In April of 2024, my husband and I took my 16 year old niece on a trip to Greece. Not having children of our own, we told our nieces that when they turned 16, we would take them on a trip anywhere in the world. They have to decide by their 15th birthday so we had time to research, save, watch for sales, etc. After lots of research, and a wildly successful trip, here are things to do in Greece: a 9 day itinerary for Greece.
I’ve lost count of the people who have told me that Greece is a bucket list trip for them after hearing about our trip. What is it about the Greek islands that calls to people like the song of a siren? Is it the white washed buildings crowding the craggy coastline? Or is it the authentic food that we know will blow away the versions we have in North America? Our visit to Greece was truly the trip of a lifetime. It won’t be the last time we find ourselves in that part of the world.
Itinerary For Greece
We had 9 days on the ground. It was easy to see this wasn’t enough time for everything we wanted to do. Here’s what our 9 day itinerary for Greece looked like:
Arrive Athens for 2 nights
Ferry to Naxos for 4 nights
Ferry to Santorini for 2 nights
Ferry back to Athens for 2 nights before returning home.
Before I get too into the weeds on all the specifics, here are our top tips for travelling in Greece with you. You can read more about them below, but here are the highlights.
Tips For Travelling To Greece
- Check for holidays during your intended visit. We were there for their Labor Day (May 1) and orthodox Easter which meant closures, travel delays, and elevated pricing.
- Beware the shoes you choose. Between uneven cobblestones and slippery marble tiles for sidewalks or stairs, be sure you have a grippy shoe that fits your foot well.
- There’s a LOT of uphill no matter what you do so there was a lot of sweating for me. Choosing clothes that either dried quickly or didn’t show sweat was helpful.
- Many places are cash only, or say their debit machine is down, so you’ll want to have cash on you. There are ATMs but the fee will be higher if you are using a north American bank card to withdraw.
- Google best places to see the sunset wherever you are, but keep in mind that it could be different depending on the time of year you’re visiting!
- The ferries never run on time, even if it’s the first of the day. Try not to make timed plans or give yourself a wide berth on days you plan on travelling by ferry.
- There are a lot of ruins we didn’t know about that popped up when we looked at the map. Be sure to check out what’s around you.
- If you love markets, there are LOTS around.
- Arrange taxis through the Welcome app if you want to prebook and not have to use cash. Note that you cannot cancel in less than 48 hours and receive a refund. Ask me how I know…
When To Visit Greece
Between school and work commitments for the three of us, we had a limited window that we could do this trip. We ended up going the first week of May and we highly recommend this time. It wasn’t the busy tourist season yet and it wasn’t too hot to be out all day. It might have been nice to go a little more toward the middle of May if you have that option. Some businesses hadn’t yet opened for the summer season but not enough to deter us from going again at this time. The water was quite cold for swimming, but great if you love a cold plunge!
How We Chose Which Greek Islands To Visit
There are over 6000 Greek islands, but only 227 are inhabited. I bought a guide book, searched blogs and also talked to people I knew who had made the trip there to see where they went, and get their recommendations.
We started in Athens to allow ourselves time to shake off the jet lag (6 hours difference from where we live). We wanted to make sure we didn’t have plans or ferry tickets that could be disrupted if we had flight delays that set us back. Athens is hit or miss depending on what type of traveller you are, or what kind of vacation you’re looking for. It’s not the Hollywood version of Greece, as you won’t find white walls and blue rooftops here. Athens is also full of people and traffic, but there is still lots to see and do in the capital city. That being said, we loved it and can’t imagine not making this a part of your Greece adventure!
As you can imagine, there’s a wide array of accommodations available throughout Athens. We choose a place (Athens Raise Acropolis) that ended up being a perfect central location for us. A bonus was it had a great view of the Acropolis.
We visited the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the first ever Olympic Stadium, Philopappos Monument, just to name a few. These were all within walking distance for us, but it ended up being an over 20,000 step day. If we hadn’t had aloSim eSIMs to have data, I don’t think we’d have found half the places we visited. A must have for international travel!
**Use the code ALICIA at checkout the first time you try it out to save 10%!
Travelling By Ferry To The Greek Islands
When it came visiting other islands on our list by boat or plane, we reluctantly chose boat strictly due to the cost being significantly lower than a flight. It really is a personal decision. While the ferries are much cheaper, the travel time by boat was also significantly longer. One perk of boat travel was that we got to see a lot more islands, even if just from the ferry deck. I got great photos!
I highly recommend the ferryhopper app which gives you all the different routes, costs and a live map to track where the boat is in real time.
We ended up visiting Greece on what is their orthodox Easter. This meant that not only were the ferry ticket prices higher than normal, but the boats were PACKED. I was told by past travellers that you didn’t need to pre-buy tickets for any ferry as there were always tickets available day of. We noticed on the ferryhopper app, the boat routes at the time we were looking to travel were filling up, or even already sold out before we even got to Greece.
You can wait and just buy a ticket day of or just before. If you care about your travel times, or the class of ticket you get (having a seat, being inside or out on the deck), you will want to plan ahead. I wrote an entire blog on travelling by ferry in Greece. There’s a lot I wish I knew before we went – it’s a whole experience!
Things to know about ferry travel
it is not a magical experience like the movies may have lead you to believe. There are huge crowds of people streaming on to the boat at once. All trying to get to the upper decks, and scrambling for seats if you didn’t reserve one. I’m sure when it’s not a holiday weekend, it’s not quite so hectic. You’ll have to check out my Greece ferry blog for more deets on ferry travel in Greece.
You’ll likely need to taxi to the ferry terminal depending on which port you’re sailing out of and your luggage situation. This was also a great way to see more of the city. We opted for reserved seating on our ferry crossing. This gave us larger and more comfortable seats that couldn’t be taken by someone else as they’re numbered on your ticket.
Visiting Naxos
Naxos was a beautiful island I’d heard about from friends that had recently visited. It also came up in my guidebook as being famous for its beaches. We’re beach lovers so this was a must for us. There’s a lot less people at Naxos city than the Athens area. You’ll also get the beautiful white washed buildings here.
Unlike some other famous Greek islands, Naxos is not high up on a cliff top. It’s sea level and we very much loved it. We loved our accommodations on this island. We booked an airbnb which was actually a hotel called Hotel Poseidon. It was so unique with its curvy walls and interesting wood features. It also had an incredible and spacious rainfall shower which we loved. We also had two little balconies with a table and chair on each that we frequented every day. The host here was amazing. He was always quick to respond, helped us make reservations and arrange transportation when we needed it.
We visited two beaches in Naxos and they were both gorgeous. The first was Saint George’s Beach which was just a few minutes from our accommodations. This is a shallow water beach mostly sheltered from the wind. When the wind did pick up, we were getting pelted by the sand. This was a great place to see the sunset also.
We didn’t see any powdery sand beaches here. It’s more like small rocks which are easier to get off your skin and towels, but a little rough on the feet in some places. The water was quite cold in the first week of May but that didn’t stop our water loving niece from getting in.
The second beach we visited was Aralia Agios Prokopios which is a more popular beach in the area. It’s about an hour walk or 15 min drive from Naxos town. Being the off-season in early May, there weren’t a lot of people here and the umbrellas and loungers were free to use, where there’s usually a charge in the busy season. It was quite windy here which the reviews said was common. The water was much deeper so you could easily swim without going too far out. There were waves but they were manageable on the day we visited.
Our Favourite Event Of The Trip
Our favourite experience in Naxos, and maybe of the entire trip, was a cooking class we took. This class popped up on several travel booking sites when I was researching. The reviews, cost, and time commitment were good for us. We didn’t have a lot of days here, so giving an entire day to an excursion wasn’t what we wanted.
We opted not to include travel with our ticket because I thought the address was closer than it was which was a mistake on our part. While we could get a cab, it would’ve been easier to just arrange transport through them.
The Basiliko Tavern where the class took place was inland and about a 20 min drive from Naxos town. We got to see a very different mountain landscape then where we were staying. The farm land housed a very charming stone building with two beautiful covered patios, stone walls and gorgeous flowering trees.
This class was 12 people from different countries and a fantastic experience. We had two meals: a light lunch after we did the meal prep, and then a multi course supper comprised partially of what we created, and made up with other traditional dishes made by our hosts. We began with a shot of liquor they make onsite as well as sweet cherries. Then, we toured their farm with large baskets, picking our ingredients straight from the field, and learned authentic traditional family recipes. Everyone pitched in with simple prep jobs under the guidance of our host. The afternoon also included learning traditional Greek dancing and a lot of wine, if you were so inclined.
This is the first time I’ve done a cooking class in another country, but now it’s something I’ll look for everywhere I go. It was an incredible and immersive experience that gave us memories that will last a lifetime.
Visiting Santorini
From here it was a much shorter ferry ride to Santorini (1.5 hrs). It’s arguably the most famous of the Greek islands. The impressive white buildings of the cliff top towns cling to the dark volcanic cliffs creating a stark contrast.
We chose one of the iconic cave homes as our accommodations in Fira, the hub of Santorini. All public transit buses come here and are inexpensive to ride. If we had our time back, we would have liked to spend a full day in Oia, or spend one night here.
We didn’t have cliff views where we stayed, we did enjoy the symphony of thundering donkey hooves complimented by the delicate jingle of their decorative bells as they made their morning commute over our cave home. They were enroute to the old port of Fira, where donkeys are taxis for people wanting an authentic experience of riding one to the bottom of the 588 steps to the waters edge. This isn’t a sarcastic comment – it was wild to hear them coming and going above us, sounding more like thunder rolling in the distance than directly over us.
Volcanos, Hot Springs & Boat Tours – Oh My!
Our first day involved a half day boat tour that took you to the volcanic islands around Santorini and a swim in the hot springs. This was another incredible experience for us. You leave from the Old Port of Fira which used to be the only way ships and goods arrived to the island. Access to the port involves taking a very long and winding, but not steep, set of stairs originally used as the donkey path to transport the goods from the ships to the town. There is also a gondola you can take for a fee if the stairs are not for you, but more on taking these stairs further down, because it was QUITE the excursion.
Despite us visiting in what is technically the off season, the tour was fully booked. There was still plenty of seating an options for indoor and outdoor seating. Even though this is a boat tour, like everything else in Greece, it surprisingly involved a lot of walking!
Our tour included a stop on the active volcano lava peak called New Kammeni. You could choose not to do this part and stay on the boat. I recommend going – it was incredible to learn about the volcano’s history and actually feel the steam coming through a few of the openings at the top! There’s an additional charge of 5 Euros that is not included in what you paid for the boat tour, which did cause some grumbling amongst the tour goers. It is quite a steep walk over loose gravel but it was well worth the effort in my opinion. There are also benches and rest shelters along the way if you need them.
This tour also takes you to an area where you can swim in the volcanic hot springs. This also comes with a price, but it’s not monetary. The boat cannot pull into the shallow area where the warm waters are. It has to anchor about 100 feet back. You have to jump in to the waters or climb the ladder down and swim over. I’m sure in the hotter times of the year, this is an enjoyable experience, but unless you love a good cold plunge, this was a hard one for me! The first week of May when we visited, the waters were about 16 degrees Celsius which was frigid to this Canadian who prefers heated pools.
The shock of the cold was a lot but, like most experiences, I’m so glad I did it. We swam as fast as humanly possible from the boat to the springs which were definitely warmer, but I wouldn’t say hot. The water also contains a lot of minerals there so there was potential for your suit to be stained orange if it was a lighter color. We didn’t have any issue with this, but is worth knowing as a heads up. The boat also supplied pool noodles to anyone who wanted one which many patrons made use of.
Lastly, the boat takes you in to the island of Thirasia where you can either get some lunch at one of the restaurants (this is not included your tour), or walk up the stairs to the top of the island for panoramic views of the Aegean islands.
This tour takes you from Fira to some of the other islands in that bay, and around the volcano in the middle. The views on the way back were simply stunning. There are multiple boat tours available from this area that are different durations, some include food, different types of boats, etc. I recommend you peruse through the available options to choose what fits your desires the best. I also recommend booking in advance of your trip as they will sell out before the day of the tour.
The Donkey Path To The Old Port Of Fira (588 Stairs)
I mentioned that we had an epic walk ahead of us on our return from the boat tour, and I was not exaggerating. We opted to take the 588 step donkey path stairs to the port and then back again. The stairs are quite wide and are cobblestone. They are slippery in some areas but overall, they are easily walkable. You will pass donkeys waiting in areas of the stairs, as well as them coming up and down, possibly with passengers. There’s plenty of room for everyone along the way.
Don’t panic – these stairs are not your only option. There is a cable car where you can purchase a ticket for either a one way ride or return trip.
I consider myself a moderately active person. We decided to make the trek and I was the very last of the 3 of us doing the walk. I was covered in sweat and definitely huffing, but I did it. I did stop a couple of times along the way to take a breather. There are benches along the way. The rock wall is also low enough to sit if you need to rest your legs.
It’s worth noting that there is also a considerable amount of fresh and dried donkey turds along the way. When you are panting and getting those fresh fumes, it’s less than pleasant, but also part of the experience. It took me about 30 mins with a few breaks to go from the very bottom to the very top. It took my husband and niece probably about 20 minutes. Honestly, I do recommend trying it if you can. The views are incredible along the way. It’s an interesting experience to do it and see the donkeys doing what they’ve done for hundreds of years.
The sunsets anywhere in Greece are epic but we had some great ones in both Fira and Oia. You can google best places to see the sunset wherever you are, but also keep in mind that it will be different depending on the time of year you are visiting!
Back To Athens
The next day was traveling back to Athens which, from Santorini, is a 6 hour ferry ride. We ended up booking our ferries at two different ports in Athens unintentionally. A happy perk of this is that we did a loop of the different Greek islands.
The ferries are a lot of travel time. Whether you take a flight or ferry really depends on what’s more important: saving time or saving money. Again, because we were there during Easter, it might have been less expensive for flights at a different time.
Back in Athens we decided to spoil ourselves on the last night and book a hotel. We booked Monastik Living and I can’t say enough good things about this accommodation. We were in direct contact with the staff about our arrival, which was very delayed due to the ferry. They were able to help us with organizing transportation, restaurant recommendations, and honestly, just made us feel looked out for. This was especially nice in the chaos of a very late ferry arrival and cancelled taxi bookings we had previously arranged.
On this trip we visited the acropolis and museum. You don’t have to buy tickets in advance if you have a few days to play with. If you need to go at a specific date, I definitely would pre-purchase. We planned to go our first time in Athens but those two days were sold out. You also have the option of combo tickets if you plan on visiting multiple sites which is worth looking into.
We booked in for the first admission at 8am as we read it’s better to go as early as possible. It gets very crowded as the day goes on. You can also pre buy your tickets to avoid the ticket line up. However, for us at that time, the ticket holder line was MUCH longer than the ticket purchase line, though it did move along.
This was one of our favourite attractions in Athens. There’s lots to see on the way up to the ruins, especially the fully preserved amphitheatre. It was truly stunning! Plus you get 360 degree views of Athens from here. Be sure to watch out for wild turtles! There were a couple around the attractions.
Driving In Greece
Both my husband and I are what I would call competent drivers, but driving a car in Greece was not happening for us. We got our CAA licences for Greece ( I don’t know if this is actually required – it wasn’t in Portugal), which was suggested to us by past visitors. One main reason we decided not to drive is the fact that Greeks have their own alphabet means you have no hope of deciphering the street signs! I now know why the expression “It’s all Greek to me” makes so much sense.
In Athens, this was an absolute zoo as far as traffic was concerned. Between one way streets, construction and constant pedestrians, driving in Athens was not a stress we needed. Not to mention, parking is pretty much non existent within the capital city.
We had a few people tell us they had rented a car to explore Naxos. We thought about doing this but realized we really didn’t need it for what we wanted to do ourselves. There are also a lot of rental options, including scooters, ATVs, or small cars as well if you wished to go this route but everything we planned to do in our three days was easy for us to get to and it made more sense to get a taxi for the one trip we couldn’t walk to rather than rent a car.
The same for Santorini. The only thing we couldn’t walk to was Oia and the ferry terminal. The pubic bus was so easy and affordable that we didn’t need to rent a car. There were also very narrow streets here, and again with the parking so hard to come by, we weren’t sad we didn’t have a vehicle.
Things To Know About The Athens Airport
I would suggest giving yourself 3 hours at the airport if you’re checking luggage. The lineups were quite long. Security as well was a bit of a wait. We only had carry ons, in which case 2 hours was lots of time. It really depends on your comfort level. Traffic was heavy, so that’s also something to consider when planning your time for departure as well.
Going Back
We truly loved our time in Greece and will definitely be planning another trip back. Each island is truly unique with a very different vibe. It’s worth doing the research before you go to see what islands suit you and the trip you want to take.
Have questions on anything I covered? Feel to reach out to me here.
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