OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS

GOLDAIR Congress, the official agent for the ESPCI 2011 is in charge of sightseeing tours.
English speaking guides will conduct each tour. Reservations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Early or on-site booking will be available soon on ESPCI 2011 web site.

Athens Sightseeing

Duration: 5 hours
A good opportunity to see the center of the city. Constitution Square (Syntagma), the House of Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier and the National Library. Driving down Herod Atticus Street, you will see the Evzones in their picturesque uniform and the Presidential Palace. On your way to the Acropolis you will see the Hadrian’s Arch, visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus and you will make a short stop at the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896. On the Acropolis visit the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erectheion and finally "the harmony between material and spirit", the monument that "puts order in the mind", the Parthenon.
 

 

 

Athens by night

Duration: 4 hours
Your evening will start with a drive to Piraeus and its natural harbors, such as lively Zea with its busy yacht marina and tiny Mikrolimano , one of the most picturesque corners of Piraeus.
Then, return to Athens for dinner in Plaka, the old city, in a typical Greek tavern with folk music and dancers

 
 
Cape Sounion in the afternoon

Duration: 3 hours
Drive along the coastal road, passing the wonderful beaches of Glyfada, Vouliagmeni & Varkiza to the most Southern point of Attica, Cape Sounion, where the white marble pillars of the Temple of Poseidon stand. On the way, you have a splendid view of the Saronic Gulf and the little islands offshore. After visiting the Temple of Poseidon, you have time to walk at leisure on the rocky promontory of Sounion.  

 
Oneday Cruiseto HYDRA - POROS - AEGINA

Duration: 10 hours
In the morning we take you by bus, from Athens to Piraeus for your embarkation to the cruise boat. At: 08.30 depart to Hydra, where we arrive at: 11.45. Here you have free time for a walk or a swim. At: 13.30 embarkation and sail for Aegina past through Poros and seashore of Peloponnese. The lunch will be served during the voyage. At: 15.30 we arrive at Aegina where you have time for a swim. Optional excursion, by bus, to the fine preserved Temple of Afea Athena. At: 18.00 embarkations for the voyage of return to the port. Arrive to Piraeus, late in the afternoon.  

 
Deplhi one day

Duration: 10 hours
Drive through the fertile plain of Beotia, crossing the towns of Thebes connected with the tragedy of King Oedipus – Levadia and Arachova (short stop on the way back). Arrive at Delphi, the center of Ancient World – the “Omphalos” (Navel of Earth) – whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic World. On the slopes of Mount Parnassus, in a landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty, lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios. Visit the Treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo and the Museum containing such masterpieces of Ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. Lunch in the modern village of Delphi, return to Athens by the same route.  

 
Mycenae-Epidauros

Duration: 10 hours
Leave by the coastal road along the Saronic Gulf to the Corinth Canal, which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea, (short stop). Drive to Mycenae, the Homeric city of Atreides, the city “rich in gold” of the ancient poets. Visit the Lion’s Gate, the Cyclopean Walls, and the Royal Tombs e.t.c. Depart for Nafplion through the fertile plain of Argolis, the picturesque town nestling at the foot of a cliff crowned by the mighty ramparts of the Palamidi Fortress (short photo stop), leave for Epidauros, to visit the Theatre (4th century B.C.) famous for its astonishing acoustics.
Return to Athens by the National road connecting Epidauros with Corinth. Lunch in Mycenae.  

 
Ancient Corinth halfday

Duration: 5 hours
Leave Athens and drive South West until we reach the Corinth Canal which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea (short stop). Drive on and visit the ancient town of Corinth where St. Paul lived and preached for two years.
The remains of the City, which include the Agora (market place) and Apollo’s Temple (6th century B.C.) clearly show how rich and important Corinth was in Ancient Times. A short stop at the Site of the Ancient Port of Cehries, where St. Paul disembarked, will conclude the visit. Return to Athens on time for lunch.