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 license from the Alpine Club of Greece and has also led trekking expeditions in Nepal. "Being a Trip Leader puts me in contact with many people from other cultures and lets me learn from other people's way of thinking. On my trips, I try to give people a chance to see the real, unspoiled Greece and to enjoy the warm hospitality of the people. I hope that trip members will come to share my love for the tradition, history, and beauty of Greece." Kostas speaks English and French and studied Byzantine art and Greek history at the University of Ioannina.
Kostas is larger than life! He obviously has a ton of experience and quickly assessed our hiking abilities. I always felt safe and well looked after. His knowledge and enthusiasm are infectious, and he imparted his love of hiking, Greek culture, and food.
Kostas is the best! He was so knowledgeable and fun and he was tuned into everything going on in the group. I was especially touched by how concerned he was that I got enough to eat at each meal, since I'm a vegetarian.
Kostas was fabulous—upbeat, safe, caring, attentive, tuned in, well prepared, present. He wanted us to know Greece, to understand his country in a deeper way. And I do and am grateful for it.
Kostas is a gem. He shared his knowledge of the area’s history and local foods with enthusiasm.
Could not have asked for, or even imagine, a more experienced, knowledgeable, professional, engaging, and awesome guide for this trip.
Kostas was superb! He made the group very cohesive and everyone felt very much part of the group. His enthusiasm was wonderful, as was his knowledge. He is a master of what he does!
Not only does Kostas know everyone, he is passionate about his country and extremely knowledgeable about all facets of history, culture, and politics. An outstanding leader.
Kostas was one of the best guides we've ever had—confident, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable. There was never a cultural or historical question about Greece he could not answer, and we felt very comfortable in his hands.
A remarkable leader with a fascinating background and broad knowledge of Greece. He paced the trip superbly—especially the hikes—and went out of his way to keep us informed and satisfied.
Kostas is bigger than life! He knows his mountains and how to lead people through them so very, very well. He is extremely welcoming and gracious, warm and gregarious, a perfect representative of Greek culture. He loves his cuisine and proudly shares a rich variety of it. And, he's right! It is amazingly delicious!
Kostas is the real ‘Most Interesting Man in the World.’ He is full of great, rolicking stories, and clearly loves sharing them and his country with other people. He anticipated every need and arranged everything to perfection. He seemed to know everyone everywhere we went.
Kostas is the most wonderful guide we can imagine. His boundless enthusiasm; attention to every little detail; giving us surprise snacks and local liqueurs, ‘magic’ sea-sick pills, and other gifts (a cake for our anniversary, a CD of music we admired); giving terrific instructions and inspiring confidence for the more challenging hiking segments—he was absolutely wonderful.
Kostas is bigger than life, a good guy, most helpful and kind, and certainly well well versed in Greek history and culture. He definitely blew life into the experience.
Kostas was a huge presence on our trip. We all grew to love him. He was knowledgeable, caring, professional, patient with us, and made the trip memorable. I envy anyone going on another venture with him!
Kostas is a superstar whose passion for his homeland, attention to detail, care for the needs of his clients, and depth of knowledge of the area all made an unforgettable experience!
Kostas is exceptional. How he professionally handled 14 people of mixed skills and personalities is still a wonder to me.You are fortunate to have him on your roster of guides.
Kostas is a great leader, knows everything and everyone, warm, hearty, and fun to hike with.
Kostas was an awesome guide. I loved his personality and command of the trip. You can tell he is grounded and familiar with the area.
Terrific trip. Kostas is a superb guide with enthusiasm for all things Greek.
Kostas embodied the spirit and hospitality of Greece. Next to him, I was the group's best eater. The food of Greece was spectacular!
Kostas was fun, knowledgable and concerned about the trip participants. He did everything possible to make the trip a success. And it was!
If Greece had a Mt. Rushmore it would include Plato, Aristotle, Zorba, and Kostas! Need I say more.
Kostas's vast knowledge of the land and history, both ancient and recent, was amazing. He kept us entertained the entire trip. Awesome guide!
We love this wise man, this natural host, this adventurer, this man of Greece.
It;s difficult to find words to capture my appreciation, awe, and affection for Kostas. The stories of his amazing life kept us enthralled on the spectacular trails and many evenings over a local wine or raki.
Kostas really made this trip very special and allowed us to really see the true Greece! His knowledge of history was just fabulous.
Kostas is a "larger-than-life" individual with a passion for his country and its people. He inspired confidence, and I would not hesitate to take another trip that he was leading.
Kostas' passion for Greece and the islands we visited was wonderful and make the trip so much fun!
I can't say enough positive things about Kostas—he was awesome. He has so much knowledge of the history and culture that he shared and that was a big part of the fun of the trip.
Kostas has so much experience and such depth of knowledge, both of which greatly enhanced our trip. Also, he devoted much attention to having us experience Greek cuisine. We sampled over 162 types of food!
Kostas handled everything beautifully. He was a great guide to the terrain, food, architecture, and history. He kept us smiling! His obvious love for the area and pride in its people were delightful.
Kostas helped make the trip. He has friends everywhere, has an outgoing personality and wealth of experience, and answered all manner of questions, from identifying strange plants to geologic formations to the history of settlements on the islands.
Kostas was one of the best leaders we've had on an adventure travel trip. It's a lot of fun hiking with an expert in his own backyard. He knows the specialties of each dining establishment and made sure we got a taste of everything.
Kostas was personable, knowledgeable, flexible, and very able. I enjoyed his insight on life and humor.
Kostas is a star! We had such an outstanding experience and felt extremely well taken care of while in Greece.
Kostas was great, a true professional. I always felt we were in good hands. He knowledge of the history, terrain, and local conditions was exceptional.
Kostas is a great guide, and lots of fun. We had a great group of hikers, too!
Kostas is largely responsible for making this an exceptional trip. He is a true character and absolutely delightful.
Kostas was fantastic! I cannot say enough good things about him. His biggest concern was our overall happiness and satisfaction with the trip. He went above and beyond any expectations of a trip leader. I have been traveling extensively for more than 10 years and have never met a better guide.
Kostas Vasileiou is a truly great trip leader. If all your leaders are like this, you have a great crew.
Kostas Vasileiou is a charming, witty, personable guy. He totally made the trip. You can’t find better than Kostas.
Kostas Vasileiou is probably the best trip leader I have met so far and I have been doing active trips for the past 20 years. His experience as a guide is exceptional and he is one of the most amazing people I have ever met.
Kostas Vasileiou was an amazing man who desired to show us the country of Greece from the inside out. Wonderful!
Kostas was a marvelous leader, a great historian, very interested in the well being of the trip members. His drive and passion to show us the best of Greece was evident.
Kostas is an excellent leader. Personable, knowledgeable, smart, funny, generous spirit. What more would a traveler want?
