Greece 9 Day Basketball Tour

Upon our arrival we are welcomed by our Greece tour guide and transferred to your Athens hotel. You will have the remainder of the afternoon free to relax and visit Athens. This evening our team will take part in a practice session as we prepare for our upcoming friendly games

Today we begin our day with a city tour of Athens, the foundation of democracy and Greece’s largest city. We visit the famous architectural structures of Grecian history, the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Erectheum. Visit the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (O.A.K.A.) where the 2004 Summer Olympic athletic events and 2007 UEFA Champions League Final were hosted. After our touring we return to our hotel for a pre-game meal and time to rest before heading out to our scheduled friendly basketball game. After our game we will have a post game party with time to interact and become better friends with the team we just played.

Game One vs. TBD

This morning we embark on an amazing day cruise to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. Our first port stop brings us to Hydra, a beautiful island with shops, marketplaces, and donkey transportation as the main form of travel. Next we visit Poros, a two-part island with abundant agriculture and neoclassical architecture. We conclude our touring with a visit to Aegina, the home of the famous Athena temple. After our relaxing day cruise with beautiful Aegean Sea views, we return to our Athens hotel.

After an early breakfast we depart Athens and travel west to Corinth. Originally a focus for trade, this ancient city was once the capital of Greece known for wealth and extravagant living. Following an 1858 earthquake the city was rebuilt as New Corinth and now recognized as an industrial center for Greece. In Corinth we take a city tour and visit the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place, the Bema, and the Temples. After our touring we return to our hotel for a pre-game meal and time to rest before heading out to our scheduled friendly basketball game. After our match we will have a post match party with time to interact and become better friends with the team we just played.

Game Two vs. TBD

We begin our day traveling west to Olympia, home of the original Olympic Games. Dating back to 8th Century BC, the games were held every four years during a festival in honor of Zeus. Today the games represent the highest level of competition as nearly 200 countries participate in the different Olympic events. Upon our arrival we will take a city tour with visits to Ancient Olympia, Hermes by Praxiteles, and the Museum of the Olympic Games. After our touring we will be transferred to our Olympia hotel for dinner and evening stay.

Following breakfast we return to Athens and visit the National Archaeological Museum, a world renowned museum with ancient artifacts dating back to Greece’s prehistory. Next we travel to Mount Lycabettus for an amazing view of the city before concluding our afternoon with a practice session. Led by a local professional Greece coach, this session gives both the players and coaches a chance to learn how basketball training is done in Greece.

Our final day of touring begins with a guided tour of O.A.C.A Olympic Sports Hall home of Panathinaikos B.C. Originated as a football club in 1908, Panathinaikos later formed a basketball club after Giorgos Kalafatis returned from watching basketball in Paris. Today they are the most winning basketball club in Greece with 34 championships. Next we will visit Monastiraki Flea Market filled with souvenirs and shops. After our tour we return to our hotel for a pre-game meal and time to rest before heading out to our final friendly basketball game. After our game we will have a post game party with time to interact and become better friends with the team we just played.

Game Three vs. TBD

We say good bye to Greece and transfer to the Athens airport to begin our journey home.