Athens & the Heart of Greece Tour - April 29 Departure

We did this tour 2 years ago and out of 6 Rick Steves tours this is our favorite. The food is amazing and the people are friendly and helpful. Make sure you take a hat because the sun can be intense in Greece, also sun screen is helpful. Most important you will get at least 3 different days to swim in the Aegean Sea, we loved it but the beaches are made of small round peebles not sand and are painful to walk on without some type of sandal, we wore low cut neoprene booties 2-3 mm thick and they worked great because you can swim with them on. When you stay on Hydra, book the Sunset Restaurant for supper, the food is great and the dining area is on a cliff overlooking the ocean (this is as romantic as it gets!).

Donald,
Thank you so much for your response! I am even more excited for the tour now that I have heard from you. I have a hat and sunscreen ready for sure. I burn like crazy sadly haha. I also bought some water shoes for the beaches. May as well swim if you're by the water right? Thank you for the dinner recommendation on Hydra, Sunset Restaurant sounds wonderful. I really appreciate your advice and enthusiasm!

I did this tour in October 2018 and had Colin as my tour guide. This tour is beyond amazing. Make sure you bring good hiking/walking shoes (I had trail shoes) and have a ton of water on hand when you're out wandering the villages. Kardamyli and Nafplio were probably my favourite stops on this tour, but pretty much every stop was incredible. The Greeks I met on this tour were incredibly friendly and helpful and I couldn't get over how cheap meals were. You are going to have a great time.

We did this tour 5 years ago and it still holds a special place. We had David as our fabulous guide and the tour group really jelled as a group. You are in for a real treat! My biggest tip is to wear shoes with good soles. The walk up to the Acropolis was managed well, with pauses on the way, but the stones on the top can be slick, so just be aware of that. We arrived a few days early and one thing that took getting used to was that streets can be spelled in different way, I.e. the RS guidebook gave one spelling for a restaurant location and the street sign gave another, although there were enough similar letters so we could figure it out. The bus stops during the course of the trip have some pretty fabulous treats. Have fun!

Katie
On your tour also, Can't believe it is only a week away. Sent you a PM.
See you in Greece.
Mike

I did this tour in September. I have a couple of tips and comments based on my experience. Greece is struggling financially at present and the majority of places we shopped at or ate at on our own preferred to have cash. Some refused credit cards all together. Paying cash also meant the prices were better for buying souvenirs. Be prepared to have cash on you if that is all they take. All the beaches were pebbles so take water shoes or you will have a hard time going in the water or walking along the waters edge.

Everything you see is amazing, there are however a lot of abandoned buildings and graffiti, a sign of the times there, so be prepared for that. No one experienced any pickpocket incidents though. Running on the Olympic track was a highlight for many people on my tour! If you are based at the Hera Hotel, there is an amazing view of the Acropolis especially at night. On Hydra, I highly recommend doing the long walk with the guide, it might be optional I can't remember but was a fantastic walk and we rented chairs and stayed at the beach (pebbly) for the day.
Safe and happy travels!

Thank you all so much for your messages and tips! I am, if possible, even more excited about the tour than I was before! I have both water shoes and hiking shoes ready to go. This forum is so invaluable as you prepare for the trip! Patty, thank you for the tip about spelling. That’s really great to know. How fun that the bus stops include some yummy treats. I am so looking forward to every minute of it! The food, the sights, the people, all of it. Look forward to meeting you Mike! Lynn, thank you so much for the tip about cash. Oh thank you all so much for your messages! I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm, advice and more!!

Hi Katie,
We will be taking this tour on October 7th, our first RS tour. Have a great time and would love to read a trip report upon your return.

The hotel in Monemvasia did laundry. Turn it in when you get there in the afternoon, it will be folded and waiting for you the next afternoon. Take lip balm. You will want to go in the water - it's so inviting, but you won't want to stay in very long. brrrr.