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Athens & the Greek Islands

(1 customer review)

We love Greece so much that we try to go there every year to discover a new island or a new corner of Athens. There are so many islands that it’s easy to design and itinerary that suits your interests. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing beach-getaway or a deep dive into ancient history or off-the-beaten-track hiking, we’ve got you covered. You can begin in Athens, which has become one of Europe’s most lively capital cities, or fly directly to the islands (Santorini, Naxos, Rhodes all have airports, among others). Here below are a few ideas for island-hopping around the islands.
Duration: 7 nights/8 days
Dates: available upon request, contact us for details
Trip starts/ends: Athens city center
Activity level: 1 - 3+ – EASY to MODERATE: You can enjoy the islands with an easy “light active” tour or add some hiking of varying levels of difficulty [more info]
Group size: min 4 - max 14

Highlights

  • guided visit of the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum
  • orientation walk through Athens’ Plaka district
  • Spectacular hike along the crater rim on Santorini
  • Visit of the ancient Minoan site of Akrotiri
  • Sea kayak adventure on Santorini
  • Winery visit and tasting on Santorini
  • Hike on Naxos past a Crusader castle and explore the Venetian citadel in town
  • Visit and tasting at traditional ‘kitron’ distillery on Naxos
  • Private all-day catamaran trip along the coast of Naxos
  • Enjoy luxury hotels on wide sandy beaches in both Santorini and Naxos

Trip price includes

  • 8 nights in 3 and 4-star hotels
  • 8 breakfasts, 6 dinners and 1 lunch
  • all visits and transfers as per itinerary
  • at least 1 guide to accompany you throughout the week

Not included

  • 7 lunches and 2 dinners
  • drinks other than water at meals
  • anything not mentioned in the inclusions

ITINERARY

Days 1-2: Arrival and Visit of Athens

Meet your guide at your hotel this afternoon for an informal walk around the city followed by drinks and dinner. On Day 2 we have a guided visit of the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, then you have free time to explore some of the other sights in the city. 2 nights Athens.

 

Days 3-5: Transfer and visit of Naxos Island

Take a ferry this morning to Naxos, the biggest and greenest of the Cyclades island chain. It has been a center of civilization for millennia and then became capital of the Cyclades Archipelago when the whole area was under Venetian control. We’ll stay near a wide sandy beach just outside of the old town and have a variety of fun activities, from hiking to sailing to exploring the ancient Venetian citadel. 3 nights Naxos.

 

Day 6-8: Transfer and visit of Amorgos Island

Go even farther into the blue this morning with a ferry over to Amorgos, one of the most impressive islands of the Cyclades. Explore the pretty hilltop villages and colorful port towns, hike the rugged mountain trails, visit a spectacular monastery that clings to a sheer rock face, and then dive into azure waters at the end of the day. 3 nights Amorgos.

 

Day 9: Tour Ends

Your tour ends this morning with a ferry back to Athens. Or continue your exploration and visit another island! We also love exploring the lesser-visited parts of famous Santorini!

 

Optional: Santorini

Santorini is one of the most famous islands in the world – and for good reason! White-washed towns grace the top of a jet-black crater like icing on a cookie, and hotels spill down the sides with their glittering tiny blue swimming pools. Its beauty has attracted millions of tourists from around the world who flock to it for their honeymoons, holidays and photo shoots. But it also has a 5,000 year old history and some very interesting archaeological sites and museums, with rich culinary and wine-making traditions. It also has an airport, which makes it a convenient start or end to our Greek island adventure.

 

Other Islands:

  • Hydra: a quick hop from Athens, this island is traffic free and has no cars!
  • Poros: just an hour from Athens, this pretty island is a nice break from the city
  • Andros: this island lies en route to Naxos from Athens for an added stop
  • Tinos: between Andros and Naxos, it has a historical church that’s famous in Greece as a pilgrimage site as well as numerous hikes and a sweet port town
  • Rhodes: farther southeast, this larger island played a critical role in the history of the Crusades as home to the Knights of Saint John (later The Knights of Rhodes). Use it as a base for exploring the Dodecanese island chain.
  • Other…? We’re happy to add new islands to our repertoire!

 

Getting there and away: You can fly directly to the Athens international airport, or skip Athens if you’ve already been and fly directly to one of the bigger islands to start your trip. Post-tour we can return to Athens or arrange for you to fly out of an island with an airport.

from €3,190
[info on prices]

1 review for Athens & the Greek Islands

  1. Andrea E. –

    We just completed this amazing trip with Claire and her local tour expert in Greece and the Islands. We LOVE putting ourselves in Claire’s hands because we know (having enjoyed an amazing tour in Italy with her years ago) that she scouts all the best untouristed hotels and restaurants for amazing beach locations with easy access to towns and the most amazing culinary experiences (indulging us in a dessert specialty and bakery treat every so often). Her hiking, kayaking, and sailing excursions are nothing short of spectacular fun. Claire’s hunt for historical and scenic adventure (not to mention her professionalism and ongoing friendship) is what is going to set the Wild Sage experience above other travel companies. I can’t wait to schedule our next trip–THANK YOU!

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Activity Levels

Some tours have a range of activity levels through the week, where some walks may be more challenging than others, but this will give you a general idea of the type of walking/hiking involved on your tour.

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, minimal climbing
2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades on a mix of terrains
4 – HIKE: Classic hiking with rough/rocky terrain, sustained hills, and longer mileage
5 – CHALLENGING: Challenging hiking with steep climbs and descents over rocky terrain and some longer mileage

See below for more detail:

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, with minimal climbing (though some cities may have steeper inclines). Archaeological sites may be unpaved but the grades and difficulty level is easy. TOURS: Sicily Coast-to-Coast and any “light active” version of a tour

2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
The terrain is easy to navigate with packed earth or gravel roads. There are some climbs but nothing too challenging. TOURS: Tuscany, Puglia, Provence
[2+ The “plus” indicates more challenging terrain though the walks are gentle].

3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades and rocky terrain
Here you find a mix of terrain with some steep stretches.
TOURS: Corsica, Sardinia, some of the Dolomites tours, and some hikes on the Greek Islands
[3+ The plus indicates rockier terrain or lots of stone steps (Amalfi, the Cinque Terre) or greater elevation gain/loss (the Dolomites)].

4 — HIKE: Classical hiking with rough terrain, sustained hills, and more mileage. These hikes are on a mix of rough terrain, sometimes involving steep stretches and difficult footing. TOURS: some of our hikes in Sardinia, some of the days in the Cinque Terre, some of the variants of our Dolomites tours.

5 – CHALLENGING: Longer days, challenging climbs, rocky terrain. We don’t do a lot of seriously challenging tours but we do have a Dolomites trip where we hike from hut to hut, so that’s probably the closest we get to a 5.

Info on prices

Some prices indicated on our website are for 2023 while others are already for 2024, and they all depend on the number of sign-ups and other factors (hotels, activities, and inclusions that may change with each departure) so please contact us for details.