Greece & Europe Tour: Budapest to London
Eleven days, five countries: a group tour through Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Athens, Hydra, Santorini, and London.
Eleven days, five countries, one group tour: Budapest, a Slovakia-and-Vienna day trip, Athens, a speedboat out to Hydra, Santorini, and a last stop in London before flying home. Hotels, food, and the moments worth knowing about if you're planning the same route.
Personal photos going up here as they get sorted. Until then, a few Unsplash shots stand in for the spots below.
Hotels: Novotel Budapest City · Acropolis View Hotel (Athens) · Cosmopolitan Suites (Santorini) · Hilton London Bankside
Day 1 · April 2, 2026 · Departure
Route: JFK → Belgrade (Nikola Tesla Airport) → Budapest
- Departed JFK on Air Serbia
- Long layover at Nikola Tesla Airport, Serbia
- Connecting flight on to Budapest
Air Serbia's transfer process was smooth, but the layover was long: a good excuse to rest before the itinerary picks up.
Day 2 · April 3, 2026 · Budapest Arrival
Stay: Novotel Budapest City
- Checked into the hotel
- Evening Danube river cruise with a welcome drink: night views of the Hungarian Parliament
- Dinner spread across Rin Thai Restaurant, The Bros, and a local gyro spot
- Delayed luggage finally caught up with us
Day 3 · April 4, 2026 · Budapest Sightseeing
Visited: Citadella (Jubileumi Park) · Buda Castle · Fisherman's Bastion · St. Stephen's Basilica
Dining: Bombay Restaurant (Istiklal Street) · Restaurant 26
Fisherman's Bastion is one of the best photo spots in the city, and the streets around the Basilica are full of good cafés and street snacks.
Day 4 · April 5, 2026 · Slovakia & Vienna Day Trip
Route: Budapest → Bratislava → Vienna → Budapest
Bratislava, Slovakia: Bratislava Castle · Old Town · St. Michael's Gate · St. Martin's Cathedral · Ecco Mall
Vienna, Austria: lunch at In-Dish Indian Restaurant · Hofburg Palace · Burg Theatre · Austrian Parliament
Old Town Bratislava is compact and easy to walk end to end. Vienna's architecture rewards slowing down. Don't rush the Hofburg.
Day 5 · April 6, 2026 · Budapest to Athens
- Breakfast at the Novotel: a huge seating area, a fresh-juice station, and a spread big enough for the whole group
- Bus transfer to the airport, then Aegean Airlines to Athens
- Priority Pass lounge access made the wait easy
- Checked into Acropolis View Hotel, ordered pizza, and called it a night
Day 6 · April 7, 2026 · Athens Exploration
- Rooftop breakfast with a straight-on view of the Acropolis, every morning
- Personal walking tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum
- Walked the markets and Plaka
- Lunch: vegetarian pasta, stuffed vegetables, lamb, bread, and Greek yogurt
- Hot crepes and ice cream from a local shop
- A sunset viewpoint — crowded
Sunset spots in Athens get packed fast. Locals point to Filopappou Hill as the quieter alternative, worth researching before you go, and on the list for next time.
Day 7 · April 8, 2026 · Hydra & Poros Islands
- Bus, then a high-speed boat to Hydra (about an hour)
- Brunch at EN PLO (margherita pizza), ice cream at Sousami Bakery
- Walked the port and the alleys; some of the group rode mules
- Attempted the hike toward the flag viewpoint, easy to lose the trail, but there are plenty of spots along the way to swim, dive, and just sit by the water
- Lunch at Πιάτο Restaurant
- Pit stop in Poros on the boat back to Athens
Be careful with the mule vendors on Hydra: confirm the price and the number of mules included before you pay. It's an easy spot to get scammed on both.
Day 8 · April 9, 2026 · Athens to Santorini
- Flight from Athens to Santorini on Aegean Airlines
- Burger King at the airport before boarding: the plant-based nuggets were genuinely excellent, worth seeking out anywhere in Europe
- Skyserve lounge at the airport
- Taxi from the Santorini airport to the hotel (~€39)
- Checked into Cosmopolitan Suites (highly recommend)
- Explored Fira: fresh gyros for €4, a standout falafel gyro, crepes and ice cream again
- Local shopping
Double-check labels before buying clothes as souvenirs: not everything sold as Greek-made actually is.
Day 9 · April 10, 2026 · Santorini Tour
Bus tour: Pyrgos Kallistis Monastery (the island's highest point) · Perivolos Black Sand Beach · the Three Domes in Oia
Lunch: Momos Restaurant
Evening: sunset in Oia, then the Blue Dome Church for the night candle view
Day 10 · April 11, 2026 · Santorini to London
- French toast for breakfast, enjoyed from the balcony
- Last-minute shopping in town (worth comparing prices across shops before buying)
- Taxi to the airport, flight to London on British Airways
- Heathrow Express to Paddington, then a short ride to Hilton London Bankside
- Dinner at KUTIR: lamb shank and chicken tikka, an excellent meal
Overweight luggage fees can be steep: we saw close to €80. If your ticket was booked through a different airline than the one you're flying, double-check their baggage and check-in rules in advance; partner carriers don't always align.
Day 11 · April 12, 2026 · London & Return
- Breakfast at the Hilton Bankside: a custom omelet station, fresh juices, pastries, and standout service
- Walked to Big Ben and the London Eye; a marathon was running through the city that morning
- Train to Heathrow, then American Airlines back to the US — good food, good service, landed home safely
Watch: the London leg
Final Notes
Hydra and Santorini were the standouts: an island detour and a sunset town that both earned the hype. Budapest was a better base than expected, and London closed things out well: the Hilton Bankside breakfast alone is worth the stop. Culture, food, and island time, back to back, across five countries in eleven days.