Greece tours for seniors

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across the Mediterranean and beyond. We explore Greece’s magnificent natural beauty, its incredibly ancient heritage, World Heritage Sites, and storied cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Greece, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

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Crafted tours for mature world travellers

Tours of Greece

Santorini - Crete: Eastern-Mediterranean Islands Short tour

Join our small group short tour of the Eastern Mediterranean. Spend 10 days in Greece for a glimpse of the land of great philosophers, myths, and legends. We will learn about the culture and heritage of modern Greece while travelling from Athens to Santorini and over to Crete.

10 days
Departing Apr, Oct, Mar

Santorini, Crete and Cyprus Small Group Tour | Eastern Mediterranean Islands Tour

A fascinating small group tour, with an amazing mix of culture and history – the islands of Greece, the cradle of Western civilisation, where traces of a centuries-old history exists. Visit Santorini, a remnant of a volcanic era; Crete, the home of the Minoan civilisation with important archaeological finds at Knossos and Phaistos. Rhodes, inhabited since the Stone Age; and venture further to the island of Cyprus, where east meets west.

21 days
Departing Apr, Oct

Crete Small Group Tour: The Minoans

Crete rich in UNESCO World heritage sites this small group escorted tour provides a travel experience for guests with experienced local guides to remember. For senior couples or single travellers who seek to travel with other like minded people to destinations rich in ancient history then this in one of many small group journeys to be enjoyed.

20 days
Departing Sep, Apr

Greece small group escorted history tour

Our 21 day small group tour explores the land of great philosophers, myths, and legends. We will learn about the culture and heritage of modern Greece  whilst exploring and learning Athens, which only found independence in its uprising from the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

22 days
Departing Apr, Sep, May

Walking in Greece

Visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites introduced by local guides feature on this walking tour for mature couple and single travellers.  The days itineraries  to selected destinations provide authentic experiences in the remote parts of Greece. A single supplement is charged for solo travelers on these small group journeys.

18 days
Departing Mar, Nov

European Cities Small Group History and Cultural Winter Tour

An escorted tour A Journey that commences in Rome and takes in 12 destinations along its journey to Athens. This is an off season small group journey with like minded people. A small group tour across Southern Europe with local guides sharing authentic in-country authentic experiences for mature couples and solo travellers.

27 days
Departing Dec

It’s hard not to feel awed when visiting the country that brought us democracy, philosophy and the theatre. Ancient Greece is still present in the astounding archaeological sites like the Acropolis of Athens, the cities of Mycenae, Mystras and ancient Olympia, and the remains of the Temple of Delphi. Similarly, Greek history and mythology abound at the home of the Gods in Mount Olympus, the country’s tallest mountain. But modern Greece has just as much to offer. When you’re tired out from archaeology, head to the Greek Islands to relax among the clear blue and green seas and iconic white-walled and blue-roofed villages. And of course, authentic Greek cuisine is all the more delicious in Greece, with fresh local produce and regional specialties key to the food culture.

In Athens, discover landmarks that are millennia old against the hum of a bustling, modern city. Santorini offers the most magical sunsets but all of the Cyclades Islands stun with their rustic and majestic beauty. Corfu and Kefalonia are known for beautiful stretches of beaches set against lush greenery and the Dodecanese Islands, far south enough to almost kiss Turkey, provide a glimpse into medieval Greece.

With an endless coastline and 6,000 islands, the cradle of Western civilization is an unmissable travel destination.

Articles about Greece

Odyssey Traveller

Olympia, Greece

3 mins read GreeceEurope

Olympia, Greece Olympia is among the most important places in Greece and a Unesco world heritage site. The archaeological site and of Olympia, located on the western side of Peloponnese, is the site of the first…

Odyssey Traveller

Kalamata Greece

4 mins read EuropeGreece

Kalamata, Greece Kalamata, Greece, is the major town of the Southern Peloponnese, and the capital of Messenia. Kalamata is most famous for its olives, the Kalamatianos dance and it is also home to an attractive…

Odyssey Traveller

Delphi, Greece

4 mins read EuropeGreece

Delphi, Greece The name ‘Delphi’ comes from ‘Dolphin’ because it is widely believed that Apollo first visited the region in the shape of a Dolphin. Believed by the Ancient Greeks to be the centre of the…

Odyssey Traveller

Meteora, Greece

5 mins read EuropeGreece

Meteora, Greece The 6 monasteries perched on top of rock pinnacles near Kalambaka in Central Greece is probably the most spectacular visitor site in Greece. Meteora means “suspended in the air” and the remaining six…

Olive forest, Corfu

Corfu, Greece

6 mins read EuropeGreece

Corfu differs to much of the rest of Greece, with notable limited archaeological sites but an abundant mixture of forts, medieval castles, palaces, Greek orthodox churches, and monuments.

King Leonidas

Sparta, Greece

4 mins read EuropeGreece

Sparta was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece famous for its powerful military. Throughout ancient Sparta a prominent militaristic culture pervaded with citizens’ lives centred around war.

Crete tours

Crete History for Travellers

6 mins read EuropeGreece

Crete History for Travellers Crete is one of the most beautiful and traditional regions of Greece. Although Cretans have fought generations of invaders, they are a people whose courtesy and hospitality is legendary. These lands…

Athens

Creating Athens

11 mins read EuropeGreece

Creating Athens Aerial view of Athens, Greece This article Creating Athens traces the civilisations of antiquity to the rise of Athens as a city-state after the world’s first “Dark Age”. It is intended as background…

Rhodes island. Greece

Trip to Greece

21 mins read EuropeGreece

A Greek Odyssey Greece (Greek: Ελλάς, Hellas) is located in sun drenched Southern Europe, on the southernmost tip of the Balkan peninsula. It boasts extensive coastlines and islands in the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas.…

The need to know

Touring Greece

Getting around

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. If you are travelling by boat to the Aegean Islands, the main ferry terminal in Athens is Piraeus, which is only a short distance from the airport. Be sure to buy tickets in advance. Buses are abundant in Greece, whereas train travel can be slow (although quite cheap).

Accommodation

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our longstay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Geography, environment & weather

Greece has a southern European, Mediterreanean climate, featuring mild wet winters and hot dry summers – no matter where you are in the country. In some mountainous areas there is an alpine climate and snow is common. The Pindus mountain range affects Greece’s weather, bringing wetter conditions to the western side of the country due to the rain shadow effect.

In terms of geography, Greece has it all: mountains, plains, forests, coastal cities and thousands of tiny islands. At over 13000km, it has the 11th longest coastline in the world. Even so, the country is the most mountainous in Europe, with over eighty percent of the nation covered in mountains. The mainland is known as the Peloponnese peninsula.

Tour guides

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

World Heritage sites

Greece boasts 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among the most for any country in Europe and indeed the world. You can view the official list of the sites here https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gr. It is well worth visiting every site, if you are able. But here’s a few highlights from the bunch:
Acropolis, Athens, universal symbols of the classical spirit
Temple of Apollo, famous temple to the god of healing and the sun
Delphi, ‘navel of the world’

Festivals & events

The Greeks love a festival, and they have plenty. Individual islands often have their own celebrations, and Greeks celebrate both their birthday and the day of the saint they are named after. The biggest national festival, however, is probably Orthodox Easter, celebrated by candlelit street parades and delicious feasts. Festivities can go for over a week – be aware though, datewise, Greek Orthodox Easter does not always match up with Catholic Easter. Other festivals include the Hellenic Festival, the August Moon Festival and Apokreas. You won’t want for reasons to celebrate in Greece.

Reading list

The Iliad or The Odyssey by Homer

Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese by Patrick Leigh Fermor

The Magus by John Fowles

Zorba the Greek by Nikon Kazantzakis

eating & drinking

Food is an essential part of Greek culture. It tends to be very simple: fresh, seasonal produce, olive oil and charcoal grills. In some more remote parts of the country, people have been eating and cooking the same way for centuries. Given how seriously they take their food in this part of the world, the are many different types of restaurant. A mezodopolio offers a tapas-like dining experience. Tavernas have more generous servings, often in rustic settings. Psarotavernas are tavernas that serve seafood. Estiatorios offer the full restaurant experience: formal service, a choice of cuisine and wine. Many restaurants are open until midnight – the Greeks like to take their time over dinner.

health & safety

While much of Greece is usually safe to travel around, it’s important to stay alert to anything unusual. Also, you will often see signs warning of pickpockets in areas popular with tourists, so it’s important to keep a close eye on your belongings at all times.

Electrical supply

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. The electricity supply runs at 230V, 50Hz. Greek plugs have three (sometimes two) circular pins which form a straight line, shared by most of Europe (but not Australia).

FAQs

Greece has a single time zone (excluding its overseas territories), Eastern European Time. The nation observes daylight saving time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

If you’re on an Odyssey tour, we take care of tipping so you don’t need to give it a second thought. However, in your free time, or if travelling independently, it’s essential that you make sure you tip an appropriate amount for services, as is the case throughout much of Europe. It’s customary to tip 10-15% of the bill at restaurants, or 1 to 3 GBP at a more casual establishment. It’s polite to round a bill up to the nearest whole figure or leave the change when buying drinks.

Internet access is easily accessible, and most hotels and many cafes will be able to offer it.

Check with your cell phone provider to see whether you’re able to make calls and use data while in Greece. Many providers will offer a daily fee that allows you to make calls and check the internet while only being charged your regular rates. However, be certain to inform your provider that you’re heading overseas, because just like a bank they can turn off your service as a result of unusual activity.

All the islands have their own charms and beauty but many travellers claim that Santorini, Crete, and Corfu are the most beautiful and picturesque Greek islands.

Corfu is considered to be best choice for over 50’s and history lovers, being the site of numerous battles and conquests. The historical significance continues in the old town, which was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

You most likely do not need a travel visa. Citizens of the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Australia, Japan, and a host of other countries1 are permitted to enter Greece without a visa for up to 90 days within a six-month period. Please check Visa requirements with your local Greek embassy or consulate before you travel.

In 2002, the drachma was subsequently replaced by the Euro.

The best times to visit Greece are April to May and September to November, due to milder weather and lesser tourists.

Greece is a paradise for everyone, from holidaymakers to travellers. Its numerous islands are captivating and then there’s also the capital of Athens. Some of the highlights in Greece are:

Athens: You need at least 2 days in Athens to see the wonders of Acropolis, The National Archaeological Museum, The Plaka neighborhood, The Temple Of Poseidon and many more.

Santorini: One of the most popular holiday destinations worldwide and the most visited of all the Greek islands. Famous for all shades of red creating unreal sunsets, Santorini offers the most dramatic sea views you’ve ever seen and enormous cliffs with dreamy Cycladic whitewashed houses.

Peloponnese: Located west of Athens, the Peloponnese peninsula is full of historical sites and archaeological vestiges.

Mycenae and Epidaurus: Both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, located in Peloponnese.

Olympia: Also located in the Peloponnese, Olympia Archaeological Site,  the birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games. 

Corfu FAQs

Corfu town has it all: a mix of Greek culture, historical architecture and welcoming restaurants. Paleokastritsa is an iconic, scenic spot to spend your Greek getaway, tucked around three beautiful bays. Kavos is the town to stay if you are after a party and beach holiday.

The best times to visit Corfu are April to May and September to November. Although there is never really a bad season in the Mediterranean, you’ll find that winter temperatures are too chilly to swim off the shores of Corfu, while the summer months draw hordes of tourists.

Corfu is the ‘Emerald Island’ of Greece. With a turquoise sea and a landscape full of wild colorful flowers and bushes. The coastline is in touch with turquoise waters and is more than 200km long. Corfu is also known for its long history, going back more than 3000 years.

A meal at a restaurant that includes a main course, a salad, and a soft drink would cost you around €20-25.

There are several flights from Athens to Corfu daily, taking just over an hour in flying time. You can also fly direct from Thessaloniki, with the same duration. Direct ferries to Corfu operates from the Ionan Island of Paxi and the mainland coastal city of Igoumenitsa.

Corfu’s population is 101,000 and is located west of Greece, in the northerns Ionian Sea, 2,5 km from the Albanian Coast. It is 592 square km and the second largest Ionian island.

Kérkyra, the capital of Corfu, also called Corfu town.

With three days on Corfu, there’s ample time to get acquainted with its sights and charms and explore beyond its shores.

Responsible travel tips for Greece

  • Learn at least the local greetings to break the ice. Although many locals speak English, the more you know of the native language, the greater your experience of the country will be.
  • Carry a business card in your wallet or purse from your local hotel, to assist you with the return journey if you do become lost.
  • Always ensure that you are covered by travel insurance. If you need advice on this feel free to contact Odyssey and we’ll be able to help.
  • When travelling independently, make sure you check the opening hours of shops and museums so that you don’t miss out! Museums and galleries are often closed on Mondays. Also be certain to check whether your trip coincides with any public holidays, so you can plan accordingly.
  • Consider contacting your bank to inform them that you may be making purchases overseas. Otherwise, they may flag any activity on your account as suspicious. Also, check which ATMs and banks are compatible with your cards, to ensure you can withdraw cash with minimal fees.
  • Before departing, make sure you have a number of euros in a range of denominations. You don’t want to be carrying around enormous amounts of cash, but take enough to make it easy to pay in locations that might not accept credit card. It will also help you avoid card transaction fees, and it makes tipping a breeze.

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