(note: lunch is included on this day)
43011GRE
Timetable for the day:
If possible, ask for your breakfast to be served at 6.30 or earlier, ideally you want to be leaving at 7.00am
7.00am Depart Hotel – Drive out of Athens towards Corinth (en route you pass by Elefsina (Demeter & Eleusis Mysteries) and Salamina (Battle of Salamis))
8.30am Stop at Corinth Canal rest stop (toilets, snacks, coffee). Walk the group to the pedestrian bridge over the canal. 30 minute stop.
9.00am Depart for Epidavros – lovely views of the Saronic Gulf and lacey coastline.
10.00am Arrival at Epidavros – As time is limited at this stop, guide usually does background commentary on coach and once there, goes straight to the theatre. Acoustics demonstration and further commentary at theater. Small, interesting museum (time permitting) that group can pop into: of special interest are the medical instruments in the case to the left in the first room. Toilets next to museum as well as behind the gift shop on the way back to the coach. Canteen at coach parking.
11.15am Depart for Mycenae.
12.00 midday Arrive in Mycenae. First stop, the Tomb of Atreus. Tickets are distributed here and kept for entrance to the main site as well. 10-15’ visit of the incredibly impressive tomb, then group gets back on the bus and drives a minute up the road to the main parking area. Remember tickets. Enter the main site, toilets on the left. Visit the Lion Gate and shaft graves. Free time to go to the top of the site and cistern entry (time permitting). The on-site museum contains copies of all finds made at Mycenae: all of the originals are in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
1.30pm Depart Mycenae parking area for lunch a few minutes down the road (Taverna King Menelaos is the usual venue). Lunch here is included.
2.45pm Leave for Ceramics Workshop and Shopping. The Workshop is hands on. A bit messy. This takes about half an hour. After this they can have about half an hour’s shopping, should they be interested. There is a commission for you, the guide and the driver.
4.00pm Leave for drive to Olympia. Without a break it is about 2.5 hours. You can make a toilet stop close to Tripoli.
7.00pm Arrive at Hotel in Olympia – most of our hotels in Olympia have swimming pools. Call in advance to check the opening times. Let them know that your group will probably want to use it and have a later dinner if possible. Dinners are usually buffets.
General Information about the sites.
Epidavros
- Visit of the theatre and free time for local museum and/or photos
- The guide should demonstrate the acoustics of the theatre. Get the group to spread out over the seating, even from the very top you can hear a match being struck. Silence is asked for those entering the theatre.
- Toilets marked in between coach park and ticket office (off pathway)
- Second set of toilets close to entrance of museum
- Small canteen at coach park
- Very little in way of souvenirs
Mycenae About 90-minute visit
- The ticket is a 2-part ticket; pax must hold on to the stub so that they can use the 2nd part for the 2nd visit. The order of visits will be determined by the amount of traffic at the sites.
- Visit of the site and the Tomb of Atreus (Beehive Tomb) – no toilets at tomb.
- Visit of Mycenae site (shaft graves and citadel).
- Parking lot: a canteen (spring/summer months).
- Toilets past the entrance of Mycenae to the left down a small staircase; museum (free entrance) is also located in this area. If the group are visiting the National Archaeological Museum as part of the trip then the museum is not necessary as it only houses copies of what is there.