Greek gastronomy is known worldwide as one of the freshest and healthiest cuisines, with its signature Mediterranean diet featured in numerous countries. Learn the secrets behind the country's staples with wine and cheese tastings, city food tours, farm visits, and meals with locals. Take a cooking class or visit a winery and learn about Greece's ancient farming and winemaking techniques. There's a reason why the flavors are so pronounced in Greek gastronomy, and tradition has a lot to do with it!

Getting Oriented

In 2020, medical professionals voted the Mediterranean diet as the best globally, thanks to its health benefits. But we love the Greek diet because it combines fresh, locally sourced ingredients with vibrant flavors, traditional practices, and the Greek staple, good conversation. Explore the country through your tastebuds and enjoy various culinary-focused activities that will help you truly grasp the local culture. Enjoy food tours in Athens and Greece's foodie capital, the island of Naxos. Mingle with locals and really get down to the foundation of Greek gastronomy. 

Discover some of the world's oldest wineries, visit a kitron distillery, sip wine with a sommelier, and learn about the country's "liquid gold" olive oil with a farm tour, a museum visit, and a tasting. Learn how to make traditional Greek recipes with a cooking class in Monemvasia and discover Santorini's famous waterless (anhydrous) farming, putting its products on the world map. From north to south, from the mainland to the islands, Greek gastronomy is fresh, diverse, and tasty. 

Learn more about the country's wine regions and the best time to travel in Greece.

Cultural Gastronomy

Culture is food, and food is culture, and nothing could be more true about Greek cuisine! Besides enjoying bites and sips, you'll meet with locals and learn the secrets behind traditional dishes.

Athens Food Tour

Explore Athens with your tastebuds and try local specialties. 

One of the best ways to discover a city is through its culinary scene. Learn about authentic dishes and observe how the locals share a meal. As you explore Athens with your tastebuds, you'll visit the bustling Varvakios Market and try some of the regional favorites. Start with a traditional Greek coffee, followed by bites of typical dishes, including savory souvlaki and fried potatoes, sweet baklava, and various delicacies, products, and spices known to Athens' gastronomy. Try koulouri, a classic on-the-go snack beloved by Athenians, and bougatsa, a traditional cream-filled phyllo dough. As you wander and nibble, your guide will help you explore some of the city's lesser-known spots and hidden corners, giving you excellent food recommendations for the rest of your time in Athens. Read More

Naxos Food & Culture Tour

Kitron is the signature post-dinner liqueur in Greece.

Naxos is known to Greeks for generating some of the best local produce and food in the Cyclades. If you're a foodie, this is certainly the island for you! You'll start by joining locals in the charming village of Kaloxylos, where you'll chat with your hosts over the age-old tradition of Greek coffee and dessert. Stroll through the markets and culinary shops to taste a few traditional dishes, then visit three other villages: Filoti, Apeiranthos, and Chalki. Along the way, you'll enjoy a cheese tasting and sample various recipes, meeting with the farmers and producers. End the tour at a kitron distillery, where you can observe its production and taste the traditional spirit of Naxos. Read More

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Greek Farming

Greek history goes back centuries, as does its farming techniques. Discover the country's famed "liquid gold" and learn about interesting farming techniques, including Santorini's waterless methods.

Olive Farm Visit & Traditional Greek Lunch at Archanes

Crete's countryside is filled with endless olive groves and mountain peaks.

Olive oil is one of Crete's most coveted local products, and you'll learn all about its history and production at an organic olive oil mill near Heraklion. Enjoy a tour of the groves, discovering harvesting procedures and organic farming practices. Then observe the extraction process in action using a traditional pressing technique and a modern cold extraction. Put your knowledge to the test with an olive oil tasting and learn what makes the oil unique from other countries. End the day in the charming village of Archanes, where you'll enjoy a traditional Greek lunch in the main square (called plateia). Read More

Waterless Farming: An Insider's Food & Wine Tour

Some of the local produce grown from Santorini's signature anhydrous farming techniques.

Experience the authentic side of Santorini that most visitors are (un)blissfully unaware of. You'll visit a historic village, two wineries, and an organic farm. Along the way, learn about the island's ancient history of winemaking and traditional culinary delights. Santorini's produce is well-known to food connoisseurs worldwide, largely thanks to the island's waterless (anhydrous) farming. This agricultural method gives the food a unique and flavorful taste. Here, you'll learn how to prepare traditional seasonal dishes and enjoy a dinner of local products. Read More

Farm-to-Table Cooking Class & Lunch

Discover the tastes of Monemvasia's beloved cuisine in a cooking class.

Discover Monemvasia's traditional cuisine by preparing (and eating) it yourself in a cooking class at the peaceful garden of Liotrivi Mansion. A professional chef will unveil the secrets behind the region's authentic recipes and the special flavors that make it so unique. You'll enjoy dishes such as traditional Greek tzatziki, Gemista (stuffed peppers and tomatoes with rice), Giouvetsi (veal in tomato sauce with local pasta), and Kayanas (omelet with fresh tomato, vegetables, feta cheese, and olive oil). While you wait for your meal to cook, visit the property's Olive Oil Museum and wine cellar. Read More

The Wines of Greece

It isn't easy to think about Greece without picturing wine. Discover rich reds and crisp whites with the help of a sommelier. Tour buzzy city wine bars and relaxed countryside wineries to get the full effect!

Wine & Meze Tasting in Koukaki Neighborhood

Learn about Greek's winemaking history and taste different varietals with a sommelier.

Although Athens' main sites and landmarks are certainly must-sees, no trip to the city is complete without exploring its neighborhoods. Koukaki is a favorite amongst locals and one of the hippest districts in the city, particularly known for its foodie scene. The streets of Koukaki are lined with trendy coffee shops, modern bistros, and cozy wine bars. With a local guide leading the way, you'll learn about Greece's historic winemaking tradition, which goes back thousands of years. As you sip, nibble on traditional meze, similar to appetizers or tapas. A helpful sommelier will introduce you to PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) wine varietals as you discover what makes Greek wine unique. Read More

Wineries of Nemea Visit & Tasting

Beautiful vineyards of the Greek countryside.

Explore one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions with a tour of the vineyards in Nemea, famous for its indigenous grape variety Agiorgitiko. You'll visit three selected boutique wineries, meeting with winemakers and oenologists, and tasting wines from the most important Greek and international grape varieties. Afterward, visit an organic vinegar manufacturer and enjoy a delightful lunch of local products paired with selected wines from the region. Relax, dine, and sip in one of the beautiful vineyards overlooking the Nemea Valley. Read More

How to Craft the Perfect Culinary Greece Itinerary

Taste, sip, and learn about Greek gastronomy across the mainland and islands.

Food is an essential part of travel, and it's not uncommon to choose a destination partially based on its cuisine. With such a world-renowned reputation and culinary diversity, Greece makes an excellent country to travel with your tastebuds. Whether it's the ancient wineries in the north or the fresh seafood of the islands, you can easily build an itinerary that takes you throughout the range of Greek gastronomy.

To make the most out of your time—and to truly taste the variety of recipes and flavors—spend at least a week or two in the country. Try to combine a few regions, such as mainland Greece and the Cyclades and/or Corfu, the Peloponnese, and Crete. But if you're short on time, learn how to squeeze as much in as possible while still getting an authentic experience. 

Past kimkim travelers have enjoyed the following trips that include a mix of culinary activities: