After pickup from your central Athens hotel, settle inside your air-conditioned coach. Then, journey west along the Iera Odos (Sacred Way), an ancient route once followed by processions marking the Eleusinian Mysteries, an annual rite staged in the town of Eleusis.
Along the way, stop at the 11th-century Byzantine Monastery of Daphni, a World Heritage site famed for its interior mosaics. Tour the church, built to a Byzantine cross-in-square plan, and view the mosaics, the largest collection in southern Greece. Admire the rich depictions of saints and scenes from the life of Christ, all set against gold backgrounds.
Next, follow the coastal road to the Corinth Canal, the man-made waterway connecting the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea. Take photos at the steep-walled canal, learning how it was built in the 1890s to provide shorter passage between the two seas.
Then, travel to ancient Corinth, where it’s believed St. Paul lived for two years. Stroll around the well-preserved ruins of this age-old city-state, seeing 1st-century shops, the agora where Paul was tried, the Fountain of Pereine, and the Temple of Apollo, set in the highest part of the city.
Afterward, return to Athens, ending your tour with a central hotel drop-off.
