Introduction 

1. Athens—Santoríni—Crete
2. Athens—Mycénae—Olympía—Delphí—Athens
3. Athens—Delphí—Mt. Ólympus or Thessaloníki—Mt. Ólympus—Delphí—Athens

    All of these leave out Dodóna, of course, but a trip there, with an evening or two spent in the enchanting lakeside city of Ioánnina, and a thrilling drive over the Pindos mountains either to or from spectacular Metéora, can be left for another day.

Link to "Tom Stone's Zeus Tour" at Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106980385340030692550.000444f4adf2a181af2ee&z=4

The Itinerary

1. Athens. This is the central hub for most planes, buses, and trains elsewhere, while the nearby port of Piraeus has ships for almost all the islands. Photo: The Temple of Zeus.  The figure in the foreground is Farzaneh.





2. Santorini.  7 hrs. from Athens by ship; 45 minutes by plane.  Site of the massive volcanic explosion which heralded the coming of Zeus.  Photo: Above the Volcano.  The author at the left, the budding volcano in the caldera below.





3. Crete.  We took a 2 1/2 hr. voyage by ship from Santorini.  From Athens, it is 6 hrs. by hydrofoil , 7-10 hrs. by ship, 50-60 mins. by plane. We stayed three days in Iraklion, the main port.  From there it is a short visit to the sites of Knossos, Mt. Juktas, Mt. Ida (Zeus's birth cave), and Gortyn.  Photo: Zeus's Cave.  Farzaneh can be seen in the center of the snow pack in front of the entrance.



4. Athens.  The Acropolis and the Archeological Museum must be seen.  Photo. Farzaneh & Tom.  In the background, the Acropolis...




5. Nafplion-Tiryns-Mycenae.  About 2 hrs. drive from Athens. We stayed overnight in the wonderfully picturesque port of Nauplion and made a day-trip to Tiryns and Mycenae.  Photo: Mycenae's Lions Gate.  Taken in the 1880s.  Heinrich Schliemann's wife, Sophia, may be the woman seated in the right foreground.








6. Olympia.  A 3 1/2 hr. drive over the E65-E55 national super highway from Argos to Olympia.  (Don't take route 55 unless you want breathtaking hazards along with the beauty.)  Olympia is a charming little village next to an overwhelmingly charming site.  Many good hotels.  We stayed overnight.  Photo: Olympia in April.  The pink blossoms are from Judas trees.




7. Dodona-Ioannina.  About a 5-hr. journey from Olympia when crossing the Gulf of Corinth by ferry, directly north.  You can either visit the oracle of Dodona first (which we did) or get a hotel in Ioannina and then drive south to the site, about 24 miles.  Dodona is impressive, lakeside Ioannina delightful.  Take a boat to the lake's island and dine on fish freshly scooped from the restaurant tanks.  Photo.  On the lakeside (the last photo before our batteries ran out...)




8. Metsovo (the Pindos Mts.)   A beautiful rustic-styled village about 3,800 ft. up the mountains.  Famous for its cheeses, particularly of the smoked variety.  The last stop before tackling the heights of the Katara Pass, at 5,800 ft.  Photo: In the village square.




9. The Pindos Mts.  An exhausting but often exhilarating journey.  Great views, steep drops, with the road often snow-bound until early Spring.  Many hairpin turns, much traffic.  A 70-mile drive that takes about 4 hours.  Photo: Driving through the clouds atop the mountain.




10. Kalambaka-Meteora.  Kalambaka is the first town you reach on the eastern side of the mountains.  It's great attraction is that it is nestled around the spectacular pinnacles of Meteora, with their impossibly perched monasteries on top.  Good place to stop for lunch and a trip to one of the monasteries.  Photo: The Meteora Pinnacles.  Kalambaka is in the background below.




11. The Vale of Tempe.  A narrow river gorge that marks the entrance to the northern province of Greek Macedonia, site of the home of the gods, Mt. Olympus.  Much favored by Greek tourists because of the miraculous powers of the waters of the little church of Ayia Paraskevi, across the river over a small suspension bridge.  Photo: Tempe souvenir stands.




12.  Mount Olympus.  A full day's leisurely journey (about 8 hrs.) from Ioannina.  A stay at the mountain's base village of Litohoro is recommended, but get reservations in advance.  A climb to the summit's "Throne of Zeus" (9,571 ft.) requires an overnight stay in a lodge a two-hour climb below the peak.  Photo: Olympus from Litohoro.




13. Dion.  The religious center of Philip and Alexander's Macedonia.  At the base of Mt. Olympus, it is one of the most important archeological sites in Greece.  Great little museum in its village featuring the newly discovered headless statues of Zeus and Hera.  Photo: The Ancient Theater.  Built on the site of the theater where Euripides first produced his Bacchae.




14.  Delphi.  We saved this most beautiful site for last.  About a 6-hr. drive south of Olympus, it necessitates another of those serpentine routes through the mountains (this time up into the Parnassus range) that seems to be required when approaching the gods.  The village of Delphi is charmingly alpine and full of tourists.  Hotel reservations are therefore  imperative. Great museum and an archeological site that is unparalleled in its breathtaking beauty.  Photos: (Left) The Temple of Apollo.  (Below) The View to the Southwest.