Greek Mainland

GREEK MAINLAND 

Christian Faith Religious Tour

8 Days Road Trip

Day 1: Arrival at Athens airport and Athens. We will meet you at the airport of Athens. We will have a look at Athens, named in honor of their patron saint – the favorite daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom Athena. City tour by bus, where our guide will show you the Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Presidential Palace and Kallimarmaro Stadium (Panathinaikon Stadium), where the first modern Olympic Games took place. Visit the fabulous Acropolis New Museum from where you can have a magnificent view of the Parthenon and Erectheum before viewing Athens a top Mars Hill where St. Paul stood and preached the truth to the Gentile nation. Visit also the Acropolis Parthenon and the Agora (ancient market place and centre of Athenian public life). A short walk through the narrow streets of the Old city, the famous Plaka with a multitude of shops and cafes. We will visit the Metropolis Cathedral, where the holy relics of Gregory V the Constantinople Patriarch are, and the small Kapnikarea church. Check in to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Visit to Dimitsana and Kalavrita. After our breakfast we leave Athens to Peloponnese Peninsula. We will first visit the Monastery of St. Lukus which belongs to Byzantine monuments of Greece. The name Lukus probably comes from Latin word ‘LUKUS’ ie sacred forest and comes from the Franks who conquered and lived Capuchins Monks. Crossing a beautiful road through the mountains of Peloponese we will arrive in Monastery of Malevi. In the monastery there is a miraculous image, which was painted by Luke the Evangelist and from which wells Holy Essence, thanks to many patients are cured. The miracles of Virgin in the monastery is innumerable. Afternoon arrival in the historic village of Kalavrita. Dinner and overnight

Day 3: Visit Kalavrita, Nafpaktos and Delphi. After our breakfast we continue our visit of Kalavrita, with one of the oldest monasteries in Greece – Mega Spileon (Big Cave). The Monastery was buit in 362 AD by monks Thessalonians brothers, Simeon and Theodore. Inside the monastery there is a temple built into a cave, which houses the miraculous image of the Mother of God made of mastic and wax, said to have been made by the Apostle Luke. This picture is almost 2000 years old. After we will visit the Monastery of Agia Lavra which is the place where the Greek revolution started against the Ottoman occupancy in the year 1821. We leave Kalavrita and through the bridge of Rion we are crossing to the other side of Greek mainland and we arrive in the beautiful city of Nafpaktos where we visti the monastery of St. Augustine and St. Serafeim. Afternoon arrival in Delphi. Dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Visit Delphi and Lake Plastira. After our breakfast and optional guided tour in the archaeological site of Delphi we depart to visit the monastery of Osios Loukas, a history spanning over 1000 years and one of the most important monuments of Byzantine architecture and art. It has been listed on Unesco’s World Heritage Sites in Greece. We continue our trip and we arrive in Lake Plastira where the landcape in magnificent. Fair to be known as “the Greek Alps”. Here we visit the monastery of Petras and the monastery of Koronas. Dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Visit Lake Plastira, Meteora and Volos. After our breakfast we leave from Lake Plastira and we continue our trip to visit to the monasteries of Meteora. Here you will see the world famous Byzantine monasteries that are perched precariously on summits of grey rock pinnacles of varied and beautiful shapes. Their history goes back to the 14th century when the monks sought refuge in the cliffside caves then fled higher to build the original wooden shelters, later transformed into monasteries. We will have the opportunity to visit the monasteries of St. Barbara, St. Stephen, St. Nicholas and St. Varlaam. We are leaving Meteora and after a short trip we arrive in the beautiful seaside city of Volos. Dinner and overnight.

Day 6: From Volos to Mount Pelion and Evia. Today we visit Mt. Pelion and the picturesque villages of Portaria and Makrinitsa. We will see the monasteries of St. Serafeim Sarof, St. Gerasimos and Xenias. We continue our trip and go to the port of Arkitsa to take the ferry and after a short trip we arrive en Evia and the city of Edipsos known for its thermal waters. Dinner and overnight.

Day 7: From Evia to Nea Makri and Athens. In Evia some villages it seems to stop the time: traditions, customs, celebrations – almost indistinguishable from how it happened decades and centuries ago. We will visit the monastery of Osios David situated in the heart of a dense area. In the church of the Monastery kept the fragrant and miraculous bones of St. David the Elder, the censer and stole of the Saint (Russian origin) and other precious relics. Also, around and outside the monastery you can visit many churches in memory of various saints. Do not forget to visit the hermitage of Saint David, covering walk a short distance to the cave where the hermit miraculous saint. Worth over from the basement chapel of St. Anargiron in the SE wing of the cells of the monastery, which gives you the opportunity to admire paintings of the 17th century. Then we will visit the church of St. John the Russian. John, he was born in Russia in 1690. John was a soldier in the army of Peter, and was captured by the Turks, after he fiercely resisted all efforts to end the Turkish officer let him free quiet to keep his faith. He became famous humility and miracles during his lifetime and after his death. After leaving Evia we are moving to Nea Makri where we visit the monastery of St. New Ephraim, where his sacred relics are. Then we arrive in Athens, check in to our hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Departure from Athens. This morning after our breakfast we depart from our hotel to Athens airport. Departure flight back home.