We will be waiting to meet you at Athens International airport for transfer to your hotel, where the welcome dinner awaits. Overnight stay.

We start the day early with a visit to the impressive Archaeological Museum of Nauplio, a historic building itself, which houses illustrious finds from all over the Argolid from Paleolithic (as old as it gets!) times on. We then set off for the legendary ancient sites of the Argive Plain. The archaeological sites of Tiryns and Mycenae are the imposing ruins of the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilisation, which dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century BC and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. Both Tiryns and Mycenae are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Our next stop is the Neolithic and Mycenaean citadel of Tiryns (the birthplace of mythical hero Heracles), followed by the important archaeological site of Argive Heraion, which affords a splendid view of the Argive Plain and then on to the renowned Bronze Age city of Mycenae. Mycenae was the city of King Agamemnon, with its Cyclopean walls, the Lion Gate and spectacular archaeological finds.

Then off we go south through the Argolid to the little-known Pyramid of Hellinikon, a mysterious structure of uncertain use dated to the 3rd millennium BC. Be ready for a hearty lunch nearby at the rustic little village of Kefalari. This is where ancient geographer Strabo reckoned that the waters welling from the spring in the centre of the village were an outflow of Lake Stymphalia, a fair distance away, high in the karstic mountains of Corinthia, northern Peloponnese. A far-fetched tale perhaps, but who knows?

Back to Nauplio, and free time to spend as you like. For the energetic, there’s always the option of climbing the 861 steps to the Venetian Fortress of Palamidi above the town!

Day’s approximate driving distance and time : 70 km / 1 hr 22 min

On our way to Ancient Epidaurus, we stop at the fascinating museum of Natural History at Lygourio, with its rich collection of local and regional fossils and its diverse and informative exhibits. That’s a brief but unique insight into Mediterranean and local geology, including the Epidaurean ammonites that lived 235 million years ago in the ocean of what is now the Argolid. We will then visit the nearby ruins of the Pyramid of Lygourio and the very interesting Chapel of Aghia Marina (18th century) which incorporates building blocks of the Pyramid.

We soon reach the Sanctuary of Asklepios, the God of Healing, at Ancient Epidaurus. The site, set in a peaceful, yet powerful landscape that might be a main constituent of its legendary therapeutic qualities, features the best-preserved ancient theatre in Greece, acclaimed for its precise acoustics that everyone is welcome to test out, and its perfect proportions – the latter related also to the mathematical ratio of the Golden Mean.

We then move on down to the laid-back seaside town of Palaia Epidaurus with its own ancient, yet recently-discovered, contrastingly compact and charming little theatre.

Lunch at a seaside taverna and return to Athens.

Day’s approximate driving distance and time : 170 km / 2h 16 min

We spend today exploring the iconic and unparalleled Acropolis of Athens – the site of that great temple, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Theatres of Dionyssos and Herodion on its slopes – along with the Kerameikos area and the New Acropolis Museum. Ranked as within the top-three archaeological museums in the world, the museum’s very foundations are glass-topped to reveal the city’s ancient architecture below. Apart from the plethora of antiquities within its walls, much of the museum exterior is also made of glass, which allows for stunning views of the Acropolis and surrounding area, plus some spectacular reflections when viewed from the streets outside. Free evening to experience the city as you choose.

This day is devoted to two of the most interesting archaeological and thematic museums of Athens: the massive National Archaeological Museum, whose exhibits include the treasures of the Mycenae, such as the controversial gold Mask of Agamemnon (or his father, Atreus); and the Museum of Cycladic Art. This interesting and rewarding day culminates in a relaxing afternoon trip alongside the Athenian Riviera to the south-easternmost tip of mainland Greece, Cape Sounion, with its magnificent Temple of Poseidon (Neptune) perched on the top of the final promontory jutting into the timeless Aegean Sea and also overlooking the Saronic and Euboean gulfs.

Farewell dinner.