Wouldn't trust the trip of a lifetime to anyone else

Greece | Apr 26 - May 6, 2026

This was a fantastic tour, and I'm so glad it came at the beginning of our trip. Our guide, Sofia (sorry if I'm spelling her name incorrectly) was absolutely wonderful. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable, but she was a pro at pacing — she navigated us to spots with shade and places to sit while she talked to us, and I was really impressed with how she structured the information. We never got too much at once, and she built on her explanations throughout the tour to connect all the dots. I was so impressed, and I learned a ton. Would highly recommend this tour as a way to understand not just the Acropolis, but the ancient city-state of Athens and its golden age.

Our food tour with Katerina was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I think the guide makes a big difference on food tours, and Katerina was wonderful. She was just a joy to spend time with — she was warm and curious and happy to share, and I could see the same held true for her relationships with the restaurant owners, as well. And we tried so much food! Katerina picked out great spots — everything we tried was excellent.

This was another highlight for me — I enjoyed this class so much. My family is Greek, so learning how to make some of the food I grew up with — especially in this setting — felt really special. Vivian, Abdul, and Thanos were wonderful teachers and facilitators. They were kind and engaging and, before I knew it, had guided us through making a multi-course meal. This is an experience that I'll remember for a long time to come.

I very much appreciate this tour — I learned a great deal that provided context for the rest of my time on Santorini, and our guides brought us to places on the island I would not have visited otherwise. In my opinion, the villages we visited were more beautiful than Oia, and we had the space to actually enjoy them. The only reason I didn't give this tour five stars is because it felt a little bit like our guides were trying to sell us on Santorini. They'd guide us to different picture spots and ask if we liked them, for instance, and it felt a little bit like we were on the spot to have a particular reaction. There wasn't really an attempt to find out what we were most interested in or what we already knew; there was a script, and they were sticking to it. It just made me feel a little conflicted to see how much the tour pandered to the social media influencer from abroad. I'm pretty sure our guide convinced the staff at Akrotiri to stay open a little late for us, for instance, which I felt horrible about when I realized it. Like I said, I'm so glad we had this tour, and I would definitely recommend it. I just left it feeling a little bit sad and kind of guilty about how my presence impacted these traditional villages and archeological sites.

I enjoyed this hike more than anything else we did on Santorini! Lilly was a wonderful guide, and I really enjoyed talking to her about how Santorini's history and how tourism has impacted the island. And the hike itself was a wonderful way to see "behind the scenes" of Santorini. For someone like me easily overwhelmed by Fira and Oia, getting outside of the towns was a welcome change. Walking through a volcanic landscape is a very cool experience, and I'm grateful that I got to see a different side (sometimes quite literally) of the island. With the right shoes and plenty of water, I found the level of physical activity very doable. It felt good to do something so active.