During your time in this 2 day tour of the Ancient Greek town Nauplion you will be given an afternoon and a morning free in order to see more of the magnificent wonders of the delightful town, you shall be provided with a city map of Nauplion so you can easily locate the ancient sites you may wish to see in your free time. This unique town actually gets called Naples Of Greece by the venetian……and I can guarantee that you will soon understand why!
Day 1:Corinth Canal-Saronic Gulf-Mycanea-The Tomb of Agamemnon-Nauplion
Today is the first day of your time travelling 2 day tour and we will start our journey with leaving by the Coastal road to the Corinth Canal, the Corinth Canal is a canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean sea. Its cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and in fact seperates the Peloponnese from the the mainland of Greece which makes the former peninsula an actual island, only narrow ships can pass through the canal so it is now only popular for tourism traffic and not so much of economic importance anymore. We will make a short stop at the Corinth Canal so you can fill up your cameras of the surrounding beauty.
Our first destination is to explore Mycenae which is known to be the Homeric City of Atreides, ‘’Rich in gold’’ of the ancient poetsand in the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centers of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. Our time here will be spent by uncovering the famous Archaeological Site and of course the Tomb of Agamemnon. Mycenae was the main center of the Mycenaean world and gave its name to a period and a civilization that evolved throughout the entire Greek world between the 16th – 12th BC an deven spread to all the known sites of this period along the mediterranean coast. As we reach the archaeological site we will have the chance to explore its wonders such as Complex Of Houses – here is also where the house of the oil Merchant lies, Tholos Tombs of Clytaemnestra, Aegisthus, and the Tholos Tomb of the Lions – The meaning of Tholos Tombs is that they are shaped into a style such as a beehive dome with the most famous Tholos Tomb been that of Agamemnon – as its not only the largest in the world but also its the best preserved tomb of them all, it was constructed back in the Bronze age of around 1250 BC. Lions Gate – is the main monumental entrance to the site and the name ‘Lions Gate’ comes from the 2 lions that are covering the lintel. You will also get to see The Palace, North Gate and also the Cistern here plus much more that will leave you feeling like you are stood right there in the Ancient Greek times. We will have a stop here in Mycenae where we will enjoy in a delicious traditional Greek styled lunch which will tantalize your taste buds to the limit, after lunch we will get back on the road and make our way to our next destination which is the city of Nauplion, we shall take the route that leads us through the fertile plain of Argolis. As we reach our destination Nauplion you will be able to see the picturesque town that nestles at the foot of a cliff which is crowned by the mighty ramparts of the Palamidi Fortress which stands at a vast height of 216 meters, it was built by the Venetians back in 1711 – 1714 and is indeed regarded as a masterpiece of military architecture. You will have the whole afternoon free for your own leisure, it’s a perfect chance for you to get out and about and discover what you can of this beautiful town. We recommend that you take a visit not only to the Palamidi Fortress but also to the Bourtzi Fortress, itis famous for its strong and impressive structure, the word Bourtzi means Tower and this Tower was built back in 1471 on a tiny islet that is just in front of the port Nauplion, the design of this fortress was made specifically to fit the narrow shape of the island. As you walk around the fortress you will be at more peace and quiet with only the sounds of the crashing waves, don’t forget your cameras as it gives the best panoramic view of the coastline which is definitely something to remember! There is also the fascinating Church of Agios Spiridon – which can be found in the Old Town of Nauplion, the church was first built in 1702with financing from the Nauplion Brotherhood of Orthodox Greeks,it is a single-space basilica with a dome and a bell tower thatb was constructed in 1853. The interior of the church is solemn and there are many Byzantine icons and paintings around the walls. If you just want to spend your afternoon discovering just the town of Nauplion it is of course possible, this town used to be the Capital of Greece from 1829 – 1834, this little town dates right back to Neolithic period and is also surrounded by the world heritage sites of Epidaurus and Mycenae. The intertwined cobbled streets that are filled with bars, restaurants and taverns all offering delicious local cuisine and excellent beverages are hot spots for tourists who come here to relish a glimpse of antiquity. There are also some eternal relics in the old town like the two Turkish mosques, the archeological museum, Agios Spiridonas Church, whose walls are still scarred by the bullet marks that killed Ioannis Kapodistrias the first Governor of the newly liberated country in 1828. But if you really just want to spend the afternoon relaxing and getting recharged then why not head off to Psili Ammos beach it is just 12km from the captivating town of Nauplion, this picturesque fine sandy beach with undulating sand dunes and tamarisk trees that dot the landscape at intervals, is renowned for its relative serenity and its nearness to several breathtaking, deserted islands. Your overnight stay will be in Nauplion and as tomorrow comes it will be time to head onwards to our next destination.
Day 2;Epidauros Asclepion and Epidauros Theater
Today is a new day and also the last day of your Ancient Greek Tour, which will begin with the morning been free for you to do as you wish for your own leisure so whether you want to have a cosy lie in or if you wanting to get out and about and make the most of your time here in Nauplion then you can! Nauplion has a few museums that are worth a visit such as the Archaeological Museum - It features fine exhibits over two light and airy floors. The oldest exhibits, fire middens, date from 32,000 BC. Another highlight is the only bronze armour from near Mycenae in existence, dating from the 12th to 13th centuries BC. There is also the National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum that features works on the 1821 Greek War of Independence, including works by Greek painters Vryzakis and Tsokos that was considered to be the most important artists of the postwar years. By late morning we will head on the road to head for our next destination which is Epidauros – whichwas a small city in Ancient Greeceat the Saronic Gulf. It’s here in Epidauros that we can see the Grand Theatre that brought a lot of prosperity and was designed by Polykleitos the Younger, back in the 4th century BC. It was originally built with 34 rows but went on to be extended in the Roman times by another 21 rows which meant it holds a large capacity of 15,000 people. The theatre is marveled for its exceptional acoustics even a whisper can heard all the way round the audience, the rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds such as the murmur of the crowd and amplify high-frequency sounds from the stage. This theatre truly is a piece of stunning architecture that the Greeks have good reason to be proud of it, it will most certainly stun you with its magnificence!
As the day comes to an end its time to leave the wonderous Epidaurus and make our way back to Athens, we will use the national road that connects Epidaurus to Corinth. We trust that your time with us has been excellent and that you have many lasting memories of your time exploring some of Ancient Greece and we hope to see you again on our of our many other tours in the future.After the ancient Greece cities tours we will turn back to Athens around 19:00 pm.
No extra hidden cost..!
Has anyone used GreeceTurkeyTours and services before? We'd really appreciate if you can share any experience if you have endured. Thank you.
INCLUSIONS
1 night hotel accommodation in Athens
2 Full day Tour to Meteora,Delphi
Entrance fees to the sites, during guided sightseeing tours
All transfers as mentioned
Daily breakfast
1 Dinner
Hotel taxes
EXCLUSIONS
Visit the Museum in Delphi is not included.
Gratuities to the guide and driver
Lunch & Drink
Personal expenses
The above rates do not include the New "City TAX" for overnights in hotels. The accommodation Tax will be payable by the guests prior to their check-out as following: 5* hotel: 4,00 € per overnight per room, 4* hotel: 3,00 € per overnight per room, 3* hotel: 1,50 € per overnight per room.
