Despite its beauty, traveling to Greece presents some unique difficulties for many people. Language obstacles, a distinct alphabet, and numerous attractions scattered across the country in off-the-beaten-path locations can make it a challenge to see the best of Greece on your own. Fortunately, it’s much easier to explore the country with the best Greece tours in 2024. No matter your interests—Greek cuisine, historic sites, culture, religious sites of Ancient Greece, or beaches along the Aegean Sea—there’s a guided tour of Greece that’s just right for you.
2024’s Best Small Group Guided Tours in Greece
One of the biggest perks of small group Greek tours is that you can see all of the modern highlights and ancient ruins without having to plan the activities, meals, accommodations, or transportation on your own. Here are the land-based tours and Greek island cruises I most highly recommend for 2024.
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1. Island Hopping In The Greek Islands
Adventures in Good Company
Women looking to travel solely with other like-minded women will enjoy the Adventures in Good Company Island Hopping In The Greek Islands tour. The nine-day small group tour gives you plenty of time to visit Greece and see many of its top destinations, including Athens, Paros, and Santorini. It’s also an active trip with hikes around Lefkes and up Mount Zeus.
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Other highlights of this women-only Greek tour include seeing the Acropolis, taking part in a Greek cooking class, and kayaking in Santorini. But maybe the best part is that Adventures in Good Company fosters a tour environment where women encourage one another, and the tour guides are always around to help in case someone is apprehensive about an activity.
- Length: 9 days
- Starting price: $4,595
- Average group size: 14 people
2. Greece Real Food Adventure
Intrepid Travel
Foodies looking to get immersed in Greek culture through food will enjoy the Greece Real Food Adventure from Intrepid Travel. Greek food is in the spotlight from the get-go on this tour: The trip starts with a plant-based feast of small plates that highlight just some of the delicious Greek culinary traditions that you’ll be trying.
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Later you’ll visit cheese, pistachio, honey, and olive farms. Other destinations of interest include a family-owned ouzo distillery (ouzo is a Greek aperitif), a winery, and a farm in Kardamyli where you’ll learn how to make lalagia, or Greek donuts. The food fun continues with tours of local markets and free time to pop into shops selling local sweets and treats. Intrepid recommends this Greece tour both for those who are meat eaters and vegetarians, but advises that vegans review the itinerary before booking.
- Length: 9 days
- Starting price: $2,882
- Average group size: 12 people
3. Tailor Made Greece Tour: An Active Adventure
Abercrombie & Kent
If you’re looking for a deluxe private tour that makes it easy for your family to see the best of Greece, the Abercrombie & Kent Tailor Made Greece: An Active Adventure is one to look into. Each tailor-made itinerary is designed specifically with your family in mind, and no two itineraries are the same. The base tour includes starting in Athens, where you’ll see iconic structures like the Parthenon, the Acropolis, and the Temple of Poseidon. Athletes will enjoy being able to try their hand at the discus, javelin, and long jump at the Zappeion, which is the first purpose-built Olympic stadium.
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Other highlights of this private Greece tour include visiting Nafplio, which is known for its Venetian fortress. In Crete, you’ll visit the Palace of Knossos, touted as Europe’s oldest city. Wine lovers will also be able to enjoy a visit to a local winery to sip Greek varietals. On the last day of the tour, you’ll take an off-road vehicle on a drive along the Katharo plateau with its beautiful mountain and forest views.
- Length: 10 days
- Starting price: $15,995
- Average group size: Just your family
4. Adventures by Disney Greece Tour
Adventures by Disney
Another family-centric option is the 10-day Greece tour from Adventures by Disney. The trip starts in Athens with dinner and a welcome reception at the hotel, and then kicks off in earnest with tours of the Acropolis and the Panathenaic Stadium. Then the group ventures to Sounion (known for the Temple of Poseidon) for a privately guided tour of the temple.
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The mid-way point of the tour is two days in Santorini, where the mix of activities includes a wine tasting, a private boat charter for the day, a volcano hike, and the incredible chance to dive into natural springs. The final stop on the tour is Crete, where the Adventure Guides set up beach activities one afternoon. Other Crete highlights include touring The Palace of Knossos, taking part in a cheese-making class, and enjoying walks through local villages.
- Length: 10 days
- Starting price: $7,599
- Average group size: 35 to 44 people
5. The Greek Islands Tour
For the Love of Travel
Young adults looking for a Greek adventure with similar-aged travelers should check out For the Love of Travel’s The Greek Islands Trip, which is made for people ages 25 to 39 years old. While it’s not a luxury Greece tour, it’s certainly not a budget tour either. While island hopping around Greece, tour highlights include a private boat ride to some of the best beaches in the area, touring local vineyards, and jumping into volcanic hot springs.
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In Santorini, everyone will get the chance to visit the black-sand beaches before diving head first into the nightlife of the island. On Paros, you’ll take a food tour of a local farm, enjoy time at a beach club, and explore the winding streets. Even though the trip starts in Athens, it’s just a meet-up point to get everyone onto the ferry to Milos, so the company suggests you arrive a few days early if you want to explore the ancient city on your own.
- Length: 9 days
- Starting price: $4,399
- Average group size: 5 to 15 people
6. Greek Islands for Solo Travelers: Crete and Santorini Tour
EF Go Ahead Tours
Solo travelers looking to take part in a group tour without the expense of a single supplement will want to consider the Greek Islands for Solo Travelers: Crete and Santorini from EF Go Ahead Tours. The tour begins in Athens with a tour of the city with stops at the Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis. There’s also scheduled free time in Athens to explore on your own.
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Then the group is off to Crete, where you have one day of touring ancient sites and one day that’s completely free to use as you want. The last part of the trip takes place in Santorini, where you’ll go for a tasting a local winery, visit Oia, and enjoy views from the top of Mount Profitis Ilias. The tour does include optional add-ons for an additional fee, like a Greek cooking class and dinner and a Santorini Caldera cruise and dinner.
- Length: 9 days
- Starting price: $3,049
- Average group size: 14 to 20 people
7. Classical Greece Tour
Smithsonian Journeys
You can spend two full weeks in Greece exploring the origins of Western Civilization with the Classical Greece Tour from Smithsonian Journeys. The 14-day trip takes you to all of the biggest tourist destinations in the country, while also allowing everyone to dig deep into the culture of Greece by visiting lesser-known areas. The trip starts in Athens and includes visits to the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture.
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Later on this Greece tour, you’ll head to Corinth and then Hydra, an island where cars are not permitted and everyone gets around by riding donkeys or walking. And in Crete, you’ll stop at the Koules Fortress, the Palace of Knossos, and take a tour of Krista, which is a village known for its olive groves. The tour ends with a few days in Santorini, where the itinerary includes a visit a local winery, the chance to explore the incredible town of Oia, and independent sightseeing time.
- Length: 14 days
- Starting price: $6,895 (includes airfare)
- Average group size: 16 to 24 people
8. Spotlight on Greece Tour
Contiki
Contiki specializes in tours for young travelers ages 18 to 35. In Greece, Contiki’s Spotlight on Greece group tour is a great short getaway. The four-day tour takes travelers to many of the major sites in Greece. For independent travelers, adding this tour onto a longer trip to Greece is an easy way to spend a few days visiting major attractions while meeting some likeminded young travelers.
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The tour starts in Athens with a visit to Olympic Stadium, then heads to Corinth and its incredible man-made canal. In Olympia, you’ll get to see the sites of the first Olympic games with some insight from a local guide and tour the Temple of Hera and the Temple of Zeus. The tour concludes with a trip to the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi before heading back to Athens.
- Length: 4 days
- Starting price: $1,052
- Average group size: 26 people
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9. Greece: In the Footsteps of Paul the Apostle Tour
Collette
Religious travelers looking to step back in time to when Paul the Apostle was spreading the word of Jesus Christ will enjoy the Collette Greece: In the Footsteps of Paul the Apostle tour. The trip starts with a three-night cruise embarking in Piraeus and sailing to Mykonos on the first day. The second day is spent in the Turkish port of Kusadasi, where the group will venture to Ephesus, where Paul lived for three years. The cruise also includes includes stops in Crete and Santorini with free time to explore independently.
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The guided tour of Greece continues on land with a trip to Thessaloniki, where Paul wrote two letters to the ancient Thessalonians. In Athens, you’ll see Mars Hill, where Paul made his “Men of Athens” speech, and the Acropolis. The last full day of the tour takes place in Corinth, where Paul preached for two years and wrote two epistles.
- Length: 11 days
- Starting price: $2,826
- Average group size: 32 people
10. Treasures of the Aegean Tour
Tauck
Get the best of the land and sea with the Treasures of the Aegean tour from Tauck. This cruise-and-land hybrid tour starts in Athens with an early morning visit to the Acropolis and a guided tour of the Acropolis Museum. On day three, the group begins its seafaring by boarding the Wind Star super yacht.
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While touring Greece by ship, you’ll first stop at Mykonos and Delos, where you can take a guided tour of the island or see the archeological sites. Then head to Ephesus to see the Library of Celsus and enjoy a dinner with a performance by the Aegean Chamber Orchestra. Other highlights include visiting the Prehistoric Museum of Fira at Santorini and exploring Nafplion, which is known as one of the most beautiful towns in Greece.
- Length: 10 days
- Starting price: $9,990
- Average group size: Up to 148 people
