Corinth, Cave of Lakes, Odontotos Railway Private Tour with Greek Lunch Included
Description
Our tours are about people and we have always been good with people! We skip the obvious places and we do not compromise the quality of the tour for any reason. Let's visit some amazing locations that most people miss out on, with a full-day private day trip. With your private group, see the off-the-beaten-track sites with your driver and guide. Journey to the Cave of Lakes; Odontotos Rack Railway, passing through Vouraikos Gorge; the Corinth Canal; and a choice of Ancient Corinth or the Mega Spilaio Monastery. Wine tasting is an option too! Let your fully qualified private driver/tour leader treat you -and join you- to an authentic Greek experience, complete with an amazing "farm to table" lunch at a remote top of the mountains town. An experience for foodies! No fixed or touristy menu! It's a unique & very authentic tour, away from the luxury offerings, all in the peaceful natural environment and beautiful scenery at the central planes of the Mythical Peloponnese.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island.
Ancient Corinth was inhabited in the Neolithic period (6500-3250 BC) but the big prosperity began in the 8th century. Corinth was a city-state and for Christians, Corinth is well known from the two letters of Saint Paul in the New Testament, First and Second Corinthians. Corinth is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as part of the Paul the Apostle's missionary travels.
OPTIONAL: Acrocorinth, "Upper Corinth", the acropolis of ancient Corinth, is a monolithic rock overseeing the ancient city of Corinth and the Corinthian Gulf. It is the most impressive of the acropolis of mainland Greece. With its secure water supply, Acrocorinth's fortress was repeatedly used as a last line of defense in southern Greece because it commanded the Isthmus of Corinth, repelling foes from entry by land into the Peloponnese peninsula.
OPTIONAL wine tasting: Nemea is famous for the ancient site with the stunning Temple of Zeus, but it is also a well-known wine-producing region (a small Napa valley!) with the biggest vineyards in the Balkans. If you take this option you will need an earlier pick up at 7:30 am instead of 8:30.
Kalavrita and the surrounding area are a resort for all seasons. This is your lunch place! We explore the center of the town on foot before or after lunch. This beautiful town lies at the foot of Mt. Chelmos and it is a must-visit for the Athenians during the cold months of the year because of its ski center but not only!. Kalavrita is a dreamlike setting with stone-built houses, small squares, charming alleys, picturesque cafés and tavernas right next to the huge shady plane trees.:An ideal destination ideal for those aiming to combine their love for nature with their romantic mood.
The Mythical 'CAVE OF THE LAKES' has something exclusively unique that does not exist in other well-known caves. A rare creation of nature with mysterious galleries and strange stalactite formations. THE MYTHICAL 'CAVE OF THE LAKES' has something exclusively unique that does not exist in other well-known caves. A rare creation of nature with mysterious galleries and strange stalactite formations. A unique natural creation featuring 13 cascading lakes of various sizes and shapes, three different levels, and a steady year-round temperature of 16-17°C. Around 1980 meters of the cave have been explored, though at present only 500 meters are open to visitors. Fossilized bones of various animals have been found here, as well as important archaeological and anthropological finds (including pottery and tools) dating from Neolithic, Early Helladic and Middle Helladic times.
OPTIONAL or alternative to Ancient Corinth (for visitors that have already visited Corinth): A cliff-hanging monastery with amazing views of the gorge through which your train will pass.
About 120 years ago Odontotos rack railway started from the seaside town of Diakopto parallel to the river and climbed to Kalavrita through bridges and tunnels. The little train incorporated so well to the natural environment that it seems that it had always been there. The way it was constructed did not put a strain on the ecosystem of the gorge. Using stone and wood from the area the technicians' work is so perfect that someone may think that the nature worked on its own.
Back to Athens and to your base/accommodation. You can optionally be dropped off at your cruise ship or even the airport. Do remember that you can combine this tour with several other unique sites of the Peloponnese with our most popular being the 5-Day Peloponnese tour.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Any Athens hotel or Airbnb, the Athens airport, Piraeus, and Nafplio port. There will be a possible extra cost for some locations not around the center of Athens.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(141)
We took the tour with Panayiotis and had the best day! He was very knowledgeable and everything we experienced was perfect. The train ride was lots of fun. The local food where we ate was amazing. The canal was so beautiful. We gathered so much extra information about Greece within our day. This was by far our favorite excursion while in Greece.
Dear Michael & Tonya. Panayiotis mentioned that he enjoyed the tour with you and that you had been great company to travel with. This is very important for our private tours and our guides! We would love to see you again. Let us show you more of "real Greece," which is not just Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini! Thank you for the great review and for taking this tour with our boutique agency!
This was an excellent full day adventure for our family of adult children. There was beautiful scenery along the drive and each of the three stops offered unique insights into the region. Nikos was a terrific host for us and set up a delightful Greek lunch for us. It was time well spent.
Thank you, Robert! It was fun exploring with all of you. Enjoy the islands! NG
I loved this excursion so much. They really tried to make the experience personal. Our guide was very interactive with us and educated us on his couture. Theo was beyond amazing.
Great review. Theo is a great guide! All our team is great as guides, but as people too, but it always works better when we travel with responsive people like you. Thank you for taking this tour with us!
We were greeted promptly at our hotel at our pick up time by our driver and guide, Panayiots. He spoke excellent English and we found ourselves chatting the whole day. The tour was well thought out and the day went smoothly. We seemed to miss the crowds by arriving at the sights a little earlier. We were disappointed that the train trip wasn’t available as they are currently working on the line, however we visited a local winery and we had the best white wine I’ve ever tasted! Nikos and his team were always available to answer questions and kept us informed. You won’t be disappointed with this tour and booking through this company.
Thank you very much, Catherine. Your guide, Panayiotis, is a young person but has the knowledge and potential to become a great tour leader. He described you as very open and easy to communicate. This allowed him to offer more than the standard "itinerary". Once again, thanks for the very nice review.
We had the pleasure of booking a private tour with Panayiotis, an exceptional guide. From start to finish, our guide's warm and friendly demeanor, extensive knowledge, and genuine care made the tour truly unforgettable. Whether exploring a magnificent cave or strolling through the city's enchanting streets, his passion for his job and his country shone through, creating an extraordinary experience that I highly recommend.
Thank you, Rita. Parayiotis is an exceptional young tour guide with great motivation and -most importantly- he loves what he does. His communication skills are unique and he did not forget to mention that you were very pleasant to travel with. We thank you once again for choosing our agency for your tours and transfers.
We had a fabulous day with Nikos who was very easy company. Nikos shared his knowledge of the areas and made the trip as personable as possible. We loved seeing the Corinth Canal but be prepared as it was busy! Ancient Corinth was great with enough time to walk about the relics and visit the museum. My favourite was the rail journey up to the ski town. Picturesque and very relaxing. Nikos also ensured we had great seats on the train. Was nice walking through the village and hearing its history and lunch was amazing! We were a little disappointed in the caves but I think this is because we have visited many wonderful caves in the past. A great day that allowed us to see different parts of Greece with ease.
Thank you very much for the great review. You are correct about the caves! They are not at their best if there has not been enough rain to"flood" the "lakes" from the dripping stalactites and create the humid atmosphere that makes this site colorful & unique. If you have also seen many caves ... It was great traveling with you!
Fantastic full day tour. Picked up at hotel at stated time, by the amazing Panayiotis, travelled to Corinth canal for short visit, then onto ancient Corinth. Had plenty of time there to wander through museum and walk around the ruins. Moved onto Diakopto to catch narrow gauge railway up to kalavryta. We're bit early so Panayiotis took a short detour to an amazing viewpoint above Diakopto. Train ride was amazing. Arrived at Kalavryta where Panayiotis was waiting and took us for a delicious lunch. After lunch visited the mega spilaio monastery built into the mountainside. Finally travelled to the cave of lakes, which was a spectacular end to the day. Drove back to athens and dropped back at hotel. Our guide Panayiotis was brilliant. So knowledgeable, polite and great company.
Amazing review. We are extremely happy that you have appreciated Panayiotis' efforts. He is one of our best guides and tour leaders. Your communication has been great and you and your family were a definitely great "fit" to what we have to offer. THANK YOU!
On May 20, 2023 took a private tour outside of Athens, Greece to the Cave of Lakes, Ancient Corinth, Odontotos Railway, Great Lunch, etc. The Guide for the day Panos was friendly, helpful, informative and everything else you would want for a guide for the day. The manager of Eudaimonia Private Tours, Nikos, was helpful and constantly in contact with us as our tour date approached. I very much recommend Eudaimonia Private Tours/
Thank you very much, Arthur. All our guides mentioned that you were great to travel with.
A great tour guide and a excellent way to see Greece. Tour was outstanding, knowledgeable, and very exciting.
Thank you very much for remembering and taking the time to review your experience with us.
This was our first time to Greece and were a little hesitant however Nikos was amazing with communicating before during and after we arrived to Greece and even went above and beyond to make this trip special for us. Theo was our driver and we knew exactly who to look for as we were sent a picture of him. The whole trip was amazing and Theo was very knowledgeable and informative along the way. It was just my husband and I and we enjoyed the intimate feel of that experience as well. Would highly recommend Nikos company for this tour or any other of the tours they offer.
Thank you very much! We all felt that you were very nice people to travel with. Your review is great.