Greece

Greece, in a few days

From Athens out to Crete by ferry, by way of Mykonos and Santorini: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Athens

Days 1-2

Where democracy and philosophy were argued into shape. The Acropolis and its Parthenon, finished in 432 BC, still stand above the roofs.

🎟️ Worth booking

• The Acropolis and its museum, skip the line3h · from €40
  The Parthenon on the rock, then the museum below it, where the marbles are laid out in the order they once stood.
• Athens food tour3h · from €55
  Market stalls, a souvlaki counter and several things you would have walked straight past, eaten in the right order.

✦ Free to visit

• The Plaka quarter
• Lycabettus hill
• The ancient Agora
• Monastiraki market

📲 Book things to do in Athens on GetYourGuide

2

Mykonos

Days 3-4 · ⛴️ Ferry 2h30

A Cycladic island of windmills and whitewashed lanes, known for its beaches and for staying awake until dawn.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Day trip to DelosHalf day · from €45
  Half an hour by boat to an island that was a sanctuary and a trading port. Nobody has lived there since antiquity, and nobody may stay the night.
• A night at a beach clubEvening · from €60
  Music on the sand from late afternoon until well after dark, which is what Mykonos is known for.

✦ Free to visit

• Little Venice
• The windmills
• Paradise beach
• The lanes of Chora

📲 Book things to do in Mykonos on GetYourGuide

3

Santorini

Days 5-7 · ⛴️ Ferry 2h45

What a volcano left when it blew its own centre out and flooded the crater. Oia clings to the rim, white and blue, facing the sunset.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Caldera cruise and hot springsFull day · from €75
  A day on the water inside the crater, with a stop to swim where the volcano still warms the sea.
• Assyrtiko wine tasting2h · from €40
  Vines trained into baskets on the ground to survive the wind, and a dry white that tastes of the ash it grows in.

✦ Free to visit

• Sunset at Oia
• The village of Fira
• The red beach
• The clifftop path from Fira to Oia

📲 Book things to do in Santorini on GetYourGuide

4

Crete · Chania

Days 8-10 · ⛴️ Ferry 2h

The largest Greek island and the ground of Minoan civilisation, whose palace at Knossos dates to around 1900 BC. Gorges, beaches, and a kitchen of its own.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Samaria Gorge, guided walkFull day · from €45
  Sixteen kilometres downhill through a gorge that narrows to four metres wide, ending at the sea. It takes the whole day.
• Balos beach by boatFull day · from €40
  A shallow turquoise lagoon reached from Kissamos by boat, or by a rough track and a long walk down.

✦ Free to visit

• The old Venetian harbour of Chania
• Elafonissi lagoon and its pink sand
• The Cretan markets

📲 Book things to do in Crete · Chania on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

Ferries through the Cyclades · Blue Star and SeaJets link the islands. Book early in summer, and leave a spare day before a flight home in case the wind gets up.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Souvlaki and gyros: grilled skewers and wrapped sandwiches, cheap and on every corner.
• Moussaka: aubergine, minced meat and béchamel, baked and served warm rather than hot.
• Greek salad: tomato, feta, olives and olive oil, and no lettuce in it.
• Grilled octopus: eaten on the harbour with a glass of ouzo.
• Baklava and loukoumades: layered pastry and fried dough, both soaked in honey.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Tavernas with photographs on the menu and a man outside waving you in, near the Acropolis above all: overpriced.
• Ask the price of fish by the kilo before you order. It is sold by weight, and the bill surprises people.
• Book summer ferries early, and treat the timetable as an intention rather than a promise.
• Carry cash. Small islands and village tavernas do not always take cards.

Words that help

English ↔ Greek

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/greece

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.