Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Greek Islands: Athens, Naxos and Santorini for three generations
9 days from Athens for grandparents, parents and children 6 and up: the Acropolis at opening, three nights on Naxos with a beach day, three on Santorini with a caldera boat, then a flight back to Athens.
9 days · Round trip from Athens · up to 12 guests
Athens from Anafiotika, on the slope of the Acropolis, with Lycabettus Hill behind Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:View_of_Athens_from_Anafiotika,_20240531_1206_9582.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Athens
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 2 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Easy days built for ages 6 to 80: no long hike, about 1 to 3 hours on foot a day, mostly on town lanes, promenades and paved paths. The Acropolis is about 1.5 to 2 hours on uneven, polished marble with a steady climb; Oia and the Naxos villages have steps; Nea Kameni is a 30 to 45 minute walk on loose lava. Each has a shorter option, and anyone can sit a part out in the shade or on the boat. The 10 km caldera walk is an active option, not the plan.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 995 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to early October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Acropolis on the first timed entry at 8 am, told as stories of gods and heroes, then the cool galleries of the Acropolis Museum
- Sunset at the Portara on Naxos, reached by a flat causeway from the harbour
- A giant unfinished marble statue lying in a garden at Flerio, then the marble lanes of Apiranthos
- A whole day on the sand at Agios Prokopios or Plaka beach, with sunbeds booked and shallow water for the youngest
- Sailing into the Santorini caldera under cliffs about 300 m high
- Akrotiri, a Bronze Age town buried by a volcano, on level walkways under a roof
- Oia's lanes at 8 am, before the crowds, and lunch by the water at Ammoudi
- A day on a small boat: the Nea Kameni crater, a swim in the warm springs and lunch on Thirasia
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 995 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 2 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Athens, an early welcome dinner
Athens International Airport to your hotel in central Athens
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Athens
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Athens International Airport (ATH), about 35 km east of the centre, where a driver meets the whole family in arrivals and takes you to your hotel within walking distance of Plaka and the Acropolis, about 45 minutes. There is no metro or taxi queue to manage with tired children and heavy cases.
Evening
The afternoon is for settling in, a nap or the hotel pool where there is one; to join the evening, plan to land by about 3 pm. Your See Sight Tours guide meets everyone at 18:00 for a short briefing on how the ferries and bags work and why tomorrow starts early. Then we take a gentle, flat walk past the Zappeion, a 19th-century hall with a round courtyard of columns at the edge of the National Garden, and on under Hadrian's Arch into Plaka for an early welcome dinner at a taverna, with mezze, grilled meat or fish and children's portions, so the youngest are in bed at a sensible hour.
Included
- Pick-up at Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Short evening walk past the Zappeion and Hadrian's Arch into Plaka
- Early welcome dinner in Plaka
Easier option: Take a taxi with your guide from the hotel to the taverna instead of the evening walk; it is about 10 minutes.
Free time: Free until the 18:00 briefing
Activity: The evening walk is about 20 minutes on flat pavements.
The Acropolis at opening, an afternoon by the pool
Athens: the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and Plaka, on foot
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Athens
Morning
We walk to the Acropolis for the first timed entry at 8 am, while the marble is cool and before the big groups come up mid-morning; tickets are booked in advance by time slot. A licensed Athens guide, required inside Greek archaeological sites, leads the visit with your See Sight Tours guide and tells the rock as stories children follow: Athena and Poseidon's contest for the city, the Parthenon built between 447 and 432 BC, and the six stone maidens holding up the porch of the Erechtheion. The route is about an hour and a half with plenty of stops. We come down to the Acropolis Museum, air-conditioned and step-free, where the original maidens stand and the top floor looks straight back at the Parthenon.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Plaka. The afternoon is free for a rest out of the heat or the pool. Late in the day, anyone who wants can walk with the guide to Syntagma Square to watch the Evzones, the presidential guard, change in their kilts and pom-pom shoes.
Included
- The Acropolis on the 8 am timed entry with a licensed guide
- The Acropolis Museum
- Sit-down lunch in Plaka
- Evening walk to Syntagma Square for the changing of the guard
Easier option: Skip the climb and start at the Acropolis Museum with a coffee on its terrace; the group joins you there. Ask us about the site lift for visitors with limited mobility.
More active option: Before dinner, climb Filopappou Hill with your guide for the view of the Parthenon from the west, about 40 minutes up and down on paths.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: The Acropolis is uneven, polished marble with a steady climb and little shade. Bring hats, water and shoes with grip.
Fast ferry to Naxos, sunset at the Portara
Athens to Piraeus, ferry to Naxos, then Naxos Chora on foot
- Breakfast
- Stay in Naxos
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
After a relaxed breakfast our van takes the family about half an hour to the port of Piraeus for a late-morning fast ferry to Naxos, about three and a half to four hours, usually calling at Paros on the way. We book the seats, our team takes the cases on and off, and there is a café on board; children like watching the islands come up from the deck. We choose a sailing that needs no early pickup.
Afternoon
Lunch is your own, on board or at the harbour. Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades and gentler than its famous neighbours, and we stay three nights in Chora, the main town, near the harbour and a short walk from Agios Georgios beach, with a pool if the hotel has one.
Evening
In the early evening your guide walks the group along the flat harbour front and over the causeway to the Portara, a huge marble doorway, all that stands of a temple to Apollo left unfinished around 530 BC. It is where the town gathers to watch the sun go down.
Included
- Transfer to Piraeus and fast-ferry tickets to Naxos, with luggage handled
- Transfer to your hotel in Naxos Chora
- Sunset walk to the Portara
Easier option: Watch the sunset from a harbour-front café instead of walking out to the Portara.
More active option: Climb with your guide through the stepped lanes of the Kastro, the Venetian hilltop quarter, before the sunset walk.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: The causeway to the Portara is flat; the islet itself has a short slope on rock.
Naxos: a giant statue and the marble villages
Naxos Chora to Flerio, Halki and Apiranthos, then back to Chora
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Naxos
- Drive about 2 h
Today goes inland by van, in short hops of 15 to 30 minutes. First Flerio, near Melanes, where a kouros, a marble statue of a young man about 5 m long, has lain in a farmer's garden since the 6th century BC, abandoned in the quarry when it cracked. A short, level path leads to it, and children can stand beside his feet. We drive on through the Tragea, a high valley of old olive groves, to Halki, once the island's main inland town, where the Vallindras distillery has made kitron, a liqueur from citron leaves, for well over a century. The adults taste; the children see the copper stills. Then Apiranthos, a mountain village built and paved in marble, with lanes too narrow for cars.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a village taverna: Naxos potatoes, local graviera cheese and grilled meat. We are back in Chora by about 3 pm, with the rest of the afternoon free for the pool or a swim at Agios Georgios.
Included
- The kouros of Flerio
- Van through the Tragea olive groves to Halki
- Kitron tasting at the Vallindras distillery in Halki
- Apiranthos, the marble village
- Lunch at a village taverna
Easier option: Stay on the main lane in Apiranthos, which is the flattest, and wait at a café on the square while the others explore the side lanes.
More active option: Walk about 3 km through the Tragea olive groves to Halki with your guide while the van carries the rest of the family.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Village lanes are marble and stone with some steps; the Flerio path is short and level.
Naxos: a whole day on the beach
Naxos Chora to Agios Prokopios or Plaka beach and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Naxos
- Drive about 30 min
The middle of the trip is a day off from sightseeing, and the one most children remember.
Morning
After a late breakfast the van takes us about 15 minutes down the west coast to Agios Prokopios or Plaka, long sandy beaches with clear, shallow water near the shore, chosen on the day for the calmer sea. Sunbeds and umbrellas are booked for the whole family, so grandparents have shade and a proper seat from the start. Swim, build sandcastles, read or snorkel along the rocks at the end of the beach; your guide is on the sand all day and knows where the water is shallowest for the youngest.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a taverna behind the beach, with fish, salads and plates children like. The van makes two runs back to Chora, one after lunch for anyone who wants a nap or the hotel pool, and one in the late afternoon.
Evening
The evening is free; your guide will point you to an early taverna in the old town.
Included
- Transfers to and from Agios Prokopios or Plaka beach
- Sunbeds and umbrellas booked for the day
- Lunch at a beach taverna
Easier option: Take the early van back after lunch for a rest or the hotel pool.
More active option: For teenagers and parents only, and only if enough want it: hike Mount Zas, at about 1,000 m the highest point in the Cyclades, with your guide from the Aria spring above Filoti, about 7 km return on a rocky path with a steady climb and little shade, starting at 8 am and rejoining the beach for a late lunch.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Beach shoes help on the rocks at either end. If the wind is strong on the west coast, we choose the more sheltered beach.
Into the caldera: ferry to Santorini and Akrotiri
Naxos to Santorini by ferry, Athinios port to Akrotiri, then Fira
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Santorini (Fira)
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A mid-morning ferry south, about two hours depending on the boat and sometimes calling at Ios, brings us into the Santorini caldera. Make sure the children are on deck for the arrival: the boat sails in under cliffs about 300 m high, striped red, black and white by old eruptions, with white villages along the rim. We land at Athinios, where our van climbs the zigzag road while our team brings the bags.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in the south of the island we visit Akrotiri, a Bronze Age town buried under volcanic ash about 3,600 years ago and now kept under a huge roof: houses of two and three storeys, paved streets and storage jars in place. It is shaded and level, easy for grandparents, with a licensed site guide. If the ferry runs late, Akrotiri moves to the afternoon of day 7. We stay three nights in Fira on the town side, away from the cliff steps.
Evening
The evening is free; sunset from the rim path towards Firostefani is a short walk and far calmer than Oia's.
Included
- Ferry tickets from Naxos to Santorini, with luggage handled
- Transfer from Athinios port
- Sit-down lunch in the south of Santorini
- Akrotiri with a licensed site guide
Easier option: Go straight to the hotel after lunch with the bags and rest by the pool; the van comes back for the others after Akrotiri.
More active option: After Akrotiri, walk down to the viewpoint over Red Beach with your guide, about 15 minutes each way on a rough path.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: Akrotiri is covered and level on walkways; allow about an hour and a quarter.
Oia before the crowds, lunch at Ammoudi
Fira to Oia by van, down to Ammoudi Bay, then back to Fira
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Santorini (Fira)
- Drive about 1 h
Evening
On cruise-ship days Oia's narrow lanes are packed from late morning, and at sunset they are a crush, so we go at breakfast time instead. The van leaves Fira at about 7:45 and takes half an hour along the top of the island. From about 8 am the marble main lane is quiet: blue domes, windmills, cave houses cut into the cliff, and the ruined castle at the tip with the whole caldera below. Your guide keeps the walk to about an hour on the flattest route. By late morning the van takes us down the road to Ammoudi Bay, a little fishing harbour at the foot of the red cliffs, for lunch at a taverna by the water and a look at the fish in the shallows. We are back in Fira by early afternoon. The rest of the day is free: the hotel pool, a nap, or the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, where pots, finds and some wall paintings from Akrotiri are shown.
Included
- Early morning walk in Oia with your guide
- Van down to Ammoudi Bay
- Lunch at Ammoudi
- Van back to Fira
Easier option: Stay on the main lane in Oia, which is paved and mostly level, and sit at a café near the castle viewpoint while others climb to it.
More active option: Parents and teenagers can walk the caldera rim from Fira to Oia with your guide instead, about 10 km and 3 to 4 hours from about 7 am, meeting the rest of the family in Oia.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Oia has steps off the main lane; the van drives all the way to Ammoudi, so nobody needs the 300 steps down.
A boat day in the caldera, then the farewell dinner
Santorini: Nea Kameni, the warm springs at Palea Kameni and Thirasia by boat
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Santorini (Fira)
- Drive about 45 min
Today is spent on a small boat in the caldera, a group charter or a small shared boat confirmed at booking, with life jackets for the children.
Morning
We go in the morning, before the wind builds. First stop is Nea Kameni, the black volcanic island in the middle of the caldera, last active in 1950: a walk of 30 to 45 minutes on lava paths up to the crater, where children can feel warm ground and smell the sulphur. Then we anchor by Palea Kameni and swim from the boat into the warm, rust-coloured water of the springs.
Afternoon
We sail on to Thirasia, the quiet island across the caldera where a few villages still farm dry terraces, for lunch at a harbour taverna. The afternoon has a swim stop under the cliffs and we are back ashore by mid-afternoon, in time for a rest.
Evening
The farewell dinner starts at about 19:00 at a taverna looking west, so even the youngest see the sunset before bed.
Included
- Day boat in the caldera with your guide, life jackets on board
- Nea Kameni crater walk, entry included
- Swim at the warm springs by Palea Kameni
- Lunch on Thirasia
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Stay on the boat at Nea Kameni and for the swim stops; the crater path is loose lava with no shade.
More active option: Climb the steps from the harbour on Thirasia to the village of Manolas before lunch, about 15 minutes up.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: Bring swimwear, a towel and closed shoes for the lava. The swim to the springs is short; non-swimmers can stay on board.
Fly to Athens and home
Santorini airport (JTR) to Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
A last breakfast on Santorini, then a short drive of about 15 minutes to Santorini airport (JTR) for the flight to Athens, about 45 minutes in the air and included in the price with a checked bag for everyone. Flying saves a ferry of five hours or more back to Piraeus, which is a long day with children and grandparents.
Afternoon
We book a morning flight that lands at Athens International Airport (ATH) by about midday, with the hotel pickup about two hours before take-off and never before first light. Your guide checks the families in and makes sure everyone is through before saying goodbye. Book flights home leaving Athens after about 3 pm. If you are taking a direct summer flight home from Santorini, tell us and we take you to the airport for that instead, and if you would like more time, we can add nights on Santorini or in Athens and hold the same family rooms if they are free.
Included
- Transfer to Santorini airport (JTR)
- Flight from Santorini to Athens (ATH) with a checked bag
Activity: Book a flight home leaving Athens after about 3 pm.
- Athens2 nights
- Naxos3 nights
- Santorini (Fira)3 nights
- Athensend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May, June and September are warm without the strongest heat, and the sea is warm enough to swim from June to early October. July and August are the hottest and busiest months, and the meltemi wind can make crossings rough, so those departures keep sightseeing to the mornings. Boats and many island hotels cut back from late October.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Grandparents, parents and children 6 and up travelling together
- Families who want Athens and two islands without managing ferries, bags and tickets themselves
- Grandparents who can manage short steps but not a long day on foot
- Families who like early dinners, pool afternoons and a proper beach day
Not for you if you want
- Children under 6: the minimum age is 6 on every departure
- Wheelchair users or pushchairs: the Acropolis, island villages and Oia have steps and polished marble
- Walkers who want the full caldera walk as the main event (our Athens, Naxos and Santorini trip suits you)
- A party-island trip to Mykonos or Ios
Minimum age: 6
Most guests are Three generations: grandparents, parents and children aged 6 to 16
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Athens2 nights
- Naxos3 nights
- Santorini (Fira)3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in Athens within walking distance of the Acropolis, 3 in Naxos Chora, 3 in Fira on Santorini
- Central hotels of at least 3-star-plus, with family, triple or connecting rooms requested for each family
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Fast ferry from Piraeus to Naxos and ferry from Naxos to Santorini, with luggage handled
- Flight from Santorini (JTR) to Athens (ATH) on the last day, with a checked bag
- Our own van and driver for every transfer and touring day in Athens, on Naxos and on Santorini
- A day boat in the Santorini caldera, with life jackets
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, on every ferry and every island
- Licensed local guides at the Acropolis and Akrotiri
Activities
- Athens: the Acropolis (8 am timed entry), the Acropolis Museum, Plaka and the changing of the guard at Syntagma
- Naxos: the Portara at sunset, the kouros of Flerio, Halki and kitron at the Vallindras distillery, Apiranthos, a beach day with sunbeds booked
- Santorini: Akrotiri, Oia in the early morning and Ammoudi Bay, the boat day with the Nea Kameni crater (entry included), the warm springs and Thirasia
Meals
- Breakfast daily (8)
- 6 lunches: Plaka, a Naxos village taverna, a Naxos beach taverna, south Santorini, Ammoudi and Thirasia
- Welcome dinner in Athens and farewell dinner on Santorini (2)
Not included
- International flights to Athens and home
- Visas or travel authorisations, if they apply to you
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed as included
- Drinks, except at the welcome and farewell dinners
- Tips
- Optional activities and anything booked on free time, such as the Fira cable car or a sunset cruise
- Personal expenses
- Nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 995 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, six lunches, welcome and farewell dinners, both ferries with luggage handled, the flight from Santorini to Athens, airport and port transfers, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, Akrotiri, a booked beach day and the caldera boat.
What ages is this trip for?
Children aged 6 and up, their parents and their grandparents. Every day is planned so that a 70-year-old and a 9-year-old both enjoy it, with an easier and a more active choice on busy days, pool or beach afternoons and early dinners. Teenagers are welcome and usually take the active options.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, counting children, so it is often two or three families together. The group fits on one small boat and around one table, and the same people travel together from Athens to Santorini.
Who leads the trip, and does the guide come to the islands?
Yes. A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for the whole trip, on both ferries and every island day, and handles tickets, bags, restaurant tables and changes. Greek law requires licensed guides inside archaeological sites, so a licensed local guide joins us at the Acropolis and at Akrotiri.
How much walking is there for grandparents?
Light. No day has a long hike, and no drive is longer than about two hours. The Acropolis is about an hour and a half on uneven marble with a climb, and there is a way to skip it. Oia, Naxos villages and Nea Kameni have steps or rough paths, each with a shorter option.
Can we bring a stroller, and is it suitable for limited mobility?
Not really. The Acropolis, the island villages and Oia have steps, polished marble and narrow lanes, and the ferries and boat have gangways, so strollers and wheelchairs are hard to use; the trip is for children 6 and up. A grandparent who walks slowly is fine: every busy day has a shorter, seated option.
Can we have family or connecting rooms?
Yes, we ask for them. We book central hotels of at least 3-star-plus standard and request family, triple or connecting rooms for each family when we confirm your dates, with a pool where we can. Tell us who is sharing with whom when you book; we name each hotel on confirmation.
Is there a single supplement for a grandparent travelling alone?
A room of your own is from CAD 995 more, because single rooms on Santorini in summer cost almost as much as doubles. A grandparent or parent sharing a room with a child pays no supplement, and we try to place a solo grandparent next to the rest of the family.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your family only, on a date you choose, from CAD 9,945 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote hotels, ferries, the boat day and the flight for you.
What happens if a ferry is cancelled?
Your guide handles it. Strong wind or a strike can delay or cancel a sailing; we watch the forecast, move the group to the next ferry or a flight where one runs, and rearrange the island days so you keep the main visits. Any extra cost of a change we make is ours.
When is the best time to go to the Greek islands with children?
June and September: the sea is warm enough to swim and the heat is easier for grandparents. We also run in July and August for school holidays, with sightseeing in the mornings and pool or beach afternoons. May is lovely for walking but the sea is still cool. The trip runs to early October.
Do we need visas or documents for the children?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for up to 90 days in the Schengen area, which includes Greece. Every child needs their own passport, and a child travelling with one parent or with grandparents should carry a signed consent letter from the absent parent. The EU's ETIAS pre-travel authorisation is expected but not yet required; we confirm the rules at booking.
How does booking work and how much does it cost?
Choose a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 5,525 per person sharing, taxes included. Whether we offer a child rate is still to be set, so ask when you request.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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