Greece Explorer Trips

We recently returned from our Play & Pause: Southeastern Europe Highlights trip and our response when asked “how was it?,” has remained the same…”incredible!” Overall, it was an unforgettable experience, filled with stunning landscapes, rich history, and diverse cultures. We experienced much on this trip, while creating lifelong memories. The itinerary was very well planned, offering a great balance between organised activities and free time. This gave us the chance to explore the major highlights of each location while also enjoying the flexibility to either relax or explore each destination at our own pace. Accommodation was generally well located, with most hotels within walking distance of key locations/attractions. When transport was required, there were easily available options and reasonably priced (trains, busses, taxi or Uber etc) The hotel quality was varied. Most were good value given the overall price…others were definitely an “experience.” A real standout was our tour leader, Cass. She was exceptional and added so much to the trip. She was knowledgeable, organised, and genuinely passionate about ensuring everyone in our group had the best experience possible. Her professionalism and positive energy elevated the whole trip. This tour was a perfect way to explore the Balkans in a relaxed, engaging, and memorable way. We highly recommend it to anyone looking to experience a slightly different version of Europe, where you can have fun while still experiencing a beautiful, historic and diverse region.

Maria was an absolute lifesaver! She was insanely helpful, knowledgeable, and helped us with the locals speaking greek where needed and negotiating such as taxi prices so we weren't charged extra 'tourist tax'! The activities and places we went were fantastic. I got lucky with a fantastic group of people. As a solo female traveller, having a great group and a great leader was paramount. I fortunately was blessed with both! Only negative would be the very long a chaotic ferry ride from Santorini to Athens on the final day. It was booked for later in the day so we didn't arrive back to the hotel in Athens until after midnight, making us exhausted for our travels the following day. The ferry was also overbooked which meant we had to fight for a seat, some travellers having to sit on dining chairs placed against a wall or in the middle of a room (none of this any fault of Marias - she handled it amazingly!) Could be ideal for Top Deck to perhaps book an earlier ferry for this day or a flight instead.

I loved this sail. The swim stops each day were a highlight. I think maybe Methana could have been skipped for an extra day in Hydra. Hydra was definitely my favourite, but it was a good choice of islands overall. Niko and the crew were all fabulous. Breakfast and lunch were delicious and I really appreciated getting a vego option when the meal had meat.

The Greece Topdeck tour was incredible! Everything was perfectly organized — ferries, transfers, accommodation — so I could just relax and enjoy. The itinerary hit all the must-sees (Athens, Mykonos, Paros, and Santorini) with the right balance of history, free time, nightlife, and downtime. Our trip leader Maria was amazing and made sure we got the best food, beaches, and hidden gems. Of course the people on the trip made it the best too. The only thing I was wish was different was an extra day on each island.

It was a pleasure to have a more low-key and relaxing sail in Greece. The crew looked after us really well, and the standout was our Tour Leader, Nikos. He made the experience all the more better with his great conversation, support for everyone and his warm hospitality. He went out of his way to ensure we were all looked after and most importantly safe. The food onboard was delicious and ensured we didnt go hungry. The cooking class with Katerina was a highlight, highly recommend! Only feedback I have is that the itinerary of the trip on the Top Deck website/app doesn't match the actual itinerary of the trip, which caused some confusion but other than that it was an enjoyable week!

If you are thinking of going on this trip, just do it! I had the time of my life hopping from island to island with the best bunch. Maria is the perfect tour guide with her infectious joyousness. There is a perfect balance of free time/guided activities. The food was a real highlight, and Maria always brought us to the most authentic Greek restaurants. This trip has made me fall in love with Greece and I can’t wait to go back. Also- the accommodation is top quality, particularly in Mykonos.