Overview
Read 15 reviews and enjoy exclusive savings on Cosmos 10 Day The Best of Greece. On this Best of Greece tour, discover the highlights of historic and mythical—as well as modern—Greece. As the birthplace of Western civilization, Greece has some of the world’s most fascinating archaeological sites, and now is your chance to explore them. Your affordable tour of Greece starts and ends in Athens with overnights along the way in Nauplia, Sparta, Olympia, Delphi, and Kalambaka and covers the Greek mainland and the Peloponnese peninsula.
Step back in time as you visit some of Greece's ancient read more sites where the Mycenaean civilization thrived between 1600 and 1200 BC. Enjoy the included guided sightseeing tour of the Mycenae archaeological site and learn about its history and legends. In Athens, visit the Acropolis, still standing after 2,500 years. Your Local Guide will give you many insights into this ancient masterpiece. Dedicated to the goddess Athena, the Acropolis sits high on a rocky hill and is a symbol of Athen’s wealth and power at its apex.
In Epidaurus, climb the limestone steps of the amazingly well-preserved, 2,300-year-old open-air theatre and marvel at the perfect acoustics. Step back into the Middle Ages when you walk around the medieval Byzantine Citadel of Mystra, a castle founded in 1249. You’ll also love the mystic mountain landscape of Meteora with its 24 rock-top monasteries set in almost inaccessible sandstone peaks.
On this affordable Greece tour, you’ll travel to Olympia, legendary home of the Olympic Games, and Delphi, where people visited in ancient Greece to seek the advice of the Oracle. But that’s not all…you’ll experience modern Greece as well, as you cross over one of the world's longest cable-stayed bridge, the spectacular Rion-Antirion Bridge, linking the Peloponnese peninsula to the Greek mainland. From ancient ruins to contemporary engineering —with beautiful landscapes in between—this affordable Greece tour is perfectly designed for value-minded travel lovers. You’ll agree that your Greece vacation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Step back in time as you visit some of Greece's ancient read more sites where the Mycenaean civilization thrived between 1600 and 1200 BC. Enjoy the included guided sightseeing tour of the Mycenae archaeological site and learn about its history and legends. In Athens, visit the Acropolis, still standing after 2,500 years. Your Local Guide will give you many insights into this ancient masterpiece. Dedicated to the goddess Athena, the Acropolis sits high on a rocky hill and is a symbol of Athen’s wealth and power at its apex.
In Epidaurus, climb the limestone steps of the amazingly well-preserved, 2,300-year-old open-air theatre and marvel at the perfect acoustics. Step back into the Middle Ages when you walk around the medieval Byzantine Citadel of Mystra, a castle founded in 1249. You’ll also love the mystic mountain landscape of Meteora with its 24 rock-top monasteries set in almost inaccessible sandstone peaks.
On this affordable Greece tour, you’ll travel to Olympia, legendary home of the Olympic Games, and Delphi, where people visited in ancient Greece to seek the advice of the Oracle. But that’s not all…you’ll experience modern Greece as well, as you cross over one of the world's longest cable-stayed bridge, the spectacular Rion-Antirion Bridge, linking the Peloponnese peninsula to the Greek mainland. From ancient ruins to contemporary engineering —with beautiful landscapes in between—this affordable Greece tour is perfectly designed for value-minded travel lovers. You’ll agree that your Greece vacation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
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US$1,871 per person
Price shown based on twin share
Save up to $234 per person
Trip Length
10 Days
Trip Starts
Athens
Trip Ends
Athens
Departures
Apr 2026 to Oct 2027
Countries Visited:
Operator
Cosmos
15 Trip Reviews
Avg. Rating: 4.4/5
Trip Style
Classic
Accommodation
3 - 3.5 Star
Budget
Affordable
Age Range
5-99 Years
Max. Group Size
47
Guide Style
Fully Guided
Tour Code
6670
Itinerary
Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring the Greek capital with the help of your CosmosGO app. Later, meet your Local Host.
A day to relax and discover Athens at leisure. In the evening, free time to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the tavernas and nightclubs in the old Plaka district with its narrow streets and sound of bouzouki music. (B)
Join the included guided tour of Athens, featuring the highlights of this ancient capital and a visit to the Acropolis. Cross the Corinth canal, a project conceived in ancient Greece but only completed in 1893, then head for the coast to the picturesque seaside town of Nauplia. Today's Distance: 90 mi/ 145 km (B)
This morning, stop in Epidaurus, located in the hilly countryside dotted with pine trees and oleanders. In this magnificent setting, visit the ancient open-air theatre, which can still seat 14,000 spectators.
Later, enjoy the included guided excursion to the archaeological site and museum of Mycenae, with the imposing ruins of the great city that dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. It played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture and is linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Travel into the Peloponnese to Sparta, where history hangs between reality and legend. Today's Distance: 126 mi/ 202 km (B/D)
Enjoy the included sightseeing of the medieval Byzantine citadel of Mystra, at one time known as the “Florence of the East.” Before arriving in Olympia, stop to visit an olive oil museum. Today's Distance: 99 mi/ 160 km (B/D)
Explore Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed as a tribute to the king of deities, Zeus. Spend free time in this pretty town or score a perfect 10 with an optional guided tour of the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Later, drive north to Patras, the capital of the Peloponnese and the west coast's largest port. Continue by crossing the spectacular Rion-Antirion bridge, through the picturesque fishing villages along the south coast of the mainland to legendary Delphi. Today's Distance: 134 mi/ 215km (B)
Enjoy free time in town or feel the good fortune of an optional morning sightseeing tour of the archaeological site of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke at the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world.' Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious hub and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world. On to Kalambaka. Today's Distance: 143 mi/ 230 km (B/D)
Discover Meteora, a cluster of Christian-Orthodox monasteries perched in an unforgettable manner on a set of rising rock formations. They were originally built by hermit monks living in caves carved into the rocks. Your included visit is certainly the day's highlight. Continue south to Athens. Today's Distance: 224 mi/ 360 km (B)
Spend a full day at leisure exploring the unseen parts of the city or visiting a museum. Tonight, it's all Greek with an optional dinner of local specialties, served with the rhythmic dance steps of the Sirtaki keeping time with the sounds of the bouzouki lute. (B)
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- Guided sightseeing in Athens, including a visit to the Acropolis
- Corinth Canal crossing
- Visit to the Epidaurus archaeological theatre
- Guided walking tour of Mycenae
- Orientation tour of Mystras, featuring the Byzantine citadel
- Visit to an olive oil museum en route to Olympia
- Orientation tour of Delphi
- Orientation tour of Meteora
- The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi.
- Buffet breakfasts daily; 3 dinners
- Athens: Gallery Central Hotel (First-Class)
- Nauplia: Rex (First-Class)
- Sparta: Maniatis (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Olympia: Olympia Palace (First-Class)
- Delphi: Apollonia (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Kalambaka: Antoniadis (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Athens: Novotel Athenes (First-Class)
- Athens: Acropolis Select (First-Class)
- Athens: Dorian Inn (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Airport transfers at your arrival and departure destination are not included in the price of the tour.
- Itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and specified internal flights. International flights not included.
- This tour requires walking on uneven terrain, especially at archaeological sites, which may pose a challenge to guests with physical limitations or reliant on mobility devices such as wheelchairs.
Operator
At Cosmos, we like to think of ourselves as experts in ‘thrillology’ – the art of bringing you an experience, time and time again. With over 50 years of ‘wow’ under our belts and no sign of slowing down, we know how to curate value touring holidays that you’ll never forget; creating the experiences you’ve always dreamed more of and showing you the ones, you never thought of. Our job is to take care of the planning and logistics, so that all you have to focus on is living your dreams!
Why Travel with Cosmos?
Enjoy inside visits to Europe's the must-see sites with a great mix of included excursions, free time and affordable value. Read more
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Trip Reviews (15)
Best of Greece, Tour of the Peloponnese Region 0
Carl and Kathleen, MD, United States, Sep 2025
This was our first tour as we typically do all the planning ourselves. This time, we incorporated the Best of Greece tour (10 days) into a broader trip (33 days). Overall, the tour gets very high marks and more than met our expectations. We definetly will use Global Journeys for future trips as well as Cosmos.
First, the positives: Booking the read more trip and making the arrangements through Global Journeys was easy and hassle free. I appreciated the updates from Ethan, our travel advisor, and the checklist process they have.
The tour itself was extremely well organized. Our tour guide, Antonis, was very personable and gave us lots of historical and current information on Greece and Greek culture. He also was great at keeping us on schedule without making anyone feel pressured. Major kudos to our bus driver as some locations required real skills to navigate.
One feature of this tour that I really came to appreciate was their strategy of arriving at a location the night before the main sightseeing location (ex: Olympia, Delphi). This meant that we were essentially the first to arrive (before any busses coming from distance or cruise ships) and able to get lots of quality time at the sites.
Bottom line is that they have really honed their tour to maximize where they can. One thing that is important for folks to know is that the time in Athens is just about right to see what you need to see either because of actual tour activities or on your free time. If you're planning on flying into Athens, I wouldn't suggest more than an additional day or two mainly to sync travel and give you an extra evening for shows etc.
I don't have any major negatives for the tour, but do want to highlight something to help set expectations. This tour had 38 people (almost a full bus). Overall the size wasn't an issue (we really met some great people), but the one impact of our size is that when traveling, the bulk of food stops are at places that are catering to tour groups. It isn't that the food was bad, just somewhat limited and a bit mass produced. We did have opportunities to dine on our own (or in smaller groups) at some of our evening locations. If you are a major foodie, you should go in with this understanding.
First, the positives: Booking the read more trip and making the arrangements through Global Journeys was easy and hassle free. I appreciated the updates from Ethan, our travel advisor, and the checklist process they have.
The tour itself was extremely well organized. Our tour guide, Antonis, was very personable and gave us lots of historical and current information on Greece and Greek culture. He also was great at keeping us on schedule without making anyone feel pressured. Major kudos to our bus driver as some locations required real skills to navigate.
One feature of this tour that I really came to appreciate was their strategy of arriving at a location the night before the main sightseeing location (ex: Olympia, Delphi). This meant that we were essentially the first to arrive (before any busses coming from distance or cruise ships) and able to get lots of quality time at the sites.
Bottom line is that they have really honed their tour to maximize where they can. One thing that is important for folks to know is that the time in Athens is just about right to see what you need to see either because of actual tour activities or on your free time. If you're planning on flying into Athens, I wouldn't suggest more than an additional day or two mainly to sync travel and give you an extra evening for shows etc.
I don't have any major negatives for the tour, but do want to highlight something to help set expectations. This tour had 38 people (almost a full bus). Overall the size wasn't an issue (we really met some great people), but the one impact of our size is that when traveling, the bulk of food stops are at places that are catering to tour groups. It isn't that the food was bad, just somewhat limited and a bit mass produced. We did have opportunities to dine on our own (or in smaller groups) at some of our evening locations. If you are a major foodie, you should go in with this understanding.
Wonderful Greece tour 1
Ay Yuan, NSW, Australia, Oct 2024
To go and see the monastery wass always what I wanted to do so I’m so glad that I've done it now, Booking with Hannah makes booking so easy. She is so wonderful and efficient to deal with, not to mention very fast to respond your questions. It was a busy tour and we had 44 of us but we all got along very well, I have been on a few tours with really read more big in group sizes and I remember sometimes I only know the person sitting next to me but in this tour I knew more than 2/3 of group members. Everyone was so friendly. I would book another Cosmos trip again and of course I will use Hannah as my booking agent at Global Journeys. Thank you Hannah.
The Best of Greece 1
Lynne, NSW, Australia, May 2024
Excellent Tour. The Tour Director was amazing, handling and organised 44 people extremely well. Excellent accommodation and meals at all overnight stops. My only comment is that a walking tour of Athens should be included in the Itinerary. As a single traveller, Athens was a very busy and an unsafe city for a woman to walk around by herself. The Hotel read more Moxy was an excellent Hotel to stay in Athens but was not in a very safe area. An excellent trip, great towns and sights to see and I enjoyed all the extra excursion's, which were a must if you are going to see the arachnological sights of Greece.
The name says it all....... 3
Steve and Tracey, NSW, Australia, May 2024
The Cosmos Best of Greece tour was a fantastic trip back in time. You couldn't be but totally in awe of what was built sooooo many years ago! Greece's natural beauty also didn't disappoint. Our Tour Director was fantastic wrangling all of us around the many sights. This was an easy paced tour with mostly a couple of hours in the coach each day, but read more there was plenty of walking to do if you wanted to explore the sights at each stop. Standout area was Meteora. This tour has two free days in Athens on Sundays and unfortunately most of the city is closed. Travelling late May/early June meant we beat the crowds and the heat. All of the accommodation was of good standard. Most of the optional excursions were of good value. The final night dinner at the restaurant was most memorable. Compared to most of Europe we found that Greece was the most friendly to our wallets as food and drink was very reasonable.
Enjoyable tour 3
Mrs Waldo, NSW, Australia, Sep 2019
I enjoyed the tour on the whole. The sights and destinations were great. Our group all got on very well together which was lucky. The accommodation in Athens was great. However, the accommodation was not so good during the tour. Some of the hotels had things missing or not working in the room e.g: in Olympia the air conditioning! I would rather have read more paid more for the tour to get better accommodation.
The food was not very enjoyable. Some of the buffet breakfasts and dinners were inedible. The hot food was cold and the cold food was warm! The included lunches were at restaurants that didn't cater for everyone. Some of us only felt like a sandwich but only cooked food was ever offered! The 'included' wine was awful.
Most of the optional tours were fine. The driver and tour guide were great.
The food was not very enjoyable. Some of the buffet breakfasts and dinners were inedible. The hot food was cold and the cold food was warm! The included lunches were at restaurants that didn't cater for everyone. Some of us only felt like a sandwich but only cooked food was ever offered! The 'included' wine was awful.
Most of the optional tours were fine. The driver and tour guide were great.
A great way to travel 2
Fay, WA, Australia, Sep 2018
This was an excellent way to see Ancient Greece. Lambros the tour director was an abundance of knowledge. Dimitri the coach driver was beyond excellent. We were always informed of what to expect each day. Very satisfied.
Wonderful trip 3
Julianne & Edward, WA, Australia, May 2018
Fabulous tour guide, Margarita, knowledgeable and kind. Lots of good humour and banter on the bus, and she always ensured that people with any disablilites were taken care of. Although some of the options should really have been included in the overall trip, they were well priced and enjoyable. The trip included many of the sights that are “musts” i read moren Greece, and overall, we loved the entire experience.
Great tour of highlights in Greece 4
Deborah , NSW, Australia, May 2018
The tour director Mereika, was amazing, so knowledgeable, thoughtful and really gave us an insight into the culture and vast history of Greece. The places we visited were all very interesting, and the tour was planned really well in regards to timing. The bus was very comfortable and the driver very professional and safe. The accommodation on the whole read more was very good. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone that would like to see many of the wonderful historic sites of Greece, and experience their culture. We went on all the optional excursions, they really made our holiday special.
Overall the trip was good 4
John & Jacqueline, WA, Australia, Sep 2017
Overall the trip was good thanks in a large part to the efficiency of the guide and bus driver & fellow passengers. They were excellent. Accommodation left a lot to be desired especially the bathrooms in Sparta, Olympia & Delphi. They were well below standard.
There was mould in the bathrooms, the water was never contained in the shower area and read more bathroom floors were flooded especially in Sparta as the shower pointed away from the catchment area. The exception was the Golden Age where accommodation, bar/restaurant & staff were great. Accommodation location was very good. Food - breakfasts as a whole were generally good once you adapted to what was on offer (European Style).
Fellow traveller - overall they were friendly and we got on with the majority of the them which added to a good experience. We could not understand why some people (approx. 20%) opted for this tour as there was a lot of climbing and steps to negotiate which was well beyond their physical capacity and they missed out on some amazing sights. Some struggled to negotiate the steps into the bus.
More information for the optional tour to the 3 islands on the second day would have been useful. It was a very long 12 hour day which included 7 hours of sailing in rather warm weather. We would have had second thoughts about doing this if we were better informed. Going in September with temps in the low 30's was an ideal time. On a scale of 10 we would give it 6 mainly due to the poor quality of accommodation, otherwise we would rank it as a 9.
There was mould in the bathrooms, the water was never contained in the shower area and read more bathroom floors were flooded especially in Sparta as the shower pointed away from the catchment area. The exception was the Golden Age where accommodation, bar/restaurant & staff were great. Accommodation location was very good. Food - breakfasts as a whole were generally good once you adapted to what was on offer (European Style).
Fellow traveller - overall they were friendly and we got on with the majority of the them which added to a good experience. We could not understand why some people (approx. 20%) opted for this tour as there was a lot of climbing and steps to negotiate which was well beyond their physical capacity and they missed out on some amazing sights. Some struggled to negotiate the steps into the bus.
More information for the optional tour to the 3 islands on the second day would have been useful. It was a very long 12 hour day which included 7 hours of sailing in rather warm weather. We would have had second thoughts about doing this if we were better informed. Going in September with temps in the low 30's was an ideal time. On a scale of 10 we would give it 6 mainly due to the poor quality of accommodation, otherwise we would rank it as a 9.
Easy Greece 4
Julie, NSW, Australia, Jun 2017
My first tour experience was much as I expected: easy and pleasant with some less pleasant side effects. The guide and driver were terrific, as were my fellow travellers, and of course Greece itself. The early mornings, heat and exertion all took their toll by week's end but that made the rooftop pool at Meteora even more welcome. The hotels and their read more food were uneven in quality but all except one had excellent staff. I would prefer to have more choice of venues for lunch: being trapped in large impersonal 'restaurants' selling expensive poor quality food to sometimes as many as 3 coaches for an hour or so became the lowlight of my days. A small town with a few shops/café choices would have suited me and at least half a dozen of my fellow travellers much better.
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Cosmos Europe (2026)
Unforgettable adventures are closer than ever. With Cosmos, discover Europe’s iconic destinations through expertly designed tours that turn your dream trip into reality. For more than 60 years, Cosmos has made travel accessible - combining great value with exceptional experiences.
Enjoy handpicked hotels, the insight of skilled Tour Directors, guided more explorations led by knowledgeable Local Guides, and worry-free transportation - all curated to ensure each journey is effortless and enriching. From legendary landmarks to stunning natural wonders, now is the perfect time to explore Europe’s treasures—without stretching your budget. Travellers trust Cosmos for seamless planning and incredible value, so all that’s left is to pack and simply say, “Let’s go!”
Enjoy handpicked hotels, the insight of skilled Tour Directors, guided more explorations led by knowledgeable Local Guides, and worry-free transportation - all curated to ensure each journey is effortless and enriching. From legendary landmarks to stunning natural wonders, now is the perfect time to explore Europe’s treasures—without stretching your budget. Travellers trust Cosmos for seamless planning and incredible value, so all that’s left is to pack and simply say, “Let’s go!”
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Saturday
11 Apr 2026
11 Apr 26
Athens
Monday
20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 26
Athens
Details
Definite Departure
Single Supplement Waiver
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Was: $2,149
US$2,063
Save $86
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Saturday
18 Apr 2026
18 Apr 26
Athens
Monday
27 Apr 2026
27 Apr 26
Athens
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Was: $2,219
US$2,130
Save $89
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Saturday
25 Apr 2026
25 Apr 26
Athens
Monday
04 May 2026
04 May 26
Athens
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US$2,219
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Note
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Cosmos. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Cosmos. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
