Details about
Epirus the undiscovered country

Early departure from Athens via the Corinth Canal, an engineering marvel of the 19th century, we continue towards Rio and the crossing of the Rio – Antirio bridge, the greatest engineering work of the 21st century in Greece. Our way takes us through Western Greece, a lush and green countryside where the forests reach all the way to the crystal blue sea waters and the mountains of the Pindus range serve as an impressive backdrop to the East. We visit the Necromancy of Acheron, the only oracle of that kind in Greece, its underground and cavernous structure is positioned near the Acheron river delta. We follow the route of Acheron, the river that according to the ancient Greeks led to the underworld all the way to the springs, the place where legend has it, Hercules found the gate to the kingdom of Hades. We continue to the city of Ioannina, overnight.

The city of Ioannina, an entirely modern and commercial city is also one of the most historic and appealing cities of Greece. It lies on the shores of lake Pamvotis, in the middle of which the island of the lake maintains an active and charming traditional settlement and seven monasteries some dating from the 11th century. The city’s imposing Byzantine fortress, the oldest in Greece, built on the 6th century, made Ioannina a haven for commerce and cultural growth in Epirus.

Our day starts with a visit at Dodoni archaeological site and Oracle. Dedicated to Zeus, it was the most ancient oracle in Greece. We continue with our tour of the Zagoria traditional stone villages. There are 45 villages in total, famous for the amazing craftsmanship of the stone houses and the stone bridges that connected them with the rest of the world. Our main stop is at Monodendri village that offers unique views of Vikos gorge, the deepest gorge in the world (Guiness book of records). Enjoy traditional pies and other other mountain specialties.

Early morning departure for Metsovo, a traditional settlement perched at 1.100 meters. Birthplace of many great benefactors of Greece and the cultural centre of the Greek Vlachs, Metsovo is a vibrant and rich town famous for the local wines and cheeses produced locally as well as a winter sports center. We continue to Meteora, a unique geological formation. Free standing, almost vertical rocks make you wonder if the ancient myths about the Titans were true. Perched on the top of the rocks are monasteries, testaments to the ingenuity and ability of man fro creation, almost as formidable as that of nature. We continue towards Athens, with a short stop to Thermopylae, the Hot Gates, where the famous battle against the Persians took place.