Hiking in the Greek Isles
Hidden Trails and Golden Beaches of the Cyclades
Trip Details at-a-Glance
| Cost From: | $4495 see pricing |
|---|---|
| Length: | 13 days |
| Arrive: | Athens, Greece |
| Depart: | Santorini, Greece |
| Lodging: | 12 nights hotels and country inns |
| Meals: | All meals included except 2 dinners |
| Activity: | Hiking / Trekking, Archaeology, Cultural Adventures |
| Trip Level: |
9 hiking days on moderate to strenuous trails, some steep sections, 4-6 hours a day, van support
|
Highlights
- Hike the beautiful islands of Tinos, Naxos, and Amorgos
- Dramatic Santorini and sacred Delos, holy island of the ancient Greeks
- Delicious cuisine, traditional villages, cliff-top monasteries
This was absolutely one of the best trips I have ever taken in my life. I loved every second of it and did not want to come home!Jenny G.—San Diego, CA
Choosing the Right Trip
We work hard to help you choose the right trip for you, paying attention to your individual interests, abilities, and needs. If you have questions about the level of comfort or any of the activities described in this itinerary, please contact us.
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References
We are proud to have an exceptionally high rate of repeat travelers. For more information, we would be happy to put you in touch with a client who has traveled with us.
Email Area ManagerDeparture Notes
Once you have signed up on the trip, we send a complete packing list, relevant health information, and required travel documents.
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Greece casts a spell, with its honey-colored isles fragrant with frangipani and encircled by azure seas. In the stunning beauty of the Cyclades, an archipelago named for the circle it forms around the sacred island of Delos, we hike on three marvelous islands—Tinos, Naxos, and rugged Amorgos, each a tranquil world of bougainvillea-draped hill villages above the gleaming Aegean, and each a world unto itself, with its own traditions and architecture. We set out on stone paths to hike past blue-domed churches, up to cliff-perched monasteries, and through tiny whitewashed villages. The “good life” of sun-blessed Greece surrounds us every day on this journey, with picnics on wildflower-covered hills, swims in a marvelous blue sea, and meals al fresco on the verandas of village tavernas.
Itinerary at a Glance
For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure
Days 1-4
Athens / Tinos / Sacred Delos / Mykonos
After our morning visit to Athens, we ferry to craggy Tinos, a famed Christian pilgrimage site, the “Lourdes” of Greece, where we may see pilgrims praying at the imposing Panagia Evangelistra church. Our first hike is on one of the kalderimia, or cobbled paths, that connect picturesque whitewashed villages. From Tinos, we ferry to Delos to stroll its open-air archaeological museum, and Mykonos, with its picture-perfect white buildings. Overnights are in Hora, a quintessential Greek harbor town with plenty of local color in its tavernas, shops, and cafes.
Days 5-6
Naxos / Chora / Mount Zas
We cross the blue Aegean to Naxos, Lord Byron’s favorite Greek island, with its rolling vineyards and olive groves. The Venetian Duchy of the Aegean left a legacy of fortified mansions all across the island, and many villages have distinctive Venetian-style architecture. We enjoy an afternoon walk on the steep, twisting lanes of Chora, the main town. The high-walled kastro, or old fortified section of Naxos, still has one of its original Venetian towers and a magnificent medieval gate. We hike up the slopes of Mount Zas (for Zeus) to a sacred cave with a marvelous view, identified in Greek mythology as the place where the mighty god Zeus was born.
Days 7-10
Amorgos / Tholaria
Amorgos, easternmost of the Cyclades Islands, is a beautiful island of golden beaches and crystal-clear waters. One of our hikes leads up to the great monastery of Agios Theologos and along spectacular cliffs above the Aegean, while another brings us to Mt. Krikelos, with a descent to the beautiful beach at Egiali. Our hotel is in the hill village of Tholaria, with its whitewashed houses and tiled archways.
Days 11-13
Santorini
On remarkable Santorini, a collapsed volcano, villages line the rim of the five-mile-wide caldera. We enjoy wine tasting in Santorini’s magnificent capital, Phira (Fira), perched on a cliff over the blue sea, and hike on the still-active volcano on the islet of Nea Kameni. Depart on Day 13.
For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 3+. Hiking times vary from 4 to 6 hours on moderate trails. Although you carry only a daypack on the hikes, be prepared for steep ascents and descents and some sections that cross uneven terrain and rough or rocky trails. Travel between islands is by ferry (or high-speed catamaran, if it is available); ferry rides are likely to be an average of two to four hours. Some days are a full day of hiking; others involve a half day or more exploring one of the towns on foot. On some days, we taxi or take a local bus to a starting point for our hike and also use a taxi or local transport to return to our night's lodging. There are many opportunities for swimming on this trip.
Accommodations are in small local hotels chosen for their atmosphere and location. We enjoy our lunches picnic-style or at small tavernas. Our dinners also feature local food and a chance to sample traditional specialties of the Cyclades. Some evenings we dine in our pensions and other nights at local restaurants. The delicious cuisine of these islands comes straight from the land or the sea. Please note that in Greece, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 9:00 PM.
Departures & Leaders
Sep 5-17, 2010
Jun 5-17, 2011
Jul 3-15, 2011
Sep 4-16, 2011
Tour Costs
Prices are for 2011
$4495 (10-15 members)
$4795 (4-9 members)
Single supplement: $310
more on pricing
Tour Cost Includes:
- expert leadership of a Wilderness Travel Trip Leader and local guides
- accommodations in hotels and small comfortable inns
- welcome and farewell dinners, and other meals as indicated in the Full Trip Brochure
- entrance fees to sites
- ground and boat transportation from meeting until departure as noted in the Full Trip Brochure
Tour Cost Does Not Include:
International airfare, airfare from Santorini to Athens on Day 13, hotel transfers to/from airports other than the designated group flights, any meals not specified in the Full Trip Brochure, airport departure taxes, optional tipping or gratuities to leaders or staff, additional hotel nights that may be necessitated by airline schedule changes or other factors; pre-trip expense of medical immunizations (if any), travel insurance or passports; and other expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).Our Trip Leaders
Here are the Trip Leaders scheduled for this journey (please note that leader assignments are subject to change).
Kostas Vasileiou was born and raised in Ioannina, Greece, and now lives in the historic village of Kipi in the Vikos Gorge. He holds a professional mountain guide's licence from the Alpine Club of Greece and has also led trekking expeditions in Nepal. "Being a Trip Leader puts me in contact with ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips
Katerina Vasileiou, the daughter of WT Trip Leader Kostas Vasileiou, grew up in a family of mountaineers, and has hiked and trekked her entire life. Her love of nature and culture led her decide on a career in travel, and since 2007 she has been an assistant leader on our Hiking in the Greek ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips
Client Comments
This was absolutely one of the best trips I have ever taken in my life. I loved every second of it and did not want to come home!Jenny G., San Diego, CA
I will never forget this experience. It was everything I had hoped for: the chance to be outdoors in nature, adventure, fun, and beyond that, an opportunity to lose myself completely in the beauty of the country and the warmth of its people.Cathy C., Sonoma, CA
Your company is great to work with, as always. This was my third and favorite trip so far, and I’m not done yet!Cathy C., Sonoma, CA,
I'm so glad we opted to explore the Greek isles the Wilderness Travel way rather than by luxury cruise!Wallace I., Honolulu, HI
We saw wonderful parts of the Greek isles that we would never have seen on our own.Ollie H., Castle Rock, CO


