ITINERARY

Day 1 – Welcome!

Arrival in Athens. Airport transfer and accommodation can be arranged upon request.

Day 2 – The byzantine monastery of Hosios Loukas. The Corycian Cave
In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel or a set meeting point and leave Athens traveling towards Delphi. On the way, you will visit the monastery of Hosios Loukas (Luce of Steiris) in Boeotia, with its splendid mosaics on gold background. You continue driving via Arachova to the Parnassus Plateau for a scenic round-trip walk along the slopes of Mt Parnassus to the Corycian Cave, once dedicated to the cult of Pan and the Nymphs. Finally you drive to the present-day village of Delphi, which lies on the slopes of Mt Parnassus and offers a beautiful view of the plain of Amphissa and the Corinthian Gulf. During Antiquity, this place was considered to be the center of the world! Overnight stay in Delphi
- Culture:  the monastery of Hosios Loukas
- Hike 1. Corycian Cave: approx. 5.2km, round-trip, 1h40min, 5km, ↑190m ↓190m, easy
- Transfers. Athens – Hosios Loukas – Mt Parnassus – Delphi: 230km, 3h15min

Day 3 – Discovering Delphi, the “Navel of the World”. Drive to Olympia
In the morning you visit the magnificent archaeological site of Delphi, known for Apollo’s oracle and Pythia’s prophecies. The hike of the day is an archaeological walk on the Sacred Way, through the shrines of ancient gods, towards the ancient theater and the stadium of the Pythic Games. You will visit the Archaeological Museum with the famous Bronze Charioteer, the sculptures of the Siphnos Treasure, the colossal Kouros-statues from Argos and the remains of three chyselephantine (made from gold and ivory) statues. Lunch pause and departure to the Peloponnese. You travel on the coastal road along the Corinthian Gulf, where a swimming stop will be possible, you cross the Rio-Antirrio straights and you arrive at the sacred land of Elis. Overnight stay in Katakolo or in Ancient Olympia
- Culture: the archaeological site and museum of Delphi
- Transfer Delphi – Olympia: approx. 241km, 3h15min
- Swimming stop possible

Day 4 – Olympia, the cradle of the Olympic Games. Drive to Arcadia
In the morning you visit Ancient Olympia, where the Olympic Games had been organized since 776 B.C and for over one millennium. Until the day the Byzantine Christian emperors decided to ban them because of their pagan nature. 1500 years passed before the first modern Olympic Games were organized in 1896. You will visit Zeus’s sanctuary with its temples, its stadium and the palaestra. In the museum you will discover the sculptures from the temple of Zeus, the victory (Nike) of Paionios and Hermes of Praxiteles. Afterwards, departure for Arcadia; you take a mountain road that winds through wild landscapes and nearly abandoned villages. Loop hike through the Pholoi oak forest, a unique ecosystem in the Balkan Peninsula. Its mysterious beauty inspired the ancient Greeks to believe it was home to centaurs and dryads. You continue to Arcadia, a region full of history and legends. 2 nights in the traditional village of Veltesiniko
- Culture: the archaeological site and museum of Olympia
- Hike 2. Loop hike through the Pholói forest: 7.5 km, ↑125m ↓125m, 2h15min, easy
- Transfers Olympia – Pholoi – Veltesiniko: 126 km, 2h45min

Day 5 – Arcadia. The Lousios Gorge. The Prodromos and Philosopher's Monasteries. The traditional villages of Stemnitsa and Dimitsana
Hiking through the Lousios Gorge, from Stemnitsa to Dimitsana. Stemnitsa is a center for the production of jewelry and silver artifacts. The Prodromos Monastery clings to the steep, rocky slope above the left bank; the monastery church is built into a cave. A single monk lives in the so-called Philosopher's Monastery above the right bank. The village of Dimitsana prospered during the Ottoman period thanks to gunpowder production. Return to Valtesiniko
- Culture: the Prodromos and Philosopher's Monasteries; the traditional villages of Stemnitsa and Dimitsana
- Hike 3. Stemnitsa – Lousios Gorge – Dimitsana: approx. approx. 13 km, ↑865m ↓985m, 5h, moderate
- Transfer Valtesiniko – Stemnitsa: 29.5km, 45min; transfer Dimitsana – Valtesiniko: 21km, 30min

Day 6 – Mt Menalon. Argolis, land of heroes and legends. The Acropolis of Mycenae. Nafplio, first capital of modern Greece
Transfer via Magouliana, the highest village of the Peloponnese, to the refuge of Mt Menalon. It is located on the Ostrakina plateau at an altitude of 1600m, at the foot of the summit. Hike to the summit of Prophet Elijah, 1981m. Departure for Argolis. Mycenae is the birthplace of Agamemnon, the Greek military leader during the Trojan War. You will visit the acropolis with the famous Lion Gate, the Cyclopean walls, the shaft and beehive tombs. Drive to Nafplio. During the War of Independence, Nafplio became the first capital of modern Greece. You will visit the picturesque old town, which retains a Venetian and Neoclassical character, and climb the Acronauplia Fortress for panoramic views of the city, the sea, and the Arcadian mountains in the distance. Dinner and overnight stay in Tolo on the Argolic Gulf
- Culture: The acropolis and the royal tombs of Mycenae; Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece
- Hike 4. Ostrakina – Profitis Ilias Hike: approx. 3.7km, ↑400 m ↓400m, 2h30min, partially a loop hike, moderate
- Transfers Valtesiniko – Magouliana – Ostrakina – Mycenae – Nafplio – Tolo: 137 km, 2h40min

Day 7 – Ancient Epidaurus. Costal walk. From Argolis to Athens. Farewell!
Transfer to the archaeological site of the Sanctuary of Asclepius. In ancient times, pilgrims from all over Greece came here to be healed by Asclepius, god of medicine and healing. The Epidaurus theater is famous for its acoustics and excellent state of preservation. Continue to Palea Epidavros, the village built on the site of the ancient city of Epidaurus on the eastern coast of Argolis. Enjoy a scenic hike along the coast and through a pine forest to the abandoned monastery of Panagia Polemarcha. There will be an opportunity to swim before returning to Athens. In the evening, stroll through the narrow streets of Plaka, the old town of the capital at the foot of the Acropolis, where you can have a dinner in a traditional tavern. Accommodation in Athens can be arranged upon request.
- Culture: the sanctuary of Asclepius and the Theatre of Epidaurus
- Hike 5. Palea Epidavros – Panagia Polemarcha: 6.1km, ↑205m ↓205m, 2h, loop, easy
- Swimming stop possible
- Transfers Tolo – Epidaurus – Athens: 172 km, 2h40min

Day 8 – Farewell!
Airport transfer can be arranged upon request.