When is the best time for this itinerary?

Late May–June and September–October are ideal across all four destinations. July–August is peak: beautiful but very crowded and expensive in Santorini and Mykonos. The Acropolis is particularly demanding in midsummer heat.

Is the cooking class suitable for beginners?

Absolutely — it is designed for home cooks of all levels. The host walks you through every step, and the focus is as much on the cultural experience and the stories behind the dishes as on technique.

What happens after I request this trip?

You'll complete a short planning form with your dates, group size, and any preferences. A travel specialist will respond within one business day with a personalised proposal and exact pricing. No obligation — it's a conversation.

9-Day Private Package Journey

Best of Greece

Athens, Mykonos, Santorini & Crete — the complete Greek experience.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €3,640 per person 9 days / 8 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

9 days across Greece.

Nine days is the right amount of time to understand Greece: enough to move between the ancient city, the Cycladic islands, and the birthplace of European civilisation without feeling hurried. Athens provides the foundation — the Acropolis, the ancient Agora, an optional excursion to Delphi. Mykonos follows with whitewashed lanes, windmills, and an immersive cooking class in a traditional Mykonian home. Santorini delivers the volcanic caldera — the most dramatic landscape in the Aegean — with wine tasting on volcanic soil. And Crete completes the journey at Knossos, where the Minoan civilisation built Europe's first great palace four thousand years ago. This is the complete Greece, privately guided, with every transfer seamless.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Athens

The city that invented everything worth arguing about.

Your private driver meets you at Athens International Airport and transfers you into the city — the Acropolis visible on its limestone rock above the rooflines from the highway. After settling into your hotel near the historic centre, the afternoon is yours. Athens rewards the unstudied approach on a first afternoon: follow the lanes of Plaka uphill toward the base of the Acropolis rock, find a table at a shaded taverna in Monastiraki Square with a view of the ancient Agora below, order grilled lamb and a carafe of something cold. We'll share our curated list of favourite restaurants for your first Greek evening.

Private airport transfer to central Athens
Plaka and Monastiraki at leisure
Curated restaurant recommendations for your first evening

4–5★ centrally located hotel, Athens historic centre

Day 2

Athens Highlights & Acropolis

The rock that defined Western architecture.

Your archaeologist guide meets you after breakfast for the Acropolis before the heat and the tour groups arrive. The climb through the Propylaea gateway and the first full view of the Parthenon — forty-six outer columns of Pentelic marble, perfectly calibrated with subtle curves that counteract the eye's natural distortions. Your guide explains the history, the engineering, and what the building meant politically to the Athenians who built it with the treasury of the Delian League. The Erechtheion's Porch of the Caryatids, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, and the view of the whole city from the summit. The Acropolis Museum at the base of the rock holds the original friezes and pediment sculptures in climate-controlled galleries, with the Parthenon visible through the glass walls. The afternoon is free: the ancient Agora, Hadrian's Library, the Byzantine churches of Plaka, or an optional excursion to Delphi — the oracle sanctuary in the mountains — can be arranged as a full-day trip if preferred.

Acropolis early morning with archaeologist guide
Parthenon, Erechtheion, Theatre of Dionysus
New Acropolis Museum — original friezes and sculptures
Free afternoon or optional Delphi day trip

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Athens historic centre

Day 3

Athens to Mykonos

White walls, blue water, windmills on the ridge.

After breakfast and checkout, your driver transfers you to the port or airport for the journey to Mykonos. The island approaches from the sea as a bright white mass above the Aegean blue: the windmills visible on the ridge, the old harbour below. Your private driver meets you on arrival and delivers you to your hotel in or above the old town. The afternoon is Mykonos Town: the lanes that were designed, according to local tradition, to disorient pirates — they still work. The pelicans that wander the streets are the island's unofficial mascots. Little Venice in the evening — the tables above the surf, the windmills behind, the sun dropping into the sea.

Transfer to Mykonos by ferry or flight
Mykonos Town at leisure
Little Venice and the windmills
First evening in the old town

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ boutique hotel, Mykonos

Day 4

Mykonos Cooking Class & Island Life

Six hours in a Mykonian kitchen — the island from the inside.

Today begins with a truly immersive experience: a six-hour cooking class in a traditional Mykonian home. Your host welcomes you with a tour of their garden and introduces you to organic farming on the island — the herbs, the vegetables, the rhythms of a kitchen that has been feeding family and neighbours for generations. Together you prepare a full Mykonian meal: mezedes, traditional dishes, and local specialities, learning techniques passed down through the family. The cooking is punctuated with tastings of local wine and raki — the spirit that accompanies every meal in the Cyclades. Sit down to enjoy the meal you have prepared, in a setting that feels more like a family gathering than a class. The rest of the afternoon is yours: the beaches, the old town, or simply a quiet afternoon on your hotel terrace.

Six-hour cooking class in a traditional Mykonian home
Garden tour and organic farming insights
Hands-on Mykonian meal preparation
Local wine and raki tasting

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ boutique hotel, Mykonos

Day 5

Mykonos to Santorini

The volcanic caldera — the most dramatic landscape in the Aegean.

The morning ferry south from Mykonos cuts through the heart of the Cyclades — Paros and Naxos visible to the west, Ios to the south — and then Santorini appears: not as an island in the conventional sense but as the curved rim of a volcanic crater, the caldera a near-circular bay of impossibly blue water. The eruption that created this landscape — some time around 1600 BC — is the largest volcanic event in recorded history and may have contributed to the collapse of the Minoan civilisation on Crete. Your private driver meets you at the port for the transfer to your caldera-view hotel. The afternoon is for settling in and the first of Santorini's spectacular sunsets.

Ferry through the Cyclades to Santorini
Caldera views on arrival
Caldera-view hotel and terrace
Santorini first sunset

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ caldera-view hotel, Santorini

Day 6

Santorini Highlights & Wine Tasting

Oia at dawn, volcanic beaches, and the vine that grows in ash.

Your guide meets you for a full-day private tour of the island's highlights. Begin with the volcanic beaches along the south coast and then climb to the island's hilltop villages for views that justify every superlative that has ever been written about Santorini. Drive to the cliffside villages of Firostefani and Imerovigli along the caldera rim, then continue to Oia — the village at the northern tip whose blue-domed churches and whitewashed lanes are the visual shorthand for the entire Aegean. In the afternoon, a wine tasting with caldera views: Santorini's Assyrtiko grape grows in the volcanic pumice in a basket-training method unique to the island, producing a dry white wine of extraordinary mineral intensity. The combination of high-quality wines and the most beautiful views in Greece is one of the tour's genuine highlights.

Full-day private island tour
Volcanic beaches and island hilltops
Oia, Firostefani, and Imerovigli cliffside villages
Wine tasting with caldera views

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ caldera-view hotel, Santorini

Day 7

Santorini to Crete

From the volcanic rim to Europe's oldest civilisation.

A final Santorini morning — perhaps a last swim, a last caldera view from the terrace — before your transfer to the airport for the short flight south to Crete, the largest of the Greek islands and one of the most historically significant places in the Mediterranean. Crete was the seat of the Minoan civilisation, the first advanced civilisation in Europe, whose palace at Knossos was built four thousand years ago and whose art and architecture still astonish. Your driver meets you at Heraklion Airport and transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore — the old harbour of Heraklion, the Venetian fortress, or simply settle in and rest before tomorrow's archaeological adventure.

Flight from Santorini to Crete
Arrival in Heraklion
Free afternoon to explore the harbour and Venetian fortress

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Crete

Day 8

Knossos Palace & Heraklion Archaeological Museum

Four thousand years old — and still extraordinary.

Your guide — an archaeologist specialising in Minoan civilisation — meets you after breakfast for the highlight of the Cretan visit. The Palace of Knossos, four kilometres south of Heraklion, was the ceremonial and administrative centre of the Minoan world: a labyrinthine complex of 1,300 rooms, grand staircases, light wells, frescoed walls, and sophisticated plumbing that was not matched in Europe for another three thousand years. Your guide explains what has been reconstructed (by Arthur Evans, controversially) and what remains original, bringing the Minoans to life — their art, their religion, their remarkable equality between men and women, and the mysterious catastrophe that ended their civilisation. After Knossos, visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, which houses the world's finest collection of Minoan art: the Snake Goddess figurines, the bull-leaping frescoes, the Phaistos Disc. The afternoon is free for exploring Heraklion's old town, the Venetian harbour, or the local food scene.

Palace of Knossos with archaeologist guide
Heraklion Archaeological Museum — Minoan masterpieces
Free afternoon in Heraklion old town
Final evening in Crete

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Crete

Day 9

Departure

Greece stays with you — in the light, the marble, the blue.

Your last Greek morning: a breakfast at your hotel, perhaps a final walk through the harbour district. At the agreed time, your private driver transfers you to Heraklion Airport for your departure — via Athens if your international connection requires it. Your travel specialist remains reachable until you're home, and a few days later will be in touch to hear which caldera view, which ancient ruin, or which island evening is the one you keep coming back to.

Private transfer to Heraklion Airport
Optional: morning visit to Heraklion's market

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Athens

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Historic centre

Walking distance to the Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, and the Acropolis Museum

Mykonos

2 nights

4–5★ boutique hotel

Mykonos Town or above

Walking distance to Little Venice and the old harbour; sea-view and pool suite upgrades available

Santorini

2 nights

4–5★ caldera-view hotel

Fira or Imerovigli

Caldera-facing rooms with private terrace — the views from the room are central to the Santorini experience

Crete

2 nights

4–5★ hotel

Heraklion or nearby coast

Close to Knossos and the Archaeological Museum; options range from harbour-side boutiques to coastal resorts

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

8 nights in 4–5★ hotels and island resorts (double occupancy)
Daily breakfast at each hotel
Airport meet & greet on arrival
Private airport transfers in Athens, Santorini, and Crete
Ferry or flight tickets between islands
Private transfers on all islands
Private archaeologist guide in Athens
Private guides in Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete
Mykonos traditional cooking class
Santorini wine tasting at a volcanic estate
Knossos Palace guided tour
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Skip-the-line access at the Acropolis
All entrance fees included in guided visits
24/7 travel specialist support throughout your trip
Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet with restaurant and local recommendations

Not Included

International flights to Athens / from Crete (or Athens)
Travel insurance (required — we can arrange coverage on request)
Lunches and dinners
Personal expenses (shopping, additional tastings, beach clubs)
Gratuities for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
City/tourist tax (collected directly by hotels)

Good to Know

Santorini and Mykonos book out early for July–August — we recommend reserving 4–6 months ahead for peak season travel.
The Delphi excursion is optional on Day 2 — guests who prefer a rest day in Athens can use the afternoon at leisure instead.
All guides and experiences are arranged exclusively for your group — never shared with other travellers.
Santorini caldera-view hotels are built into the cliff face with no road access to the rooms — luggage is carried by porter up the steps; this is part of the experience.
Flexible booking: adjust or postpone your dates up to 60 days before departure at no charge.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Delphi full-day excursion from Athens

The oracle sanctuary above the Gulf of Corinth — Temple of Apollo, ancient theatre, stadium, and the Charioteer of Delphi in the museum

From €160 pp

Delos sacred island from Mykonos

A short ferry to the uninhabited birthplace of Apollo — extraordinary ruins, marble lions, and virtually no crowds

From €95 pp

Santorini caldera sunset cruise

A private caïque along the caldera at golden hour — hot springs, Red Beach swim, and Oia from the water as the sun drops

From €130 pp

Crete Samariá Gorge hike

A full-day hike through Europe's longest gorge in the White Mountains — dramatic scenery, endemic wildlife, and a boat ride back

From €120 pp

Mykonos private boat day

A private motorboat to secluded coves not reachable by water taxi — swimming in clear Aegean water, total privacy

From €350 group

"The cooking class in Mykonos was the unexpected highlight — we still make the mezedes at home. Knossos blew our minds. And Santorini delivered on every promise. This is the best version of a Greece trip we could have imagined."

Katherine & James N.

Chicago, IL · Best of Greece, September 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

How does this differ from the Greek Islands 8-day tour?

The 8-day focuses on Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini with more free days on the islands. The 9-day adds Crete with the Palace of Knossos, includes a Delphi option, and features a cooking class in Mykonos — it covers more ground with deeper cultural experiences.

Can we change the island order?

Yes — the order can be adjusted depending on your flight routing and preferences. Ending in Santorini gives the caldera as a finale; ending in Crete provides easier connections for onward Mediterranean travel. Your specialist will advise.

Private Package Journey

Best of Greece

9 days / 8 nights

From €3,640

per person

Ready to go?

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