Grand tour of the Cyclades: Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Delos and Amorgos

Welcome at Athens airport and transfer to your hotel in Rafina, a charming fishing port on the east coast of Attica. Meet your guide. Free evening for a first taverna facing the boats.

Ferry crossing to Andros (1 to 2 h). Transfer to Chora, where you settle in for four nights. First walk in the surprising valley of Apikia, where water gushes from every fountain and the trees offer a delicious coolness. Descent to Nimborio beach for a first swim in Aegean waters. At the end of the day, a stroll through Chora: its long pedestrian street lined with vaulted passages, its shipowner mansions, its terraces where time seems suspended. Taverna dinner.

Along old paths bordered by dry-stone walls, you climb the slopes of Gerakonas mountain to the fortified monastery of Panachrandou, at 500 m altitude. The view over the Megalos Potamos valley and the entire Chora region is striking. Inside, fine icons and a magnificent 18th-century iconostasis. Return along a beautiful kalderimi winding through the valley. Taverna dinner.

A magnificent walk along flagstone paths, through the valley of watermills, moving testimony to the water-richness of this island, unique in the Cyclades. You pass through the picturesque villages of Sineti and Kochilou, then descend to the wide bay of Korthi and its sandy beach. A swim and a moment of relaxation before the return transfer. Taverna dinner.

A day of grand panoramas. Morning transfer to Palaiopoli, then a near-complete crossing of the island from west to east, through fertile, abundantly wooded valleys. You pass through the villages of Menites and Lamyra, where water runs everywhere (fountains, channels, streams), giving this part of the island lush vegetation. The views over the valleys descending towards Chora are superb. Taverna dinner.

Morning transfer to Gavrio port, then ferry to Tinos (1 h 45). Settle in at Chora for four nights. First walk on the pleasant slopes above the town, with a magnificent view over the bay, the islands of Syros and Mykonos. Descent to the village of Ktikados, perched above a valley dotted with dovecotes, those decorated towers that are the island's hallmark. Swim at Kionia beach. Return along the coast and visit to Chora: its basilica, its lively lanes, and perhaps Markos, the island's pelican mascot. Taverna dinner.

Morning crossing to Mykonos (30 min), then onward to Delos, sacred island of the Cyclades. An in-depth visit to the archaeological site with an English-speaking cultural guide: temples, theatre, sanctuaries, mosaic houses and the famous Terrace of the Lions. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Delos is one of the most moving sites in the Mediterranean. Return via Mykonos, where you have time to wander the white lanes of Little Venice before catching the ferry back to Tinos. Taverna dinner.

Transfer to Volax, an adorable village of dazzling whiteness, set in an extraordinary granite landscape where enormous round boulders dot the scenery as if placed by giants. Walk to the villages of Myrsini and Falatados, then between the fertile lands bordering the peak of Xombourgo, the island's ancient classical capital. The remains of the Venetian fortress and the panoramic views over the entire archipelago make this an unforgettable day. Return to Chora. Taverna dinner.

A day devoted to the north of the island, where marble is everywhere. The village of Pyrgos, birthplace of great Greek sculptors, is a gem: carved lintels, ornate fountains, shaded squares. Visit to the marble sculpture museum. The path then leads through hamlets where every door and window testifies to the art of the Tinos marble workers. The contrast between the whiteness of the marble and the intense blue of the sky is striking. Taverna dinner.

Ferry crossing to Amorgos, the most eastern accessible Cycladic island. Settle into your guesthouse for three nights. A first introductory walk around Chora, the capital, perched on a rocky spur and crowned by a windmill. The narrow lanes, miniature chapels and flowering terraces compose a scene of rare beauty. Taverna dinner.

The highlight of the journey. A path leads you to the Chozoviotissa monastery, clinging to the cliff 300 m above the Aegean Sea. Founded in the 11th century, this immaculately white monastery, narrow as a shelf suspended in the void, is one of the most spectacular sites in all of Greece. The monks' welcome, the silence, the vertiginous view over the deep blue: everything here invites contemplation. The walk continues along the ridges before descending to a cove for a memorable swim. Taverna dinner.

A final day of walking on Amorgos. You explore the southern part of the island, between white villages clinging to the slopes, olive terraces and secret coves. The pace is free: a longer swim here, a coffee under a plane tree there, a photograph of the light playing on the rocks. This is the quintessence of island slow living. Farewell taverna dinner with the group.

Ferry back to Athens (via islands or direct depending on the schedule). Settle into the hotel. Free evening for a last Athenian stroll.