PARADISIAL PELOPONNESE｜セミプライベート8 - 日帰りガイド付き文化ツアー

We recently returned from a 7-day journey through Athens and the Peloponnese with PicTours of Greece on their Paradisial Peloponnese itinerary—and it truly lived up to its name. This tour is beautifully curated. Our driver and tour operator, George, was incredibly attentive, professional and funny. He went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly, arranging all of our hotels and meals with care and attention to quality and local flavour. He also made a few “adjustments” to our schedule for a couple of “shopping requests” Our guide, Babis, was absolutely fabulous. His deep knowledge of Greek history, mythology, and culture made each site come alive. He’s not just informative, he is a gifted storyteller who kept us engaged and entertained every step of the way. In addition to the historical sites, the tour included a wine tour and tasting, an underground cave tour, and even fishing for our lunch These unique experiences gave us a real taste of Greek life and hospitality. We felt safe and well taken care of. If you're looking for a small group, deeply personal, immersive way to explore Greece beyond the usual tourist track, I highly recommend PicTours of Greece. This trip was unforgettable. We shared this adventure with good friends. There was also another lovely couple in our small group. The group dynamic was warm and friendly, which only added to the joy of the trip. We wholeheartedly recommend PicTours of Greece. If you're looking for a personalized, expertly guided tour that immerses you in greek history, culture and food….. look no further! Yamas.

This was our 2nd tour with George, and it was *just right*. We had high expectations after our Amazing Aegean trip in April 2023, and everything met or exceeded our hopes. It's like traveling with friends who want to share all the best parts of their home with guests. The best part of the Pictours of Greece tours is that once we get off the flight in Athens, we don't think about anything again. Not where to go, what to see, what the hours are, how to navigate transit, not even what to order at a restaurant. The hardest decision is what to choose at the included hotel buffet breakfast. A true break from work and home routines. Vivi was an excellent guide, and as always, with Pictours, having the same guide for the whole trip from the Acropolis in Athens to all the other ancient sites, helps tie the history together. Every hotel was charming, every meal was delicious. Our dietary preferences were considered at each restaurant, and there were seldom repeats -- we enjoyed the specialties of each region, and George worked with the restaurants to find excellent alternatives for a vegetarian when the specialties were seafood or lamb. The only thing not perfect was a bit of rain & wind, but George & Vivi worked to ensure we had great visits and shuffled the schedule as needed to work with the unpredictable spring weather. It's still worth visiting Greece in April and early May -- mostly warm, with very few visitors, and only a little rain. Now, I'm just trying to find a George to take us our Ireland, Norway, and a few other bucket list destinations, and we'll definitely be back - we still have the Mystical Mainland itinerary to try.

Fabulous trip - extremely knowledgeable guide (Aristotle); incredible food; learned a great deal about Greek history and all set in beautiful scenery!

It was an amazing and wonderful experience picturing ancient times through our brilliant guide Aristotle Koskinas who has commendable knowledge in Greek history. He deserves A+. Overall a memorable experience to boast about:)

From the exceptional tour guides to the delicious local cuisine, I wish I could go back in time and re live this experience. Thank you for the wonderful memories! It will last a lifetime. #efharisto

Our tour of the Peloponnese was probably the best thing we have ever done in many years of travelling Europe in different ways . The brilliant organisation and variety of experience and wonderful insight we gained into Greek history and culture was unsurpassed . Thankyou George and Babis

This was one of the best tours I’ve ever taken. There was immaculate attention to detail in the design and execution of the itinerary, and even some surprises along the way (e.g. two wonderful musicians playing for us over dinner during the Olympia portion). Lunch and dinner were included with family-style meals, wherein the group partook of shared plates for the table. No meal was the same and dishes were selected to represent local specialties. Restaurant emphasis was on authentic, family-run establishments. The hotels were excellent, and one even included a stay in a castle. The array of attractions covered the most visited (e.g. Mycenae, Acropolis), as well as smaller gems (e.g. Monemvasia, Nemea), and full information was engagingly delivered by the affable and knowledgeable guide, Babis. The tour manager, George, is also the driver, an outgoing and lively personality who was attentive to all our needs. The duo’s conviviality made the already superb, site-resplendent trip an even more robustly satisfying and pleasurable experience.

George Gaitis was fantastic. He provided us with excellent lodging, restaurants, and key sites, with nice pacing for quality time. Each stop was enjoyable and special. He went out of his way to make sure we enjoyed our trip.

We were guided around Athens and the Peloponnese by Pictours in 2024. Based on our experience, here are my top 10 reasons to pick Pictourto have the vacation of a lifetime. 1. Of nearly 100 holidays, this was the most unique - everyday I was seeing and doing something memorable; whether it was me catching a trout fish (later served as lunch) or learning Greek cooking (yes, including fish). 2.  George delivers the big 3:  Cleanliness, Comfort, and Caring. The van is beyond spotless, every ride, every day. Every effort is to make things easy and he and in this case his knowledgeable aid, Aristotle, treat you like a treasured family member. 3.  Individualized attention:  We were part of a small group, but each person's needs and interests were attended to at every site, meal and every hotel stay. 4. Flexibility:  One morning there was the possibility of rain. So plans changed and we did indoor activities before going outdoors when the sun was shining.  I know this wouldn't always be possible, but if it is possible, it will  happen. 5.  Food - We are foodies and this was as much a gourmet food tour as a history/archaeological/cultural tour.  We looked forward to the meals and sites equally. Breaks for coffee are respected. 6.  Surprises:   I won't mention the specific surprises but George always has at least one  little  surprise every day.  He never oversells, and then wow! - everyone is experiencing some special part of Greek life. 7. Pride - George takes enormous pride in his tours - he is trustworthy and you feel safe. 8. Meet the locals - At a few stops, George introduced us to his favorite stores and sales folk - no pressure, ever,  but lovely to have access to his finds! 9. Extraordinaire guides – I could write another 10 reasons that the tour special due to our guide, Aristotle a certified guide, a PhD in Archaeology and a student of History. He was an earnest font of information and stories, easy to be with and we learned so much as historical sites came alive with his narratives. He was with us throughout the week and became a mentor and friend.  He was open to any and all questions and our conversations during the tours and at meals which including current events were fascinating.  Aristotle might start with a well known story about a place or event and follow this with, “Want to know the real story?” Aristotle’s theme shirts are a special addition to each day. I think there are a number of guides that work with PICTOURS, but assume they are on the same high caliber. 10.  Like minded travelers - There is lots of walking on the tour and it seems to attract an easy going, flexible crowd (at least that was our case).  Inter-generational friendships flourished. I virtually  never write reviews, but I would like everyone to experience PICTOURS and get to experience the best of Greece.

+6

While the tour itself was excellent, I felt the Greek owner treated his home country rather shabbily, while extracting an undisclosed fee from us. We tried to pay in advance several times from the US, but the transaction failed on the Greek end. He offered no help or explanation and kept saying, "you can pay when you get here." Indeed, he wanted payment in CASH, for as he later wrote, "tax purposes." After we arrived, we know of 4 people who did pay in Euro bills, however we did not want to pull that much cash out and offered to pay with Visa. He added a 3% fee to our bill. So, the Greek treasury received some portion of our bill, but apparently nothing from other participants. We found this an abhorrent practice and particularly insulting to a relatively poor country like Greece.