Compare The Greek Islands by EF College Break (EF Ultimate Break)

Day 1: Overnight Flight to Athens

Meals: Dinner

Board your overnight flight to Athens, the cradle of Western Civilization and home to some of the greatest monuments of the ancient world. Your ultimate adventure is about to begin...

Day 2: Arrival in Athens

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Welcome to Athens! 2,500 years ago, it was one of the most important cities in the world; its art, politics, architecture, and literature have reverberated down through the ages. Today, Athens is a vibrant metropolis, and a perfect jumping-off point for your journey through the Greek Islands.

Today's Highlights:

Meet an EF representative at the airport

Transfer to your accommodation and check in

Receive the latest schedule from your Tour Director

Meet the other travelers as they arrive

Get acquainted with Athens on a brief city walk

Welcome Mixer

At the Welcome Mixer, you’ll meet your new friends over drinks and light appetizers. Afterwards, you’re free to take the party elsewhere!

Day 3: Explore Athens

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

An expert guide will take you up the Acropolis and to many of Athens’ top sites on this memorable walking tour.

Today's Highlights:

Feel the glory of ancient Athens on a guided tour of the Acropolis, including the Parthenon

Enjoy stunning views of Athens from the top of the Acropolis

See the famed Kore statues in the Acropolis museum

The rest of the day is yours to explore! Your Tour Director will have suggestions, but here are some College Break favorites:

Fill Up: Sample ouzo, the local aperitif, at an authentic Greek taverna.

Get Your History Fix: The National Archaeological Museum is revered for its extensive collection of classical antiquities.

Day 4: Travel To Santorini

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Escape the hustle and bustle of Athens and immerse in island life, Mediterranean style. After a short, 30-minute flight to Santorini, you’ll enjoy endless sunshine, whitewashed buildings and volcanic beaches.

Today's Highlights:

Board your 30-minute flight to Santorini

Arrive and check in to your accommodation

Join your Tour Director for a group activity or explore the island on your own

Free Time Suggestions

Fira Way: Check out the cliffside bars, which overlook the Caldera and are a great vantage point for sunset.

Beach Time: Visit one of Santorini’s top beaches for an evening swim—there are dozens to choose from.

Day 5: Explore Santorini

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Continue to explore Santorini’s volcanic landscape. You have one more day in this island paradise; head out for an optional wine tasting at sunset, or do your own thing.

Today's Highlights:

Join your Tour Director for a hand-picked a group activity or plot your own adventure; you’re free to customize your day however you’d like!

Excursion:

Cliffside Wine Tasting & Village Tour (extra cost)

Leave mid-afternoon for Profitis Elias, the highest point of Santorini, for views of the beautiful beachscape and caldera. Then, go off the beaten path and explore the small, winding streets and terraces of traditional Greek villages before a wine tasting at Santorini’s vineyard—the rich soil makes the island a great place to grow wine. Finally, head to Oia, one of the best places to take in the sunset.

Free Time Suggestions

The Found City of Atlantis: The Akrotiri Ruins are a Minoan Bronze Age settlement buried in volcanic dust, this site predates Pompeii and is considered by many to be the famed lost city of Atlantis.

The Thira of Everything: This Greek and Roman archaeological site is perched high atop the cliffs on the southeast part of the island.

Museum On: The Archaeological Museum of Thera and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera are great options.

Day 6: Set Sail For Paros

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Set sail for Paros in the heart of the Cyclades Islands. With over 75 miles of golden sand beaches, Paros is one of the true delights of the Greek Islands. This is where locals go to vacation.

Today's Highlights:

Depart Santorini in the morning

Arrive in Paros and check in to your accommodation

Join your Tour Director for a hand-picked a group activity, or plot your own adventure; you’re free to customize your day any way you’d like!

Free Time Suggestions

Sunset: Enjoy a legendary Paros sunset anywhere on the western coast of the island.

Naoussa Nightlife: When the sun sets, everyone on the island heads from the beaches to the bars; Naoussa is where it begins and ends.

Day 7: Explore Paros

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Keep exploring the best of Paros. Recharge, relax and spend the days under the blue skies on one of the island’s best beaches. Bring a bottle of wine, a book and your personal playlist—you’re in a beach paradise.

Today's Highlights:

Free day! Your Tour Director may coordinate a group activity, but you’re welcome to experience Paros as you’d like.

Free Time Suggestions

Chill Out: Try a quiet meal or drink inland at the village of Lefkes, a serene and rustic village in the hills above the beaches.

Go Back in Time: Stroll Parikia’s narrow, pebble-lined streets and the Frankish Castle built from the masonry originally used on an ancient temple.

Day 8: Travel To Mykonos

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Head out from Paros to Mykonos on an inter-Aegean ferry. Mykonos has a reputation for dazzling seascapes, sandy beaches and the best nightlife in the Mediterranean. Get ready—you’ve got two big nights here.

Today's Highlights:

Board your ferry to Mykonos

Arrive and check in to your accommodation

Acquaint yourself with the area with a brief walk with your Tour Director

Join your Tour Director for a group activity or plan an adventure of your own

Free Time Suggestions

Sun of a Beach: The late afternoon is a great time to beach it—a little breeze kicks up and the temperature dips just enough to make it feel great.

Go to Church: Mykonos’ most famous church, the rock-like Panagia Paraportiani, is usually locked, but the fabulously photogenic whitewashed exterior is a spiritual experience in itself.

Turn Up: The nightlife options are endless.

Day 9: Cruise Mykonos

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

The coasts of Mykonos are a top attraction, where you can rent a beach chair and buy drinks from nearby tavernas. Enjoy this last day of Mykonos’ glitz and glamour.

Today's Highlights:

Take the morning to rest and recover as you please

Board your (included) afternoon cruise around the island

Relax on isolated beaches, swim in the crystal clear water, take in the beautiful ocean and harbor views and enjoy a traditional BBQ Greek lunch

Free Time Suggestions

Party in Paradise: During the day, Paradise beach is a beautiful, activity-focused hotspot. At night, the whole area becomes one big party.

Super Paradise: Considered one of Greece’s most beautiful beaches, it’s also a party beach like it’s neighbor, Paradise.

Day 10: Return to Athens

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

It’s back on to the azure waters of the Aegean, this time returning to Athens via ferry. You’ve got one last chance to bask in the city that gave us democracy, epic poetry, tragedy, history writing, philosophy and much more.

Today's Highlights:

Board your ferry to Athens

Join your Tour Director for a group activity or plan an adventure of your own

Return the streets of Athens to explore the city one more time

Enjoy a farewell dinner with your group

Free Time Suggestions

Dig It: The National Archaeology Museum is considered one of the greatest museums in the world.

Follow the Light: Flood-lit like a beacon towering over the city, Mount Lycabettus offers a spectacular view of the city.

Farewell Dinner

Share some last laughs (and maybe shed a few tears) at an included farewell dinner with the group.

Day 11: Fly Home

Meals: Breakfast

It's time to say your goodbyes. Head to the airport for your flight back home.