Private Delphi & Hosios Loukas Monastery Self Guided Tour from Athens with Lunch

My wife, daughter, and I visited Greece for the first time this past summer. We spent three days in Athens to experience the rich Greek history that we had only encountered in history books. Since we had very little time and we wanted to have a very flexible schedule, we booked a private tour with Eudaimonia Private Tours through Viator.com. Even before we left, Nikos Giannopoulos reached out to us via email and text to not only confirm the tours but discuss what we were interested in, whether we had any dietary restrictions we are vegetarian, etc. He was very meticulous in his planning and communicated with us at all times and provided us with suggestions for additional activities. While talking to him prior to our arrival, we mentioned to him that we wanted to visit Lake Vouliagmeni and Cape Sounion on the day we arrived. He immediately cleared his schedule and arrived promptly at 4 p.m. to pick us up from the hotel. I am glad that we took the tour to Lake Vouliagmeni and Cape Sounion with him. During the drive, he provided us with a lot of information about the history of both locations that we definitely wouldnt have gotten from reading a book. I am avid photographer and when he got to know that he stopped at multiple places on the way that had amazing views and I managed to get some great pictures of the sunset at Cape Sounion. Go there, if you havent already!!! The next morning, Nikos picked us up at 8 a.m. for a day trip to Delphi and Hosios Loukas monastery. Our first stop was at Delphi a UNESCO World Heritage site about 2.5 hours away and during the drive, Nikos used the time to discuss the history of Delphi and its role in Greek history. The entire drive went by fairly quickly as Nikos was a great conversationalist. After we had finished the tour of the main site and the museum, he was waiting for us in the car but suggested that we visit the TheTholosat the sanctuary ofAthenaPronoia is located about half a mile away from the main Delphi site and we are glad that we went there. If not for Nikos, we would have never known about it. After we finished at Delphi, we had lunch in a small, quaint, but completely non-touristy town for lunch. Nikos ordered for us and ensured that all the food was vegetarian. I also learnt from him how to drink Ouzo the Greek way. After lunch, we went to Hosios Loukas Monastery. We didnt even know about this till we booked the private and we are glad we did! The monastery is a also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery and its environs were beautiful and serene. It is located a little bit out of the way and overlooks a valley that is full of Olive trees. The weather at the monastery was very different from what we experienced in Athens and Delphi which are hot in August, to say the least. While it was a warm day, the monastery was breezy and actually cool at what would be the hottest part of the day. Nikos brought some of awesome desserts including Baklava, which a personal favorite of mine and we even took some of it back for my wife who was unable to join us on the trip as she was unwell. Nikos also provided us with tips for the next day when we planned to visit the historical sites in Athens. He even offered to pick us up the next evening to take us to a really good local restaurant that served authentic, vegetarian cuisine. Unfortunately, we were tired the next evening and could not take him up on his offer. Thanks to an off-the-beaten path tour with Eudaimonia Private Tours, we have made a new friend in Nikos that we hope to stay in touch for a long time! Thank you, Nikos and Eudaimonia!!! If you are planning a trip to Athens, I would strongly recommend Eudaimonia for a completely personalized experience!!!

We had a wonderful day trip to Delphi with Nikos this past week - he was a wonderful host! We were picked up close to our lodging in Athens at 8 am, and headed to the beautiful site of Delphi. On the way, Nikos provided us with information about the site, along with pleasant conversation. After we finished at Delphi, we had lunch in a small town - this was one of my favorite parts of the day. Nikos ordered for us after asking if that was okay, and we were treated to some authentic Greek culinary delights. We had Kolokitho Keftedes zucchini meatballs, Vlita greens that were exquisite, Salata Hoiratiki greek salad, among other things, and also had some delicious desserts, to include Ekmec custard type dessert and Kormos an orange flavored cake. The entire meal was absolutely delicious. We were also taught how to appropriate drink Ouzo : After lunch, we went to the Monastery of Hosios Loukas - it was beautiful and free of tourists, as most do not even know or think to go there. That was the beauty of this tour - we were off the beaten path, so to speak, for most of the day. In addition, Nikos provided us with a box of fresh baked Greek desserts to take back to our apartment to enjoy that evening. They were wonderful! We really enjoyed this trip, I highly recommend it! Thank you Nikos!

I had limited time and wanted a trip that took me out of the city and didn't involve a bus. Nikos was a great host and provided the right mix of Greek culture and history and friendly chat - I was the sole passenger. Excellent English speaker. Vehicle was in tip-top condition and the lunch was authentic and tasty. If you want a knowledgable, interesting and communicative guide and the freedom to be away from other tourists I'd recommend this trip with ancient history Delphi and the peacefulness of the Monastery.