Greece: Legends and Landscapes

It is an excellent adventure especially if you are interested in ancient Greek history. Our guide was fantastic, he was like part of our family.

There was 14 Passengers, A Senior Tour Guide Themis, an Apprentice: Joanne and the Driver of the Bus. We started out on 26 April to 7 May 2025 - 12 days Tour starting off walking around Acrogolis in the rain, leaving 7:45am from our Hotel . We were informed by using WhatsApp in a Message daily. The group would be informed on what to wear, time and Date details. We could leave photos or questions to Themis. An Unusual way of showing us the ruins by walking everywhere while in Athens. Then, taking us to Greek Islands by using the Super Cat which is known by SeaStar Jet, fast and economic way - travelling by vehicle or by foot around the Islands. This is the way the Greeks travelled bringing their food items by trucks or Carriers even by people with their daily shopping, this is what we saw when, we travelled to Naxos, which was a 5 hours trip from Athens, where we stayed over for 3 days. The weather was quite cold, wet and miserable. The coldest period of time while we were on holidays in Greece 10 to 17 degrees. We returned to Athens via Piraeus Port on the mainland, picked up by our driver to continue on travelling over the mainland.

Excellent tour knowledge by guide Guide very good with my needs and solving my issues Very positive and pleasant

Our guide Themos was excellent. He was personable, knowledgable, caring, and always interesting. The cooking class, the olive factory and the honey farm visits were highlights for me as I'm more interested in meeting locals and exploring their ways of life than cobbled ruins with plaques.

The itinerary was excellent. All the accommodations were comfortable and clean. Some were beautiful and luxurious. Our Tour Guide, Athina was incredible. She provided historical and mythological context for the sites we were to see. She had a great sense of humor, and was easy to talk with. She made our trip a wonderful experience. Fotis, our bus driver was skilled, friendly, and happy to participate in our conversations. His skill as a driver was amazing! He and Athina were a great team, and together they made our trip memorable.

I chose Blue Roads for my tour of Portugal last year liking the small group and a higher level of tours It filled all my expectations The Greece tour was a lower level experience Some hotels were good and some were a lower level than expected The included dinners were again a much lower level than expected Starter and desserts were good but the main courses were a low quality that I or other guests didn’t eat The guide should notice these plates are going back

The itinerary was excellent, and the pace was comfortable. The Hotels were varied and interesting. All were comfortable. Our Tour Guide, Athina Thomas is amazing! She dealt with 17 different personalities, wants and needs without getting ruffled. She was always patient, gracious and accommodating. She has a lovely personality and everyone on our trip enjoyed her. Her knowledge of Greek history added to the knowledge we were building and it provided context for the amazing sights we were seeing. Our trip was memorable.

This tour is not for someone who has not been to Greece before since the trip is certainly off the beaten path. I give it a three star review for a number of reasons. The first is that there is far too long in between tours or sights to see. On average there was one event a day to participate in…the rest of the day was either spent on the bus on at the hotel. The events were very interesting but not enough of them. The bus rides could have easily been enhanced with information given by the tour director on topics such as the history of Greece, the educational system, the form of governments etc. This would have helped with the boredom as well as providing details about where we were and perhaps what we would be seeing. The hotels were inconsistent….some very nice…some quite below average. There were certainly nothing added to the tour…no complimentary welcome glass of wine, no little sweets on the long bus ride which would have been appreciated. Overall, the local guides were amazing with their breath of knowledge and enthusiasm and we did interesting things…..the boat ride in the cave, the hike down the mountain, the bee farm, the cooking class…..but not enough to fill the two week!

Relative to other tour companies I've used for international trips with comparable pricing, I thought the trip itinerary was very poor. There was far too much bus/travel time in a very uncomfortable bus while we were rushed through destinations to just move onto the next. There were locations we spent all day traveling to that we spent less than 18 hours in. We weren't given enough time to actually explore and discover amazing sites and spent way too much time in places with little interest. When we requested even as little as 15 extra minutes to explore in places like Olympia where we were only given 30 minutes of time, we were denied. We spent more time in museums than outside in the actual sites! The accommodations were just so so, the level of overall service was really just average (for instance if we needed water on our long bus rides we had to pay for it in the bus). The included meals did not include good choices and the food at those places wasn't as good as places we researched on our own. In fact one place we went was considered the least desirable place in the area according to reviews. Our guide was good and did the best he could for the group and our bus driver should have been given an award for his skill. Overall, for the money, I wouldn't consider another trip with this company due to the "hurry up and sit on the bus" feeling I was left with. The itinerary was very poorly planned and I would rather spend that kind of money on a trip with better planning, better service, more flexibility based on participant input.

Too much time getting from place to place. For example, spent 8 hours getting to Napflio and were there less than 24 hours; 10 mintutes at a significant ruin so we could hurry and get back on the bus; too many one-nighters and disappointing meals at group dinners.

An interesting tour of Greece with an excellent tour guide. We especially liked the information and stories he gave during the bus rides.

Themis was a fantastic tour guide. He addressed my husband’s blocked ear with the utmost professionalism, which I cannot say was the situation with our previous tour when it began!!! Our driver was also very, good! Themis kept us updated on all myths and history. He handled a particularly difficult client with the utmost respect from the rest of us. Hence, our tour was not ruined. We all had a fantastic holiday that will remain with love and respect for Greece and its people.

Well paced with a nice balance between group and alone time. lovely accomdations, knowledgeable and kind tour guide (Themis) who was committed to sharing in depth Ancient Greece history, mythology and food with us. Side trips to family businesses that produce olive oil, honey, food (cooking class) were bonuses.

The pre tour restaurant get together wasn’t the best of places. Acropolis was fantastic. Naxos was a great place to go and the whole south west of Greece we visited was well worth it, especially Olympia and Delphi. A lot of time on a bus but we covered a lot of territory and much more than archeological sites.

If history is your passion this tour is for you. Well run, full of interesting inclusions and excellent tour leader.

A wonderful experience - myths, legends and reality. The tour is well designed with both organised and free time. The tour was made by our guide Themis. His passion and understanding of his country and his ability to pass his knowledge on was remarkable

Would thoroughly recommend this tour, it was amazing, enjoyed every minute, and the other fellow travellers were very friendly and everyone got on really well, The tour operator Themis, was fantastic, nothing was too much trouble, and was always available for any guidance and information, The accommodation was excellent and the food was very authentic.

Excellent tour leader and amazing driver. We visited a wonderful selection of incredible sites and learnt lots about both ancient and modern-day Greece. The pace was just right and the team were extremely helpful, providing tips on post-tour destinations. And the participants were a lovely group of people and welcomed me as a solo traveller. Highly recommended.

An unforgettable experience, thankyou Blue-Roads. Themis, our guide was amazing sharing his knowledge of the history, legends and landscapes and his care and attention to all our needs. Fortis, our driver was an absolute expert, negotiating the narrow streets, keeping us safe and managing our luggage. The experiences included were so relevant and enjoyable, the meal choices so delicious, and the free time allowed made the trip stress free and allowed us to explore independently as well. I would do it all again and not change anything!

Enjoy the trip expecially the cooking and farm experience and the bees farm

Fantastic itinerary, great pace, amazing sites, excellent accommodation and wonderful well- informed Guide. Good value.

Our tour guide Themis was a wealth of knowledge and fun. The group were great travel companions. Would recommend this tour to all

100% Good The tour is fantastic with the guide Mr Themis being very knowledgeable and informative. His relationship with the other tour guides was infectious and sincere which combined to make the days comfortable. The driver was conscious of being in charge of the vehicle to keep all safe at all times. This tour has inspired us to continue with this particular theme in our next adventure. 😎

We thoroughly enjoyed our Blue-Roads tour of Greece. The accommodation in Athens was good - centrally located, helpful staff, small room. Guide Themis has a casual, laid- back approach but was organised and all our excursions went off well. The local guides employed at the various sites were mainly excellent in my opinion, partic at Olympia. The guide at Acropolis was too detailed and held group in very hot sun standing still too long - people zone out after 15 mins. The coach and driver were excellent. 17 people meant we had plenty of room. I particularly liked the 3 night stopover in Nexas to experience island life. ( we did not take the optional full day tour of island but used the day to relax). A highlight was the farm visit and cooking lesson. The Hotel Grande Bretagne in Nafplio would be our favourite hotel. The long hot walk at Mystras was exhausting in 36 deg heat- maybe some shouldn't have gone on it as it was very difficult. Highlight - the museum and site visit at Olympia. Very social group, Themis managed them well. Good value. An experience to remember.

As always, Blue-Roads delivered! Our guide & driver were amazing. If I have to name one highlight, it would be the island of Naxos and our Greek cooking lesson. But all the archaeological sites were amazing, too. The Parthenon, Olympia, Delphi really give you a sense of the ancients. Nafplio was also a beautiful city. Gythieo was a restful break in the middle, being able to swim in the Aegean & Ionian seas. This is a must-do tour! Thank you again, Blue-Roads.