Greece, first 2 days

Irrespective of whether you are a mythology buff or a history buff, you love nature or simply want an amazing holiday….head for Greece!

We had a 14 day itinerary for Greece.  Greece has options for every kind of   traveler. It is therefore best to do Greece by picking and choosing what you want to do in the time available to you. We drew up the following itinerary. Our tour included a bus journey in an international group, private car tours, a cruise to some of the islands, scooting in the islands and also a climb on a volcano to a crater! 

Greece involves a LOT of walking. Food is great in Greece, even for vegetarians. Vegans can experiment on the various options or can make a meal of Greek Salad 3 times a day for 15 days. One never seems to tire of it!

Day 1:  Arrival Athens / Evening Athens by Night Tour

Stayed  in Hotel Ledra Marriott. The Airport is about 45 minutes from this Hotel. (Do not plan your return trip to catch the flight on this basis! The traffic can be excruciatingly slow at times). The hotel is fantastic, good food and great rooms. We chose one with a view of the Acropolis. These room balconies however face the main road. It is not very noisy if the windows are properly shut. And, the view of the lit Acropolis at night was simply amazing.

In the evening, we took an ’Athens By Night’ tour. The tour provider was Key Tours, with their office close to the Hotel. The tour starts with a visit to the main Greek port of Piraeus, passing by the most important points of the city (City Hall, picturesque yacht's harbour of Microlimano etc). Following the principal avenues and passing by the Temple of Olympian Zeus, National Garden, Parliament, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Catholic Cathedral, Academy, University, National Library, Old Parliament we arrived at Plaka. A short pleasant walk through the old unique Athens city took us to one of the popular taverns for dinner with live bouzouki music and Greek folk dances. The tour was not great as it got very dark and the guide was not very informative. However, it did serve as an introduction to Athens which came in useful later when we explored Athens by ourselves.

Day 2:  Morning City Tour of Athens / Afternoon Cape Sounion  

The breakfast spread at the hotel is fantastic, the staff are very attentive and responsive.

After breakfast we left for a half day tour of Athens. We visited the Panathinaiko Stadium which the cradle of the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896. Passing by the Prime’s Ministers residence, Ex Royal Palace (guarded by colourful Evzones) Zappion , National Garden, Hadrian’s Arc, St. Paul’s Church, Parliament, Tomb of the Unknown soldier, Schlieman’s House (Numismatic Museum), Catholic Cathedral, Academy, University, National Library, Old Parliament, Constitution Square. We climbed up the Lykovittos hill to reach the beautiful orthodox church at the top. We spent time till lunch at the Acropolis. We visited all these places with a guide (Ms. Anastasia from Key tours) who was very informative. There is a short climb to reach Acropolis and it can be a little tiring, depending on the time of the day! The visit included Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Parthenon and Erechtheion). The temple is absolutely captivating and a MUST do. The connection with our Hindu temples, the similarity in the customs followed in those days at the temple of Athena and those that are followed till today in the Hindu temples is amazing.

We left for CAPE SOUNION by a private cab with our guide Ms. Anastasia where we visited the 5th century BC Temple of Poseidon with one of the most breathtaking panoramic views in the world.

This turned out to be one of the most special and memorable visits of the tour. The temple is beautiful, the view from there especially at sunset is not to be missed. The magical effect of the Sunrays reflecting from the remains of the temple was imply awesome. Please plan properly to reach there well before sunset and plan to stay there for a while after the sunset. Everything else has to be planned to fit this in. Apparently, on a clear day we can see at least seven islands. The precipice is a sheer 197 foot drop to the sea, which reminded of our trip to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa!

Our Recommendations
Places to visit and things to do:

• Must do: Athens by night tour, Sunset at Cape Sounion, Athens city tour by the day, Acropolis,  Change of guard, Panathinaiko stadium
• Ok to do: -
• Can avoid: -
• Must avoid: -

• Must do: Dinner at a Taverna at Plaka with music/dance
• Ok to do: Ledra Marriot Athens (Stay)
• Can avoid: -
• Must avoid: -

Places to stay / eat: