Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Greece: Athens, Nafplio, Delphi and Meteora at a slower pace
8 days from Athens to Thessaloniki for travellers over 60: the Acropolis at opening, two nights each in Nafplio, Delphi and below Meteora, short drives and a free afternoon every other day.
8 days · Athens to Thessaloniki · up to 12 guests
The Roussanou nunnery at Meteora, below the rock towers Photo: Jolovema, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DSC_0548_meteora_monastery_2.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Athens to Thessaloniki
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Under about 5 km of walking a day, at an unhurried pace, with seated stops planned along the way. Ancient sites mean uneven stone, polished marble and some steps; every climb has a choice that stays low, a seat in the shade or the van. No drive passes about 3 hours, and each of the three longer ones is split into two halves with a coffee or lunch stop. Every hotel has a lift.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 780 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Acropolis at its 8 am opening, then the Parthenon Gallery of the Acropolis Museum, with lifts and seats
- Two nights in Nafplio, with Mycenae's Lion Gate and the theatre at Epidaurus on an easy day out
- A coffee on the bridge over the Corinth Canal, halfway to Delphi
- Delphi's Sanctuary of Apollo at 8 am, then the bronze Charioteer in the museum and a free afternoon
- Two nights below the Meteora rocks, with a sunset viewpoint you reach by van
- The Great Meteoron at opening and St Stephen's, reached by a short bridge
- Never more than about 3 hours in the van, always split by a stop
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 780 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Athens
Athens International Airport to your hotel in central Athens
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Athens
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Athens International Airport (ATH), about 35 km east of the centre, and a driver meets you in arrivals for the 45-minute drive to your hotel; plan to land by about 3 pm.
Afternoon
The afternoon is yours to rest after the flight. At about 5:30 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the hotel for a short briefing on the week, including how we plan the walking at each site. Then a gentle stroll of about 1.5 km on level paths: Syntagma Square, where the Evzones of the presidential guard stand at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then the shade of the National Garden, with benches along the way, to the Zappeion, a 19th-century exhibition hall whose round colonnaded courtyard is usually open to walk through.
Evening
The van takes us on to Plaka, the old quarter below the Acropolis, for a welcome dinner of meze at a taverna. Tomorrow starts early, for good reason, so the night is not a late one.
Included
- Pick-up at Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- A gentle evening stroll: Syntagma Square, the National Garden and the Zappeion
- Welcome dinner in Plaka
Easier option: Skip the stroll and meet the group at the taverna; the van brings you from the hotel.
Free time: Free until the 5:30 pm briefing
Activity: About 1.5 km of level walking, with benches in the National Garden.
The Acropolis at opening, then to Nafplio
Athens to the Acropolis and its museum, then the Peloponnese to Nafplio
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nafplio
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
This is one of only three early starts, and it is worth it: we are at the Acropolis gate for its 8 am opening with a timed ticket and a licensed local guide, while the marble is cool and before the cruise and coach groups arrive from mid-morning. The path up through the Propylaia is uneven marble and steps, taken slowly with pauses. At the top stand the Parthenon, built for Athena in the 440s and 430s BC, and the Erechtheion with its porch of Caryatids. If the steps are too much, the lift on the north slope is there for visitors with limited mobility, or you start in the Acropolis Museum. At about 10 am we walk down to the museum, which has lifts and seats, and its top-floor Parthenon Gallery, with the temple in view through the glass.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch nearby we leave at about 2 pm for the 2-hour drive to Nafplio, across the isthmus into the Peloponnese, arriving about 4 pm.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- The Acropolis at its 8 am opening with a licensed local guide: the Propylaia, the Parthenon and the Erechtheion
- The Acropolis Museum and the Parthenon Gallery
- Sit-down lunch near the Acropolis Museum
- Drive to Nafplio
Easier option: Use the Acropolis lift on the north slope if you qualify (we arrange it in advance), or spend the first hours in the Acropolis Museum with a seat and a coffee, and meet the group there.
Free time: Evening free in Nafplio
Activity: About 3 km on foot over the morning, on steep, polished marble with little shade on the Acropolis and level floors in the museum.
Mycenae and Epidaurus, at an easy pace
Nafplio to Mycenae, then Epidaurus and back to Nafplio
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nafplio
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A relaxed breakfast, then we leave at about 9 am for the half-hour drive to Mycenae. In Homer's telling this was Agamemnon's citadel, at its height around 1350 to 1200 BC. With a licensed guide we walk up a gentle ramp to the Lion Gate and look into Grave Circle A, where Heinrich Schliemann found gold funeral masks in 1876. The path to the palace on the summit is rough and steep, so it is a choice, not a given: the site museum and the Treasury of Atreus, a beehive tomb with a stone dome about 13 m high, are both on easy ground.
Afternoon
We drive about 50 minutes to a sit-down lunch near Epidaurus, then visit its 4th-century BC theatre, which seats about 13,000. Sit in the lower rows while the guide drops a coin on the stage, and you hear it land. The level paths of the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the healing god, lie beside it. We are back in Nafplio by about 3:30, with the rest of the afternoon free.
Included
- Mycenae with a licensed local guide: the Lion Gate, Grave Circle A, the site museum and the Treasury of Atreus
- Sit-down lunch near Epidaurus
- Epidaurus with a licensed local guide: the theatre and the Sanctuary of Asclepius
Optional experiences
- A boat ride around the Bourtzi island fortress (paid locally, when it runs)
Easier option: At Mycenae, stay at the Lion Gate and Grave Circle A and go to the museum and the Treasury of Atreus; at Epidaurus, watch from the lowest rows.
More active option: Climb the rough path to the palace at the top of Mycenae, and the theatre steps to the top row at Epidaurus.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Nafplio
Activity: About 3 to 4 km on foot over the two sites, on stone paths with some steps; the climbs are optional.
Over the Corinth Canal to Delphi
Nafplio to the Corinth Canal, then by Thebes and Arachova to Delphi
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Delphi
- Drive about 3 h
We leave Nafplio at about 9:30 and split the day's drive of about 3 hours in two. After about an hour we stop at the Corinth Canal, cut through the isthmus between 1881 and 1893. Walk a few steps onto the bridge and look straight down the narrow cut, about 6.4 km long, to the water far below, then sit down for coffee by the canal. The second half, about 2 hours, crosses into Central Greece by Thebes and Livadeia, then climbs past the mountain village of Arachova to Delphi, which sits at about 570 m on the slopes of Mount Parnassus above a sea of olive trees running down to the Gulf of Corinth.
Afternoon
We arrive in time for a late sit-down lunch in the village, and the afternoon is free: rest at the hotel, or sit with a drink on a terrace over the valley.
Evening
Tonight we have dinner together, and tomorrow we are at the sanctuary when it opens.
Included
- Coffee stop at the Corinth Canal
- Sit-down lunch in Delphi
- Dinner in Delphi
Easier option: At the Corinth Canal, watch from the van side of the bridge or go straight to the café seats.
Free time: Afternoon free in Delphi
Activity: Very little walking today. The drive is about 3 hours, split by the stop at the canal.
Delphi at opening, then a free afternoon
Delphi village to the Sanctuary of Apollo and the Delphi Archaeological Museum
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Delphi
- Drive about 15 min
The second early start: at 8 am we are at the gate of the Sanctuary of Apollo with a licensed guide, before the day trips from Athens, about 180 km away, arrive and while the slope is still cool. The Sacred Way zigzags uphill past the rebuilt Treasury of the Athenians to the Temple of Apollo, where the Pythia gave the oracle's answers, and on to the theatre with its view across the valley. We take it slowly, with pauses, and you can stop at any terrace and wait in the shade. Delphi was listed by UNESCO in 1987. At about 10:30 we move to the museum, which has ramps and a lift, for the bronze Charioteer, cast around 475 BC, the Sphinx of the Naxians and the offerings sent to the oracle by kings and cities.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the village, and the afternoon is free. Late in the day the van can take anyone who wishes down to the round Tholos at the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia.
Included
- The Sanctuary of Apollo at 8 am with a licensed local guide: the Sacred Way, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo and the theatre
- The Delphi Archaeological Museum and the bronze Charioteer
- Sit-down lunch in Delphi
Optional experiences
- A late-afternoon van ride to the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia and the Tholos (entry included, no extra cost)
Easier option: Go as far as the Treasury of the Athenians and wait on a seat in the shade, or start in the museum and meet the group there.
More active option: Climb on past the theatre to the stadium at the top of the site, where the Pythian Games were run.
Free time: Afternoon free in Delphi
Activity: About 3 km on foot, steadily uphill on uneven stone paths and steps; the higher parts are optional.
North to Meteora
Delphi by Amfissa, Lamia and Trikala to Kalambaka
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kalambaka
- Drive about 3 h
No early start today. We leave Delphi at about 9:30 and drive down through the olive groves to Amfissa, then north over the hills to Lamia, where we stop for coffee about halfway. The second half of the drive, about an hour and a half, crosses the wide Thessaly plain past Trikala, and the Meteora rocks come into view, grey pillars of sandstone and conglomerate rising straight up behind Kalambaka. In all the drive is about 3 hours.
Afternoon
We arrive in time for a sit-down lunch, and the afternoon is free to settle into the hotel and rest.
Evening
Before sunset the van takes us up the road above Kastraki to a viewpoint over the Roussanou nunnery, a few steps from where we park, to watch the light leave the rocks. Meteora became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988, and the monasteries on top of the towers were built from the 14th century, when supplies and monks were hauled up by rope. Dinner tonight is your choice.
Included
- Coffee stop near Lamia
- Sit-down lunch in Kalambaka
- Sunset viewpoint above Roussanou by van
Easier option: At the Roussanou viewpoint, watch from the van or a bench by the car park.
Free time: Afternoon free in Kalambaka
Activity: Almost no walking. The drive is about 3 hours, split by the coffee stop.
The Meteora monasteries
Kalambaka to the Great Meteoron and St Stephen's, then Kastraki
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kalambaka
- Drive about 45 min
The third and last early start: the van leaves at 8:30 so we reach the Great Meteoron at about 9 am, as its doors open and before the coaches. It was founded in the 14th century on a rock more than 600 m above sea level, and it is the largest of the six monasteries still lived in, with a frescoed church, the old kitchen and a long view down to the plain. Reaching it means a few hundred steps down and up again, so it is your choice: the van waits at the car park, where the view across to Varlaam is a few steps away. Then everyone visits St Stephen's, a nunnery reached by a short bridge from the road, with no long stair, and its quiet garden over Kalambaka. A local guide tells the story of the hermits who first lived in the caves here.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the village of Kastraki, and the afternoon is free.
Evening
In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner in Kalambaka.
Included
- The Great Meteoron at opening with a local guide
- St Stephen's nunnery
- Sit-down lunch in Kastraki
- Farewell dinner in Kalambaka
Easier option: Skip the steps to the Great Meteoron: wait at the viewpoint by the car park, then join everyone at St Stephen's.
Free time: Afternoon free in Kalambaka
Activity: Dress for the monasteries: skirts below the knee for women, long trousers for men, shoulders covered; wraps are usually lent at the door. About 2 km on foot. Day 7 never falls on a Monday or Tuesday, when St Stephen's and the Great Meteoron close.
Past Mount Olympus to Thessaloniki
Kalambaka by Larissa and the Tempi valley to Thessaloniki Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A slow breakfast with the rocks outside the window, then we leave at about 10 am. The drive to Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) is about 3 hours, and we split it in two. The first half crosses the Thessaly plain to Larissa and joins the motorway north through the Tempi valley, the narrow gorge of the Pineios river between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa. We stop for coffee below Mount Olympus, at 2,918 m the highest mountain in Greece and, in myth, the home of the gods; on a clear day its summit ridge is in view. The second half follows the coast of the Thermaic Gulf north to Thessaloniki, Greece's second city. We reach the airport at about 1:30 pm, or drop you in central Thessaloniki if you are staying on. Your guide checks your flights before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm; many connect through Athens, about 50 minutes away by air.
Included
- Coffee stop below Mount Olympus
- Drop-off at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) or central Thessaloniki
Easier option: Stay seated in the van or at the café table at the coffee stop; there is no walking today beyond the airport kerb.
Free time: A seated coffee stop below Mount Olympus breaks the drive in two.
Activity: Book a flight leaving Thessaloniki after about 4 pm.
- Athens1 night
- Nafplio2 nights
- Delphi2 nights
- Kalambaka2 nights
- Thessalonikiend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: April to June and September to October are warm and bright, with wildflowers on the hillsides in spring and gentler heat than summer, when days often pass 35 C and sites can close at midday in heatwaves. Orthodox Easter fills Meteora with Greek visitors. Evenings at Delphi and Meteora can be cool in April and October, so bring a warm layer.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers over 60 who want Greece's great sites without long days or constant packing
- Anyone who likes a free afternoon to rest, read or sit in a cafe
- Guests who walk well for an hour or two but prefer not to climb every stair
- Solo travellers who want one steady group and one guide all week
- Couples and friends who would rather ride in a 12-guest minibus than a full-size coach
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access throughout: the sites have uneven stone, marble and some steps, even on the easy choices
- Wheelchair users, unless we plan a private trip with you first
- Travellers who want Olympia: this slower version leaves it out
- An island or beach holiday: there are no islands on this trip
- Anyone who wants to finish in Athens: the trip ends in Thessaloniki
Most guests are 60 and over
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Athens1 night
- Nafplio2 nights
- Delphi2 nights
- Kalambaka2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in central Athens, 2 in Nafplio, 2 in Delphi, 2 in Kalambaka below the Meteora rocks
- Hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard, central, every one with a lift, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Greece's per-night accommodation fee
Transport
- Pick-up at Athens International Airport (ATH) on day 1
- Drop-off at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) or central Thessaloniki on day 8
- Our own air-conditioned minibus and driver for the group for the whole trip
- Motorway tolls
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- Licensed local guides at the Acropolis, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Delphi and Meteora
Activities
- Athens: an evening stroll from Syntagma Square to the Zappeion
- Athens: the Acropolis at opening and the Acropolis Museum
- Mycenae: the Lion Gate, Grave Circle A, the site museum and the Treasury of Atreus
- Epidaurus: the theatre and the Sanctuary of Asclepius
- The Corinth Canal
- Delphi: the Sanctuary of Apollo at opening, the museum and the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia
- Meteora: a sunset viewpoint, the Great Meteoron and St Stephen's
Meals
- Breakfast daily (7)
- 6 sit-down lunches: in Athens, near Epidaurus, in Delphi on days 4 and 5, in Kalambaka and in Kastraki
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Plaka, a dinner in Delphi and a farewell dinner in Kalambaka
Not included
- International flights to Athens and from Thessaloniki
- Travel insurance
- Visa or travel authorisation fees, if any apply to you (such as ETIAS once it starts)
- Meals not listed (dinners on days 2, 3, 5 and 6 and lunch on day 8 are on you)
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Bourtzi boat ride
- Donations at the monasteries
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 780 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 3,320 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 3,595. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,905.
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels with lifts, breakfast daily, 6 sit-down lunches and 3 dinners, the airport pick-up in Athens and drop-off in Thessaloniki, our own minibus and driver with tolls, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed local guides at the sites, and every entry in the day plan: the Acropolis and its museum, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Delphi and two Meteora monasteries.
How is this different from your standard mainland Greece trip?
It is slower. You stay two nights in each base after Athens, no drive passes about 3 hours, walking stays under about 5 km a day, and most days have a free afternoon. To make that work it leaves out Olympia and Thermopylae, and it ends in Thessaloniki instead of driving four hours back to Athens.
How much walking is there, and are there many stairs?
Under about 5 km a day, at an easy pace with seated stops. The ancient sites have uneven stone, marble and some steps, but every climb has a choice: the Acropolis lift for those who qualify or the museum first, the lower citadel at Mycenae, the lower rows at Epidaurus, and St Stephen's at Meteora, reached by a short bridge.
Are there early starts?
Only three, where the sight needs it: the Acropolis at 8 am on day 2, Delphi at 8 am on day 5 and the Great Meteoron at about 9 am on day 7, to beat the heat and the coach crowds. On every other day the van leaves at 9 or 10 am, after an unhurried breakfast.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests in one minibus, and the same See Sight Tours guide travels with you from Athens airport to Thessaloniki. Licensed local guides join at the Acropolis, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Delphi and Meteora. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
I'm travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, a room of your own is CAD 780 more, about 20 percent of the price, shown up front. Solo travellers get the same group, the same table and the same guide as everyone else. If you would like to share a room with another solo guest, ask when you book and we will tell you if a share is possible.
When is the best time to go?
April to June and September to October. Days are warm rather than hot, the hillsides are green in spring, and the sites are quieter than in summer, when days often pass 35 C. Evenings at Delphi and Meteora can be cool in April and October, so pack a warm layer.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 3,905 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 7,030. Tell us about any mobility needs when you book.
Can we travel privately, on our own dates, or add nights in Athens?
Yes. The trip also runs privately for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels and drivers. We can also add nights in Athens before the trip.
Do I need a visa for Greece?
No. Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area, which includes Greece. The EU's ETIAS travel authorisation is not yet in force and no start date is confirmed; we will tell you if it applies to your dates.
Why does the trip end in Thessaloniki?
Because Meteora is about 4 hours from Athens but about 3 from Thessaloniki Airport, and this trip keeps every drive to about 3 hours. Thessaloniki has flights to Athens of about 50 minutes and connections across Europe, so most guests fly home from there; book a flight leaving after about 4 pm.
Do the hotels have lifts?
We choose only hotels with a lift and ask for rooms you can reach without stairs, and we confirm both for each hotel before we confirm your dates. In Nafplio, where much of the old town is stepped lanes, we choose a hotel the van can reach to the door. We name each hotel when we confirm your dates.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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