Josie, Nicholas, Vincent, Nelson, and Joseph Mongiovi in Meteora with three monasteries in the background.

My wife and I, along with our three children (middle school, high school, and college aged), worked with Olga Rapanaki in the planning of a trip to Greece in June. Based on our desires and interests, Ms. Rapanaki provided several trip ideas, lodging and restaurant choices, and transportation options to meet our needs. She made sure all of the things that were important to us were included in the trip plan and was responsive to questions. Our family was able to mix in multiple guided tours along with time to relax. Our first stay was at The Foundry – Urban Luxury Suites in Athens. The service was great and the rooms were nice. The provided breakfast offered a lot of options and was delicious. The rooftop offered a wonderful view of the Parthenon during the evening. We visited the Acropolis (Parthenon and Erechtheion), the Acropolis Museum, and the Ancient Agora. Our guide was exceptional and enhanced our experience at the sites.

Our next stop was Delphi where we toured the museum and site with a guide, followed by Meteora, which was a highlight of the trip. Our guide in Meteora took us to several locations from shepherd caves and hermit monk sites, to seeing six monasteries and touring some of them. Next, we went to Mykonos and stayed at the Mykonos Riviera. The hotel service, views, and room were fantastic. The hotel was close to the Chora (Old Town) and we were able to visit the area multiple times, along with the Little Venice area, and the windmills. We took an interesting tour of Delos with a guide. The following day, we went horseback riding to Fokos Beach, which was a fun excursion and allowed us to see a different side of Mykonos.

Our last stop was Santorini and we stayed at the Vedema Resort in Megalochori. It was nice to stay in this area as it was much quieter than Fira and Oia. The hotel employees were wonderful and the stay was great. In Megalochori, we were able to see underground caves, visit a winery, and the Symposium Music and Mythology Cultural Center. We took a fantastic sunset caldera cruise on a catamaran that left from Oia. We got to see Thirassia, the Black Mountain, White Beach, and Red beach, had a wonderful meal, and saw an awesome sunset. We also visited Pyrgos and saw the castle, some churches, and had a wonderful view of the entire island. This was an amazing family trip full of friendly people, amazing history, beautiful sites, and gorgeous beaches.

Ms. Rapanaki provided wonderful tour guides with a deep knowledge of the area where they provided tours. During the trip-planning process until the end of the trip, Maria’s team offered assistance and took care of the details so we could focus on enjoying our trip.

The happy couple, Connor and Coyann Whisenant, at the Acropolis.

A honeymoon HAS to be PERFECT as you cannot do them over. I booked a honeymoon trip for my son and daughter-in-law with Maria’s office. Eleni Anagnostopoulou and her team are THE BEST!!! Eleni worked with my son, daughter-in-law and me to discuss what the couple wanted in a perfect honeymoon. The happy couple picked from amazing choices for excursions, sites, cooking classes, boating adventures, wine tastings, etc. Eleni delivered BEYOND their wildest expectations!!! From the moment they were picked up at the Athens airport until they boarded their flight to go home in Santorini, Eleni had it planned to perfection. She handled any special requests with ease and made them happen…at one location wine was offered but my son likes beer so she had Greek beer ready, cold and waiting for him. She also was a huge help with dinner reservations. She gave the couple an extensive and descriptive list of different restaurants in each of their honeymoon locations (Athens, Mykonos and Santorini) and made suggestions as well. She made the reservations as requested. One restaurant location in Mykonos was in a cave along the water. My daughter-in-law said she felt like a VIP as the best table in the restaurant was ready and waiting for them when they arrived.

Eleni was also very good at explaining why some excursions were priced higher than I initially thought they should be…i.e. the boating excursions. Once she explained more detail regarding the type of boat, that the couple would have the entire boat to themselves for the sunset cruise, and the private dinner that was cooked and served on the boat for them, I happily booked the boating excursion. This turned out to be one of the couple’s favorite things they did on their honeymoon. They said it was the perfect way to end their honeymoon…a private sunset cruise in Santorini with a fantastic dinner…just the two of them. The crew even played their song that they first danced to at their wedding for them!!!

Other things they enjoyed were the cooking class which was at a farm. My son is not an adventurous eater but he loved the different cheeses made on the farm and tried everything. The hotels that Eleni booked were amazing. In Athens, they had a view of the Acropolis at night, and in Mykonos and Santorini she booked rooms with a hot tub and another with a plunge pool.

When they returned, I asked them what they would change and the answer was “absolutely nothing!!! We loved our honeymoon and thanks so much!!!” This is exactly what you want to hear as a parent, because as I stated at the beginning, a honeymoon HAS to be perfect because you only have one! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Eleni Anagnostopoulou and her crew!!!!!!

We had one of our best family trips in years, thanks to Maria’s colleague, Irene.

Irene was attentive to our needs and interests from the very start, and always available to answer a question or provide excellent recommendations. She was also highly available and responsive during our trip, on the occasions we needed a quick activity change to meet the needs of our two teens, or for a meal and activity out of the heat.

We started in Athens, where Irene booked us in a spacious, modern “apartment” at The Dolli, which had excellent service and food. The rooftop pool overlooking the Acropolis was a huge plus given the heat, and the day trip to the ruins at Delphi was a family favorite.

Then it was on to Paros, where we enjoyed the beautiful accommodations and staff attention at the Minois Hotel. Our teens loved the amazing outdoor space with our own small pool, as well as the resident cats. Our most favorite day of the trip was on a speed boat, where we traveled to the Blue Lagoon, went cliff jumping, and visited remote beaches in Antiparos and Despatiko. Nikos, our driver/guide, was fabulous, and we had a delicious lunch on board.

We then ferried to Santorini, where we stayed in the breathtaking Grace Hotel. The geology, ruins, and small towns in Santorini didn’t disappoint, and we enjoyed special attention at dinners that Irene arranged and various recommended restaurants, some off the “beaten path.” We also loved our fascinating guided tour to Akrotiri, a town even older than Pompeii that was also destroyed — and then preserved — due to a massive volcanic explosion.

Our meals, guides, and hotels were all impeccable, and even with the heat and crowds, we always felt supported and well taken care of. We would highly recommend Irene and the team to anyone planning a trip to Greece.

The Rosen Family in Megalochori Village in Santorini, Greece.

Doug & Marlene Rosen & Avery (20), Lauryn (18), Emerson (15), Delaney (15).
Trip to Greece – Paros, Santorini, Crete, Athens – 6/10/23 – 6/23/23.

Maria’s colleague Olga planned our amazing family trip to Greece this summer. No detail was left unattended to. The itinerary was full of fun, engaging activities to keep our 4 teenage daughters engaged and excited about visiting this beautiful, historic country. We focused our trip on activities including food tours, boating, wine tasting, cooking and active excursions to keep everyone engaged. The planning was flawless with amazing, knowledgeable guides and excellent execution of coordinated transportation at every turn, whether at the airport, sea port or hotels and excursions. Everyone’s favorite day was our private catamaran tour that lasted the whole day with our own captain and steward, snorkeling in crystal-clear blue water, lunch on board with the biggest freshly grilled prawns we have ever seen. Pure relaxation in the middle of our trip. We would highly recommend Olga and her team to anyone planning a trip to Greece. She was very flexible and helpful with changing the original suggested itinerary to more closely meet our vision, especially to accommodate the kids. You will not be disappointed!