Your itinerary
Day 1
Adventure starts in Athens
Our adventure begins in historic Athens, the capital of Greece.Around 6pm, say yassou (hello) to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome by arranging a group dinner at a nearby restaurant.Want more time in Athens? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2
Explore Athens by bike; ferry to Poros; cycle around the island
In the morning, we cycle down one of the major bike lanes in the city, heading to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, where we take a short transfer to the busy port of Piraeus. Here we catch the ferry (approximately 2hr 30min) across the Argo-Saronic Gulf to the island of Poros.In Poros, we cycle around the island, passing the Russian naval base and many small, beautiful bays. After an ascent to the temple of Poseidon, we have a steep descent to Askeli beach where our hotel is located and we can enjoy a refreshing swim.Please note, the ferry timetable is often modified at very short notice. On occasion, we may have to take an early ferry.Route: First part is flat with a gradual downhill in Athens. The second part is a gradual ascent to Poseidon’s Temple, then undulating and then steep downhill to our hotel. Terrain: 100% paved road.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3
Boat to Galatas and scenic coastal ride to the ancient site of Epidaurus
In the morning, after a walking tour of Poros town, we take a five-minute boat ride to the Peloponnese mainland. Cycling through olive groves and quiet hamlets, we start our ascent along one of the most impressive coastlines in Greece, enjoying views of the Aegean Sea. Our tour takes us through ancient Trizina, birthplace of the Minotaur-slaying hero Theseus. Not far away is the beach, where we can have a short break, swim and a small lunch.The fantastic views throughout today’s ride are our reward for two big ascents – over 2.5mi (4km) and 1.85mi (3km) – that we climb after lunch. They lead to a 1.2mi (2km) steep descent to the ancient town of Epidaurus. Palia Epidaurus (Old Epidaurus) is built around a natural harbor and is our base for the night.Route: First part is flat with a gradual downhill in Athens. The second part is a gradual ascent to Poseidon’s Temple, then undulating and then steep downhill to our hotel. Terrain: 100% paved road.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4
Optional visit to the theater of Epidaurus; cycle to Tolo
After an uphill ride of approximately 6mi (10km), there is an optional visit to the ancient site of Epidaurus. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to a 15,000-seater amphitheater, which was built for Asclepius, the god of medicine, and is renowned for its size, symmetry and acoustics. If you don’t want to go in, relax in the shaded gardens or cafeterias outside the site.After refuelling, we have a 1.2mi (2km) uphill ride, then a 6.2mi (10km) descent through some mountain roads towards the sea. The last ascent today is almost 1mi (1.5km) and takes us to the town of Tolo, where we stay tonight.Route: Long but gradual ascent to Lygourio, short ascent after the Epidaurus Theater and a long, steep and bumpy decent towards the sea, then almost flat until Tolo except for a small ascent. Terrain: 99% paved road.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5
Visit Nafplio; head into the heart of the Peloponnese to Mycenae
Leaving Tolo, we cycle on the main road for 7.5mi (12km) and make our way to Nafplio, one of the most beautiful cities in Greece and the capital in the early 1800s. Situated on the hillsides at the northern end of the Argolic Gulf, the town has numerous neoclassical buildings plus the Palamidi Castle. Today, we can also enjoy an off-road adventure: a 6.2mi (10km) round trip to the beach nearest Karathonas, enjoying the beautiful coastline and a swim. After our return, we leave the coast and start our ride to the heart of the Peloponnese, making our way to Mycenae.We cycle through orange groves until we start an ascent of 3mi (5km) to an archaeological site at the top of the hill. The imposing Lion Gate, built around 1350-1200 BCE, awaits. Outside the walls, we can see the wonders for which Mycenae is known: the vault-shaped tombs of Lions, Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, and the Treasury of Atreus. An optional visit of the site is highly recommended.Route: Flat to Nafplio, then dirt road to Karathonas Beach, then flat and, at the end, a long ascent to Mycenae. Terrain: 80% paved, 20% dirt road.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6
Explore the wine-producing town of Nemea; visit a vineyard; continue to Loutraki
Today is the longest ride! We start by gradually climbing on the main road for 8mi (13km) until we reach Ancient Nemea, where Hercules killed the Nemean lion and where the Nemean games were held. Here we visit an archaeological site and ancient stadium before we ride through vineyards.The town of Nemea is now known for producing exceptional wine and we visit one of the wineries, learn about the process and taste (a little) before we continue our journey on quiet country roads. The first part is undulating, then we have a 6.2mi (10km) descent towards the Gulf of Corinth. We continue by the seaside to Corinth and then Loutraki, where we spend the night.Route: Gradual but long uphill to the winery then an undulating section, followed by a gradual decent towards the sea and then almost completely flat towards the hotel. Terrain: 100% paved road.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7
Bus to Athens; guided tour of the Acropolis
Travel by public bus from Loutraki to Athens (approximately 1hr 30min), then continue by metro into Plaka (approximately 20 minutes), the historic quarter below the Acropolis.With our expert tour leader, we visit the Acropolis, where fifth-century BCE monuments reveal how ancient Athenians expressed power, belief and civic pride.We then explore the Acropolis Museum, whose carefully arranged galleries present sculptures and finds in direct relationship to the site above. The evening is free to dine independently, with guidance from our tour leader on where to eat well in the city.Accommodation: Central Hotel/Ilisia Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8
Adventure ends in Athens
The trip ends after breakfast. However, if you’d like more time to explore this fascinating ancient city, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Guided Visit
Join a guided visit to the Acropolis to meet the Parthenon, Propylaea, and the Erechtheion and Caryatids. Marble underfoot and city views below frame tales of power, piety, and civic pride.
Continue in the Acropolis Museum, where masterful displays align sculptures with the hill above. In light-filled galleries, the story of 5th-century BCE Athens unfolds through friezes, votives, and fine detail restored to context.
Athens Urban Bike Orientation to the SNFCC Park
Ride confidently as you cycle Athens’ dedicated bike lane to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, a Renzo Piano–designed complex set amid Mediterranean gardens and a mirror-like canal. A gentle, traffic-light route builds comfort for the days ahead.
Pause for views across the Saronic Gulf from the landscaped park and hear how this modern landmark reshaped Athenian cultural life, housing the National Library and Opera. It’s a smooth-flowing introduction balancing urban energy with breezy seafront air.
Poros Town Walking Tour & Clocktower View
Explore Poros Town on foot, tracing a waterfront of neoclassical facades, fishing caiques, and lanes threaded with bougainvillea. Local life hums in cafes as church bells echo across the strait.
Climb to the island’s beloved Clocktower for a sweeping harbor panorama and learn how a snug harbor, sponge divers, and seafaring trade shaped this Saronic isle. Compact yet characterful, the walk reveals a lived-in charm beyond the postcard veneer.
Poros Island Coastal Cycle & Sanctuary of Poseidon Viewpoint
Cycle the ring road of Poros past pine-fringed coves, the historic Russian Dockyard, and sleepy bays where the Aegean turns glassy blue. Easy curves and citrus-scented air make the route a pleasure.
Climb inland to the Sanctuary of Poseidon on Kalavria for a breezy outlook across the Saronic isles, then sweep down to Askeli Beach. The blend of myth-laced ruins, island light, and sea-level spins creates a serene, slow-travel immersion.
Saronic Gulf Coastal Ride to Palaia Epidaurus via Trizina
Follow a spectacular coastal road from Galatas to Palaia Epidaurus, tracing cliffs, olive groves, and sun-sparked waters. Steady ascents reward with wide blue horizons and quiet, lightly trafficked tarmac.
Skirt ancient Troezen (Trizina), legendary birthplace of Theseus, and pause for photos and reflection where myth and landscape entwine. Roll into a natural harbor framed by citrus groves, with time to cool tired legs in clear, inviting shallows.
Mountain-to-Sea Ride into Tolo
Earn the views on a series of steady climbs before a long, curving descent through mountain roads to the Bay of Tolo. Peaks part to reveal the sea, its color deepening from slate to turquoise.
Wild thyme scents the air as you glide toward a beach-lined village known for island-dotted vistas. A swim-friendly shoreline and coastal calm provide a satisfying finish to a day balanced between effort and reward.
Nafplio Old Town Stroll & Coastal Spin to Karathona
Discover Nafplio Old Town, a Venetian-flavored maze of marble squares and balconies beneath the Palamidi Fortress, with the tiny Bourtzi islet fortress floating offshore. Elegant arcades and gelaterias line the promenade.
Optionally add a relaxed coastal spin to Karathona Beach for a saltwater pause before heading inland. The juxtaposition of graceful architecture and pine-scented shoreline captures the Argolic Gulf at its most leisurely.
Ancient Nemea Archaeological Site & Stadium Walk
Visit Ancient Nemea to explore the Sanctuary of Zeus and its re-erected Doric columns before stepping into a remarkably preserved stadium embraced by vineyards and hills.
Channel athletes of old as you walk the athletes’ tunnel onto the track and imagine cheers at the panhellenic Nemean Games. Myth meets archaeology in the homeland of Hercules’ famed lion, where sport, ritual, and landscape interlace.
Nemea Winery Tour & Agiorgitiko Tasting
Tour a family estate to learn how altitude, limestone soils, and Peloponnesian sun shape Nemea’s signature Agiorgitiko. Stroll vine rows before descending to step into cool cellars lined with oak.
Hear about fermentation and aging, then sample regional wines from ruby-fruited reds to crisp whites. The tasting links landscape to glass, illustrating Greece’s renewed wine craft through stories, aromas, and balanced flavors.
Ancient Theatre and Sanctuary of Epidaurus
Visit the Theatre of Epidaurus, a UNESCO World Heritage marvel renowned for pin-drop acoustics and impeccable symmetry amid cypress and pine. Stone tiers climb the hillside like ripples.
Explore the Sanctuary of Asklepios, where pilgrims once sought healing, and try the stage’s whisper test for yourself. This optional excursion is at additional cost and is bookable on tour.
Mycenae Citadel, Lion Gate & Treasury of Atreus
Step inside Mycenae, the Bronze Age stronghold of Homeric legend, to pass beneath the Lion Gate and circle the royal Grave Circles where gold once gleamed. Cyclopean walls tower in solemn silence.
Descend to the beehive Treasury of Atreus and link artifacts to stories of Agamemnon and the House of Atreus. This optional visit carries an additional entry fee and can be booked on tour.
Athens Welcome Evening with Your Tour Leader
Meet your group and meet your Tour Director over a convivial gathering in central Athens. Settle into the spirit of the journey as you share a welcome dinner at a traditional Greek taverna, sampling meze, grilled specialties, and crisp local wines to the cheerful clink of yamas.
Between courses, your leader offers route insights, safety guidance, and neighborhood suggestions, weaving in cultural cues and practical tips. The warm hospitality and relaxed pace create an easy start to the week’s rides and conversations.
