Greece seat in coach

Greece: Day 3 to Day 6

We did these 4 days on a seat-in-coach basis. We packed separately for just these 4 days and left the remaining luggage at the Ledra Marriott Hotel, as we were returning to the same hotel at the end of the tour. This proved to be extremely practical since we had to check in and check out of hotels every night of this tour.


For a seat-in-coach tour, we always believed that it was essential to have a good group, a good bus, a good driver and a good guide! We got extremely lucky on all these aspects. We were in a group comprising an Australian couple with an infant, an American Couple, 2 families from New Zealand, a Japanese couple, a family from Canada. The tour was organized by Key tours. The guide was Ms. Marianna Tsigaridis (2108953172/ mob: 6944530827 / e-mail: tsigaridisfamily@yahoo.com). She was probably the best guide we have had till now on any tour! Extremely well informed, she almost held classes for us at each of the sites, complete with picture books.


Day 3: Athens – Olympia

We were picked up from the hotel by Key Tours. After passing by the Olympic Stadium to see the Athens 2004 Olympics main venue,  we continued for the Corinth Canal. After a short stop here, we proceeded to Epidaurus and visited the Ancient amphitheatre, world famous for its outstanding accoustics. This involves some walking. From here, we proceeded to Nauplia. It is beautiful town. One can spend a couple of days here if ther is time. For us however, it was a short stop and through the plain of Argos arrived at Mycenae. This is an archaeological site and involved lots of walking uphill. Though it did not have any steps and involved just a climb on a ramp path, the site is very large and therefore quite exhausting. Just outside this site is the Tomb of Agamemnon. In the afternoon, we departed for Olympia, the birth place of the Olympic Games, through the cites of Tripolis and Megalopolis. We stayed at Hotel Antonios Kotretsos at Olympia. This is fairly comfortable hotel for an overnight stay. Food was good, the rooms are basic but clean.

Day 4: Olympia – Delphi

Starting at 8 am in the morning, we visited the archaeological site with the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera, the altar of the Olympic flame and the ancient Olympic Stadium. This was an exhilarating experience. The places where the registration office used to be, the rooms for the participants, the dining area, the gymnasium have been uncovered. The Altar where the Olympic flame used to be lit in the ancient days is the place where the flame is lit till today while the flame is kept burning in the new Olympic stadium in Athens.

The entrance to the athletic stadium is through a archway. Passing under it to go to the athletic stadium was an amazing experience.

At the entrance to the stadium, just outside the archway used to be idols of those athletes who should not be idolized... of the athletes who were charged with unfair play. The name of the shamed athlete along with other details such as which year he had been debarred, the town he represented and the details of his family along with the details of his shameful act used to be etched under his idol to deter others from unfair play!

In ancient Olympia, aided by the explanations of a good guide, one feels transported to the past.

We went past Patras to Rion, across the Corinthian bay by the new bridge to Anirion. Passing by the city of Nafpaktos and from there on, going along the coastal road we reached Delphi, known in ancient times as the navel of the world.  

At Delphi we stayed at Hotel Delphi Palace. A MUST AVOID. The food is not worth mentioning. It is a very dinghy hotel with indifferent staff. The hotel is literally falling apart - The chair of one of our co-tourists broke at the dining table, the door of our bathroom came off… we were glad and relieved to check out the next morning.

Day 5: Delphi – Kalambaka  

We were picked up at 8 am from the hotel and left for the archaeological site of Delphi. We drank water from the Castalino fountain or the fountain of eternal youth - not sure if it works now a days! We also visited the place of the oracle of Delphi. This oracle was consulted by most people those times before any important decision and Alexander the Great was also supposed to have consulted this Oracle. There is a great stadium stadium here, involving a difficult climb. But is a great experience.

We departed for Kalambaka via Central Greece. Kalambaka is a small town built at the foothills of majestic grey rocks and crowned by the Meteora Monasteries. We stayed overnight at Hotel Divani Meteora in Kalambaka. This is an excellent Hotel.


Day 6: Kalambaka – Athens

We left in the morning for nearby Meteora to visit the Byzantine Monasteries. This was a really unique experience. The Byzantine churches are built on top of mountains, hidden between rocks. There are a handful of such monasteries. We visited one of them. These obviously include a lot of climb. The roads lead to about the middle of rock and after this we have to climb up. These monasteries are well maintained. Visit to Greece will be incomplete without this visit.

Return to Athens passing the heroic monument of Leonidas at Thermopylae. We stayed overnight at Ledra Marriott hotel at Athens.