Spectacular Island Tour of Greece's Charm

What to expect on this itinerary
The Greek Islands are breathtaking and boast beautiful beaches as well as luxuriant landscapes for you to discover on this 9-day self-drive exploration from Crete to Naxos. Along the way, scenes of the spectacular seascape and moments of indulging in Ancient Greek heritage will fill you with an appreciation of the picturesque encounters and fascinating historical discoveries that await you.
Customizable Itinerary
Athens - A Picture of Greece
Gritty and glamorous in equal measure, Athens oozes with an authentic atmosphere and presents tourism highlights you will admire within minutes of landing. After transferring to your accommodation nestled in the foothills beneath the Acropolis, Greek culture will shine from the sunshine-flooded town squares and the fragrant eateries that dominate the city's streets. Along alleys that make up the Plaka district, you will bear witness to Greece’s blend of traditional design and contemporary flair.
What's Included:
Crete - Athens and Rethymno
Crete - Ghosts of Frangkokastello
Crete - Cretan Culture of Chania
Crete - Origins of the Minoans
Naxos - Naxos’ Neighborhoods
Naxos - Discover Naxos’ Villages
Naxos - Sailing across the Sea
Naxos - Departure
Trip Highlights
- Ascend the cliffs that loom over Athens on a guided tour of the monumental complex of the Acropolis, a treasure of Ancient Greek discoveries
- Explore the culture and heritage that emanate from the cobbled streets and age-old museums of Rethymno’s Old Town
- Self-drive across the luxuriant landscapes of Crete on a tour of Frangkokastello’s Venetian castle and the golden sands of Preveli Beach
- Unearth the origins of Cretan’s maritime heritage during visits to Chania’s Naval Museum and Venetian Lighthouse
- Transport back in time to the Bronze Age as you drive to the archeological site of Knossos, the cradle of Minoan civilization
- Spend moments of relaxation exploring the flowered neighborhoods of Naxos Island
- Cruise to the humble villages that surround Naxos on a self-guided exploration of the charming churches and multi-cultural monuments, from Koronos to Filoti
- Chart the sea that surrounds Naxos on a catamaran cruise, culminating with vistas of a staggering sunset over the island
Starting Price
$3,900 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 95 reviews
Me and my five friends did a girls' trip to Greece for 11 nights. I was nervous about planning a trip that far and did my research online. Zicasso received great reviews and I thought it was great to connect with a travel team in Greece. We worked with our travel agent for months to plan our trip of a lifetime. She took the time to listen to our needs with patience and also asked lots of questions to determine what the best itinerary for our vacation would be. She was amazing.
The transportation company that picked us up from locations and took us from hotel to hotel was amazing too.
We stayed in Athens the first few days and that was a great hotel. The rooms were spacious and we were right in the middle of town. We could walk anywhere we wanted to go, even to the Acropolis. We had wonderful tour guides, doing mostly private tours, and the guides felt like family at the end of our trip. We loved Athens, all the shopping and food and hustle and bustle of the city.
Our next adventure was Chania. That hotel was fabulous too. We loved the city and again, our hotel was within walking distance to everything. Our agent also provided us with ideas for restaurants the days we didn't have tours planned, as well as other things to see. Chania was one of our favorites, especially the tour of the 7 Villages of Apokoronas. What a beautiful tour, and we got to stop at a cheese factory, try cheese, hike, and learn about the olive trees and history. Our tour guide was amazing; so full of knowledge and such a wonderful and friendly personality.
Our next leg was the town of Rethymno. We loved it. It was so quaint and our hotel was the most beautiful boutique hotel, with so much history. We also did a walking tour of Rethymno Old Town and learned about the town and its historical places while snacking on Greek cookies and coffee. Our guide was amazing too. We had another private tour the next day of the Eleftherna and Rethymno villages, which were amazing to visit. Our agent kept us busy with lots of tours and we loved every minute of it.
We saw monasteries and also visited Heraklion, where we did a food and wine tour. That was so amazing too. The food in Greece and all the villages was also fresh and delicious. Every place we visited was fabulous. Our tour guide and his team did an amazing job.
We did a Heraklion Village tour and toured the Lasithi Plateau, which was beautiful. We stopped at a little café for coffee and ate lunch at a wonderful restaurant the tour company's owner suggested. It was the best food ever.
The hotels we stayed in were all top-notch. We requested four- and five-star hotels, which we got. Our drivers were always on time and went out of their way to make us happy. The breakfast in every hotel was amazing and delicious.
I had never been to a country that was so stress-free and where everyone was so nice and accommodating. I felt like we needed to stay another two weeks, but we will be back. Our agent was in touch with us the entire time and we appreciated that. She went above and beyond to ensure we were happy and having a great trip. We had no mishaps and can't wait to go back.
Thank you, Zicasso and our travel company, agent, and teams, for making the trip a memorable one and the trip of a lifetime. We love you all and you are family now.
Yamas!! Roxanne, Barbara, Nora, Frances, and Annette – California girls and Texas girls!
See more
Our trip was incredible! We were so impressed with the professionalism of Zicasso’s travel agent and the guides we had during our tours. Greece has been a long-dreamed-of destination and our time in Naxos, Santorini, and Athens exceeded our expectations. It was an easy process to give some guidance on what we liked to do and have a curated trip for our preferences. We would recommend the travel company to anyone needing help planning a trip!
See more
Our 18-day trip from Athens to Santorini to Crete was wonderful! Zicasso’s travel consultant listened to our desires for the trip, thoughtfully applied her knowledge and resources to recommend (and periodically modify) an itinerary for us, and delivered the wonderful end product for us! The arranged tours, lodging, and restaurant recommendations were spot-on. I wouldn’t change a thing!
See more
The itinerary is not the best for the price we paid and for a family with two children. We thought we could come back to Greece, but after this trip, we might not come back or even use Zicasso again. Here are the reasons: 1. The hotels are subpar for the price we paid for this tour. Our hotel in Athens felt like a 2-star. Our hotel in Santorini has a great view, but it's just a view, no pool, etc. nearby. Our hotel in Crete is not near a beach, a 20-minute walk. 2. Too much time was wasted on travel from one location to the next (Santorini to Crete and Crete to Athens). 3. Four nights in Santorini with two children is overkill since there is not much to do other than take photos, hike, and that's basically it. 4. Some of the tours are okay but nothing special, i.e., the hiking tour in Crete where they call the "little forest" is merely just for the name. It has nothing to do with the tour guides. All tour guides are great. However, we feel the tour company is crafting ordinary tours, labels it special, and calls it private. 5. In Delphi, we could have had more time to look around after the two hours. If any of the tours were great, it was the tours we had in Athens and Delphi. If we had known this type of tour we received, we could have done an all-inclusive resort in Greece and done our own without having to go through Zicasso and the tour company.
See more
The trip was magical and I couldn’t be happier with the itinerary or the tour company. Zicasso's travel agent was on top of everything and available at a moment’s notice.
See more
We had a wonderful time in Greece. We spent 10 days there and went to Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. The accommodations were great and the planned excursions were fantastic. The weather was perfect.
See more





