Name: Luxury One-Week Greece Vacation
Brand: Zicasso
Rating: 4.924635845471817 (3158 reviews)

The Azure waters of the Milos promenade, one of the islands of the Western Cyclades

What to expect on this itinerary

The islands of the Western Cyclades will enchant you during your personalized Greece tour that will immerse you in charming villages with whitewashed homes overlooking azure waters. Explore Athens, travel Milos, and uncover the subtle jewels of Sifnos to bring the islands out from the shadows of their more famous neighbors. With a combination of history, relaxation, and culture you will have the grandeur of the Cyclades. Lounge on the beach, wander eclectic churches, take in unique landscapes, and enjoy antiquity at your leisure with the perfect island-hopping experience in Greece.

Countries Visited

Greece

Places Visited

Athens, Acropolis, Milos, Sifnos, Apollonia, Kilma Rock Dwellings, Kastro

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Day 1

Athens - Remarkable Historical Introductory Tour

The grandeur of Athens dates back more than 3,000 years including the flourishing strength of the Golden Age and the beauty that emerged from the unification of modern Greece in the nineteenth century. The city now acts as much as an entryway to the epic cultural wonders of classical antiquity as a gateway to breathtaking islands of sprouting from the Aegean Sea. Your private transfer will greet you at the Athens International Airport upon your flight’s arrival to escort you into the heart of the contemporary city.

Byzantine churches glint with golden mosaics and marble ancient sites gleam in the spreading sunlight. The scent of baklava drifts out of the local cafes while restaurants fill with the aroma of roast lamb. Your guide will greet you in the lobby of your hotel ready to immerse you in the enchanting history of Athens. The Temple of the Olympian Zeus was erected in the former Roman section of the city under the patronage of Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD.

The temple’s original size extended to nearly 135 feet wide by 354 feet long flanked by a double colonnade of eight columns. Standing in the shadow of the dramatic temple represents a design fitting for the king of the gods. You continue to the top of the Acropolis at the center of ancient life. The Parthenon is the most famous piece of architecture on the holy plateau and was erected between the fifth and fourth centuries BC. The sacred shrine paid homage to Athena, the patron goddess of the city with a design that would become the epitome of classical Greek style.

Transfer

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 2

Milos – Enjoy the Scenic Flight to Milos with the Day at your Leisure

In the morning, your private transfer will greet you in your hotel lobby and escort you to the airport for your flight to Milos. The volcanic Greek island is connected to the Cyclades archipelago with settlements dating back to early Christian times. The island is often overlooked for its more famous neighbor, Santorini, but the quiet streets and spectacular views of the shimmering crystal-clear azure waters reward visitors who have ventured slightly away from the beaten path.

Relax in the tranquil capital of Milos, Plaka, with marvelous views overlooking the Gulf of Milos. The sunlight will gleam against the whitewashed walls and colorful window frames that decorate the cobbled lanes. The archeological museum possesses a replica of the Venus de Milo, the famous ancient statue discovered on the island of Milos in 1820. The mouthwatering aroma of grilled seafood blends with the briny aroma of the sea breeze. The typical hilltop town of the Paka is located at 722 feet above sea level offering the best views of the island, as well as the thirteenth-century Venetian castle once protecting the island from pirates and Ottomans. Tiled alleyways lead to the picturesque church of Ypapanti of Christ, an alluring religious site built in the eighteenth century decorated with a coat of arms of the Duke of Naxos.

Transfer

Accommodation

Flight

Breakfast

Day 3

Milos – Indulge in the Luxuries of the Villages, Beaches, and History

Before the sunlight bakes the rugged interior of the island, you will set out on an early trek to the eroded rocks of Sarakiniko. Located on the northeastern edge of Milos, the lunar landscape strikes a unique contrast to the pebbled beaches captured in the snow-white rocks sloping towards the small caves. Wandering around the unique gray rocks highlights a different side of the island’s scenery juxtaposing with the relaxing sounds of the lapping water that leads into caves hidden beneath exposed flat boulders.

Exploring Milos will immerse you in the quiet pace and charming lifestyle of the island ranging from gorgeous beaches to ancient history leading you to the Catacombs of Tripiti village. The entire complex is located over 492 feet above sea level and encompasses one of the oldest Christian catacombs in the world. Archeologists believe approximately 5,000 people remain buried in the catacombs among the ancient etchings and conserved mosaics.

Far below the catacombs stands the syrmata, the island’s customary fishermen’s encampments. The lower-level contains brightly painted doors where locals store their boats during rough weather while the upstairs acts as the family home. Many of the structures remain in use but have been incorporated into the rocky landscape protecting the structure, boats, and people during rough weather. You will be able to explore, and do so as the pace of your choosing.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 4

Sifnos – Relish the Ferry to Sifnos for a Picturesque Relaxing Day

Before the ferry leaves for Sifnos, you can spend time at the famous Ancient Theater from which the Aphrodite of Milos was uncovered. The site was erected in the second century BC with the statue reflecting the symmetrical beauty and eye for detail of the ancient world. The theater could hold up 700 spectators with a recent renovation returning the spectacular acoustics to their original splendor in the Hellenistic Age. After some time spent at the theater, you will board the ferry and set sail across the cobalt waters of the Aegean Sea for a scenic journey before reaching Sifnos.

Upon approaching the small island, you will find the idyllic architecture of the Cyclades shining against the rugged mountainous terrain. As the smaller sister of Paros, the island contains a hidden allure in the shadow of the larger, more famous beaches. The charm quickly takes you in with active ceramicists, a refreshingly tranquil ambiance, and the aroma of fresh seafood crusted with fragrant herbs. With the remainder of the day at your leisure, you can step into the splendor of Kastro Village for a delightful look at the panoramic view that captures the Aegean Sea and the remains of the former castle established in the fifteenth century.

Narrow streets lead to small courtyards brimming bougainvillea and old mansions glint with bleached walls and blue window panes. Visit a local ceramics shop and studio for a unique perspective on the history of ceramics on the island and around Greece. The artist will explain how the clay-based soil and abundant year-round sunlight has helped pottery thrive in the area for around 3,000 years. Most historical ceramicists produced pots and water holders, but contemporary artists in Kastro continue the legacy by crafting plates, pots, and decorative vases.

Transfer

Accommodation

Cruise

Breakfast

Day 5

Sifnos – The Fascinating and Charming Island of Sifnos at your Pace

In the morning, the golden sunlight shines over the excavated hilltop acropolis first settled during the Mycenaean period in the thirteenth century BC. The sixteenth-century monastery of Panagia Chrissopigi was built atop a rock and has sustained an atmosphere of mystery and mysticism through the belief it hosts miraculous powers. The day is yours to explore and discover the beauty of Sifnos at your preferred pace by navigating the local towns or relaxing on the magnificent beaches.

Platis Gialos is the most famous beach on the island and is distinguished for its sunsets. Tavernas at the edge of the pebbled coastline fill the air with the aroma of the local cuisine while the whitewater gently curls against the strand. The sunbeds and umbrellas offer a place of refreshment on a small section of the 3,280-foot long beach wedged between the tufts of trees and calm waters. The sweeping view of the water is best with a cold, crisp drink on the gorgeous hot day. After spending time on the sand, you can wander the island in search of the 76 ancient towers that dot the landscape with each structure constructed between the sixth and third centuries BC hovering over buried shards of ancient pots.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast

Day 6

Athens – Return to Milos and Return to Athens on a Quick Scenic Flight

The town of Apollonia spreads across three neighboring hills connected by narrow streets glow with the whitewashed Cycladic houses opening to small public squares. Charming boutique shops open their doors to passersby, and the scent of Greek coffee drifts out of the local cafe terraces. The relaxing ambiance spreads through town and over the terraces climbing up the hillside. As the capital of the island, the structures take on the design of amphitheater shining against the towering summits in the background. Vineyards grow along the terraces and fields outside the town of Exabela leading to one of the 336 churches on the island.

In the late morning, your private transfer will escort you from the scenic lobby of your gorgeous accommodations to the port for your transfer back to Milos and your flight back to Athens. The city once again fills with the lively ambiance of the contemporary cafes, restaurants, and bars filling the Akropoli, which surrounds the New Acropolis Museum. The museum was designed to match the impressive stature of the neighboring Acropolis looking to the summit of the religious site crowned with the Parthenon. The upper floor contains the remarkable Parthenon Marbles which decorated the legendary structure as bas-reliefs retelling the impressive myths and legends prominent in ancient Greek life.

Transfer

Accommodation

Flight

Breakfast

Day 7

Athens – Depart for Home

In the late afternoon, visitors from around the world stand in Syntagma Square to view the celebrated Changing of the Guards. The ceremony takes place each hour with a grander celebration occurring on Sunday at 11 am in front of the stage of the Hellenic Parliament. The Royal Guard wears a uniform of red Evzone’s hats, black tuft, white shirt, and traditional shoes with nails attached to the sole. The colorful garments accentuate the synchronized movements of the guards both leaving their stations and the new sentinels taking their place in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After one last morning to take it all in, your private transfer will greet you in the comforts of your hotel lobby and escort you to Athens’s international airport for your flight home.

Transfer

Breakfast

Trip Highlights

Walk through ancient history when visiting the Acropolis in Athens, home to the legendary Parthenon
Indulge in the gorgeous golden sands and illustrious crystal-clear waters of the Aegean Sea on the island of Sifnos
Uncover the island of Milos and the archeological museum that highlights the discovery of the Venus de Milo in the nineteenth century
Embrace the legend of the 16th-century monastery of Panagia Chrissopigi as situated on a secluded islet surrounded by the Aegean Sea
Wander along the spectacular coastal landscape of Sarakiniko where whitewashed and gray flat rocks create coastal caves over placid water
Delight in the specific architectural design and distinctive display of artifacts inside the Acropolis Museum in Athens
Witness the impressive array of ancient design and engineering in the preserved columns of the Temple of the Olympian Zeus

Detailed Description

Island hopping across the Aegean Sea reveals the legendary beauty of the Cyclades during your 7-day Greece tour. The splendor of the Ancient Western World is rooted in the art, architecture, and philosophy scattered across the land and sea spreading from Athens to the Acropolis at Milos and the numerous churches of Sifnos. Villages, monasteries, and beaches become are ubiquitous along the hills and the island edges as marbled theaters. Volcanic islands and terraced vineyards utilize the unique geological features leading to the serene edges where the cliffs, sands, and pebbled coastlines touch crystal clear azure water.

Your incredible tour of Greece begins with your arrival in Athens. The capital city continues to illuminate the vast history of the country spanning more than 3,000 years. Whether visiting the Acropolis, exploring the National Museum, wandering through the Plaka, or discovering the collection of Byzantine churches, Athens displays the marvelous layers of its past with elegance taking you from the ancient foundations of the Acropolis to the spirit of a contemporary united Greece. Restaurants, cafés, and bars wind along cobbled streets in view of the Parthenon while the metro station at Syntagma Square literally displays the tiers of the city’s past.

Fly to the island of Milos, famous for its prevalent Cycladic charm and as the original home of the Venus de Milo. Small villages speckle the island alongside gorgeous beaches and the captivating ancient theater. The paradisiacal scenery touches a unique lunar landscape overlooking the idyllic sea in view of the picturesque villages of Plaka, Pollonia, and Klima. The neighboring island of Sifnos glows with traditional architecture and gentle crystal-clear water. Legend emanates from the monastery of Panagia Chrissopigi while the villages welcome you with narrow cobbled lanes and stone houses offering spectacular island views for a relaxing and refreshing ambiance. Greece is a region unlike any other; learn more by seeing how our partner Greece trip operators can personalize the experience for you.

Starting Price

$5,500 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

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.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 3158 reviews

Greece Tour Review: Athens, Naxos, Santorini, Akrotiri, Winery, Volcano, Walking Food Tour, 8 Nights

We had a wonderful experience with our Zicasso travel specialist while planning our vacation in Greece. We had a group that consisted of two families; in total, eight people. Our travel specialist gave us recommendations based on the types of activities we wanted to do and the types of islands we were hoping to experience.

We stayed two nights in Athens, three nights on Naxos, and three nights in Santorini. The accommodations were fantastic! Every tour guide and driver was helpful and so kind.

When we wanted to add a stop in Naxos for an impromptu lunch, our guide was happy to detour and bring us to a place with the best gyros that the locals really enjoy! Everyone made us feel at home. Thank you for a beautiful trip and all the lovely memories!

Greece Travel Review: Paros, Santorini, Private Sailing Experience, 9 Nights

Zicasso's travel expert was very professional. She answered all my questions promptly and made sure to book the tours and hotels that fit our needs. Highly recommend.

Greece Honeymoon Review: 11 Days

Our 11-day honeymoon in Greece was nothing short of magical—and we owe so much of that to our Zicasso travel specialist and the entire team at her company. From the very start, they worked within our budget and offered a flexible payment plan that made planning feel manageable and stress-free.

As our trip approached, we had a thorough planning call with our specialist. She walked us through every detail of our itinerary, which completely put us at ease. That level of preparation meant we could focus on enjoying the moment instead of worrying about logistics.

Once we landed in Athens, the travel company was just a WhatsApp message away. Anytime we had a question—no matter how small—they responded within minutes. That kind of real-time support made us feel cared for the entire time.

The accommodations they booked were absolutely out of this world. Each hotel felt handpicked just for us—luxurious, romantic, and incredibly welcoming. It was clear the company has strong relationships with local vendors because we were treated like royalty everywhere we went.

As a gay couple, we also appreciated how safe, inclusive, and celebrated we felt throughout the trip. Every detail was thoughtfully planned with us in mind.

We’d recommend our travel company 1,000 times out of 10. If you're planning a gay honeymoon—or any trip to Greece—look no further. This was truly the trip of a lifetime.

Greece Trip Review: History, Local Cuisine, Scenery, 2 Weeks

Zicasso's travel specialist and her company did an amazing job of planning the most incredible and memorable trip for my family of five.

Every detail was meticulously thought out and perfectly executed. Every transfer was spacious and, thankfully, air conditioned. Each boutique hotel booked was unique and beautiful, with stunning views and amenities offered. Every excursion with English-speaking guides was incredible. The guides were knowledgeable and super-friendly.

We can't thank our travel specialist and her team enough for this amazing trip. We have memories for a lifetime!! I highly recommend using her for your next trip to Greece or Europe.

Greece Family Vacation Review: Santorini, Athens, Chania, Skiathos, Acropolis, Catamaran Sunset Cruise, Boat Ride, Private Tour, Old Town, Culture, 13 Days

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.

Greece Trip Review: Athens, Naxos, Acropolis, Delphi, Meteora, 10-Day Tour

Zicasso's travel agent took great care of my family, planning an excellent trip, with revisions based on our interests, and was quick to respond to my emails. He took care of the necessary arrangements when the ferry was unexpectedly cancelled.

We stayed in beautiful hotels and enjoyed our tours with knowledgeable guides and drivers. Our trip to Delphi and Meteora was a highlight of our trip. We had a great driver there.

Highly recommend!

Zicasso in the News

Luxury One-Week Greece Vacation

What to expect on this itinerary

Countries Visited

Places Visited

Suggested Duration

Customizable Itinerary

Athens - Remarkable Historical Introductory Tour

Milos – Enjoy the Scenic Flight to Milos with the Day at your Leisure

Milos – Indulge in the Luxuries of the Villages, Beaches, and History

Sifnos – Relish the Ferry to Sifnos for a Picturesque Relaxing Day

Sifnos – The Fascinating and Charming Island of Sifnos at your Pace

Athens – Return to Milos and Return to Athens on a Quick Scenic Flight

Athens – Depart for Home

Trip Highlights

Detailed Description

Starting Price

What's Included

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