Visiting Greece for the first time was a wonderful experience! This past February, we were able to go to Greece! We took trip to Greece. Our focus was to be able to see and experience both Greek history and Greek culture.
For an average trip (for Ana and I), we would not have had tour guides with us nor probably had hotel breakfasts, but as part of a group of teachers, we did. That said, they played significantly into our trip in a brilliant way!
Day One – Visiting Greece for the First Time
Our first day in Greece was a great one! We stayed in a nice little hotel called Hotel Hermes near Syntagma Square. It was within walking distance of the Acropolis, Plaka, Ancient Agora, and more. One of the first things we noticed was at breakfast. We’ve had Greek yogurt before, I mean Fage, Siggi’s, Chobani, there are many, but this was different. This straightforward hotel yogurt was life-changing. When mixed with fresh fruit and Greek honey, it’s possible it changed our lives. It was just that good! Greek yogurt was a breakfast staple for our entire trip, and we miss it already.
With a belly full of yogurt, we headed out for the day. While the hotel yogurt (and other food) was fantastic, the coffee left us wanting. As such, we stopped at a coffee shop named Bakers in the Hood. Like the yogurt, it surpassed our expectations. Delicious cappuccinos with oat milk!
After our short coffee pause, we backtracked and headed to the Acropolis. I’m unsure if there’s a more famous landmark in Greece. We met up with our 2nd local guide (we’ll return to the first one in a moment), Thenia (please check out her site: Athens-Guides and if you’re there, hire her!)
Our tour organizer hired Thenia, but she was worth it. We learned that to be an official tour guide in Greece, you must have a Greek history degree. As such, Thenia was unbelievably knowledgeable. I am not usually one for enjoying guides, but her knowledge truly added value to our experience. She is well-versed in Greece’s storied history and its relationship to modern life.
The Acropolis
We made our way to the Acropolis, stopping to see the theater. Thenia told us that this theater holds up to around 4,000 people and is still in use. It is frequently used but gets used for important or big events, like Sting. It wasn’t, however, the coolest amphitheater we’d see on the trip – that came later.
Following another short stint upwards, we found ourselves at the top of the Acropolis, situated right next to the world-famous Parthenon!
Thenia gave us a detailed history of the construction and uses of the Parthenon, along with the side temples (which I cannot remember for the life of me). The sheer size of the Parthenon atop this mount was a spectacle to behold. Thenia also discussed how the columns were built slightly leaning in to help against earthquakes (I think?) and gave us some wonderful detail about the frieze at the top.
The Athens Agora & Hephaestus’ Temple
Following the Parthenon, we made our down to the ancient Agora. It was fascinating to initially see the ruins of the Roman Market built right next to and on top of the Greece one. It seems the Romans wanted their space larger than the original Greek.
We found ourselves in the Greek Agora after the short walk down to the Roman market. Here, Thenia told us, is where the Romans would have sold goods as well as assembled to discuss the news and politics of the day. Announcements, stories, or poetry might have been shared, and everyday Greeks carried on about their lives.
We also went to the temple of Hephaestus, the Greek god of metalworking, smithing, volcanoes, etc. In the Greek agora, this temple is one of the few surviving temples with its roof intact.
At this point, we were all quite hungry. So our second guide, Sakis (who handled all the destinations, buses, and everything, including our students who were struggling with food choices) had us sit down at a wonderful little local place (I cannot remember the name – sorry!) before heading to the Acropolis Museum.
Before we get to the museum, let me tell you about Sakis. Sakis was one of the nicest, most welcoming, and most efficient people I’ve enjoyed working with. When changes needed to be made to our itinerary due to students’ dietary restrictions or to make the trip more interesting, he handled everything with aplomb. I cannot CANNOT, recommend him enough! I will add his info at the bottom of the post.
After lunch, we headed to the new Acropolis Museum housed artifacts and relics from the Acropolis, Parthenon, and Greece at large. We could see bits and pieces of the original frieze from the Parthenon and reconstructions. The museum was also built overtop an Ancient Greek residence that, based on Thenia’s information, would have been incredibly large. It was a well-laid-out museum with a fantastic amount of artifacts and history. We highly recommend it!
I won’t discuss every meal, but we went to dinner and a show that first day. Thenia and Sakis explained that breaking plates isn’t tradition anymore (now they’ll throw napkins instead). We were treated to some traditional Greek music and dancing. Students were treated to a great show and allowed to dance with the band and dancers. Maybe it was a bit touristy, but it was a great chance to at least see some original Greek culture. It also helped that it was pretty empty, and the place was decorated for Greek Carnival, which I believe was called Patras (though I could be wrong). Unfortunately, I don’t have any great video of this!
Day 2 – An Archeological Find and a Road Trip
We woke up for our second day at the museum, an amazing lunch, and a couple-hour bus ride to Delphi!
The initial plan was to see the Olympic stadium used when the Olympics restarted in 1896. With a marathon being run that day, we had to wait.
We did, however, go to the Athens Archeological Museum, which was a treat! We saw mosaics from ancient islands and statues representing either Zeus or Poseidon. We studied Greece’s history, from its relationship with Egypt to its city-states to the post-Greece rule of the Romans.
If you’re in Athens, I highly recommend visiting this museum, and afterward, I also highly recommend heading to Restaurant Paula. This was one of the best meals we had this entire trip. The meat was incredibly well-seasoned, and the bread was spectacular. We highly recommend this restaurant!
Following lunch, we hopped on our bus, and, before we made our way to Delphi, we stopped at the Lycabettus, the highest point in Athens. The views from the Lycabettus were stunning, and we had clear weather to help out our views. There’s also a small church dedicated to St. George at the top. If you’re in Athens, we think this mount is worth stopping at for the views alone.
After the Lycabettus, we headed to Delphi. It was a very scenic bus ride and culminated in a dinner for which we were too full to completely eat!
Day 3 -Delphi & the Temple of Apollo
Day three began for us with an early start time. The views from our hotel (and Delphi in general) were phenomenal!
The town of Delphi was adorable. We didn’t get to spend much time in this little town proper, and it was a bit dead as ski season had passed. However, we’d like to go back and explore more, including the nearby town of Arachova.
However, most of our time in Delphi was spent at the Temple of Apollo. We toured the ruins where we saw where the oracles (known as ‘Pythia’ or python, which come from the Greek myth where Apollo slew the dragon guarding the oracle) predicted or interpreted events. Thenia told us there was a natural fissure around where the oracles made their prophecies. It was likely that these vapors produced hallucinogenic fits in the oracle. There was more than just a temple there, though. As with many places in ancient Greece, the area was designed for worship, politics, and shopping. Nearby there was also a gymnasium where athletes would train and prepare for upcoming sporting events.
We also strolled through the Delphi Archeological Museum. The museum houses several artifacts from Greece’s earlier history and leftover relics from the Temple itself. After wandering the grounds, the students were ‘historied’ out by the time we finished the museum, so we hopped on the bus and headed for Naufplion.
Day 4 – Naufplion: A City on the Water
Following our bus ride the day prior, we arrived in Naufplion at one of the most lovely places we have ever stayed – Pension Marianna. This little hotel overlooks the Argolic Gulf next to the Palamidi Fortress. Pension Marianna is run by four brothers who also run and operate their own organic orange grove (more on that later).
Our first day in Naufplion was spent heading up to Fortress Palamidi. There wasn’t too much to be said about this fortress by our guide (there are numerous forts built on hills). Fortress Palamidi provided some wonderful views of the gulf and surrounding area, however. Fortress Palamidi was a wonderful little stop before we headed to Tiryns and Mycenae.
Tiryns & Mycenae
Both of these cities were hugely important in ancient Greece. Tiyrns and Mycenae are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Via the UNESCO website:
The Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns, located in the Regional unit of Argolis in the North-East Peloponnese, are the imposing ruins of the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization, renowned for its technical and artistic achievements but also its spiritual wealth, which spread around the Mediterranean world between 1600 and 1100 BC and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. The palatial administrative system, the monumental architecture, the impressive artefacts and the first testimonies of Greek language, preserved on Linear B tablets, are unique elements of the Mycenaean culture; a culture that inspired the great poet Homer to compose his famous epic poems.
Unesco World Heritage Convention
It’s rumored that Mycenae is the burial site of King Agamemnon, of Iliad and Achilles/Troy fame. Thenia let us know, however, that this may not be his burial site due to issues with the dates of the tomb and his reign.
These sites were impressive to see, however, and wonderful to walk around and stretch our legs without too many other tourists out and about. The architecture was also fascinating as to how they managed to support structures of such massive size (e.g., a stone doorway weighing over several thousand tons).
Again, however, the students ended up a bit tired of the history, and here is where our Orange Grove and Sakis’ most excellent leadership comes into play.
The Best Oranges You’ve Ever Eaten
Before heading out that day, Sakis spoke with the brothers at the Pension and got us a side trip off our itinerary to see their orange grove. Students would be able to eat oranges and bake some cookies. We took a quick poll, and the students loved this idea. So following Mycenae, we headed to the orange grove.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos to share (student privacy), but the students and we, the teachers, could not get enough of the oranges. We were eating oranges faster than one of the brothers could cut and peel them off the tree. Having lived in Jeju, Korea, famous for its Hallabong Oranges, I thought these were far better. It’s not even a fair comparison.
Once we were done eating (and taking) more oranges than anyone should, students got a chance to make and bake some orange cookies with one of the wives of the pension owners. It allowed us teachers to sit back, relax, and chat with the owners and our guides while the students had the time of their lives. This was a highlight of our trip, and it’s all because our wonderful guide, Sakis, knew exactly what was best for us and the students.
Being utterly full-up on cookies and oranges and purchasing honey and orange marmalade, we headed to a vase/souvenir shop where they made in-house vases and hosted educational lessons for students.
“Traditional” Greek Vases
At the vase shop, students (and teachers) had the opportunity to paint some vases in a traditional Greek style (in this case, the Mycenae style, not the usual black and rust color you might see in museums).
For many of us, myself included, this was a difficult task, but it was one we all thoroughly enjoyed. Like the orange grove, it was a chance to engage with Greece and its culture without delving too deeply into its history.
When we were done painting, the students wandered the store and purchased souvenirs for themselves or their families back home. We also picked up a few lovely little pieces sitting around our apartment.
Day 5 – A Trip Back to Athens, the Epidaurus, & Eleusis
Earlier, I mentioned the amphitheater at the Acropolis. While it was a nice one, the far more interesting one was the Epidaurus near Mycenae. This was a sanctuary for Asclepius – the Greek god of medicine, not to be confused with Hippocrates – a healer but not a god. The theater has impressive acoustics (standing in the center, your voice can be heard in every seat – you can drop a coin and hear from every site), an amazing technological feat considering it is over 2,000 years old. It is still in use today for special events with Greek actors who are held in high regard performing classic plays. For me, this was a highlight to see and experience.
Following the Epidaurus, we passed and stopped at Eleusis, home of the festival of the Mysteries honoring Demeter and Persephone. We wandered the grounds as Thenia told us how people would come to honor the gods and enter via certain pathways. She also pointed out the well (I believe it was not a “well”) to Hades (who took Persephone with him). The history was fascinating, and seeing how well-preserved so much was remarkable.
We finished our day by returning to Athens and doing some last-minute shopping before leaving the next day.
Day 6 – Back in Athens & Heading Home
Our last day in Athens was spent packing and seeing some local sights around Syntagma Square. Sakis showed us the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and changing of the guard. We briefly explored the Athens metro system, which doubles as a mini-museum. Before heading to the airport, we also stopped at the Olympic Stadium we missed on our 2nd day. Finally, we rounded out our afternoon at the Athens Zoological Park before heading to the airport.
Final Thoughts – Visiting Greece for the First Time
We LOVED Greece! We want to return to the islands and explore the sun, sand, and water. However, exploring Greece’s history, culture, and slightly more obscure bits was wonderful.
Ana and I are excited to return to Greece at some point soon, meet up with Sakis, and indulge in Greek food (especially yogurt), wine, and culture. And yes, maybe head to the islands to get some sun too.
If you enjoyed this post, please check out the rest of our posts or some of our three-day guides!
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