Highlights of the Greek Islands

Excellent tour. Tour leader was terrific.. very patient, well organised , knowledgeable and caring. Transfers and ferries all went well. Hotels were great , lovely settings and friendly staff. Two hikes that were on the itinerary were great. Would have preferred an option of more visits to historical landmarks, rather than visits to winery and distillery. GF bread always included in the breakfast, but unfortunately the dinner cruise did not cater for my gluten , onion and garlic intolerances.

We could not of asked for a better tour guide than George, he was patient, catered for everyone’s ability. The excursions were really good. Hotels chosen where amazing we could not fault them at all

I thoroughly enjoyed this Greek Island tour! Our tour leader, Charlotte, was amazing. Not only was she knowledgeable, but also fun and very personable. My favorite part of the tour was the “walk” along the foothills in Naxos – though it should definitely be called a hike because of the hilly and rocky terrain. The coastal hike was another favorite. All the accommodations were clean and decent with lots of breakfast options. Our bathroom at the hotel in Santorini was extremely small, but the gorgeous beachfront location of the hotel more than made up for it. Overall, there was a wonderful mix of activities on this tour – something for everyone. I also loved how well everyone in our tour group got along. We were from several different countries and we were all able to connect and have fun together on this shared travel experience.

What an amazing trip! The itinerary was great! The sunset dinner on the sailboat was awesome as was the hike in the foothills of Mt. Zeus. I had a great time in Athens, Naxos, and Santorini. Excellent food! Plenty of wonderful group experiences as well as time to explore on your own. The very best thing about the Greek Island Tour was Charlotte, our tour guide. She was so knowledgeable, fun, and very considerate of the unique needs of every member of our group. Heads up for this Greek experience; be prepared to walk up and down uneven ground or steps for long periods of time. Hiking poles are a good choice to consider for this trip!

Our tour was first rate, but what really made the difference was our leader, Charlotte! There were 15 of us in total. And throughout the week, she made sure that every single member of our group was having fun! Both of the walks were fantastic and the scenery was unparalleled! Although Santorini was beautiful, Naxos was a wonderful surprise. Knowing so little about it before the trip, it was such fun to explore and discover. The Explore app is a great new addition, putting our itinerary right at our fingertips. But there were some discrepancies with timing when it came to the ferries. None of us objected to the lengthy ferry ride from Athens to Naxos. But the itinerary said it was 5 hours when the reality was 7. We would have like better information upfront. Also, skip the hotel dinner at Santorini. There are too many wonderful restaurants to try! We don't need a mediocre buffet dinner. We all would have preferred a cocktail or drinks gathering, or nothing at all. Overall, this was my second trip with Explore and I am now confident that there will be more. This was such a lovely week filled with great experiences and wonderful people. I want to thank the Explore team for the great work that they do with their tour leaders. Again, Charlotte is a star! She is to be commended for her stellar job. Every member of our group adored her! She was so attentive and so in tune with both us and the locals that we interacted with. We felt so well taken care of.

We were a small group, seven, but although we were very different, got to know one another well. Sapfo, our Explore leader, was fantastically efficient but more than that, such fun that we were able to do everything together and enjoy it all. The fact that Explore had described our 'hike' of just over 5km as a 'walk' was hailed as an enormous misnomer by the four Americans, which became black humour - particularly by a very courageous guest who had a leg-brace and did find the 'walk' tough. Her friend videoed and recorded her climbing the steps into the final village, cursing and giggling in equal measure - !! We still have an active WhatsApp, the photos have been treasured by me who takes no photos (to my daughters' disdain). All the hotels were great, food excellent and company irreplaceable. Here's to our reunion!

Fantastic holiday with a good mix of activity and relaxation. We had an amazing guide, Sapfo, who made the holiday. She took into consideration all the groups abilities and what they wanted from the holiday. She was also able to adapt the itinerary at very short notice when our sunset cruise was cancelled due to high winds.