One Day Tour: Chlemoutsi castle, Monastery Vlacherna’s & Ancient Ilida Tour

Overview

The first stop of our tour is a medieval Castle of Chlemoutsi.

Chlemoutsi or Chateau Clermont is built on the summit of a hill with an extensive view to the plain of Elis and the Ionian Sea. It was established by the Prince Geoffrey I Villehardouin in 1220-1223 and it became the strongest fortress of the Frankish principate of Achaia. After the end of Frankish domination, Chlemoutsi gradually lost its importance. Extensive restoration work is carried out in the castle for the last 20years. Nowadays some of the halls house a museum with exhibitions from the medieval and Frankish period of the region.

Ending our tour at Chlemoutsi castle you will return to your coach and after a short drive (approx. 15min) we will reach our next stop, Moni Vlachernon. This monastery near Kyllini, which was built around the 12th century, is related directly to Constantinople (Istanbul), features artistic as well as architectural elements from east and west. Its frescoes are of exquisite beauty. After this short stop we continue our itinerary heading to our last stop, Ancient Ellis or Ilida. After approx. half an hour of drive we arrive to one of the most important Greek cities in antiquity.

Ilida was the capital of the prefecture Ilia, the responsible city for the Olympic Games organization every 4 years. The city of Ilida had many temples and sanctuaries, such as the Temple of the Charites, the Temple of Seilinos, the Temple of Hades, the Sanctuary of Tyche, the Sanctuary of Dionysus, the Shrine of Achilles and many others. The city saw great prosperity, until about the 4th century, when the first signs of decline slowly appeared. The final end came some centuries later, with the destructive earthquake of the 6th century A.D. After an earthquake the city was first located by travellers in the 19th century, since its ruins were still visible. The excavations had brought many artifacts to light. Everything has been assembled since 1981 in one collection, the Archaeological Collection of Ilida, which includes findings ranging from the Early-Helladic to the Roman period, including jars, figurines, statues, weapons, tomb steel and many more. The mosaic floor of a 3d century A.D. mansion with depictions of the Nine Muses and the Labours of Hercules is undoubtedly of great importance.

Leaving the Archaeological site and Museum of Ancient Ilida behind us, we begin our return trip.

Highlights

• Chlemoutsi caste (Chateau Clermont)
• Prince Geoffrey I Villehardouin
• Frankish period
• Moni Vlachernon
• Kyllini
• Ancient Ellis (Ilida)
• Temple of the Charites, Temple of Seilinos, Temple of Hades, Sanctuary of Tyche, Sanctuary of Dionysus, Shrine of Achilles
• Archaeological Collection of Ilida
• Depictions of the Nine Muses and the Labours of Hercules
• Archaeological site and Museum of Ancient Ilida

Additional Info

• Bring sun protection (sun cream, hat, sunglasses); temperatures can reach over 86°F (30°C) during summer.
• Low heeled comfortable shoes are recommended due to some uneven and slippery paths.
• Appropriate clothing should be worn in places like monasteries and churches (no shorts, no hats; shoulders should be covered).
• Last minute reservations: We do accept reservations up to 48 hrs prior the tour. Full payment for the trip is required upon the confirmation of the reservations. All the last minute reservations are non-refundable.
• Lower rates for larger groups (20+pax) available upon request!

COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES 

At GeoTravel our highest priorities are compliance, environmental protection, health, safety and well-being of our staff and clients.

Our staff and partners are informed and trained in accordance with the guidelines set by Greece’s public health organization (EODY) to meticulously maintain the last hygiene protocols and cleaning procedures.

Our staff always uses personal protective equipment (face masks, shields and optional gloves) and the temperature is monitored daily to ensure a safe travel experience for our clients.

All our vehicles are regularly sanitized and all seats, armrest, sidewalls, overhead bins are intensively cleaned and disinfected between use.

In addition, hand sanitizers are available to travelers and staff before entering the office or the vehicle.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a whisper audio system (for an extra charge) is recommended to be used by all the travelers and the staff in order to keep social distance guidelines.

Terms & Conditions

Amendments
Geo Travel reserves the right to accomplish any amendments on regular shore excursions’, one day tours’ programs & timings and also abort a specific program/timing during the season. For any previous booked tour/timings which have been cancelled, a new tour program or timing will be suggested as a replacement. If the replacement does not satisfy you, you will be granted with a full refund.
Any scheduled tour or visit, in case of delay due to bad weather, damage of the vehicle used for transportation or any other reason is postponed to the next few days, and if this is not possible it is permanently canceled and no claim is made against the office for compensation as the reason of the cancellation is “force majeure”.

It is emphasized that the travel agency is not able to anticipate or control circumstances that are foreign to its sphere of influence and may lead to the cancellation of the trip or damages due to non-performance or faulty performance of the agreed travel services.

Typical examples of such cases are: strikes, accidents, diseases, epidemics-pandemics, organic disturbances due to local conditions, altitude, climate, due to meals not included in the itinerary or due to insufficient hygiene conditions due to external factors, external factors, injuries, wars or terrorist acts, airstrikes, earthquakes, weather conditions, fires, epidemics, toxic infections and any other emergency or «force majeure». In the above cases, the travel agency is not responsible for repairing any damage caused by them.

Insurance
Our clients are covered by the professional indemnity insurance of our office as well as from the bus transfer insurance which is obligatory in Greece. Our buses are fully insured. Concerning the rest of the tour, if the clients wish to be covered by commercial general liability, it is upon request and a matter upon negotiation with our clients with an extra cost.

Cancellations
In case of cancellation due to withdrawal the following cancellation policy is acceptable:
7 days prior service:                    pay 50% on the total
3 days prior service:                    pay 75% on the total
24 hrs and less prior service:     pay 100% total

Notes
1/ In all above cases, bank expenses that occur for the refund will be deducted from the payment.
2/ For large groups (15 people or more), some expenses, due to their nature, (example: restaurants, prepaid entrance fees) might not be refundable, if the cancellation comes within 4 days before service, whatever the cancellation reason is.
3/ by reserving one of our services you agree with the above terms.