21
Sep
2015
5

Greece: 10 Day Itinerary

If you are a traveler, then Greece probably features on your bucketlist. If not, then you must add it! I insist! We went to Greece in August 2012. Ankur fell in love with the pebbled beaches and clear sea while I was totally lost in the history and architecture. Ankur and I have different tastes when it comes to travel and Greece kept both of us really happy.

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We spent ten days in Greece – between Athens and island hopping and enjoyed every single day!

However, planning a trip to Greece can be stressful because of the sheer number of islands that the country has to offer…and I am not even talking about the bountiful mainland as yet! So, for those who need some ideas to start planning their Greek sojourn, here is the itinerary that we followed after doing quite a bit of research.

Athens: 3 days

The capital of Greece surely does deserve three days, especially if you are a history lover. The city that houses the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus and Ancient Agora can make any history lover go ga-ga. We would recommend that you budget at least 3 hours for the Acropolis Museum and few hours for the streets in Plaka to satiate the shopper in you.

At the Acropolis in Athens

At the Acropolis in Athens

Another place to buy souvenirs and antiques is the flea market at Monastiraki, especially on a Sunday. For those who like to see the political hot bed of the country, Syntagma is place to be. Spend a Sunday afternoon watching the change of guards and clicking pictures – kids particularly seemed to enjoy this ‘action’.

Change of Guard at Syntagma

Change of Guard at Syntagma

We spent two days in Athens when we entered Greece, exploring the the historical aspects of the city and a day shopping at Monastiraki on our way out.

Milos: 2 days

Our first island destination was Milos, an island explored more by Greek travellers than international ones. This is possibly the reason that the beaches on the island aren’t too crowded and accommodation is available at affordable prices even in the peak summer months of July and August.

Only half the island is accessible by road. The other half can be reached by sailing over the turquoise blue waters.

Red Beach at Milos

Red Beach at Milos

Milos is perfect for those who want to experience Greece along with the Greeks at an easy pace. We spent all our time hopping from one beach to another,  our favourite being the moonscape of Sarakiniko.

Moonscape os Sarakiniko Beach

Moonscape os Sarakiniko Beach

Click here to read our Mini Guide to Milos.

Santorini: 2 days/3 days

We personally believe that 2 or 3 days are apt to explore Santorini.  That being said, we met people who were spending a week on the island, soaking in the Sun and sipping on the wine.

Santorini has to be on your list when you visit Greece. Where else will you be able to see little houses, white as sugar cubes, against the backdrop of the shimmering Mediterranean Sea…or the blue domes that make the white seem whiter? Santorini sure is one of the prettiest towns that we have ever seen and it definitely does kindle romance in one’s soul.

Santorini....Church with the blue dome

Santorini….Church with the blue dome

Two days are easily spent seeing colourful beaches, tasting wine from different vineyards and watching the Sun go down and colour the sky. While Santorini sunsets are pretty, we think that they are over rated to an extent. So, don’t feel bad if you miss the show because of an unseasonal down pour. That being said, find yourself a cosy place to sit at 6 pm and let the bubbly flow until the afterlight lasts….you won’t regret it!

Click here to read our Mini Guide to Santorini.

Mykonos: 2 days

Want to party and have a good time? Kicked up about partying at 3 pm as much as 3 am? If you have said ‘Yes’, then make sure you head to Mykonos. Party time starts in the afternoon at numerous beaches and goes on till mid-night…and then the location simply moves from the beach to Hora, the centre of the town. There are buses to ply merry makers from the beach to Hora… no stress about drinking and driving!

The party is on ...3 pm on Super Paradise Beach

The party is on …3 pm on Super Paradise Beach

While Mykonos does have pretty beaches and offers water activities as well, we would suggest that you add this island to your itinerary if you are young at heart, love your ‘spirits’ and want to let your hair down and dance your worries away. The island is very popular with the LGBT community as well and welcomes one and all!

Little Venice in Mykonos

Little Venice in Mykonos

If the Greek mythology intrigues you, Delos, close to the island of Mykonos is another reason to make this party island your base. It is believed that Apollo and Artemis were born on the island of Delos, thus rendering it sacred. The island is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Have you been to Greece and have an itinerary? Share it us! We would love explore something new when we visit Greece the next time!

As always… send us an e-mail at bucketlisttravellers@gmail.com if you need any further details. Glad to help!

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25 Responses

  1. Sreemoyee

    Hi,

    We have a maximum of 8-9 days. What would you suggest skipping? Also is Greece expensive? What is the average budget one should keep in mind if you are not going entirely low-end, but still budget friendly? Also what are the activities that shouldn’t be missed?

    I must say, I love your blog. Ever since I found it, I have read and re-read your posts. Extremely informative and helpful. Keep them coming.

    1. Glad you like the blog!
      Well, what you want to skip depends on what you like to do! You must do Santorini to walk through Oia. You can spend only one day in Athens to see the main sites. Also, if you are not much of a party person, you can give Mykonos a skip. The beaches are pretty and different in every Greek island. Though Milos was our favourite island, not many people go there.
      Greece has become cheaper than what it used to be. A nine day trip can be done in about INR 2.5 lacs for two people, including air tickets from Mumbai, if planned well …and provided you are okay staying in B&Bs.

    1. I am sure you will….if you like history…do visit Delos. As for beaches, one of the best beaches that I have ever seen is the Sarakiniko beach on the island of Milos…must go!

  2. Great post!! I’m going to Greece next summer so I’ll definitely pin this to come back to. Thanks for including the number of days you’d need for each place.. I would’ve planned way more than 2 days for Santorini so good to know. Thanks for sharing!

    1. You can spend a lot many days in Santorini..we could barely enjoy the beach in two or three days. Maybe 5 days is best if you want to totally unwind on the beach for a couple of days.

  3. Loved your post. When ever I want to visit anywhere, I often find the places to see and things to do, but its always difficult to find a good itinerary. This one will go into the bookmarks for sure!

  4. I have only been to the greek islands and never the mainland. Been to Kos, Corfu & Zante. Love the greek islands they are so beautiful but really want to go to Athens. Maybe next year I can fit it in 🙂

  5. Greece looks so incredibly beautiful (especially the weather :P). I’ve always wanted to go! It’s interesting that you say that you can get by on only a few days in Santorini because most people I know visit for a week! 🙂

  6. This is the perfect post for me! I’m planning a week-long Greek trip hopefully for later this year and I will need to hit up many of the spots you mentioned! Was there anything that you wish you would have seen but couldn’t make it for one reason or another? Thanks for the great advice!

  7. I love exploring the history of any country I visit and would love to visit Greece for that reason. I am from Scotland and our weather isn’t the best so Greece would also appeal to me with its warm climate. One day I shall visit. Good post. Thanks for sharing! And good luck on your travels…

  8. This looks like the most perfect Greece trip! I have only been to Athens, which was awesome, I’m a huge history nerd. But I am dying to go and explore the islands. I may just have to book a trip now 😉 haha thanks for the post!

  9. Really nice itinerary. I’ve been to Athens and Mykonos but not Milos and Santorini. I’ve actually often heard that Santorini is a little overrated; some of my friends say it’s overly crowded as well. Still, I think it’s worth the visit, especially if you do this itinerary.

  10. I went on a Mediterranean cruise a few years back, and we stopped at four ports of call in Greece: Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Corfu. It was mere hours at each place, so it was more of a “sampler.” I’d love to go back and spend quality time in each of the places you mention. I’m especially interested in Milos, since it sounds more off the tourist path! Thanks for sharing this post.

  11. Greece is my DREAM! How did you get from one island to the next and was the transportation easy to arrange/inexpensive? I always figured we would do a cruise of the islands just because it seemed the easiest but it’d be nice to spend multiple days in one spot. I know the big cruise boats don’t really do that. Thanks for this itinerary, I’ll be saving it for later!

  12. I love the costumes the guards wear! They’re so whimsical and fun. And I’m dying to go to Santorini, it is so beautiful there. I agree, these are some must-see places for visiting Greece!

  13. I absolutely love reading this since I am heading to Greece next month. Instead of the Islands, however, I’m mostly exploring the mainland, with 2 additional nights in Santorini. I can’t wait. I’m definitely pinning this and going to read all your other Greece articles right now!

  14. I haven’t been to any of those Greek islands though I have visited others. I am going to Athens in may, I can’t wait to see all the sights there. No time for any island hopping though as I go to Eastern Europe. They do look stunning and I really want to go to Santorini 🙂

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