Mainland Greece: Athens, Delphi and Meteor

Athens holds the most significant concentration of classical antiquity in the world. Two or three experiences done properly produce more than ten done quickly. The Acropolis, holding the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike, is the essential starting point, covered with a private guide before the crowds arrive.

The Acropolis Museum below the hill holds the Caryatid porch originals, the Parthenon frieze fragments, and the Kritios Boy. The Ancient Agora holds the Temple of Hephaestus, the best-preserved classical temple in existence. The National Archaeological Museum, 20 minutes from the Acropolis, holds the Mask of Agamemnon, the Antikythera Mechanism, and the bronze Artemision Jockey.

The Monastiraki and Plaka neighbourhoods reward slow movement in the early morning or late evening. Dinner in Psyrri or Koukaki, where restaurants serve residents rather than tourists, provides the other side of the city. All private guides and transfers within Athens are included.

Meteora is a geological formation of sandstone pillars rising from the Thessaly plain to heights of up to 400 meters, first inhabited by hermit monks in the 11th century. The monasteries were built on the flat tops of the pillars from the 14th century, initially accessible only by rope ladders and nets. Six remain active today from an original 24. Your base for three nights sits in or near Kalambaka with direct views of the formations above the town.

The first full day covers the Great Meteoron, the largest monastery, founded in the 14th century with Byzantine frescoes, illuminated manuscripts, and the original rope and pulley system, and Varlaam Monastery, whose Katholikon was frescoed in the 16th century. Sunset viewing points above Kalambaka produce the formations in a light the midday visit does not.

The second full day covers Roussanou, Holy Trinity, reached by 140 steps cut into the rock and used as a location in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, and St. Nicholas Anapausas. A hiking path connecting several monasteries allows movement between viewpoints on foot throughout the stay.