It exceeded way beyond my highest expectations. We know why so many of our travel companions had been on many RS excursions and we will return. A very enjoyable, well-paced tour. We enjoyed sharing meals, wow moments. "It's really difficult to pick one "wow" moment. We were embraced by the people, food, and culture. I think the historical connections that are shared by all people, helped me to understand more about all people. I enjoyed seeing all of the artifacts from its ancient past. I loved the mix of ancient sites, medieval places, natural beauty (mountains, cliffs, and beaches), quaint villages, and modern cities and museums. No grumps, only smart, interesting folks wanting to experience Greece, its history and culture. "Mama Fey - local guide at Acropolis is a keeper. "There were so many WOW moments that it is hard to pick just one. "Meeting an elderly nun dressed in black from head to toe in her fabulous rose garden on the mountaintop at Mystras.". This was an amazing adventure. You might swim at a nearby beach, hike across the island, or try to make friends with a donkey. Our guide, Nikki (?) Our main guide, Maria, was more than excellent. From beginning to end, a wonderful tour. She gave us great background information about the Greek people. Similar interactions occurred in other small villages. Our tour guide Apostolos brought Greek culture to life through his stories about living in Greece and connections with local people. A wonderful tour from get acquainted happy hour to farewell dinner. This trip was a nice compliment to that one. Choosing one is very difficult but the one that is first in my sharing with. Our guide Apostolos, was friendly, knowledgeable, professional, fun, and so genuine about his love for his country. Learning some traditional Greek dancing. "My favorite Wow moment is a three way tie... Momenvasia was beyond beautiful and beyond my expectations. The balance of guided sightseeing to free time was perfect. We were prepared. Her knowledge and love of her country were on display at every turn. This tour, however, has a special place in our hearts. Great tour for me. This was overall an excellent tour for those who enjoy visiting ruins and museums and learning the history behind the sites. I'm not even sure where to start but it was AMAZING! Hydra was Great! Appreciated that a lot. Now I cannot imagine not joining another one your tours. We will cap our island vacation with a relaxing sunset happy hour. This was my second Rick Steve's tour, and it was absolutely wonderful. I felt so cared for and safe so I could relax and have the time of my life. But, I'm a mountain person. No bus. Our guide, Fillippos was amazing. Colin's management of the tour was outstanding. "My wow moment was seeing the Lion Gate and all the other antiquities. "There were a couple actually. The diversity was amazing, from small mountain towns to sleepy seaside villages and a medieval fortress. The Lion Gate and the Beehive Tomb were very impressive but what really got to me was standing on the top of the city looking across the plain to Argos on a hilltop in the distance. I am still in awe of how outstanding this tour was. Moderate walking: 2–6 miles throughout the day with some hills and stairs. The coastal roads around the Mani were a delight as was Monemvasia and Nafplio. The visit to Kalavitra with the school museum was very moving as was the visit to Kastania.". ", "Maria the guide did a fun experiment.She gave each of us 4 euro's and had us shop for very Greek food to have for happy hour. Our guide, Filippos Kanakaris was so knowledgeable and experienced on all things Greece. Wow!". It was great to have everything flow so well. Likewise, walking up to the stadium at Delphi was spectacular. Everything - from the food to the hotels to the trip itinerary - was amazing. "Again, too many to chose from but the Acropolis tour with views of Athens stands out. Our guide Danae was absolutely amazing and local experts added so much context to the sites we experienced...We came a couple of days early so had already oriented ourselves to Athens which I would advise others to do. We have come to expect a lot - high value, lots of learning, new experiences, physical activity, little surprises, terrific guides, beautiful scenery, good food, and more - and this tour delivered on all counts. Seeing the stadium at Delphi was well worth the hike. We'll take a walking tour through the grand Lion Gate, along the "cyclopean" walls, and into a remarkably domed tholos tomb. "Viewing the stunning beauty of the Parthenon and a partially crushed Athenian Marathon battle helmet were sincerely moving experiences. I would have loved to have time to stroll the grounds in the sunshine because our guide (Niki, I think) just made it come alive.". Once again everything was excellent. Walking light to strenuous: your choice. It gave me the opportunity of revisiting some of the places. The countryside was a surprise and much prettier than I expected. I guess the first night-time view of the Acropolis when I arrived at 10 pm two days before the tour. Please consider adding that. (Kardamyli) I found Greece on this trip trip to be entirely different from the earlier trips I have had to Athens. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and flexible when the a mudslide change our plans. ", "Mycenae. Feb 13, 2019 - Explore Greece with Rick Steves' Europe. It is a lot of work to climb the stairs up and down as much as we did. It was absolutely amazing to see. It was thrilling to sit in the birthplace of theater. From the mountains of Peloponnese to the Mani Peninsula and the island of Hydra, as well as all the Greek archeological sights. 3) The seaside villages were so charming, love being near the water and did not realize we would be spending so much time near beaches and such.". Rick Steve's pays attention to the details, "There were so many I cannot choose just one!!!". "Ancient Olympia. "My wow moment was standing in the bee hive tomb in Mycenae. Our guide, Ioanna, made this tour a memorable one. Fillipos gave a a list of Greek phrases and encouraged us to speak to peopleHe choose interesting restaurants for us when we shared in group dinners, and always had a litttle "surprise" -Greek dancing, music, wine tasting or a cooking lesson. I would love to return to Hydra. Our guide was amazing and the historical sites provided a great learning experience. "The night of traditional music and dancing that the tour guide was able to arrange because we asked about it. This was our favorite Rick Steve's tour yet! "there were a number of them...starting with the view of the Parthenon from the 10th floor of the Electa Hotel on our first night in Athens. It was a joy to see the similarities and contrasts found in Greece. I didn't want to leave. I thought I had eaten Greek cuisine before. Sleep in Nafplio. Having studied the ancient classics, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction in walking on the stones trod by Themistocles, Socrates, Pericles et als. This morning we'll cross the causeway to tackle the massive rock that shoots straight up out of the blue-green Aegean Sea. Ioanna was an exemplary guide and other tour members were generally as active as I am. We loved our guide Colin and the driver Cristos. "Olympia and seeing Miltiades helmet. . Tonight, we'll enjoy a performance of traditional music and dancing before dinner together. I got chills climbing up the Acropolis to the Parthenon. The country sites especially the mountains and sea was beautiful!". Denmitria and her staff were engaging, fun, and full of energy. No matter what town or hotel we stayed in, we were always greeted with friendly and enthusiastic residents. Taken from the Greek Island of Kefalonia looking towards Ithaca (in the background). Seeing snow-capped mountains throughout Greece was my special thrill; as I had no idea of the beauty and diversity of the country's landscape. Bus: 5 hours. Today we'll head up into the heart of the Peloponnese, where we'll tour the haunting ruins of the fortress town of Mystras and its still-standing group of Byzantine churches. Apostolos is an excellent guide who handled the tour with grace, expertise and knowledge. "For me, there wasn't one particular "wow" moment, rather a series of moments. An exhaustive and at times exhausting tour of Greece. The local guides were great, the hotels were awesome, and the food delicious. "Hard to pick. I've been on 4 other European tours (one with RS to Prague and Budapest) and this was by far my favorite. I also enjoyed Sparta! Very knowledgeable The tour was very organized and we made the most of our time.. Of course the Parthenon/Acropolis is the first wow moment that is a experienced, but for me my personal wow moment was the hike to the acropolis of the rock Monemvasia and the Medieval town on its slopes. -Discovering Orange Pie and the wonderful Greek pastries It was a good mix of free time and structured time. I had a great time on this tour. 2016 - Cette épingle a été découverte par lili rose. 2016 - Cette épingle a été découverte par lili rose. We were so surprised to discover the neat town of Monemvasia. The Rick Steves Athens & the Heart of Greece tour is an odyssey of time-travel thrills, from Athens' majestic Acropolis to the must-see ancient sites of Delphi, Olympia, Epidavros, and Mycenae. Our tour guide was great and the local guides were mostly fine. I love to dance and this was definitely a highlight for me.". We enjoyed every aspect - Anastasia was a fabulous guide, the other tour members were fun,interesting,and caring people, the destinations fabulous, the cuisine delicious, the accommodations excellent. Accessibility Details. "Apostolos took us on a walk in one of the small towns we visited. 5000 people in a 2000 year-old theater made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. My first tour was Spain, and my second was the 21 day Best of Europe Tour. I learned so much! I enjoyed seeing the small towns, mountains, and back roads of Greece. The Mani Peninsula views, the island of Hydra! It's an essential part of the Rick Steves tour experience. The tour guides at the archeological sites were excellent. "My wow moment was visiting Olympia where our guide explained the reasons behind creation of the ancient Olympic games in 776 BC as a means to train warriors for battle and to unify the city states against the common enemies.". Oh yeah, his sense of humor was great and made the trip a lot of fun. The tour had a good variety of activities and sights and plenty of opportunities for extra activities, especially hikes. Since I have been involved in theatre for so much of my life, I think I have to pick visiting the ancient theatre at Epidavros as my favorite "wow" moment. The food, culture, and activities were all amazing! So beautiful and relaxing!". Apostolos is a gem....", This was my first Rick Steves' Tour and it was amazing. We had a good group, an EXCELLENT guide, visited many amazing places and learned about Greece history, culture and life today. Having done all our traveling on our own, we were a little apprehensive about joining a tour. As a student of history, it was thrilling to actually be standing on sites I'd only seen in photos. I've been recommending Rick Steves to everyone I talk to about my trip. I loved visiting the small towns. "This tour is filled with so many "wow" moments, it's impossible to pick just one. Our guide made this a fantastic experience! The olive mill and learning how to drink Greek coffee was a very favorite Danae moment! Sanctuary of Asclepius with its hotel and dormitories, stadium and theatre...seeing all of the sites and learning more about how advanced ancient cultures actually were. "My favorite positive wow moment was spontaneous dancing by some taxi drivers in response to the live music at our lunch event in Sparta. Tour itinerary was very good as was the execution of each day's experience. "I don't know if this qualifies as my favorite 'wow' moment, but Maria was continually informative, energetic and impressive. Eating mushrooms at a restaurant in Nafplio. We keep coming back because the experience is seamless and we are never disappointed. If you've been considering Greece as a travel destination, wait no longer! Good food, good people. Between reveling in 15th Century BCE history and finding secluded crystal clear beaches, this was the perfect tour. Greece had so much amazing scenery and topography. So much history and beauty. This was certainly the most rigorous tour we've done. It is so ancient, yet modern at the same time. "Visiting a tiny village tucked up out of the way in the mountains.". We learned so much about the people of Greece through her. I wish that there was a guidebook either written or recommended that covered other places to visit outside the tour. We had a great time with Apostolos. He spent a lot of his free time with us and made it clear that he really enjoyed our group. There were many. As usual the tour was well planned and carried out. My secondary favorite was the total geography / scenery. Her knowledge of history, culture & mythology and her first hand experience as a resident of Greece added enormous insight throughout the trip. Rick Steves' Greece: Athens & The Peloponnese Rick Steves (Auteur) Acheter neuf : EUR 15,55 (as of 12/14/2012 23:42 PST) 16 neuf & d'occasion a partir de EUR 8,63 (as of 12/14/2012 23:42 PST) (Consultez la liste Meilleures ventes Greece pour des informations officielles sur le classement actuel de ce produit.) We loved walking around the Acropolis, visiting the markets in Athens, walking around the first Olympics arena, staying in wonderful local hotels, and eating the best food. Explore a tight, twisty maze of whitewashed cubic houses with vibrant trim. We have used Rick Steves' tour books for over 15 years but this was our first tour with the company. Local guides were excellent. This was our second Rick Steves tour and it was wonderful. "I loved seeing the ancient Greek theater at Epidavros, since I had taught Greek drama for so many years. The rugged beauty of the arid landscape, thousands of olive trees in rows and random bunches, stone terraces that lined steep hills, infinite laces built over deep time. It could have been better - for two reasons - and they were my fault. The destinations were very interesting and historical and made more so by the guides who were extremely knowledgeable about the sites and the people who occupied them. Food was excellant. "Since I recently sold a business named Delphi I really got a kick out of learning more about the origins of the city of Delphi.". Maria and our local guides brought each of the sites to life through their captivating stories and narratives.". Another great Rick Steve's tour. With the exception of our tour being cut short due to Covid-19, everything was amazing! It combined "Big City" time in Athens with "Ancient Treasures" in places like Delphi and Olympia; "Mountain Vistas" in Kalavryta and Lagkadia; "Old Towns" in Nafplio and Monemvasia; and "Island Time" in Hydra. This trip has sadly ruined me for many of my favorite Greek haunts. It was wonderful! Senset swim in Kardamyli. I loved the little "apartment" we had and it was a break from all the museums and churches we were visiting.". Our guide, Filippos, did a fabulous job leading the tour and keeping us entertained with his sense of humor. The wonderful 2 weeks started the first evening with our outstanding guide Maria. "The variety of the landscapes in Greece! Having the guide Penny reflect on site as well as philosophy-felt she thinks in a thoughtful way every day. "It's hard to say. But seeing the mosaic at Epideverous that was just uncovered a day or two before was way cool.". I loved the variety--large city, small towns, and the different types of food representing each area. It was wonderful to meet some locals and spend time hearing about their family and their life in Greece. Fillippos was fantastic which enhanced the overall tour experience. I could never have planned and seen so many sites and beautiful villages on my own. I enjoyed the sites and the Greek culture. The tour was well organized, just the right level of activities and free time. The Tholos tomb and Lion Gate at Mycenae were another wow. The group dynamics were very good....people talked to everyone and i felt very comfortable. The hotels and food were excellent as well as the entertainment provided by the tour. I was teasing him that he should show us some Greek dances. As usual the accommodations were excellent, and the hosts very friendly and helpful. along with the wine tasting, olive production, and cooking demonstration. In the very capable hands of our guide, Apostolos, we were treated to a comprehensive tour of Greece's most notable ancient sites accented by amazing local guides. Monday Night Travel. Overall, the trip was a great experience. We have never been disappointed in our tours. Nothing could have improved this trip! Greece, the tour itself, the folks we were with and Maria, our fabulous guide all exceeded my expectations. Happy travels! Apostolos and our local guides were so full of interesting facts and stories and our 23 traveling buddies added to the fun, "The food fabulous. Greece was beautiful in May with all the wild flowers. "As part of getting to know the people of Greece and the Greece of today, Apostolos took those who volunteered on an evening walk in a small mountain village, where we visited a hardware store ran by a man who was 93 years old. At the restaurant in Nafplio, we were taken to a small cafe where three local musicians played. We went from mountains to the sea. Shop Rick's Travel Store. We had a fabulous time in Greece, the sites, food, and tour guide all fantastic. "The town on "The Rock" of Monemvasia was exhilarating in its setting, its narrow, arched, cobbled alleys and the views it provided of the mainland and sea beyond.". Nice pace. The group was fun and nice. Ate fantastic food. Our guide,Colin, was extremely knowledgeable of the historical and cultural time periods. There were more hours on the bus than we had anticipated, but then we saw a lot of Greece. Truly a trip of a lifetime. #2 was sunset in Hydra.". The setting was just magnificent.". "I really enjoyed Kardmyli! I was lucky enough to have done the same tour three years ago, and this time the experiences enriched the previous ones. Everyday I was eager to discover something. "There were so many "wows", it is hard to choose one in particular. I had no idea Greece was so diverse. Thank you Fillipos for keeping it real!". Maybe walking across the Olympic track field at Olympia...of course the Parthenon at sunset...a magical night on our own in Hydra...Delfi...walking the Agora on our own...and simply learning from Danae about how Greek mythology, religion and everyday life intermingle. This evening we'll enjoy a cooking demonstration, followed by dinner together. On our Athens & the Heart of Greece in 14 Days tour — among other things — you'll need to happily…. Being a history nerd that also enjoys beach time, the Athens & the Heart of Greece in 14 Days Tour could not have been a better balance! "We certainly enjoyed Medieval Monemvasia! We had never been to Greece and this was a wonderful introduction. Transportation was excellent. The Artemision Jockey at the National Archaeological Museum Our second tour. Overall, I really loved the tour. Opa! Going down the Mina is an unusual choice for tours, it's definitely off the beaten track. Our guide Maria was outstanding. I also thought the cooking demo was a blast, especially watching my husband as a "chef".". Available to license for commercial, advertising broadcast and editorial use on Robert Harding.com Many significant sites and experiences, for better understanding of Greek history and culture. If you have a problem with motion sickness, you need to know there is A LOT of bus driving through very curvy, mountain roads. 5) Greatest impact = Greece is the birthplace of so so much!". "There were many, but my favorite was the ancient theatre at Epidarvos. Fellow tour members were a joy to be with for the two weeks. The tour brought us to places that I read about in History books and the guides brought them to life. I especially appreciate being chauffeured around as I am always the driver on road trips and I don't get to site-see as I am able to do on the Rick Steves tours. 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