Evia Tours

Evia tours are guided hikes, boat cruises and day trips on Evia, the long island off the coast of Attica, from the gorges of Mount Dirfys and the Dimosaris to the dragon houses of Styra and the Petalioi islands, booked as private outings with local guides. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours.

The sections below cover the tour types, Mount Dirfys and the Agali gorge, the gorges to the sea, the Evia Trail, the dragon houses, South Evia cruises, Kymi castle, Xerovouni, start points and getting there, the season and booking, with links to the Evia pages and to day trips from Athens. The tours shown are checked on GetYourGuide.

What are Evia tours?

Evia tours are guided private trips on Evia, the second-largest Greek island. They are sold as ready-made days out: mountain hikes, gorge walks, coastal cruises and historic routes. Each leaves from an Evia port or an island hotel with a local guide.

Evia runs about 180 km long and between 6 km and 50 km wide, held off the mainland by the Euripus Strait and the North and South Euboean gulfs. Its mountains line the middle of the island: Dirfi at 1,743 m, Ochi at 1,394 m and Kantili at 1,246 m. That shape explains why the bookable Evia tours split into mountain, gorge and sea days.

An Evia day trip from Athens covers the west coast in one drive, while the Evia tours listed here begin on the island itself, so the day starts where the paths do. Pickups sit at hotels in Chalkida, Eretria, Amarynthos, Nea Styra, Karystos and Kymi, and the walking groups stay private. Walking distances on the Evia tours run from 4 km to 18.5 km on marked paths and old stone tracks, and the guides speak English and Greek.

Which Evia tours can you book?

The bookable list of Evia tours holds ten days out: two private cruises and eight walking routes. They cover Mount Dirfys and the Agali gorge, Stropones and Chiliadou, the Dimosaris gorge, Zarakes, the dragon houses of Styra, Kymi and Xerovouni.

Two of the ten are cruises from Karavos port. The half-day South Evia cruise sails for three to five hours, and the two-day South Evia cruise adds the Petalioi islands, the Styra islets and a night aboard at Marmari. The other eight are walking days with fixed starts, measured routes and a finish at the sea or in a village.

Walking days run from 4 km at Styra to 18.5 km on the Evia Trail signature day hike. Durations go from 3.5 hours at Kymi to 11 hours for the Dimosaris gorge. Difficulty is moderate on every route and no technical experience is needed. Meals, snacks and water are named tour by tour.

• Agali Gorge Hike on Mount Dirfys: 7.5 km downhill on the western flank.
• Evia Trail Signature Day Hike: 18.5 km across the Central Evia mountains.
• Stropones Gorge Hike and Chiliadou Beach Swim: 8.3 km from village to shore.
• Dimosaris Gorge Guided Hike and Beach: 10 km from Mount Ochi to the coast.
• Private Evia Walk to Paralia Zarakon: 5 km through the old village to the beach.
• Xerovouni Mountain Circular Hike: a 10 km loop in the Dirfys range.

Which Evia tours hike Mount Dirfys and the Agali gorge?

Two Evia tours climb on Mount Dirfys. The Agali Gorge Hike on Mount Dirfys is a guided private trek that drops through the gorge on the mountain’s western flank. The Evia Trail Signature Day Hike crosses the range on forest paths on the Stropones side.

Mount Dirfys is the highest mountain on Evia at 1,743 m, with its summit 28 km northeast of Chalkida, 5 km north of Steni Dirfyos and 4 km west of Stropones. Steni village stands at about 450 m, and the highest track above it reaches a mountain hut at roughly 1,150 m. The Agali gorge day starts at that hut and walks downstream along a stream lined with plane trees, firs and pines, over slender metal foot-bridges, to the stone-built fountain of Kratia Spring.

The walk covers 7.5 km and loses 907 m over three to four hours, inside a day of eight hours. Transfers for these Evia tours come from Chalkida, Eretria or Amarynthos, and the day includes a bakery stop and a water fill-up in Steni before the descent. Walkers who want the summit paths can read the site’s Evia hiking page first.

Which Evia tours follow gorges to the sea?

Three Evia tours walk a gorge or a river valley all the way down to the sea: the Stropones Gorge hike to Chiliadou beach, the Dimosaris gorge hike from Mount Ochi, and the Zarakes walk to Paralia Zarakon.

The Stropones Gorge Hike and Chiliadou Beach Swim covers 8.3 km with 228 m of climbing and 557 m of descent. The trail follows the Stroponiatis river, crossing from bank to bank under chestnut, oak, plane and walnut trees, then opens onto a rural road above the coast. Stropones village stands at 335 m near the foot of Xerovouni. Gorge days with rope work and abseiling sit on the site’s Evia canyoning page.

The Dimosaris gorge is the longest descent of the three. It drops 1,100 m over 10 km from near the summit of Mount Ochi, with 174 m of climbing, on a mountain trail said to be over 2,000 years old, and carved stone stairways and rock pools mark the way. The Zarakes walk is the gentlest: 5 km through Mahala, the old settlement, past restored stone houses, to the beach and a swim.

What is the Evia Trail signature day hike?

The Evia Trail Signature Day Hike is one of the Evia tours built on the island’s long-distance route. It is a private mountain trek of about 18.5 km across the Central Evia mountains. Walking fills six to seven hours of the day.

The full Evia Trail runs about 120 km over seven days between the port of Eretria and the port of Kymi. The signature day hike uses one scenic section of it, so walkers on the Evia tours sample the route without committing to a multi-day crossing. The path passes through dense fir forest and open mountain ground with wide views over Central Evia.

The day starts with an 08:30 pickup, reaches Steni at 09:15 for a bakery stop and a water fill-up, and walks from 09:30 to 15:30, with an optional meal in Stropones and a return to the hotel at about 17:30. Meals, snacks, drinks and water are included. Walkers bring a sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, a reusable water bottle, a light windproof layer for July and August, and a warmer shell jacket for the colder months.

Which Evia tours visit the dragon houses of Styra?

One of the Evia tours covers the dragon houses of Styra. The private day trip pairs a 4 km loop on an ancient stone track with three well-preserved dragon houses, and it suits families with children aged 10 and over as well as non-walkers.

The Evia tours that come here visit three buildings of the farmhouse type, dated between Classical and Hellenistic times. The walk follows the carved stone track used to cart large boulders from the quarries down to the port of Styra. The loop climbs and loses 290 m and takes two to three hours on foot inside a day of eight hours.

Non-walkers stay in Styra, and the group meets again after the dragon house visit, with 1.5 hours of free time for a meal in the village square. The day begins at 08:00 with a departure for Eretria port, collects the group at Nea Styra port at 09:00, and stops at a bakery in Styra at 09:30 before the walk starts at 09:45. Free time runs to 15:00, when the group leaves Styra, with a hotel return by 16:30.

• 08:00 departure for Eretria port.
• 09:00 pickup at Nea Styra port.
• 09:30 bakery stop and water fill-up in Styra.
• 09:45 start of the walk on the ancient track.
• 11:45 dragon house visit for the non-walkers.
• 13:15 end of the walk and free time in the village.

Which Evia tours sail the South Evia coast?

Two Evia tours sail the South Evia coast. The half-day private cruise runs three to five hours from Karavos port, with a morning or a sunset option. The two-day private cruise adds the Petalioi islands and a night aboard at Marmari.

The morning cruise lasts five hours and leaves at 09:00. It stops at Punda Beach for a swim, glides through the bay at Port Buffalo, and ends at Fig Tree Cove, a cove reached only by sea, for snorkelling and sunbathing. The sunset cruise lasts three hours and follows a different route. Both Evia tours stay private, with a live guide in English and Greek.

Included on the half-day cruise: the captain, fuel, docking charges, snorkel masks, sea mattresses, a snack of Greek products, refreshments, coffee, and a treat of tsipouro with local meze. The two-day sailing adds a skipper, a session on sailing principles, local beer, and an overnight on board with breakfast and a light lunch. A shorter local option is the Eretria boat cruise, which stays close to the town.

• Punda Beach: a swim stop on soft sand.
• Port Buffalo: a bay and seaside village seen from the deck.
• Fig Tree Cove: snorkelling at a cove reached only by boat.
• Blue Lagoon: a swim in clear water on the two-day route.
• Petalioi islands: ten small islands and islets, almost all uninhabited.
• Marmari: a night aboard in the port town.

What does the Kymi to St George castle walking tour include?

The Kymi to St George castle hike is one of the Evia tours on the east coast: a private walking tour of 9.8 km with 540 m of climbing. It starts at Kymi’s main square and returns past the Moni Metamorfosi convent.

The castle stands on a steep rock above Chili village, about 4 km north of Kymi and 260 m above the sea. It is Byzantine in origin, and it was renovated in the 13th century by Licario, a Latin knight in Byzantine service. A small church of Agios Georgios stood inside and gave the castle its name, and parts of the wall and a cistern remain.

The route is a circular loop of 9.8 km, listed at 3.5 hours with walking time of three to four hours. The pickup is at 08:30, with snacks and water collected on the way, and the walk runs from 09:00 to 12:00. Kymi itself splits into the upper town, at 213 m, and Paralia Kymis on the coast, where the port runs ferries to Skyros.

Which Evia tours hike Xerovouni in central Evia?

One of the Evia tours walks a circular route around Xerovouni, at 1,453 m the second-highest mountain on the island. The loop covers 10 km across the Dirfys and Xerovouni range, with 577 m of climbing and the same descent.

Xerovouni is a limestone massif in central Evia, part of the Dirfys range and set opposite the main Dirfys summit. Its highest peak carries the name Portaris. The route is mostly gentle and well outlined, and it passes a mix of birds and seasonal wild flowers, with fir and chestnut forest on the lower ground.

There is no water supply on the route, so walkers carry their own. The day starts at 08:30 with a hotel pickup, stops in Steni at 09:15 for a bakery stop and a water fill-up, and walks from 09:30 to 13:30. An optional fresh trout meal at Kambia village follows. These Evia tours run as private groups, graded moderate, with a guide who speaks English and Greek.

Where do Evia tours start, and how do you reach Evia from Athens?

Evia tours start on the island, not in Athens. Pickup points are Eretria port, Nea Styra port, Karystos port, Chalkida, Amarynthos and Kymi, and cruises leave from Karavos port. Walking days begin with a hotel pickup between 07:00 and 09:30.

By road, Evia is about 76 km from Athens over the Chalkida bridges, roughly an hour’s drive. Chalkida, the island capital, is joined to the mainland by a sliding bridge at the narrowest point of the Euripus Strait and by the cable-stayed Euripus Bridge to the south. From Chalkida the coastal road runs south to Eretria and on towards Styra and Karystos.

By train, the Athens suburban railway reaches Chalkida in about 1 hour 20 minutes. By ferry, the Oropos to Eretria car ferry crosses in 20 to 30 minutes with departures through the day, and a ferry from Rafina reaches Marmari in about an hour. Eretria sits 21.4 km and about 24 minutes by road from Chalkida. Eretria tours and the Chalkida walking tour cover those two towns in detail.

• Drive: Athens to Chalkida, about 76 km and one hour.
• Train: the Athens suburban railway to Chalkida, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Ferry: Oropos to Eretria, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Ferry: Rafina to Marmari, about one hour.
• On the island: road transfers to Steni, Stropones, Styra, Karystos and Kymi.

Which months suit Evia tours?

Evia tours run across the walking year, with spring and autumn for the gorge routes and summer for the coast. April to June and September to November carry the mountain days comfortably. The Zarakes walk is listed as suitable all year.

Guides ask walkers to bring a light windproof layer for June and September, and a warmer shell jacket for April, late spring, October and November. In the warm months the gorges hold shade, and the Stropones river runs lower, which makes the stream crossings straightforward. Late spring brings wild flowers on both ranges, and autumn turns the leaves.

Chiliadou has summer lodges and free camping along the pebbled shore. Cruise departures run in the morning and at sunset through the sailing season, and the sunset trip lasts three hours against five in the morning. Water, snacks and shade matter on every route in high summer, and the Evia tours that finish at a beach build in time for a swim. For a rest day between walks, the site’s Evia wine tasting page sets out the island’s winery visits.

• April to June: wild flowers, cooler air, and a shell jacket for the higher paths.
• July and August: early starts, shade in the gorges, and a windproof layer on the ridges.
• September: warm sea, quieter paths, and a light windproof layer.
• October and November: autumn colour, and a warmer jacket for the mountain days.
• Late spring: full streams and green forest on both ranges.

How do you book and cancel Evia tours?

Evia tours are booked per group, not per seat. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and payment can wait until nearer the date. Mobile tickets arrive at once and need no printing.

Booking is done online, and the operator confirms the route, the pickup point and the language. Cruises ask for each passenger’s full name, gender, date of birth, nationality and phone number, because the port authority requires that list before departure. Cruise bookings are handled with 48 hours of notice, so a same-day request is not accepted. Pickup is included on every route.

Cancellation terms sit on the booking page of each tour, and the 24-hour rule covers the private departures. Booking more than one of these Evia tours across a stay works well because the pickup areas overlap: Chalkida and Eretria serve the centre, and Nea Styra and Karystos serve the south. The tavern meals at Stropones, Kambia and the Dimosaris coast are optional extras paid at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Evia tours private?

Yes. Each route on this page runs as a private group, and the walking days can also be booked for small groups. Only the people you book with join the guide, so the pace, the stops and the start time stay flexible. The cruises are private charters of the whole boat with its captain.

Can you join the Evia tours without a car?

Yes, if you stay on the island. Every walking day begins with a hotel pickup in Chalkida, Eretria, Amarynthos, Nea Styra, Karystos or Kymi, and transfers to the trailhead and back are included in the booking. Arrive by train to Chalkida or by the Oropos to Eretria ferry, then let the tour handle the driving.

How long do the Evia tours last?

Durations run from 3.5 hours at Kymi to 11 hours for the Dimosaris gorge, with the two-day South Evia cruise as the longest option. Walking days average six to nine hours including transfers. Walking time inside those days runs from two to five hours, depending on the route chosen.

Do the Evia tours include food?

It varies. The Evia Trail day hike, the Dimosaris gorge day and both cruises list meals, snacks, drinks and water as included, and the cruises add local meze. Other walks stop at a bakery before setting off and leave the tavern meal as an optional extra paid at the table.