4-Day Food [and] Tour: The Best Mix of Sites & Culinary Experiences of the Mythical Peloponnese with Stunning Evening Locations
€3,150
Leave the big city (Athens) behind, and follow us to explore real Greece while experiencing our best eating places!
We have selected some popular sites of the Peloponnese together with some under-the-radar area locations combined with our best food places. We have created a “different food tour” with the ideal mix of sites. Skip “food tasting” in touristy Athens and join us to enjoy real Greek cuisine the way locals do!
Where & What? Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth, optional wine tasting, Odontotos Cog railway, Arcadia mountain villages, Cliff-Hanging monasteries, Cave of Lakes, Nafplio, Palamidi Fortress & the 999 Steps, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Hydra island, AND of course the best food places.
It’s a food tour while exploring UNESCO World Heritage sites to create a great mix:
☼ History & culture
☼ Landscape, mountains, coastline
☼ A very cosmopolitan island
☼ Villages & people to blend in with
☼ and of course, food & drink at its best
Just to be clear 🙂 you explore way more time than … discovering our top food & drink habits! We focus on local, small, food-related businesses for a sustainable approach to our food part of this tour.
This a tour for the well-traveled “tourist” who has done his homework and is looking for a fully private and personalized tour away from the tourist traps. Each of the four days is a totally different experience adding up to what you need to do, see, feel, and taste.
Why this tour?
☼ You stay at amazing locations away from the big city of Athens; saving yourselves the traveling back & forth every day.
☼ You will make full use of your evenings at very relaxed, safe, authentic, and friendly locations.
☼ You will enjoy, like a Greek would, the sites, the food, the real life, and the hospitality that this country is famous for, with the help of your tour leader.
☼ We are like locals to the people we’ll meet at all the places we visit, and we have a personal connection with each area to help you blend in.
☼ It’s a fully flexible tour, so you can adjust the itinerary to skip and/or add sites or activities depending on your likes & dislikes.
☼ Our/your money goes to countryside/local businesses and authentically friendly owners.
☼ Limitless options; more wine tasting or less wine tasting? more/less historic & cultural sites? landscape & mountains? villages? people? evening exploring?
☼ Hydra island is included. The cosmopolitan island with no cars but only donkeys.
Duration: 4days – 3nights (optionally 5days – 4nights or 3days – 2nights)
Language: English
Departure: 8:00 a.m. from Athens
You can book this tour online now. The pricing shown is for 1 or 2 people (not per person).
For more pricing details & options, please see the “Pricing” tab below. And … don’t forget to select the tour “Start Date” before “Adding to the cart”!
For questions or to get a quote for more than 2 people Get In Touch.
This is a “different” food and culture tour away from the usual touristy “stuff.” Ideal tour for those looking to visit some amazing sites without wasting time driving in & out of Athens, but instead overnight at authentic “Greek” locations and adding the evening experience of real Greece. The tour is very flexible so if you don’t like Ouzo you won’t have Ouzo!
Day 1: Corinth Canal – Ancient Corinth – Odontotos Rack Railway – Cave of Lakes – Arcadia Mountain Villages
Starting from Athens we head toward the Mythical Peloponnese region through the Corinth Canal. The canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island.
☼ ANCIENT CORINTH
The first main stop will be Ancient Corinth (Korinthos) which was inhabited in the Neolithic period (6500-3250 BC) but the big prosperity begins in the 8th century BC. Corinth was a city-state on the Isthmus (canal) of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese to the mainland of Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta.
Bible’s Acts 18 says that Apostle Paul lived and worked in Corinth for 18 months as a tent-maker while preaching and establishing a congregation of believers before the three of them continued on to Ephesus.
☼ OPTIONAL: Wine tasting
☼ ODONTOTOS RACK RAILWAY
About 120 years ago Odontotos rack railway started from the seaside town of Diakopto parallel to the river and climbed to Kalavrita through bridges and tunnels. Since then, the Vouraikos River and Odontotos go together.
The Vouraikos Gorge forms a deep and incredibly beautiful gorge. It starts between Helmos and Panachaikos mountains and it reaches the Diakopto seaside town. Vouraikos River springs from the mountains in Kalavrita and exits at the Corinthian Gulf next to the beach of Diakopto. The gorge is rich in flora and fauna and it is part of the network Natura 2000. The little train incorporated so well into the natural environment that it seems that it had always been there. The way it was constructed did not put a strain on the ecosystem of the gorge. Using stone and wood from the area the technicians’ work is so perfect that someone may think that nature worked on its own.
Odontotos is not just a train. Vouraikos gorge and Odontotos rack railway from Diakopto to Kalavrita is a unique attraction in Greece. In an area full of towns, villages, hospitable inhabitants, a unique environment, and the scent of Greek life. In order to write the history of this place, we need volumes of books but a trip on the train will give you a real taste. Odontotos is waiting for you.
You will board the train in Kalavrita or Zachlorou village and enjoy a great 55 minutes experience going down the mountain following an amazing route.
Your driver/guide will be waiting for you at the other end of the train route to continue the tour.
☼ KALAVRITA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
This is a very popular ski center during the winter months.
☼ LUNCH: This will be your first food & drink experience with more to follow.
☼ CAVE OF LAKES
In the rhythm of the music of water small and larger lakes follow one another. The Cave of Lakes, at an altitude of 827 meters, combines in an admirable way, ageless natural beauty, with the remains of habitation and myth. The myth says that Lysippe, Ifinoe, and Ifianassa, the daughters of the king of Tiryns, found refuge in the cave when they were obsessed with madness. The Cave of the Lakes is a rare creation of nature with mysterious galleries and stalactite formations.
In the caves, there are archaeological findings like fossilized human and animal bones, including a hippopotamus. The site is a stone forest full of surprises. It has something exclusively unique that does not exist in other well-known caves.
We will be overnighting in a beautiful guesthouse at one of the stone-built villages of Arcadia.
☼ DINNER/optional: Another great location and a food & drink experience to enjoy on your own but still under our guidance at a pre-arranged restaurant. The evening walk to explore the amazing location/village is a must!
Day 2: Cliff-Hanging Monasteries (2), Water Power Museum, Arcadian Villages, Ancient Gortys & Lousios River
☼ THE WATER POWER MUSEUM
This open-air museum highlights the importance of water power in traditional society. Focusing on the main pre-industrial techniques that take advantage of water to produce a variety of goods, it links them to the history and daily life of the local society over the ages.
☼ AIMYALON MONASTERY
Not far from the Water Power Museum, we approach the first cliff-hanging monastery. Aimyalon or Philosophou monastery.
☼ PRODROMOU MONASTERY
The highlight will be the Monastery of St John Prodromou or Baptist. The most amazing cliff-hanging monastery! The Menalon Trail grows to a length of 75 km. We will walk and follow one small part of the trail signs to one St. John Baptist monastery.
We will take a short walk to spend a few moments at Ancient Gortys. It is among the most important Arcadian cities of the ancient world. The city is situated next to River Lousios, at an altitude of 350 meters in mountainous Arcadia. It was one of the stops on the route followed by Spartan athletes when traveling to compete in the Olympic Games, as the ancient road of Olympia – Megalopolis – Mycenae – Corinth Canal – Athens passed through here.
☼ LUNCH: We then visit and explore on foot Stemnitsa village. The jewelers’ village! Beautiful, authentic, stone built! Our lunch place is at a different location and at a different taverna with more local food to taste.
We deliberately do not mention our carefully selected dining places!
Finally, we leave the Arcadia mountains to reach and overnight in Nafplio town and enjoy a great romantic evening exploring the Old Town. We will guide you to the best place to enjoy a romantic dinner.
Day 3: Mycenae, Nafplio, Wine Tasting, Palamidi Fortress & 999 Steps, Epidaurus Ancient Theater
☼ MYCENAE
This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to some of Greece’s most famous ancient ruins. Wander around the archaeological site and accompanying museum.
☼ WINE TASTING OPTION: Wine tasting at one of the many wineries of the Nemea area in Corinth; the Greek Napa Valley!
☼ NAFPLIO’S PALAMIDI FORTRESS & 999 STEPS.
Nafplio, the first capital of Greece, is famous for its Old Town with its narrow streets, beautiful alleyways, neoclassical mansions, and stunning Venetian houses. An all-year-round destination for visiting the famous Venetian fortress of Palamidi in Nafplio and optionally, walking down the 999 steps enjoying the most amazing views.
☼ OUZO (OPTIONAL): The Greeks’ pre-lunch aperitif. Not at any time of the day but at the right time of the day and the right location.
☼ LUNCH: One of our favorite food & drink places on this tour.
☼ ANCIENT THEATER OF EPIDAURUS
Epidaurus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to an ancient, beautifully preserved theater. Discover the landmark at your leisure.
Day 4: Hydra Island
After breakfast, we head for the Cosmopolitan Hydra Island. Hydra is a very short boat ride (20-30 minutes) from the mainland. There are no cars on Hydra Island but many donkeys which we suggest you do not ride them. They do enough work carrying the goods for the locals and the shops!
Hydra is a trendy and cosmopolitan island that at the same time maintains its magic and peacefulness due to the all-year-round presence of the locals and the absence of any kind of vehicle! We love the island because Hydra is also one of our three bases, so we consider it as “home” to our agency.
☼ LUNCH: Food & drink in Hydra – Not included since you are on your own to privately explore the island. We will still make suggestions and provide all the information you need to feel safe and relaxed. The boat ride is short (30 min) and very pleasant (see the above video).
After enjoying lunch on Hydra island you will get the boat to cross back to the mainland. Depending on the available time and before departing for Athens we visit the beautiful Ermioni village for a quick coffee/drink next to the water.
We head back to Athens to optionally head for dinner at one of our very best food places.
☼ DINNER (optional): Although Athens is not the place for authentic Greek food this restaurant is an exception!
Finally, drop off at your Athens hotel/accommodation. We can even plan so that you are dropped off at the airport to pick up your flight without wasting your time in checking in/out of an Athens hotel.
☼ Private tour!
☼ Hotel/Airbnb/cruise ship pickup and drop-off.
☼ Private driver/guide.
☼ Non-smoking vehicle and driver.
☼ Three-night accommodation (including breakfast), all arranged at great locations, and accommodation from a stonebuilt canyon-overlooking guesthouse to and-picked hotels and apartments. It is based on double or triple occupancy depending on your group/family. Get In Touch with us if in doubt.
☼ Lunch is also included on all 4 days and at selected locations, except the day on Hydra island when you will self-explore.
☼ Dinner is included only on the last day before drop off at your Athens hotel.
☼ Each person is allowed one normal-size suitcase and a small carry-on bag.
☼ Full and detailed itinerary of the trip.
☼ In-car bottled water & information booklet.
☼ Evenings out transport.
☼ Flexible itinerary.
☼ Optional: Vegetarian lunch can be arranged in most cases. Please let us know in advance.
NOTE: If you have allergies combined with multiple dislikes, you better avoid this tour since you will be missing out on the culinary aspect of it!
☼ Excess luggage is not allowed.
☼ Entrance to the sites.
☼ Dinner. It is only included on the last day.
☼ Professional guide for the archeological sites (optional).
☼ Shopping/touristy stops unless specifically required.
☼ Gratuities (optional).
Total pricing for 2 people is €3,150 (not per person). If you are a solo traveler, we will provide a small discount.
For larger groups of up to 11 related-only people (couples, groups of friends, or large families), please get in touch with us to get the best rate depending on the exact number of people and their age group. All our vehicles are brand new. For example, for 1-3 people, a typical large four-door 2022 vehicle will be used, whereas, for 3-7 people, a large 2021 minivan will be used for the trip.
PS. Payments made by PayPal are subject to an additional cost of 5%-6% (the approximate fee that PayPal charges on all transactions), and prices by Amex are subject to an additional 2.80%-3%, which the client must pay to Eudaimonia on the day of the booked tour. There is no extra charge if you pay by any other credit card.
From your Athens hotel, airbnb, or cruise ship (Piraeus port), Nafplio or a pre-arranged meeting point very near to your location. For other starting locations please contact us.
[1] You can arrange to include a second wine tasting experience at a different winery.
[2] Also, you can visit Acrocorinth: the “acropolis” of ancient Corinth at the top of the mountain west of the site
Please contact us for details and pricing. Not all add-ons can be included in all tours either because of time limitations (daylight time, closing times of sites) or because of the time of the year, etc. Some add-ons require an earlier starting time than the typical 8:00 a.m. pick-up.
It is the magic of the Greek countryside, islands, local communities, food/drink plus the more efficient exploring of Greece’s best parts that have created this attitude of ours to tempt people to plan multiday tours away from the big city of Athens. So here are our suggestions to further explore and enjoy overnight at unique locations:
(a) Optionally extend your plan by one day to include Nafplio, Mycenae & Ancient Epidaurus.
(b) Furthermore, add the popular Odontotos rack railway, the Cave of Lakes tour, and the Mega Spilaio Monastery.
(c) Finally we can visit Sparta, Mystras & the Olive Oil Museum on a day tour. It includes a day visit to Ancient Sparta and more importantly the Byzantine Castle town of Mystras. This tour can substitute any of the other day-tours, allowing you to adjust the itinerary and include what you enjoy most. So, for example, you can skip the monasteries of Day4 and go for the Sparta/Mystras trip. Mystras will also include a visit to the famous statue of King Leonidas of the 300 and the Olive Oil Museum in Sparta. Plus, this is the area to buy olive oil from and take home with you!
Please contact us for details and pricing.
☼ All our tours include lunch and drinks and all multiday tours include quality accommodation. Professional guide, dinner (on multiday tours), and tickets to the sites are not included. You can read more about why we have these inclusions and exclusions.
☼ Children must be accompanied by an adult.
☼ Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not suitable for people with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
☼ We are flexible and the duration of the tour is flexible, so there is no rushing during the tour except when there are specific restrictions (like not missing the closing time of the sites during the off-season).
☼ If our agency cancels due to bad weather or any other extreme last-minute situation, you will be given the option of an alternative date or a full refund.
‘Eudaimonia’ is the trading name of Eudaimonia Private Tours of Greece, a tour provider officially registered under the Greek National Tourism Organization with business license number: 1245E70000044101. The ‘client’ or ‘customer’ is the person or persons who have made a confirmed booking with Eudaimonia.
CANCELLATION POLICY FOR TOURS AND SERVICES
(A) Cancellation Policy for the day or half-day tours or transfers:
☼ Cancellations made greater than 40 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus expenses and/or services fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 30 to 40 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 80% of the agreed total tour fee.
☼ Cancellations made between 20 to 5 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee.
☼ Cancellations made 5 days prior to the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
Additionally to the above but after the 40-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning the day or half-day tours or transfers, such as site tickets or train tickets or bookings for the client (train/ boat tickets, wine tasting, restaurants, etc) will be deducted from the amount to be refunded.
Finally, a service fee of 8% (of the total amount agreed) will also be deducted from any refundable amount including the 40-day full refund case. This corresponds to the time spent on the client’s booking.
(B) Cancellation Policy for multi-day tours:
☼ Cancellations made greater than 60 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus expenses and/or services fees as mentioned below.
☼ Cancellations made between 60 to 30 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 80% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and/or services fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 30 to 20 days prior to the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and/or services fees.
☼ Cancellations made 20 days prior to the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
Additionally to the above but after the 60-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning any multiday tour, such as site tickets, train tickets, hotels booked for the client, and other bookings (like wine tasting, restaurants, etc), will be deducted from any amount to be refunded after the initial 60-day full refund period. This will be an amount of 25%-30% of the total tour cost.
Finally, a service fee of 15% of the total amount agreed will also be deducted from any refundable amount including the 60-day full refund case. This corresponds to the time spent on the client’s booking.
(C) Special client-specific arrangements/agreements:
It is possible that there will be client-specific payments & bookings (full or partial) agreed upon through e-mail communication mentioned -for example- as “non-refundable”. Then, these client-specific agreements will precede any other interpretations made from this cancellation policy, and it is only at Eudaimonia’s discretion to refund fully, partly, or not at all, even under certain conditions including “Force Majeure”. Therefore, it is the specific written (email) agreement between each client and Eudaimonia that can only precede this main cancellation policy -if it is different- and determines the agreed cancellation policy for each client.
D) Other issues:
Eudaimonia reserves the right to make subtle changes to tour itineraries. Eudaimonia reserves the right to substitute vehicles and/or drivers should they arise. Eudaimonia reserves the right to change or cancel your booking in accordance with operating requirements or circumstances beyond its control. Should change and/or cancellation prove necessary we will give you reasonable notice thereof, in the circumstances, & where available, offer you a comparable alternative. If an alternative is not available or acceptable you will be entitled to either a full refund or monies paid by you to us or you can transfer to another Eudaimonia tour without payment of any transfer fee.
Eudaimonia encourages all clients to communicate as early as possible concerning cancellation issues which can allow the agency to offer a better refund – partial or full- to a client despite the standard policy described in this document. This is a decision to be made entirely by Eudaimonia in an effort to better serve the client.
Eudaimonia itineraries are flexible, and if possible, the requirements of clients will be facilitated. Eudaimonia reserves the right to vary, modify or cancel any itinerary, either partly or wholly. Itineraries published are sample itineraries only and may be amended without notice. Eudaimonia also reserves the right to use alternative vehicles to those advertised.
Eudaimonia is not responsible for the costs of any other travel arrangements affected due to our cancellations or rescheduling of any tour departure.
Dietary requirements must be requested from clients and forwarded at the time of booking or at least one week before the tour.
Bookings can only be used by the client/s to whom the booking was initially arranged; no other person can use the booking in any circumstances.
The client may also be asked to produce a valid photo or/and passport number identification.
Eudaimonia strongly recommends that the client purchases travel insurance.
VALIDITY & DISPUTES
Any disputes will be resolved by the Greek legal system and its laws without the need for any arbitration.
The Client agrees to all the above when booking any of Eudaimonia’s tours and services.
