Short answer: with 7 days, spend two nights in Athens, then take the ferry to Mykonos for two nights and on to Santorini for two, flying home from the island or back via Athens. With 10 days, continue by fast boat to Crete for Knossos and Chania. With 14 days, island hop at a slower pace through Paros, Naxos, Santorini and Crete, or drive the mainland from Nafplio to Delphi, Meteora and Thessaloniki and finish on an island. Go from late May to June or in September and early October, when every ferry runs and the sea is warm.
This guide turns the sample trips on our Greece travel guide into day-by-day plans, with ferry and bus times and the best area to sleep each night. Ferry timetables and the meltemi wind shape island trips, so check the best time to visit Greece first, and see our top 10 places to visit in Greece for the highlights. For a plan built around your dates and interests, use our AI trip planner. Everything was checked as of October 2026.
The three routes at a glance
| Route | Days | Stops (nights) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens and the Cyclades | 7 | Athens 2, Mykonos 2, Santorini 2 | First trip, ancient sites, iconic islands |
| Athens, Cyclades and Crete | 10 | Athens 2, Mykonos 2, Santorini 2, Heraklion 1, Chania 2 | Islands plus Minoan history and Crete’s beaches |
| Island hopping, slower | 14 | Athens 2, Paros 3, Naxos 2, Santorini 2, Crete 4 | Beaches, villages, food; a relaxed pace |
| Mainland road trip plus an island | 14 | Athens 2, Nafplio 2, Delphi 1, Meteora 2, Thessaloniki 2, an island 4 | History lovers, spring and autumn, drivers |
Fly into Athens and out of an island, or the other way round, to avoid sailing back: Santorini, Mykonos, Heraklion and Chania all have international flights in season. Two islands a week is a relaxed pace; three is the most most people enjoy. Island ferries leave from Piraeus, Athens’s main port, and from Rafina, closer to the airport, for Mykonos and the northern Cyclades.
Travel times between the main stops
Big conventional ferries (Blue Star and others) are slower, steadier and cheaper; high-speed catamarans are faster, pricier and roll more in the wind. “Blue Star” times are the operator’s own; the rest come from booking sites and our destination guides and are approximate. Island-to-island boats run most often in the full summer timetable, from about late May or June to September.
| Leg | How | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piraeus – Mykonos | Conventional ferry / high-speed boat | from 5 h 10 / about 2.5–3 h | Blue Star; secondary |
| Piraeus – Paros | Conventional ferry | about 4 h 10 | Blue Star |
| Piraeus – Naxos | Conventional ferry / high-speed boat | from 5 h 20 / about 3.5–4 h | Blue Star; secondary |
| Piraeus – Santorini | Conventional ferry | from 6 h 06 | Blue Star |
| Paros – Naxos | Ferry | under 1 h | Our Paros guide |
| Mykonos or Naxos – Santorini | High-speed boat | about 2–2.5 h / about 1.5–2 h (approximate) | Booking sites |
| Santorini – Heraklion (Crete) | High-speed boat (summer) | about 1 h 35–2 h (approximate) | Booking sites |
| Piraeus – Heraklion | Overnight ferry | about 9 h | Our Crete guide (ANEK) |
| Heraklion – Chania | KTEL bus, roughly hourly via Rethymno | about 2–2.5 h | KTEL Chania-Rethymno; our Crete guide |
| Athens – Santorini, Mykonos, Crete | Flight | under 1 h (approximate) | Flight schedules |
| Athens – Nafplio | KTEL bus / car | about 2–2.5 h / about 1¾–2 h | Secondary |
| Athens – Kalambaka (Meteora) | Hellenic Train (one direct a day) or bus | about 4.5–5 h | Secondary |
| Kalambaka – Thessaloniki | Bus or car | about 3–3.5 h | Secondary |
The meltemi, a strong north wind that blows mostly in July and August, can cancel small high-speed boats for a day or more, so keep a spare day before an international flight. Hellenic Train has had replacement buses on parts of its network during upgrade works since 2023; check its site before booking.
7 days: Athens, Mykonos and Santorini
The classic first trip: the Acropolis, then two of the best-known islands in the world. Best from late May to June and in September, when ferries are frequent, the sea is warm and crowds are thinner than in July and August.
- Day 1, Athens: Arrive and take metro line 3 or the express bus into town. Evening in Plaka and Anafiotika, dinner on a roof terrace facing the floodlit Acropolis. Sleep: Plaka, Koukaki or Monastiraki.
- Day 2, the Acropolis: Book a timed ticket for the Acropolis (€30) at 8:00 opening, before the heat and the crowds; then the Acropolis Museum and the Ancient Agora. Sunset at the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. Sleep: same.
- Day 3, to Mykonos: Morning boat from Piraeus or Rafina (high-speed boats take about 2.5 to 3 hours). Little Venice and the windmills at sunset. Sleep: Mykonos Town (Chora).
- Day 4, Delos and the beaches: The short boat to Delos, the sacred island of Apollo (about 30 minutes; closed in winter), in the morning, then a south-coast beach by bus. Sleep: same.
- Day 5, to Santorini: High-speed boat (about 2 to 2.5 hours). Walk the caldera edge in Fira or Imerovigli. Sleep: Fira, Firostefani or Imerovigli on the caldera, or Kamari or Perissa by the beach for less.
- Day 6, Santorini: The Bronze Age town of Akrotiri (open daily from April to October, with shorter hours on Mondays and Thursdays), the red and black beaches, a caldera boat trip, and sunset in Oia, or walk the caldera path from Fira to Oia. Sleep: same.
- Day 7, home: Fly from Santorini, direct in season or via Athens (under an hour).
Swap it: for better value, beaches and village food, choose Naxos or Paros instead of Mykonos; both are on the same ferry lines to Santorini. More on each stop: Athens, Mykonos and Santorini.
10 days: Athens, the Cyclades and Crete
Follow the 7-day plan, then take the fast boat south to Crete, Greece’s biggest island, which could fill two weeks on its own. The Santorini–Heraklion fast boats run in the summer season, so this route suits late May to early October.
- Days 1–2, Athens: As above. Sleep: Plaka, Koukaki or Monastiraki (2 nights).
- Days 3–4, Mykonos: Little Venice, Delos and a beach. Sleep: Mykonos Town (2 nights).
- Days 5–6, Santorini: Akrotiri, the caldera and Oia. Sleep: on the caldera or by the beach (2 nights).
- Day 7, to Heraklion and Knossos: Morning fast boat to Heraklion (about 1 hour 35 to 2 hours), then the Minoan palace of Knossos in the afternoon and the archaeological museum. Sleep: Heraklion old town (1 night).
- Day 8, to Chania: KTEL bus west along the north coast (about 2 to 2.5 hours, roughly hourly, via Rethymno; stop off for its Venetian old town if you like). Evening on Chania’s Venetian harbor. Sleep: Chania old town (2 nights).
- Day 9, Balos or Samaria: A boat trip from Kissamos to the Balos lagoon and Gramvousa, or, from May to October, an early bus to hike the Samaria Gorge (about 6 to 7 hours of walking; entry €10).
- Day 10, home: Fly from Chania airport (KTEL airport buses leave town roughly every half hour), direct in season or via Athens.
Swap it: for a mainland flavor instead of Crete, start the trip with two nights in Nafplio for Mycenae and Epidaurus, or two in Kalambaka for the Meteora monasteries, before the islands. Details: Crete, Chania.
14 days: slow island hopping to Crete
Two weeks lets you settle in instead of rushing: three islands on one ferry line, then Crete. Paros and Naxos are less than an hour apart and both are on the Santorini route.
- Days 1–2, Athens: The Acropolis, the museums and Plaka. Sleep: Plaka, Koukaki or Monastiraki (2 nights).
- Days 3–5, Paros: Ferry from Piraeus (about 4 hours 10 with Blue Star). The harbor village of Naoussa, the marble village of Lefkes, beaches, and the 10-minute ferry from Pounta to Antiparos. Sleep: Naoussa or Parikia (3 nights).
- Days 6–7, Naxos: Short ferry hop. The Portara at sunset, the long sandy beaches of Agios Prokopios and Plaka, and the mountain villages of Halki and Apiranthos. Sleep: Naxos Town or Agios Prokopios (2 nights).
- Days 8–9, Santorini: High-speed boat (about 1.5 to 2 hours). Akrotiri, the caldera path and Oia. Sleep: caldera villages or Kamari (2 nights).
- Day 10, to Heraklion: Fast boat to Crete and Knossos. Pick up a hire car. Sleep: Heraklion (1 night).
- Days 11–13, Chania and the west: Rethymno on the way, Chania’s harbor, Balos or Elafonisi, and the Samaria Gorge in season. Sleep: Chania (3 nights).
- Day 14, home: Fly from Chania.
For quieter islands, swap Santorini for Milos, with its colored cliffs and sea caves (Blue Star sails from Piraeus in about 4 hours 35). Details: Paros, Naxos, Milos.
14 days: the mainland road trip and an island
The mainland is the part most visitors miss: the Peloponnese, the oracle at Delphi, the monasteries on top of Meteora’s rock pillars and Greece’s best food city. A hire car makes it easy. It is ideal in April, May, late September and October, when inland sites are cooler; in midsummer, sightsee early, as heatwaves can close open-air sites in the afternoon.
- Days 1–2, Athens: The Acropolis, the museums and the National Archaeological Museum. Pick up a car on day 3. Sleep: Plaka or Koukaki (2 nights).
- Days 3–4, Nafplio: Drive via the Corinth Canal (about 1¾ to 2 hours). The Palamidi fortress, then Mycenae (€20, including the Treasury of Atreus) and the theater of Epidaurus. Sleep: Nafplio old town (2 nights).
- Day 5, to Delphi: A long scenic drive north across the Gulf of Corinth. The Sanctuary of Apollo and the museum in the late afternoon light. Sleep: Delphi village (1 night).
- Days 6–7, Meteora: Drive to Kalambaka. Visit two or three monasteries (opening days rotate, so check; long trousers for men, skirts and covered shoulders for women) and walk the old paths between them. Sleep: Kalambaka or Kastraki (2 nights).
- Days 8–9, Thessaloniki: About 3 to 3.5 hours. Byzantine churches, the White Tower, the markets and the food. Drop the car. Sleep: the center near Aristotelous Square (2 nights).
- Days 10–13, an island: Fly to Santorini or Crete (direct in season, or via Athens) for four nights of beaches. Sleep: see the routes above (4 nights).
- Day 14, home: Fly from the island or via Athens.
Prefer the beach close by? Swap the island flight for three nights in Halkidiki, an hour or so from Thessaloniki. Details: Nafplio, Meteora, the Meteora monasteries, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki.
Where to sleep, by stop
| Stop | Best area for a short stay | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Athens | Plaka, Koukaki or Monastiraki | Walk to the Acropolis and the museums; metro to Piraeus and the airport |
| Mykonos | Mykonos Town (Chora) | Buses to the beaches and the ports; Delos boats leave from the old port |
| Santorini | Fira, Firostefani or Imerovigli; Kamari or Perissa for less | Caldera views versus beaches and lower prices |
| Paros | Naoussa or Parikia | Naoussa for charm; Parikia for the port and buses |
| Naxos | Naxos Town or Agios Prokopios | Port and old town, or the beach on the bus line |
| Crete | Heraklion old town for a night; Chania’s Venetian old town | Knossos and the port; Chania for the west’s beaches and gorges |
| Nafplio, Delphi, Meteora | The old town; the village; Kalambaka or Kastraki | Walk to sights and tavernas; Kastraki sits right under the rocks |
| Thessaloniki | Around Aristotelous Square and Ladadika | Seafront, markets and the new metro |
Greece adds a nightly climate resilience fee per room, usually paid at the property: from April to October, €2 for 1–2-star hotels and rooms, €5 for 3-star, €10 for 4-star and €15 for 5-star hotels, and €8 for short-term rentals up to 80 m² (lower from November to March, as of October 2026). More on costs is in our Greece travel guide.
Alternatives by interest
Beach lovers
Pick big, sandy islands and stay longer: Naxos, Paros, Milos and western Crete in the Aegean, or fly to the Ionian islands, where the meltemi is weaker. Zakynthos has Navagio beach, Kefalonia long white beaches, and Corfu green coves. The sea is warmest from late July to September.
History lovers
Take the mainland road trip, and add Olympia and the Byzantine town of Monemvasia in the Peloponnese. On Crete, pair Knossos with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum; on Rhodes, the medieval old town of the Knights of St John. Children under 18 from any country and EU citizens under 25 enter state sites free with ID.
Hikers
Come in spring or autumn. Walk the Samaria Gorge (open May to October), the caldera path from Fira to Oia, the old stone paths of Naxos, the trails between Meteora’s monasteries, or the Vikos Gorge in Zagori. Carry plenty of water, and check fire-risk closures in summer.
Families and short trips from Athens
Keep ferries short: the Saronic islands are an hour or two from Piraeus, and car-free Hydra or Aegina make easy first islands. Then one big island with sandy beaches and plenty to do, such as Naxos or Crete, with a single base for four or five nights.
Tips for planning your route
- Pick islands on one ferry line. Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini connect easily; crossing between island groups often means going back via Piraeus or flying.
- Book ferries and rooms early for July, August and 15 August. Around the Dormition holiday on 15 August, Greeks head to the islands en masse.
- Keep a buffer before your flight home. The meltemi can cancel small high-speed boats.
- Go early to the Acropolis. It opens around 8:00; on extreme-heat days the Ministry of Culture closes open-air sites from about 12:00 to 17:00.
- Watch the shoulder months. From November to March, many islands have only a few sailings a week, and many island hotels and tavernas close; Athens, Crete and the mainland stay open.
- Compare ferries with flights. A high-speed boat from Piraeus to Santorini can cost more than a budget flight.
Greece itinerary FAQ
Is 7 days enough for Greece?
Yes for Athens and two islands. To add Crete, Meteora or Nafplio, plan 10 days; for a mainland road trip and islands, two weeks.
Mykonos or Naxos?
Mykonos for nightlife, beach clubs, Little Venice and Delos; Naxos for long sandy beaches, mountain villages, farmhouse food and better value. Both have ferries to Santorini.
Should I take the ferry or fly to Santorini?
Fly if time is short: under an hour from Athens. Take the ferry if you are island hopping: Blue Star sails from Piraeus in about 6 hours, and fast boats link Santorini with Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Crete.
How many days do I need in Athens?
Two days for the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, Plaka and Cape Sounion at sunset; add a third for the National Archaeological Museum or a day trip to Delphi or Hydra.
Do I need a car in Greece?
Not in Athens or on Mykonos and Santorini, where buses and taxis do the job. A car is very useful on Crete, Naxos and Paros, and for the mainland road trip.
How do I get from Santorini to Crete?
By high-speed boat to Heraklion, about 1 hour 35 minutes to 2 hours, in the summer season. Out of season, connections are few and you may need to go via Piraeus or fly via Athens.
What is the best month for island hopping?
June and September: full ferry timetables, a warm sea and fewer crowds and lower prices than July and August, with less meltemi wind.
Sources
Researched and last reviewed by TravelerCenter on 8 October 2026. Piraeus ferry times to Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Santorini and Milos come from Blue Star Ferries; the Piraeus–Heraklion time from ANEK; Crete bus times from KTEL Chania-Rethymno; Paros–Naxos and Antiparos ferries from the Municipality of Paros. High-speed boat, train, mainland bus, drive and flight times come from booking sites and general references and are approximate. Site tickets and hours come from the Ministry of Culture and Hellenic Heritage; the Samaria Gorge rules from its management body; the climate resilience fee from the Greek government; seasons from our best-time guide. Timetables, fares and rules change, so check with the operator before you travel.
Data: Natural Earth (PUBLIC DOMAIN) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODBL) · Wikidata (CC0)