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Please review the Greece part of our itinerary

Posted by (SF Bay Area) on

My husband and I (75 and 73) and our daughter (41) are traveling to Greece for 8 nights, and then the Netherlands for 12 nights. Our daughter has mild to moderate learning disabilities and is a good traveler. We are keeping the Greece part of the trip short due to concerns about the heat, which we aren't used to. Please comment on our overall itinerary and a few specific questions I've added below. I will post about our Netherlands itinerary in the Netherlands forum at a later date.

Note that we usually like relatively short beach visits of 2-3 hours late in the day when the sun isn't as strong as mid-day. We are interested in charming villages, ancient history and mythology connections, and beautiful scenery.

Overview:

5 nights/4 full days Naxos: Palatia hotel

3 nights/2.5 days Athens: Marble House Apartment

5 nights/4 full days Naxos

Sunday 6/15: Arrive Naxos airport 8 pm after flights from SFO, get to hotel, sleep. (We will have had dinner during our layover in Athens). The following is a rough plan to get us started, but we will adjust based on the weather and how we feel.

Monday 6/16: An easy day to get over jetlag. Explore Naxos town in the morning, lunch and a rest, and the beach in the mid to late afternoon–either Agios Giorgios or a bus to Plaka. Question 1: Has anyone done the Old Town, Castle, and Portara sunset tour at 6 pm through Naxos Cultural Tours or Zastours for about 43 euros? Dinner in town.

Tuesday 6/17: Day 1 of 2-day car rental. Explore Chalki, Apeiranthos and, if time, Filoti. We hope to get back in time for a short late afternoon swim. Dinner reservation, perhaps at Plaka Beach at Nikos and Maria.

Wednesday 6/18: Day 2 of car rental. Question 2: Would the following rough plan work: Temple of Dionysus – Glynado – Kato Sagkri – Sangri and the Temple of Demeter – lunch at Apolafsi or Axiotissa in Kastraki – Mikri Viglia (Sahara) Beach? Or is that too much in one day?

Thursday 6/19: No set plan. We could make it a beach and relaxation day, OR if we are feeling energetic and the seas are calm, we could take the boat excursion to Delos and Mykonos with zastours. Other suggestions welcome. Dinner in town.

3 nights Athens

Friday 6/20: Morning Sky Express flight to Athens arriving at 11:55, will need to pick up luggage and then get a taxi to Marble House Apartment, hoping to arrive by 2 pm. Do all or part of the RS Walking Tour. Dinner TBD.

Saturday 6/21: Morning private half-day tour of Acropolis and Ancient Agora has been booked through Niki Vlachou’s Olympic Tours. This will be a splurge for us, as we have never done a private tour, but we think our daughter will enjoy this more than a larger group tour. Afternoon lunch and the (air conditioned!) Acropolis museum on our own. Then either rest at the apartment or do Rick Steves’ walking tour of Psyrri if we have the energy. Dinner plan TBD.

Sunday 6/22:
Morning: more of the RS Walking Tour or Psyrri walking tour if not yet done, visit any other attractions. Relaxing lunch.
Afternoon:: Archaeology museum–use RS audio tour. National Gardens are also an option. Dinner near our apartment.

Monday 6/23: Fly to The Netherlands for 12 nights.

I'm looking forward to your comments or suggestions.

Posted by
3492 posts

Very well thought-out .... except on day one, I see no reason to pay Zas to walk you around the charming maze of lanes in old town, when you can best do it yourself. Simply start in mid-morning by entering the "Old Agora" entry off the promenade, wind your way up to the top... Go into the Kastro if it's open, then cross the little square to the small & exquisite Museum (world's Best collection of mysterious Minoan-era statuettes), then find a different way out (just head downhil)... by the Cathedral (just up from the causeway) in its courtyard is a small outbuilding, which covers a Mycenean graveyard (!).

By then you'll be in the mood for both llunch AND a swim. Several choices
(1) stop nearby for lunch (Boulematsis has balcony looks down on the promenade & has nice fish & chips) then walk back to Ag G.
(20 Since you'd be right by the "bus circle" (at the foot of ferry pier) why not take a bus to PLaka beach, ask driver to let you off by Aegean Palace... it has nice sunloungers and a changing-room/restroom facility, and if you order lunch from beach attendant, no charge for the chairs (at least at my last visit). NOTE: you need to buy bus tix at kiosk by pier.

The Causeway & Arch Visit can be any day that's sunny ... there's always a crowd there AT sunset, but you can take photos from afar.

Posted by
2802 posts

I don't really see what you could add or remove from your itinerary.

However, like Janet, I think it's pointless to take this organized sunset tour to wander the streets of Naxos town and go to the Temple of Apollo. Do it at your own pace and for free. Especially since, from what you've seen, the tour starts at 6 p.m. and sunset will be around 8:30 p.m. in mid-June.

In Naxos, on the 17th, you may have the opportunity to continue to the fishing village of Apollona, ​​and stop to see the Kouros along the way.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/3XYxzJmzzA4T9s5BA

I'm always happy to see someone renting a car in Naxos, the largest island in the Cyclades, to really enjoy the island and get out of the small Naxos Town/Plaka area. So on Wednesday the 18th, you'll be able to see lots of nice little spots and also the superb beaches further south. You can continue further south after Mikri Vigla to Alyko and Agiassos (splendid beaches)
Especially since you've spotted the Apolafsi restaurant (Book before you go! ).

You've also spotted a very nice, inexpensive, and well-located hotel in Athens, which is usually "off the radar" in an area where I hang out quite often. I can share some places to eat, not secret, but I'd say lesser-known, but it will be in a private message to keep them a little more "quiet."

On Saturday the 21st, if you have booked a tour to the Acropolis and the Agora, check if the entrance tickets to the Acropolis is included.
If not, you'll have to book a ticket with a time slot that matches your guided tour time. Do this well in advance.
For example, currently all morning time slots are sold out until Saturday the 17th.

https://hhticket.gr/tap_b2c_new/english/tap.exe?PM=P1P&place=000000002

The Psyri district is located just after the Ancient Agora, which, if I understand correctly, you will visit at the end of this tour. So, go there once the tour is over. Psyri is most interesting in the evening (especially on Saturdays) with its lively atmosphere and crowded bars and restaurants. Note that the Little Kook pastry shop is mainly a tourist trap with an original deco.

Posted by
1021 posts

Janet and JoLui: Thank you so much for your suggestions. I've read and incorporated ideas from many of your posts helping others and was hoping to hear from you.

Like both of you, we usually just explore on our own, without taking tours. But I'm debating about the tour of Naxos town, because three excellent tours I've taken in the last 18 months have added a lot to my understanding of what I've seen (Lyon, Lucerne, and the Art Deco Architecture in Miami Beach). If we do decide to take the tour, I will be sure to review it when I do a trip report.

JoLui, please do pm me with suggestions of restaurants near our Athens hotel. Thank you!

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