Perfect One-Week Greece Itinerary for Seniors: Athens, Santorini & Crete

What to expect on this itinerary
On this 7-day vacation for Senior travelers through Athens, Santorini, and Crete, you will be immersed in the mythology, philosophy, and architecture of the ancient Greeks, captivated by the delicacy and complexity of the local wine and cuisine, and inspired by the spectacular landscapes. Explore the legendary Acropolis, sail through the bright blue Aegean Sea on a luxury yacht, and venture from vineyard to vineyard on a wine tour with a private sommelier. This weeklong vacation seamlessly combines extravagance with relaxation and offers a unique perspective of this vibrant and enduring country.
Customizable Itinerary
Athens – Arrive in Athens
As you exit the terminal, your private driver will be awaiting your arrival with a large sign and a larger smile. When you arrive at your luxurious accommodation, your gracious hosts will quickly check you in and carry your baggage to your rooms. You can relax in your room, order room service, or head downstairs for a traditional Greek dinner with a view of the Acropolis in the distance. After a long day of travels, you will most likely drift off to sleep with dreams of Zeus and Socrates.
What's Included:
Athens – Discover the Famed Acropolis
Santorini – Cook with a Master Chef
Santorini – Guided Wine Tour with a Sommelier
Crete – Unearth the Palace of Knossos
Crete – The Charming Town of Chania
Crete – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Discover the trove of ancient artifacts in the modernized National Archaeology Museum
- Immerse yourself in the myths and magic of the gods at the legendary Acropolis
- Bask in Greece's revitalizing sunshine while kayaking over crystal-clear waters and inspiring calderas
- Savor the subtle complexity of a traditional Santorini meal by learning to cook with a world-renowned master chef
- Indulge in the sweet and dry delicacy of Santorini's local grapes during a guided wine tour with a sommelier
- Delight in the refreshing, salty air as you sail through the Aegean Sea to Crete on a catamaran
- Admire the breathtaking views of Venetian harbors and castles as you explore the remarkable city of Chania
Detailed Description
During this exciting, 7-day vacation, you will embark on a relaxing and luxurious tour through Athens, Santorini, and Crete, where you will be immersed in the myths and magic of the ancient Greeks, delighted by Mediterranean cuisine, and enthused by the remarkable countryside. You will explore the legendary Acropolis, sail the seas on a luxury yacht, and venture from vineyard to vineyard on a guided wine tour with a sommelier.
Your vacation will begin in Athens, and as you walk out of the terminal, your personal driver will be waiting to greet you with a large sign. They will help gather your belongings and escort you to your luxurious accommodation, which will be located in the heart of the city. Your privately guided tour of Athens will begin the next morning at the National Archeology Museum. This Museum will be the perfect place to begin your discovery of Greece because it contains one of the most impressive collections of ancient Greek artifacts in the world. During your tour, your guide will help you to build a foundation as to how Greece's vibrant and lasting culture fits together. You will then begin your ascent to the legendary Acropolis, where you will learn tidbits of philosophy, mythology, and history as you walk the same marbled steps as Plato and Aristotle.
The following morning, you will depart for Santorini on a private aircraft. As you soar over the Aegean Sea, you will enjoy the spectacular view of Greece's islands, which are scattered across the sea. After you land, you will be escorted to your hotel, where you can relax, change, and prepare for an afternoon of kayaking. You will also have the luxury of cooking a traditional Santorini meal with a local master chef, strolling through the enchanting town of Oia, and embarking on a guided wine tour with a sommelier.
To reach your final destination, you will bask in the sea and sunshine as you sail from Santorini to Crete on a fully crewed catamaran. Once you arrive, your first activity will a tour of the Palace of Knossos. This mysterious Palace is supposedly the oldest in Europe, and you will appreciate the Palace's elegant and colorful design. Your final day will be spent in the charming town of Chania. There is so much to do and see in this city, so you will have to decide whether you want to discover a stunning exhibit at the prominent Archeological Museum, to stroll through the lively Venetian harbor, to embark on an underwater excursion on a submarine tour, or to bask in the sunshine at a peaceful beach. Whatever you choose, this will be your final day in Greece, and Chania perfectly captures the heart of this vibrant and enduring nation, making it the perfect destination to culminate your unforgettable vacation.
Starting Price
$3,000 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
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 527 reviews
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.
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I originally reached out to Zicasso to find a travel agent to handle our two-week trip to Greece. Zicasso provided me with three travel company options and, after speaking with each, I decided to work with this travel company. The travel specialist turned out to be the best decision I could have made.
Our travel specialist and the travel company team were absolutely amazing and thorough. We planned the trip for me, my wife, brother, and sister-in-law. Every step of the planning process was informative and the travel specialist gave us her best advice leading up to the trip. She answered many of our questions and researched the things we wanted to do while in Greece.
Once we were on the trip, we communicated almost daily with the travel specialist and she remained readily available. She was extremely responsive. It was always a relief during transfer pick-ups to see the travel company’s signs, so we knew who to connect with.
Our two-week Greece adventure through Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete was perfect, and we could tell that the work the travel specialist and the team put in ensured that success. This was a vacation dream of a lifetime, thanks to the travel specialist, the travel company, and Zicasso.
Kudos to Zicasso for recommending the travel company at the beginning and I would highly recommend Zicasso and our travel company to anyone interested in traveling to Greece.
Gratitude and appreciation to all for a trip we will never forget!!!!
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Our trip to Greece was exceptional, thanks to the careful planning by our travel company! They had every detail planned out and made sure we were well taken care of.
I traveled with my husband (50s) and my parents (80s). We had a general idea of some places we wanted to see and told the travel planner our interests. She ran with it and planned us the perfect trip for the pace we wanted and the types of experiences we were looking for. She suggested places that weren't even on our radar and they fit perfectly with our interests.
Our trip was 12 days, broken up into four nights in Chania, Crete, three nights in Santorini, and four nights in Athens. This was the right amount of time in each place (though my husband said he could spend a week in Santorini just to relax).
The travel planner met us at the airport and gave us a burner phone for our use during the trip, as well as a packet with tickets and boarding passes that we would need. The phone was very helpful because it had an app with our itinerary for each day, as well as contact numbers for her, drivers, tour guides, etc. This was great because we had what we needed at our fingertips and didn't have to pay for an international plan on our cell phones.
Each location we went to offered very different experiences.
Chania, Crete, was fantastic and my personal favorite spot. Our travel planner recommended it and I'm so glad she did. It was rich with history and culture, without feeling like a tourist trap.
Santorini: When we first arrived, it was a bit of a jolt because all the buildings are white and boxy (only the churches have blue roofs), and I was missing the color and vibrance of Chania. We went into Fira while we waited for our rooms to be ready and it was a total tourist trap, with people swarming around and souvenir shops and fast food restaurants. I was wondering if it was a mistake to come to this island. However, once we were settled into our hotel and saw the spectacular views and experienced the calmness, I understood why people come here. The nature and beauty won me over (and I just avoided the cities).
Athens was amazing because of the history and hospitality of the people. Everyone was so welcoming and kind. The ruins do not disappoint and we marveled at how they were just everywhere in Old Town.
Delphi: We took a day trip from Athens to Delphi and toured the ruins and museum, and had a wonderful lunch overlooking the mountains and valleys.
We went on several incredible tours during our trip. Two food tours (Chania and Athens), three archaeology/ruin-focused tours (Santorini, Athens, and Delphi), one tour of the mountains in Chania, and one sunset catamaran boat ride in Santorini. Every one of them was unique and interesting.
Our travel planner arranged several lunches and dinners for us. Each place was outstanding and the views were spectacular. We would just tell them we were with the travel company and they gave us the best seats in the restaurants and outstanding service.
We could not have asked for a more perfectly planned out trip!
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We don't usually use travel companies or agents to plan our travel itineraries or set up our accommodations and transportation. However, when my wife and I wanted to arrange for a family trip to Greece with our three adult children and one of their significant others, we decided to use Zicasso’s travel company to do the planning and arrangements for us. And we were not disappointed!
The travel company listened to our list of needs, likes, dislikes, and our budget, and prepared an itinerary that included visits to Athens, Santorini, and Crete. After a few iterations, they arranged for all of our accommodations, airport/ferry transfers, activities, and needed transportation, as well as dinner reservations, yet left room for downtime and our own exploration.
All of the accommodations were five-star and the local guides for the activities and tours they set up were friendly and knowledgeable. When we had questions on the ground, the tour company always had someone available locally to answer questions or help make other arrangements.
Overall, we had a spectacular and memorable family vacation and highly recommend this travel company for planning a trip to Greece. I only hope we can go back and do some more exploring of this wonderful country (especially Crete) in the future!
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Excellent! Everything was meticulously planned. All of our tours were very interesting and the drivers were courteous. We went to Athens, Naxos, and Santorini during our 11-day trip. Overall, I think our favorite place was Naxos, with Athens and the Acropolis being second, although the weather that morning was not the best. But our guide was excellent and kept us engaged while fighting rain and wind. As I mentioned, all the drivers and guides were excellent and I would highly recommend this trip. Santorini was beautiful too and the wine tour was extremely interesting. We highly recommend Zicasso.
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