Greece › Itineraries
by Santorini Dave • Updated: October 2, 2020
See Also
The Best of Greece
- Best Places To Visit in Greece: Athens • Santorini • Mykonos • Naxos • Paros
- Best Tours: Santorini Wine Tours • Santorini Boat Tours • Mykonos Boat Tours • Athens Historical Tours
- Best for Honeymoon: Santorini is a marvelous honeymoon destination. Chania (on Crete) is also great.
- Best Restaurants: Most towns and every island have great places to eat but Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini have the very best restaurants
- Best Beaches: Naxos has the best beaches in Greece
- Best Nightlife: Santorini • Mykonos
- Most Fun Activity: Jet Ski to the Santorini Volcano
- Best Hotels: Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos have the best luxury hotels.
Greek Island Itinerary – The Basics
• Santorini – Amazing volcano views, boat tours, wine tours.
• Mykonos – Great beaches and nightlife.
• Crete – Lots of history, good beaches, authentic Greek towns, good hiking.
• Naxos – Great beaches, good hiking, interesting history, and small Greek villages.
• Paros – Great beaches, trendy dining and nightlife.
• Corfu – Too much package tourism although Corfu Town is wonderful.
• Zakynthos – Too much package tourism.
• Rhodes – Great beaches and wonderful medieval Rhodes Town.
• Kos – Very touristy but still enjoyable. Good for biking.
• Recommended less-touristy Greek Islands: Sifnos, Ikaria, Folegandros, Milos, Lesvos, Samos, Karpathos.
• Mainland Greece: I’ve ignored most of mainland Greece for this itnerary. A large diverse area that could easily fill two weeks of wonderful experiences.
1 Week in Greece
- Athens – 1 Full Day
- Mykonos, Paros, or Naxos – 3 Days
- Santorini – 3 Days
10 Days in Greece
- Athens – 1 Full Day
- Mykonos – 3 Days
- Paros or Naxos – 3 Days
- Santorini – 3 Days
2 Weeks in Greece
- Athens – 2 Full Days
- Nafplio Day Trip or additional time in Athens – 1 Day
- Mykonos – 3 Days
- Paros – 2 Days
- Naxos – 2 Days
- Santorini – 4 Days
3 Weeks in Greece
- Athens – 2 Full Days
- Nafplio Day Trip or additional time in Athens – 1 Day
- Mykonos – 3 Days
- Paros – 2 Days
- Naxos – 3 Days
- Milos, Folegandros, or Sifnos – 2 Days
- Santorini – 4 Days
- Agios Nikolaos (Crete) – 2 Days
- Chania (Crete) – 3 Days
Greece Itinerary: Top 5 Highlights
1. The Santorini Caldera
Santorini is the most magical and unique Greek island. Boat tours of the volcanic caldera are a highlight of any trip to Greece.
2. The Beaches of Naxos (and Many Greek Islands)
There are many Greek islands with fantastic beaches (Mykonos, Milos, Paros, and Crete) but no island has a better beach scene than Naxos.
3. The Parthenon and Acropolis in Athens
Athens has lots to see in a compact area. The Parthenon, Acropolis, and Plaka are where you should spend most of your time.
4. The Beach Clubs & Nightlife of Mykonos
Mykonos is the place to go for beaches, beach clubs, and nightlife.
5. The Town of Chania in Crete
Chania is a charming town on the island of Crete (the largest Greek island). Both Chania and Heraklion have many international flights to other cities in Europe which make it a great place to start or finish your holiday vacation.
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