~ Carmen

The first time we traveled to Greece, it was part of an organized tour that included a Greek Island cruise.  As a teacher of ancient history, I knew I wanted to return to Greece.  This time I wanted to be able to spend at least 2 weeks (14 days) absorbing the history and beautiful landscape of Greece.  We planned our return trip focusing on the locations that we had loved the most the first time around:  Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete.  You can easily adapt your trip to Greece to fit your own interests.

See the following posts:

What to Eat & Drink in Greece

What to See on an Athen’s Walking Tour

6 “Must Do” Activities in Athens, Greece

6 “Must Do” Activities in Mykonos, Greece

Santorini- Fira to Oia Hike

7 Things to Do in Santorini, Greece

How to Spend 3 Days in Crete, Greece

How to Spend 14 Days in Greece

Travel to Greece

If you are traveling from the United States like we did, you will need to give your self one full day to fly to Greece and a full day to return.  That will leave you will 12 days for touring.  

Athens  

Plan 3-4 days to fully embrace the food and archeological sites.  Most tourist attractions are located close to the ancient city center so you won’t waste much time traveling from one location to another.  

At the top of the Acropolis!

For itinerary details read 6 “Must Do” Activities in Athens, Greece.

Itinerary suggestions:

• Take a walking tour of the ancient city center (1/2 day).
• Spend 1/2-1 full day touring the ancient ruins.  Must sees include the Acropolis (plan 2-3 hours), the Panathenaic Stadium, and the Ancient Agora of Athens.
• Climb one of the many hills for an epic view of the city.
• Browse the shops lining the cobblestone streets.  Great areas include Ermou Street, Monastiraki Flea Market, Plaka area.
• Take a Greek cooking class.
• Take a bus or tour van to Cape Sounion to visit the Temple of Poseidon (1/2 day).
• Take a day trip to Delphi (full day).

Mykonos

All of the islands are easily reached by plane or boat and the cost is reasonable.

From Athens, fly (40 minutes) or take a ferry (4 hours) to the island of Mykonos and plan on spending 2-4 days. The public bus system is fairly reliable, so lodging doesn’t necessarily need to be close to the main tourist attractions.  Many travelers rent scooters or ATVs, and there are also boat taxis if you want to do some beach hopping.

Mykonos is known for it’s many whitewashed buildings.

For itinerary details read 6 “Must Do” Activities in Mykonos, Greece.

Itinerary suggestions:

• Check out Mykonos’s many beaches.  Although Mykonos is known for its party beaches, there are just as many “family friendly” and quiet beaches, too (1 day).
• You can combine exploring the island with beach hopping, but we spent a separate day on an ATV roaming around the island (1 day).
• Shop and eat in Mykonos Town, the old city (1/2 day).
• Take a boat cruise to the ancient island of Delos (1/2 day).

Santorini

From Mykonos, Santorini is a 3-hour ferry ride.  Santorini can be very crowded in the “bucket list” town of Oia, but we found the rest of the island delightful.  We spent 3 days here and could have spent the entire time on the idyllic Kamari Beach!

Yes, it is crowded, but a visit to the picturesque town of Oia at sunset is a must.

For itinerary details read 7 Things to Do in Santorini, Greece.

Itinerary suggestions:

• Watch the sunset at Oia.
• Catch a sunrise from the eastern side of Santorini. It is just as spectacular as the famous sunset.
• Spend some time on the beach (at least 1/2 day).
• Hike from Fira to Oia (read Fira to Oia Hike) (1/2day).
• Take a volcano/hot springs cruise (1/2 day).
• Visit Ancient Thira (2-3 hours).

Crete

We added Crete at the end of our trip on a whim, and we were so glad that we did!  Plan at least 3 days.  It is the largest of the Greek Islands, so you could easily spend a week or more!

The most popular attraction in Crete- Knossos Palace.

For itinerary details read How to Spend 3 Days in Crete, Greece.

Itinerary suggestions:

• Take a cruise to Spinalonga Island (1 day).
• Visit Castello del Molo (Koules) Venetian Fortress (1-2 hours).
• Tour Archaeological Museum of Heraklion and Palace of Knossos (1/2-1 day).
• See the gorgeous Cretan landscape on a Land Rover Safari Tour (1 day).
• Visit the miles and miles of beaches (1/2-1 day).

Have you been or want to go to Greece?  Please share by commenting below!  Any questions?  Please ask!

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~ Carmen

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