Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Ios all across 10 days, what a dream!!!
It feels like forever since we were in the sun, sipping on cocktails (a year in-fact since our dreamy adventure in Gran Canaria) so our trip to Greece couldn’t have come sooner.
Although I enjoy planning and mapping out our trips (very obsessed would be an understatement) and the freedom that comes along with travelling on our own, we instead opted to go through a tour group for our Greece holiday. We weren’t just travelling as a couple this time but instead with two friends too and with that in mind we thought a tour would be a bit more ‘social’ and also gives us the opportunity to relax knowing someone is literally taking care of every aspect of the trip from accommodation to ferry transfers restaurant bookings etc.
Tour Company, Costings & What’s Included
We booked the ‘Best of Greece’ 10 Day tour through Travel Talk, a company we had heard so much about since moving to the UK. We found they were the most competitive in price (they often have 40% off or 241 deals so look out for these), we fitted in-between the normal 20-30 age group and most of the travellers are Kiwis and Aussies so it’s a given we will all fit in!
All up we paid £680 (£490 for the tour plus a £190 local payment on arrival). The tour included all our hotel accommodation, daily breakfasts and bus/ferry transfers to each of the islands + two amazing Greek tour guides, Kostas and Kostis which really made this trip the best.
Day 1:
Hello Athens
Through this 10-Day tour, you only have one full day in Athens so because of this we organised to arrive a day prior to give us that extra bit of time to explore and get in early on the tanning #priorities
Accommodation
We stayed at The President Hotel which is a 5-star beauty. Absolutely loved our stay here, a fabulous rooftop pool overlooking Athens City, cheap bakery across the road which sold delicious homemade Greek food and just a short walk to the Metro giving you easy access to the whole City Centre.
Mount Lycabettus
Our Airbnb host recommended us to take a short trip up to Mount Lycabettus before we overindulged in the cocktails and sunshine. We hadn’t heard about this place before but soon discovered it to be the highest point in the City offering spectacular views.
Approx 40 minute walk from our hotel, in the sweltering heat we decided to purchase a ticket up to the cable car rather than walk and the views didn’t disappoint. A one-way ticket cost 5 euro and a return is 7 euro – you can pay/collect at the shop entrance. From experience, I would recommend just purchasing the one-way ticket (we brought a return but ended up walking down which was a lovely walk).
At the top point, you will find the Chapel of St George, it is super cute and you can go inside for a peep. In front of this chapel is the beautiful viewing point offering panoramic views of the city which also provided us with our first real glimpse of the Acropolis and the Parthenon.
If you come up at lunch or in the evening make the most of the trip and dine in at Lycabettus Hill Restaurant where you will be able to see the city lit up at night while you eat, talk about romantic!
Tour Introduction
In the evening we met with our tour group for an orientation of the 10 days ahead. This was run by our two guides Kostas and Kostis, both Greeks who live and have grown up in Athens. We were talked through all the must-try foods and travel facts of our trip. In all honesty, we couldn’t have asked for better tour guides, we really hit the jackpot. They knew the ins and outs of every city like the back of their hands gave great food/drink recommendations which is always a must and could party longer than all of us, I don’t think they ever stopped!
Athens Food Recommendation
For our first dinner in Greece, we headed to Piatsa Kalamaki which hand on heart, made the best Gyros I have tasted throughout our trip to Greece. Their Pork Gyro with bacon sauce just melted in my mouth, so for the love of God, make sure you go here and order it!!!
We had lunch at Kandavlos which was a recommendation from Kostas and Kostis. They said it was a family-owned restaurant where they tend to visit every week. This restaurant is just a short 10-15 minute walk from the City Centre. Super cheap you literally pay 2.8 euro for a gyro, big portions and lovely atmosphere.
Day 2 Athens:
Athens City & Acropolis
Up at 8am to make the most of the buffet breakfast (Greek breakfast consists of cheese pies, spinach pies and even cakes, SOGOOD!!) before hopping on the bus for a tour of the city. As we made our way to the famous Acropolis we stopped at the following places:
- Academy of Athens – This building was built in 1926 and is a major landmark in Athens. Stunning architecture with statues of Plato, Socrates and Athena among the fruit trees at the entrance.
- Panathenaic Stadium – Such a historic attraction and the only stadium in the world built completely of marble! The first opening and closing of the Olympics were also hosted here. You can buy tickets through the link above or on arrival which cost 7 euro per person.
- Parliament House – Here we saw our first Greek guards! If you can visit on a Sunday that would be best as they will be dressed in the traditional white kilt uniforms) Mon-Sat they are dressed in their service uniforms) and at 11am they also do the grand changing of the guards which would be a must that we, unfortunately, missed out on!
After visiting the three stops we then headed to the Acropolis. 20 euro for our tickets (students only 5 euro so bring your ID if you have one). We walked up with our tour group and had our own local guide who delved into detail about each of the buildings. We spent just over an hour here getting photos, walking around and simply taking in all our surroundings.
*Word of advice: Practical Footwear!
Don’t do what I did and wear pretty sandals here. By all means, give it a shot but you have been warned.. with the whole surface basically made of marble you will either slip or nearly slip the entire visit (speaking from experience!).
City Centre
Next up was the Athens City Centre, we walked down to Monastiraki Square which was filled with live music, fresh fruit carts, markets, cafes and restaurants. It had such a cool vibe which we hadn’t yet experienced in Athens. We devoured yet another Gyros for lunch, brought some gelato and walked the streets of Athens before heading back to the hotel for an early night in.
Day 3:
Hello Mykonos!
We quickly said goodbye to the city life with an early 6am start to get the bus to our ferry port we made our way to MYKONOS, our first of three islands. It was a long 5-hour ferry – luckily we had comfy seats and managed to sleep most of the way. The ferry was a lot larger than we had expected (we literally thought we would be on a tiny little boat that just fitted our tour group), it instead had cafes and restaurants onboard too – our only regret with this journey was that we didn’t pack a lunch bag to take on the ferry and instead lunch set us back about 20 euro (and it really wasn’t worth it)!
5 hours later, we were here! Off the ferry like a cattle of cows (literally, the port was packed!) we headed to our bus for a 5-minute journey to our accommodation for the next 2 nights. Here we had our first glimpse of the white buildings, coloured door frames and ocean views I finally felt like I was in Greece – holiday mode has officially started!
Mykonos Accommodation
We stayed at Alex Hotel which had gorgeous views of the Aegan Sea and a rooftop pool which you bet we made the most of before our first night out. The hotel is located in Tourlos Village – looking at prices for this hotel it’s definitely cheap for Mykonos but its because you aren’t necessarily in the heart of the Town, instead of a 15-minute walk or 5-minute drive. We had a supermarket just a short 5-minute walk down the road and a rather expensive restaurant, The Compass next door. All in all this hotel was a great place to stay although next time we are travelling in Greece I will book us to stay in the little Venice town as that’s where all the life is!
Mykonos Sunset
Leaving our hotel around 7pm we bussed to Little Venice Town to spend an hour or so wandering the streets making our way to the Windmills for the ultimate sunset view.
Our sunset spot was in prime position, located on a little hill perched up next to the iconic windmills. We also got the opportunity to fly our drone here and got some incredible pictures of the town and ocean views. This is definitely the best place to capture the sunset in Mykonos – add it to the list!
Dinner Time – the first of many late dinners as we shortly discovered its normal to eat from about 8pm at the earliest?! We had seats reserved at a local restaurant, enjoyed a cold beer, ordered the most delicious Calamari I have ever had (really made the most of being next to the ocean) and shared a meat platter for 2 which we didn’t come close to finishing at all. On that note, be prepared for big portions in Greece, they feed you ALOT!
It was a truly beautiful night followed by a full tummy! We were all in high spirits which had us all keen to hit up the nightlife of Mykonos! Maracuja Night Club was where the night started with 2 4 1 cocktails you really couldn’t complain and it seemed there was no end to Happy Hour – it literally continued the entire night and ended with a blur.
Day 4:
Little Venice
With no set activity for the day, we opted to spend our morning soaking up as much of Mykonos Town as we could before heading out to Paradise Beach and meeting the others in our tour group for the famous beach party.
We quickly learnt why the town is called Little Venice, every corner looking like the one we left behind, Our tour guides insisted we stick together as we headed to the sunset as the design of Little Venice was basically one gigantic maze – we soon discovered that the Greeks intention was to design the town this way to confuse pirates who would dock onto the island. I can confirm they did a very good job because on our second day Jarrod and I were literally running round in circles of confusion ha!
Wandering through Little Venice town has to be one of my favourite memories of this trip. Seeing all the beautiful right pink flowers, the blue shutters, the white houses and shops I was in absolute awe and felt as though I had just stepped onto one of the Mama Mia sets. We looked at all the local art, devoured another gyros, purchased a magnet and postcard and just enjoyed walking along the water and getting lost in the streets.
As we explored the village we also stopped in at at the most photographed church in Mykonos ‘Panagia Paraportiani‘ which is famous for its unusual shape and architecture.
Paradise Beach Club
What an eventful day this was. Paradise Beach was lined with bars and clubs with the beach filled with sunbeds and loud music it was such a party vibe, we loved it! As we were visiting prior to the busy tourist season we were lucky enough to use the sunbeds free of charge – these usually cost a hefty 20 euro so with that in mind its good to arrive early and find space to set up for the day. We lounged around for a couple of hours, walked the beach, ordered a couple of drinks and at 4pm headed into one of the main clubs for the party to start.
Before we knew it there was a live DJ, we were drinking out of buckets, taking complimentary shots and dancing/singing along with at least a hundred people having the time of our lives. Cocktails were 12 euro for 2 and were delicious, more like a slushy cocktail which was much needed in the heat and all too easy to drink! I think the photo below speaks for itself… me and my girls!
After 3 hours of partying which went waaaay to fast, it was now 7pm and our bus to take us back to the hotel had arrived, we were assured by Kostas that the party dies down at about 8pm so was best to head back now Finished the evening with a dip in the hotel pool and headed for dinner at Compass. Mykonos you were truly something else.
Day 5:
Hello Santorini!
Leaving the hotel at 9am, bussing to the port and then catching the ferry to Santorini we arrived at our new accommodation for the next two nights; New Haroula Hotel in Fira at approx midday. A short 5-minute walk gets you to the Fira city centre, the location of this hotel was perfect. After unpacking and getting our swimming gear together we were back on the bus and on route to Kamari Beach which we have heard as being one of the best black sand beaches in Santorini and a must see spot for any tourist of course.
Kamari beach has a strip full of restaurants which had our eyes lit up as we hadn’t yet eaten for the day but my god the variety and selection made it very hard to choose from. The locals all eager to give you a deal so don’t be shy to see what’s on offer. A group of three on our tour paid 45 euro and got a meat platter, Greek salad and unlimited wine so it’s definitely worth the visit for the food and drink alone not to mention the sunbeds that come with the restaurants and the locals walking around offering massages for 20 euro it was truly heavenly. We enjoyed some delicious seafood, a gyro and pasta whilst spending the afternoon relaxing on the sunbeds and walking along the beach third food coma of the trip I think!
Kamari Beach
Kamari beach has a strip full of restaurants which had our eyes lit up as we hadn’t yet eaten for the day but my god the variety and selection made it very hard to choose from. The locals all eager to give you a deal so don’t be shy to see what’s on offer. A group of three on our tour paid 45 euro and got a meat platter, Greek salad and unlimited wine so it’s definitely worth the visit for the food and drink alone not to mention the sunbeds that come with the restaurants and the locals walking around offering massages for 20 euro it was truly heavenly. We enjoyed some delicious seafood, a gyro and pasta whilst spending the afternoon relaxing on the sunbeds and walking along the beach third food coma of the trip I think!
It’s worth spending a full day at this beach but being short on time and wanting to catch the sun-setting in Fira we headed off to a gorgeous viewpoint as we made our way back to the hotel.
Rofitis Ilias Mountain
Somehow the bus managed to drive all the way to the top of this peak and not going to lie, I was in complete panic mode looking out the window at the cliff and the very, very narrow roads ahead. At least it was a good photo opp hey (well perhaps if the clouds had buggered off)! A quick shower and outfit change with a 5-minute walk up the road we were in the centre of Fira. We all brought a couple of drinks from one of the corner shops and looked out towards the ocean as we got to watch our second beautiful sunset of the trip. The centre was fairly busy and I can only imagine just how packed it would become in the June-August months, which makes me think, although we may not have come in the hottest of months we really did time this trip perfectly in terms of the number of tourists.
Fira Sunsets and Dinner
A quick shower and outfit change with a 5-minute walk up the road we were in the centre of Fira. We all brought a couple of drinks from one of the corner shops and looked out towards the ocean as we got to watch our second beautiful sunset of the trip. The centre was fairly busy and I can only imagine just how packed it would become in the June-August months, which makes me think, although we may not have come in the hottest of months we really did time this trip perfectly in terms of the number of tourists.
We spent a decent hour taking snaps, walking through the town, indulging in more Greek food before saving ourselves for an activity-packed day that was planned out for tomorrow. How gorgeous is the sunset?!? take me back!
Day 6:
Quad Biking Santorini
I have a giant smile on my face whilst I write about Day 5 as it had to be our favourite day of the trip. Quad biking the island of Santorini had always been on our bucket list and today was the day we got to experience it all. I must say, I think we fit right in with the locals with this look… very tempting to buy our own!
Quad bike hire came to 30 euro and we had to put petrol in which came to 6 euro – I was pleasantly surprised with this price as expected us to be paying that each, so if you have two sharing its only 20 each max. You shouldn’t need to book in advance, every corner you turn basically has a quad bike store for rental hire. All we needed to provide was our NZ Drivers License.
Below are where we stopped throughout the day:
Quad Biking Stops
Four incredible spots on today’s venture, all offering something different. Driving around the island taking in the many wineries, the clear ocean, the volcanic mountains and the experience of driving quad bikes for the day was the icing on the cake. Noted below the places we stopped:
STOP 1: Oia
STOP 2: Pyrgos
STOP 3: Red Beach
STOP 4: The Lighthouse of Akotiri
By the time we got back to Fira we were shattered, we had a relax, watched another gorgeous sunset and ordered some Greek takeaways to indulge in whilst drinking by the pool for the evening, can’t get much better than that!
Day 7 & 8:
Hello Ios!
On our way to island #3, it was an early start to make the ferry trip from Santorini to Ios which took just under 2 hours.
Ios Accommodation
Now I’m going to write a brief bit about our hotel for ya’ll because it was so ideal and had to be the favourite from the trip. We were staying at Hermes Hotel. The owner was hilarious and loved the All Blacks (he even has an All Black tattoo on his leg) so immediately we loved him of course.
The location was also perfect, it was bang smack in the middle of the beautiful beach and the town and on top of this had views for days, we fell in love! The hotel had a great pool, a bar which served delicious cocktail slushie buckets and delicious food – homemade burgers as if you were at Subway (you pick the bread, the salads etc.) and the breakfast buffets include spinakopita, cheese pie and even deserts.. on top of this, the breakfast starts at 10am which meant sleep in time which I was all over!
Mylopotas Beach
After checking in and unpacking etc. we went on a short 10-minute walk down to Mylopotas Beach to have our first ocean dip for the trip and it was well worth the wait. This beach, in particular, is actually one of the longest stretches of sand beaches in Greece. We set ourselves up on the sunbeds and spent a few hours relaxing, eating and drinking, it was brilliant. Along this beach, you will find a little supermarket, bakery and a few restaurants.
Alternatively, for lunch or a swim, you can follow the beach around to Far Out Beach where they also have lots of clubs and is more of a party area!
Explore Chora
In the evening we dressed up, went out for a group dinner before doing one fabulous bar crawl – I couldn’t believe how packed the clubs were, we started in a club called Soho, went onto Slammers and the rest is a bit of a blur but it was such a fun night, the party scene in Ios is one to remember.
We also came back here the following day to explore the beautiful town and do some local shopping which I would definitely recommend, they have the cutest beach shops, good gelato and of course delicious food.
Holiday mode relaxing
A day of relaxation, just what we was waiting for. We spent our day sipping cocktail slushy buckets by the pool soaking in all the rays and I loved every minute. It was so refreshing to just blob out for a bit and do absolutely nothing.
As it got to about 7pm we met the group at the hotel and headed back to the town to see our lucky last sunset in Greece. Once in the town, we walked up to a church and then kept walking up, up and up some more as we reached a little hill. This offered probably the best sunset views we have had across the week. We got our own little spot on the edge of a rock and watched the sun slowly disappear behind the mountain ahead as it reflected onto the water it was on fire and truly beautiful.
We finished off the night with a cheap Gyro before packing it in and sleeping off our lazy day.
Final Sunset
As it got to about 7pm we met the group at the hotel and headed back to the town to see our lucky last sunset in Greece. Once in the town, we walked up to a church and then kept walking up, up and up some more as we reached a little hill. This offered probably the best sunset views we have had across the week. We got our own little spot on the edge of a rock and watched the sun slowly disappear behind the mountain ahead as it reflected onto the water it was on fire and truly beautiful.
We finished off the night with a cheap Gyro before packing it in and sleeping off our lazy day.
Day 9:
Return to Athens
As we had booked the 10 Day Travel Talk Trip it meant we started and ended in Athens which I was so thankful for as was a lot easier to organise flights and we saved on the expensive ferry costs! We were on the ferry set for a trip to Ios and then onto Athens, it was going to be a long day totalling 5 hours on the sea but the seats were comfy and we had the laptop set up with our recent downloaded Netflix programs so were sorted.
We were back at the President Hotel for the night which we were both very happy about as the beds were so comfy and we were just wanted a night of lounging around before getting back to the hustle and bustle of London Town.
& That’s A Wrap
Our first Travel Talk tour was awesome and would definitely recommend to any solos, couples or groups travelling – it really is suitable for anyone, it’s cheap, comes with good accommodation, excellent tips and amazing groups of people. I’m already planning out our Morocco and Egypt tour with them for next year!
