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Arrive
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Day 1 Athens
The Greek capital has a historical magnetism that will hold you spellbound from the start - and even more so as you settle straight in at Hotel Grande Bretagne, which has been at the heart of Athens since 1874, with a matchless view of the Acropolis. The building's 19th-century splendour is still very much alive, a bastion of luxury with more than 300 rooms and suites. This hotel delivers effortless glamour and comfort in equal measure: chandeliers, sweeping pelmets and marble bathrooms are de rigueur.
Overnight: Hotel Grande Bretagne
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Day 2 Athens
Explore Athens today with your private driver and expert guide. Admire the Doric Hephaisteion temple, almost 2,500 years old, and the ruined agora – where politics, commerce and society collided in ancient times, serving as Athens’ religious and cultural centre, as well as the seat of justice. Stop at the fascinating new Acropolis Museum, dedicated to antiquarian and archaeological finds from the Parthenon and surrounding structures; then marvel at the Herodes Atticus Odeon, a stone theatre that once seated 5,000 people. From here, stroll down Dionysiou Areopagitou – Europe’s largest pedestrian street – lined with intact and renovated neoclassical architecture.
Overnight: Hotel Grande Bretagne
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Day 3 Athens
This morning, take a culinary walking tour of the city's cafés, markets, delicatessens and street food stalls, learning more about its past and discovering a few Greek secrets along the way. Sampling local bread, cheeses, sweet doughnuts, fresh coffee and wine will give you a taste of Athens unlike any other. Spend the afternoon at leisure, perhaps taking a cable car up the panoramic Lycabettus Hill, visiting the original Olympic stadium, finding Bronze Age marbles at the Museum of Cycladic Art or admiring Impressionist paintings by Monet and sculpture by Rodin and Degas at the newly opened private collection at the B&E Goulandris Foundation.
Overnight: Hotel Grande Bretagne
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Day 4 Mystras
Travel south-west from the mainland onto the Peloponnese peninsula, passing the impressive Corinth Canal. On the way, stop in Nafplio, a picturesque port town that has spread into the hillside. Surrounded by ancient walls, it is full of medieval castles, Ottoman fountains and Venetian buildings that tell the history of the conquerors that once lived here. Further inland, near Sparta, you will travel through mountainous forests and valleys to reach Euphoria Retreat in Mystras. For the next two nights you will enter a holistic sanctuary that hones in on the elements with its bespoke therapies and healing plans - and a spa that takes blissful relaxation to new heights. Its modern rooms draw on the region's Byzantine history; many with stunning open views of the landscape beyond.
Overnight: Euphoria Retreat
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Day 5 Mystras
Discover the Byzantine stronghold of Mystras' crusader fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site seemingly frozen in time. Let your imagination be captured as you appreciate the town's medieval urban design - from churches to palaces and residential homes - ruined, but by no means invisible. Wander cobbled paths, take in the vast views and pause under almond trees on your way to the richly frescoed Pantanassa monastery, which is still inhabited by nuns.
Overnight: Euphoria Retreat
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Day 6 Travel to Monemvasia
Heading south, within an hour and a half you will reach Kinsterna Hotel – a wonderful Byzantine fortress-mansion property surrounded by an estate full of olive and orange trees, cypresses and vineyards. This remarkable spot is simplicity itself, with rooms that marry modern comforts with historic architectural features. Spend the rest of the day exploring on foot or by bicycle; join in with grape and olive harvests or gathering honey; or unwind by the infinity pool with an incomparable view.
Overnight: Kinsterna Hotel
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Day 7 Monemvasia
Your expert guide will show you highlights of this walled coastal town this morning – dubbed by the Ottomans as the “violet rock”. On an island that rises imperiously from the Aegean, reaching Monemvasia requires crossing a causeway and passing through a stone tunnel. This fantastically well-fortified castle town was a strategic point that was frequently besieged, but much of its structural integrity enchantingly remains. In the afternoon, continue exploring or return to relax at Kinsterna.
Overnight: Kinsterna Hotel
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Day 8 Return to Athens
Travel back to the capital - stopping on the way to visit the ruined city Mycenae, where Agamemnon set off to wage war against Troy - for your flight home, or continue your Greek voyage of discovery on one of the country's many islands, to relax by the beach.
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Depart
