Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. The most common things to do include visiting the Acropolis and the other ancient ruins of Greece, relaxing at one of the beautiful beaches, watching the sunset in Santorini, or enjoying party life in Mykonos.
Spend at least seven days in Greece, and you can comfortably explore Athens plus one or two Greek islands—pair Mykonos and Santorini, for example. If you want to skip the crowd, you can include Paros or Naxos.
7-day Greece Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Athens and explore the city.
Most international flights arrive in Athens in the morning. On your first day in Athens, you can visit the Acropolis museum and any ruins, including the Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, or the Temple of Zeus. If you arrive in the evening, you can do a city walk and explore Monastiraki Square and Syntagma Square.
Day 2: Acropolis and the ruins
Visit the Acropolis first thing in the morning. It is recommended to book tickets in advance. The Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheion, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and the Temple of Athena Nike are some attractions on the Acropolis hill. In the afternoon you can visit the rest of the ruins if you could not visit them the previous day.
Click here to read our blog on all the top things to do in Athens.
Day 3: Mykonos Town
Take the morning ferry to Mykonos. The ferry from Athens starts around 7:00 am. You can also take a short flight to Mykonos. On your first day, visit Mykonos town, Paraportiani Church, Little Venice, and the Windmills. Watch the beautiful sunset from the old town while enjoying your dinner and drinks from any restaurant with a view. Alternatively, you can take a tour of Delos island.
Click here to read our blog on how to visit Delos from Mykonos.
Day 4: Mykonos Beaches
Mykonos has some of the best beaches in Greece. You can spend the whole day on one beach or hop on different beaches. The most popular beaches are Elia, Agrari, Super Paradise, Paradise, Paraga, Paralia Platis Gialos, and Playa Ornos. You can use the rental car or water taxi to visit the beaches or take a tour to visit multiple beaches.
Click here to read our blog on all the top things to do in Mykonos.
Day 5: Santorini – Oia
Take the morning ferry from Mykonos to Santorini. The high-speed ferry takes around 2 hours to get there. On your first day in Santorini, visit Oia and explore the narrow alleys of Oia and take in the views of the caldera, blue dome churches, and whitewashed houses of Oia. Oia is the most popular place in Santorini to watch the sunset. You can watch it from Oia castle or any street, your hotel balcony, book a sunset tour, book a dinner reservation with a restaurant with a view, or do it all.
Click here to read our blog on all the top things to do in Santorini.
Day 6: Santorini – Fira and Akrotiri
Fira is the capital of Santorini and is in the island’s center. You can walk from Fira to Imerovigli and enjoy the famous landmarks and views of the caldera. You can also tour the island to visit places like Akrotiri, Red beach, black beach, and Ancient Thera. You can either rent a car to visit other places or take an island tour. The volcano tour is also one of the famous tours on the island.
Santorini is one of the most expensive islands in Greece. Click here to read our blog on tips to visit Santorini on a budget.
Day 7: Back to Athens and fly home
On your last day, return to Athens before your international flight home. It is recommended to stay the last night in Athens because flight and ferry cancellation is common, and you don’t want to miss your flight back home. We stayed closer to Rafina port on our last day. The hotel also provided free airport transfers.
Other options
You can do this itinerary in reverse order too. We have limited vacation days, but if you have more time, you can add more days to Santorini and Mykonos or another island like Naxos or Paros. Another option is to add Meteora and Delphi on the mainland if you have more time for your trip.
How to get around Greece
If you visit the Greek Islands, ferry connections are a great option. Domestic flights allow quick hops between Athens and the islands if you are short on time. However, most flights require a connection in Athens, so it’s better to take the ferry if traveling between islands. You can check the ferry schedule on ferryhopper.com.
6 Things to know before visiting Greece
1. Tap water is not drinkable.
Tap water is not drinkable in Greece, but water bottles are readily available in restaurants and grocery stores.
2. Be prepared to climb hills and stairs.
You must climb the steep hill and stairs to reach the Acropolis hill. The most popular greek island Santorini is situated on a cliff, and there are stairs to get to your hotel room or famous landmarks you want to visit in Oia and Fira.
3. Strikes are frequent in Greece.
Strikes are frequent in Greece, and public transportation might cancel, including ferries, metros, trains, or busses, but alternatives will exist. Sometimes, there are some demonstrations or Protests in Athens, though peaceful. Some attractions might close due to that, so be flexible in your plans.
4. Ferry and flight cancellation happens
Ferry and flight cancellations are common in Greece, even without strikes or protests. They might cancel due to bad weather or high winds, so be prepared to book another ferry or flight if anything changes or talk to your accommodations to make alternative plans.
5. Ferries get delayed
The ferry generally leaves Athens on time but gets delayed to other destinations. It also gets delayed due to weather conditions or high winds. So if you are returning to Athens by ferry, expect your ferry to be delayed.
6. Most of the businesses closed down in Winters
Many places closed down in the offseason, including restaurants, hotels, and attractions. Santorini is a big summer holiday season but might be quiet in winter. Fewer flights and ferries might get into Santorini and other Greek islands in winter.