Overview
This trip pairs two of Europe's favourite beach countries. It starts in Athens with the Acropolis, then takes the ferry to Naxos for the old town, the beaches, an introductory SCUBA dive and a Greek cooking class in a village. Four days on Santorini follow: the cable car down from Fira, a hike on the Nea Kameni volcano with a swim in its hot springs, a day of sea kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling off Kamari Beach, and a caldera sunset over dinner in Oia.
Then a flight west to Portugal. In Porto the group tours the riverside old town, takes a boat on the Douro, and spends a full day canyoning — abseiling down waterfalls — in Peneda-Gerês National Park. Lagos on the Algarve coast is three days of beaches and sea-kayaking into caves along the cliffs. The last stop is Lisbon: a guided bike tour, the food stalls of the Time Out Market, the fairy-tale palaces of Sintra, the cliffs of Cabo da Roca, an afternoon in Cascais and a surf lesson on the Costa da Caparica.
It's a trip for 9th–11th graders, with groups usually of 24–36 teens and leaders travelling with them the whole way. There's a good amount of free choice built in — teens pick their own lunch spots in small groups — within a fully planned itinerary.
What's included
The itinerary
- Day 1 Flight to Athens — The official start: the group flies overnight from New York. Teens joining from Europe meet the group in Athens the next day.
- Day 2 Athens, Greece — Welcome activities, the Parthenon and the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and the shops and markets of the Plaka.
- Days 3–5 Naxos, Greece — Ferry to Naxos: the old town and Venetian castle, beach time, an introductory SCUBA dive and a Greek cooking class in the village of Galini.
- Days 6–9 Santorini, Greece — Fira and the cable car, a boat to the Nea Kameni volcano with a swim in its hot springs, a day of sea kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling off Kamari Beach, and dinner in Oia at sunset.
- Days 10–12 Porto, Portugal — Flight to Portugal. A guided tour of the old town and the Dom Luís I bridge, an all-day waterfall canyoning trip in Peneda-Gerês National Park, and a sunset cruise on the Douro.
- Days 13–15 Lagos (Algarve), Portugal — Beach days in a walled seaside town, sea kayaking along the cliffs and into the sea caves, and karaoke nights out.
- Days 16–19 Lisbon, Portugal — A guided bike tour, the Bairro Alto and the Time Out Market, a day in Sintra and at Cabo da Roca — the westernmost point of mainland Europe — with free time in Cascais, a surf lesson on the Costa da Caparica, and a last-night celebration.
- Day 20 Lisbon, Portugal — Goodbyes and flights home from Lisbon.
Where teens stay
Hotels the whole way, with rooms shared with other teens in the group: central Athens hotels in a smart residential area full of small museums and cafés; a hotel on Naxos built in the island's traditional style, close to the beach and the main town; resort hotels with a pool in the middle of Santorini; a hotel in a restored historic building in Porto's Ribeira district, overlooking the Douro; a 4-star resort hotel in the centre of Lagos; and a Lisbon hotel near the Avenida da Liberdade and Eduardo VII Park. The exact hotel at each stop is confirmed before departure.
Meals
Breakfast (a buffet at the hotel) and dinner are included every day — dinners are either with the whole group or in smaller groups at a restaurant the teens choose. Lunch is not included: teens eat in small groups at local cafés and bistros, so plan for it in their spending money. Vegetarian, kosher-style, gluten-free and lactose-free diets and most allergies can be catered for if you tell us in advance.
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
Groups are put together by US school grade, so each departure has teens of a similar age. Grades 9–11 (roughly ages 14–17): Jun 27–Jul 16, Jul 1–20. The grade is the one your child is in during the 2026–27 school year — we'll help you match it to your school system. Dates are the operator's official start and end dates.
How do flights work if we live in Europe?
The official dates count from the group's overnight flight out of New York, so the trip itself begins in Athens on day 2. Families in Europe usually book their own flight to Athens and the staff meet their child at the airport and handle the transfer — as long as the flight lands within the operator's arrival window, so please check with us before booking anything non-refundable. At the end, teens fly home from Lisbon; the leaders help with check-in and stay at the airport until flights in the set window have left. One internal flight — Athens to Portugal, US$395 — is booked by the operator and charged on top of the tuition. (There's also a chaperoned group flight back to New York, mainly used by American participants.)
What exactly is included in the price?
Accommodation, breakfast and dinner every day, all the activities in the itinerary, airport transfers for flights within the set time windows, tips and local taxes. Not included: flights to and from the trip, the internal flight, lunches and snacks, spending money, laundry (done along the way at wash-and-fold services or laundromats), the operator's application fee, and travel insurance — optional, but we strongly recommend it.
Is there a discount for enrolling early?
Yes — at the moment the operator takes US$400 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 20-day trip costs US$8,999 instead of US$9,399 (the internal flight is charged on top either way). It's a limited-time offer and the operator can end it at any point, so ask us whether it still applies before you decide. The price shown on this page is the full tuition.
Does my child need to be a certified diver for the SCUBA day?
No — it's an introductory session with a local dive operator, no experience needed. Dive operators do refuse participants with some medical conditions, so if your child has asthma, ear problems or anything similar, tell us early and we'll check before you book.
How is this different from the Greek Islands & Italy trip?
The Greek half is almost the same — Athens, Naxos and Santorini, with one extra day on Santorini here. After that, this trip heads to Portugal for outdoor adventure and beaches (canyoning, sea kayaking, surfing), while the Italy version swaps those for Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Rome.
Who else will be in the group?
Mostly American teens — on most programs around 85% of participants come from the US, and the operator tries to limit how many teens from any one other country join each group. For an international teen that means a genuinely English-speaking group, which is a big part of the appeal.
How good does my child's English need to be?
At least a confident beginner level — the operator recommends A2 or above, since everything on the trip happens in English. Your child can ask for an English-speaking roommate, and one-to-one English conversation time with a staff member can be arranged daily or a few times a week.
Can my child come on their own?
Yes, and many do. The first days are built around icebreakers and getting-to-know-you activities, roommates are assigned and rotated, and the staff actively help everyone settle into the group.
Are phones allowed?
Yes. Teens can bring their phone, so you can call or message them directly. The operator also runs a communication centre that's staffed every day of the summer, with someone on call around the clock for emergencies.