10 Days in Greece: Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos
Greece is truly a magical country with the historical archeological sites in Athens, the serenity and pure magic of the cave dwellings in Santorini, and the boisterous nightlife in Mykonos. You will undoubtedly have a fabulous time. Here are a few key things to look into before you plan your Greece trip: 1) The hours of the museums and ruins in Athens are somewhat limited, so make sure you check in advance and plan your itinerary accordingly. 2) Look into the ferry times before you solidify everything. You don’t have to purchase the ferry tickets online, but at least have a general idea of which ferries make sense to take in accordance with your Greece itinerary. So without further ado, I present to you my ideal 10-day Greece itinerary. Enjoy and comment below with any questions that you may have about Greece!
Day 1:
Fly into Athens, Greece. You should check before you leave your home base exactly how to get from the airport to the hotel, hostel, or airbnb that you are staying at. Personally, I always handwrite the directions down because I never know if I will have working wifi at the airport. Typically, the best form of public transport to get you from the airport to the city center is via metro, but please check with your hotel first! Once you check in to the place you are staying, head to the Plaka district for what I consider to be the best food in Europe (sorry Italy!). The feta on the Greek salads is incredibly fresh, the pita bread is so warm, and the moussaka is mouth-watering. This main thoroughfare in Athens is touristy, yes, but absolutely stunning and a total must visit. You can do loads of shopping in Plaka and when you are tired take a seat and look up at the beautiful Acropolis on the hill.
Day 2:
Spend the day in Athens visiting the ruins, namely the Acropolis and the Parthenon. I would suggest starting your day at the Acropolis Museum. Tickets are 5 euros and I recommend booking them at least two days in advance to ensure that they do not sell out. I think it’s best to go to the museum first as you will learn all about the Acropolis right before you actually experience it. You could easily spend the whole morning here. If you aren’t on a tight budget, I think it is also beneficial to hire a tour guide in order to fully understand what you are seeing. After the museum, grab a quick bite to eat and head on up to the Acropolis to take in these stunning ruins. If you are going during high season, you might want to wait until a little bit later in the day when the weather cools down and the crowds dissipate. Make sure you leave enough time though (approximately 3 hours or so) to see the Acropolis and most importantly, the Parthenon. You will also have time either in between the museum and the Acropolis or after the Acropolis (it’s only a 5 minute walk) to see some more ruins at the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Where to stay in Athens:
Hotel Grande Bretagne, A Luxury Collection Hotel is the highest rated 5-star luxury hotel in Athens. There are beautiful views of the Acropolis from many of the rooms as well as views of Parliament and the changing of the guard ceremony which is located right across the street from the hotel. Prices are typically in the $200-350 range and the hotel boasts all of the amenities that you would expect at a luxury hotel including a pool, rooftop restaurant, turndown service, etc.
Check rates and reviews on TripAdvisor | Booking.com | Hotels.com
Plaka Hotel is an awesome affordable option at $100-150 a night and maintains stellar reviews. The hotel is situated in one of the best locations in the city right in the Plaka district and does have Acropolis views from some rooms as well as from the rooftop terrace.
Check rates and reviews on TripAdvisor | Booking.com | Hotels.com
Best Hostels: Personally, I use Hostelworld to book all of my hostels as I trust their rating system.
City Circus Athens – If there is availability, this hostel is the highest rated for the amount of reviews.
Athens Backpackers – If you are looking for a party atmosphere, and City Circus is unavailable.
Day 3:
If you are a huge history buff or professor of archaeology, you probably should consider spending more time in Athens. Personally, I prefer the Island life so today I am ready to take the ferry to Santorini, Greece. Lots of notes on ferries: 1) You DON’T have to book a ferry in advance. You will either be in Greece in the off season and there will be plenty of tickets or you will be there in the high season and there will be plenty of ferries. I know that it’s scary to not have all of the tickets in advance, so if you want to go on the website to confirm availability, definitely do so! I have the links to the ferry companies on my Best Methods of Transportation post here. Why do I suggest waiting? Because it’s Greece and ferry times change and the website is complicated. 2) The names of the ports are not Athens and Santorini! The “Athens” port is actually Piraeus which is just outside of Athens but easily accessible by metro and the Santorini port is entitled Thira which is actually the major city in Santorini. 3) During the off-season, direct ferries are not always accessible between islands like Santorini and Mykonos. You may need to take flights between the islands should you wish to visit them both. Now that is out of the way, let’s get back to the day. Take the metro from your accommodation to the Piraeus port and buy your ferry ticket. The ferry is usually between 4-6 hours and typically leaves at seven in the morning. Once you arrive at the port in Santorini, stay your first night near the town of Fira which is the capital or city center of Santorini. Accommodation prices are also significantly cheaper! Walk through the streets of Fira, have dinner, and watch the sunset.
Read More: Best Airbnbs in Santorini
Day 4:
Take the funicular down the mountain to board a half-day boat tour that will take you to the volcano and hot springs for a fun adventure. I would suggest emailing your Fira accommodation ahead of time and ask their advice on a good company to book with that won’t be too crowded during high season. Because Santorini is a small island, things book up so it is best to do some planning ahead of time. After your adventure tour, ride a donkey back up to the top of the cliff and have a nice relaxing lunch. In the late afternoon/early evening, take a bus to Oia and check into your new cave dwelling for the next two nights. Tragically, the one hostel in Oia shut down a couple of years ago which means if you are on a budget, you will have to fork out some extra money for a hotel. I promise you it is worth the money though to spend two nights in majestic Oia. Open a bottle of wine, enjoy the incomparable sunset, and feast on a fabulous Greek meal.
Where to stay in Oia, Santorini:
Katikies Hotel is pretty much a dream honeymoon spot; the views, the accommodation itself, the hospitality of the staff…all as close to perfection as you can get. There are 3 swimming pools on the property and breakfast is delivered daily to your patio. Rates range from $450 to upwards of $1000 during the high season.
Check rates and reviews on TripAdvisor | Booking.com | Hotels.com
Andronis Luxury Suites is a luxury cave hotel with minimalist design overlooking the caldera. The hotel has fabulous views, a swimming pool, and breakfast on the balcony is included in the price. Rates range from $377 to 850 a night.
Check rates and reviews on TripAdvisor | Booking.com | Hotels.com
Where to stay in Fira, Santorini:
Anteliz Suites: Luxury – Click here to see the latest prices.
Costa Marina Villas: Budget – Click here to see the latest prices.
Best Hostels on Santorini: As I said, there are no hostels in Oia and the ones in Fira do not have the best reviews. If you are looking for something very inexpensive, here are two options but they are a bit away from the center.
Stelio Place at Perissa Beach – It has phenomenal reviews if you are willing to stay in Perissa Beach.
Caveland – I stayed here on my trip and it is walking distance to Fira but you may want to take a taxi back at night since it is a bit further out.
If you are looking for more affordable options, check out my post on the best airbnbs in Oia and Fira here.
Day 5:
Rent a car and head out to the beach for the day. Personally, I think you should go to the Red Beach in Akrotiri as it is the most famous beach on the island and the red rock is truly unique. However, if you are looking for a well-reviewed beach instead of the “famous” beach, you should check out Perissa beach. Make sure to bring sandals to wear as the beaches are rocky! After spending the morning relaxing by the ocean, head back in your car up to Oia and spend some time walking around the beautiful streets in the daylight. Oia is the perfect place to wander aimlessly on your own, with friends, or with a romantic partner. Make sure to take a bunch of photos and secure a great location to watch the famed Oia sunset. Afterward, have a leisurely dinner and enjoy some wine.
Day 6:
One of the most memorable parts of my trip was waking up to watch the sunrise and climbing up a bell tower all on my own. There was nobody around as the city had not woken up yet and the setting was magical. If you are on a romantic trip, I would suggest staying in Santorini for another day and visiting a winery. However, if you are with a group of friends or traveling solo and are ready for some nightlife, take the ferry to Mykonos, Greece. The ferry is about 3 or 4 hours and runs throughout the day so you can leave late morning and arrive in the middle of the afternoon. You will be headed from Thira (Santorini) to Mykonos if you are looking up the ferry schedule online. Once you arrive in Mykonos, head to your hotel, villa, bed and breakfast, hostel, etc. and get situated. As soon as you are ready for some exploring, head over to Mykonos town, the city center, for some window shopping, dinner, and some ice cream for dessert.
Read more: Accommodations: Hostels, Hotels, or Airbnb’s?
Day 7:
Mykonos is pretty straight forward. Rent a vespa or a quad, head to the beach for the day, go back to your room to change, and party all night. I strongly urge you to consider renting a quad if you have never driven a vespa before. I decided to rent a vespa even though I have never learned how to ride a bike ( I know, super weird) and that was a complete joke since I fell off immediately as soon as I sat down. Since you will be driving the bike all over the island, I recommend being as safe as possible and for me that was with a quad. And definitely wear a helmet! I will never forget the feeling of just how much fun it was to ride around the island with the sun shining, wind blowing, and gas pumping.
Day 8:
Wake up hungover and exhausted and ready for day two in Mykonos. Hopefully the place you are staying has some sort of breakfast option that you can have before heading back out to the beach and repeating day seven all over again. Super Paradise Beach and Paradise Beach are where the party is at so take your quad and get on over there! If you prefer to do some beach reading at a quieter spot, there are also beaches you can go to that have a more relaxed atmosphere. At night, check out Cavo Paradiso and Scandinavian Disco. If you are not a partier, there are art galleries, museums, vineyards, and a half-day trip to Delos that you can partake in instead.
Where to stay in Mykonos Town:
You have a choice of staying near the main town or closer to the beaches. I recommend staying near Mykonos town as you will be closer to the shops, bars, and restaurants and can always shuttle or take a quad to the beaches during the day.
Kouros Hotel & Suites is a 5 star hotel with impeccable service (this is what really sets them apart). It is a 10 minute walk from Mykonos town so that you have those uninterrupted sea views from above. There is complementary shuttle service to town if needed. Breakfast is included with your stay and there is a small fitness center and spa as well.
Check rates and reviews on TripAdvisor | Booking.com | Hotels.com
Vencia Hotel is a slightly more affordable option, and still boasts stellar reviews. It’s about a 10 minute walk from Mykonos Town which is perfect because you have the views of the town and water from the property and from the infinity pool. Breakfast is included which is always a plus and the hotel provides shuttle service to the beaches.
Check rates and reviews on TripAdvisor | Booking.com | Hotels.com
Tropicana – If you are in Mykonos to party, then book this property early! It is BY FAR the best option for staying near Paradise Beach which is where the famous beach clubs are and it is usually sold out.
Day 9:
Take the ferry from Mykonos to Piraeus (Athens). The ferries from Mykonos typically leave around 2 PM, so you need to head back the day before in order to make your flight the next day. The ferry time is typically between 3 and 5 hours long. Once you arrive back in Piraeus, take the metro to your accommodation. Hopefully it is the same one you stayed at on the first part of the trip! If you have time, you can head back to Plaka and explore several other archaeological sites including the Roman Agora, Hadrian’s library, and the Ancient Agora. Enjoy your final dinner and buy your last minute souvenirs!
Day 10:
Fly home or to your next location. Since you will most likely be staying at the same accommodation you were at on your first few nights in Athens, you will already know the way back to the airport whether it is by metro, bus, or taxi. Cheers!
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I totally agree on the volcano tour and red beach…Santorini is amazing! I based myself in Fira, which was perfect for getting bus access to the other areas of the island.
Totally agreed! Santorini is by far my favorite island and it has so many different facets to it that you wouldn’t expect from the photos we see online of Oia constantly. Not that those aren’t gorgeous. Fira is a great area to be in, definitely the most city-like!
If you do visit Greece again, highly recommend that you spend sometime in Milos. It is such a lovely island, away from the madding crowds.
Thanks so much for the tip! I definitely would love to explore some of the lesser known islands on my next trip to Greece.
I loved your post since it is very informative for a first timer in Greece! Next time you can also visit more islands, like the Dodecanese. Rhodes, Symi, Patmos etc… All very diffirent and lovely! Let me know if you need any info! I will be happy to help! Safe travels, Vivian
Thank you so much Vivian! Would love to come back and visit more islands like the ones you’ve mentioned.
How much does this trip cost?
My flights was 225 euros, ferries were probably about 100 euros in total, hostels were probably about 20 euros a night and I probably spent around 30-50 euros a day on food and activities minus the 2 travel days…so I would say around 800 euros in total.
Hi there! Your itinerary looks great and I am going to follow it for my 10 days trip in next 2 weeks 🙂 Would you mind sharing more details about the accommodation and the transport between the islands? It’s an adhoc trip for a short break between jobs. It’d be very helpful if I can get more details from you and quickly make teh booking 🙂
Hey there 🙂 I would definitely recommend taking the ferry between the islands. During this time of year especially, it is an economical and efficient way of getting around. Accommodation-wise, it really depends on how many people you are going with and how much you have to spend. Feel free to email me with more specifics and I would be happy to give more input.
We are going to santorini from may 10-19th. I am beyond excited. Have wanted to go there ever since seeing the sisterhood of the traveling pants (the first one)it was filmed there! I have definitely read so much about the Oia sunsets too and we may have to take a day trip onto one of the other islands 🙂
That’s why I wanted too! Black Roses Red is my favorite song from the movie and I loved reading the books as well. Have a wonderful trip. Mid-may is the perfect time to go as the weather should be great and not as many people as in the summer.
We are planning on going at the end of December. I loved reading your journey. We are interested in going to the same places you spoke about so it was so helpful to read your experience. thank you for sharing. I’ll be back to let you know our experience. I cannot wait, it’s been a dream of my husband & I for years. He is origin is Greek but has never been so hopefully will get to meet some long lost relatives 🙂
Thank you for your kind words. Please be sure to let me know about your experiences! The fact that your husband is of Greek origin will make the trip even better than it would have been which is hard to do because it’s just such a magical place. Enjoy and I am looking forward to hearing!
I think you have to consider that in December there are no ferries between islands 🙂
totally agree! I’ll definitely update and clarify in the post!
A wonderful way to travel….your information is invaluable
Thank you for reading!
Thanks for the useful info and great itinerary. May I ask beside metro is it reasonable to take a taxi? Or is there any other option available. Thanks.
Yes, it is totally reasonable to take a taxi if you wish to do so! Just make sure it is a legitimate taxi company and that the driver uses the meter instead of quoting a price at the beginning of the ride because sometimes taxi drivers will take advantage. I would say metro option and taxi option would be the two best choices with the metro being my preference if it isn’t too early or late in the day.
Hi Jen!
I love your blog, my friend and I stumbled upon it as we’re trying to plan our itinerary to our upcoming trip to Greece, probably modeling it off of what you did. We did have a question though. It seems like from what we’ve read, taxis aren’t really something to rely on in Mykonos. How is getting home from the bars and clubs? Driving a quad home after a night of partying seemed like something that would be frowned upon (can you get a DUI on a quad?), but I’ve seen no real alternatives. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated!
Hey Ali! Thank you so much! So I went to Mykonos during the off season and sadly the main beach clubs weren’t open. I stayed in a bed and breakfast type place that was walking distance from Mykonos town, and I was with a group of 4 girls, so we felt fine walking back at night to our place. I totally agree that taxis there can be unreliable and a quad (even if they don’t regulate) would be pretty unsafe after a night of drinking. So what I would possibly suggest is either staying near the beach clubs and then driving on the quads to Mykonos Town during the day time or booking a night or two at a place near the clubs and then another night at an accommodation in walking distance from Mykonos Town so you can have the best of both worlds!
what would be best time of year to visit? My husband is a bit physically challenged, so is this more of a walking trip? what might you (or anyone) suggest
Best time of year would be May, September, or early to mid-October. The crowds are not quite as large during these months, but the weather is still nice and the ferries running. I think there is definitely an element of walking, but I am sure you could organize a tour guide who might be able to help navigate some of the major sites like the Acropolis and I imagine it would be totally doable.
This is so helpful! Thank you for this itinerary! So you can rent a quad overnight? Did you feel safe leaving your quad in the… parking lot (?) of the beach?? Or parking it overnight. I know nothing of quads but just curious! Thank you!
Thank you so much! You should be able to rent the quad for the duration of your time in Mykonos. I wouldn’t leave the quad at the beach overnight, but in the parking lot of your apartment/hotel/airbnb.
Thanks for all this great info! So helpful and I cannot wait for our trip to Greece. You said to do some emailing or calling ahead of time, especially in Santorini. Do they communicate well in English or is it best to know some of the language before I go?
Hi Kayla,
Thank you! Since Santorini’s major market is tourism, anyone who you email should have no problem responding in English. It’s always nice to learn a few words when you go to be respectful, but it is absolutely not necessary in terms of being able to communicate with anyone on the island. You’ll pick up hello and thank you and other basic words like that once you are there.
Do ferries operate in the month of feb? Are the Mykonos clubs and night life open during February. Are there any activities and water sports available in Santorini beaches.?