Classic Greece & Santorini

Traveler Reviews

• J

  Jaime

  September 14th, 2024
  5
  Excellent introduction to Classical Greece. Our guide, Georgina, was super knowledgeable , capable, and friendly.
  Traveled in September 2024
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Hi Jamie, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We're so glad you were satisfied with your trip. Our team is committed to delivering high-quality tours, and your feedback greatly encourages us.

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• 

  Ankur Ashwinkumar

  December 28th, 2021
  4
  Our experience with the Tour has been pleasant for the most part. The itinerary covers the important destination...
  Our experience with the Tour has been pleasant for the most part. The itinerary covers the important destination Greece mainlands. The Tour arrangement for transport to and from the airport as well as luxury Bus to travel was neat and Clean. The driver(Socrates) and tour guide (Agatha and Matthew) were courteous, friendly, and fluent in English. The qualities of Hotels where we stayed were 4+ or greater. We have little delay or disruption and each went as planned. The only problem that we faced was with finding vegetarian food even when we made arrangements with the tour company about the food restriction well ahead of time. Everyone in my family had to survive on greek salad and Spaghetti with tomato sauce for the most part.Show more
  Traveled in December 2021
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Dear Ankur, Thank you for taking the time to put together your post-tour feedback, it's very much appreciated. I'm really pleased to hear that you had a good time in Greece and that you found most of the tour pleasant. I'm glad to hear that you were happy with the hotels vehicles and guides we provided. We do work hard to ensure comfort levels are maintained and only work with experienced and well-reviewed tour guides. I am sorry that you had difficulty in finding vegetarian food options whilst on the tour. From the meals we provide (breakfasts and 2 dinners on this tour), these used to be served buffet style but Covid has caused some restrictions on that, and possibly on the choices provided. I'm surprised hotels didn't have a better range of vegetarian options to choose from. I can see that we did note down your dietary requirements and that this was passed on, so I'm sorry if better options were not offered on all occasions. For the lunches and dinners that are not included in the tour package, generally the guide will suggest a restaurant that offers a variety of menu choices to suit different dietary requirements though for excluded evening meals, you are free to eat out at leisure wherever you wish (taking into account what is feasible based on your location of course). Overall, it's great to hear that you had a good trip, I hope that we're able to welcome you again in the future. Overall, it's great to hear that you had a good trip, I hope that we're able to welcome you again in the future.

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• A

  Avis

  March 14th, 2020
  5
  This was an excellent tour. It met and exceeded all expectations. The tour company was very responsive, helpful and...
  This was an excellent tour. It met and exceeded all expectations. The tour company was very responsive, helpful and did everything they could to make it an enjoyable experience. Our guide for the four days on the road was great as was the bus driver. He told stories to really bring history alive. He was knowledgeable and responsive in pacing to the groups needs. The hotels were lovely, clean and well appointed.Show more
  Traveled in February 2020
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that the tour exceeded your expectations and that our team was able to provide such a positive experience. It’s great to know that your guide and bus driver helped bring history to life and were attentive to the group’s needs. We’re also pleased that you enjoyed the accommodations and found them comfortable and well-appointed.

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• 

  Tim

  January 2nd, 2020
  2
  Horrible tour. Bait and switch for our first day which required threats to get what was promised and then the second...
  Horrible tour. Bait and switch for our first day which required threats to get what was promised and then the second best stop was closed and not an emergency closure but one which was scheduled but tour did not bother to check so we got to see one of our bucket list sites from a long distance standing in the road looking at a tiny tourist book our guide bought. I had better tour at my computer looking at photos. Avoid this operator!Show more
  Traveled in December 2019
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Dear Timothy, Thank you for your post-tour feedback. I'm very sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the tour. We have already been in contact with you directly via the TourRadar console, and have offered a significant refund for the issue encountered at Delphi and your disappointment for not being able to visit properly. We accept responsibility for not informing you in advance that the site would be closed on Christmas Day. Unfortunately, our local partners hadn't advised us of any possibilities of visiting the previous day either. We agree that the 40-minute explanations given by your guide from the viewpoint were not the same as exploring it properly inside, and our refund offer has taken this into account. Aside from the visit to Delphi and the late change to the hotel in Athens, which was due to a fire in the original property, we understand that the rest of the tour arrangements were included as planned. If you could kindly respond to our message in the TourRadar console, we will be happy to initiate your refund.

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• S

  Susana

  December 2nd, 2019
  4
  Very organized the transfer pick up was friendly. Hotel accommodations were excellent. Our driver is well experienced...
  Very organized the transfer pick up was friendly. Hotel accommodations were excellent. Our driver is well experienced and drive safe. Tour guide is okay and enjoy the great adventures in Greece.Show more
  Traveled in November 2019
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Thanks for taking the time to get back to us with your feedback. We are happy you enjoyed our Classic Greece tour and we hope that you'll join us again in the future!

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• P

  Paul

  November 26th, 2019
  4
  We had a great experience and enjoyed all the activities and site we went to. Thanks for a great time!
  Traveled in November 2019
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Thanks for taking the time to get back to us with your feedback. We are happy you enjoyed our Classic Greece tour and we hope that you'll join us again in the future!

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• D

  Danielle Odessa

  September 30th, 2018
  3
  Our tour was great, but Matthew was terrible. I found him rude, his humor off color and my daughter and I felt like...
  Our tour was great, but Matthew was terrible. I found him rude, his humor off color and my daughter and I felt like we were being led by a bored teacher rather than an informational guide. As a instructor myself, I understand how hard it is to keep a group together and on time. He also handled a bathroom emergency on the bus very indiscreetly and embarrassed and humiliated my daughter in front of the whole group. He focused far more attention on his french descriptions and messed up facts left and right. On our way back to Athens we spent 2 hours with another guide and learned more and got more enjoyment from the 2 hours with her than the whole time with Matthew.Show more
  Traveled in August 2018
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Thank you for sharing your feedback. While we’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the tour overall, we deeply regret that your experience with Matthew fell short of expectations. We sincerely apologize for any rudeness, inappropriate humor, or discomfort caused during the trip, especially regarding the situation involving your daughter. This is not the standard of care or professionalism we aim to provide. We’ll review your concerns with Matthew to ensure he receives the necessary guidance to improve. We understand how vital it is for guides to create an engaging, respectful, and inclusive experience for all travelers, and we take this feedback seriously. We’re glad you had a positive interaction with another guide, and we’ll work to ensure consistently excellent service across all our tours.

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• V

  Veena

  April 24th, 2018
  4
  We were not given accurate information by Encounters Travel. While this was being resolved, my parents experienced...
  We were not given accurate information by Encounters Travel. While this was being resolved, my parents experienced harassment and threats to their safety. Even once it had been resolved they continued to be harassed despite the agreement they had reached with the travel guide. When I emailed to raise this point we received merely the briefest of apologies, with more focus on excusing the guides' behaviour.Show more
  Traveled in April 2018
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Thank you for your feedback. We are deeply sorry to hear about the distressing experience your parents faced. This is not the service we aim to provide, and we will investigate the guide’s behavior and ensure it doesn’t happen again. We also apologize for the insufficient response to your email and will ensure a more thorough follow-up. Your concerns are important to us, and we are committed to improving our service to prioritize the safety and comfort of our travelers.

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• S

  Shanthi

  April 10th, 2018
  5
  The tour was very good and covered most of the sights that I wanted to see. The City tour on day 2 was only for half...
  The tour was very good and covered most of the sights that I wanted to see. The City tour on day 2 was only for half day and I took the option to visit Cape Sounio with the tour company (not part of the overall tour). It was well worth a visit to see the Temple of Poseidon. I would recommend that you mention this in the trip notes as an option as most people did not know about the Temple itself. I am not a fan of Museums and found all the visits to the archaeological museums was an overkill but those who wanted to venture out in to the archaeological sights informed our guide and ventured out on our own. Once again, I would recommend this especially when you can read up about the facts before the visit. We were so involved in the Museum in Delphi that we almost missed the Temple of Athena. Those who were in the museum missed the opportunity to visit this gorgeous temple. A tip to those visiting in the future - Go up to the stadium in the main sight (Temple of Apollo) and you can see the Temple of Athena at the bottom of the hill which is about 20 minutes walk from the main entrance. It is a walk downhill so fairly easy but be prepared to walk back up to the road level. The hotels were very good (5*) with a vast spread in the buffet. It was a 'foodie heaven'. The coaches were very comfortable and very very clean. Overall, the trip was of a good value for the money and I would recommend it to those who seek to know more about the culture and history of the country.Show more
  Traveled in March 2018
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Dear Shanthi, Thanks for taking the time to get back to us with this feedback and for your fantastic review, we very much appreciate your 5-star rating! Thank you also for your tips on the itinerary and the additional day trip on day 2. We do offer the Cape Sounio tour locally, but will certainly look at offering it as a standard option available in advance too. The tour does concentrate on the classical sites and museums, though we're planning to extend it and include the monasteries and spectacular scenery at Meteora for 2019 which will add some more variety. I'm sure our future travellers will find your advice very helpful when they embark on this adventure and I hope that you'll decide to join us again in the future!

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• S

  Shanthi

  April 5th, 2018
  5
  The tour was compact and very well organised. The locations were ideal and beautiful with lovely hotels (Hotel...
  The tour was compact and very well organised. The locations were ideal and beautiful with lovely hotels (Hotel Europa, Olympia and Amalia Hotel in Delphi).Show more
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  Traveled in March 2018
  

  Reply from: Encounters Travel

  Hi Shanthi, thanks for taking the time to get back to us with your feedback. We are happy you enjoyed our Classic Greece tour and we hope that you'll join us again in the future!

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