• Piraeus - Begin your journey with a pickup from your accommodation in Athens or from the cruise ship pier at Piraeus port. Enjoy a scenic drive along the coastal road of the Saronic Gulf, taking in the beauty of the Piraeus and Athens riviera.
• Acropolis - The Acropolis, the most magnificent sanctuary of ancient Athens, is primarily dedicated to its patron, the goddess Athena. It majestically overlooks the modern city from its rocky perch. This sacred site is intertwined with the most famous myths of ancient Athens, its major religious festivals, early cults, and several pivotal events in the city’s history. The Acropolis monuments harmonize with their natural surroundings, showcasing unique masterpieces of ancient architecture that blend various Classical art styles innovatively, influencing art and culture for centuries. The Acropolis of the fifth century BC epitomizes the splendor, power, and wealth of Athens during its golden age under Pericles.
• Areopagus - Situated just to the right of the Acropolis exit, the Areopagus, also known as the “Hill of Ares,” was the site of the Council of Nobles and the Judicial Court in classical times, primarily dealing with homicide cases. Legend has it that Ares was tried here by the Gods for the murder of Alirrothios, a son of Poseidon. Another notable trial was that of Orestes, accused of killing his mother Clytemnestra and her lover. In preclassical times, the Areopagus was where the city’s elder council convened, comprising esteemed public officials. In 480 BC, the hill served as a Persian campsite during their siege of the Acropolis. It was also here that Saint Paul delivered the renowned “Sermon on an Unknown God,” inspired by an altar to the “Unknown God.” A bronze plaque commemorates this speech at the rock’s base.
• Propylaea - The Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis were constructed on the hill’s west side, where the Mycenaean fortification gate once stood. The initial propylon, or gate, was built during Peisistratos’ era (mid-sixth century BC) after the Acropolis became a sanctuary for Athena. A new propylon, erected between 510-480 BC, was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and later repaired after the Persian Wars during the Acropolis fortification by Themistokles and Kimon. The monumental Propylaia admired today were part of the grand Periklean building program, constructed between 437-432 BC after the Parthenon’s completion by architect Mnesikles. The original building plan was ambitious in both architectural and artistic terms but remained unfinished.
• Temple of Athena Nike - Designed by architect Kallikrates, the Temple of Athena Nike was built between 426 and 421 BC on a bastion at the Acropolis’ southwestern edge. This small Ionic temple featured a relief-carved frieze with different thematic representations on each side. The east side depicted a gathering of gods around the enthroned Zeus, while the other sides showed scenes of war between Greeks and Persians or Greeks with other Greeks. The south side illustrated the Greeks’ victorious battle against the Persians at Marathon in 490 BC, led by the Athenians. Few sculptural remains survive from the temple’s pediments. It is believed the west pediment depicted the Olympian gods’ victory over the Giants (Gigantomachy), while the east showed the Athenians’ victory over the Amazons (Amazonomachy). Around 410 BC, a marble parapet adorned with carved reliefs was installed around the temple’s bastion’s dangerous edge for visitor protection.
• Parthenon - The Parthenon, a temple dominating the Acropolis hill in Athens, was built in the mid-5th century BCE and dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos. It is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Doric order’s development, the simplest of the three Classical Greek architectural orders. The temple was part of a magnificent rebuilding program led by Athenian statesman Pericles following the Acropolis’ sack during the Greco-Persian Wars (492–449 BCE). The project included the Propylaea, the gateway to the sacred precinct; the Erechtheum, a shrine to agricultural deities, especially Erichthonius; and the Temple of Athena Nike, symbolizing the harmony between the Dorian and Ionian peoples under Athens’ governance. The Parthenon served as the chief shrine to Athena and the treasury of the Delian League, a confederacy of ancient Greek states led by Athens, founded in 478 BCE.
• Erechtheion - On the high stylobate of the Erechtheion’s south porch stand six maidens, replacing columns to support the entablature. Severely weathered and affected by pollution, five of the caryatids were moved to the Acropolis Museum in 1978 and replaced with replicas. The other figure (second from the left in the first row of four) was taken by Lord Elgin, who, between 1801 and 1805, removed about half of the surviving sculptures from the Acropolis ruins and the Parthenon itself. They were acquired by the British Museum in 1816 and displayed publicly the following year. Between 1937 and 1938, even the caryatid in the British Museum in London, which is in better condition than its sisters, was damaged when masons abraded the surface (as well as some of the Parthenon sculptures) in an unauthorized attempt to brighten them for the new gallery’s opening.
• Ancient Agora of Athens - After visiting the Acropolis, proceed to the Ancient Agora, a 20-minute journey. The Ancient Agora of Athens is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located northwest of the Acropolis and bordered on the south by the Areopagus hill and on the west by the Agoraios Kolonos hill, also known as Market Hill. The term “agora” refers to an assembly of people and, by extension, marks the gathering place. In modern Greek, it means “marketplace.” Nearly every ancient and modern city includes a place for an agora, and the Agora of Athens is at the city’s heart, serving as an assembly, commercial, or residential area for about 5000 years. Consequently, the area has undergone numerous building, destruction, and rebuilding cycles. Today, these historical layers have been distilled through excavations to reveal the Agora’s significant functions from Archaic to Greco-Roman and Byzantine times.
• Peloponnese - Enjoy the journey along the Saronic Gulf’s coastal road until reaching the renowned Corinth Canal in Peloponnese. The Peloponnese is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece, connected to the country’s central part by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge, separating the Gulf of Corinth from the Saronic Gulf. Peloponnese grape varieties hold a special place in the treasure of native Greek grape varieties. The Peloponnese Wine Roads offer a journey into a modern, sometimes rare, and often unknown wine world, rich in authenticity and history. Native Peloponnese grape varieties reflect the diversity of Greek and Peloponnesian wine and the significance of some special Greek varieties. Among them are two of the four most renowned Greek vineyard varieties in the world’s best markets: the exotic Moschofilero-Mantinia and the captivating Agiorgitiko-Nemea. Additionally, Mavrodafni is known for its popular dessert wine.
• Corinth Canal - The Corinth Canal is a waterway that traverses the narrow isthmus of Corinth, linking the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf. This canal separates the Greek mainland from the Peloponnese, effectively turning it into an island. It serves as an important navigational route that once allowed ships to enter the Aegean Sea. Dug through the isthmus at sea level, the canal is 6.4 kilometers long and 25 meters wide. Although executed in the late 19th century, the canal was a 2000-year-old dream. Before its construction, ships in the Aegean Sea wishing to cross to the Adriatic or anchor in Corinth, a wealthy shipping city, had to circumnavigate the Peloponnese, adding an extra 185 nautical miles to their journey. It is believed that Periander, the tyrant of Corinth (602 BC), first conceived the idea of digging the Corinth Canal. As the project was too complex, Periander built the diolkós, a stone road that allowed ships to be transferred on wheeled platforms.
• Food tour Corinth - Eat and live like a local - It’s time for lunch. Enjoy free time for lunch at a traditional restaurant in Ancient Corinth to experience a food tour of Greek cuisine. Please note that lunch is not included in the price.
• Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos) - After visiting the Corinth Canal, travel approximately 20 minutes to reach Ancient Corinth. Ancient Corinth was first inhabited during the Neolithic period (6500-3250 B.C.). Its fertile soil and strategic location at the intersection of land routes from the Balkan peninsula of Aimos and mainland Greece to the Peloponnese, as well as waterways connecting the western Mediterranean to its eastern counterpart, Asia Minor, and Syro-Palestine, offered the region immense potential for communication, growth, and prosperity from early on. The city, known since the Mycenaean period, had a significant agricultural output, which favored extensive trade activities, particularly towards the Western Mediterranean. In the 8th century BC, Corinthian colonies were established, such as Corfu in the Ionian Sea and Syracuse in Sicily, playing an important role in the ancient Mediterranean world’s history.
• Piraeus - Conclude the tour by dropping off at the same location where the pickup occurred in Athens or at the Piraeus cruise port.

• Pick-up/drop-off at Port of Piraeus cruise ship pier
• Private air-conditioned transport for your group
• Professional English-speaking tour driver
• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Athens

• Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and museum
• Gratuities
• Food and drinks
• English-speaking licensed tour guide (We can arrange for a tour guide for you with an extra cost)

Features of the original Christian coastal excursion following Paul’s journey in Athens and old Corinth

• Tour of the Athens Acropolis and Parthenon
• An experience of the scenic area of the Ancient Agora
• Opportunity to capture stunning images at the Corinth Canal
• Exploration of the archaeological location of Ancient Corinth
• A knowledgeable and proficient English-speaking driver for a secure and relaxed private trip
• Visit the Mars hill
• Passengers have the option to personalize the tour within the planned route!

• Dress code is formal
• At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
• Athens International Airport transfers can be arranged on request at an extra cost!
• Important note: You will have a professional English-speaking driver with good knowledge of the history and culture of Greece, to guide you till you enter archaeological sites and museums according to the program. Tour drivers are not licensed to companion you inside the archaeological sites and museums. If you’d like to have one, we can arrange it for you at an additional cost. Licensed by the state tour guides are freelance and it is subject to availability on bookings day!
• We suggest that you have your admission tickets pre-purchased as there is a chance not to find availability, please note that we can buy the tickets for you in advance -under a small service fee.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.