TOUR TIME: 08:30
DURATION : 6 Hours
STARTING POINT: Athens
HIGHLIGHTS
- Small group tour of maximum 26 people
- 6-hours guided tour to Ancient Corinth & Daphni Monastery
- Participate on a religious tour led by an expert guide
- Visit Monastery of Daphni & marver at its superb 11th-century mosaics
- UNESCO’s world heritage monument
- Stop at the strategically Corinth canal & enjoy breathtaking views
- Visit Ancient Corinth with the temple of Apollo & its age-old streets
- Pick up/drop off service is included from Athens central hotels
ACTIVITY INFO
If you are interested in religious tours, this tour is the perfect choice for you. Exclusively with KEY TOURS, you will have the opportunity to discover two must-see sights on this memorable half day trip from Athens. Enjoy also a photo stop at Corinth Canal before visiting the Ancient Corinth & Daphni’s Monastery with its 11th-century Byzantine mosaics.
After your morning pick up from your central located hotel, begin from our terminal with a scenic drive to Corinth via Iera Odos (the Sacred Way). It was so called because it was the route taken by a procession celebrating the Eleusinian Mysteries, were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at Eleusis in ancient Greece.
Along the way, stop at the Monastery of Daphni, a 11th-century Byzantine monastery listed as a World Heritage site together with Monasteries Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios. The interior of the church is decorated with superb mosaics, a unique, fine example of the Classical idealism of Middle Byzantine art. The crowded scenes of the mosaics narrate scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin.
Continue your drive along the coastal road and reach the Corinth canal, which merges the Aegean with the Ionian Sea (short stop for photos of the breathtaking view). Shortly thereafter, reach the ancient town of Corinth, where St. Paul lived and preached for two years (Acts 18:1-18). Visit the ruins of the ancient city where Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla, see the remains of the first century shops, the Agora where Paul’s trial by Gallio took place, the Fountain of Peirene, and one of the most outstanding monuments of pre –Roman period, the temple of Apollo. Afterward, return back to Athens, ending your tour with a central hotel drop-off.
INCLUDES
- Professional and licenced guide
- Transportation by luxury air conditioned bus
- Entrance fees of Ancient Corinth
- Hotel pick up/drop off service
- Whispers
DOES NOT INCLUDE
- Lunch
- Gratuities (optional)
- Personal expenses
Additional Info
Keeping you safe (COVID-19 measures): Our staff is trained in the latest hygiene protocols and cleaning procedures. They use personal protective equipment (face masks/shields and optional gloves) and their temperature/wellness will be monitored daily to ensure a safe travel experience for you. Face masks are also required for travellers inside the monastery. Buses are filled to only 50% of their capacity and the number of buses used is increased. The average cleaning time is doubled both during the day and after the end of the tour at night. In addition, all sensitive touch areas such as seats, armrests, sidewalls, overhead bins, etc. are intensively cleaned and sanitized. The air inside the bus, on average, completely renewed every 3 minutes during cruise time. All Setra 515 buses in our fleet are equipped with HEPA/CARBON filters (High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestors), which capture more than 99% of even microscopic bacteria and viruses. Moreover, sanitizing dispensers are available at each door. Whisper audio devices will be given to all our travelers to keep social distance guidelines which are sanitized thoroughly both from our staff but also inside the charging cases with UVC lights.
Entrance to the monastery: Please note that for the moment the entrance to the Monastery is free of charge. In case the Ministry announced a fee, the participants should pay the entrance fee before visiting the monastery.