Crowds gathered at sunset on the quay at Little Venice, Mykonos, with a cruise ship offshore

International destination

Greece for corporate offsites and incentive trips from India

Athens hotels with ballrooms for 1,000, island cruises and Aegean sunsets, reached by non-stop flights from Mumbai and Delhi. ICE India arranges the visas, flights, hotels, island cruises and transfers.

Plan an event in Greece
Getting there
Non-stop IndiGo flights of about 8 hours from Mumbai and Delhi, and one-stop routes from other Indian cities
Best months
April to June and September to October, with highs of 20 to 30 °C
Suits
Leadership offsites, incentive trips and conferences of 50 to 500
ICE India in Greece
Planned by ICE India, with vetted local partners on the ground.

Why companies choose Greece

  • Close to India's clock

    Athens is 2.5 hours behind India in summer and 3.5 hours in winter, so a group lands in the afternoon and is at dinner the same evening.

  • History within walking distance

    The Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and the Plaka lanes sit within a few minutes of each other, so a sightseeing day needs no long coach rides.

  • Islands an hour away

    Mykonos, Santorini and Crete are 45 to 55 minutes by air from Athens, and day cruises reach Hydra, Poros and Aegina.

  • Ballrooms for large groups

    Several Athens hotels hold 1,000 or more in one hall, and the Megaron has a 1,960-seat concert hall for plenary sessions.

  • Food that suits vegetarians

    Greek tables run on vegetables, pulses, cheese and olive oil, so vegetarian guests eat full meals. Jain menus are briefed in advance.

  • Mild weather when India is hot

    April to June and September to October are warm and dry, which suits outdoor programmes while Indian cities heat up.

Greece for corporate groups

Greece suits Indian companies that want a programme with a story. Athens carries the meetings, the hotels and the ancient sites. The islands give the incentive trip its photographs, without any set-building.

Most groups base themselves in Athens for three or four nights. A leadership team can then add Mykonos, Santorini or Crete, each a short flight away, or spend a day at sea among the Saronic islands.

ICE India plans Greece incentive trips and offsites through vetted local partners and runs conferences in Athens. Groups also compare Istanbul and Spain for a Schengen trip. For group flights, hotels and visas to Greece, see corporate travel.

Visas for Indian passport holders

Greece is in the Schengen area, so every Indian traveller needs a visa before departure. Group applications take planning, and ICE India coordinates them for the whole team.

Visa type
A Schengen short-stay visa for up to 90 days in any 180. There is no visa on arrival or e-visa for Indian passport holders.
Processing time
A decision is due within 15 calendar days of filing and can take up to 45 in some cases. Applications open six months before travel and must be in at least 15 days before. For a group, allow eight to ten weeks.
Where to apply
Through the Greece Visa Consular Wing, which runs application centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kochi and Kolkata. Each traveller attends an appointment, and groups from several cities book appointments in several centres.
Documents
A passport valid for at least three months beyond the return date, a photograph, an employment letter, bank statements, travel insurance, flight bookings and hotel confirmations.
Fingerprints
Every first-time applicant gives fingerprints at the centre. Travellers who gave them for a Schengen visa within the last 59 months usually do not need to repeat it.

Two days groups plan around in Greece: the islands and the Acropolis

A day among the islands and an evening at the Acropolis. Most programmes build their best day around one of them.

Excursion boats moored along the waterfront of Poros, with the clock tower on the hill behind

A day on the Saronic Gulf, within reach of Athens

Island cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina

The ship leaves Piraeus in the morning and stops at three islands. Hydra has no cars and a stone harbour, Poros has a waterfront of pastel houses, and Aegina is known for its pine trees and pistachios.

A company can charter a private boat for a smaller team, or fill a cruise ship with the whole conference.

Time
About 11 hours for all three islands, or 8 to 9 hours on a private boat visiting two.
Group size
Day cruise ships carry several hundred guests. A private boat suits a leadership group.
As the gala night
A gala lunch on board or on Aegina, with live Greek music and dancing.
Food
Buffet lunch on board, with vegetarian and Jain plates ordered ahead.
The floodlit Acropolis and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus above Athens at dusk

The Parthenon by day, and lit at night

The Acropolis and ancient Athens

The Acropolis is the reason most groups come. A licensed guide takes the team up through the Propylaea to the Parthenon, with the Theatre of Dionysus and the Acropolis Museum a short walk below.

The rock is not a dinner venue, but hotel rooftops and restaurants in the Plaka look straight at the lit Parthenon.

Time
Two to three hours on the site, with entry by timed ticket.
Group size
Large groups are split across ticket slots, which are booked well ahead in peak months.
As the gala night
A rooftop dinner with the floodlit Parthenon in view.
Food
Greek meze and grills, with vegetarian dishes at every table.

Where to go in Greece

Athens carries the meetings and the sights. Mykonos, Santorini and Crete are added as incentive stays, each 45 to 55 minutes by air from Athens.

The Acropolis above the rooftops of Monastiraki in the late afternoon
The Parthenon on the Acropolis seen across the trees, with Lycabettus Hill behind

The Acropolis, the Plaka and the Athens Riviera

Athens

The capital holds the large hotels, the conference centres and the main sights. Syntagma and the Plaka suit groups that want to walk to dinner, and Syngrou Avenue has several of the large ballrooms, including the InterContinental Athenaeum and the Grand Hyatt.

The Athens Riviera, along the coast at Vouliagmeni, is a quieter base with sea views and the Four Seasons Astir Palace. Most programmes spend three or four nights in Athens, with an island added afterwards.

The old centre is compact. The Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and the Plaka lie close together, and the National Garden and the Zappeion, a neoclassical hall used for galas, are a short walk from Syntagma. The Megaron concert hall stands on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, a few minutes by coach to the east.

Where to stay
Syntagma for the Plaka and the Acropolis on foot, Syngrou Avenue for the largest ballrooms, Vouliagmeni for a seaside resort.
Ancient sites
The Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus and the Ancient Agora with the Temple of Hephaestus lie within a short walk of each other.
Evenings
Taverna dinners in the Plaka, rooftop restaurants facing the lit Parthenon, and gala dinners at the Megaron or the Zappeion.
Shopping
Monastiraki, Ermou Street and the Central Market sit along the same stretch of the old centre.
The windmills of Mykonos above the harbour, with white houses climbing the hill
Mykonos Town and its harbour in the evening light, with white houses around the bay

Windmills, Little Venice and beach clubs

Mykonos

Mykonos Town is a maze of whitewashed lanes, chapels and boutiques, with the windmills above the harbour and Little Venice, where the old houses stand over the water, for sunset drinks at the water's edge.

Resort hotels at Ornos and Psarou take groups for private dinners, and the island suits incentive winners and mid-sized teams better than large conferences.

Most programmes keep the mornings for sessions and leave the afternoons free for the beach. The lanes of the town hold galleries, small churches and two museums, the Archaeological Museum and the Aegean Maritime Museum, which fill a quiet half-day between the pool and dinner.

Where to stay
Santa Marina at Ornos has an outdoor space for 300 at a seated dinner, and Grecotel Mykonos Blu sits at Psarou.
Delos
The UNESCO-listed island of Apollo is about 30 minutes away by boat from the Old Port, and it is open from April to October.
Season
Hotels open around Greek Easter and close by the end of October, with June and September the easiest months.
Getting there
A flight from Athens takes about 40 minutes. High-speed ferries from Piraeus take about 2 hours 40 minutes.
The three-arched bell tower at Oia, Santorini, above the caldera
Blue-domed churches at Oia above the deep blue caldera of Santorini

Caldera views, Oia and Fira

Santorini

Fira and Oia sit on the rim of a drowned volcano, with whitewashed houses, blue domes and a sea view from almost every terrace. Hotels are small, so Santorini suits leadership groups and incentive winners, not large conferences.

Vineyards cover the black volcanic soil inland, and wineries such as Santo Wines host dinners on caldera-view terraces. A programme here is usually one or two nights added to Athens.

Beyond the two towns, Akrotiri is a Bronze Age town buried by the volcano, and the east coast has black and coloured sand beaches. Villages inland give a quieter evening away from the caldera crowds.

Where to stay
The Majestic and Santorini Palace, both in Fira, have meeting rooms for 50 to 120 guests, so plan Santorini for teams of that size.
Oia
The village at the northern tip is where groups go to watch the sun set over the caldera, so terraces and tables are booked well ahead.
Wine
Assyrtiko whites and sweet Vinsanto, tasted at Santo Wines in Pyrgos, whose events hall takes about 110.
Getting there
A flight from Athens takes about 45 minutes. High-speed ferries from Piraeus take about 5 hours.
The lighthouse at the end of the old Venetian harbour in Chania, Crete
Aerial view of Balos lagoon and the Gramvousa peninsula in north-west Crete

Chania, Heraklion and the large beach resorts

Crete

Crete is the largest island and the one built for volume. The resorts around Hersonissos and Rethymno have conference halls for several hundred, and Chania's Venetian harbour is the setting for evening walks.

The island is long, so groups choose one base: Chania and Rethymno in the west, or Heraklion and Hersonissos in the centre, and keep the sightseeing within an hour or so. Groups usually fly into Heraklion or Chania and transfer by coach.

Crete also has history on a large scale. Knossos is the best known of the Minoan sites, Heraklion has a Venetian fortress guarding its harbour, and the old town of Rethymno sits below the Fortezza, a Venetian castle with views over the rooftops.

Where to stay
Creta Maris at Hersonissos has 675 rooms and a plenary hall for 1,700. Grecotel Creta Palace is at Rethymno and Domes Noruz at Chania.
Knossos
The Minoan palace lies about 5 km south of Heraklion, with restored red columns and frescoes.
Beaches
Elafonisi, with its pink sand, and Balos lagoon are the two famous beach days in the west.
Getting there
A flight from Athens to Chania or Heraklion takes about 50 to 55 minutes.

Flights from the main Indian cities to Greece

Flights land at Athens (ATH) in Spata, about 30 km and 35 to 45 minutes by road from the centre, and 22 to 24 km from the Athens Riviera. The metro to Syntagma takes about 45 minutes.

Reaching Greece
FromAirportNon-stop flightsOne-stop routes
MumbaiChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM)IndiGo, three flights a week, about 8hEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
DelhiIndira Gandhi International (DEL)IndiGo, three flights a week, about 8hEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
BengaluruKempegowda International (BLR)No non-stop serviceEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
ChennaiChennai International (MAA)No non-stop serviceEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
HyderabadRajiv Gandhi International (HYD)No non-stop serviceEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
KolkataNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (CCU)No non-stop serviceEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
KochiCochin International (COK)No non-stop serviceEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
AhmedabadSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (AMD)No non-stop serviceEmirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha
Pune, Jaipur and other citiesLocal airportFly to Mumbai or Delhi first, on a single ticketOr through Dubai or Doha

Hotels and venues for groups in Greece

Thirteen hotels in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Crete, with halls that seat anything from 50 to 1,500 guests.

Selected corporate venues in Greece
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Hotel Grande BretagneSyntagma, Athens32012Grand Ballroom: about 4,720 sq ft, 450 theatre
InterContinental Athenaeum AthensSyngrou Avenue, Athens56335Athenaeum Ballroom: about 15,260 sq ft, 1,500 theatre
Grand Hyatt AthensSyngrou Avenue, Athens54823Caryatids: 1,000 m², up to 1,000 guests
Hilton AthensVassilissis Sofias Avenue, Athens50618Terpsichore: about 13,640 sq ft, 1,100 theatre
Divani CaravelIlissia, Athens47316Olympia: about 6,460 sq ft, 1,000 theatre
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel AthensVouliagmeni, Athens Riviera303Not availableNafsika Ballroom: about 4,600 sq ft, 360 banquet
Santa Marina, a Luxury Collection ResortOrnos, Mykonos1175Elais outdoor space: about 8,180 sq ft, 300 banquet
Grecotel Mykonos BluPsarou, MykonosAbout 1102Not available
The Majestic HotelFira, SantoriniAbout 602Conference rooms: about 2,150 sq ft in all, 120 theatre
Santorini PalaceFira, Santorini1061King Thiras: about 1,290 sq ft, 50
Creta Maris Beach ResortHersonissos, Crete67530Plenary hall: about 13,460 sq ft, 1,700 theatre
Grecotel Creta PalaceRethymno, CreteAbout 3401King Minos: about 3,210 sq ft, 250 theatre
Domes Noruz ChaniaChania, Crete833Conference room: about 670 sq ft, 60

Convention and cultural centres

For conferences beyond hotel capacity, Athens has three large venues. Two are cultural complexes with concert halls, and one is a neoclassical exhibition hall.

  • The marble foyer of the Athens Concert Hall, with a row of white columns

    Central Athens

    Megaron Athens International Conference Centre

    Athens' main conference venue, built around a concert hall for plenaries, with a banqueting hall and a large foyer for exhibitions.

    • Christos Lambrakis Hall: 1,960 seats
    • Alexandra Trianti Hall: about 1,600 seats
    • Banqueting Hall: about 630 seated for dinner
  • The Stavros Niarchos Park and the Athens skyline seen from the roof of the cultural centre

    Kallithea, Athens Riviera

    Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

    A waterfront complex designed by Renzo Piano, with the national opera house, a library and a landscaped park of olive trees.

    • Stavros Niarchos Hall: 1,400 seats
    • Greek National Opera home
    • Rooftop park with views to the sea
  • The circular colonnaded courtyard inside the Zappeion Megaron, with a flower bed at its centre

    National Garden, Athens

    Zappeion Megaron

    A neoclassical exhibition hall beside the National Garden, built in the 1880s and still used for conferences, receptions and gala dinners.

    • Hall 4: 450 seated, 540 cocktail
    • Hall 3: 300 seated
    • Peristyle atrium: about 10,590 sq ft

Where to hold the evenings

Where the group dines together at night, and what it can do as a team by day.

  • Gala dinner venues

    Hotel ballrooms, a cultural centre and a winery terrace. Capacities are for seated dinner where published.

    • Megaron Athens, Banqueting Hall: about 630
    • Zappeion Megaron, Hall 4: 450
    • Santa Marina, Mykonos: 300 outdoors
    • Creta Maris, Minos Hall, Crete: 320
    • Santo Wines, Santorini: about 110, caldera-view terrace
    • Technopolis, Gazi: a restored gasworks in Athens

  • Indian restaurants for groups

    Athens has the most Indian restaurants, and there are a few on Santorini, Crete and Mykonos. ICE India books ahead, briefs the kitchen and arranges Jain menus.

    • Namaste, Koukaki, Athens
    • Jaipur Palace, Neos Kosmos, Athens
    • Jaipur Palace, Fira, Santorini
    • Namaste Indian Punjabi, Chania, Crete
    • India House, Mykonos

  • Team activity venues

    Experiences that bring a whole team onto the water, the stage or the ruins together.

    • Saronic Gulf day cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina
    • Panathenaic Stadium: the marble stadium of the 1896 Olympics
    • Cape Sounion: sunset at the Temple of Poseidon
    • Santo Wines: a private tasting on the caldera rim
    • Delos, by boat from Mykonos
    • Knossos Palace, Crete

What groups do in Greece

  • Ancient Agora

    The marketplace of classical Athens, with the Temple of Hephaestus, the best preserved ancient Greek temple, and a museum in the restored Stoa of Attalos.

  • Panathenaic Stadium

    A stadium built entirely of marble, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

  • Acropolis Museum

    A glass museum at the foot of the rock, with the sculptures from the Parthenon displayed beside views of the temple.

  • Knossos

    The Minoan palace near Heraklion, with restored red columns and frescoes, and a good half-day for groups based in Crete.

  • Delos

    A sacred island and UNESCO site about 30 minutes by boat from Mykonos, open from April to October.

  • Santorini wine tasting

    Assyrtiko whites and sweet Vinsanto, tasted at wineries on the caldera rim and in the vineyards inland.

A sample programme in Greece

Built for a team of 70 to 120: one session morning, a full day at sea and a gala at sunset. ICE India reshapes it around each brief.

4 nights, 5 days

  1. Street musicians playing on the steps of a lane in the Plaka, AthensDay 1

    Landing and the Plaka

    The IndiGo flights from Mumbai and Delhi land in the afternoon, and a coach waits outside arrivals. Once everyone has checked in near Syntagma, the group strolls through the Plaka to a taverna dinner of Greek meze.

  2. The Theatre of Dionysus on the slope below the Acropolis, with visitors among the seatsDay 2

    The Acropolis and ancient Athens

    A guided morning at the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus and the Acropolis Museum, then the Ancient Agora after lunch. The evening meal is Indian, at a restaurant like Namaste in Koukaki, with the vegetarian and Jain dishes agreed beforehand.

  3. The stone harbour of Hydra, with yachts moored below the hillside townDay 3

    A day among the islands

    A full day on the water: Aegina, Poros and Hydra, with a swim stop, a buffet lunch and live Greek music on board. The group returns to Piraeus at the end of the afternoon.

  4. The columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion against a setting sunDay 4

    Conference and a gala at Sounion

    Sessions fill the morning at the hotel. After lunch the coaches follow the coast road to Cape Sounion to watch the sun set behind the Temple of Poseidon, and the gala dinner and awards follow at a seaside venue.

  5. The white marble seating of the Panathenaic Stadium in AthensDay 5

    Panathenaic Stadium and departure

    A last morning at the marble stadium, then gift shopping in Monastiraki and along Ermou Street, before the coaches run out to Spata for the return flights.

Food, souvenirs and shopping in Greece

Markets, tavernas and gift stalls sit on the routes the group already walks, so no day needs to be set aside.

  • Local food to try

    Athens is easiest for first tastes. The islands each add a speciality.

    • Souvlaki and gyros at Thanasis, Monastiraki
    • Greek salad, moussaka and meze at Plaka tavernas
    • Fava, a yellow split-pea puree, and tomato fritters on Santorini
    • Dakos, a barley rusk with tomato and cheese, in Crete
    • Graviera cheese, fried as saganaki, in Crete
    • Vinsanto, a sweet wine, on Santorini

  • What to bring home

    Olive oil, honey and wine travel well and make easy gifts for the office and at home.

    • Extra virgin olive oil from Crete
    • Thyme honey from Crete
    • Vinsanto and Assyrtiko wines from Santorini
    • Oregano and dried herbs from the Central Market
    • Leather sandals and bags from Ifestou Street, Monastiraki
    • Graviera cheese from Chania's covered market

  • Where to shop

    Markets for gifts, a pedestrian street for brands.

    • Monastiraki flea market: leather, vintage and gifts, busiest on Sundays
    • Ermou Street: the main fashion street, from Syntagma to Monastiraki
    • Plaka lanes: souvenirs and jewellery
    • Athens Central Market, Varvakios: herbs, spices and food, Monday to Saturday
    • Chania covered market, Crete: honey, cheese and oil
    • Heraklion, 1866 Street: a food and spice market

When to go

April to June and September to October are the main seasons. Athens highs run from 20 °C in April to 25 °C in May and 24 °C in October, which makes full outdoor programmes easy.

July and August reach 33 to 34 °C in Athens, and the meltemi wind can stop ferries and boat trips. Hotels on Mykonos and Santorini open between April and October, and many close from November to March.

May to June
The best weather for the islands. Book ballrooms and island hotels early.
Greek Easter
Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May 2027. Some sites and shops close on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Winter
Athens and the Crete resorts stay open, but the Cyclades are closed for much of the winter.

Athens on film

Visit Greece: AthensThe Acropolis, the Plaka and the city's streets, in the national tourism film.

Events ICE India has run in Greece

  • Banking offsite

    A bank sent 70 guests to Athens for four nights in October 2019: the Acropolis, a day trip to Mykonos and a walk through the Plaka. The Schengen visas for all 70 were handled by ICE India.

  • We worked with ICE India for Confluence, our annual global partners meet. There were 4 other agencies who were pitching for this event and we finally chose ICE India due to their thorough understanding of our needs and the innovative ideas which they suggested for the event. Since this was the first time that we were working with ICE India for such a large scale event, we were a bit skeptical, but Mufaddal and his team were involved in every small aspect of the event and executed it seamlessly. The biggest thing that they bring to the table is the organized way in which they work, which leads to minimum last minute issues, which we all know is bound to happen in a large scale event. All in all it was a very good experience working with them.

    Ashwini NagarkattiCategory Marketing Manager - Godrej Appliances

  • The acronym ICE stands for Impressive, Capable, and Efficient. It was so calm and well-managed that they were able to handle the whole event from scratch. The company is experienced in handling things such as negotiations, customisation, and creativity. Our event was managed by ICE India in such a way that our client was unstoppable in appreciating it. It is Mufaddal who is the backbone of ICE India and he has a wonderful team to support him in managing any event. We had a great time working with ICE India, and I am sure they will go far in this industry. A big thank you to the team at ICE India.

    Priti SinghLead - Human Resource, KlinEra

  • We engaged the services of ICE India for managing our Annual Meet at Hotel Novotel Hyderabad. We have been dealing with ICE India for many events and the fact that we have engaged them numerous times is an indicator of our satisfaction of their standards of service. The principle of the company, Mr. Mufaddal Dahodwala, personally gets involved in the event, right from the planning stage until execution. He adds tremendous value by giving his inputs on what & how to be done. His personal touch to the events is truly appreciated. The Hyderabad event was very successful and much appreciated by the attendees, a smooth flowing event without hiccups.

    Karthik RamanChief Distribution Officer, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

Planning an event in Greece: questions

Which islands suit a large group?

Crete, which has resorts with halls for several hundred. Mykonos suits groups of up to a few hundred in resort hotels. Santorini hotels are small, so it suits leadership teams and incentive winners.

Will vegetarian and Jain guests eat well?

Greek menus lean on vegetables, beans and cheese, so full vegetarian meals are easy. ICE India agrees dishes with each kitchen before arrival, and Jain guests are given menus without onion and garlic.

What should guests wear at churches and monasteries?

Greek Orthodox churches and monasteries ask for covered shoulders and knees, and some limit photography. ICE India briefs the group on dress and photography rules before departure.

Can travel agencies work with ICE India on Greece?

ICE India plans Greece programmes for companies through vetted local partners. Agencies that want to know how ICE India works with trade partners can read about destination representation.

Compare destinations

  • Destination

    Spain

    Conference hotels and incentive trips in southern Europe.

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    A city on two continents, with the Bosphorus and large conference hotels.

  • Destination

    Russia

    Moscow and St Petersburg, for conferences and incentive trips with grand hotels and historic venues.

Photographs via Wikimedia Commons: Andrew Parlette, Jakub Hałun and dronepicr (CC BY 4.0 and CC BY 2.0); CHMunro, Dietmar Rabich, StrangeTraveler, Josep M. Gracia, Theofanis Ampatzidis, Petroskaz, Mstyslav Chernov, Moonik, Roberto Faccenda (CC BY-SA). Other photographs are from Unsplash and public sources, and remain the property of their owners.