Day One: Arrive in Athens
Arrive in Athens. Private transfer with assistance to your hotel in Athens. Overnight in Athens.
Day Two: Athens
In the morning, private sightseeing of Athens with a licensed guide. Tour the city, including a visit to the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum. Free afternoon. In the evening, you will enjoy a Welcome Dinner at one of Leftheris’ favorite restaurants. Overnight in Athens.
Day Three: Athens to Ithaka
via Patras
In the morning your 11-day rental car will be delivered to your hotel. Today, set out on your odyssey to Ithaka via Patras. En route stop to visit the Corinth Canal. If time permits, you may also want to visit ancient Corinth. Head to Patras, the capital of the Peloponnese, where you will board your ferry to Ithaka, known since antiquity as the home of Odysseus, whose mountains, quiet coves, lovely beaches and captivating caves combine to create what might be considered paradise. Overnight in Ithaka.
Day Four: Ithaka
Free day to explore the island. Ithaka, the home of Odysseus, is indeed an earthly paradise. You will soon know why this island continued to draw the great Odysseus home for those ten long years; visit the capital and largest settlement, Ithaki or Vathy; its red-roofed delightful houses are set amidst enchanting scenery at the end of the deep closed bay of Molos; visit also the Loizos Cave in the Bay of Polis; Pelikata, the site of a small bronze age settlement; and the lovely, and typically Ionian, villages of Kioni and Frikes. Overnight in Ithaka.
Day Five: Ithaka
Free day to explore the island. Today, explore any of the hidden wonders that you missed out on yesterday. Option: You may wish to visit Cave of the Nymphs, where Odysseus hid the gifts from the Phaeacians upon his return; the medieval Monastery of the Archangels at Perahori; and the Kathara Monastery with its lovely view overlooking the island. In the evening, return to your hotel for a restful night’s sleep. Overnight in Ithaka.
Day Six: Ithaka to Olympia
In the morning, board the ferry back to Patras. Drive to Olympia, home of the ancient Olympic games. In the afternoon, private sightseeing of Olympia with a licensed guide: visit the site and the charming, small museum with its renowned statue of Hermes by Praxiteles. Option: visit the Olympic Museum with its unique collection representing the modern Olympiad. Free evening. Overnight in Olympia.
Day Seven: Olympia
Free day to explore the area. Option: In the morning, drive to Andritsena to visit the Temple of Apollo at Vassae. In the afternoon, visit Kaiafa Beach, with its lovely, long stretches of sand, perfect for an afternoon swim. Overnight in Olympia.
Day Eight: Olympia to Kalamata
In the morning, drive to Kalamata, known for its luscious black olives, arguably the best in Greece. En route stop in charming Pylos to visit the ruined palace of wise Nestor, who took part in the Trojan War and whose city was the second largest in the Mycenaean World. A century after Nestor's Palace was created it was destroyed by fire, and now its finds are in a local museum in the small village of Hora. Overnight in Kalamata.
Day Nine: Kalamata to Kalavryta
En route to Kalavryta you may want to visit the medieval site of Mystras, once the capital of the Byzantine province of Greece. In Mystras, visit among other places: the small church of Evangelistia, the Vrontochi Monastery with its two churches of Holy Theodoroi and Hodegetria (Aphentico), and the Monastery of Perivleptos. In the afternoon, stop at some lovely villages as you make your way up to Kalavryta, including Karytena with its Frankish castle and arched medieval bridge; Stemnitsa (Ipsounda), a major medieval site which is home to a folklore museum and a traditional ironwork and jewelry school; and Dimitsana, one of the oldest and loveliest Acadian villages with a charming water mill museum where gunpowder, flour, and leather goods were created during the Middle Ages. Finally, head in to Kalavryta, a lovely village in the northern Peloponnese. Overnight in Kalavryta.
Day Ten: Kalavryta
In morning take a ride on the rack-and-pinion narrow gauge railroad from Kalvryta to the seaside village of Diokoftó. Delve into the gorge of the Vouraïkos river, pass through tunnels, travel along streams and experience something that most travelers miss. OR visit the Monastery of Aghia Lavra; it is here in 1821 that the first banner was raised to support the Greeks in declaring their independence from the Turks. Then visit the Monastery of Mega Spileon. Since 362 AD this monastery has clung to the cliffside 1,000 meters above sea level. Return to Kalavryta for sightseeing of the monument in honor of family members that were murdered during the German occupation. Overnight in Kalavryta.
Day Eleven: Kalavryta to Nauplion
Today drive to the port town of Nauplion, the first capital of modern Greece. En route, stop at Nemea, where Heracles slew the Nemean Lion and where athletic competitions similar to the Olympics were held in classical times. Then head to Mycenae, the site of Agamemnon and the House of Atreus. Finally, head into Nauplion, which will you charm you with its quiet streets and glittering bay. Overnight in Nauplion.
Day Twelve: Nauplion
Free day to explore the area. Option: in the morning visit Epidauros, the sanctuary of Asklepios, the god of medicine, known for its ancient theater which is still in use. In the afternoon visit the Palamidi Fortress, which overlooks Nauplion, and the local folklore museum. Overnight in Nauplion.
Day Thirteen: Nauplion to Hydra
In the morning, drive to Ermioni and drop off your rental car, then go by hydrofoil to Hydra. One of the most beautiful of the Saronic Gulf islands, it is known for its beautiful harbor surrounded by impressive 19th century buildings many of which have been restored. Overnight in Hydra.
Day Fourteen: Hydra
No cars are allowed on this artists’ colony island, so you’ll have to take a mule to the isles’ summit to see a beautiful view of the Saronic Gulf. Spend your day in leisure exploring the little shops sprinkled through the town like gems. Overnight in Hydra.
Day Fifteen: Hydra to Athens
Free morning to finish your explorations of the island of Hydra. In the afternoon, take the hydrofoil across the Saronic Gulf to Piraeus, the port of Athens. Private transfer with assistance to your luxury hotel, which is conveniently located in the airport.
Day Sixteen: Travel Day
Depart from the airport for your outgoing flight.
Equally fascinated by hillside villages and river gorges as you are intrigued by the ruins of eras past, you want to explore all the hidden mysteries of Southern Greece. The lush island of Ithaka beckons you to set foot on its shores, as it did with Odysseus. The artists’ colony on the island of Hydra sings to you of its spectacular views of the Saronic Gulf. The quiet lands of Arcadia whisper to you, reciting the thousands of poems hailing this land as a pastoral paradise. The ruined palace of Homeric Nestor and the abandoned churches of Byzantine Mystras hail you from the deep past. You answer all these calls, and after you have finished your trek, you sing praises of this land for years to come. 
