After your arrival in the mythical city of Athens, the transfer to your hotel will be conducted in one of our private vehicles. A member of our English speaking team will meet you at your hotel, help you with the check-in, inform you of all the details of your trip, introduce you to the city and its everyday way of life and answer any questions you may have. The rest of the day will be free for you to relax and enjoy Athens at your own pace.

Greca Tip: Extend your stay by adding more nights during Step 1 of 3 of your booking!

After breakfast, you will have a free day to enjoy Athens at your own pace. You can visit the main museums or archaeological sites of the city, take a guided city tour or, if you prefer, you can drive to Corinth, collecting your rental car the day before.

At first, you will reach the famous Corinth canal, called Isthmus in Greek, where you can take panoramic pictures of the point, where the Peloponnese peninsula and Central Greece meet as well as where the Aegean connects with the Ionian Sea. 

Saint Paul also arrived at Corinth after a three day arduous sea journey from Thessaloniki. He stayed here for two years and established one of the most flourishing Christian communities.

You can also visit Ancient Corinth with its amazing artifacts, some of which date back to 6000BC. The remains of the City, which include the Agora (market place) and Apollo's Temple (6th century B.C.), clearly show how rich and important Corinth was in antiquity.  In the middle of the central row of the shops in the Agora there is a bema, a marble podium, where Roman officials, and also St. Paul, addressed the people from. The Romans rebuilt the city in 44 BC and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.

Greca Tip: Visit the on-site excellent museum, where you can see two kouros statues, fine Greek and Roman mosaics, figurines, reliefs and friezes as well as the pretty courtyard with its fine reliefs.

After a fantastic breakfast, you will drive to Delphi in your rental car. After about 140 km, you will have the chance to make a stop at Livadia, a city famous in ancient mythology for the Oracle of Trophonious, who lived in a cave. Just a few miles away, you can visit Osios Loukas monastery, which has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site.  This monastery is of important cultural value since its history spans more than 1000 years of uninterrupted monastic life and boasts the best Byzantine frescoes in the country. Your next destination will be Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the center or navel of the ancient world.  It was here where the renowned Temple of the Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi, a counsellor of kings and pilgrims, were to be found. At the end of this busy day, you will enjoy a well-deserved rest at your hotel!

Total distance: 210 km.

Greca Tip: In the evening we suggest a leisurely walk in the neighbouring and picturesque village of Arachova.

After a lovely breakfast, you will visit the Delphi archaeological site and the Temple of Apollo.

After you have put forward all your questions to the Oracle, you will leave the slopes of Mount Parnassus, and head towards the plains of Thessaly, where the city of Kalambaka is located.

Meteora, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, combines the natural charm of the region with the eternal monasteries hanging or 'meteora' on the rocks. The first monastery, "The Great Meteoron", was built by Athanasius after being expelled from Mount Athos, in order to escape his pursuers. Nowadays, only 6 remain in use for the monastic community: five for male monks and one for female nuns.

Dress code in monasteries:

Over-the-knee shorts or skirts are forbidden. Men are not admitted wearing sleeveless shirts. For women sarongs are available at the entrance if needed.

Total distance: 237 Km.

Greca Tip: Roam the maze-like cobblestone lanes of the old centre and shop around for local handmade embroidery, leather sandals and carved wooden handicrafts.

After a delicious breakfast, you will leave Meteora to head north, driving through the fertile plain of Thessaly and the Valley of Tempi.  You will have the opportunity to admire the imposing mass of Mount Olympos, the highest mountain in Greece and home to the twelve Gods of the Greek Mythology. 

You will arrive at Vergina (ancient Aigai), to visit the splendid Museum, created in the Great Tumba covering the royal tombs of the Macedonian royalty. There you will see the tomb of King Phillip II, Alexander's father, which is considered among the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. We recommend having lunch here before continuing on to Veria. This place was formerly called Berea and Saint Luke writes "immediately, the brothers took their leave of Saint Paul and Silas, who upon arrival went straight to the jewish Synagogue". Passing through this city you will trace Apostle Paul's footprints and also visit the Byzantine mosaic that commemorates his passage and indefatigable mission of evangelical work.  (Acts 17:10-11).

Your journey will finally take you to the city of Thessaloniki, the second largest and most important center in the area. Thessaloniki, whose name means "the victory of Thessaly", is a city with a glorious past and the cultural and economic center of the Macedonian region for centuries. During the Byzantine era it was the "co-reigning" city, second in population and prestige after Constantinople (now Istanbul). Saint Paul himself, when he arrived in the city, went immediately to the synagogue and, for three Saturdays, he preached the Old Testament prophecies (Acts 17: 1) to the Jewish and Greek residents.

Total distance: 227 km

Greca Tip: Explore the historical quarter of Ladadika and take a long stroll along the waterfront from Aristotelous square to the White Tower, one of the city's landmarks.

You will dedicate the entire day to one of the most beautiful and imposing cities of northern Greece. Right after a filling Greek breakfast, you will depart for Kavala, located about 150 km away from Thessaloniki.

The city was founded in the late 7th century BC by settlers from the island of Thassos and was originally called Neopolis. Later, when it was conquered by Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great) it reached great prosperity until the decline of the Macedonian State in 49 AD. 

One of its distinguishing features is the aqueduct, a symbol of the city. This conduit, although Roman in appearance, was built by Suleiman the Magnificent to supply the Turkish baths with water. You can also visit the Archaeological Museum of Kavala, with collections from Ancient Neapolis, the Municipal Museum of Folklore, with exhibitions of costumes, jewelry and handicrafts. 

On the outskirts of the city, there is the Archaeological site of Philippi, with Roman and Byzantine ruins.  In the 2nd century BC the Via Egnatia, one of the largest military and commercial roads of the ancient world, was built through Philippi, making the city a focal point of the region. Here, during the summer Philippi Festival, the ancient theatre plays host to productions of Theater, Music, and Dance,

Saint Paul arrived at Philippi in 49/50 AD and founded the first Christian Church on European territory.  Here he wrote his second "epistle to the Corinthians." You will be able to visit the archaeological complex, the amphitheater, the baths, the basilica, Saint Paul's prison and the Forum. Right next to the Ancient City of Philippi there is the unique and monumental Baptistery of St. Lydia. This modern architectural monument is located exactly at the place where Apostle Paul baptized the first Christian in Europe, Lydia.  

After visiting this beautiful northern Greek city, you will return to Thessaloniki for a well-deserved rest. 

Total distance: 153 km.

Greca Tip: You should taste the famous kourambiedes, butter cookies with almonds.

After a tasty breakfast, you will travel to the beautiful seaside city, close to the border with Turkey: Alexandroupolis. This city has seen the presence of the Ottomans and Russians, who settled in the city after the Russo-Turkish wars. After the First World War, in 1920, it was ceded to Greece and took the name of the first Greek ruler who visited it, Alexander the Great. Its privileged geographical location and its easy accessibility by land with the rest of Greece makes it the ideal meeting as well as starting point for visits to the Thrace region.  It is the first Greek city to be encountered when crossing the Turkish and the Bulgarian border and, due to its strategic position, many traders and craftsmen settled here and consulates of various countries were established bestowing it with a unique cosmopolitan flair.

Alexandroupolis has several places worth visiting, such as its picturesque Lighthouse, which was constructed in 1880. We suggest taking a stroll along the port and visiting one of the small tavernas to enjoy the local cuisine with strong eastern and western influences. After a full day taking in the sights of this unique city, at the edge of Greece and the balkan peninsula, you will return to your hotel for a nice rest.

Total Distance: 150 Km.

Greca Tip: You should try the homemade trahana and couscous pasta dishes, the local kavourmas meat preserve and the dessert ritseli, made of several fruits. 

After a generous breakfast, you will depart for Thessaloniki to return your rental car and end your tour following Saint Paul's footsteps. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the unique monuments of Thessaloniki, such as the White Tower, the Arch of Galerius, the Rotunda and the Museum of Byzantine Culture, awarded with the Council of Europe's Museum Prize for the year 2005.

From all of us at Greca Travel, we hope to see you again soon to create new and extraordinary moments that will be lovingly etched in your memory forever.

Have a nice trip! Or as Greeks say: "Kalo taksidi!"

Greca Tip: As a going away gift you can choose a genuine silk product (clothes or embroidery) from Soufli in Alexandroupolis and trigona panoramatos, custard filled phyllo triangle pastries, from Thessaloniki.