Signature

Signature Greece | Songs of the Lyre

Activity

Culture

Overview

Where myth hangs in the sea breeze and sunlight gilds marble and olive, discover Greece’s ancient, living soul

Where myth and memory entwine, Greece’s story unfolds. Guided by your hand-picked Signature Guide, you’ll journey through the ages, starting among the sacred temples of Athens and ending on Crete, the birthplace of Zeus. Along the way, it’s our encounters with mortals – lyre players, wine producers, and gifted artisans – that bring the true Greece to life. A story etched into marble and passed through time.

Venture to the very heart of each destination on our Signature Collection, where every journey is shaped by our unrivalled local connections and insider expertise. Step beyond the ordinary with private invitations, rare encounters, and experiences few will ever share. So when someone says, “I’ve been there,” you’ll simply smile, knowing you’ve experienced it differently.

Signature Day: Experience our distinctive Signature Day, choosing between included activities such as a full-day catamaran cruise, marble or mosaic carving, e-biking along Naxos’ coast, cheese making with local farmers, or a traditional loom weaving class

Signature Stay: Experience elevated Cretan hospitality at Kapsaliana Village Hotel, a boutique retreat within a restored 18th-century village

Signature Guide: Let your hand-picked Signature guide lead you to the country’s soul — sharing their home, heritage, and heart

Key Information

Trip Code: LGN
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Greece
Carbon Footprint: 66.8kg CO2e per person per day

Signature Exclusive Inclusions

Elegant, hand-picked hotels and a Signature Stay in a restored 18th-century village
All breakfasts, five lunches, and all dinners, which capture the authentic cuisine of Greece
Your preferred Signature Day experience, selected and prebooked ahead of travel
Named Signature Guide with outstanding knowledge and guest satisfaction
Complimentary transfers on arrival and departure, ensuring a smooth journey plus comfortable transport throughout, including high-speed ferries
Gratuities for local support staff so every detail of your journey feels effortless

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.

Signature Experiences

Cook alongside a Naxian family, preparing cherished island recipes in their home kitchen, each dish paired with local wines and stories of the land

Dine and dance at Elaiolithos Estate during a private folklore evening, where live music and seasonal dishes celebrate the rhythm of island life

Explore ancient Eleutherna, uncovering layers of myth and archaeology, before shaping your own ceramic piece in a hilltop studio in Margarites

Spend a day at Veggera Farm, a haven of Cretan hospitality. Join your hosts in harvesting, baking, and cooking over wood fire; depending on the season, learn the art of beekeeping or gathering grapes from the vines

Signature Travel Expert

Dina Karsioti

Signature Guide: Greece

Destinations

Athens, Europe, Greece, Greek Islands

Dina brings a rare blend of cultural insight, seasoned guiding experience, and calm, assured leadership.

Itinerary

First Destination: Athens
Next Destination: Crete (Chania or Heraklion)

Accommodation:Perianth Hotel
Meals included:Dinner

Accommodation:The Key
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Accommodation:The Key
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Accommodation:The Key
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:Kapsaliana Village Hotel
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Accommodation:Kapsaliana Village Hotel
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Accommodation:Kapsaliana Village Hotel
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Athens
Next Destination: Crete (Chania or Heraklion)

Welcome to Athens, where ancient temples watch over a modern capital alive with art and energy.

Complimentary arrival transfers are provided today. Those arriving early can join an optional private walk that brings myths to life, wandering the historic core with professional storytellers and sampling Greek delicacies (available to prebook on request).

As dusk falls, gather for a welcome reception followed by dinner at Kuzina, where renowned chef Aris Tsanaklidis produces artful Greek cuisine. We dine on the rooftop terrace, a hidden vantage point with views of the illuminated Acropolis.

Accommodation:Perianth Hotel
Meals included:Dinner

Follow a licensed archaeologist on a private exploration of Athens, unpicking a capital built from marble and myth. We ascend the Acropolis to stand before the Parthenon, timing our visit to avoid the crowds for a more intimate experience. Cross to Filopappou Hill for a musical interlude with a lyre master and try plucking this ancient instrument yourself before a picnic lunch of souvlaki overlooking the city. Later, a high-speed ferry whisks us across the Aegean to Naxos, where dinner and starlight welcome our first island night.

Accommodation:The Key
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Set out on an easy morning hike through the green heart of Naxos, the tranquil Tragea Valley. From the weaving village of Moni, follow ancient paths to Panagia Drossiani, a sixth-century chapel with rare frescoes, then descend past olive groves and farmsteads to Halki village for lunch at a traditional taverna.

Signature Experience: Later, join a local family for a hands-on cooking class, picking herbs from the garden and preparing cherished island recipes. As dusk falls, share your feast with wine and laughter, a true taste of Naxian life.

Accommodation:The Key
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is your Signature Day, where you can select an authentic, curated experience to connect deeply with Greek culture. You could:

Sail by catamaran, swimming in hidden coves and visiting nearby islands.
Join a marble mosaic workshop and create art from Naxos’ famed crystalline marble with local artisans.
Take an e-bike tour along the Aegean coast, pedalling past white-sand coves and rural hamlets.
Make cheese with local farmers, learning to milk goats and taste your creations fresh from the source.
Learn the craft of Naxian loom-weaving, spinning colourful threads into your own handwoven piece.

Signature Experience: Journey into the highlands for an exclusive folklore celebration at the family-run Elaiolithos Estate. As twilight settles over the olive groves, enjoy a dinner of seasonal island produce, accompanied by live bouzouki and violin. In this rare invitation into village life, you’ll experience the very heart of Greek culture.

Accommodation:The Key
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a leisurely morning in Naxos, perhaps with a swim, before a short stroll through Chora’s whitewashed lanes and shops selling citron liqueur and woven linens. After a lunch of island favourites, board the high-speed ferry to Crete, watching Naxos fade into the Aegean.

By late afternoon, arrive at your Signature Stay, Kapsaliana Village Hotel, a restored 18th-century olive village turned boutique retreat. Dine on farm-to-table Cretan cuisine in the lantern-lit courtyard and feel the island’s calm embrace your first evening.

Accommodation:Kapsaliana Village Hotel
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Signature Experience: Embrace Crete’s traditions at the family-run Veggera Farm, where the rhythm of rural life unfolds in warm, genuine hospitality. Join our hosts in harvesting vegetables, baking bread, and preparing traditional recipes in a wood-fired oven. It’s a celebration of the seasons, experienced through food and connection.

Lunch is a joyful feast, accompanied by raki, meeting locals, and sharing stories as friends of the family drop by to play traditional music.

Later, return to the hotel to relax and dine lightly under the Cretan stars.

Accommodation:Kapsaliana Village Hotel
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Step back in time at ancient Eleutherna, a hillside city-state from the Homeric era where ancient bridges and cisterns whisper of Crete’s past. Discover its remarkably well-preserved ruins on an easy hike.

Signature Experience: After a traditional lunch in a family-run taverna, visit Margarites, a hillside village renowned for its generations of potters and fragrant lanes lined with bougainvillea. Step inside a master’s workshop to learn the rhythm of the wheel and shape your own ceramic piece, a timeless keepsake from Crete’s living craft tradition.

Return to the hotel for a private olive oil tour and tasting led by an expert, learning how to identify premium olive oils. End the day with a farewell dinner in a private area of the village-hotel, toasting the cuisine and connections shared in Greece.

Accommodation:Kapsaliana Village Hotel
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our Greek odyssey ends with a complimentary transfer to the airport. If you have time to linger, wander in the olive-scented air one last time. This chapter may close, but the myths and memory of Greece stay with you long after you’ve gone.

Alternatively, extend your stay and continue your journey of discovery. Speak with your Signature Collection travel expert to explore the possibilities.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Accommodation

Experience the best of Greek hospitality

Every aspect of the Signature Collection is meticulously planned to take you deeper into the destination. That means your accommodation is a refined showcase of local hospitality, whether you’re staying in a pioneering luxury hotel or enjoying privileged access to a characterful stay designed to fully immerse you in the local culture.

Below are the accommodations we use on this adventure:

Athens: Perianth Hotel (night 1)

Signature Greece | Songs of the Lyre

An urban sanctuary in the creative Psirri district, the Perianth combines mid-century design with neoclassical poise. Inside, Italian furnishings and terrazzo floors reflect the stylish side of Athens, while the rooftop breakfast terrace offers sunrise views of the Acropolis. Family-owned and art-focused, the hotel champions Greek artisanship and understated elegance.

Naxos: The Key (nights 2-4)

Signature Greece | Songs of the Lyre

Tucked between the Aegean and the island’s interior, The Key balances contemporary calm with Cycladic simplicity. Rooms are designed for quiet moments, with soft tones and outdoor spaces that open to garden or sea. Expect fresh ingredients from the on-site farm, a serene pool, and service rooted in Naxian hospitality.

Crete: Kapsaliana Village Hotel (nights 5-7)

Signature Greece | Songs of the Lyre

Your Signature Stay is a timeless retreat built around a 17th-century olive oil press. Once owned by the Arkadi Monastery, this hillside village has been lovingly restored into a collection of stone cottages, gardens, and courtyards with panoramic views across the olive groves. The farm-to-table restaurant, shaded pool, and olive oil tasting room ensure each evening is as nourishing as the day.

Enhance your stay: Personalise your experience with additional nights tailored to your travel plans.

Essential Information

We have graded this trip Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page.

Driving times: The longest journey takes place on Day 5, with a combined ferry and road journey of around five hours from Naxos to Kapsaliana village in Crete.

Prebooking activities: An immersive adventure of your choice awaits on the Signature Day. This activity is included – all you need to do is prebook your chosen experience at least 60 days before departure through our Signature Collection travel experts. Additionally, an optional guided mythology walk can be prebooked for Day 1.

Hikes: On Day 3 we hike for around two and a half hours, covering a distance of 2.5mi (4km), ascent 1,310ft (400m); descent 980ft (300m). On Day 7 we hike for around two hours, covering a distance of 2-3mi (3-5km).

As with all adventures in the Signature Collection, we take care of your arrival and departure transfers, allowing you to fully relax and immerse yourself in the local culture.

Arrival airport: Athens (ATH)
- Your adventure begins with a welcome reception at 6pm on Day 1 at our first accommodation.
Departure airport: Chania or Heraklion (CHQ or HER)
- Your adventure concludes after breakfast on the final day.

Complimentary transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and from the end (or post-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts/ends; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Complimentary transfers should be booked with your Signature Collection travel expert at least two weeks before the tour starts.

Greece

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Greece. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/greece
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/greece
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Greece.html

This journey is designed to deepen your connection to the country through its food and drink. Meals celebrate provenance and seasonality. From artful rooftop dining in Athens to home-cooked feasts on Naxos and Crete, food becomes a thread that binds this journey together. Dine beneath the glow of the Acropolis, enjoy a souvlaki picnic after a private archaeological tour, and gather in family kitchens to prepare recipes passed through generations.

The regions of Athens, Naxos, and Crete share a classic Mediterranean climate with long, warm summers and mild winters. Spring (April to June) brings pleasant temperatures and blooming wildflowers. Summer (July to early September) is hot and dry, with refreshing sea breezes across the islands. Autumn (September to October) is beautifully temperate, the sea still warm for swimming. Winter (November to March) is cooler and quieter.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

We also weave Signature Legacy moments into your itinerary, so the positive impact of your trip lasts long after your stay. These are moments to remember which help people and nature thrive, ensuring you build a harmonious, positive connection with the places you visit.

On this journey, you can:

Join a local family at Veggera Farm to harvest, cook, and share traditions that sustain rural livelihoods and preserve Crete’s agricultural heritage.
Participate in traditional Greek workshops celebrating music, craft, and culture, supporting generational artisans and preserving Greece’s timeless craftsmanship for future generations.