Greece › Itineraries
Updated: March 12, 2024
By Santorini Dave
See Also
- Aegina – where to stay
- Andros – where to stay
- Athens – where to stay
- Corfu – where to stay
- Crete – where to stay
- Delphi – where to stay
- Hydra – where to stay
- Meteora – where to stay
- Milos – where to stay
- Mykonos – where to stay
- Nafplio – where to stay
- Naxos – where to stay
- Paros – where to stay
- Poros – where to stay
- Rhodes – where to stay
- Santorini – where to stay
- Spetses – where to stay
- Zakynthos – where to stay
- Greek Islands – where to go
- Mainland Greece – where to go
- Peloponnese – where to go
My Favorites for First Time Visitors
- Best Places to Visit: Athens • Santorini • Mykonos • Naxos • Paros
- Best Tours: Santorini Wine Tours • Santorini Boat Tours • Mykonos Boat Tours • Athens Historical Tours
- Best Ancient Sites: Delphi, Meteora, Delos (near Mykonos), and the Peloponnese are some of the historical highlights of Greece.
- Best for Honeymoon: Santorini is a marvelous honeymoon destination. On Crete, Chania is also great.
- Best Restaurants: Most towns and every island have several good restaurants. Athens, Naxos, and Santorini are loaded with great places to eat (both modern and traditional).
- Best Beaches: Naxos has the best beaches in Greece.
- Best Nightlife: Santorini • Mykonos
- Most Fun Activity: The Fira-Oia Hike along the caldera in Santorini. (Bonus: It’s free!)
- Best Hotels: Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos have the best luxury hotels.
- How Many Days in Greece: For most tourists, I recommend a visit of 10 to 15 days. This allows for a few days in Athens; a day or overnight trip to Nafplio, Delphi, or the Meteora; and a few nights on 2 or 3 Greek islands. Of course, trips of more or fewer days are great too. If possible arrive into one airport and fly out of a different airport so you don’t have to retrace your steps (e.g. Fly into Greece to Athens, and fly out of Greece from Santorini).
- Can you visit Greece for only two or three nights? Yes, it’s possible, but in this case limit your visit to either Athens or just one Greek island and arrive and depart from the same airport.
Greek Island Itinerary – The Basics
• Santorini – Amazing volcano views, boat tours, wine tours.
• Mykonos – Great beaches and nightlife.
• Crete – History, good beaches, authentic Greek towns, good hiking.
• Naxos – My favorite beaches in Greece, good hiking, history, traditional Greek villages.
• Paros – Great beaches, trendy dining, nightlife.
• Corfu – Great beaches, stunning scenery, wonderful historic Corfu Town.
• Zakynthos – Good beaches and scenery (just avoid the package tourism).
• Rhodes – Great beaches and wonderful medieval Rhodes Town.
• Kos – Very touristy but still enjoyable. Good for biking.
• Less-touristy Greek Islands: Folegandros and Milos are our favorites. Also Sifnos, Syros, Ikaria, Lesvos, Samos, Karpathos.
• I’ve ignored most of Mainland Greece for this itinerary but it’s a wonderfully diverse area that could easily fill two weeks of magical sights and experiences.
5 Days in Greece
- Athens – 1 Full Day
- Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, or Naxos – remainder of time
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 or Delphi day trip – 1 Day
- Mykonos – 3 Days
- Paros – 2 Days
- Naxos – 2 Days
- Santorini – 4 Days
3 Weeks in Greece
- Athens – 2 Full Days
- Nafplio, Delphi, or Meteora – 1 or 2 Days
- 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
2. The Beaches of Naxos (and Many Greek Islands)
3. The Parthenon and Acropolis in Athens
4. The Beach Clubs & Nightlife of Mykonos
5. The Town of Chania in Crete
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About Santorini Dave
Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.