TASIS England – Middle School
Adventure in Greece 03 to 09 April 2017
Day 1 – Monday, 03 April We depart from London Heathrow with British Airways at 08:15 and arrive in the capital of Greece, Athens airport at 13:50. Upon arrival we are met by our etr program manager and taken by private coach to our hotel in the Plaka area. We have time to settle in and freshen up before we enjoy a delicious gyros snack. We then take a short walk to the nearby Pnyx, a hill west of the Acropolis which is known as the first official meeting place of the Athenian assembly. We also explore the Hill of the Muses with its ancient Greek tomb structure called Philopappos Monument. This evening we make our way to a local restaurant for some tasty Greek fare before a well-deserved early night. Overnight Athens.
Day 2 – Tuesday, 04 April This morning after breakfast, we start with a visit to the Acropolis. No site in Greece is better known than these groups of temples on Athens’ greatest hill, capped by the staggering form of the Parthenon, a nearly-perfect classical structure. Later this morning we make our way to the Ancient Agora, where Socrates taught his students in the former marketplace. There is time for a thorough exploration before we take a break for a well-earned lunch at Smile Restaurant. We then move on to the Acropolis Museum where we discover the various collections and some of the nearly 4,000 objects of the exhibition. We finish our afternoon with some free time to wander around the streets of the lively Plaka where we get the chance to do some shopping. It is then time for dinner at a local taverna before we head to the gym where we have a demonstration of Pankration, an ancient athletic event, like martial arts, which combines techniques of boxing, wrestling and kicking, as it was practiced in 500 BC. Overnight Athens.
etr educational travel Chemin de Longeraie 9 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland +41 21 633 4455
Day 3 – Wednesday, 05 April We have breakfast and having packed our bags, we load our coach and go for a visit to the National Archaeological Museum. Here we see statues and artwork from all periods of ancient Greek civilization, including Schliemann’s sensational finds at Mycenae, of which the most famous, and beautiful, is the popularly-named death mask of Agamemnon. Finishing up there, we transfer out of town to the archaeological site of Brauron where we can have lunch followed by a thorough exploration of this ancient sanctuary. By mid-afternoon we start our drive to Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its ancient sanctuary having had a phenomenal influence in the Ancient world. Upon arrival we check-in and freshen up before dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Delphi.
Day 4 – Thursday, 06 April We enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we check out and explore the archaeological site of Delphi. We visit the shrine of Apollo and home of the Oracle, where both the great and humble visited for consultation before making important decisions. This site, set among mountains and olive groves and gazing over a bay, is truly memorable. We will first see the Temple of Apollo and then we follow the Sacred Way to the stadium at the top of the hill. Later we can spend a short time visiting the local museum, where Delphi’s treasures are exhibited, including the famed statue of the youthful charioteer. We have lunch before we make our way to the lovely, laid-back harbor town of Nauplion, once part of the far-flung Venetian empire. On our way we stop at the famous Corinth Canal and have a look at this major engineering marvel. We can also visit the nearby site of Nemea to have a look at the ancient stadium and temple of Zeus. Upon arrival at our hotel we have time to settle in and freshen up before dinner in a traditional restaurant and a lesson of Greek dancing. Overnight Nauplion.
Day 5 – Friday, 07 April Today we depart for a day to explore the province of Argolis. Our first stop will be Homer’s city of Mycenae, where King Agamemnon lived and ruled before setting off to fight in the Trojan wars. This is a magnificent site, entered by the famous Lion Gate, and notable for its enormous beehive tombs, said to be those of Agamemnon and his faithless wife, and murderer, Clytemnestra. We then take a break for lunch at a local restaurant before we head to a nearby art gallery. In the course of the next hour we get an opportunity to paint our own ceramic vases which we can take home as a keepsake. We then re-board our coach for our final destination for today, Kalamata. Upon arrival at our hotel we settle in before having a tasty dinner in a tavern. Overnight Kalamata.
etr educational travel Chemin de Longeraie 9 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland +41 21 633 4455
Day 6 – Saturday, 08 April This morning after breakfast we check-out and get the chance to participate in a hands- on archaeology session at the excavation site of Ancient Thouria. We then board our coach for the transfer to Sparta. On our way we stop at Kaiadas Cave and for lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon we have a private presentation of Hellenic hoplite re- enactors. We will be shown armaments and weapons of different city-states and will learn more about ancient battle tactics. To finish a busy day we get together with some Spartan youth for a football game before a well-deserved dinner. Overnight Sparta.
Day 7 – Sunday, 09 April On our last day in Greece we explore Sparta and its ancient sites. Sparta, also called Lacedaemon was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece built on the banks of the Evrotas River. The earliest evidence of human settlement in the region of Sparta dates from the Middle Neolithic period and is regarded as the earliest trace of the original Mycenaean Spartan civilization which is represented in Homer’s Iliad. Sparta was unique for its social system and constitution, which completely focused on military training and excellence. After breakfast we start with a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Sparta before we move on to the famous Temple of Artemis Orthia. We then visit the extensive site of the ancient Acropolis located north of the modern town. After our exploration we have a late lunch before our transfer to Athens and the airport. We arrive in time for check-in for our 19:55 departure to London. We arrive back in Heathrow at 21:50.
BA 640 03 April London Heathrow - Athens 08:15 – 13:50 BA 633 09 April Athens – London Heathrow 19:55 – 21:50
*This itinerary may change due to weather, opening hours, local conditions and the needs of the group.
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etr educational travel Chemin de Longeraie 9 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland +41 21 633 4455