Athens Travelers Recommend

Summer months may mean sweltering heat and unforgiving sun but that doesn’t mean travelers shouldn’t venture to the ancient city of Athens. This popular destination is a history lover’s dream and the perfect place for travelers to sample art, culture and cuisine. Take a tour of the Acropolis Museum, then spend a day touring sites like the iconic Parthenon or the original marathon route. Taste the flavors of Greece with a small-group food tour which hits local hot spots where visitors can sample traditional dishes and sip on regional wines. Or learn to cook these dishes at home during a small-group cooking class. Visitors can see the sights after dark or embark on a tour in which professional photographers detail the best ways to capture some of the world’s oldest architectural wonders. It’s even possible to relax on a catamaran cruise, complete with a traditional Greek meal. Travelers who prefer to go a bit further afield can venture out on day trips to nearby Delphi.

As busy as you're likely to have been packing, planning your trip, checking luggage and that lot, why not ease into your vacation with a laid-back morning tour of Athens, which highlights modern marvels with the wonders of the ancients. From there, on to Athens' crown jewel, the towering Acropolis. Alternatively, walking and/or biking are great ways to see the city, and a private walking tour with the option to be a bit more photographic is always a nice introduction to the city. Cradled by Mount Parnassus, the modern, buslting town of Delphi is a UNESCO World Heritage site and original resting place of the Delphic oracle - the most important oracle in ancient Greece and a major site for the worship of Apollo. Explore the Temple of Apollo and other famous sites on a day trip from Athens, or venture further on a multi-day Delphi tour. Complement your experience of classical Greece with a half-day visit to Cape Sounion.

Many aficionados of the Greek Isles state unequivocally that Santorini is the ideal island and the one example of island life and culture that simply must not be missed. Santorini, with its striking geography, beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife and architecture is certainly among the best that the entire region has to offer. Among the most laudable facets of life on the island are the summit caldera (the island itself being the top of an exploded volcano), the beaches at Perissa and Perivolos, and the nightlife at Thira. One consideration to keep in mind when planning your visit to the island, or selecting a tour is to balance the excitement of the population centers with the solace of quiet and solitude, all of which can easily be found on Santorini.