After visiting Ikos Aria in May 2024 for our first Ikos experience, I knew I wanted to return. Our time there had been fantastic, but I was going through a particularly difficult time at work and, by the time our holiday arrived, I was pretty much burnt out. Because of this, we didn’t really make the most of all the services and experiences available to us.
That said, we were still beyond happy with everything. We pretty much spent our days between the pool, beach and restaurants, and that was absolutely fine. However, I knew I wanted to return and make the most of more of what Ikos had to offer.
This time, I wanted to maximise our experience, so I decided to book Deluxe. I’d booked around 16 months in advance and, although it felt like a long way off, it turned out to be one of the most anticipated breaks I’ve ever had. I also decided to travel in October. The girls get two weeks off during October, and when I looked at the weather, it didn’t seem too bad compared with May.
I wanted everything about this holiday to be just right. From departure their to departure back, I planned as much as possible, including dining reservations, car hire, spa treatments and the Teatro shows we wanted to see. I really wanted to make the most of our time there, especially as we’d been looking forward to it for so long.
Ikos Aria – At a glance
- Resort: Ikos Aria
- Location: Kos, Greece
- Dates: 21st–27th October 2026
- Duration: 6 nights
- Booking provider: TUI
- Accommodation: Deluxe
- Holiday type: Luxury all-inclusive family holiday
Getting the holiday off to the best start
I always book Fast Track security when we travel. I find airports can be stressful, and for us, paying the extra is absolutely worth it for the convenience, peace of mind and time saved.
We also book Meet and Greet parking, which is another expense I feel is worth every penny. We’ve previously stayed overnight at an airport hotel when we’ve had very early morning flights, which again takes away a lot of unnecessary stress and panic.
We didn’t need to do that this time, as our flight wasn’t until the afternoon. However, we still arrived a good three hours before departure to allow plenty of time for parking, checking in our bags, getting through security and making our way to the airport lounge.
I booked the lounge this time because I knew we’d probably struggle to find somewhere to sit in the main departure area. It’s another additional cost, but one I genuinely think is worth it. Being able to sit somewhere comfortable, relax, use the facilities and have food and drinks available makes such a difference. It’s all part of making the journey as stress-free as possible.
I kept an eye on the online departure information so we wouldn’t miss the gate announcement. Once it appeared, we headed over and found somewhere to sit. Unfortunately, there were some delays, but nothing too concerning.
When we fly, I always book extra-legroom seats. We’re not particularly tall, but I much prefer having that additional space, as aircraft cabins can sometimes feel a little stuffy and claustrophobic. I also always make sure we select our seats so we can all sit together.
The flight to Kos took around three and a half to four hours. We’d downloaded some episodes and films to watch on our devices, and I took my Kindle. We had some drinks during the flight, and I bought the children something small to eat as we’d already eaten in the lounge.
Arriving at Ikos Aria
When we arrived in Kos, we were two hours ahead and it was already getting late. We were greeted by an Ikos representative, who walked us over to our private transfer and handed us each a bottle of Ikos water.
The private transfer vehicle was incredibly luxurious – a Mercedes V-Class! The journey from the airport to the resort isn’t particularly long, and before we knew it, we were being dropped off at the entrance.
Our luggage was taken to our suite while we checked in. As it was quite late, we weren’t able to experience the full check-in process, but we were still welcomed with a drink. We all opted for mocktails.
We were then driven by one of the resort buggies over to our suite on the Deluxe side of the resort.
On arrival, we were greeted with a fully stocked non-alcoholic minibar, a non-alcoholic bottle of fizz on ice, a lovely welcome note and a gorgeous Ikos beach bag. It was such a lovely welcome, and we instantly felt relaxed and ready to enjoy our holiday.
As it was quite late, we decided to order room service rather than head out for dinner, having missed our first evening’s dining reservations. Thankfully, Deluxe room service is available 24/7, so we were able to order some lovely vegan goodies before unpacking, settling in and getting a good night’s sleep.
Our first full day – settling into resort life
Our first full day was all about settling in and getting into holiday mode. We wanted a slower day, so we made the most of the pool, our cabana and the pool service before heading down to the beach.
We then enjoyed dinner at Anaya and had a little wander around the resort after supper.
It was exactly what we needed: no rushing around, no pressure to be anywhere and plenty of time to enjoy our surroundings.
Exploring Kos – car hire, the Roman Odeon and a little pampering
Our second day was much more action-packed, as we had planned to make use of the complimentary car hire.
Our car was an automatic, electric Mini Countryman. I’ve driven abroad before, but never without following someone else, and certainly never in an automatic electric car! It was a new experience, but we managed just fine.
Our first stop was the famous Roman Odeon of Kos, followed by the Western Archaeological Site. It was lovely to get out and explore a little of the island beyond the resort.
Afterwards, we headed back to Ikos and picked up some lunch from Fresco before enjoying some more pool time.
I then headed to the spa for one of my two complimentary neck, shoulder and back massages. Honestly, it was utterly divine!
After some time to relax back in our suite, we got ready for dinner at Seasons, followed by a fantastic variety show at the Teatro.
It really was the perfect way to spend a day!
Our beach day – Kastri, Agios Stefanos and dinner on the beach
Our next day was our planned beach day. We wanted to spend as much of the day as possible by the sea, so we headed over, swam, sunbathed and enjoyed a little adventure on the pedalos.
We even pedaloed over to the islet of Kastri before heading over to explore the Basilicas of Agios Stefanos.
Afterwards, we stopped for some vegan ice cream before heading back to our suite to get ready for our special dinner on the beach experience.
I have to say, this was by far our favourite dining experience of the holiday. I had been really looking forward to it, and the whole evening exceeded my expectations. From the service and food to the ambience and views, everything was just wonderful.
We then headed to the Teatro for the evening show, the Shaolin African Acrobatic Spectacle. The performers were absolutely marvellous!
Rather than catching a buggy back to our suite, we decided to walk. It was lovely to have a little stroll after such a busy day, and we headed to bed ready for another adventure the following day.
Exploring more of Kos – Plaka Forest and Tigaki Beach
I was really pleased we’d arranged the extra day of car hire, as it meant we could plan our second little adventure around Kos a bit better.
This time, we decided to visit Plaka Forest, which is known for its peacocks, peahens, ducks and cats.
We weren’t quite sure how long we’d spend there, but it really was a forest with all these animals roaming around, which was lovely to see. I did think it would have been nice if there had been somewhere to donate or buy animal feed, as that would have been a lovely addition to the experience.
From what we could see, all the animals looked happy, healthy and well-fed, which was reassuring.
As the forest didn’t take up too much of our day, we decided to head over to Tigaki Beach.
We had a stroll along the main high street and spotted some lovely places to eat and drink. As we’d planned to have lunch back at the resort, we didn’t stop, but it was nice to have a look around. We also saw lots of cats and a lovely old dog – bless her!
We visited the beach itself before heading back to Ikos for lunch at Fresco and another afternoon by the pool.
We had originally planned to eat at Oliva’s that evening, but after a couple of busy days, we decided to have a more relaxed evening in our suite instead. Sometimes it’s nice to slow down and enjoy a little downtime, even when you’re on holiday.
A slower day and our final evening
The forecast for our final full day wasn’t looking particularly promising, with some unsettled weather expected in the morning. We decided to make the most of a cosy morning in our suite and ordered room service for breakfast.
We snuggled up and watched a film, eventually settling on Wicked. I honestly can’t believe we’d not watched it before!
Thankfully, the weather started to improve, so we headed out to enjoy some pool time.
For our final full evening, we enjoyed one last dinner at Seasons before heading to the Teatro for our final show. This one was disco-inspired, featuring lots of classic disco tracks. It was a lovely way to round off our stay.
Saying goodbye to Ikos Aria
Before we knew it, departure morning had arrived.
We enjoyed a good walk around the resort, had breakfast and then headed back to our suite to pack the last few bits.
When we checked out, we were given a lovely farewell gift: a homemade olive oil soap bar. All the little touches throughout our stay were genuinely appreciated, and this was another lovely gesture.
Our luggage was collected, and we were picked up by another Mercedes V-Class for our transfer back to the airport.
Everything was really smooth. Check-in was super quick, as was security, and we were only at the gate for around 20 minutes before they started loading everyone onto the shuttle bus to the plane.
We boarded and actually took off 30 minutes early, which was a nice surprise!
Landing, passport control and baggage collection were all very straightforward. We even collected our car around two hours earlier than originally booked.
Sadly, we did get caught in some traffic on the way home, but we eventually made it back, ordered a Wagamama and settled back into normal life.
It genuinely was such a wonderful holiday. I feel incredibly lucky that we were able to experience Ikos Aria again, especially as Deluxe guests this time around.
Things we didn’t get around to during our stay
One of the things I wanted to do differently on this visit was make better use of the additional experiences and activities available at Ikos. We certainly did more this time, but there were still quite a few things we didn’t get around to.
Here’s what we missed:
Morning cruise: We did book the morning cruise, but unfortunately, we missed it because of the weather that morning. There is also an evening cruise, which I’d originally planned to do, but I was advised that the morning one was better and was available to Deluxe guests. This is definitely something I’d like to try next time, whether that’s the morning or evening option.
Cocktail making: As a non-drinker travelling with teenagers, I decided to pass on this one. Although I’m sure they would have accomodated mocktails for us.
Greek salad making: I did enquire about this, but ultimately decided against it. As we’re vegan, I was worried it might create a little extra hassle, so we left it.
Watersports: We could have done much more in terms of watersports during our stay, but we stuck to the pedalos. Perhaps next time! I know the children would love to try snorkelling.
Dining out: We had the option to dine out at two restaurants surrounding the resort. I’d actually been told in the emails that this would be an additional cost, but it turns out it’s included. I believe this was available for two separate evenings, so it’s definitely something I’d look into next time.
Bus excursion to Kos Town: There was a complimentary bus running from around 9.30am, taking guests into Kos Town for a few hours. As we’d arranged the car hire, we decided to give this a miss too.
Family movie nights: We passed on all of these. We’d already planned to watch the evening shows at the Teatro, and I felt that trying to fit in both would have been a little too much. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing!
Kids’ Club: My two have never really been interested in this sort of thing, so the Kids’ Club was never on our agenda.
Tennis and sports: The courts were directly behind our suite, but we didn’t make use of them this time. Perhaps another time!
Wine tasting: Simply because I don’t drink alcohol.
Did we make the most of Deluxe?
Even with all the additional options available, I honestly don’t feel as though we missed out at all.
The main things I’d like to experience on our next visit are the cruise (either morning or evening), the bus excursion into Kos Town and some more watersports. Other than that, we still had a jam-packed holiday, with a really lovely balance of exploring, activities and time to relax.
Something I particularly liked was that we didn’t feel pressured to eat constantly or make use of absolutely everything included. We didn’t have breakfast every morning, sometimes skipped lunch and even missed one of our planned meals altogether.
And that’s what I really like about the Ikos experience. You don’t have to eat 24/7 or cram every possible activity into your stay to feel you’ve got your money’s worth.
We’re all vegan, and I don’t drink alcohol, so naturally, some of the experiences and dining options are less relevant to us. I think there’s sometimes a feeling that when you book an all-inclusive holiday, you need to get as much as possible out of it. But for us, it’s about enjoying the experience in a way that works for our family.
Vegan dining at Ikos Aria – room for improvement?
One area I’d really like to see improved is the vegan and plant-based dining options.
There is such an abundance of vegan food available these days, and I would love to see a little more variety and creativity across the restaurants.
I submitted the end-of-stay survey and specifically mentioned the plant-based and vegan options, or rather, the lack of them.
Perhaps I’ve been spoilt by the choice available when dining out here in the UK, but I did expect a little more than pasta. Even a soup we had enjoyed on our previous visit, which was vegan in 2024, wasn’t vegan this time around.
It’s a shame because there are so many naturally vegan ingredients and dishes that could be incorporated into the menus. It would be lovely to see more variety, rather than feeling that the options are limited or require adjustments to existing dishes.
That said, we still had a wonderful holiday, and the overall experience was fantastic. It’s simply an area where I think there is room for improvement, particularly as plant-based dining becomes increasingly popular.
Would we return to Ikos Aria?
Absolutely!
Our second visit to Ikos Aria was just as special as our first, if not more so. Having experienced the resort before, we knew what to expect, but booking Deluxe allowed us to enjoy some additional touches and experiences that made the holiday feel even more special.
I loved having the time to explore more of Kos, enjoy the spa, experience the beach dinner and make the most of the Teatro shows. Equally, I loved the slower moments spent by the pool, relaxing in our suite and simply enjoying being away together.
There are still a few things on our list for next time, which is always a good sign! For now, I’m just incredibly grateful for another wonderful family holiday and all the lovely memories we’ve made. Until next time, Ikos Aria!
