On the Path of the Ancients: A Walking Trip in Greece

The ancient acropolis in Sparta

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Cross Country International (845-677-6000) offers walking and equestrian tours worldwide.

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Seasons
Spring and fall are best; summer is too hot. The weather can be surprisingly variable. It's not unheard of to be 90 degrees one week, 50 degrees the next. Bring rain gear and several layers, especially for evenings.

Equipment
Trails are rocky. Bring good, well-broken-in hiking boots and trekking poles, if you use them.

Travel Tip
It's well worth adding on a few days in Athens to see the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum, among Athens's other attractions. If you have more time, you could arrange a trip to some of the nearby islands, or to Delphi, the site of the ancient world's most famous oracle. It's best to plan these extra days at the beginning of the trip—you'll have time to recover from jet lag before you start walking.

Fitness
The longest walk takes perhaps five or six hours at an extremely leisurely pace. The biggest climb is 1,000 feet. You should be in good enough shape to walk up to eight miles on uneven, rocky ground.

Note
Greek spellings are transliterated differently depending on the source of information. For this article, elevations and spellings were taken from the Road Editions 1:50,000 maps of Greece, which are widely available.