city: Greece

Private Corfu Tour with Mon Repos Palace and Kumquat Distillery

This private tour of northern Corfu is all idyllic villages, monuments and rugged coastline. Head into sun-kissed rolling hills to discover Achillion Palace and Paleokastritsa. There are also visits to a kumquat distillery and an olive oil mill-museum. Spiros, one of our local guides, says, ‘Empress Sissi of Austria was enamored with Corfu and its mythological heritage, particularly the story of Achilles, and the palace and gardens are filled with sculptures of Greek gods and goddesses'.You'll visit some of Corfu's top attractions. First up is Achillion Palace. The palace boasts stunning views of the Corfu coast, including Kaiser Wilhelm's former jetty, and its meticulously landscaped gardens are a work of art. You'll then get to sample the trademark flavour of rural Corfu during a visit to a family-owned kumquat distillery. Spiros says, ‘Sweet and fragrant kumquat liqueur is a uniquely Corfu phenomenon – it's made nowhere else in Greece. It's a part of our Corfiot identity. The story of how this Asian fruit came to the island is a real eye-opener.'There are more top-notch vistas at the seaside village of Paleokastritsa. You'll have free time to visit the Orthodox monastery – admission is free – or the coves with beaches. A boat trip can also be arranged here. Next, there's a scenic drive to Bella Vista, so-called for its views over Paleo Bay. Finally, round off the day with a tour and tasting at an olive oil mill and museum run by the fifth generation of the Konstantis family.