“Greece, From the birthplace of Homer to the island of Sappho. Chios-Lesvos islands.” tour.

Day 1 Arrive in Athens.

Start / End Points

Tour starts in Athens. The tour ends back in Athens . If you want to extend your trip , please inform us upon booking about your starting and ending point so as to be quoted the final price . Also please state where you fly out from .

Arrive in Athens and check-in at the hotel. Take your time to relax. In the evening you will have your first taste of Greece by strolling around the old neighbourhoods of Athens , watch traditional dances and indulge into mouthwatering local dishes.

Overnight Athens
Included Meals: Dinner

Day 2 Half day Athens/Fly to Lesvos Island.

We will take a half day tour of Athens and its most significant sights. No visit to Athens is complete without a climb up to the Acropolis (“peak of the city”), where Ancient Athenians of the 5th century BC erected the great temple dedicated to the goddess Athena – the extraordinary Parthenon.

You will also see the Ancient Agora, and some of the finest structures of modern Athens, such as the Kallimarmaro Stadium, home of the first modern Olympics in 1896; the old Royal Palace and today’s Parliament, with the elite unit known as the Evzones guarding the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier.

We will have lunch in one of the most traditional neighbourhoods at restaurant that only locals know and discover secret corners of this multifaceted city .

Early evening flight to Lesvos and check-in at our hotel. Free time to stroll around .

Overnight Lesvos
Included Meals: Breakfast /Lunch

Day 3 Lesvos

Unspoilt is an overused word in tourism which rarely means unspoilt. Applied to Lesvos it really does mean unspoilt. Vast areas of countryside to explore on quiet roads, peaceful beaches, wonderful wild flowers and a display of migrating birds in the spring unrivalled anywhere else in the west…

Lesvos lies opposite to Asia Minor, in a distance of 5 to 8 miles. It has an area of 1630 square kilometers and a coastline of 370 km. The warm climate of the island, the rich soil and the plentiful waters have created the all green Lesvos that the visitor enjoys today. The big areas planted with olive-trees are cut by dense pine woods.

The essence of beauty is spread on the island. Everywhere the sense of serenity and moderation. In the deep silence of the afternoon, in the hot calm mornings and the silver gulfs where ancient cultures passed and got lost….

After breakfast we will visit the mountain town of Agiassos , one of the holiest villages in all of Greece, with its many shops selling traditional ceramics and carved wooden items as well as cheese and other traditional foods. Agiassos is built on the pine and olive covered slopes of Mount Olympos.We will visit the Women’s Cooperative of Agiassos and woodcarvers.

From there we will drive to Plomari. Plomari is a historical, traditional village of Lesvos built on the beach and by the side of Sedunda river. At this place there are the biggest ouzo making factories of the whole country . Old mansions are located all along the riverside with all their colourful and impressive characteristics, while old marble fountains can still be found at any place of the town.

The region of Plomari is full of small settlements and sights .We will have time to swim and visit the Barbayiannis Ouzo Museum , a traditional distillery and end our day at one of Plomari famous ouzeri for dinner and an ouzo before driving back.

Overnight Lesvos
Included Meals: Breakfast/Dinner

Day 4 Lesvos

Today we will drive to the town of Molyvos . On our way we will stop at the archeological site of Mesa .In early Christian times, a funerary basilica was built on top of the temple, which was later supplanted by a post-Byzantine church. An enormous quantity of relics, ruins, altars and remains still exist in the area, testifying to the religious life of the Lesbian people who came here to worship at the great temple of Pyrra. Legend also has it that the Apostle Paul came here in 52 AD to preach Christianity to the inhabitants of the island.

Molyvos is the most picturesque place of Mytilene and one of the most beautiful mediaeval places that Greece has to show. Climbing on the slope, with the castle as a cover, captivates anyone who faces it for the first time.

Mythimna has been since ancient times the inspiration of the artists and was the birthplace of the famous singer and guitar-player Arion. The town hall of Mythimna shelters a great archaeological collection, open to the public and including exhibits from ancient to roman times.On our way back we will stop at the the Eftalou hot water healing springs .

Overnight Lesvos
Included Meals: Breakfast /Lunch

Day 5 Lesvos

After breakfast we will drive to the other part of Lesvos and visit a winery which produces wine from an ancient Lesvos grape variety . We will stop in the beautiful central square of Antissa for coffee and then to the Perivoli Monastery to see its frescos. Lunch will be at one of the most famous restaurants in the island , in Sigri.

After a mouthwatering lunch and a swim we will visit the Petrified Forest of Lesvos. On the western coast of Lesvos Island the passage of time and the lapping of the sea’s waves have slowly revealed the petrified remains of plant life of the distant past. Intense volcanic activity, which took place in the Northern Aegean 20 million years ago, resulted in the creation of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos.

Here one can find fossilised pieces of trees – which in the remote past were once alive – standing upright or lying on the ground in a multitude of colours, with their roots and branches. Scientists who have studied the Petrified Forest speak with wonder of the uniqueness, rarity and great scientific value of the monument. The Petrified Forest provides considerable information regarding the composition and character of paleoflora and climatic conditions of the distant past.

This monument thus constitutes a natural document recording the geological history of the Aegean basin of the last 20 million years .
A view from the ancient city of Assos on a sunny day.

Overnight Lesvos
Included Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

Day 6 Lesvos to Chios island

Last but not least before we embark our boat to travel to Chios island,we will explore the capital of the island Mytilini on a food tour. Mytilini occupies seven hills which rise like an amphitheatre around this enthralling and charming town.

It’s fortress is one of the largest known in the Mediterranean and lies above the town to the East. It is extremely well preserved has a colourful past, not surprising when you consider that it has been occupied and modified by many forces including the Romans, The Byzantines, the Turks and even the Venetians.We will enjoy our day strolling around the city and having lunch before we leave for Chios.

Overnight Chios
Included Meals: Breakfast /Lunch

Day 7 Chios

Chios is the 5th biggest island of Greece and belongs to the North East Aegean group of islands. It is well known for its naval traditions thanks to it’s geographical position. It is also very famous for the mastic products that are produced here. Chios has exceptional natural beauty and with it’s medieval villages still preserved through the passing years, the magnificent beaches, the byzantine monasteries and the mastic trees that perfume the air.

After breakfast we will have a traditional coffee at the Citrus Museum and learn the agricultural history of the island . You will have time to relax or swim. In the afternoon we will visit ouzo distilleries and other small agricultural food factories .

We will stroll around the village of Pyrgi , an area which still stands as it was built. The narrow roads, the innumerable churches, and amongst them the 13th century Byzantine church of St. Apostles in combination with the unique black and white geometrical decor of the outer walls of the houses. -The “xysta” -are the things which enchant the visitor.

It has been designated a listed monument. It keeps its houses tied tightly together in what seems like a closed and compact form. The streets are cobbled and narrow. This type of fortress, a four-cornered structure, was built for protection against the frequent attacks by pirates and Turks, as well as for better cultivation of the mastic bush.

It lies in small, treeless valleys far from the sea. The gray houses had doors and windows that faced only the interior of the wall, that is, inside the village. The outer walls contained adjoining parapets with small towers at the corners and only one gate. The inhabitants could enter and leave the village only through a door which can be found today at the location Kato Porta.

Overnight Chios
Included Meals: Breakfast /Dinner

Day 8 Chios.

After breakfast we will drive to Mesta.

Mesta, is a perfectly preserved village-castle of the Byzantine period (14th and 15th centuries). It has been designated a listed monument and it is found 35 Km southwest of the town. The Castle-village, takes you back centuries, with its very few changes. It keeps its houses tied tightly together in what seems like a closed and compact form. The streets are cobbled and narrow.

An excellent, worth visiting monument is the church of the Older Taxiarchi, a vaulted one-aisled basilica, that became two-aisled in 1794 with the wood carved iconostasis, a fine piece of Chian wood-sculpture.

Here we will have a “Mastic-mystique” experience. A presentation and contribution to mastic cultivation. Young farmers demonstrate all the stages of mastic tree cultivation in a real field. During the demonstration you will be encouraged to try using the traditional tools and techniques involved in the extraction and harvest of the mastic resin from the tree. After a traditional lunch we will visit one of the most unique beaches on the island.

The night will find us drinking one of Chios most famous products “Ouzo” at a traditional tavern next to the sea , enjoying seafood and local music.

Overnight Chios
Included Meals: Breakfast / Lunch /Dinner

Day 9 Chios

Today we are going to sail around the gorgeous island of Chios on a one day tour, stopping at coves, beaches and tiny islands that would have been otherwise impossible to see by land.

Overnight Chios
Included Meals: Breakfast/Lunch on board

Day 10 Fly to Athens- End of Tour

Our tour concludes after breakfast, with a departure transfer to the airport and your flight to Athens.

Airport Transfer (1/2.hour)
Included Meals: Breakfast[