Your trip begins in Athens. Ancient and modern, with equal measures of grunge and grace, bustling Athens is a heavy mix of history and edginess. The historic center is an open-air museum, yet the city's cultural and social life takes place amid these ancient landmarks, merging past and present. The magnificent Acropolis rises above the sprawling metropolis and has stood witness to the city's transformation.
In the afternoon we will meet at our hotel and after a brief orientation meeting, we'll set off to explore the old part of this lively city. To conclude the night, we will have our first dinner together in a traditional Greek restaurant while getting to know each other in eager anticipation of our adventure.
Overnight in Athens in a 4* hotel
Dinner included
No matter how many photographs you've seen, nothing can prepare you for seeing in person the Acropolis standing after thousands of years. Alongside a specialized guide explore the archeological site and later enrich your experience with a visit to the long-awaited new Acropolis museum.
In the afternoon drive to the port of Rafina and embark the ferry to the island of Andros. On this lush island, spring tends to be a feature of each village and waterfalls cascade down hillsides most of the year. Our hotel is located in the handsome main town of Andros, also known as Chora, which is a ship-owner enclave packed with neoclassical mansions.
Overnight in Andros town in a boutique hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Driving distance:
Athens center to Rafina port 30 km / 50 min
Port of Andros to Andros Town 30 km / 1 hr
Ferry:
Rafina to Andros 17:30-19:30
This hike is really a must on the island of Andros. We walk steep ancient paths connecting the main town with the village of Menites. On this hike you get a marvellous impression of the large valleys above Chora, with beautiful views of the town itself. It also brings you to one of the wateriest spots on the island with the wonderful valley of Menites.
In the afternoon, stroll on the narrow streets of Andros town, home of famous Greek captains and ship owners, with a remarkable combination of medieval, neoclassical and island style evident in its houses. Flights of stairs, a spacious square with trees, narrow streets, remarkable churches and museums, shops, cafes and restaurants play their part in the beauty of the place.
Overnight in Andros town in a boutique hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Hiking distance: 11,5 km / Hiking Duration: 4 hr
Today's hike is a beautiful circular route with lush vegetation, passing through major settlements of seamanship and rural Andros, parallel to Pythara ravine. From Andros town we ascend along one of the most beautiful cobblestone paths of the island, towards the village of Apikia and the views along our route will take your breath away. From there, the paved footpath descends with destination Gyalia Beach and alongside the river we cross a verdant landscape with oaks, olive and walnut trees, leading to a traditional restored olive press, the Bistis-Mouvelas Tower and Stenies, a seafarer's village.
Overnight in Andros town in a boutique hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Hiking distance: 9,8 km / Hiking Duration: 4 hr
Don't you just love it when you stumble across a local's secret spot when travelling. Well, here's one more to add to the list: Tinos island in Greece. All the fascination is hidden in the more than forty extraordinarily well preserved villages, in the stone huts, in the architectural details of the unique dovecotes, in the "handmade" terraces that cover the whole island.
Early in the afternoon drive to Pyrgos, a historical village with great tradition in marble carving where even the cemetery is a feast of that fine art. From Pyrgos we will do a short hike to the seaside village of Panormos while the fragrant sea air and gentle climate of the island will refresh our spirits.
Overnight in Tinos town in a boutique hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Hiking distance: 2 km / Hiking Duration: 1 hr
Driving distance:
Andros Town to Port of Andros 30 km / 1 hr
Tinos town to Pyrgos Village 23 km / 40 min
Panormos village to Tinos Town 27 km / 50 min
Ferry:
Andros to Tinos 9:30-11:00
Falatados village is located in the rugged interior of the island, which is largely untouched by mass tourism. A dreamy mosaic of sleepy villages, terraced vineyards and fertile valleys, dotted with tiny chapels and dovecotes. With Falatados as a starting point, hike an ancient footpath shaded by plane trees, following the course of a brook and head towards Livada beach. There, massive breakers have battered the rocks, whipping them into weird shapes by the north wind. Locals have developed their own Beaufort scale to measure the winds: kapelato will blow your kapelo (hat) off, kareklato will knock you off your karekla (chair), and trapezato will blow over the whole trapezi (table).
Overnight in Tinos town in a boutique hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Hiking distance: 12 km / Hiking Duration: 5 hr
Driving distance:
Tinos town to Falatados village 13 km / 20 min
Falatados village to Tinos town 13 km / 20 min
The village of Volax is like a habitat for hobbits. Cottages crouch among smooth round boulders which tumble down the mountain like giant bowling balls. Nobody knows how these peculiar rock formations evolved. Some say there was a volcanic eruption; others claim that meteorites rained down from the sky. The 20th-century Greek philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis simply concluded that Tinos was "not made by human hand".
From Volax hike to the imposing rock of Exombourgo, with its medieval castle on top of it and then descend towards the town through the Venetian trail that many centuries ago already connected the harbor and the fortress. Later in the afternoon and after lunch take the ferry to the nearby island of Syros, the biggest naval center of Greece in the 19th century which rests on the glory of its past greatness.
Overnight in Syros town in a boutique hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Hiking distance: 7 km / Hiking Duration: 3 hr
Driving distance:
Tinos town to Volax village 13 km / 20 min
Ferry:
Tinos to Syros 15:00-16:00
Syros is the Ermoupolis! Once Venice's prized Aegean colony, at that time Greece's biggest port, is spread across two hills, one crowned with a Greek Orthodox church, the other with a Roman Catholic church' a legacy of the Italians, who have also made their mark on the architecture. Ermoupolis certainly remains one of the most beautiful towns in Greece and is characterized by gorgeous neoclassical mansions and 19th-century tenement blocks. In the morning we will explore its labyrinthine alleyways and we will talk about the history of this fascinating city.
Later in the afternoon we will hop again on a ferry towards Athens, where we are going to have our farewell dinner.
Overnight in Athens in a 4* hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Driving distance:
Piraeus port to Athens center 10 km / 30 min
Ferry:
Syros to Piraeus port 16:00-20:00
Breakfast is at your leisure at the hotel and following that, your Tripin Adventures trip in Greece concludes. Transfer independently from our accommodations in Athens to the international airport for return flights home or continue exploring one of Europe's oldest cities.
Breakfast included
We are constantly updating our unique itineraries based on new information and experiences available. The walks, accommodations, and visits listed may be adjusted. The itineraries presented are subject to modification and change by Tripin Adventures. We reserve the right, without penalty, to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in our judgment, conditions warrant, or if we deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of participants, anything not mentioned in above program.
