11-Day Luxuries of Greece in Winter

What to expect on this itinerary
This 11-day Greece tour of Athens, Crete, and Thessaloniki leaves little to the imagination as a series of guided excursions and leisurely days offer you a balanced approach to exploring this country. Perhaps, no better ambassador exists for the colorful history and culture of the Mediterranean world than Greece. By the time the sun sets on your visit, lifelong memories will be just one of the many treasures you enjoy.
Customizable Itinerary
Athens – The Beating Heart of Greece
Romantic temples and ancient ruins will be yours to enjoy on your visit to the Greek capital. Athens is considered to be the birthplace of democracy as well as a host of other fundamental political and cultural pillars of the Western world. A transfer will meet you at the airport today, and as you make your way from the outskirts of Athens to the city center, the buildings will get progressively older around you until you see the ancient roots of this modern metropolis. An evening at your leisure awaits you upon arrival at your hotel.
What's Included:
Athens – Through the Athenian Ages
Crete – Wine Tasting Experience
Crete – Plunge into Greek Paradise
Crete – Greece's Gastronomic Greatness
Thessaloniki – Orientation in Macedonia
Thessaloniki – Flavors of the Gulf
Thessaloniki – Charting Your Own Course
Thessaloniki – A Variety of Options
Athens – Basking in Thermal Bliss
Athens – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Munch your way through a guided food tour, during which the various flavors of Greece's famous wine and cheese traditions will be yours to enjoy
- Stand in the shadow of the Parthenon, where ancient Greeks once worshipped their gods and constructed vast temples in their honor
- Scan the horizon from atop the Acropolis, where you will be able to enjoy thrilling panoramas and exquisite architecture
- Witness the proud traditions of Cretan ceramics on a trip to an artisan's workshop where the workmen will happily demonstrate their skill at pottery
- Stroll the scenic beauty of Chania at sunset as the light casts a pink hue on the Aegean sea and the whitewashed neighborhoods of this charming village
- Plunge into the vibrant culture of Thessaloniki on a tour of the city center, including the charming open-air markets where you can practice your bargaining skills
- Bask in the thermal bliss of a relaxing visit to the Pozar Baths where visitors have access to any number of massages, treatments, or pools
- Chart your own course through this Greek environment on a leisurely that presents you with a variety of active options
- Take to the streets on an evening in Thessaloniki to see the famous Greek nightlife on display through the late-night restaurants, convivial bars, and thrilling clubs
Starting Price
$10,600 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 143 reviews
It was our family's first time visiting Greece. We've always wanted to see the country and there were so many good things we'd heard about Greece.
There were a couple of things that made this trip very special. First, our youngest daughter's request for her 16th birthday was to go as a family and celebrate it in Greece. Second, none of us had ever been to Greece (on our previous trips, either my husband and/or I had been there or it was our family's second time there), so experiencing it together for the first time was really special.
Zicasso gave us two very good Greek travel companies. Both presented interesting itineraries to us. It was a year of planning and I'd gone back and forth with both travel companies with revisions of itineraries and, of course, the cost.
What made us choose this travel company was that the specialist was very honest, upfront, and very accommodating. He gave his honest opinion when I asked him about certain excursion activities or even restaurants (social media makes it really look good, especially for people who have not been there), and he did not pressure or force us into doing activities that did not interest us. He wanted to make sure we got to experience the best, but he was also very mindful of the costs. I had many back and forth conversations with him via texts, emails, or phone calls. He wanted to get to know our family. When I told him about our daughter's 16th birthday requests, he made sure he got every detail of what would make her birthday special. He also asked me about the interests of our eldest daughter because he wanted to surprise her with something special from Greece. That says a lot about the travel specialist and his company; they are personal and it's not just pure business for them.
A few days before we left the US, he called us so we could reschedule our flights (Santorini to Athens) to an earlier time going back home because he was concerned we may miss our connecting flights. Who does that? This just shows he checks every detail and wanted to make sure that even before we left the US, up to the time we arrived back home, everything was taken care of.
We had the best vacation in Greece. We did not worry about anything the entire time. The travel company was in constant communication with us. They created a WhatsApp group chat which made it so much easier. They gave us daily reminders and they arranged everything for us. We felt that the entire trip was customized for our family. The "Mamma Mia" island tour and birthday celebration for our daughter was perfect. The restaurant in Kolios was a great recommendation, and when I asked him to reserve the specific table and have a little birthday decoration for my daughter, it was accomplished.
Chania was amazing; both me and my husband loved this place. The view from our hotel room on Zampeliou Street, overlooking the old harbour and the Cretan Sea with the lighthouse, was breathtaking. We enjoyed walking through the streets of the Old Town of Chania.
We thought Santorini would be overcrowded, but we had a great tour guide who knew where to take us first to avoid crowds, and he gave us really helpful advice to go around the island. He took us to the little hidden alleys and showed how locals live. We ended up really loving the island.
We enjoyed every activity planned for us. We enjoyed our stay at our hotels. Mine and my husband's favorite were the hotel in Kalamata and the one in Chania. We really liked the view of the Acropolis from our rooms at the hotel in Athina, and that hotel was very convenient. We also enjoyed their breakfast there. The girls enjoyed the hotel in Skiathos because of how close it was to the beach, and they loved the "Mamma Mia" boat tour.
We each have our own favorite activities/tour/tour guides, but overall, our family had an amazing time in Greece – the way the travel agent and the entire team did a phenomenal job. The way the itinerary was put together and the timing for each place/island was just perfect for us. They exceeded our expectations. We fell in love with Greece, the culture, and the people, who were all so kind, nice, and very hospitable (not once did we have a bad encounter). We will definitely go back; there is so much more to explore and we'll definitely be working with this travel company in the future.
We only have good things to say about our Greece vacation and we highly recommend this travel agency. We've been to other countries and worked with other travel companies. In our opinion, this one was the best travel company we've ever worked with.
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Hello, Zicasso and our travel company. We cannot say enough good things about our trip to Greece and the excellent service from you!
Our travel agent was our primary contact for the majority of the planning of the trip and we had excellent assistance from her team. All of them were fantastic in every way, providing us assurance that we were listened to for what we wanted. They also provided us well-informed guidance on what we did not know, but needed to make the best decisions for our trip. They were genuinely invested in us having a memorable experience with their caring tone and patience, especially being available to answer our questions, and always doing it promptly and thoroughly.
Our trip was absolutely seamless! We had a daily update the day prior via WhatsApp for the next day's agenda. All transfers were on time and courteous hosts educated us about Greece and got to know us personally. They supported us throughout the trip with restaurant recommendations and coordinating any other interests we had. For example, on our free day in Santorini, they helped us coordinate a day at the black-sand beach, which was relaxing and beautiful.
We absolutely loved Greece, from the charming streets of Chania to the deep, navy blue Aegean Sea on our day boat trip seeing all of Santorini and the bustling city of Athens, with the Acropolis and its rich history dating back to 2500 BC. And of course, the delicious fresh food wherever we were!
It was a fantastic, memorable experience for our family in a beautiful place that we will cherish. Thanks for all your team's work in making it so enjoyable and easy for our family! We will be sharing the experience we had with you with our friends, family, and co-workers, encouraging them to use your excellent services!
Thanks again.
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We had a wonderful trip, one of the best we have ever taken. The travel company was excellent, responsive, efficient, and always available to answer any questions.
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We had the most amazing trip to Greece, thanks to Zicasso's travel company! We spent time on Naxos, Santorini, and in Athens. The boutique hotels they booked for us were, in my opinion, five-star hotels. They were located in great, beautiful locations, the rooms were clean and spacious, and the staff at each were friendly and helpful. They also planned the perfect excursions for us based on information I shared about our family prior to the trip.
The biggest compliment I have for the travel company is how responsive and helpful they were prior to and throughout the whole trip. Due to a significant delay in our international flight, we were going to miss our connecting flight to Naxos. They rebooked us before we even arrived in Athens, taking the stress of missing that flight away. I reached out throughout the trip with questions or to ask for help with reservations, and they always responded immediately. I could relax and enjoy because they took care of everything. I would not hesitate to recommend them when planning a trip to Greece!
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We had exceptional service from Zicasso's tour agency and its staff.
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This was a fantastic experience with Zicasso's tour operator. From the help with the initial planning to the communication before and during the trip, everything was first class. It was so helpful to know what was coming next and have a driver to take us there and back.
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