From the Acropolis to Omonia Square, you’ll see all the famous sites of ancient and modern Athens. Offering a perfect overview of the modern city, take a guided tour that will help you get your bearings if it is your first visit to Athens.
Tour takes you past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament House on Constitution Square. Stop past the Panathenian Stadium (site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896) and see the Presidential Palace (ex Royal Palace), government buildings and elegant homes. A drive along Panepistimiou Avenue takes you past the Catholic cathedral, the Academy, university, National Library and Omonia Square.
After seeing the highlights of modern Athens, it’s time to tour the past with a visit to the Roman Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis, Athens’ crowning beauty. Highlights include the impressive Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, with its Porch of Maidens. To delve further into the past visit to the Acropolis Museum.
Leaving Athens behind, don’t miss the chance to see the amazing cliff-top monasteries of Meteora. A two-day tour will takes you across the scenic Plain of Thessaly to Kalambaka and one of the most important groups of Greek Orthodox monasteries in Greece. The monasteries are perched on top of towers of sandstone, which for centuries provided totally inaccessible retreats for the monks. Ideally plan an overnight tour to Meteora which takes you through Levadia and Arachova to Delphi, where you can have a 1.5-hour stop. After a drive through the central towns of Amphissa, Lamia and Trikala, crossing the Thessalian plain, you’ll need to spend the night in Kalambaka.
In the morning traipse to the cliff-top monasteries, built on top of rock towers and providing fantastic views over the plain. Meteora is considered one of the most beautiful area of mainland Greece, and its monasteries are one of the country’s most unique attractions.
Report by: Niju Joseph Ambakkadan
