The Greek Experience
Athens and the Peloponnese

Welcome to Greece!
Airport pickup
Athens old town
Welcome dinner

You've landed! Our driver will grab you from the airport and take you to our boutique hotel in the city center. After check-in and some recovery time, our local guide will meet us for a private walking tour of Athens' highlights.

We'll wander past the Roman Auditorium, stand on democracy's birthplace at Pnyka hill, and catch stunning Acropolis views. The tour continues through Plaka's ancient streets, time-capsule Anafiotika, the National Gardens, and the Olympic Stadium. We'll catch the guard changing at Parliament before exploring Monastiraki's vibrant flea market.

The day ends with our welcome dinner at a family-run taverna—authentic Greek food, flowing wine, and your first "yamas!" toast with your new travel crew.

Dinner included.

Cooking class
City center

After breakfast and a leisurely morning, we'll head to a professional kitchen where you'll channel your inner Greek yiayia, creating traditional dishes from scratch. The best part? We eat everything we make for lunch!

The evening is yours to explore Athens on your own—shop on Ermou Street, sip cocktails in upscale Kolonaki, hunt treasures at Monastiraki's flea market, or find a rooftop taverna with Acropolis views. Your choice, your adventure.

Breakfast and lunch included.

Saronic Gulf sailing
Swim and snorkel off Moni island
Aegina exploration
Unwind in Athens

Today we're escaping Athens for the Saronic Gulf on a traditional Greek sailing ship. No Instagram models renting yachts for photoshoots here—just authentic island hopping with locals who know these waters like their own backyard.

First stop: Agistri, an island wrapped in pine trees and surrounded by water so blue it looks Photoshopped (it's not). Swim, sunbathe on golden sand beaches, or just collapse into a beach chair with a freddo espresso.

Next, we'll sail to tiny Moni island next for a proper Greek lunch with local beer and wine. Jump straight off the boat for snorkeling in crystal waters that make hotel pools look like child’s play.

Our final island is Aegina—famous for pistachios and charm. Wander through white stone houses with flower-filled courtyards, check out the archaeological site, or park yourself at a local café to people-watch like a pro.

The sail back to Athens offers stunning coastal views while we enjoy coffee and fresh fruit on deck. The evening is yours to explore more of Athens or just collapse from all that tough relaxing you did all day.

Breakfast and lunch included.

Corinth Canal views
Poros island ferry + island hang
Evening in Nafplio

We're hitting the road early today, leaving Athens in the rearview as we drive south toward the Peloponnese.

Our first pit stop is the Corinth Canal—an impressive narrow slice cut through solid rock that connects two seas. It's one of those places that's way cooler in person than in photos.

Next, we'll hop on a quick ferry to Poros island. This isn't one of those Instagram-famous Greek islands packed with tourists—and that's exactly why we're going.

Poros is the real deal with its neoclassical buildings, harbor filled with local fishing boats, and tavernas where Greeks actually eat. We'll wander narrow alleyways that climb uphill to viewpoints overlooking the bay and nearby Methana volcano. For lunch, we know this perfect little garden taverna where tourists never venture but the food will make you consider extending your stay permanently.

By early evening, we'll ferry back to the mainland and drive to Nafplio—possibly the most charming coastal town in all of Greece. This former capital is where we'll rest our heads tonight, though its cobblestone streets and waterfront promenade might tempt you to stay up exploring.

Breakfast included.

Medieval fortress
Walking tour of old town
Free time

Today we're taking it slow in Nafplio (because vacation shouldn't feel like a marathon). After breakfast, our local guide will lead us through the old town's winding streets, sharing stories you won't find in guidebooks.

The highlight? Palamidi Fortress, perched dramatically on the hillside. You can climb the alleged 999 steps to the top (we've never actually counted), or we can drive up like sane people. Either way, the panoramic views of the Argolic Gulf are worth it—bring your camera and prepare for jaw-dropping vistas.

The afternoon is yours to choose your own adventure:

• Shop in boutiques selling everything from handmade leather sandals to olive wood kitchen tools

• Find a quiet beach along the Akronafplia promenade for swimming in crystal clear waters

• Take the tiny boat to Bourtzi, the fortress sitting on its own island in the harbor (it looks like something straight out of Game of Thrones)

For dinner, you're free to explore, but we'll point you toward our favorite spots where locals eat spectacular southern Greek cuisine. Pro tip: the seafood here is insanely fresh, and the local Nemea wine pairs perfectly with everything.

Breakfast included.

Coastal town of Kalamata
13th century castle tour
Olive mill
Free time

After breakfast, we're heading south to Kalamata – and no, not just for the olives you toss on your grocery store salad. The real deal will blow your mind.

First stop: the 13th century castle of Androusa, perched above an endless sea of olive trees. The views here are ridiculous – we're talking "make your friends back home question their life choices" kind of views.

Next, we're visiting a working olive mill, where you'll learn why Greek olive oil makes that bottle in your pantry taste like sad lamp oil. A certified olive oil expert (yes, that's a real job) will guide us through tasting the Koroneiki variety – the undisputed queen of Greek olives.

You'll learn how to taste olive oil like a pro, detect flavors you never knew existed, and pair different varieties with food. Trust me, this will forever change how you grocery shop.

Our tasting ends with a proper Peloponnesian feast: Greek gruyere, tzatziki, olive tapenade, local breadsticks, smoked sausage, spinach pie – all washed down with wine and ouzo (liquid courage for the afternoon).

By late afternoon, we'll check into our Kalamata hotel. The evening is yours to explore, but we highly recommend hitting the 5km white sand beach for a swim before dinner at one of the waterfront tavernas where the seafood was literally swimming this morning.

Breakfast + light lunch included.

Byzantine monastery
River banks picnic
Vytina for dinner

After breakfast, we're trading coastal vibes for mountain magic as we head north to Arcadia—the Greece most tourists never see.

We'll drive country roads to reach Menalon Trail by the Lousios River, then ditch the wheels for a hike to the Byzantine "Moni Prodromou" monastery. This place is literally built INTO the cliffside—monks clearly weren't messing around with their real estate choices back then. Inside, you'll get a taste of Byzantine art and panoramic gorge views that'll make your heart skip.

Hiking downhill, we'll pass the ruins of ancient Gortyna (a casual 2,500-year-old city) and finish at a stone arch bridge where we'll have a riverside picnic. Nothing tastes better than local cheese and bread after a good hike.

The afternoon takes us through mountain villages that seem frozen in time—Vitina, Dimitsana, and Stemnitsa. The cobblestone streets and stone houses will make you feel like you've stepped into another century. Fair warning: the locals might offer you "tsipouro" (Greek moonshine). It's basically fire in a glass, but saying yes is part of the experience.

We'll spend the night in Vytina, a mountain village where dinner features game meats, foraged mushrooms, and cheeses that will make you question everything you thought you knew about feta. Mountain food in Greece hits different—this is where the real culinary magic happens.

Breakfast and lunch included.

Winery tour
Free time in Athens

After a laid-back mountain breakfast, we're heading back toward Athens, but with one essential stop: Nemea wine country.

People have been making wine here for 3,500 years—approximately 3,470 years longer than most California vineyards. We'll visit a working winery where you'll taste wines from Greece's indigenous grapes that you'll never find at your local liquor store. The Agiorgitiko red will make you question why you've been drinking Cabernet all these years.

By evening, we'll arrive back in Athens for our final night. The city is yours to explore—squeeze in last-minute shopping, treat yourself to a hammam spa experience, or hunt down that perfect rooftop restaurant for your last Greek meal. Whatever you do, make it count.

Pro tip: If you need bar recommendations for your final night, just ask. We know places where the bartenders pour with devastating generosity.

Breakfast included.

Breakfast + head to airport

After breakfast, we'll check out, swap contact info with your new travel buddies, and our drivers will whisk you to the airport.

Just like that, your Greek adventure comes to an end. You'll return home with olive oil knowledge nobody asked for, several hundred photos, and friendships that started with "nice to meet you" and ended with "when are we traveling together again?"

Until next time, Greece.

Breakfast included.