Recipes, our exploits & random musings about all things Greece.

This. Was. Sparta.

Jul 26, 2018

Yesterday I told you all a little bit about the unique Olive and Olive Oil Museum in Sparta, but that’s far from all there is to do in the area, so why don’t we go through what other awesomeness you can experience in that part of the Peloponnese. Of course, Sparta hardly needs an introduction: …

No Breadsticks At This Olive Garden!

Jul 25, 2018

I missed #MuseumMonday this week, but when I drizzle my Greek salad with olive oil at lunchtime, I’m often reminded of the Olive and Olive Oil Museum in Sparta, one of my favorite quirky little stops around the Peloponnese. Let me tell you a little about it, and if you’re coming to Greece soon, maybe …

The Temple Under a Tent

Jul 24, 2018

Believe it or not, the world-famous, superstar architect isn’t a recent invention: the ancient Greeks had their own Frank Lloyd Wrights and Frank Gehrys too! Some of the most famous ancient sites and temples in Greece are thought to have been designed by the same person Reports that he too was named Frank are as …

No Day Like Beach Day!

Jul 23, 2018

Vacationing in Greece can be whatever you want it to be—anything from ultra busy and active to laid back, chill and relaxed. It’s exhilarating any way you take it. If you’re hoping to take a day or two to kick back in the sun on some warm Mediterranean waters, take some words of wisdom from …

Zeus Was Here

Jul 20, 2018

I never thought I’d be doing a #FossilFriday post about Greece (shoutout to the Field Museum for the hashtag!), but I just came across some pictures of Megalopoli, a small town and site of an even bigger ancient city in Arcadia, smack in the middle of the Peloponnese. Fun fact: the ancient city was called …

Wednesdays are for Wishes and Wanderlust…

Jul 18, 2018

As we all know too well, Wednesday is the farthest day from the weekend in any direction, so a lot of the time I find my mid-week #wanderlust for one of Greece’s too many to count island paradises… this time I was looking at pictures of Aegina (pronounced egg-ee-na), one my absolute favorites, as if …

The Summer Markets Are In Full Swing

Jul 17, 2018

If there are any perks to the mid-July heat, it’s that the summer vegetable season is in full swing! For #TravelTuesday I thought I’d give you guys a peek at one of Athens’ many outdoor markets, which should have your stomach rumbling just about year round. Whether you’re just there for a look around or …

No One Man Should Have All That (Water) Power

Jul 16, 2018

Honestly, I could probably do a #MuseumMonday post for every day of the week with all the cool stuff there is around Athens and the Peloponnese, but the Water Power Museum is definitely one of my favorites. It’s in a picturesque Arcadian village called Dimitsana (seen here), and it’s dedicated to water, or rather, all …

A Greek Sports Sunday

Jul 15, 2018

It’s definitely a #SportsSunday as we (along with about half of civilization) watch the World Cup final between France and Croatia this morning! Soccer isn’t the only think Greece has going for it—if you turn on ESPN today, you might catch this ad spot with Athenian-born basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo (that’s yan-nis antedo-koom-po). Watch it, …

Basil’s Food Friday Tips

Jul 13, 2018

Sometimes less is more—I’ll just leave you guys with a little bit of #foodiefriday wisdom from Basil: “‘We’ve eaten a lot of bad meals so you can experience the best.’ Or at least, that’s what I’d say to make you think that we work very hard. We do work very hard, but the truth is …

Even Better Than Panama

Jul 11, 2018

I love doing tours and traveling through the Peloponnese (top travel spot in Europe for a reason!), but looking through pictures I just had a little bit of Wednesday #wanderlust for our family bungie jumping adventure at the Corinth Canal (seen here, featuring Mom!), which isn’t actually the Peloponnese—technically, it’s in between! Consuls, emperors, and …

Athens Epidaurus Update

Jul 10, 2018

Right now, summertime Greece is in the middle of its famous Athens-Epidaurus Festival, and arts show that spans the entire summer and includes displays of art, music, and theater on a nightly basis in Athens and nearby Epidaurus. Yesterday, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus was home to a performance of Antigone by Sophocles, one of …

Ancient Greeks: Computer Wizards?

Jul 9, 2018

One of the reasons I love the Peloponnese so much is that it has are so many hidden treasures that you would never expect to find outside of Athens! One of my favorites, since it’s #MuseumMonday, is the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology. It’s in a little town called Katakolo, right on the waters of …

The Land of 10,000 Islands

Jul 8, 2018

If Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, maybe we should start calling Greece the land of 10,000 islands! There actually aren’t quite than many—as this cool article from the Guardian reminds us, it’s “only” around 6,000. We usually place the Greek islands (not to be confused with the popular restaurant here in Chicago’s Greektown …

Real Greece Travel

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Based on 36 reviews

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Scott Lowder

12:40 18 Aug 22

My family and I just returned from a 2 week Greek vacation that was planned through Carole & Basil from Real Greece. Their help was a huge part of making this trip everything that we hoped it would be. They helped us choose everything from locations within Greece to hotels to activities and dinner reservations. They stayed connected with us throughout our trip via WhatsApp making sure that everything was going smoothly and offering assistance with any changes or additional plans we needed. I can't recommend their services enough.

Amy Plum

17:50 24 Jul 22

Fantastic experience! Carole, Basil and team were amazing. Our family of 4 (parents and two teens) only gave them one month to plan a trip for us in June. The hotels were much better than what we would have found on our own and the private excursions were with amazing guides. Communication was always quick and their app made our schedule easy to refer to. We got exactly what I hoped for - a small company with boots on the ground who took excellent care of us. There was nothing they planned that wasn't impressive.

Amber Tatnall

12:43 15 Jul 22

I had a wonderful time in Athens and mainland Greece, thanks to RealGreece. They arranged several trips for us, staffed by outstanding guides and drivers. They made recommendations for restaurants and even reserved our tables. We also took them up on a cooking lesson and dinner at our apartment, a rooftop garden wine tasting, and a Greek folk dancing lesson. Everyone on staff was top-notch: kind, caring, and friendly. My highest recommendation!

Li Zhang

05:40 26 Jun 22

My trip to Athens has been a wonderful experience thanks to the team’s professionalism and wonderful nature to care for others. My daughter had a food allergy and it was very stressful. Basil went way beyond and was beyond helpful. He arranged a doctor to come to the apartment, accompanied me to the pharmacy, allowed us to stay an extra day, and respond to any message I sent via what’s up right away for emotional support, etc. Nick has always been available and flexible regarding to the car arrangements too. And Carole and her team have been superb in planning activities and giving us ideas about what to do, etc. We saw the best sunset in Athens, experienced the concert in Acropolis and had a wonderful food tour thanks to their knowledge and love of Athens. Our trip to Athens would have been a disaster without the team’s help. Instead my memory of Athens will be filled with gratitude and humanity. We will definitely come back!!

Kathie Allen

15:31 20 Jun 22

We just returned from four days in Athens planned by Real Greece Travel . Carole and Basil did a superb job of planning our stay. Their team of driver and guides were excellent. We felt pampered at all times. Carole went out of her way to make reservations for us last minute and delivered. They are a 5+ star agency. Thank you for making our trip magical.

Susan Poulson

23:50 08 Jun 22

We worked with Carole and Basil for over two years to plan our trip and the trip was everything that we were hoping for and more. Every detail was planned and executed with no issues (every activity, every guide, the accommodations, the transfers and the restaurants - everything was perfect)! The Real Greece team provided lots of advice and suggestions to help us make the most of our vacation which was extremely helpful. We absolutely plan to return to Greece again and wouldn't hesitate to work with Real Greece! Thank you so much!

Sue Sanne

16:43 02 Jun 22

Planning a trip to Crete for eight couples is no easy feat but Carole and Basilknow their way around Greece expertly. The hotels were excellent, particularly "The Tanneries" in Chania and our guides were enthusiastic andwell informed. Got to love the Greek food and a day at "the farm" was aculinary delight! Highly recommend Real Greece Travel.

Ilene Marcus

11:05 26 May 22

We just returned from a 10 day trip to Greece planned by Real Greece Travel. They are a 5 star travel agency, the best I have ever worked with. The guides and drivers they work with were all extremely professional, timely, happy to share their country with us, and we really enjoyed getting to know them. Their team on the ground was amazing! We really appreciated the flexibility and responsiveness every time we wanted to move back a reservation or pick up time. Within minutes it was done! They have an app with your itinerary which was available off line which was absolutely amazing, easy to use, and changes were updated real time! What a great idea and helpful tool! I would also commend them on the choices of activities and accommodations. The perfect blend of history, activities, and free time.

Peter 1980

15:06 05 Jan 22

Outstanding company to deal with. 1st Class, would not travel to Greece without using them.

MONIKA BAHRI

18:41 27 Aug 21

Fantastic team! Very responsive, flexible and organized. Exactly what we needed to get our group organized and they planned a perfect itinerary!

Jen Murphy

21:11 21 Aug 21

I wholeheartedly recommend Carole and her fabulous team at Real Greece. Our accommodation was beautiful and had all the amenities we needed. From the very beginning when we were brainstorming the trip to the very end adding last-minute activities in our final days there, Carole and her team were wonderful. I typically book all of my own international travel but given the unusual depth of Greece’s history and the country's transportation infrastructure, it was really vital that I involved Carole in the planning. She even helped us book things at the last minute, spontaneously, which was really above and beyond expectation. She also was instrumental in coaching us through the Covid regulations/apps/paperwork, which was daunting but doable once you had the expert on-the-ground advice.As an example, we had a large multi-generational family group coming and going from the airport at different times, and it was super helpful to have her team's help with shuttling people to and from the airport.So grateful for our successful trip!

Dave Fliss

22:37 08 Aug 21

If your planning, or considering a trip to Greece - Call to Real Greece.I travel the world, and usually handle all my own details. For Greece, I was hosting a group, and didnt know the country that well, so i wanted to hire a professional. Real Greece FAR SURPASSED what i expected.Their trip planning rate is very reasonable, and when you see what they provide, it is an unbelievable bang for the buck!The owners of Real Greece, Carole and Basil, were personally involved with all details, planning and individuals in our group, This is not a canned approach and they will do as much, or as little, as you desire.Carole / Basil - thank you very much. You, your US support and your Greek team were all outstanding. Thanks - Dave

jeannine klomes

23:53 05 Aug 21

Real Greece Travel was EXCELLENT. Very organized, informative and personal. Site choices were perfect. They we always available for any questions. True professionals through and through. I will be using them again, and often! Thank you for your excellence.

Cheryl Traiger

15:18 29 Oct 19

We have travelled to many parts of the world and I have taken pride in my ability to do all of our own travel arrangements. I am quite experienced in researching accommodations, transportation, restaurants and various attractions. We had heard good things about Carole’s services though, and we were pretty busy at the time, so we decided to see what her organization could do for our family vacation (4 adults, 2 children). She was absolutely amazing! Not only were the accommodations in Athens top-notch and exactly what we needed, she ensured that the rest of our trip through Greece was effortless (on our part) and was designed with the specific needs of our family in mind. The transportation arrangements were flawless, with safe, friendly and efficient drivers. The tour guides were all wonderful. Although we had been to Athens before, Carole managed to introduce us to restaurants we would never have found otherwise. We never worried about being stuck or having a problem, anywhere. Her knowledgable competent and friendly staff were always there when we needed. Carole herself gave us numerous heads up tips that avoided many of the mistakes we would have made on our own. We could choose freely to follow her suggestions for an afternoon or a day, or head off on our own.One of the best stress-free family vacations we have ever experienced.

Stefanie Lyons

17:08 30 Sep 19

Carole and Basil helped us plan the most amazing trip ever. Not only did they find quaint and authentic places for us to stay, they included things to do around the area that weren’t your typical touristy experiences. They connected us to personal guides that were truly experts in their field and drivers who made our trip that much more fun with conversation and laughs. Many of the people and places we never would’ve found on our own. And, all tailored to our personal tastes. It was truly one of the best trips we’ve ever taken, thanks to their help! If you decide to visit Greece, do yourself a favor and talk to Carole and Basil at Real Greece. You won’t regret it!

Sandy Mazarakis

15:44 02 Apr 19

Carole and Basil were extremely helpful in our trip to Greece last fall. We needed accommodations, a driver and tour expertise-Carole provided all of the above. She and Basil have a keen sense of what Americans want and need when traveling in Greece and they deliver. I would highly recommend using their services when planning a trip to Greece. Oopa!

Carol Poulos

17:58 05 Feb 19

It is very easy to give a five-star review to Real Greece Travel. Our trip to Athens was perfect thanks to the help of Carole and Basil. Our accommodations were comfortable and beautiful and every detail was taken care of. Carole and Basil recommended areas to visit and places to eat and every one was spectacular. They also provided a ton of information that made getting around Athens so much easier. They clearly love Greece, and love helping others make the most of their travel. I have recommended their services to friends and they also had a wonderful experience. You cannot go wrong with Real Greece Travel.

Meg Heinemann

17:28 04 Nov 18

Why did I wait so long to visit Greece? The ‘Flavors of the Greek Islands’ tour with the owners, Carole & Basil blew me away in every sense and I am already looking to plan my next trip with them. Prior to landing in Greece, I was provided with an incredibly thorough itinerary, so much so, that I could already taste what was to come (or so I thought!). Each day was filled with jaw dropping history, incredible mouthwatering food, and gorgeous environs. All conducted and beautifully orchestrated by the thoughtful experts of Real Greece Travel. This was truly the trip of a lifetime, and it won’t be my last!

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