Hiking and olive picking in Ikaria with Greek language courses
If you like walking in nature and at the same time learn Greek, with us you will find the perfect combination of Greek language courses and hiking. If you are not learning Greek as a foreign language, you can only participate in the hikes and other activities that we organize during the hiking season.
Hiking & olive picking in Ikaria
with Greek language courses
Hikes and Greek language courses
The courses include 6 days of teaching (2 hours of teaching each day from Monday to Saturday). Hikes on moderately difficult trails and walks on rural dirt roads are organized. During the lessons and hikes you will have the opportunity to talk to locals and learn more about the life of people on a small Greek island. You will also have fun and learn through the usual activities we offer in our courses: cooking evenings, presentations, discussions and lectures, Greek song evenings, traditional dance lessons, film screenings.
At a glance
- 6 days of lessons (lessons every day)
- 2 hours of Greek lessons / day + 2 hours of homework
- Small groups of 5 – 8 students in different classes.
- Classes with a maximum of 4 students,
- The lessons focus on the use of the language and the consolidation of vocabulary and grammar.
- Activities (dance, cooking, discussions, songs, etc.) and free local transportation.
- 7 hikes / walks lasting 3 – 5 hours.
- October and November: Participation in the olive picking.
A typical day
- 8:00 – 10:00 Greek lesson
- 10:30 – 16:30 Hiking in the area’s trails, visits to producers and other activities
(dance lessons, olive picking in October – November etc.) - 19:00 Dinner
- 20:00 – 21:30: activities (film screenings, discussions and games)
Cost
1330€ / person with accommodation in a private room, 2 simple meals and local transportation. All rooms have a private bathroom, kitchenette and heating. Each student has a private room. The cost is per person. If you are traveling with a friend and sharing the room with him, there is no discount. If your friend is not participating in a language course, please let him register for 7 days hiking Ikaria, without participation in language courses (the price is a bit lower)
Accommodation
The accommodation and lessons take place at the Center guesthouse, just outside the settlement of Arethousa, in Ikaria. The place is ideal for hiking as it is located approximately in the center of the island, in the middle of nature. From the guesthouse you can enjoy a fantastic view of the mountain and the sea, the colors of the sky, some sunsets with the sun setting into the sea that will remain unforgettable, the sunrise and the moon from the top of the mountain above the guesthouse and the galaxy with thousands of stars in the sky on starry nights. You can also see birds of prey flying overhead while you are taking lessons. Each student has their own room. You can share your room with a friend who is traveling with you, but there is no discount for this.
How to get there
We recommend skyexpress or aegean flights from Athens (www.skyexpress.gr www.aegeanair.com) There is also the ferry from Piraeus, Mykonos or Samos. (www.hsw.gr). We will pick you up from the port or airport on Sunday, the date of check-in for the lessons.
Schedule and Registration
If you are already familiar with the use of the present and indefinite tenses in your daily communication, you can register for a week of hiking combined with Greek language lessons by following the link below. Course dates: November 9-16, 2025*
*More dates/levels will be added soon for spring/fall 2026
