The season for this holiday is:
01 April 2020 - 30 June 2020
01 September 2020 - 31 October 2020
12 nights: 01 April 2020 - 30 June 2020 & 01 September 2020 - 31 October 2020
Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above
| Starting | Price | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr - 12 Jun 2020 | £1195 | £495 |
| 13 - 18 Jun 2020 | £1145 | £485 |
| 1 - 30 Sep 2020 | £1195 | £495 |
| 1 - 19 Oct 2020 | £1145 | £485 |
| 3rd & 4th person discount | -£115 | |
| Single traveller supplement | £115 |
Includes accommodation, meals, travel between hotels and any other services integral to the holiday as described, plus a detailed information pack, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.
Included travel: 12 days’ category B car hire (e.g. Lancia Ypsilon or similar with manual transmission)
Driving time to the first hotel: Athens 3h
Driving time from the final hotel: Athens 2h
If you choose to fly via Kalamata we recommend starting the itinerary in Olympia and finishing in Kardamili
Driving time to the first hotel: Kalamata 1h45
Driving time from the final hotel: Kalamata 1h
Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.
Room upgrades (£ per person per night)
| Hotel Bastione Malvasia, Monemvasia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Superior with balcony & sea view: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £7 | |
| Superior with balcony & sea view: 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £7 |
| Notos Hotel, Kardamili | ||
|---|---|---|
| Apartment with balcony: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £18 | |
| Apartment with balcony: 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £18 |
Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room
Prices include an extra day's hire car.| Hotel Byzantion, Mystras (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £50 | £72 |
| 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £50 | £72 |
| Hotel Bastione Malvasia, Monemvasia (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £68 | £104 |
| 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £68 | £104 |
| Notos Hotel, Kardamili (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £65 | £99 |
| 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £65 | £99 |
| Hotel Marianna, Nafplion (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £65 | £80 |
| 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £65 | £80 |
Travelling from the UK
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Bristol - Athens | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh - Athens | Aegean Airlines, easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Leeds Bradford - Athens (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Gatwick - Athens | Aegean Airlines, easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Heathrow - Athens | Aegean Airlines, British Airways |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Stansted - Athens | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Manchester - Athens | Aegean Airlines, easyJet |
This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.
If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?
We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >
A really lovely holiday in a lovely part of Greece.
It could be worth advising customers that entrance fees to Archaeological sites, museums etc. are generally at a reduced rate of 50% if over 65 (need to show passport) and are a member of the EU. Realise this may not be for much longer.
Way exceeded our expectations , the roads were quiet . The scenery of mountains and coastal all very very good . The heritage sites were suberb . And the Greek people were very hospitable
A really lovely holiday in a lovely part of Greece.
It could be worth advising customers that entrance fees to Archaeological sites, museums etc. are generally at a reduced rate of 50% if over 65 (need to show passport) and are a member of the EU. Realise this may not be for much longer.
Way exceeded our expectations , the roads were quiet . The scenery of mountains and coastal all very very good . The heritage sites were suberb . And the Greek people were very hospitable
In Kardamyli there were better options available than your suggestions, we strongly recommend walking up to Exochori and the Hotel Faraggi there.
In Mistras the recommended eating place was disappointing. The Kastro just across from the hotel was better.
This was a well thought out itinerary which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Detour to Messene very worthwhile. Fantastic location - peaceful and beautiful. Also, Nemea - lovely after Mycenae. Agora in Athens also excellent. Overall a fantastic two weeks.
This was a great slow drive around the Peloponnese. The landscape was wonderfully varied and so was the driving, which we didn't find too challenging. Inntravel provided brilliant directions and good basic information on the key sites. We also used a guide book (Andrew Bostock's Bradt Travel Guide to the Peloponnese) for more detail on the archaelogical sites and towns. We travelled at the end of September 2018 and an unexpected highlight for us was a hurricane raging for 3 days and 15-foot surf crashing in Kardamili! Not quite what we, or any locals, had expected. Then the sun came out and more traditional highlights were the detour to Messene - a whole city spread before you and few crowds. The Old Town in Kardamili, where the restoration project included an interesting contemporary art installation. We'd definitely recommend eating at Elie's for dinner by the beach; and Androuvista Cafe, for the best cheese pies ever for lunch. We also had good food at the Harilaos fish restaurant and Lela's - both on the seafront.
We were anxious about the number of tour buses in Olympia but got round that by going to the the Archaelogical Museum early and the site late. In the middle we went to Klio's Honey Farm, which was off the beaten track and a lovely way to spend the afternoon and get an insight into a different way of life. Eating supper as the sun set up at the Garden Tavern at Hotel Europa is recommended, although slightly more expensive than in town.
Napflion was a typical port town, with a lot of flash on the waterfront and more funkiness in the back streets. Beautiful neoclassical architecture. Worth going to the Folklore Museum which has a very good shop. Pension Marianna is a treat, run by the three Zotos brothers who specialise in organic produce - and great lemonade. Epidavrous was wonderful at the end of the day. We went there after lunch on the harbourside at the nearby village of Ancient Epidavrous.
Definitely worth stopping at the Korinth Canal on the way back. And if you are filling up your tank before dropping your hire car, there is a garage just after Exit 17 on the road to the airport. Don't turn off at Exit 17, it's on the motorway itself.
The only comment we would make about the itinerary, is that we thought the charms of Monemvasia could be taken in over 24 hours. We would rather have had just one night there and three (instead of two) nights to explore Mystras and Sparta.
We had a great time, thank you for organising.
A few thoughts on food:
In Picoulanika, Chromata worth the walk up the hill. The Taverna was solid but not exceptional. The food in the guesthouse itself was really good for dinner as well as breakfast, even though it was described as snacky. We happily ate there one night with some wine. Below the archeological site, Xenia has good views for lunch and did a good Greek salad. In Sparta, the Italian restaurant by the statue of Leonidas (Loucoulos) was good.
In Monemvasia, Voltes was so good we went back the second night. Emvasis after for coffee. Enetiko for cocktails (and a good lunch one day).
We lunched in Limeni en route to Kardamili. Probably at Teloneio, but I am not 100% sure - the village and the setting was the highlight rather than the food. We saw a turtle in the water.
In Kardamili, the best food was probably lunch by the beach at Elies. Order too much and you can get a doggy bag, perfect for dinner if you don't want to drag yourself into the village. Lela's good and perhaps the nicest setting. Harliaos fine but fish expensive. Kastro underwhelming.
In Olympia, nowhere stood out for food, but Zorba's cocktails were fab.
In Nafplio, Kastro Karima, just below the hotel, had the best food/wine and friendly staff. Aiolos food was good but very slow. Best chicken souvlaki (of many) on the trip at the beach a few mins drive away. https://goo.gl/maps/bWyDQotb1q82 They also don't charge for seats, just for coffee. https://goo.gl/maps/XZWFCroAfw82 in town had good live music
Overall, we would chop one night from Olympia (not just because of Pelops) and add another to Nafplio if we were doing the trip again.
Some bitey insects - mostly invisible.
A wonderful trip - loads of history, swimming, walking and evenings out. Some longish drives, but every destination was worth the effort.
Tip: swimming from the little rocky platform at the base of Monemvasia below the hotel - an unexpected extra treat.
What a fabulous trip! We loved every minute of it - the hotels were all great - information provided by Inntravel was excellent and we supplemented that with Rick Steves' Athens and the Pelopennese guide book. For Monemvasia with lots of cobblestones and stairs suggest you just take what you need in a daypack for your stay there - we did that there and at Nafplion. Good hiking boots and water shoes for pebbly beaches were essential too. We did not do all the suggested walks as my husband has a foot injury but did manage all the ancient sites, visiting them all as close to opening time as possible to avoid the crowds and tour groups plus much cooler for walking around - our tour was in September but it was still quite hot in the middle of the days. Loved Mystras (so green and lush - we had visited Delphi the day before starting our Inntravel trip and it was so dry and dusty there) and Monemvasia was truly a delight - wonderful accomodation in a quiet part of town (ditto the Nafplion Pension Marianna - way above the busy and noisy streets below). Would have loved to have extended our time in the Mani - Kardamyli was the perfect base for this - did the Diros Cave tour and drove down to Cape Tenaro, stopping at the pebbly beach at Gerolimenas for a swim and lunch (no other tourists there - just a few locals) on the way there and at Vathia, the almost deserted hill town on the way back. Lots more to visit there. En route to Olympia we visited Messini - very impressive ruins there. Loved Olympia too - visited the site very early on day one then the museum just after opening the next day - we had it entirely to ourselves. Its also worth visiting the Archimedes Museum - an amazing array of working models of his inventions. Took the mountain route to Nafplion, stopping at the pretty mountain village of Dimitsana for a coffee and exploring the streets. Nafplion was amazing too - after all the climbing we had done we drove to the top rather than brave those 999 steps to the Palamidi Fortress. Visited Mycenae - amazing site with glorious views into the valley below. Don't forget to visit the Treasury down the hill from there - it is awe inspiring - especially if you have it to yourselves. Also explored the streets of the old town, strolled on the promenade to view the sunset daily before choosing where to eat - after so much Greek food on our trip (all of it delicious) we chose an Italian restaurant on the last night, Tratoria La Gratella - divine food. Also a tip on eating - lots of the meals are huge so we usually shared a main and a salad (or boiled local greens - yum) and maybe a dip.
We had a wonderful holiday and really enjoyed exploring this beautiful area. However and this is no criticsm of Inntravel we would not do this holiday again in June ! it was too hot to be able to fully enjoy the sights and in particular we couldnt really do any of the recommended walks. We think spring would be the prefect time to fully enjoy this holiday
This was a fabulous holiday and a brilliant mix of landscape, different historical cultures, walking and beach. The flowers and temperature at the end of May were a bonus and nowhere too busy. Messini was one of our highlights on the way to Olympia and the drive to the Temple of Apollo in the mountains between Olympia and Napflion, as recommended by the owner of the Pelops hotel. Take shoes with a good grip as the cobbles at the Acropolis in particular and in Monemvasia get very slippery when hot.
Highlights were Bassae (we went off piste to visit this fantastic archeological site) and the lovely mountain driving with flowers etc. Being beside the sea was also delightful with many hours spent having coffees and beers overlooking harbours. Beware of 1st May as we found Olympia sites closed for that day.
We had been on walking holidays with Inntravel before, but this was our first driving "tour'...it didn't disappoint ! All the accommodation was good, but the Mazarakis at Mystras deserves a special mention...the breakfasts taken on your own balcony were gorgeous. The stay in Monemvasia was great too...it's a really good tip to take an overnight bag and/or rucksack here instead of lugging your suitcases all the way into the old town. Inntravel didn't give walking directions up the hill to the ruined citadel, but it's well worth the effort and there is lot to see around the summit. We found the driving throughout quite straightforward, having been a bit apprehensive after looking at some internet descriptions of this aspect of Greece. All the directions given by Inntravel were easy to follow on good quiet, roads. Getting to the Mazarakis meant going up a few steep hairpin bends, but we've done worse in the Lake District and everywhere else was very accessible. Kardamilli was perhaps our favourite place and we'd give a shout out for Ellie's restaurant right next to the beach just 800m from the hotel. Olympia was a surprisingly interesting place. Don't miss Klio's Honey Farm (not in the Inntravel book, but the hotel will tell you about it)..a great insight into local life, past and present. Napflio felt quite cosmopolitan after the other places....we loved it! The Zotos brothers are wonderful, as is their lemonade. Do the 999 steps up to the castle if you are fit enough...it's definitely worth it. Cocktails at sunset by the harbour were great too. Also not in the Inntravel book, but we visited Ancient Corinth on the way back to Athens. A lovely way to round off the holiday with impressive ruins and a number of decent restaurants to choose from for lunch. We will go back !
A practical point is that there is a fuel station just past exit 17 on the motorway on the way to the airport. Do not leave at J17.
Pelops Hotel recommended a local taverna in Olympia, the Anesis.
The whole experience was a highlight! One of our best holidays ever: the ability to have the freedom to visit locations/sites en route and at each destination was wonderful knowing that hotels would be excellent and efficiently organised.