Mycenae: Lion Gate

Travel around Peloponnese and Greece, following the trail of Hercules, the greatest mythical hero of Greece… Learn all about his life and hardships, visiting the places where his Labours took place, where he fought and fell in love…

Take a look at the activities described on our trip-days and select the ones you like best. Destino Tours can adapt the schedule to your wishes.

Goddess Hera, disliked Hercules (being the illegitimate son of her husband Zeus) so she made him lose his mind and kill his children. When Hercules came to his senses, full of remorse, consulted the Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle dictated that he should serve for twelve years Eurystheus, king of Tiryns, doing as he commands. The twelve tasks that the hero completed as a penance in order to purge himself of the murders he had committed, have been recorded as the Labours of Hercules. Eurystheus, trying to get rid of Hercules, began to ask  of him  incredible things… So, Hercules simply achieved the impossible…

 

Day 1

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Arrival in Athens, boarding the bus and departure for the Prefecture of Corinth. Visit at the Acrocorinth, an impressive castle overlooking Corinth, one of the greatest cities of antiquity. The Temple of Aphrodite, ancient goddess of love, was located there, with the famous Priestesses who were dedicated to the goddess and practiced the art of love…

Departure for the archaeological site and the museum of Ancient Nemea. The site of Nemea is connected with the first Labour of Hercules which was to slay the Nemean lion that had devastated the whole state. In the archaeological site we will also see the ancient stadium, which is in an even better condition than the one in ancient Olympia. One can still distinguish the “starting line”, the archway from where the athletes entered the stadium and parts of the stadium stands.

Visit at a winery and tasting of the famous wines of Nemea, also mentioned by Homer.

Departure for Stymphalia, where Hercules slayed the Stymphalian Birds with his poison arrows (man-eating birds with beaks, talons and feathers of bronze).

Lunch at a stone-built inn in Kandila.  Arrival to a hotel in Tripoli, the capital city of Arcadia, for overnight stay.

 

 

Day 2

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Breakfast and departure for Levidi. There we find the Arcadian Museum of Art and History, full of engravings, sculptures and paintings, vividly narrating the history and myths of Arcadia.

Departure for the river Ladon. The area here, was devastated by the swift Ceryneian Hind with hooves of bronze and golden antlers. Hercules was able to tire the enormous deer by hunting it. When the deer stopped, exhausted, he caught it and took it to Eurystheus, alive. It is said that he pinned down the deer next to the banks of the river Ladon, where even today you can hear Pan playing his flute. Hercules was an excellent archer so we, too, will be initiated in the art of archery…

Departure for Olympia through the mountains of Erymanthos. Here, Hercules hunted and killed the Erymanthian Boar, a giant wild boar which spread fear and wreaked havoc in the region of Arcadia.

In Ancient Olympia, Hercules completed yet another labour. He cleaned the stables of Augeas, a rich king with 3000 cattle, from the enormous quantity of dung that had been gathered since the stables had not been cleaned for thirty years. Hercules succeeded by rerouting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus towards the stables, thereby washing out the filth.

Hercules has been named the founder of the Olympic Games. We will take a tour of the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia, where we will visit the ruins of ancient temples and buildings as well as the ancient stadium. The Olympic Games were held there for over a millennium. The winners of the games were admired and immortalised through poems and statues. The prize for the winners was a wreath of olive.

Wel visit the New Museum of Ancient Olympia where we have the opportunity to admire some of the most beautiful sculptures in world history, like the Hermes of Praxiteles, the Victory of Paionios, scenes from the Wars of the Titans in which Hercules took part, etc.

We board the bus and depart for Tripoli through the picturesque route Pyrgos – Zacharo – Kalo Nero (coastal route overlooking the Ionian Sea), then passing through the villages of the Messinian valley. Arrival in Tripoli for overnight stay.

  

  

Day 3

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Breakfast and departure for Lerna. The Lernaean Hydra was a mythical beast that possessed nine heads and brought great misfortune to the locals. For each head that Hercules cut off it grew two more so he had to cauterise the open stumps after severing each head. Then, after he had killed the beast, he dipped his arrows in its poisonous blood and made them lethal. Visit at the Cave of Lerna in Myloi, Argos, where Hercules killed the Lernaean Hydra.

Departure for the legendary Mycenae, the kingdom of Eurystheus who dictated the labours of Hercules. There we will pass through the Lion Gate and wander through the Cyclopean Walls in the legendary citadel of Agamemnon. We have a chance to admire the giant dome-shaped tombs of Atreus and other noblemen of the time. We will visit the Museum where we will have the chance to admire 2500 exhibits dating from the Bronze Age before 3000 BC up to the Hellenistic period.

Next, we depart for the archaeological site of Epidaurus. There we find the best preserved theatre of antiquity, with a capacity of 13000 spectators and amazing acoustics. We also see the dome, the Stadium and the Temples of Asclepius and Artemis. Lunch break.

Departure for Nafplio, where we take a tour of the beach and the old town. Nafplio, as the first capital of modern Greece is full of neoclassical buildings and museums. There is also an opportunity to visit the legendary Palamidi castle, built in 1687 by the Venetians with a wonderful view of the Gulf of Argolis.

We board the bus and depart for Tripoli. On the way we see Ancient Tiryns,  where Hercules  lived  while completing his Labours. It was here, that Hercules, in a fit of madness, pushed off the young prince Iphitos from the Cyclopean walls and killed him. Arrival in Tripoli. Overnight stay.

    

 

Day 4

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Breakfast and departure for beautiful Sparta. The eleventh labour of Hercules was to steal the apples of the Hesperides. The Hesperides are nymphs who stayed in the garden of the gods. They were ordered to guard the golden apples located in the garden. These apples were a gift from Gaea for the marriages of Zeus and Hera. Along with the Hesperides, the mighty dragon Ladon was also guardian of the garden, as well as Atlas who supported the heavens. Hercules stole the apples with Atlas’ help, since he carried the burden of the heavens on his shoulders, while Atlas was stealing the apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. In Laconia there is still a variety of apples called “apples of the Hesperides”. Some scholars believe that these apples are none other than the golden oranges, produced in the plains of Laconia.

Here we can wander through the ruins of Ancient Sparta where the sanctuaries of Artemis Orthia, Athena Chalkioikos, Apollo Karneios as well as the Roman era theatre are located. We visit Sparta’s Archaeological Museum where there are thousands of exhibits from the area of ancient Lacedaemon, which date from the Stone Age to the Roman Era. We also visit the Byzantine Mystras, where we see old Byzantine churches and frescoes with vivid colours surviving the passing of centuries.

Stop for lunch and visit at the picturesque Gythio. Gythio is a city founded by Hercules and Apollo in honour of their reconciliation. We make a tour of the beautiful harbour and admire the neoclassical buildings along the coast of the village. We also see the small island Kranai where Paris and Helen of Troy spent their first night together.

After crossing the wild and unique landscape of Mani we reach Pyrgos in Diros. Hercules, in order to complete his final labour, which was to capture and bring back Cerberus, the mighty three-headed guardian dog of Hades, came to Laconia where there was one of the gates to Hades. It is said that he descended into the underworld from Cape Tainaro. We will go into the depths of the earth, in the Caves of Diros, located nearby. We go on a boat ride in the most beautiful cave in the world, through a colourful cluster of stalagmites and stalactites.

Boarding the bus and departure for Tripoli. Overnight stay.

 

  

Day 5

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Breakfast and departure for the region of Tegea. Here, Hercules saw the beautiful priestess Auge while passing by outside the Temple of Athena Alea. Auge’s father, King Aleos, fearing the prophecy that the son of Auge was going to kill him dedicated his daughter as a priestess at the Temple of Athena. The priestesses were virgins and it was a great sacrilege to even be touched by anyone, especially within the temple. Hercules, without knowing she was the daughter of the king and as he was drunk, called her to come out of the temple. Since Auge would not come out… he entered! Thus, Telephus was born, the son of Hercules and founder of the legendary Pergamon, who killed his grandfather, actually fulfilling the prophecy. We also have the opportunity, even to this day, to see the ruins of the Temple of Athena Alea and the ancient Roman theatre on which a Byzantine temple is built.

We also visit the Folklore Museum of Tegea, where we can see artifacts used in everyday life throughout modern Greek history. Because the re-establishment of the modern Olympic Games was decided in Tegea, there is a small room in this museum dedicated to the torch races. The first ever torch used in Olympic Games is also kept there.

Departure for Andritsaina and ancient Figalia, which was the kingdom of Lepreus.

Hercules, who had a grudge on king Lepreus, extended a threefold challenge: the king would have to eat a whole ox, drink a bucket of wine and then throw the disc. After he managed to eat the ox, he failed the other two challenges and invited the hero to a duel. It is said that Hercules –simply- lifted his club and finished him at once.

In ancient Figalia we visit the Temple of Apollo Epikourios, designed by the architect Iktinos who also designed the Parthenon. This is followed by a lunch break.

The next stop is Karytaina, Greece’s Toledo. We will take a walk in the Venetian Castle, headquarters of the Greek revolution of 1821 against the Turks.

We then visit the historic Stemnitsa (Ancient Hypsous) who has seen great glories in the 1821 revolution and walk around the picturesque alleys. Boarding the bus and departure for Tripoli. Overnight stay.

 

 

Day 6

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Breakfast and departure for Ancient Messene. The city was given to Nestor by Hercules to compensate for the capture of Pylos. In Ancient Messene we take a tour of the amazingly preserved archaeological site where there are remnants of the ancient city and the ancient stadium where the games were held.

What follows is a visit to Pylos, a city looted and burnt by Hercules, because Nileas had refused to purge him of the death of prince Iphitos. It is said that the battle was so fierce that even the Olympian gods, who had rushed to help the people of Pylos, were wounded by the fury of Hercules. We will visit Neocastro, where we will gaze at the wonderful view of the picturesque bay, where the battle of Navarino took place in 1827. It was the last major naval battle in history to take place exclusively between sailing vessels. The combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was obliterated by the allied British, French and Russian naval force. If the weather permits it, we will take a boat ride in the bay, where one can still make out Ottoman sailing vessels at the sea bottom if the sea is calm and crystal clear.

Then, we take a walk in the picturesque fishing village of Yalova, situated next to a protected wetland habitat. There, depending on the season you can see migratory birds (such as flamingos) and the famous chameleon of the region which is a rare and unique species. Next is the beach of Voidokilia (meaning Cow belly), a natural curved bay, characterised as the most beautiful beach in Europe. Above it, we can see Palaiokastro (an old Frankish fortress) full of legends and the Cave of Nestor dominating the landscape.

In time, Hercules, came to like Nestor very much. He regarded him like his son and loved him more than his companions in the labours, Hylas and Iolaus. Nestoras was nothing like Hercules. He was soft spoken and wise. In the area there are also the ruins of the Palace of Nestor, where all the Greeks came to ask for his opinion on various matters. Even the wise Ulysses turned to him, but that’s another trip…!

Boarding the bus and departure for Tripoli. Overnight stay.

   

Day 7

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Breakfast and departure for Athens. Visit at the National Archaeological Museum where we can admire sculptures, pottery and metopes depicting the hero. Then we'll visit the archaeological site of Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum, where you can enjoy the huge gable depicting the battle of Hercules with Triton, from an archaic temple.

Stroll through the picturesque neighbourhoods of neo-classical Athens (Thisseio – Plaka). Settling in to our hotel in Athens and overnight stay.

 

Day 8

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Breakfast and departure for Thebes. Hercules was born in Thebes, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a descendant of Perseus. His mother, Alcmene, was married to Amphitryon, with whom they fled to Thebes because the latter had murdered Electryon by mistake (the father of Alcmene and son of Perseus). Zeus took the form of Amphitryon and slept with Alcmene. Even before Hercules was born, Zeus announced to the gods that a descendant of Perseus will be born by Alcmene, who will reign on the throne of the Perseides. When Hercules was born, Hera, Zeus’ wife, who was jealous of her husband’s infidelities, sent two snakes to his cradle but the infant strangled them. Thebes is built on top of the ancient Mycenaean citadel, Cadmeia. This citadel had Cyclopean walls which still exist in some places. We will visit the area where an outdoor sanctuary of Hercules was located and the archaeological museum, where we will see remnants of ancient prime as well as pottery.   

Next stop is the archaeological site of Delphi. Hercules visited the Oracle after killing his children to see which way he could atone for the death of his children. The Oracle’s prophecy was that he served his cousin Eurystheus, King of Mycenae, for 12 years. This marks the beginning of the famous Labours of Hercules. We take a tour of the Archaeological Museum of Delphi and then a walk in the archaeological site, where you’ll see the Temple of Apollo, the exact point where the Oracle of Delphi gave her prophecies, the Treasury of Athens, the Theatre and the Stadium, amongst other things.   Return to Athens and overnight stay.

   

Day 9

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Breakfast and departure for Pilio. It is a mountainous region, full of villages with traditional architecture. Pilio, according to the mythology was the chosen place of the gods for their summer holidays, their celebrations and marriages. The marriage of Peleus and Thetis took place here, sang by Homer, Pindar and Euripides. Here lived the half-human and half-horse Centaurs along with the wise Centaur Chiron under whom Achilles and Hercules studied and who also taught Asclepius medicine.  

Next we tour the beautiful neo-classical city of Volos, with the “tsipouradika” (traditional taverns serving tsipouro) and the delicious seafood. Return to Athens and overnight stay.

  

Day 10

ATHENS-INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ELEFTHERIOS VENIZELOS

Free day for shopping in Greece’s largest bazaar (Monastiraki).  Departure for Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”.

 
Προβολή Hercule's Trail σε χάρτη μεγαλύτερου μεγέθους