Day1: Meet your private driver/guide for your 8:00 a.m. departure. In a short trip of no more than 2 1/2 hours, we shall reach our destination in this “real Greece” experience.
Starting from Athens, we drive towards the Corinth canal and make a quick 10 min stop to see the Corinth canal. If we start from Nafplio town we drive directly towards the mountains without the Corinth canal stop. We head towards Tripoli town (mountainous center of Peloponnese) and start our village exploration of mount Mainalo in the region of Arcadia. Not for nothing is the name Arcadia used as a shorthand for bucolic beauty.
The main destinations are the awesome villages of Dimitsana & Stemnitsa and also a couple of cliff-hanging monasteries. Dimitsana is one of the most attractive villages in the mountainous Arcadia region. It is set on a double hump overlooking the Lousios river. In this beautiful stone-built village, there are six beautiful churches since the Frankish and Norman rule. Just two km south of Dimitsana we shall be visiting the Water-Power Museum containing a reconstructed watermill, tannery, and gunpowder mill showing how the basic pre-industrial techniques used water as the main energy source for the production of various products.
Stemnitsa village has a medieval feeling with the stone-made houses, cobble-stoned alleys in an amphitheatrical structure. The amazing Prodromou & Emialon (or Philosofou) monasteries will be visited and of course Lousios river, the gorge, and the remaining of ancient Gortys. All monasteries are in the beautiful gorge of the Lousios river and one of them requires an easy 15-minute hike.
The gorge of Lousios is one of the most important and beautiful natural monuments of Peloponnese, ideal for hiking, rafting, and kayaking while a drive around will reveal amazing landscapes.
Somewhere in between these sites, you will enjoy a traditional Greek lunch and drink in a place to be arranged by your local driver. For those seeking to discover real Greece, these villages are must-visits any time of the year. There will also be free time for you to wander around through the narrow stone-built roads of both villages before relaxing and spending your night in a beautiful guest house.
Day2: Start with breakfast with the fresh mountain air and the view of the Lousios gorge before a 1.5 hours drive to ancient Olympia.
On the way, we stop at the traditional village of Lagkadia. A special place of natural beauty, lots of sightseeing, and a photographer’s playground! Lagadia village is the homeland of skilled stone craftsmen and for many generations built houses, churches, and schools all over Greece. The village houses are the living proof of their amazing talent and made them famous as the best in the art of stone building.
Then, we move on to Olympia. You can walk through the impressive ruins of the area where athletes trained and ran in the ancient stadium; just as the ancient Olympians did after their victory 3,000 years ago. In front of the Temple of Hera burns the Olympic Flame during the modern-day Olympic Games. You can also visit the world-famous museum and get the chance to see some unbelievable sculptures such as the sculpted decoration of the marble temple of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the famous Hermes carved by the ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles.
Tour the monuments of the archaeological site, including the former gymnasium and Palaestra (where athletes practiced before competing), stadium, hotel & crypt. Let your imagination run to the times that Greece’s finest athletes strove to honor the gods through the Olympic ideal.
At the end of the day, we return to your accommodation or cruise ship in Athens or Nafplio with a few stops (to stretch and have a drink) at the stone-built villages of the area and possibly an extra historic monastery. The tour can be done the opposite way by firstly visiting Olympia and the mountain villages on the second day (depending on the time of year).
☼ Private tour!
☼ Hotel, airbnb, or cruiseship pickup and drop-off.
☼ Private driver/tour leader.
☼ Non-smoking vehicle & driver.
☼ One-night accommodation (including breakfast), arranged at an awesome stonebuilt guesthouse and based on double or triple occupancy depending on your group/family. Contact us if in doubt.
☼ Lunch is also included on both days and at selected locations.
☼ In-car bottled water & tour information booklet.
☼ Each person is allowed one normal size suitcase and a small carry-on bag.
☼ Flexible itinerary.
☼ Evenings out transport.
☼ Optional: Vegetarian lunch can be arranged in most cases. Please let us know in advance.
☼ Pickup and drop-off in areas outside of Athens or Nafplio (additional cost).
☼ Excess luggage not allowed.
☼ Entrance fees to the sites (Olympia €12 and €6 during off-season children under 18 are free – Water power museum €3).
☼ Dinner.
☼ Professional guide (optional).
☼ Shopping stops unless required by yourselves.
☼ Gratuities (optional).
Total pricing for 2 persons is €1200 (not per person). If you are a solo traveler, we will provide a small discount.
For larger groups of up to 11 (or even more) related only people (couples, groups of friends, or large families), please get in touch with us to get the best rate depending on the exact number of people and their age group. All our vehicles are brand new. For example, if 1-3 people, a typical large four-door 2022 vehicle will be used, whereas, for 3-8 people, a large 2021 minivan will be used for the trip.
PS. Payments made by Paypal are subject to an additional cost of 5%-6% (the approximate fee that Paypal charges on all transactions), and prices by Amex are subject to an additional 2.80%-3%, which the client must include in the payment or pay to Eudaimonia on the day of the booked tour. There is no extra charge if you pay by any other credit card.
From Athens or Nafplio town. Your hotel, airbnb, cruise ship (Piraeus or Nafplio port) or a pre-arranged meeting point very close to your location. For other starting locations please contact us.
[1] winery visit & wine tasting
[2] Ancient Corinth
[3] Ancient Messene (will add 2+ hours to the return trip)
Please contact us for details and pricing. Not all add-ons can be included in all tours either because of time limitations (daylight time, closing times of sites) or because of the time of the year, etc. Some add-ons require an earlier starting time than the typical 8:00 a.m. pick-up.
☼ All our tours include lunch and drinks and all multiday tours include quality accommodation. Professional guide, dinner (on multiday tours), and tickets to the sites are not included. You can read more about why we have these inclusions and exclusions.
☼ Children must be accompanied by an adult.
☼ Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not suitable for people with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
☼ We are flexible and the duration of the tour is flexible, so there is no rushing during the tour except when there are specific restrictions (like not to miss the closing time of the sites during off-season).
☼ If our agency cancels due to bad weather or any other extreme last-minute situation, you will be given the option of an alternative date or a full refund.
‘Eudaimonia’ is the trading name of Eudaimonia Private Tours of Greece, a tour provider officially registered under the Greek National Tourism Organization with business license number: 1245E70000044101. The ‘client’ or ‘customer’ is the person or persons who have made a confirmed booking with Eudaimonia.
CANCELLATION POLICY FOR TOURS AND SERVICES
(A) Cancellation Policy for the day or half-day tours or transfers:
☼ Cancellations made greater than 40 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus expenses and/or services fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 30 to 40 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 80% of the agreed total tour fee.
☼ Cancellations made between 20 to 5 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee.
☼ Cancellations made 5 days prior to the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
Additionally to the above but after the 40-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning the day or half-day tours or transfers, such as site tickets or train tickets or bookings for the client (train/ boat tickets, wine tasting, restaurants, etc) will be deducted from the amount to be refunded.
Finally, a service fee of 8% (of the total amount agreed) will also be deducted from any refundable amount including the 40-day full refund case. This corresponds to the time spent on the client’s booking.
(B) Cancellation Policy for multi-day tours:
☼ Cancellations made greater than 60 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus expenses and/or services fees as mentioned below.
☼ Cancellations made between 60 to 30 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 80% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and/or services fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 30 to 20 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and/or services fees.
☼ Cancellations made 20 days prior to the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
Additionally to the above but after the 60-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning any multiday tour, such as site tickets, train tickets, hotels booked for the client, and other bookings (like wine tasting, restaurants, etc), will be deducted from any amount to be refunded after the initial 60-day full refund period. This will be an amount of 25%-30% of the total tour cost.
Finally, a service fee of 15% of the total amount agreed will also be deducted from any refundable amount including the 60-day full refund case. This corresponds to the time spent on the client’s booking.
(C) Special client-specific arrangements/agreements:
It is possible that there will be client-specific payments & bookings (full or partial) agreed upon through e-mail communication mentioned -for example- as “non-refundable”. Then, these client-specific agreements will precede any other interpretations made from this cancellation policy, and it is only at Eudaimonia’s discretion to refund fully, partly, or not at all, even under certain conditions including “Force Majeure”. Therefore, it is the specific written (email) agreement between each client and Eudaimonia that can only precede this main cancellation policy -if it is different- and determines the agreed cancellation policy for each client.
D) Other issues:
Eudaimonia reserves the right to make subtle changes to tour itineraries. Eudaimonia reserves the right to substitute vehicles and/or drivers should they arise. Eudaimonia reserves the right to change or cancel your booking in accordance with operating requirements or circumstances beyond its control. Should change and/or cancellation prove necessary we will give you reasonable notice thereof, in the circumstances, & where available, offer you a comparable alternative. If an alternative is not available or acceptable you will be entitled to either a full refund or monies paid by you to us or you can transfer to another Eudaimonia tour without payment of any transfer fee.
Eudaimonia encourages all clients to communicate as early as possible concerning cancellation issues which can allow the agency to offer a better refund – partial or full- to a client despite the standard policy described in this document. This is a decision to be made entirely by Eudaimonia in an effort to better serve the client.
Eudaimonia itineraries are flexible, and if possible, the requirements of clients will be facilitated. Eudaimonia reserves the right to vary, modify or cancel any itinerary, either partly or wholly. Itineraries published are sample itineraries only and may be amended without notice. Eudaimonia also reserves the right to use alternative vehicles to those advertised.
Eudaimonia is not responsible for the costs of any other travel arrangements affected due to our cancellations or rescheduling of any tour departure.
Dietary requirements must be requested from clients and forwarded at the time of booking or at least one week before the tour.
Bookings can only be used by the client/s to whom the booking was initially arranged; no other person can use the booking in any circumstances.
The client may also be asked to produce a valid photo or/and passport number identification.
Eudaimonia strongly recommends that the client purchases travel insurance.
VALIDITY & DISPUTES
Any disputes will be resolved by the Greek legal system and its laws without the need for any arbitration.
The Client agrees to all the above when booking any of Eudaimonia’s tours and services.
