Private Tours Athens Greece
PRIVATE TOURS – HYDRA ISLAND – NAFPLIO – DELPHI – METEORA – PELOPONNESE
Discover EUDAIMONIA
"Our Best Vacation in 40 Years" - By Jonathan & An Hull, San Carlos, CA, USA
The 9-Day Ultimate Greece Tour is the best vacation that my wife and I have taken in the last 40 years. We both recently retired and after some discussion and based on previous experience with weather and crowds, we decided to visit Greece during the Fall of 2023. One of our friends had been to Santorini and took some incredible photos that kind of tilted us toward the islands as a focus. But after some reading and watching some YouTube videos, we realized that Greece has a lot more to offer than just Athens and the islands.
We’ve already visited several countries in Europe and in 2021 we enjoyed a great trip with a private guide company in Portugal. We like history, walking, and prefer to not waste time shopping, which every bus tour we’ve been on in the past seems to require. We also did not want to rent a car because of the stress of driving in a foreign country with the new rules, signs, expected behavior, parking, navigating in narrow city streets, and so on. This led to the conclusion that a private guided tour in a car with a driver fit our needs.
We wanted to see some of Greece’s amazing archeological sites. Examples included the walled city at Mycenae, Olympia where the original Olympic games were held, the City of Corinth made famous in the Apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, the incredibly well-preserved theater at Epidaurus, King Phillip’s tomb at Vergina, Messene, Delphi, and on and on. We wanted to visit as many of them as possible in about two weeks’ time.
Given the locations of these sites, the distances between them and our preference for a private guided tour, we did quite a bit of web searching for a company that could drive us around and provide local guides at selected locations. We were concerned about the trustworthiness of the agencies we read about. Dealing with someone over the internet, arranging a vacation, and paying in advance before one shows up in the country is inherently risky. You don’t really know for sure whether the companies you contact actually exist or whether they are just a website with no one behind it.
We researched several companies and eventually settled on Eudaimonia. We were especially attracted to their 9 Day Ultimate Greece Tour because it took us to many of the locations we wanted to visit plus some that we hadn’t even thought of before. As we were considering Eudaimonia, we set up a Zoom call with Nikos, the owner of the company, and chatted with him about the itinerary. Based on his recommendations, we added a one-day visit to Hydra Island so we could get a taste of the island experience and one day in the Arcadia mountain village of Dimitsana, for a total of 11 days. The Zoom call also allowed us to meet Nikos and allayed any trust issues we might have had. He came across as well organized and professional and we decided to go ahead and book the trip.
Nikos reserved the hotels in each town as well as guides we requested at Corinth, Delphi, Messene, and Olympia. Nikos personally vets each hotel and guide and we were totally impressed by all these arrangements. The hotels were clean, quiet, comfortable, friendly and provided great breakfasts. They spanned a range from unique boutique facilities in small towns such as Galaxidi that had a balcony overlooking a town square, a hotel room with a balcony view of monasteries in Meteora, and the five-star resort in Mystras. The hotels were all different from one another and were part of creating a unique experience on a daily basis.
The lunches were all wonderful. Nikos’s team has done this trip many times and they know the restaurants that provide consistently excellent quality food. Every day was something different and we eventually sampled most of the dishes that are on a typical Greek food tour. We had chatted briefly with our guide about our dietary preferences (low carb as much as possible), and asked him to go ahead and order for us. He did a great job. Every day we were stuffed and had no room for dinner. As a matter of fact, I was getting a bit worried that I might be gaining weight but I was pleasantly surprised when I returned home and found that I had actually lost two pounds! That was icing on the cake for this vacation .
Since we would be spending 11 days with one person who would be driving, taking care of local arrangements, lunch, etc. we wondered about who would be our guide. We were extremely happy with Theo. He is a super safe driver and was respectful and professional throughout the trip. In addition to all of that, he has a Master’s degree in archeology! Considering that we would be visiting so many archeological sites, we considered ourselves lucky to have him with us and available for questions at any time. He was always diplomatic, calm, friendly, enthusiastic, well informed, and someone who we looked forward to spending time with every day. Without a doubt, he was the key factor for success in our over-the-top enjoyment of this vacation.
The day-to-day experience of the trip was smooth as silk. Theo would tell us the night before when the breakfast began and when we would leave the hotel. We made sure we were ready to go on time, hopped in the car, and off we went. We had the same car throughout the trip and every day Theo stocked it with more than enough cold, bottled water. Nikos called Theo almost daily from mission control in Athens, got updates on our progress and provided information about future stops. That was nice. In one case, the train in Kalavryta was out of service because of a landslide the previous day and Nikos told Theo about it so that we didn’t waste time and could proceed with an alternate (which turned out to be some hikes and the totally cool Mega Spilaio monastery that’s built into the side of a mountain).
As we were finalizing our arrangements with Nikos before going to Greece, he encouraged us to place our deposit as soon as possible so he could book the best hotel rooms for us. That was totally understandable and resulted in us getting some amazing accommodations including a room in the castle at Monemvasia overlooking the sunrise on the Aegean Sea. There was an additional aspect of early payment that Nikos might deny and that was his arrangement of the weather . We had perfect conditions between Oct. 11 and Oct. 22, 2023. It was sunny and about 70 degrees every day and there was no rain. This is shoulder season in Greece and was a great time for our trip.
We had many pleasant experiences that were not on our radar before we left. The thing that sticks out the most are the warm and friendly people we met. Some examples include the guides who made the sites come to life, the lady who prepared breakfast at Ioannina, the owners and staff of the hotel in Dimitsana who went out of their way to do our laundry and make omelets and apple pie for us, the owner of the restaurant at Areopoli who was eager for us to try her zucchini pie, etc., etc. These folks all contributed to creating pleasant memories about our trip to Greece that will last a lifetime.
Our incredibly positive experience is because of the hard work and preparation of Nikos and Theo. If you’re thinking about a similar trip, I can wholeheartedly and without reservation recommend Eudaimonia’s 9-Day Ultimate Greece Tour. It exposed us to the extremely rich and fascinating history and culture of Greece that we would have missed if we had only visited Athens and Santorini. We will be eternally grateful to Nikos and Theo for making this possible. They are a great team!
"Highly Personalized, flawless planning, the ultimate Greek experience" - By Andi Dameron and friends, Virginia, USA
My group of 6 Virginians was treated to the best of the Peloponnese area of Greece. I had wanted to see as much as possible of the UNESCO sites, beautiful seaside resorts, and some out of the way non-touristy areas. Nikos gave us an experience none of us will ever forget! We stayed in a different “flavor” of Greece each night. From an ancient castle to a modern gorgeous resort to a mountainside boutique treasure, each accommodation was special with views to die for. I had said my group was “fit” and wanted to hike a bit. We were led to an unbelievable mountainside monastery that took our breath away. We would NEVER have found this amazing place on our own. Each day at lunch, Nikos would order for us. We looked forward to his choices of both local foods and drinks! Again, we would never have stopped at the seaside cafe with the octopus hanging out on a line on our own. He told the cook exactly how to cook them and then ordered the ouzo. Such a fun unplanned stop that he made happen because someone said they liked octopus! He mixed just the right amount of driving, local coffee stops and formal guided tours to make our days exciting and full. His choice of local guides for ancient sites were amazing. We were so happy with their command of English and the knowledge they were able to pass on to us. The air conditioned van was comfortable and the pace of each day perfect. Nikos became a friend to us all and we hope someday to see him in the USA! This tour exceeded our expectations in every way. Our only regret was that when we spent our second week in Greece on a chartered sailboat, Nikos was not with us.
"First class tour, fantastic guide" - By John & Jane S., Cotswolds, UK
We had an amazing guide during the two days we spent with him in Athens. We saw the popular sites but he also gave us a taste of ‘the real Greece’ and an experience that we will never forget. He talked to us and found out what we were interested in and then took us to places that suited us perfectly. For example I like ‘old style’ Greek cuisine so he took us to a brilliant place off the beaten track which you’d never find by yourself. We like boats so he took us to see a range of vessels from an Ancient Greek boat to a modern warship and other craft of historical interest. These are not in guide books or easy to get to so it was a unique trip. His English is perfect – he speaks it like a native and he has a great sense of humour so he was fun to be with too! He is very knowledgable on a wide variety of subjects, we had some very interesting conversations with him and learned a lot about the places we saw and about Greek culture. He gave us a unique experience and we are planning to book with him again when we make our next trip to Athens. Thank you!
"No other way to go" - By Joe DiVincenzo and family, North Wales, USA
"Magical 5 1/2 Day Private Tour of the ‘Mythical’ Peloponnese" - By Bart & James Alexander Farquhar, Auckland, New Zealand
My son and I flew into Athens from where we opted to exit the “big smoke” and travel directly to Nafplio (the original capital of modern Greece) where we spent two nights in a lovely boutique hotel. After that, we spent a night at Monemvasia Castle, the beautiful and tranquil 5-star Mystras Grand Palace Resort and Spa, and a boutique hotel in the mountain village of Dimitsana.
What made this privately escorted tour stand out for us?
(1) The planning by owner Nikos was meticulous: every request was catered for and options presented, with every detail – whether food, travel, or site visit preferences – well thought out, planned, and documented in advance. The car was clean and comfortable, water was provided on request, and lunch/drinks were all included.
(2) Our tour guide, Theo, was a lovely guy and such a great traveling companion that by the end of the tour, we felt we’d known him forever! He combined his history/archaeological degree with his obvious experience and passion for his country to breathe life into every place and historic site that we visited. His local knowledge was priceless, he was very flexible and accommodating with our itinerary and I was very comfortable with his driving (always a major consideration for me when traveling this way). He was also such a great ‘foody’ – introducing us to so many new culinary delights that tantalized our taste buds. Our visits to the local restaurants/taverna were treats – and he seemed to know everyone.
(3) Authentic Greek food…OMG! We don’t normally get so excited about food, but this aspect of the tour added a whole new dimension to the trip that we had previously never encountered. Our late lunches were events in themselves and so filling that we never actually needed dinner afterward.
(4) The history: for a confessed history nut, this was the dream of a lifetime. To encounter the ancient historical places that I read about in Greek mythology as a kid or read as an Arts undergraduate at University or watched in countless documentaries over a lifetime: Ancient Mycenae; Ancient Olympia; Sparta; Epidaurus; Arcadia… Added to this the influences/castles/fortresses/architecture of the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, and Ottomans, along with hanging monasteries, caves, and a railway trip…and so much more… made this trip truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
We’d love to come back someday and we can’t recommend this private trip with Eudaimonia highly enough to anyone wanting to explore this magical part of Greece.
"Every detail was taken care of" - By Maria & Lazaro, California, USA
After corresponding with Nikos about what my husband and I wanted to see in Greece, he suggested Hydra Island. This trip was amazing. Every detail was taken care of, from the pick up at the hotel to purchasing the tickets for the boat ride to & from Hydra. Thank you Nikos and Theodore for taking care of all the details for our trip, your professionalism and courtesy was incredible. We look forward to booking more of your fantastic tours in the near future.
"Amazing personalized experience in Greece" - By Rachel B, Australia
My husband and I spent 4 days touring different areas of Greece with Nikos. We had an incredible experience and would definitely tour with him again! Every part of our experience was handled professionally. Nikos customized the trip to our exact interests, even down to the types of food he ordered for us to try. We felt like “insiders” traveling in Greece and experiencing the country like locals do in many ways. We saw monasteries in remote villages, went to and olive grove and watched the farmers turn the olives into olive oil, visited a pomegranate farm, enjoyed the remote and vehicle less island of Hydra, and also visited some of the more typical and amazing tourist sites. His restaurant and food suggestions were excellent and the places he brought us were beautiful scenic areas we would never have found on our own. We also enjoyed the accommodations he arranged for us on Ermioni. The apartment is situated in a prime location with amazing views and in a charming town. Do not hesitate to book with Eudaimonia Private Tours. You will be thrilled with your personalized experience!!!
"Fantastic 7 Day tour of the Peloponnese" - By Caroline and Craig, Melbourne, Australia
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