Visit wineries and learn about the making of Greek wines in this interesting 9 day journey!

Itinerary:

Day 1:FLIGHT FROM YOUR POINT OF ORIGIN TO THESSALONIKI
Flight to Thessaloniki. Arrival in Thessaloniki, welcome from our tour guide and then transfer to the Hotel, distribution of rooms, dinner and overnight stay in Katerini.

Day 2: THESSALONIKI, MAYOR, METROPOLITAN
After breakfast we will visit the mayor of Thessaloniki. You have the opportunity to learn more about the management of such a large Greek city. He will also explain the duties of Thessaloniki as the second largest Greek city. Then we will meet the Bishop of Thessaloniki. Here you will have the opportunity to learn about the duties, authority and institutions of the Greek Orthodox Church. Then we take a tour of the city of Thessaloniki. Visit the church of Agios Dimitrios with the catacombs and the beautiful church of Hagia Sophia. Then we will visit the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Then we have some free time for lunch at the famous Ladadika. We then continue our journey to the Upper Town with the city’s famous towers. Later in the afternoon we return to Katerini. Dinner and overnight stay in Katerini.

Day 3:METEORA
After breakfast day trip to Kalambaka. We visit the famous, built onto high rocks monasteries at Meteora. These monasteries, suspended between heaven and earth, were built in the 14th century. Here we visit 2 monasteries and clarifications about the importance of the Byzantine – Orthodox monasticism in Greece and Eastern Europe. Lunch in a traditional tavern in Kalambaka and we continue our path to a pine picture workshop. The pine picture workshop is one of the most famous in Greece. Their customers include even the Vatican. Tour of the workshop and details of the iconography. In the evening return to Katerini. Dinner and sleep in Katerini.

Day 4: BOUTARI WINERY, EUTYCHIDES WINERY, GOUMENISSA
After breakfast we will go to Goumenissa, Kilkis. There you will visit the Boutari winery with wine tasting. The Boutari family is one of the oldest and experienced wine maker families in Greece. Numerous wineries are theirs. Then we will visit the monastery St. Nicodemus the Pentalofo of Goumennisas. This monastery is built on the edge of the village Pentalofos. From the monastery you can admire the magnificent views of the valley of Goumenissas. After that we will visit the winery Eutychides. There we will spend our lunch break. After a tour we will have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful wines that will be served alongside with delicacies of Greek cuisine. In the afternoon we return to Katerini. Dinner and overnight stay in Katerini.

Day 5: OLYMPUS, OLD PANTELEIMON, KATERINI
After breakfast we begin our little hike to Mount Olympus. Then visit the villages and lunch in the Old Panteleimon. Old Panteleimon is a beautiful village on Mount Olympus. In the afternoon we will visit the small market town of Katerini. Then we will visit the small church at the station of Katerini. Welcoming by Father Kyriakos. In a pleasant atmosphere with a coffee will learn a few things about the life and work of the Greek Orthodox congregation. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 6: KAVALA, PHILIPPI AND LYDIA
In the morning we go to Kavala. There we will visit Lydia, the place where the Apostle Paul baptized the first Christians on European soil. After a short prayer we continue to Philippoi, the first community of St. Paul (roman market, theater, royal). We will have lunch and a wine tasting at a winery in Kavala. In the afternoon return to Katerini to our hotel. Dinner and rest in Katerini.

Day 7: OURANOUPOLIS, MOUNT ATHOS
After breakfast we will go for a day trip to the small port of Ouranoupolis. Our cruise from Ouranoupolis go along with Mount Athos. We will have the opportunity to see the numerous monasteries of Mount Athos. It has 22 monasteries and therefore is a very large monastic community. You will also receive interesting information about life on Mount Athos. We go back to Ouranoupolis for lunch. In the evening we return to the hotel in Katerini. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: VERIA, VERGINA, VERMIO
After breakfast we leave for Veria. Guided tour of Veria, history of the Apostle. Visit the Apostle Paul’s forum. We continue to Vergina, which was just 30 years ago known all over the world because of the excavations of the royal tombs. These unique findings, the tomb of Philip, father of Alexander the Great, let us assume that Vergina, then Aigai, was the first capital of Macedonia. We have lunch on the estate Chrisohoou, one of the finest wineries in northern Greece. Here we have the opportunity to lunch to try 3 different types of wines. Then we will go to Vermio monastery Panagia Sumela. In this monastery is one of the three most important icons of orthodoxy, the image of the Virgin Mary. This monastery was built by Greek refugees in 1913 that had come from the Black Sea region in Greece. They brought the image of the namesake monastery from the mountains of Matsoukas (Turkey), Mela. In the evening we return to Katerini, dinner and rest in Katerini.

Day 9:RETURN TO YOUR POINT OF ORIGIN
After breakfast, transfer to the airport of Thessaloniki, Check-In and fly home.