Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Greece for Families: Athens, Delphi and Naxos
9 days from Athens for families with children 6 and up: the Acropolis at opening, a day at Delphi, four nights on Naxos with a boat to Koufonisia, and a stop on Paros on the way back.
9 days · Round trip from Athens · up to 12 guests
A gold funeral mask from Mycenae, 16th century BC, in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens Photo: Jebulon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mycene_gold_mask_1_NAMA_Athens_Greece.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
- 5 h on day 3
- Activity level
Easy
Easy, family-paced walking: about 2 hours on foot on the Acropolis on uneven, polished marble with a steady climb, and about 2 hours at Delphi on a stepped path up the hillside to the theatre and the stadium. Island days are short drives, beaches and a boat. Every afternoon has a rest in the heat, and any child or parent can sit out a climb with a guide nearby. The one longer walk, to the Cave of Zeus on Naxos, is an option.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 795 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Acropolis on the first 8 am entry with a guide who tells it as stories, before the heat and the crowds
- The gold masks from Mycenae and the Antikythera mechanism in the National Archaeological Museum
- A day at Delphi, the place the ancient Greeks called the centre of the world, and a race in its stadium
- Four nights on Naxos: shallow sandy beaches and the Portara at sunset
- Making your own pot at a pottery workshop in a Naxos village
- A boat to Koufonisia for a day of swimming in clear, shallow coves
- A morning on a family farm in the hills, then lunch at their table
- A stop on Paros on the way back, so the long ferry comes in two parts
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 5 h, on day 3.
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 795 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 5 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Athens, gods and heroes after dark
Athens International Airport to your hotel, then a mythology walk to Plaka
- 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 you in arrivals and takes you to your hotel within walking distance of Plaka and the Acropolis.
Evening
To join the walk and dinner, plan to land by about 3 pm; the exact meeting time comes with your final itinerary. After a rest, your See Sight Tours guide meets the families for a short briefing on the week, then leads a mythology walk timed for the cooler early evening. We start at the Panathenaic Stadium, the marble stadium rebuilt for the first modern Olympics in 1896, pass the Zappeion and look through the fence at the giant columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, king of the gods. At Hadrian's Arch the stories turn to Athena and Poseidon, and their contest for the city, before we climb into the lanes of Plaka. Dinner is a welcome meal at a taverna there, early enough for younger children.
Included
- Pick-up at Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening mythology walk: the Panathenaic Stadium, the Zappeion, the Temple of Olympian Zeus from outside, Hadrian's Arch and Plaka
- Welcome dinner in Plaka
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Activity: The walk is about 2 km on flat pavement, with stops for stories.
The Acropolis at opening, gold from Mycenae
Athens: the Acropolis, Plaka, then the National Archaeological Museum
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Athens
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
We walk to the Acropolis for the first timed entry at 8 am, before the heat and before the big groups come up mid-morning; the tickets are booked in advance by time slot. A licensed Athens guide who works with children leads the visit with your See Sight Tours guide and tells the rock as a set of stories: Athena's olive tree, the Parthenon built between 447 and 432 BC, the six stone maidens of the Erechtheion porch holding up its roof, and the small Temple of Athena Nike, goddess of victory.
Afternoon
We come down by the Theatre of Dionysus, where Greek plays were first staged, to a sit-down lunch in Plaka, then the hottest hours are free for a rest at the hotel. In the late afternoon a short van ride takes us to the National Archaeological Museum, quieter at that hour, for the gold masks found in the royal graves at Mycenae, the bronze god from Artemision and the Antikythera mechanism, a 2,000-year-old geared calculator.
Included
- The Acropolis on the 8 am timed entry with a licensed storytelling guide: the Propylaia, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike
- Sit-down lunch in Plaka
- The National Archaeological Museum in the late afternoon: the gold of Mycenae and the Antikythera mechanism
Easier option: Skip the museum and stay at the hotel or in the shade of the National Garden; your guide arranges a walk back.
More active option: Add the Acropolis Museum straight after the site with your guide, before lunch, to see the original Caryatids.
Free time: Early afternoon free for a rest; evening free
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on the Acropolis on polished marble with a steady climb; shoes with grip and a hat for everyone.
Delphi, the centre of the ancient world
Athens to Delphi via Thiva and Livadia, then back through Arachova
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Athens
- Drive about 5 h
Today is the longest drive of the trip, about two and a half hours each way to Delphi, roughly 5 hours in the van in all.
Evening
That is over our usual 4-hour daily cap; we keep it because the alternative is packing up for a single night away, which is harder on children than a long day from the same hotel. We leave at about 7 am with breakfast boxes, stop once on the way and are at the site by about 9:30. A licensed guide tells how Zeus released two eagles from the ends of the earth and they met here, at the stone called the navel of the world. We climb the Sacred Way past the Athenian Treasury to the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle gave her answers, then the theatre and the stadium at the top, where children can run the length of an ancient race track. The museum, cool and indoors, follows, with the bronze Charioteer. Lunch is a long one in Delphi or Arachova, with the view down the olive valley to the sea. We are back in Athens by early evening.
Included
- Delphi with a licensed guide: the Sacred Way, the Athenian Treasury, the Temple of Apollo, the theatre and the stadium
- The Delphi Archaeological Museum and the Charioteer
- Sit-down lunch in Delphi or Arachova
- A stop in the mountain village of Arachova
Easier option: Stop at the theatre and let your guide take the climbers up to the stadium; or spend more time in the museum, which is level and air-conditioned.
More active option: Walk down from the main site to the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia and its round Tholos, about 1 km on a roadside path, while the van follows.
Free time: Evening free in Athens
Activity: About 2 hours on a stepped hillside path at Delphi, with little shade above the temple. Bring water and hats. Children who get carsick should sit up front; the last stretch to Delphi winds through the mountains.
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 later breakfast we drive about half an hour to the port of Piraeus for a mid-morning ferry to Naxos. Depending on the boat, the crossing takes about three and a half to six hours, usually calling at Paros on the way; we book the seats, handle the luggage and choose a sailing that needs no early pickup.
Afternoon
Children can watch the islands come up from the deck, and lunch is your own on board. Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades, green, quieter than Mykonos or Santorini, and known for its long sandy beaches with shallow water. We stay four nights in or near Chora, the main town, close to the harbour. After time to settle in there is a swim at Agios Georgios, the town beach a short walk away, where the water stays shallow a long way out.
Evening
At sunset your guide walks the group along the causeway to the Portara, a huge marble doorway, all that stands of a temple to Apollo left unfinished around 530 BC.
Included
- Transfer to Piraeus and ferry tickets to Naxos, with luggage handled
- Swim at Agios Georgios beach
- The Portara at sunset with your guide
Free time: Evening free for dinner in Chora
Activity: The Portara walk is flat along the harbour and over a short causeway.
Naxos: a pottery workshop and a beach afternoon
Naxos Chora to a village pottery workshop, then the west-coast beaches
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Naxos
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
Naxos has made pottery for thousands of years, and this morning we drive about 20 minutes inland to a working pottery workshop in a village. The potter shows how island clay becomes a jug or a bowl, and then everyone, parents included, has a turn at the wheel or shapes a small piece by hand to paint and take home. Workshops vary in what they can fire in time, so we tell you at booking what you will carry away.
Afternoon
We stop for a sit-down lunch at a taverna on the way back to the coast, then the afternoon is for the beach. Agios Prokopios and Plaka, on the west coast, are long stretches of soft sand with clear water that deepens slowly, good for younger swimmers, and tavernas behind the sand for shade. We drop you where you choose and the van brings everyone back to Chora in the late afternoon.
Evening
The evening is free for a walk up into the Kastro, the old Venetian quarter on the hill above the harbour.
Included
- Hands-on pottery workshop in a Naxos village
- Sit-down lunch at a taverna
- Transfers to and from the west-coast beaches (Agios Prokopios or Plaka)
Easier option: Skip the beach and spend the afternoon at the hotel or in Chora.
Free time: Afternoon on the beach; evening free
Activity: Sunbeds and umbrellas on the beaches are run by the tavernas and paid locally.
A boat to Koufonisia
Naxos by boat to Koufonisia and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Naxos
- Drive about 18 min
Today is a day on the water.
Morning
After breakfast we take a short van ride to the boat and head south to Koufonisia, a pair of small islands in the Small Cyclades, about two hours away depending on the boat and the sea. We go in the morning, before the meltemi wind usually builds. Ano Koufonisi is flat, with a single small village and coves of pale sand and very clear, turquoise water, some shallow enough for small children to wade far out.
Afternoon
We spend the middle of the day there: a swim at Fanos or Pori, a sit-down lunch of grilled fish or souvlaki at a taverna, and time to look for crabs in the rock pools. Bring masks and snorkels if you have them. We are back on Naxos by late afternoon. If the wind is too strong to sail, your guide swaps the day for a sheltered beach on the Naxos coast with lunch, and the boat moves to another day if the forecast allows.
Included
- Day boat from Naxos to Koufonisia and back
- Swimming at Fanos or Pori beach
- Sit-down lunch on Ano Koufonisi
Easier option: Stay in the village of Ano Koufonisi, a few minutes from the harbour, with a shaded taverna and the shallow town beach.
More active option: Walk the coast path from the village to Pori, about 3 km past sea caves and rock arches, and meet the group there.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Boats in the Cyclades can be choppy in a strong north wind; bring motion-sickness tablets for anyone who needs them.
Naxos: a morning on a farm
Naxos Chora to a family farm in the hills, then a free afternoon
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Naxos
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Naxos grows nearly everything it eats, from potatoes to the hard graviera cheese, and this morning we drive into the hills to a family farm. Children meet the animals, help with whatever the season brings, collecting eggs, picking vegetables or feeding the goats, and watch how cheese is made from the morning's milk.
Afternoon
Then everyone sits down at the farm table to a long lunch made from what the farm produces. We drive back through the mountain villages of the interior and are in Chora by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free for the pool or the beach. For families who want a walk, your guide takes the active option to the Cave of Zeus on the slope of Mount Zas, the highest mountain in the Cyclades, where the story says the young Zeus was hidden.
Evening
In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner in Chora, our last on the island.
Included
- Morning visit to a family farm, with the animals and cheese-making
- Lunch at the farm
- Farewell dinner in Chora
Easier option: After the farm, ride straight back to Chora for the pool or the beach.
More active option: Walk with your guide from the Aria spring above Filoti up to the Cave of Zeus, roughly an hour uphill on a rocky path, then back down to the van.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: The cave walk has little shade; carry water and do it only after the hottest part of the day has passed.
Paros on the way back to Athens
Naxos to Paros by ferry, Parikia, then ferry to Piraeus and Athens
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Athens
- Drive about 30 min
Instead of one long crossing, we break the journey back.
Morning
A morning ferry takes under an hour to Paros, Naxos's neighbour, and we stop for a few hours in Parikia, its main town, as long as the summer timetable allows, with the luggage looked after. Your guide walks the families through the whitewashed lanes to the Panagia Ekatontapiliani, the Church of a Hundred Doors, one of the oldest churches in Greece, with Byzantine work from the 6th century, and children can try to count the doors.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a taverna by the water, with time for a swim at the beach near the port. In the afternoon a second ferry carries us back to Piraeus, about three to five hours depending on the boat, so there is time for a nap or a card game on deck.
Evening
The van meets us at the port for the short drive to our Athens hotel, where we arrive in the early evening. Dinner is free tonight, and your guide will point you to a place near the hotel.
Included
- Ferry tickets Naxos to Paros and Paros to Piraeus, with luggage handled
- Walk in Parikia to the Panagia Ekatontapiliani
- Sit-down lunch in Parikia
- Transfer from Piraeus to your Athens hotel
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Ferry times change each summer; your final itinerary has the sailings.
Fly home from Athens
Your Athens hotel to Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A last breakfast in Athens, then our van takes the families to Athens International Airport (ATH), about 35 km and 45 minutes from the centre, with the transfer timed to your flight.
Evening
Because we came back to Athens the night before, nobody has to fly home straight off an island ferry, and a missed boat cannot cost you your flight. If your flight leaves in the evening, the morning is yours: the Acropolis Museum, the changing of the guard at Syntagma Square on the hour, or the playgrounds and duck pond of the National Garden. Your guide helps you store luggage and plan the morning, and checks the group's flight times before saying goodbye. If you want more days, we can add nights in Athens or on an island before your flight. Your final itinerary has the airport transfer time, which we set once we have each family's flights.
Included
- Drop-off at Athens International Airport (ATH)
Free time: Free until your airport transfer
Activity: Any flight time works; book a flight after about 11 am to avoid an early start with children.
- Athens3 nights
- Naxos4 nights
- Athens1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June and September are warm, with the sea warm enough to swim and fewer crowds. July and August are school-holiday peak: hot (Athens can reach about 40°C), busy at the big sites, and the meltemi wind can blow hard in the Cyclades, which can make crossings rough and move the Koufonisia boat day. We keep the middle of each day slow.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Families with children aged 6 and up who want the big ancient sites told as stories
- Parents who want someone else to handle ferries, tickets and luggage
- Families who like a plan in the morning and free afternoons for the pool or the beach
- Single parents and grandparents travelling with grandchildren, who want other families around
Not for you if you want
- Children under 6: the Acropolis, Delphi and the ferry days are long for very young children (ask us about a private trip)
- Step-free access or pushchairs: the sites and island towns are steps and uneven marble
- Families who want a resort with a kids' club all week
- A trip outside the summer: boats and island workshops run from June to September
Minimum age: 6
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Athens3 nights
- Naxos4 nights
- Athens1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 3 in Athens within walking distance of the Acropolis, 4 in or near Naxos Chora, 1 in Athens at the end
- Family or interconnecting rooms where available, or your own room for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Ferry tickets Piraeus to Naxos, Naxos to Paros and Paros to Piraeus, with luggage handled
- A day boat from Naxos to Koufonisia and back
- Our own van and driver for every transfer and touring day in Athens, to Delphi and on Naxos
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, on every ferry and on Naxos
- Licensed local guides at the Acropolis and Delphi, chosen for telling it to children
Activities
- Athens: the evening mythology walk, the Acropolis (8 am timed entry), the National Archaeological Museum
- Delphi: the archaeological site and museum, and a stop in Arachova
- Naxos: Agios Georgios beach, the Portara at sunset, a pottery workshop, beach transfers to Agios Prokopios or Plaka, a farm visit with cheese-making
- Koufonisia: the boat day with swimming
- Paros: Parikia and the Panagia Ekatontapiliani
Meals
- Breakfast daily (8)
- 6 lunches: Plaka, Delphi or Arachova, after the pottery workshop, Koufonisia, the farm and Parikia
- Welcome dinner in Athens and farewell dinner on Naxos
Not included
- International flights to Athens and home
- Travel insurance
- The ETIAS travel authorisation fee, if it applies to you
- Meals not listed, including dinners on days 2 to 6 and 8, and lunch on the Naxos ferry
- Drinks, except at the welcome and farewell dinners and the farm lunch
- Sunbeds and umbrellas on the beaches
- Tips
- Optional activities you add yourself, such as the Acropolis Museum or a sunset cruise
- The Greek climate resilience fee charged per room per night, if a hotel collects it on site (we confirm at booking whether it is in the price)
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 795 (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?
For families with children 6 and up: eight nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, six lunches, welcome and farewell dinners, all three ferries with luggage handled and the Koufonisia boat, airport transfers, our own van and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed guides at the Acropolis and Delphi, and every visit in the day plan, including the National Archaeological Museum, a pottery workshop and a farm visit.
What is the minimum age, and is it right for my kids?
Children must be 6 or older. The pace is set for families: one main visit in the morning, a long lunch, a rest in the heat and a free late afternoon. The longest day is Delphi, about 5 hours in the van in all, and the two ferry days, 4 and 8, are long travel days. If your children are younger, a private trip lets us shorten the days.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, counting adults and children together, so it is usually three or four families. Everyone fits around one table at lunch and on one small boat to Koufonisia.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the first evening in Athens to the airport, including every ferry and every day on Naxos. Licensed local guides, chosen because they tell the history to children as stories, join us at the Acropolis and Delphi, as Greek law requires inside archaeological sites.
I'm a single parent. Is there a single supplement?
A parent sharing a room with a child pays the normal per-person price for both, with no supplement. An adult who wants a room alone pays a supplement from CAD 795. We show it before you book, and solo adults join the same meals, visits and boat day as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
June and September are the easiest months: warm sea, long days and fewer crowds. July and August are the school-holiday peak, very hot in Athens and busy at the big sites, with the meltemi wind in the islands. We run the trip from June to September, when the boats and island workshops operate.
Why is the Delphi day so long?
Delphi is about two and a half hours from Athens each way, so the day has about 5 hours in the van, over our usual 4-hour cap. We keep it as a return trip so families do not pack up for one night. A stop on the way, a long lunch and an air-conditioned museum break it up.
Can we see Mycenae instead of Delphi?
On a private trip, yes. We can swap the Delphi day for Mycenae and Nafplio, which is about 3.5 hours of driving in all, with the Lion Gate, the beehive tomb and a swim in Nafplio. The small group goes to Delphi, and the gold from Mycenae is part of the museum visit on day 2.
What happens if the wind stops a boat?
Your guide watches the forecast every day. If the Koufonisia boat cannot sail, we swap it for a sheltered beach on Naxos with lunch and move the boat if another day allows. If a ferry is cancelled, we rebook the next sailing or a flight and handle the change for you.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure and send a request to book. We confirm your places within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. Tell us your children's ages when you request, so we can arrange rooms and let the guides plan the stories.
Can we travel on our own dates?
Yes, as a private trip for your family only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and boat day. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, ferries and local guides without a See Sight Tours guide.
Do we need a visa for Greece?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for Greece for stays of up to 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area, and every child needs their own passport. ETIAS, the EU's new travel authorisation, is planned, start date not confirmed; we tell you at booking whether it applies.
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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