Day 2: The morning is free to explore the ancient site of Delphi. After lunch depart for Kalambaka through the town of Lamia. On the way, a shortstop in Thermopylae, the place where the 300 Spartans (fought against the Persians) to see the Monument of Leonidas, is in the plan. Arrive in Kalambaka at +/- 19:00. Overnight.

Day 3: Visit Meteora, meaning “hanging from the sky”. It seems to be “suspended in the air”. You will visit two ageless Byzantine Monasteries and you will see unique specimens of Byzantine art. After lunch, return to Athens via Trikala, Lamia, and arrive in Athens at +/- 19:30

POPULAR TOURS: Afternoon to Sounion 31 € | 1 day Argolis 59 € | 2 days Delphi-Meteora 135 € | 4 day classical & Meteora | 1 day cruise
 

HOW TO BOOK A TOUR | BOOKING FORM | PAY ONLINE | CONTACT US

The Delphi and Meteora tour operates April – October: Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & selected Fridays. CLICK and see the dates.

PRICES: All travel agents, in Greece and worldwide, offer the same tour at different prices. We are sure that our price is not matched. Organizing tours throughout Greece since 1958, we have secured the best deals in all aspects of travel.

The price per person in 3-star hotels is:
– in a double room with 2 breakfasts, 249.00 € p.p.,
– in a double room with 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts, 285.00 € p.p. (Htl Hermes and Htl Orfeas)

The price per person in 4-star hotels (Htl Amalia and Htl Grand Meteora is:
– in a double room with 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts, 335.00 € p.p.

The “City TAX” for hotel accommodation is not included. This tax is payable by the guests to the hotel upon check-in: 4* hotel: 3 € per night, per room, 3* hotel: 1,50 € per night, per room.

The price includes:

– 1 night in Delphi and 1 in Kalambaka.
– Meals according to the price paid.
– The services of a professional tour guide.
– The entrance fee to the site and the museum in Delphi is included.
– The entrance fee in 2 monasteries at Meteora is included.
– Pick-up service from or near your hotel (see the list of hotels at the footer)
– Transportation on a modern air-conditioned coach
– Taxes, except the hotel overnight city tax.

* The traditional village of Arachova.
* The sanctuary of Apollo and the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.
* Overnight in modern Delphi.
* The monument of Leonidas, the Spartan King, in Thermopylae.
* Overnight in Kalambaka, the city below the rocks of Meteora.
* 2 monasteries are visited. One of them is the nunnery of St. Stephen.

ORACLE OF APOLLO in DELPHI-the center of the universe

According to the myth, Zeus released two eagles. One flew east and the other one west. They met over Delphi, determining that the center of the world was there. A temple dedicated to the god Apollo was built there in the 7th c BC. The Oracle of Apollo became a religious center where common people and kings alike, came to consult the priestess of the sanctuary. Delphi was the most sacred place in the ancient world and thousands of pilgrims visited here, from kings and philosophers to common people to hear the prophecies of the Oracle and to watch and compete in the ancient games held here, the Pythian Games, similar to the Olympics.

The ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE consists of the temple of Apollo, the treasury houses, the theatre, and the stadium. DELPHI is one of the best archaeological sites in Greece with ancient temples and shrines placed along the sacred way, making Delphi one of the best places to visit all year round. The site consists of the temple of Apollo, the treasury houses of the City-States, the ancient theatre, the stadium at the top of the hill, the gymnasium, and the Hippodrome. The sanctuary was built in an imposing location, on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus. The Temple of Apollo, the treasury house of the Athenians, the Polygonal Wall, the treasury houses of the different city States — where treasures from all over Greece were kept, and the Theatre are some of the most important buildings.

The remaining part of the ancient site, below the road, with the temple of Athena Pronaia, the Tholos (a circular structure with 3 of its original 20 Doric columns restored), the gymnasium, and the sports facilities, used for training for the athletes that took part in the “Pythian or Delphian Games”, is not visited in the guided tours. Choose the tour without lunch and when the group is having lunch you can visit them on your own, without the tour guide.

Today, next to the archaeological site, there is an impressive museum, displaying findings from the local excavations, that started in 1892, masterpieces of Ancient Greek sculpture. The highlights are offerings by the oracle visitors, such as the famous bronze statue of the Charioteer, the statue of Antinoos, the famous athlete Aghias, the two “kouros” statues, the Roman “omphalos”, the sculptured stone that represented the navel of the world, and many others.

METEORA-THE ART OF NATURE

Beautiful rocks from another world embrace Kalambaka. The monuments are under the protection of UNESCO and are recorded as the second-largest Monastic community after the Holy Mountain.
It’s a region of inaccessible sandstone peaks where the monks found protection and settled on these “columns of the sky” from the 10th c. onwards. 24 monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties at the time of the great revival of the monastic ideal in the 15th c. Their 16th c. fresco mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting.
The monasteries at Meteora grew out of the need to avoid Turkish persecution during the occupation in the 14th c. Monks lived in caves in the rocks of Meteora since the 11th c. but the inaccessible peaks provided safety for Greek Orthodox monks. Over time a large number of hermitages and monasteries were built on these rocks, making Meteora the second-largest monastic complex in Greece after Mount Athos.
Seeing the beautiful stone structure, surrounded by mist, is enough to make you understand why the monks and nuns selected this area for unceasing prayer. Today, of the many monasteries that existed, only six are open to the public: The monasteries of St. Nicholas Anapafsas, Grand Meteoro, Varlaam, Roussanou, Holy Trinity, and St. Stephan. It is worth noting that the religious monuments mostly visited in Greece are the Holy Meteora.

“Here at these barren rocks, thousands of orthodox monks learned wisdom, humility, and morals“

Almost two million people visit the area of Meteora every year and admire this “unique” natural phenomenon.

Astoria Travel (est. 1958)
48 Stadiou Street, Athens 10564, Greece.
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