ATHENS The Artistic excellence of Ancient Greece

8  days | Coming soon | 8 - 15 May 2026

The Artistic excellence of Ancient Greece

Gazing on the newly completed Parthenon in the 5th Century BCE, the great Athenian stateman Pericles told his fellow-Athenians, ‘we shall be a wonder not just to the people of our own times, but to those of the future’, and some six centuries later Plutarch endorsed those prophetic words when he said, ‘a bloom of eternal newness hovers over these works of his and makes them look untouched by time, as though an ageless spirit has been breathed into them’. Our exploration of this artistic excellence of Ancient Greece, led by Classicist Dr Steve Kershaw, will take us from the wondrous temples on the Athenian Acropolis to their exquisite sculptural adornment displayed in the stunning New Acropolis Museum, into the unparallelled collections of artworks – Grecian urns, Classical bronzes, Mycenaean gold - in the National Archaeological Museum, and down into the Ancient Agora, the beating heart of Athens’ ancient democracy, with its glorious monuments. From our centrally located base in Athens we will cross to the island of Aegina, now famous for its pistachio groves, to explore the beautifully located Temple of Aphaia, before returning to the mainland to take in the sunset from the Temple of Poseidon on ‘Sounion’s marbled steep’, where Byron carved his name on the pillars. Moving into the Peloponnese, pausing to admire the 19th Century engineering feats of the Corinth Canal, before exploring Byzantine glories of Mystras, ‘the Florence of the Orient’, we will relocate to the charming harbour town of Gythion, where mythology states that Paris and Helen spent their first night together en route to Troy. As we head for the enchanting Venetian-influenced town of Nafplion in the Peloponnese, which was once the capital of Greece, we will move via the ancient site of Sparta and into the wine-growing region of Nemea, site of the Nemean Games and a fine Temple of Zeus. Nafplion is the perfect location from which to experience the intriguing healing sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, with its well-preserved and acoustically perfect theatre, and to revel in the Bronze Age glories of Greece at the mighty site of Mycenae ‘Rich in Gold’, from where we will move into the hills beyond for a final dinner of typical Greek cuisine.



Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

Flight from London to Athens. Transfer to Athens, check in to Hotel Herodion (or similar). Welcome drinks followed by dinner with views of the Acropolis.



Day 2

Morning visit to the Acropolis Museum with its collections of artworks from the Acropolis itself, notably the freestanding female kore statues, the Karyatids, and the sculptures from the Parthenon. After a group lunch, spend the early afternoon viewing the Acropolis from the Pnyx hill, followed by visit to the Acropolis and its iconic temples.



Day 3

Take the ‘Flying Dolphin’ from Piraeus across to the beautiful island of to Aigine, where we can view the evocative Temple of Aphaia with its vistas across the sea. After an included lunch in the harbour, we will cross back to the mainland and continue to the dramatically sited Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion to explore its architecture and view the sunset.



Day 4

Morning visit to the Agora - where philosophers taught and the citizens exercised their democratic freedoms – where we can overlook the site from the beautifully preserved Temple of Hephaistos. The Agora Museum, housed in the reconstructed Stoa of Attalus, contains fascinating exhibits shedding light on the workings of Athens’ unique political system. After an independent lunch, cross the city to witness the historical, cultural and artistic treasures of National Archaeological Museum, one of the most important museums in the world devoted to ancient Greek art.



Day 5

After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and drive into the Peloponnese, crossing the Corinth Canal on the way. After lunch close to site we will explore the Byzantine wonders of Mystras, whose exquisite frescoed churches scattered across the hillside afford spectacular view over the Spartan plain. We will spend the night in the charming port town of Gythio.

Day 6

Our morning visits will take us to the site of ancient Sparta and the Sparta Museum, before we head out to Nemea, the legendary scene of Heracles' encounter with the lion, with its Temple of Zeus and late-4^th Century BCE stadium, once the site of the prestigious Nemean Games. The area around Nemea has been producing wine for centuries from high-quality Agiorgitiko “St George’s” grapes, and we will take time to sample some of this at one of the 40 wineries located within Nemea's boundaries. Our accommodation for the next two nights is in the elegant Venetian-influenced town of Nafplion, situated on a dramatic peninsula on the waterside of the Argolic Gulf.



Hotel Herodion

Herodion Hotel is a sophisticated, family-run hotel situated very close to the beautiful and historic neighbourhood of Plaka and adjacent to the New Acropolis Museum. The rooms are comfortable and sophisticated, with all contemporary amenities, and the elegant roof top bar and restaurant offer breathtaking views of the Acropolis.

Coming Soon

Departure Dates:

8 - 15 May 2026

Duration:

7 nights / 8 days

Your Holiday Includes:

• Scheduled return flights from London to Athens
• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the Hotel Herodion in Athens, one night bed and breakfast at the Hotel Las in Gythio and two nights’ bed and breakfast at the Grand Sarai Hotel and the Marianna in Nafplion 
• Private coach transfers and excursions
• 6 included meals (lunch or dinner)
• Guided visits to sites listed in the programme.
• Services of the tour lecturer and tour manager. 
• Detailed programme and study notes.
• All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff
  

Tour Lecturers

Dr Steve Kershaw

As a Classics Tutor for Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, and as a lecturer for the V&A and The Arts Society, Dr. Steve Kershaw has spent much of the last 40 years travelling extensively in the world of the Ancient Greeks both physically and intellectually. His media appearances include featuring as an expert contributor to the History Channel’s Barbarians Rising series and as a guest on BBC Radio 3’s You’re Dead to Me, and his publications on Greek history include A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths, A Brief Guide to Classical Civilization, Three Epic Battles that Saved Democracy: Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis, and a children’s book on Greek Mythology entitled Mythologica that was Amazon.com’s Best Children’s Non-Fiction Book of 2019.



Travel Information

The price does not include extras at the hotels or travel insurance.



Please note that Art Pursuits use hotels of character featuring a variety of rooms & styles.

Stamina

Please note that some of our tours can involve a fair amount of walking, sometimes across uneven ground. Please contact us if you would like more information.

Hotels
Please note that the listed hotels are subject to change based on the availability provided by our local agent. For further information, please contact the office or email us at abroad@artpursuits.com.