Classical Greece: Self-Launched Ancient Wonders Tour

Fly into Athens International Airport (ATH). Take the X95 express bus from the airport to Syntagma Square (~£6, ~1 hour) or the suburban rail to Athens city centre (~£10). Check into your centrally located hostel or budget hotel in the Monastiraki or Psiri neighbourhood — great bases for exploring the old town. Spend the evening wandering the Plaka district, grabbing a souvlaki wrap for a couple of euros, and soaking up your first views of the illuminated Acropolis.

🚌X95 express bus from Athens Airport to Syntagma (~£6) or suburban rail (~£10)

🛏City Circus Athens Hostel or Student & Traveller's Inn, Monastiraki/Plaka area (~£20-30pp/night for dorm, ~£45-55pp for private room)

• →Take the X95 express bus from Athens Airport to Syntagma Square (~£6)
• →Check in to hostel/budget hotel in Monastiraki or Psiri
• →Evening stroll through Plaka neighbourhood
• →Dinner at a local taverna — try souvlaki or moussaka (~£8-12)

A full day exploring Athens' ancient heart. Start early at the Acropolis to beat the heat and crowds — book your timed entry ticket online in advance (~£20). Walk through the Propylaea, photograph the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, and stand before the iconic Parthenon. Descend to the superb Acropolis Museum (~£10) for world-class context. In the afternoon, visit Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus (included in a combined ticket), then stroll to Syntagma Square to watch the Evzone guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Finish at the Panathenaic Stadium, the venue of the first modern Olympics. You can book a guided walking tour of the Acropolis via GetYourGuide (~£15-20pp) if you'd like expert commentary.

🚌Athens Metro and walking — day metro pass ~£4

🛏City Circus Athens Hostel or Student & Traveller's Inn (~£20-30pp dorm, ~£45-55pp private)

• →Acropolis visit: Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion, Parthenon — book timed entry online (~£20)
• →Acropolis Museum visit (~£10)
• →Hadrian's Arch and Temple of Olympian Zeus (combined ticket ~£12)
• →Syntagma Square and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — free
• →Panathenaic Stadium visit (~£10)
• →Optional: GetYourGuide Acropolis guided walking tour (~£18)

This is a big day covering the Peloponnese's greatest hits — best done by hiring a car for the day (from ~£35-50 from Athens) or joining a day-trip via GetYourGuide (~£40-60pp). Drive southwest from Athens, stopping first at the Corinth Canal for photos — a dramatic engineering feat with the canal cutting 80m below. Continue to the ancient Theatre of Epidauros (~£12 entry), one of the best-preserved ancient theatres in the world. Head to Mycenae Archaeological Site and the Tomb of Agamemnon / Treasury of Atreus (~£12 combined). End the day in the beautiful Venetian harbour town of Nafplion — your overnight base. Stroll the waterfront and enjoy a taverna dinner.

🚌Hire a car in Athens for the day (~£35-50 including fuel) or join a GetYourGuide Peloponnese day trip (~£45-60pp). KTEL buses also connect Athens–Nafplion (~£12) if doing sites across 2 days.

🛏Pension Marianna or Atrion Hotel, Nafplion (~£35-50pp for a private room)

• →Corinth Canal viewpoint stop — free
• →Theatre of Epidauros visit (~£12)
• →Mycenae Archaeological Site and Tomb of Agamemnon (~£12)
• →Photo stop and evening stroll in Nafplion — free
• →Dinner at a Nafplion waterfront taverna (~£12-15)

Drive or take the KTEL bus west towards Olympia (~3.5 hours by bus via Tripoli, ~£15). Arrive and check into your guesthouse before heading straight to the Olympia Archaeological Site — birthplace of the Olympic Games. Wander the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, the ancient stadium where you can sprint the original track, and the Palaestra wrestling school. The adjoining Archaeological Museum of Olympia (~£12 combined ticket) houses the stunning Hermes of Praxiteles sculpture. Overnight in the charming village of Archaia Olympia.

🚌KTEL bus from Nafplion to Olympia via Tripoli (~£15, ~3.5 hours) or continue with hire car

🛏Pelops Hostel or Pension Posidon, Archaia Olympia (~£20-35pp)

• →Olympia Archaeological Site visit (~£12 combined ticket with museum)
• →Archaeological Museum of Olympia (included in combined ticket)
• →Sprint the length of the ancient Olympic stadium — included
• →Evening meal in Archaia Olympia village (~£10-14)

Head north from Olympia to Delphi — the spiritual centre of the ancient world (~3.5 hours by car or bus with a change at Patras or Rio). The KTEL bus from Olympia to Delphi requires a change (~£18-22 total). Arrive and check in to a guesthouse with mountain views above the Gulf of Corinth. Spend the afternoon at the Delphi Archaeological Site and Delphi Museum (~£12 combined ticket) — explore the Temple of Apollo, the ancient theatre, and the stadium perched dramatically on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The museum houses the famous Charioteer of Delphi bronze sculpture.

🚌KTEL bus from Olympia to Delphi (change at Patras or Amfissa, ~£18-22, ~3.5-4 hours) or hire car

🛏Sibylla Hotel or Hermes Delphi Hotel (~£30-45pp)

• →Delphi Archaeological Site visit (~£12 combined ticket with museum)
• →Delphi Museum: Charioteer of Delphi and other treasures
• →Temple of Apollo and ancient Delphi theatre
• →Sunset views over the Pleistos Valley — free
• →Dinner in Delphi village (~£10-14)

Travel north from Delphi to Kalambaka, the town beneath the extraordinary Meteora rock formations (~3 hours by car or ~4-5 hours by bus with a change at Lamia, ~£15-20). En route, consider a brief stop at Thermopylae to see the Leonidas Monument — the site of the famous 300 Spartans' last stand (~free, roadside stop). Arrive in Kalambaka and check in. In the evening, walk to the edge of town for your first jaw-dropping views of the monasteries perched impossibly atop the giant rock pillars.

🚌KTEL bus from Delphi to Kalambaka (change at Lamia, ~£15-20, ~4-5 hours) or hire car

🛏Alsos House or Meteora Hostel, Kalambaka (~£18-30pp)

• →Optional stop at Leonidas Monument, Thermopylae (~free, roadside)
• →Scenic drive/bus through central Greece
• →Evening walk to view Meteora rock formations and monasteries from below — free
• →Dinner in Kalambaka town (~£10-14)

Rise early to visit the Meteora monasteries at dawn before the tour groups arrive. Six monasteries are accessible — entry to each is ~£3. The largest, Great Meteoron, and the scenic Varlaam and Roussanou are highlights. Each contains stunning Byzantine frescoes and dramatic clifftop views. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered). You can walk between some monasteries or use the local bus that loops from Kalambaka (~£1.50/trip). After exploring, take the afternoon train from Kalambaka back to Athens (~3.5 hours, ~£15 via Larissa) and settle back into your Athens accommodation for a final night.

🚌Local Kalambaka monastery loop bus (~£1.50/trip); train Kalambaka–Athens (~£15, ~3.5 hours via Larissa)

🛏City Circus Athens Hostel or Student & Traveller's Inn, Athens (~£20-30pp dorm, ~£45-55pp private)

• →Visit Great Meteoron Monastery (~£3)
• →Visit Varlaam Monastery (~£3)
• →Visit Roussanou Monastery (~£3)
• →View Byzantine frescoes and panoramic cliff-top vistas
• →Local loop bus between monasteries (~£1.50/trip)
• →Afternoon train from Kalambaka to Athens (~£15, ~3.5 hours)

Enjoy a final Greek breakfast — grab a bougatsa (custard pastry) from a local bakery for under £2 — and use any free morning time to revisit a favourite neighbourhood, pick up gifts from the Monastiraki flea market, or grab a coffee in Kolonaki. Head to Athens Airport via the X95 bus (~£6) or suburban rail (~£10). Allow at least 2.5 hours before your flight.

🚌X95 express bus from Syntagma to Athens Airport (~£6, ~1 hour)

• →Final Greek breakfast at a local bakery (~£2-5)
• →Optional: Monastiraki flea market browse — free entry
• →X95 express bus to Athens Airport (~£6)