BEST OF GREECE & SANTORINI in 12 days
My Best of Greece & Santorini tour visits my favorite Greek mainland and island destinations. We begin in the countryside at Delphi, home of the ancient Oracle and her temples. After crossing the Bay of Corinth, we’ll spend several days on the Pelopenes Peninsula, visiting ancient temples, worship sites, historic cities, and theatres. Hopping on a ferry, enjoy a short ride to traffic-free Hydra Island for two days of relaxation. Then it is off to Athens, where we’ll dedicate the better part of two days to exploring this capital city. Finally, we will hop on a short flight to Santorini, home of white-washed villages on an ancient volcano caldera. My Best of Greece & Santorini tour provides the perfect mix of sightseeing, education, and relaxation.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
| PRICE FROM | DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| $5089 + air | Apr 7-18, 2026 |  |
| $5089 + air | Jun 15-26, 2026 | |
| $5089 + air | Sep 14-25, 2026 | |
Delphi – 1 night
Olympia – 1 night
Nafplio – 2 nights
Hydra Island – 2 night
Athens – 2 nights
Santorini Island – 3 nights
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Single Room Additional Cost ~$850
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Welcome to Greece! –Leaving Athens for later, we will head north to the barren slopes of Mount Parnassus. Here we find Delphi, the 2500-year-old home of fortune-telling oracles, temples of worship, and Olympic-like stadiums and theatres. Enjoy dinner together and overnight in peaceful Delphi town. Sleep for 1 night near Delphi. Walking: light. Driving: 4 hours. Dinner.
DAY 2: The Gulf of Corinth and Peloponnese – It is a beautiful drive through the mountains and across the gulf to the Peloponnese Peninsula. This afternoon, after the tourist crowds dissipate, we will visit Olympia, the site of the first Olympic games more than 2700 years ago. We will set up tonight near Mount Olympia. Sleep for 1 night near Olympia. Walking: strenuous. Driving: 5 hours. Dinner.
DAY 3: Ancient Corinth and Nafplio – We will do a bit of driving today across the Peloponnese to Ancient Corinth, a stop on the Apostle Paul’s missionary journey in the 1st century. Then, it’s onward to Nafplio for a relaxing two days. Sleep for 2 nights in Nafplio. Walking: light. Driving: 4 hours. Dinner.
DAY 4: Mycenae and Nafplio – Today, we will take a walk through this ancient, fortified city, seeing the Lion’s Gate, “cyclopean” walls, and buried tombs. Returning to Nafplio, you’ll have the remainder of the day to poke around town, hike to the hilltop fortress, or relax at a beach or hotel pool. Walking: moderate. Driving: 1.5 hours.
DAY 5: Epidavros and Hydra – This morning, we will drive to nearby Epidavros to look at Greece’s most well-preserved theater, seating 15,000 spectators. Then we will head south across arid mountains and valleys loaded with century-old olive trees. After a ferry ride across the gulf, we will step onto traffic-free Hydra. Enjoy the afternoon and evening getting to know the little town. We’ll pick out a taverna for dinner to enjoy together tonight. Sleep for 2 nights on Hydra. Walking: light. Driving: 2.5 hours. Dinner.
DAY 6: Hydra –No group plans for today. So, enjoy shopping in the village, sitting at the harbor with a drink and “people-watching,” taking a donkey ride, hiring a boat, or basking in the sun at one of the many beaches. Walking: your choice.
DAY 7: Athens – This morning, we’ll hop on a ferry and, within about two hours, arrive at your Athens city-center hotel. Then, join a local guide for an informative and scenic tour of the ancient Acropolis and Agora. The remainder of the day and evening are event-free to explore more of Athens on your own. Sleep for 2 nights in Athens. Walking: strenuous. Boat or Drive: 2 hours.
DAY 8: Athens – Visit Athens at your leisure. There are no group plans today, so Explore the Forum, medieval streets of the Plaka, and more on your own. Later, we will meet for dinner at a local restaurant for dinner. Walking: your choice. Dinner.
DAY 9: Santorini – This morning, we will transfer to Athens Airport and take a short flight to the island of Santorini. Once in Santorini, we will set up in a seaside village. Nothing to do here but bask in the sun, swim at the beach, and enjoy the views. Sleep for 3 nights at a traditional Santorini resort hotel. Flying: 1 hour. Driving: 1 hour.
DAY 10: Santorini – This morning, we will have a local guide show us around the island of Santorini. We’ll visit several towns, see the volcanic caldera, and get an overview of the island’s history. Later, board our private catamaran for a 5-hour sunset cruise on the caldera. Enjoy dinner and drinks on the boat and plenty of time to jump in and take a swim. Walking: moderate. Driving: 2 hours. BBQ Dinner on our catamaran.
DAY 11: Santorini –There are no scheduled plans for today. Enjoy the beach, local shopping, a hike through the mountains, or a return visit to Oia or Fira. Tonight, enjoy a grand farewell dinner at a beachfront restaurant. Walking: your choice. Dinner.
DAY 12: Heading Home – We will catch an early morning flight back to Athens. Your tour ends at the Athens Airport in plenty of time to connect with flights bound for the USA. Flying: 1 hour.
Itinerary specifics are subject to change.
INCLUSIONS
Round-trip transportation by coach, minibus, and boat from the airport in Athens and return.
Round-trip flight to Santorini.
11 nights’ accommodation in well-appointed hotels. All rooms have private en-suite baths.
All tips and gratuities to guides and drivers.
Strictly Small Group consisting of 6-18 travelers.
All breakfasts and six group dinners.
Traditional dining experiences at some of David’s favorite restaurants. Eating well is a priority, and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best the locale has to offer.
Water is included with all group meals. Sodas, wine, beer, and other drinks are your responsibility.
All tours and admissions at no extra cost: Athens Plaka walking tour ▪ Acropolis tour ▪ Ancient Agora entrance ▪ Delphi tour ▪ Ancient Olympia tour ▪ Mycenae tour ▪ Epidavros entry ▪ Nafplio orientation ▪ Hydra orientation ▪ ferry transfers to and from Hydra ▪ Santorini bus and walking tour ▪ A four-hour Catamaran Sunset Cruise with dinner and swimming on the Caldera ▪ and more.
A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the art, history, and culture of the tour destinations.
David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.
Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.
Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.
$50 Tour Alumni discount for each David McGuffin tour you’ve taken prior to this travel year.
EXCLUSIONS
Comprehensive Trip insurance. We strongly recommend comprehensive insurance for tour.
Fee for passports.
Beer, wine, spirits, and soda during the tour.
Laundry, phone, internet, and personal items
Extras and optional activities.
Anything not mentioned in the itinerary.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
CANCELLATION POLICY
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:
Deposits- Deposits for tours are fully refundable for 30 days from your initial application and deposit date, unless otherwise noted. If you book a tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.
Payments- Tour payments are due in full 90 days before your tour departure date. If you find you must cancel between 90-0 days before your tour departure, please contact us immediately. We will work with you to transfer your payments to another tour departing within 18 months. We strongly recommend that everyone purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers tour cancellations, emergency medical, and other unexpected events.
Cancellations will be effective when the written notification is received at David McGuffin›s Exploring Europe by mail, e-mail, or fax.
SIGN UP BY EMAIL OR POST
If you do not want to sign up online:
You may download a tour application and send it to us with payment.
-OR-
You may return it by:
- FAX 1-800-570-1351
- Email – info@davidmcguffin.com
- email – take a photo of the form with your smartphone and attach it to an email
- TXT – take a photo with your smartphone and TXT to 904-612-8149
KEY TO WALKING & ACTIVITY
Walking and Physical Activity: We have planned this trip to provide maximum tour experiences. The basic nature of Europe does require some degree of physical activity to get out and see the sights, especially in the big cities. To help you plan, we’ve included a daily projection of physical activity. Here is the key for our walking activity ratings:
Light – Walking done on level surfaces with some hills and elevation gains. Two miles or less of required walking during the day.
Moderate – Walking done on paved and gravel paths and cobbled city sidewalks. To enjoy the full tour experience, some uphill and downhill walking is expected, as is standing while viewing sights or museums. Four to six miles of walking per day.
Strenuous – Walking done on rugged and rocky paths and city-cobbled sidewalks. There will be steps and stairs. Up to three hours standing in museums or experience sites. Up to eight miles of walking per day.
Your Choice – No matter what your walking ability, we will help you find alternative ways to enjoy and experience all Europe has to offer. To get the most out of our tours, you should be able to operate at the light level every day with spurts of moderate and strenuous.
PRE-TOUR RESOURCES
Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions. Don’t worry. We are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.
DAVID’S 60 SECONDS DESTINATION VIDEOS
Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in the United Kingdom. Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David’s Explore Greece.
David’s TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY almost-weekly broadcast and Video Series Blog.
Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook. Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.
Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded. Watch them here.
DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES
David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog. But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.
PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.
We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions. tours@davidmcguffin.com or 800-570-1351.
Testimonials & Reviews of our EUROPE Tours
I’m quite pleased with my first experience with David McGuffin tour company. The itinerary was spot on - from sites (expected tourist highlights to less known treasures) to hotels (especially Barr Na Straide) & restaurants (Rinuccini❣️) to planned time balanced with free time. And our guide David Grey was THE BEST! David is respectful, thorough, flexible, & a wealth of knowledge and all the while just being plain fun. As my late mother would say, “he’s a keeper.”
We were a family of 5 with three adults and two children 7 and 9. In London we had great food, site seeing and special moments like tea at Harrods, seeing Wicked live and a trip to Harry Potter WB studio experience as well as a trip to Abbey Road for a photo moment. We rode The Eye, boats, busses and the subway. John and Audra guided us expertly . On to Paris via train and more wonderful sites and food. We absolutely loved the Eiffel Tower both from the top and from the river. Spectacular experience of seeing the lights coming on at dusk. Took a cooking class and it was fantastic. The macarons were delicious. Lots of walking. This hotel was convenient to transportation but room too small for a family. All the hotels had delicious breakfasts. Flew to Rome and the hotel there was very nice. Very hot here but enjoyed all the sites and food. No water in Trevi Fountain but lots of other things to enjoy. Had a wonderful memorable time. Came home exhausted but with lots of lasting memories. Thanks to David, Leslie John and Audra for a trip of a lifetime.
The trip to Ireland was just GREAT. David McGuffin Exploring Europe really provides a very nice itinerary and very comfortable everything, very nice hotels, great food, highlighted places and experiences. The part I liked best was David the personal full time tour guide, he was exceptional. The company took care of all of the details like where to go, where to stay, all attraction payments, the beautiful motorcoach. All we had to do is relax and enjoy. And what a great group of people. It couldn't have been better!
My wife and I traveled to Italy last month for David’s “Essence of Italy” tour and we had a great time. Traveling with David and Charlotte was so much easier not having to worry about our hotel, food, and transportation arrangements.
Due to the Jubilee and the Pope’s death, Rome was extremely crowded. We missed the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica because of the Conclave. We plan on returning to Rome with David to see these sites.
The train ride to Cinque Terre was fun with a lot to see. Once there, we were able to visit a few of the five villages using local trains. The views of the mountain villages next to the ocean were fantastic.
Our next stop was to the hilltown of Volterra in Tuscany. Now I know why David calls Volterra one of his favorite places. It’s really beautiful and has a lot of history. We would never have thought of visiting some of the locations David took us.
We finished our trip visiting Siena and Florence. The museums, Cathedrals, and famous historical sites were great to see.
Traveling with David, Charlotte and our group was very enjoyable. We have already booked our next trip with David in 2026.
Essence of Italy 10 days our first David McGuffin Tour and we were thankful to have David and Charlotte with us on this tour. Rome was quite the experience 2 full days of site seeing with the Vatican, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain to name a few all so beautiful, but a little over whelming with the crowds.
Our hotels in every location were quaint and lovely! Not having A/C is some of them was an adjustment , I definitely recommend you bring the portable fan that David mentions to bring we used it.
We really enjoyed our small group 10 people including our guides it was perfect. We had so much fun at our group dinners having a guide for the restaurants was definitely a plus, as well as what food to order.
Cinque Terre- Monterosso was my favorite village and Volterra the Tuscany area was also a favorite of ours! The tour guides in Rome (Guilai was amazing) and Volterra were informative and enjoyable as well as David and Charlottes information on each area.
We packed just like David suggested and we didn’t have any issues or problems handling our own luggage but we did do laundry once while there. David’s tour prep instructions were spot on.
We had the most enjoyable time making new friends and seeing beautiful Italy our next adventure is hopefully Greece!
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