If you are interested in religious tours, this tour is the perfect choice for you. Exclusively with KEY TOURS, you will have the opportunity to discover two must-see sights on this memorable half day trip from Athens. Enjoy also a photo stop at Corinth Canal before visiting the Ancient Corinth & Daphni’s Monastery with its 11th-century Byzantine mosaics.
After your morning pick up from your central located hotel, begin from our terminal with a scenic drive to Corinth via Iera Odos (the Sacred Way). It was so called because it was the route taken by a procession celebrating the Eleusinian Mysteries, were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at Eleusis in ancient Greece.
Along the way, stop at the Monastery of Daphni, a 11th-century Byzantine monastery listed as a World Heritage site together with Monasteries Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios. The interior of the church is decorated with superb mosaics, a unique, fine example of the Classical idealism of Middle Byzantine art. The crowded scenes of the mosaics narrate scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin.
Continue your drive along the coastal road and reach the Corinth canal, which merges the Aegean with the Ionian Sea (short stop for photos of the breathtaking view). Shortly thereafter, reach the ancient town of Corinth, where St. Paul lived and preached for two years (Acts 18:1-18). Visit the ruins of the ancient city where Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla, see the remains of the first century shops, the Agora where Paul’s trial by Gallio took place, the Fountain of Peirene, and one of the most outstanding monuments of pre –Roman period, the temple of Apollo. Afterward, return back to Athens, ending your tour with a central hotel drop-off.