Review: Greek Island Hopper With Trafalgar – Escape – Official Travel Blog Of AffordableTours.com

By: Laura Steves, Travel Consultant

My husband, Jerry, and I took the Greek Island Hopper with Trafalgar. We chose Greece because of its legendary beauty and history. This tour is an At Leisure tour, which is right up our alley.

Upon our arrival in Athens, we were promptly greeted by our Trafalgar Airport Transfer after retrieving our luggage. It was nice not having to figure out where to go! After checking into the Radisson Blu Athens, we had time to rest up after our long flights before the Welcome Reception in the meeting room of the hotel.

Greek Island Hopper with Trafalgar

We met our Tour Director, Ross, who spoke a little about the political situation in Greece (voting was occurring at month-end) and about tipping guidelines for Greeks. Our “light meal” after the reception included 3 delicious courses! Dessert was a chocolate mousse with what tasted like a strawberry sauce, very nicely presented and beautiful.

Greek Island Hopper with Trafalgar

Apparently Cheese Pie is a common breakfast item in Greece! It was one of many items served at breakfast throughout the tour. I am a cheese lover, so it was interesting to try the different variations. After breakfast, we boarded a comfortable motor coach with air conditioning and large windows to head to the Acropolis. Our Tour Guide Barbara was very informative and funny! Ross, our Tour Director, was also with us. We spent a couple of hours exploring the Acropolis, which is an amazing site that is sacred to the Greeks.

Greek Island Hopper with Trafalgar

The most famous and largest structure of the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which is in a constant state of preservation. We witnessed the daily Presidential Guard raising the flag of Greece. While descending the Acropolis, our guide Barbara showed us a Hidden Gem, the Church of Ayios Demetrios Loubardiaris. It is a 16th century little Greek Orthodox Church with marble floors. Very quaint and beautiful!

After two nights in Athens, we got on the high speed ferry to head to Mykonos. What a beautiful island! It was a little cool the first couple of days. The hotel had a rooftop pool with great views! We rode to the quaint town of Mykonos with the group for shopping and lunch.

The next morning, the sun was shining! We spent some time on Paraga beach with surreal views of the ocean and the islands. That evening we all went back into town to have a sunset dinner at Katarina’s. Delicious and gorgeous!

The following day we loaded up and got on the ferry again for the shorter trip to Santorini. Another beautiful island, but quite different from Mykonos. It’s longer and thinner with a more mountainous terrain. The main cities are overlooking cliffs, and you have to travel to lower parts of the island to find beaches.

We had lunch in Thira, then took an optional excursion to a local winery. It was both delicious and educational!

After that, we went to Oia view the famous sunset in the town of blue domes. I think the entire island was there that night! Our Tour Director had reserved a spot at a poolside bar for us to view the sunset, which was breathtaking!

After we arrived back in Athens for one last night, we attended the optional Greek Taverna dinner. Lots of different dishes were served, all delicious! Plus we were entertained by live music and traditional Greek dancing. They even pulled some of our group from the table to join them on the dance floor. It was hilarious and fun!

When all was said and done, we had a wonderful time, and I will never forget the breathtaking and diverse landscape during our Greek Island Hopper with Trafalgar!