The Peloponnese is the birthplace of the Olympic Games making it the ideal destination for this active round trip! The “Island of Pelops” has enchanted every visitor for thousands of years with its seemingly endless coastline and fascinating mountainous landscape!
Our adventure holiday on Greece’s largest peninsula transports you to a world of myths and legends, of rugged mountain landscapes and charming coastal regions, of remote traditional mountain villages and colourful, vibrant harbour towns.
On this trip you can look forward to a different outdoor activity every day: We hike and raft through the breath-taking Lousios Gorge. On the pristine Mani Peninsula, we spend a day kayaking through crystal-clear waters along a beautiful and varied coastline.
In the Neda Valley, you have the opportunity to experience canyoning. Cultural highlights of the trip include visits to the legendary Mycenae and ancient Olympia.
As so much adventure and exercise are sure to make you hungry, we take you to the best restaurants where you can enjoy the varied Greek cuisine with a selection of the best local wines.
And to ensure that you always sleep well and have enough energy for the next exciting day of your holiday, we arrange accommodation in carefully selected, comfortable guesthouses.
Individual tour dates are also available on request between May and October for groups of 12 or more.
Should you arrive earlier, you are welcome to store your luggage at the hotel until check-in time. Use the free time to enjoy a first walk through Plaka.
In the early evening, you meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a brief overview of the coming week. Afterwards, we enjoy selected Greek delicacies together for dinner.
Here, we have a fantastic view of this technological marvel from one of the bridges that spans the canal, which has separated the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland since 1893.
We then continue our journey towards Mycenae. The mighty Bronze Age castle gave its name to an entire era. A licensed guide takes us through the Fortress of Agamemnon and the museum, leading us through 4,000 years of history with fascinating stories.
We enjoy our lunch on a terrace with a wonderful view of the whole Argolic Plain. Afterwards, we drive to the picturesque Nafplio, which was once the capital of Greece. We first visit the domineering Palamidi Fortress, from where we enjoy a spectacular view over the entire city and the Argolic Gulf.
We then check into our hotel in Nafplio. In the late afternoon, anyone who wishes is welcome to enjoy a walk around the peninsula on which Nafplio was built. In the evening we have dinner together in a traditional taverna. Overnight stay in the old town of Nafplio.
We then enjoy a light lunch in the modern village of Olympia before continuing our drive to the dream-like bay of Voidokilia. The azure, crystal-clear sea entices you in for a swim in the refreshing water.
If you like, you can take a short hike to the Fortress of Paliokastro, from where there is a fabulous view over the whole bay. After a short drive, we reach the picturesque coastal town of Pylos, where we spend the night.
You can head to the beautiful Neda Gorge and take a beginner’s course in canyoning. This relatively new sport combines canyoning with abseiling down waterfalls, sliding down river-washed cliffs, and swimming in naturally formed limestone pools.
Alternatively, you can choose to simply hike through the gorge if canyoning sounds a bit too adventurous for you. The third option is to take a kayak tour in the iconic Navarino Bay, where Europe’s last great naval battle took place in the 19th century, which lead to Greek independence.
On this tour, you glide almost silently through the sea and discover the small island of Sphacteria. This beautiful islet is a bird sanctuary and refuge for the rare Mediterranean monk seal. Along the way, you enjoy a picnic and swim at remote beaches.
However you spend the day, it will be an extraordinary outdoor nature experience. We once again spend the night in Pylos.
At a relaxed pace, we head south and paddle along the coast with its numerous rocky outcrops where hidden caves and rock gardens can often be found. You can also look forward to impressive cliffs and remote sand and pebble beaches.
One of the top attractions of this kayak tour is a visit to the Blue Grotto, a natural cave whose waters shimmer in multiple shades of blue where the sunlight pierces the water’s surface. Dive into the aquamarine water: Swimming in the Blue Grotto is a truly unforgettable experience! Back in Kardamyli, we stop for a light lunch and afterwards we carry on for 1 more hour of driving further south, until we reach our beautiful guesthouse in the heart of Mani.
Decide for yourself how to spend the afternoon: You can either enjoy the charming town of Limeni, swim or lay on the beach, or go for a short hike in the surrounding area.
Alternatively, you can join your guide for a drive across the breath-taking peninsular of Mani, learn about the traditional tower homesteads of this unique region and hike to the lighthouse at Cape Teneron, one of the most spectacular hiking experiences in Greece. Back to the guesthouse for dinner and overnight.
We first visit the Open – Air water power museum and then enjoy a fantastic hike through the Lousios Gorge. Along the way, we cross small bridges that lead over the wild Lousios River and pass monasteries clinging to rocky cliffs. The path also leads past clear springs and through beautiful forests and before you know it, we arrive at our destination: The ruins of ancient Gortys.
Afterwards, we take a short transfer to the village of Stemnitsa, built of stone, where we can look forward to a delicious dinner of local specialities and a cosy bed in a traditional guesthouse.
After this extraordinary adventure, we take a lunch break in Karytaina. Afterwards, a transfer takes us back to Athens (approx. 2.5 hours), where we check in at a centrally located hotel.
In the evening, our guide takes us to a fantastic restaurant with a view over the famous Athens Acropolis, which is beautifully illuminated every evening.
If you would like to see more of Athens or the rest of the country, we have plenty of great recommendations for you!
On this tour, you will stay in good to very good mid-range hotels (3–4-star range). All accommodations are carefully selected and offer the highest possible comfort. They are characterised by well-maintained facilities, a feel-good atmosphere, and friendly and helpful staff. Accommodation bookings are subject to availability. You will receive a hotel list and further detailed information about your tour before the start of the trip.
The hikes are a maximum of about 15 km / 9 mi. with a maximum 300 m / 985 ft. elevation gain. All hikes follow well-maintained hiking trails. Before the start of all water sports activities such as canyoning, rafting, and kayaking, you will receive a detailed explanation about the use of the equipment and a safety briefing from certified guides.
For all water-based activities, you must be able to swim. If you do not wish to participate in an activity, please let us know. Our guide can always make good recommendations to ensure that you have an enjoyable day even if you do not take part in the day’s programme.
If you have food intolerances or special dietary requirements, such as a vegetarian diet, please let us know in advance. Vegan food unfortunately cannot be catered for on this tour. All drinks except coffee and tea at breakfast are not included.
You will need the following items:
8 days/7 nights
Jun, Sep
Moderate
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Persons: 6+
Age: 10+
8 days/7 nights
Apr-Oct
Easy
Heraklion
Heraklion
Persons: 3+
Age: 8+
8 days/7 nights
Jul, Aug
Easy
Corfu
Corfu
Persons: 14+
Age: 4+
4 days/3 nights
Apr – Oct
Easy
Santorini
Santorini
Persons: 2+
Age: 14+
7 days/6 nights
Mar – Nov
Moderate
Rafina
Rafina
Persons: 4+
Age: 10+
9 days/8 nights
Apr – Nov
Moderate
Paros
Santorini
Persons: 2+
Age: 14+