For some, this is the most underrated site but also one of the best sites only second to the Acropolis of Athens. This is the trip’s itinerary:
Corinth Canal
The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus (canal) of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island.
Ancient Messene
Next, we head for Ancient Messene. The city has the rare advantage of not having been destroyed or covered by later settlements. This landscape combines the mountainous majesty of Delphi and the lowland riverine tranquillity of Olympia, with the looming bare limestone mass of Mt Ithome and its acropolis, and the low, fertile valley around the ancient city.
Ancient Messene was founded in 369 BC by the Theban general Epaminondas (after the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC, which resulted in Spartan defeat and the establishment of the Theban Hegemony). It became the capital of the free Messenian state following a long period (about four centuries) of occupation of the Messenian territory by the Spartans. The foundation of the city of Messene marked the end of Spartan dominion. The city became the political, economic, social, religious, and artistic center of the free Messenians, who in the previous centuries had been reduced to the status of helots or perioikoi under the Spartan yoke.
Messenia, the southwest region of the Peloponnese was, in Archaic and Classical times, under the control of Sparta. It was where the famous helots lived, the native population who the Spartans had reduced to a slave-like status, and who were forced to farm the land so that the Spartan citizens could devote their lives to full-time military pursuits. In the early 4th century B.C. that situation changed when Sparta experienced a series of catastrophic military defeats by Thebes. The Thebans, under their talented general Epaminondas, liberated Messenia and helped the people of the region find a new city to hold Sparta in check and prevent any resurgence of her power. Elite Messenian refugees, living in exile in other parts of the Greek world, also flocked back to Greece to take part in building this new city.
The city lies at the southern foot of Mount Ithome, a point of key strategic importance, described by some ancient authors together with Acrocorinth as being like the horns of a bull – whoever controlled both controlled the entire Peloponnese.
You will explore at your own pace and when ready your tour leader will treat you to a great lunch & drinks before heading back to your Athens accommodation but with a couple of stops to stretch and have a drink. [Eudaimonia Private Tours Athens Greece]
☼ Private tour.
☼ Hotel, airport, Airbnb, or cruise ship pickup and drop-off.
☼ Private driver/guide.
☼ Non-smoking vehicle and driver.
☼ Lunch & drinks, of course, are included with no limits or fixed menu.
☼ Vegetarian options are available.
☼ Each person is allowed a small carry-on bag.
☼ Complete and detailed itinerary of the trip.
☼ In-car, bottled water & information booklet.
☼ Flexible itinerary.
☼ Excess luggage not allowed.
☼ Entrance to the sites.
☼ Shopping/touristy stops unless specifically required.
☼ Gratuities (optional).
The pricing shown for this tour is €595, which is the total for 2 (two) people and includes the sites mentioned in the itinerary plus lunch and drinks.
Discounted pricing: We have alternative ways of payment (family rates, solo travelers, small booking payments, pay on the day of the tour, etc). Please, contact us to get the best rate depending on your payment method, number of people, and ages.
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 pay to Eudaimonia on the day of the booked tour. There is no extra charge if you pay by any other credit card.
[Eudaimonia Private Tours Athens Greece]
Please note that not all destinations/stops are included in this google map. Its purpose is only to highlight the main route.
From your Athens hotel, Airbnb, airport, cruise ship (Piraeus port), Nafplio, or a pre-arranged meeting point very near to your location. For other starting locations please contact us.
Depending on the time of year, you can arrange to include the following add-on experience to your itinerary:
Andromonasteri (Men’s Monastery)
The Byzantine monastery fortress is only 5 kilometers from the archaeological site of Ancient Messina. It is the most impressive monastic complex in the Messenian countryside and one of the most beautiful in the Peloponnese, the remains of which testify to the prosperity it experienced during its long history. Due to its many years of abandonment, the complex remained unaltered by arbitrary modern interventions, preserving several authentic elements valuable for the study of monastic architecture.
The monastery was founded at the end of the 12th century. Since it was built like a fortress, it contributed significantly to the Revolution of 1821, where it suffered a lot of damage from Ibrahim’s troops.
More sites to visit near Ancient Messene:
The temple of Zoodochos Pigi
Castle of Androusa
Please Get In Touch 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 multiday tours include quality accommodation and all tours include lunch and drinks. 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 canceled due to bad weather or any other extreme 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, TRANSFERS AND SERVICES
(a) Cancellation Policy for day tours, half-day tours, and transfers:
☼ Cancellations made greater than 60 days before the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus service fees as mentioned below.
☼ Cancellations made between 60 to 30 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 75% of the agreed total tour fee minus service fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 30 to 7 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee minus service fees.
☼ Cancellations made 7 days or less before the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
EXPENSES: Additionally to the above but only after the 60-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning or are part of the day or half-day tours or transfers, such as site tickets, train/boat tickets, or any other bookings for the client (wine tasting, restaurants, etc) will be deducted from the amount to be refunded. This will be an amount of approximately 15%-20% of the total tour cost.
SERVICE FEE: Finally, a service fee of 9% (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.
(b) Cancellation Policy for multi-day tours (at least one night stay/overnight or more):
☼ Cancellations made greater than 90 days before the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus expenses and services fees as mentioned below.
☼ Cancellations made between 90 to 60 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 75% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and services fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 60 to 30 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and services fees.
☼ Cancellations made 30 days before the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
EXPENSES: Additionally to the above, but only after the 90-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning or are part of any multiday tour, such as site tickets, train/boat tickets, hotels booked for the client, or any other bookings (wine tasting, restaurants, etc), will be deducted from any amount to be refunded. This will be an amount of approximately 25%-30% of the total tour cost.
SERVICE FEE: Finally, a service fee of 18% of the total amount agreed will also be deducted from any refundable amount including the 90-day full refund case. This corresponds to the time spent on the client’s booking.
(c) Special client-specific arrangements/agreements & cancellation policy:
There may be client-specific payments & bookings (full or partial) agreed upon through e-mail communication mentioned -for example- as “non-refundable” or different from the main cancellation policy “refund dates”. Then, these client-specific agreements will precede any other interpretations made from this main cancellation policy. 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 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 without any penalties beyond offering a full refund. Should change and/or cancellation prove necessary we will give you -if possible- reasonable notice & where available, offer you a comparable alternative. If an alternative is not available or acceptable you will be entitled to a full refund.
Eudaimonia encourages all clients to communicate as early as possible concerning cancellation issues which could allow the agency to offer a better refund – partial or full- to a client despite the standard cancellation policy described in this document. This is a decision not to be discussed with or disputed by the client and will be made entirely by Eudaimonia to better serve the client if it is possible.
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.
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 will be asked to produce a valid photo and/or passport number identification.
(e) Force Majeure
It is only at Eudaimonia’s discretion to refund fully, partly, or not at all if a customer cancels under certain conditions including even “Force Majeure”. Eudaimonia strongly recommends that the client purchase travel insurance.
The Client agrees to all the above when booking any of Eudaimonia’s tours and services.
