Embarking by boat once again, we’ll travel by ferry to the nearby island of Patmos, where the Apostle John was exiled in the first century A.D.

Our first stop this morning will be a visit to the Cave of the Revelation where the Apostle John received the word of God and was commanded to “write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”

After time for prayer and contemplation, our morning will continue with a visit to the nearly thousand-year-old Monastery of St. John where our guide will walk us through the ancient frescoes, refectory, and monastery’s museum. Pending availability, we’ll take time to speak with Fr. Bartholomeo, one of the orthodox monks living at the monastery.

In the early afternoon, we’ll be free to stroll through town and grab a bite to eat before returning to Samos for a free evening in Pythagoreo.

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Ferry and bus, 4 hrs

After breakfast this morning, we’ll check out of our hotel and hop on a bus to visit the nearby Heraon, the birthplace of the goddess Hera and the site of her marriage to Zeus. Here we’ll see the ruins of one of the greatest temples of the ancient world while contemplating the Greek notion of a sanctuary and Hera’s role as the protectress of the home and the sanctity of marriage.

Our morning will continue with a visit to the tunnel and aqueduct of Epalinus. Constructed in the sixth century B.C. to protect the Samians against siege, the tunnel is one of the best preserved engineering marvels of ancient Greece.

In the late morning, our journey will continue towards Limnionas Bay, where after checking into our seaside hotel, we’ll be free to swim and relax on the beach until dinner this evening.

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Bus, 1.5 hrs

After breakfast this morning, we’ll drive up the mountainside for a visit to the cave of Pythagoras. It was here that the first philosopher changed the course of it through the rigorous examination of ideas, mathematics, the music of the spheres–and by inspiring the first students of philosophy.

Following our visit to Pythagoras’s Cave, we'll return to the sea for an afternoon of sailing and swimming. We'll embark on a traditional fishing boat to see Samos from the water, enjoy a bbq lunch, and return to Limnionas Bay in time to enjoy the final sunset over our cove.  

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Bus, 1 hour

We’ll depart Limnionas Bay this morning and catch a flight to the Athen’s airport where we’ll travel by bus to Delphi. After lunch and checking into our hotel, we’ll regroup for a visit to the archeological site and museum dedicated to the gods Apollo and Dionysius. Here we’ll witness the Greek conception of order and chaos, beauty and knowledge, suffering and freedom, and the human relationship to the divine.

Perhaps the most beautiful archeological site in Greece, Delphi was considered the geographic center of the ancient world, near the birthplace of the muses, and the site where Apollo slew the Python. It was from here that Socrates was pronounced the wisest man by the oracle of Delphi and it was to this place the ancient Greeks came seeking knowledge.

We’ll dine this evening overlooking the spectacular valley and Corinthian gulf.

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Bus and flight, 4.5 hours.

After breakfast in our hotel, our journey will continue west along the coast of the gulf of Corinth towards the archeological sites of Olympia.

The original site of the Olympic games and the sanctuary to Olympian Zeus, king of the gods. In the late morning, we’ll explore this site’s role in establishing equality and merit as two fundamental principles of human agency and achievement. While considering the relationship between the strength of the body and mind, we’ll begin to understand why the Olympic games were considered more important than any political disagreement or even wars for the ancient Greeks.

After free time for a late lunch, we’ll regroup and continue our drive into the heart of Arcadia, the beautiful mountainous region at the center of the Greek Peloponnese. Known by Homer as Teuthis, we’ll arrive in Dimitsana in the late afternoon, and check into our hotel with free time to stroll the streets of this town that has been continuously inhabited for three and a half-thousand years.

This evening we’ll regroup for a traditional Arcadian meal.

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Bus, 4.5 hrs.

After a traditional breakfast in our hotel, our day will begin with a visit to nearby New Philosophy monastery. Rebuilt in the 19^th century, our morning will reveal how the Christian monks in this area preserved Greece under the Ottoman occupation.

After conversation with the resident monks, we’ll hike across the gorge to the monastery of Saint John Prodromos. Built onto the cliffside, we’ll take time to visit the ancient frescoed chapel and consider the challenges of living in this mountainous landscape provide space and solitude for a life of prayer, work, and contemplation.

Weather depending, we’ll hike back down to the river for a picnic and a swim before returning to Dimitsana for a free evening.

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Bus, 40 min.

Departing Dimitsana after breakfast, our journey will continue east towards the Argolic peninsula and center of the Mycenaean age civilization at the heart of Homer’s epic poems.

At mid-day, we’ll have free time for lunch, to climb the castle of Palamidi, to swim, and to explore Nafplio after checking into our hotel.

In the later afternoon, we’ll regroup to depart for Mycenae where we’ll see the fortress of Agamemnon, his massive tomb, and the cyclopean walls that still stand after three and a half thousand years.

This evening we’ll return to Nafplio for dinner in a local taverna.

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Bus, 2.5 hrs

After breakfast in our hotel, we’ll drive to nearby Epidarus to see the ancient sanctuary of healing. Here, we’ll learn about the Greek god Aesclepius, the roots of our own hospitals, and an approach to medicine that emphasized the treatment of both body and soul.

Our visit to this Aesclepion will include a visit to the abaton where patients slept with snakes (an animal who exemplified a relationship between life and death, the underworld and the divine), the stadium for athletic games, and one of the best-preserved theaters in Greece.

Returning to Nafplio in the early afternoon, we’ll be free for the rest of the day.

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Bus, 1 hr.

Departing from Nafplio after breakfast, our journey will continue towards Corinth where St. Paul lived and preached for almost two years. While visiting the archeological site, we’ll take time to read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians while reflecting on the transition from Classical to Christian Greece.

Arriving in Athens in the afternoon, we’ll check into our hotel and explore the city in small groups with our tickets to visit the Agora, the Temple to Zeus, Hadrian’s Library, and Aristotle’s school.

For those who are interested, we’ll take the morning to visit the nearby National Archeological Museum whose artworks will recapitulate the development of western civilization and the notion of a museum, not as a sterile building of artifacts locked away behind glass but as the workshop of the muses.

After free time for lunch, we’ll regroup this afternoon for a visit to the Acropolis and its slopes. Climbing to the highest point of the city, the acro-polis, we’ll imitate the Athenian aspiration to the divine and their admiration for Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

This evening we’ll celebrate our journey and the many gifts of Greece with a final dinner of stories, reflections, and celebration.

There are no planned activities for this morning. Your Alithea guide will be available to help with airport transfers or wherever the next leg of your journey may lead.