Greece Odyssey: Hinterland & Aegean
12 Days of Zorba, Ancient Philosophy & The Mediterranean Diet
5 Good Reasons To Do This Trip!
From rolling perfect dolmades with a local chef to Greek dancing in a taverna like you were born there, this trip is packed with opportunities to learn stuff that’ll stick.
Whitewashed villages, sweeping views and landscapes so screenworthy they already had their big screen moment – yep, Mamma Mia!
With natural spas, lakes like mirrors and island coves only reachable by boat… this trip makes a strong case for becoming a part-time mermaid or Neptune.
Greek food just hits different. You’ll learn to cook it, eat it in grandma-run tavernas, and fall headfirst into the kind of meals that stretch for hours and somehow involve three desserts.
You’re going to love that we’ve gone all out on your overnight digs! We’ve stepped it up a notch – think unique stays that are as much a part of the story as the adventure itself.
Trip Details
Trip Breakdown
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Length
12 days / 11 nights
Details
- 2-week cooling-off period applies.
- Lifetime Deposit. If you need to cancel, your deposit is transferable to other trips.
- Private room – no sharing required
Please refer to our payment terms in the FAQs.
Arrival
The Gem Society Hotel, Athens
Departure
The Gem Society Hotel, Athens
Group Size
12
Included
- A top-rated and English-speaking Tour Leader
- 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 11 dinners
- Your own room for 11 nights in boutique and premium accommodation
- Private bus for road transfers
- Explore the Acropolis and its museum with a local guide
- See Athens from a unique perspective with a guide experiencing homelessness
- Lunch Unusual at Sheida Home, NGO
- Soak up a wellness experience at Lake Vouliagmeni
- Learn all-things olive oil at an organic farm
- Visit the Byzantine Monasteries of Meteora
- Enjoy a guided walk in the village of Kastoria
- Go underground in the Dragon’s Cave
- See Vergina, where Alexander the Great became King
- Walk the Prespa trails of Agios Achilleos and Agios Germanos
- Check out Prespa Lake by boat
- Sail the day away on a private cruise on the Pagasetic Gulf
- Take a class on how to cook Greek-style
- Dance Greek with the help of locals
- Explore Thessaloniki on foot with a local guide
- Arrival and departure transfers
Not Included
- International Flights and travel insurance (necessary)
- Visa (See FAQs for more information)
- Additional hotel nights & late checkouts
- Drinks and other personal expenses
- Tip kitty (See FAQs for more information)
Accommodation Preview
The Gem Society Boutique Hotel, Athens
Hotel Meteora, Kalampaka
Limneon Resort & Spa, Kastoria
Day 1 – Yiasou Athens!
You’ve officially landed in Athens, and yes, the tzatziki does taste better here. One of our team members will be waiting at the airport to scoop you up and get you settled into your hotel for an easy-peasy start to what’s about to be one of your favourite trips ever!
This afternoon, you’ll head straight for the big one: the Acropolis. There’s no better way to shake off the jet lag than wandering through ruins older than most countries. You’ll climb up to the Parthenon, check out the Temple of Athena, and stand where ancient crowds once cheered on open-air performances at the Theatre of Dionysus. You’ll also visit the Acropolis Museum. It’s a lot to take in, and it’s totally okay if you need to just stand there for a second with your mouth open.
Tonight, settle in with your Fencox crew over a welcome dinner at a proper Greek taverna. Day one done, and you’re just getting started.
Accommodation: The Gem Society Hotel (or similar), Athens
Included: Dinner
Day 2 – Riviera Day Tripping
How does sinking into warm spring water with the sun on your face sound? Welcome to Lake Vouliagmeni, a natural thermal spa just outside Athens, where floating, sunbathing and doing very little are all highly encouraged. Your only job here is to relax, and after your long flight yesterday, you’ve earned it.
With a soak and a swim under your belt, it’s off to an olive grove on the edge of the city. You’ll get a crash course in the life of this ancient little fruit before we treat you to a tasting (yes, olive oil tastings are a thing!).
Back in the city, it’s time to dig into dishes like honey-drizzled feta and slow-baked lamb that falls apart at the touch of a fork. There’s crisp Assyrtiko in your glass, the sound of a bouzouki somewhere in the background and a good chance someone’s halfway into a Greek dance circle before dessert hits the table.
Accommodation: The Gem Society Hotel (or similar), Athens
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 3 – Invisible Athens
Athens is far more than ruins and rooftop bars, so today’s dedicated to showing you the side of the city that doesn’t make the postcards. This morning, you’ll walk the backstreets of Athens with a guide who’s experienced homelessness firsthand. Through stories shared on street corners, outside soup kitchens and in front of once-slept-in doorways, you’ll get a glimpse into the realities of life on the margins… the kind of insight no museum could offer.
We’re carrying on with the “giving back” vibes with lunch at Shedia Home, a social enterprise restaurant that provides meaningful jobs for people experiencing homelessness, whilst also serving up yummy Greek dishes (obvs).
This afternoon, it’s time to say goodbye to Athens, for now at least, and hit the road. Kastraki is calling! It’s a four-hour drive, so feel free to knock out, scroll through photos, or snack your way through the kilometres. Tomorrow: Meteora. You’ll want to be wide awake for that.
Accommodation: Hotel Meteora (or similar), Kalampaka
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 4 – Meteora
You’ll want to be up early today: Meteora waits for no one, and your crew of Fencoxers are heading out with your guide before the tour buses even fire up. First glimpse and you’ll be double-checking your map. Yes, those are real monasteries… and yes, they’re actually balanced on top of sheer rock stacks. Wild!
You’ve got two options for exploring. Hikers, you’re off on a five-kilometre trail through the valley, with uneven paths, punchy inclines and plenty of “this scene is too perfect to be real” stops along the way. Prefer a gentler start? No worries, take a wander through Kastraki before catching a lift to the top.
Once you’re all back together, it’s time to step inside the monasteries themselves – 500-year-old marvels filled with candle smoke, painted saints and gasp-worthy views in every direction. Since these are religious buildings, modesty rules apply, so pack long clothing and a scarf to cover up and you’re good to go.
Accommodation: Hotel Meteora (or similar), Kalampaka
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 5 – Kastoria
Just when you thought Greece had peaked, along comes Kastoria, a lakeside town so pretty no amount of hype could do it justice. This morning, you’ll stretch your legs on a walk through the old quarter, passing creaky 19th-century mansions and tiny niche museums along the way. Birders, this is your moment – lakeside binocular duty awaits.
Lunch today is a wildcard. Dino, a local café owner, will lead you in a cooking class where you’ll whip up some proper home-style dishes using ingredients from just down the road. Expect olive oil, oregano, flour on your hands and plenty of shouts of “opa!” from your Fencox crew.
Then it’s time to descend into Dragon’s Cave. That’s really what it’s called, and it’s home to seven underground lakes, towering stalactites and… unfortunately, no dragon sightings lately… but you never know!
Accommodation: Limneon Resort (or similar), Kastoria
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 6 – Prespa National Park
This morning, you’re heading out to Greece’s far-flung north, where three countries meet with snow-streaked mountains, sleepy villages and lakes so still they double as mirrors. Welcome to Prespa!
You’ll kick things off with a four-kilometre wander along “The Architectural Route” in Agios Germanos, then hop over to Agios Achillios, reached by a floating walkway that makes the place feel like a secret. Circle the five-kilometre trail past crumbling basilicas, herons, pelicans and a lot of flapping things you probably can’t name. Not feeling the full loop? Skip it – we’ve got a lower-effort option too.
Later, dinner kicks off in the usual way: clinking glasses, plates piled high… but give it an hour and the night’s unravelled into laughter, flying crockery and a blur of dancing feet you won’t believe are yours.
Accommodation: Limneon Resort (or similar), Kastoria
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 7 – Vergina and the Kingdom of Macedonia
Pack your bags and grab your laurel wreath – today you’re heading to Vergina, the ancient capital of the Macedonian Kingdom. You’re always VIPs to us, so we’ve arranged for you to have a private tour of the archaeological site of Aigai, where the tomb of King Philip II, the dad of Alexander the Great, was discovered. Inside the museum, you’ll find gold crowns shaped like oak leaves, burnt offerings and more drama than a Greek tragedy.
After lunch, you’ll cruise over to Thessaloniki, a seaside city with a spicy, Balkan edge, where the rest of the afternoon is yours. So, what’ll it be? Browse boutiques? Grab a syrup-soaked pastry? Or maybe peer into Byzantine churches that seem to appear out of nowhere? The choice is yours.
Come evening, gather for yet another Greek feast, complete with live music and maybe even a cheeky sing-along.
It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it!
Accommodation: Egnatia Palace Hotel (or similar), Thessaloniki
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 8 – Thessaloniki
Mamma Mia fans, buckle up – today’s your day. But not before we take you on a proper guided wander through Thessaloniki! Led by your local expert, you’ll hit the White Tower, poke around the Roman Agora, and step inside the Rotunda – a building that’s changed roles more times than most actors (mausoleum, mosque, church… tick, tick, tick).
Then, you’re on the road to Pelion. The drive wriggles through the foothills of Mount Olympus, with every bend revealing a view that’ll have you holding back gasps. The coastline here seems familiar? Perhaps because it’s straight off the Mamma Mia screen, with fishing villages tucked into the hills and water so clear it practically begs for a swim. And hey, if you burst out into song every so often, or even end up joining in a bus-wide sing-along with your Fencox crew, we won’t judge. Keep your camera handy – this place doesn’t have a bad angle.
Accommodation: Lagou Raxi Country Hotel (or similar), Lafkos
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 9 – Pelion
After yesterday’s long drive, today’s all about slowing things down again. Start your morning with a hands-on intro to traditional crafts, where you’ll pick up a few ancient tricks and maybe even surprise yourself with your handiwork (you crafty little thing, you).
The afternoon is yours to enjoy however you like. Claim a poolside lounger, sip something cold and let the breeze do all the work.
Come evening, you’ll wind your way up to Lafkos, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hilltop village where cars aren’t allowed and the blissful silence tastes sweeter than dessert. Enjoy traditional drinks at Kafenio tou Forlida, the oldest Kafenio in Greece that was established in 1785 and has been operating continuously ever since, serving as a symbol of local culture and hospitality. Really! The floorboards creak, the wine flows, and the recipes haven’t budged in centuries. Don’t mind if we do…
Accommodation: Lagou Raxi Country Hotel (or similar), Lafkos
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 10 – Sailing Cruise
Today, you’re heading out to sea for a full-day sail around the Pagasitikos Gulf and you’ll want to make sure you pack a bucketload of sunscreen for it. Departing from the little port of Milina, your boat will nose its way toward tucked-away islands and secret stretches of sand where the water’s so clear you’ll spot fish before they spot you.
After a lazy swim (or three), it’s off to Trikeri, a sleepy island dotted with terracotta roofs and home to a quiet monastery that feels miles from anywhere. You’ll refuel with a seafood spread so fresh it practically jumps onto your plate. Saganaki shrimp, smoky mackerel and the kind of olive-oil-soaked goodness that makes you want to lick the plate. Life is so good!
Accommodation: Lagou Raxi Country Hotel (or similar), Lafkos
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 11 – Back to Athens
You’ll hit the road for a chill four-and-a-half-hour drive back to Athens. Don’t worry – it’s not all road and no adventure – your guide still has a surprise or two up his sleeve. There will be just enough time along the way for you to be wondering how the trip flew by so quickly.
But you’re not going out quietly. Tonight’s your farewell feast, a no-holds-barred final hurrah of saganaki, wine and the funniest stories from the trip that all somehow end with impromptu dancing. Go on. Make it count.
Accommodation: The Gem Society Hotel (or similar), Athens
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 12 – Farewell Friends
It’s time to zip up your suitcase one last time (don’t worry, we won’t judge the extra bottle of olive oil). After breakfast and a final round of “wait, what’s your email address again?”, you’ll be whisked off to the airport by one of our team, with plenty of time to make your flight – and maybe cry in the duty-free. It happens to the best of us!
Included: Breakfast
Trip Map
Frequently Asked Questions
Prior to the payment of your full balance, the final price may change if there is a significant variation in the AUD:EUR exchange rate. Our trip pricing is determined by what the exchange rates are at the time of publishing the trip.
The pricing on this trip is based on an exchange rate of 1 AUD : 0.55 EUR.
A deposit of 25% of the total trip price is required to secure your spot. Payment can be made by credit card (fees apply) or bank deposit.
There is a cooling-off period of 2 weeks. (Applicable to all bookings made at least 120 days before trip departure.)
We have implemented a ‘lifetime deposit’ guarantee. Deposits are not refundable, but they are transferable at any time, right up until the first day of the trip.
The final balance of the trip is required 120 days in advance of the departure date. Our suppliers require upfront payment well in advance to guarantee availability.
Please refer to the full terms and conditions for further information.
Australian and NZ citizens do not need a visa to travel to Greece.
TBA
Most of our trips have a tip kitty because many cultures have interesting and diverse rules when it comes to tips. We’ve found it to be the easiest way to combat over-tipping, under-tipping or having the tip fall into the wrong hands. Our goal is for guests to relax and know that the complexities of tipping are taken care of on their behalf.
For your Greece adventure, we ask your contribution be: 120 Euro and given to your guide on Day 1.
The kitty will be managed by your guide and distributed along the way at restaurants for included meals, hotel staff, drivers and providers. Don’t worry – there’s some left at the end of the trip for your guide too!
One bag or case (max 20kg) and 1 piece of hand luggage (such as a backpack that can be used as a day bag).
June
June sees the start of summer sunshine for mainland Greece, but without the heat of July and August. Temperatures can range from lows of 18°C to highs of 34°C in June, with warm and sunny weather across the mainland. The sea will be warming up and reaching the low 20s, ideal for a dip!
September
September brings comfortably warm days with average daytime temperatures ranging from about 24-30°C, depending on the region. Early September can still feel quite summery, while towards the end of the month, temperatures gradually cool to around 20-25°C. Evenings and nights are milder, averaging around 15-20°C. Rain is still relatively rare but more likely than in high summer, especially in northern and inland areas.
Whenever we can, we’ve chosen charming boutique stays that capture the spirit of the region, mostly around 3-star comfort, and occasionally we’ve snuck in some 4-star touches. Sometimes it’s the shared patio views or unique location that make a hotel stand out. Other times ,it’s the local character that makes the stay special, and in some spots, rooms might differ in size and style.
Your accommodation will be private; in other words, no room-sharing with anyone, throughout the entire trip.
Most Fencox travellers tend to be in their mid-50s to mid-70s.
Generally, we have no upper age limit for our trips. But, it’s important for you to know that our trips can be physically demanding and we will chat to you about your suitability. We’ll provide you with details of the health and fitness must-haves for our trips; however, we clearly are not medical experts. We will need you to obtain proper and detailed medical advice at least two months before you travel for the latest health requirements, vaccination advice and recommendations for your destination.
Age 75+
Guests over 75 years old at the time of travel, or those with pre-existing health conditions, may need to have medical clearance to ensure safe travel, and must have a doctor complete a ‘Certificate of Medical Fitness to Travel’ within 30 days of booking confirmation.
Minimum age
While it doesn’t happen often, we do get younger guests joining our trips! As a general rule, the minimum age is 15 at the time of travel. All travellers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian or be accompanied by someone over the age of 18 appointed by their legal guardian.
International airfares are not included.
Being tour operators (not travel agents), we are not licensed to sell flights. We recommend contacting your trusted local travel agent to book flights if you’re in need of assistance.
There are several code-share flights departing Australia for Athens, Greece via Dubai, Doha and Istanbul.
Will we be picked up at the airport?
Yes! One of our friendly team will be waiting for you in the public arrivals area of the airport. You’ll transfer directly to the hotel. The transfer is free and in a private and air-conditioned vehicle, which you will only share if there is anyone else on your flight joining the tour.
When should we arrive?
Try to arrive before midday on the start day, although earlier would be recommendable. If possible, come one day early to settle in. We can organise additional hotel nights for you at cost.
Greece uses the Euro (EUR) as its official currency.
In the unlikely event of a health or security-related incident during a trip, we’ve engaged a local partner to assist. From our experience, there is not one framework that fits all, and every incident is unique and requires a different approach. With all trips, your guides are your day-to-day support. While behind the scenes, there is an active line of communication – between your guide, the on-ground support team, and Australian Ops.
This is the most frequently asked question we get!
Nearly everyone is in their 50s and 60s, with some people above and below (but of course, everyone is welcome!).
The typical Fencoxer has travelled a LOT, is a well-seasoned adventurer, and is not easily thrown by small things. However, many Fencoxers tell us that this is their first-ever group trip. Many of our guests have avoided tours to this point as they’re not attracted to being herded around in large groups.
Oh, and one last thing:
Fencoxers are warm, generous and kind. We knew it would be like this, but we weren’t expecting it to be *quite* like this. We’re so blessed as a business to have the customers we do; we consider ourselves to be some of the luckiest people in the world.
