You arrive in Athens and the tour begins at the airport. A private or shared transfer brings you to the hotel, with check-in from 14:00. The Plaka district — the old city at the foot of the Acropolis — is a short walk and a good first impression of Athens if you arrive with energy.

Athens Airport Transfer — Private or SIC transfer from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport to the hotel. Your tour leader meets you on arrival.

Note on flights — Flights are not included. Arrange your own arrival into Athens International Airport (ATH).

The full day in Athens centres on the Acropolis — the sacred rock above the city that has been continuously occupied since the 4th millennium BC. A local English-speaking guide leads the visit; the difference between guided and unguided here is the difference between reading a caption and understanding what you're standing on. The afternoon is free in the Ermou Street area.

Acropolis of Athens — The Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its Caryatid porch, the Propylaia gateway and the Temple of Athena Nike, all on the limestone outcrop above the city. Allow 2 hours minimum. Entrance included.

Roman Temple of Olympian Zeus — Photo stop at the largest temple in Greece, begun in 515 BC and completed by Emperor Hadrian in 131 AD. 104 Corinthian columns originally; 15 remain.

Hellenic Parliament & Old Parliament House — The neoclassical building on Syntagma Square, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the ceremonial Evzone guard change.

Ermou Street — Athens' main pedestrian shopping street running from Syntagma to Monastiraki. Free time for shopping and independent exploration.

The drive northwest from Athens to Delphi takes about two and a half hours through the Boeotian plain. Livadia and Arachova are stops along the way — mountain towns known for their weaving traditions and, in Arachova's case, a dramatic position on the slopes of Parnassus. Delphi is the destination: the ancient sanctuary where the Greeks consulted the Oracle for over a thousand years.

Livadia & Arachova — Guided orientation through both towns. Arachova sits at 950 metres on the slopes of Parnassus, with stone streets and a clock tower. Both are known for brightly coloured woven textiles. Photo stops and free time.

Delphi Archaeological Site — UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sacred Way, the Temple of Apollo (where the Oracle sat), the Theatre and the Stadium, all on a hillside with views down the valley to the Gulf of Corinth. One of the most important archaeological sites in Europe. Entrance included.

Delphi Archaeological Museum — The finds from the site, including the Bronze Charioteer (478 BC) and the Sphinx of Naxos. Entrance included.

Today you travel to Santorini by flight or ferry — the return transfer is included. Santorini is the collapsed caldera of a volcanic eruption that occurred around 1600 BC, one of the largest in recorded history; the island's distinctive crescent shape and 300-metre cliffs are the result. Fira, the island's modern capital, sits on the caldera rim.

Athens to Santorini — Return flight or ferry transfer included. Flight time approximately 45 minutes; ferry approximately 8 hours depending on route. Your tour leader confirms the mode.

Fira Orientation — The island's capital on the caldera's edge, with whitewashed cubic buildings, a cable car to the old port below, and views across the water to the volcanic islands. Free time on arrival.

Kamari — The black sand beach on the island's eastern coast, created by volcanic rock. The beach runs 4 kilometres along the base of the Mesa Vouno peninsula.

A full day on Santorini, structured around two very different parts of the island. Messaria is an inland village on the caldera's edge — quieter than Fira, with cave houses built into the cliff and views that most visitors who stick to the main circuit never reach. Oia is the western tip of the island: the most photographed village in Greece.

Messaria Village — A small caldera village partly built into the volcanic rock, offering views across the water to the volcano. Free and easy exploration included.

Oia Village — The clifftop settlement at the island's northwestern tip, with whitewashed houses, blue-domed churches, and the caldera directly below. The village is best in the late afternoon when the tour-bus crowds thin and the light is on the water. Entrance included.

After breakfast, you return to Athens by flight or ferry. The afternoon is given over to the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet — over 100 stores including European fashion and accessories brands at significant discounts. The outlet is located east of Athens near the airport, which makes the logistics straightforward on a travel day.

Santorini to Athens — Return flight or ferry transfer included.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Athens — The largest designer outlet in Greece, with over 100 stores including Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss at up to 70% off retail. Free time for shopping.

The Peloponnese day covers three sites in a single circuit south of Athens. Mycenae is the oldest — a Bronze Age citadel that was the centre of Greek civilisation a thousand years before the classical period. Nafplio is the most liveable: a Venetian-era port town with a well-preserved old city. Epidaurus is the most dramatic: an ancient theatre cut into a hillside, with acoustics that still carry a whisper to the back row.

Archaeological Site of Mycenae — The UNESCO-listed Bronze Age citadel of Agamemnon: the Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus (a 3,300-year-old corbelled tomb), and the grave circles where Schliemann found the gold death masks. Entrance included.

Nafplio Old Town — The first capital of modern Greece, with a Venetian old town of narrow lanes, neoclassical buildings and a harbour dominated by the Palamidi fortress. Free time.

Isthmus of Corinth — Photo stop at the 6.3-kilometre canal cut through the isthmus in 1893, linking the Ionian and Aegean seas at a depth of 8 metres.

Epidaurus Archaeological Site & Museum — The ancient sanctuary of Asclepius, with the best-preserved classical theatre in Greece (14,000 seats, 4th century BC). Museum entrance included.

After breakfast, check out and transfer to Athens International Airport for your onward flight. The tour ends at the airport. Allow at least 90 minutes for the airport transfer from central Athens hotels.

Note — No dinner is included on the departure day.