N.B. The following itinerary will be continuously updated as more trip details are arranged.

Tuesday 16 August

Arrivals throughout the day to Brown Acropol hotel in Athens; Meet and greet at 6pm on the hotel's rooftop; Welcome dinner near Acropolis at 7pm

Wednesday 17 August

Walking tour of Acropolis, Agora, and Areopagus, with a lunch break in the historic neighborhood of Plaka.

Thursday 18 August

Tour via bus of Attica (the peninsula that Athens is on), stopping at the stunning Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the silver mines of Laurion, and the border fort of Brauron, with a lunch break in a charming taverna by the sea. Then, we leave Athens and drive to Epidaurus in the Peloponnese, which will be our base for the next two nights. We will be staying at Hotel Saronis.

Friday 19 August

Beach day! On this day we will take it easy, because we will be exhausted from the long previous day of site-seeing and traveling. Members of the group will be free to explore various beaches, ancient ruins, and churches near the town. Those who have experience snorkeling may explore a sunken Roman villa. In the evening, we will attend a performance of Iphigeneia at Aulis in the ancient theater of Epidaurus (in modern Greek with English supertitles).

Saturday 20 August

We will explore one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Greece: Mycenae, home of the legendary king Agamemnon. We'll then head to the charming town of Nafplio (the first capital of the modern Greek state) for lunch, after which members will be free to explore local shops, the sea front, or the castle. Next, we will drive all the way to Pylos, which will be our base for the next two days, where we will stay at Karalis City Hotel.

Sunday 21 August

Explore the "Palace of Nestor," another hugely important Bronze Age site where one of the most important linear b archives was discovered. Then we'll check out the Island of Sphacteria where a number of important battles were fought throughout history. Somewhere in there we'll also get some well-deserved beach time.

Monday 22 August

Explore the massive and awe-inspiring site of Olympia, home of the Olympic Games. Then we'll drive to Sparta, which will be our base for the next two days, where we'll be staying at Maniatis Hotel.

Tuesday 23 August

Explore the few remaining ruins of Sparta as well as the Byzantine city of Mystras. At night, we will head into the mountains of Arcadia to enjoy a traditional summer festival ("panigyri") with traditional Greek folk music, food, and dance.

Wednesday 24 August

Head back to Athens, making at stop at Nemea, a legendary site that is now famour for its vineyards. We will explore the temple of Zeus and then enjoy some local wine tasting.  We we will arrive at Athens around 5-6pm. This marks the end of the tour. Please make your own arrangements for where to go/stay that night. If you need to get to the airport right away, there will be public transportation available from where the bus drops us off.