in time and discover the awe-inspiring Acropolis of Athens, an ancient citadel perched on a hilltop overlooking the city. This wonderful settlement is home to the Parthenon, a beautiful Doric temple, and the Erechtheion, a temple dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. A perfect opportunity for those Instagram shots!

See more of Ancient Athens; we stop and view from the outside, the Panathinaikon Stadium, host to the first modern Olympic Games, and drive by Syntagma Square passing the House of Parliament before returning to our hotel.

At Leisure

Afternoon

Fall in love with Athens; stroll through the atmospheric Plaka district, savour a Greek coffee at one of the pavement cafes, relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

Take time out to visit the House of Parliament to see the tomb of the unknown soldier 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.

Experience Meteora “Garden of Rocks”

Morning - Full day

After breakfast, we depart early on a full day of adventure as we make our way to Thessaloniki. En-route we discover the region of Meteora fondly known as the "Garden of Rocks “. On arrival we enjoy a visit to one of the monasteries (entrance is included) with their wonderful frescoes and impressive views.  Today there are six surviving monasteries from the twenty-four original in this region; the monasteries became the centre of Orthodox faith during the late Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

Numerous visitors flock to see the unique scenery and the site that became famous, from the James Bond 007 movie in 1981 "For Your Eyes Only"; you might also recognise the rock formations from "The Game of Thrones" series, as a back drop for Eyrie of Vale, of the House of Arryn.

This dramatic site is now a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1989, and a national treasure for Greece.

Transfer to Thessaloniki

Afternoon

In the afternoon, we continue to Thessaloniki, and arrive in late in the evening in time for dinner.

Join us for dinner!

Tonight, and each night of our stay in Thessaloniki we join our fellow travellers for dinner.

Guided Tour of Thessaloniki City

Morning - Half day

This morning we discover Thessaloniki with a visit to the historical centre of the city on a half day tour. Thessaloniki, being the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Central Macedonia, is considered Greece's cultural capital. With over 3,000 years of history, there is plenty to explore, with monuments and traditions dating back to Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Jewish civilisations. Many of the churches are included in UNESCO's World Heritage list. See more as we pass by boulevard, the White Tower, the statue of Alexander the Great and on a drive through the Aristotelis University and the campus area, there will be an opportunity to admire magnificent views of the city and take photos. 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.

At Leisure

Afternoon

The afternoon is free, for strolling and shopping in the city centre.

Full Day Excursion to Pella & Edessa

Morning - Full day

This morning we set off on a full day guided excursion to Pella and Edessa.

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.

Fall in love with the picturesque Edessa, famous for its waterfalls. Here we enjoy free time for lunch as well as a chance to explore the old part of the city and the park of waterfalls, with several viewing points as we gaze upon Edessa’s star attraction from a distance.

We depart Edessa and make our way back to Thessaloniki, where we will have the rest of the evening at leisure to relax and unwind after a full day of exploring.

Discover Vergina resting place of King Phillip II

Morning

Enjoy a full day exploring Aigai (modern Vergina). Aigai was the first first capital city of the kingdom of Macedonia; and it is known as the place of assignation of King Phillip II, Alexander the Greats father. We uncover more of this story on our visit to the museum where we see the Tomb of Phillip II, the second most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century, after the Tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt.

Visit Veroia the Beama of St Paul

Afternoon

After lunch (not included) we visit the nearby city of Veroia to see the Bema of St. Paul, a monument erected to honour the Apostle of the Nations and his close ties with the city.  See more of Veroia as we visit the archaeological site of the “School of Aristotle” where it is believed that the famous philosopher spent seven years as the tutor of the young prince Alexander and inspired Alexander’s great love for literature.  

We return to our hotel in the evening and enjoy a final dinner together.

Visit Dion en-route to Athens

Morning - Full day

This morning we say a fond farewell to Thessaloniki as we depart for Athens. En-route we enjoy a visit to the sacred city of the Macedonians - Dion.  Dion lies at the foothills of Mt. Olympus (the mountain of the gods, of Greek mythology) this ancient city is surrounded by one of the biggest archaeological parks in Greece. We take time to walk in the footsteps of the ancients and marvel at history of this other worldly site before continuing to Athens.

At Leisure in Athens

Evening

We arrive late in the evening in Athens (approximately 7:30pm) and enjoy a last night to soak up the sights and atmosphere of this remarkable city.

Depart Athens Greece

It’s time to say farewell to our Greek adventure and set off for home from Athens Airport.