3-Day Monemvasia and The Mani Peninsula Private Tour

DAY1. Corinth Canal, Medieval Nafplion, Monemvasia (option to visit either the UNESCO site of Epidaurus or Ancient Mycenae)

DAY2. Tour of The Mani Peninsula

DAY3. Return to Athens (option to visit either the UNESCO site of Epidaurus or Ancient Mycenae or Ancient Corinth)

DAY1. From your hotel or cruise ship terminal you will travel in style in one of our new black Mercedes E Class, AudiA6 or Mercedes Minibus models with full leather & free WiFi as your informative driver takes you west from Athens for our first stop to see the impressive Corinth Canal & learn about its short but eventful history before continuing to reach the historic Nafplion & first capital of modern Greece with its dominating Palamidi castle overlooking the Venetian quarter now housing many local crafts shops which are a joy to explore.Enjoy lunch in one of the seafront taverns in view of the impressive Bourtzi fortress lying in the bay before continuing for around two hours to Monemvasia.

Originally separated from the mainland by an earthquake, the Gibraltar like rock of Monemvasia was an ideal inaccessible natural fortress for settlement in the 6th century by the local inhabitants seeking protection from Slavic invaders in the 6th century. Sitting on a plateau 100 meters above sea level you will find a remarkable walled city, constructed and added to by the Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans until its liberation in the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. Originally only reachable by ship, we can now traverse the long narrow causeway onto the rock & up to the imposing walled entrance where we must continue on foot into the old and well preserved city. After checking in to one of the many charming converted guesthouses your evening is free to wander the living history of its twisting labyrinthine streets, heritage buildings, multi colored bougainvillea covered guesthouses and sea views.

DAY2. After an unhurried breakfast we travel around 3 hours deeper into the Peloponnese to the rugged Mani Peninsula. Famous for its tower houses built to protect the local population from the piracy & dangerous times during medieval life up to the nineteenth century. its inhabitants are also the descendants of the Ancient Spartans & this combination of geography & hardy people kept the region independent to develop its own character from the rest of Greece. During our stay our route is chosen to visit the most impressive of its scenery & villages such as Vathi at its southernmost tip

DAY3. Saying goodbye to Mani we venture north towards Athens & visit either of the UNESCO sites of Epidaurus, Ancient Mycenae, and the well preserved Archeological site of Ancient Corinth before our arrival back in Athens. The tour is flexible so more or less time may be spent in any location on request.