Wonders of Ancient Greece

Welcome to Athens, the capital of Greece, where the ancient and the contemporary exist side by side in a way found almost nowhere else on earth. You will spend two nights here, with time to settle in and begin absorbing all that surrounds you.

This evening, meet your Tour Director and fellow guests for a welcome dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Acropolis – an introduction to Athens that sets the tone for the days ahead.

This morning your Tour Director leads you on a private guided tour of Athens, beginning at the Acropolis, described by UNESCO as "the most striking and complete ancient Greek monumental complex still existing in our times". The Parthenon, built between 447 and 432 BC under the leadership of the statesman Perikles and the sculptor Pheidias, remains the supreme expression of classical Greek architecture.

Your tour continues to the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, and the Panathenaic Stadium – known as the Kallimarmaro – built entirely of marble and the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. A visit to the Acropolis Museum and the Ancient Agora completes a morning of extraordinary depth.

The afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace. The winding streets of Plaka, Athens' oldest neighbourhood, draw you through traditional cafés, shops, and hidden corners that have defined this city for generations.

After breakfast, you depart Athens and journey north toward Meteora, one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Greece. The monasteries began to take shape in the 14th century, when monks sought refuge atop the region's towering sandstone pillars, and the complex is today recognised as a World Heritage Site and one of the most important centres of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in the world. Upon arrival in Kalambaka, your hotel awaits.

As the day draws to a close, a gentle walk around the monasteries offers a quiet encounter with a landscape that feels genuinely unlike anywhere else on earth. The evening settles gently into dinner at a local restaurant, where the flavours of the region bring a warm and fitting close to a day of remarkable discovery.

Two of the six surviving monasteries of Meteora are your first destination this morning. each perched atop its own sandstone column and home to historic chapels and Byzantine frescoes that have endured for centuries.

Scenic Enrich: Before departing the region, a visit to a family-owned honey business offers a hands-on encounter with one of Greece's oldest agricultural traditions. Dressed in protective gear, you participate in a beekeeping activity that brings you closer to both the landscape and the rhythms of rural Greek life.

The afternoon brings you to the charming seaside town of Galaxidi, where a picturesque harbour and unhurried streets will be your home for the next two nights.

This morning you journey to Delphi, considered by the ancient Greeks to be the centre of the world and home to the most celebrated oracle of antiquity. A World Heritage Site, the sanctuary was first inhabited as early as the 15th century BC, with the cult of Apollo established here in the 8th century BC. Your guided tour traces the sacred way through the sanctuary's treasuries and temples before you step inside the Delphi Archaeological Museum, home to the celebrated Charioteer of Delphi.

Scenic Enrich: A hands-on pie-making workshop with a local chef offers a genuine window into the traditions of Greek home cooking. Guided by expert hands, you roll, fill, and fold alongside your fellow guests before sitting down together to enjoy the fruits of your efforts – a convivial, warmly personal experience that reveals the heart of Greek hospitality.

As the afternoon unfolds, unwind on the golden shores of Itea, letting the gentle sea breeze and sparkling waters refresh your body and soul.

From Galaxidi, your journey continues to Piraeus Port, where the next remarkable chapter of your experience awaits as you prepare to embark on Scenic Ikon.