Undoubtedly Greece is a popular holiday destination for many reasons, and it is definitely one of the diverse nation we’ve visited. With so much of history and art at every corner, delicious food, amazing neighborhoods, caves carved into clifftops, blue-domed churches overlooking the caldera, small alleys lined with whitewashed houses with blue doors, centuries-old windmills, beautiful red-pink bougainvillea flowers across the streets and the list goes on.. Greece offers so much making it every travellers dream destination. Hope this ultimate Greece Travel Guide and itinerary for Greece 10 days helps you plan a jaw dropping vacation which is just perfect to give you enough time to cover all the best islands to visit in Greece, where you can explore Mykonos, Santorini, Zakynthos and Athens at its best. So lets dive in!
Below are the list of things you need to know before you visit Greece : Itinerary for Greece
1. How to reach Greece : Itinerary for Greece
We boarded direct flight from Istanbul to Athens which took 1hr20min approximately. You can also arrive in Athens from Santorini (5-7 hours) or Mykonos (2-5 hours) by fast ferries, however transit hours largely depends on weather conditions and type of the vessel. Also there are many other ways to reach Athens depending on where you are based and search for flying or sailing route options available to you.
You can search for flights from Expedia
2. Greece Currency : Itinerary for Greece
You can easily use Euro which is accepted everywhere. If possible, try to carry some hard cash as most of the local shops don’t accept plastic money apart from few big stores. You would even find ATMs at every corner so don’t have to worry much if you run short of cash.
3. Language in Greece : Itinerary for Greece
As Greece is quite a touristic place, almost everyone speaks and understands English. However, Greek is by far the most spoken language across.
4. Best time to visit Greece : Itinerary for Greece
The best time to visit Greece is May and September-November which are the shoulder season. The weather is comfortable and the tourists are less. From late October through mid-March it is colder, even you might get some downpour. July -August are the summer months (hottest) and is the peak season when Greece is packed with tourists and price for everything spikes up. So try to avoid those months if possible.
5. Is Greece safe : Itinerary for Greece
Greece as a country is very safe to travel around, even if you are a solo traveller or travelling with friends & family. Still you must take good care of yourself and people around with you as safety should always be the first priority. We felt absolutely safe around every nook and corners.
6. Greece Mobile Networks : Itinerary for Greece
We always prefer using a local SIM card wherever we travel, which makes it easier to remain connected and avoid international roaming rates. You can get a Greek SIM card for 5 EURO from Vodafone and other authorized stores which are mostly of similar rates. We collected our SIM cards from Athens International Airport (ATH).
7. How to apply for an E-visa for Greece : Itinerary for Greece
You need to apply for Schengen visa to enter Greece. Find out whether you need to apply for a Greece Visa or not. However U.S. citizens may enter Greece without a visa for stays up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. Visit your nearest Greece embassy for further information and application.
8. Transportation in Greece : Itinerary for Greece
The best way to get around in Greece is on foot or by bus which are very affordable and covers most of the city and its suburbs. All the city’s or Greek islands major attractions are located within the walking distance or a short bus ride of one another, so its pretty convenient to go around without any hassle. You can also rent/hire car or a two wheeler for easy access to everything.
9. Self driving in Greece : Itinerary for Greece
You may need an international licence to hire and self drive on Greek roads. One must apply and possess International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive legally and if you don’t have one you might be charged with additional penalties if caught by the police.
Our Greece Itinerary for 10 Days
- Day 1 : Arrive in Athens and board direct flight for Zakynthos which is a small but beautiful island located in the Ionian Sea of western Greece offering some of the best beaches and a whole new Greek island experience.
- Day 2-3: Explore the beaches and blue caves of Zakynthos.
- Day 4: From Zakynthos fly back to Athens and board flight for Mykonos. Wander around Chora town and Little Venice to witness the gorgeous sunset.
- Day 5: Explore the picturesque Mykonos town lined up with whitewashed houses with blue doors, centuries-old windmills and take a day trip to the UNESCO site of ‘Delos’
- Day 6: Say goodbye to Mykonos, board the fast ferries and arrive at Santorini, explore Fira town and enjoy the sunset overlooking the caldera from your hotel room or from any viewpoint.
- Day 7: Take a trip to Perissa beach and Oia town which it is the most beautiful of all the Greek islands and truly is a must see destination.
- Day 8: Go for a day trip to Nea Kameni Volcano, Thirasia Island and enjoy the nightlife in Fira.
- Day 9: Board fast ferries/take flight from Santorini and arrive at Athens and taste the contemporary side of the city around Syntagma Square and end the day with Sunset at Lycabettus Hill
- Day 10: Keep this day for Acropolis and visit other Archaeological sites.
Below is the complete breakdown of days on how you can utilise your 10 days in Greece without missing a bit.
Day 1: Arrive in Athens and board the direct flight for Zakynthos island the same day.
We boarded direct flight from Istanbul to Athens which took 1hr20min approximately. And on the same day itself flew by (Aegean Airlines) from Athens to Zakynthos island which took 2hr30min to reach our final destination. However there is no direct ferry to Zakynthos from Athens. The ferry to Zakynthos departs from the port of Kilini and the trip takes about 1 hour, you can reach Kilini by bus from Athens. While flying is the fastest and more efficient option, instead taking the ferry to Zakynthos.
If you’re not aware, far from the well-known islands like Mykonos and Santorini, Zakynthos also known as ‘Zante’ is a small but beautiful island located in the Ionian Sea of western Greece offering some of the best beaches and a different Greek island experience.
Covering an area approximately 405km², you can find all the ingredients for a diverse holiday under the sun. Most beaches here are best seen by boat which are least explored yet. Hence it can be super fun destination for bachelor’s party, friends trip, family summer holidays and its no surprise why this island is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the country.
Day 2: Visit and relax at Kalamaki beach and Laganas beach.
We started our day pretty early and post breakfast, walked down to the city bus station to board the bus for Kalamaki beach. Unfortunately the bus service wasn’t operational that day, so we hired a cab(10 Euro). There are so many beautiful beaches around with white-sand nooks framed by soaring cliffs with views of crystal-clear water that stretch for miles. You can hardly go wrong with any of the magnificent beaches in Zakynthos, but here are few to get you started.
Kalamaki beach
Kalamaki is a long sandy beach, located on the southern side of Zakynthos island which is just 5 km away from Zante town. This is a crystal clear long stretched beach with shallow water, which is great for swimming and snorkelling.
Laganas beach
After spending some amazing time at Kalamaki beach, start walking alongside the shore towards south and reach Laganas. This beach is slightly more developed than some of the others giving it that quintessential “European Summer” vibe which is filled with amazing bars and clubs.
Day 3: Take a half day island tour on the north of Zakynthos, and visit the Shipwreck beach and Blue caves.
From Zakynthos town we hired a cab and drove till St. Nicholas harbour from where our boat departed and took us to the Blue caves and Shipwreck beach. The round trip would cost approximately 50 Euro, depending on the season(shared basis). And opting for a private boat might range up to 50-100 Euro. All over the town you would see agencies who can arrange these excursions for you so no need for advance booking. We booked our day trip from GetYourGuide which was a combined trip to Navagio Shipwreck Beach & Blue Caves Boat Tour.
Navagio beach
Start your day by stopping by the Navagio beach which is located on the north-western shores of Zakynthos and a must see shipwreck landmark. This bay is famous for beautiful sandy beach and sparkling crystal clear water surrounded by towering white cliffs, making it so surreal and dreamy. The Shipwreck beach is one of the most photographed beach destination in Greece.
Navagio Beach or Shipwreck Beach (from the cliff)
This is a must visit view point and is the main highlight of the trip. All you need to do is drive or take a cab to the viewpoint. Simply turn on your google maps and search for “Navagio Beach View Point” to get the exact directions.
Once you reach the official viewpoint, you’ll find a barricaded area with safety railings from where you would get a glimpse of the Shipwreck beach far down below offering a breathtaking view of the beach, the bay, and the Ionian Sea beyond. The view is incredible.
Explore the Blue caves of Zakynthos
One activity you definitely need to do in Zakynthos, is to go for a boat ride in between the caves. The Blue Caves can be found at Cape Skinari in the north of the island making this region absolutely visit worthy, its beautiful! With clear and blue water, impressive rock formations and a bizarre scenery everything looked so dreamy, we just loved it. This ended up being one of our favourite time of the day in the entire trip.
Click HERE for the perfect travel guide, itinerary, stay options and things to do in Zakynthos.
Day 4: From Zakynthos fly back to Athens and board flight for Mykonos. Arrive in Mykonos and wander around Chora town and Little Venice to witness the gorgeous sunset.
Arriving at Mykonos was an exciting event in itself. The sun usually goes down after 8pm so you have more sunlight to yourself to explore this tiny island walking alongside the cliff overlooking the sea. There is a beautiful neighbourhood called the ‘Little Venice’ which is a great place to hangout order coffee/booze and enjoy the spectacular sunset. Make sure you don’t miss visiting that pretty neighbourhood anyway.
Day 5: Take a day trip to the UNESCO site of ‘Delos’ and explore the picturesque Mykonos town lined with whitewashed houses with blue doors, centuries-old windmills and beaches.
You can board the water bus from the new port to old port, from where ferries to Delos island usually departs.
Ferry tickets to Delos Island from Mykonos can be purchased online via GetYourGuide. It would cost 22Euro for adults and 11Euro for kids(return ticket). It is also possible to buy tickets from the counter itself before departure. The ferry from Mykonos to Delos leaves the dock sharp at 9am/10am/11am. So make sure you reach the counter 1hr prior to get hold of your tickets.
Note: The ticket does not include entry to the archaeology site, which is extra 8Euro per person that you need to pay once you arrive at the island.
Delos is a tiny Greek island and archaeological site in the Aegean sea’s Cyclades archipelago off the coast of Mykonos and takes about 30 min. This island is the mythological birth place of the Greek god Apollo, which also served as the major religious centre and port during the 1st millennium B.C. Delos island is now converted into a vast open air museum that includes temples, statues, a theatre, flower sanctuaries from end to end and also is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Coming back to Chora explore the picturesque Mykonos town lined with whitewashed houses with blue doors, walk around the cobbled stone alleys, see the centuries-old windmills from ‘Little Venice’ and admire the beauty of this island.
The beaches here are okay-ish and not jaw dropping. Don’t expect white sand and blue lagoons, but yeah the beaches are clean and good enough for sun bathing and lounging with bars and restaurants around.
If you have time check out Platys Gialos Beach, Paranga, Paradise, and Super Paradise beach which are some of the popular beaches here in Mykonos.
Click HERE for the perfect travel guide, itinerary, stay options and things to do in Mykonos.
Day 6: From Mykonos, board the fast ferries and arrive at Santorini, explore Fira town and enjoy the sunset overlooking the caldera.
Once we arrived at Santorini, checked in at a boutique hotel at Imerovigli area which is situated at the highest point on the cliff side of Santorini island between Fira and Oia. Take a walk up to the neighbouring Fira town which is Santorini’s art and culture capital. Pay a visit to the narrow back streets and hidden chapels—for example, the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist and Saint Minas Holy Orthodox Church.
Don’t miss to visit the viewpoint overlooking the church, with the three bells. Finding this place might seem tricky, so simply turn on the GPS and search for this hotel called “Santorini Palace” and watch the gorgeous sunset from there. Its worth!
Day 7: Take a trip to Perissa Beach and visit the famed Oia town.
We boarded the city bus from Fira central bus stand and directly headed towards Perissa beach(2.2Euro). Perissa is a black sand beach which stretches for miles and is absolutely worth visiting. The whole island is covered with ash and volcanic lava mixed with sand making the beach extraordinary and different from others.
However there are no direct bus from Perissa to Oia, so we boarded the bus back to Fira central and decided to hike along the Caldera view till Oia. The hike stretches for almost 10kms and might take 3-5 hrs depending on your speed.
Oia pronounced as ‘IA’ means upper side in Greek, which is a small village on the islands of Thira. Many travellers including us would agree that it is the most beautiful of all the Greek islands and truly is a must visit destination. Everything is so beautiful here, right from the white-washed buildings, most photographed blue domed churches, the world famous sunset, unique architectures are unlike anything else you have seen before. Get ready and grab your camera, as every corner holds a new surprise and Oia certainly won’t leave you disappointed.
Try to reach Oia 1 hour before sunset and reserve a good seat for yourself at the Castle of Oia, where you can sit on the castle wall to witness the charismatic sunset. Words are limited to express the overall feeling. This town becomes crazy in the evening as tourists flock in to catch a glimpse of the spectacular view in the evening.
Day 8: Visit Nea Kameni Volcano, Thirasia Island and enjoy the nightlife in Fira.
We pre booked a full day city tour via Get Your Guide and our first stop was Nea Kameni Volcano. We boarded the ferry from Athinios port early in the morning as per the given time. Nea Kameni is a small barren island of volcanic origin located in the Aegean Sea, within the Santorini’s caldera which is made up of black lava rock covering an area of 2km. The ferry ride took almost 20-25 min and on arrival you need to pay 5 Euro at the entrance and can go for the hike. It was a decent footslog and it took almost 2hrs to complete the trail. The view is incredibly beautiful from the summit. You can also go for swimming at the nearby hot springs if interested.
Later for lunch we were dropped at the island of Thirasia where you can taste authentic Greek cuisine in the taverns and cafes near the harbour. The island of Thirasia was formed due to the volcanic eruption that happened around 1500BC.
Thirasia today is a virgin island, still untouched by tourism and modern lifestyle. You can also choose to walk till the top which is very steep and difficult but has concrete flight of stairs. You might feel disappointed that after so much of hard work there is nothing much to do and see, as this part of the island is completely ghosted with abandoned houses all around. Later enjoy the nightlife in Fira which is quite fun and happening, don’t miss it if you love nightclubs and music.
Click HERE for the perfect travel guide, itinerary, stay options and things to do in Santorini.
Day 9: From Santorini arrive at Athens and taste the contemporary side of the city.
Athens is the birth place of democracy and there is so much to see and do in the capital city of Greece. It’s the perfect holiday destination that has a thriving contemporary vibe which makes it an interesting place to explore. With so much of history and art at every corner of the streets, delicious food, amazing neighbourhoods this city offers so much. Lanes and alleys in Athens are like maze, making you aware. So its advisable to trust your GPS wherever you go. On this day check out these places listed below.
- Syntagma Square
- Athens Hellenic Parliament to watch the changing of guards
- Zappeion
- Panathenaic Stadium
- Hadrian’s Arch
- Temple of Olympian Zeus
- War Museum
- Lunch and sunset at Lycabettus Hill
Day 10 :Visit the Acropolis and other Archaeological sites.
Start your day by visiting the Acropolis which is an ancient citadel that sits on top of a hill overlooking the city that contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a must-see in Athens. It is comprised of multiple structures which was built in the 5th century BC. This ancient complex comprises of several temples, of which the most famous is the Parthenon, dedicated to the Goddess Athena. Later you can visit these places mentioned below.
- Parthenon
- Odeion of Herodes Atticus
- Acropolis Museum
- Ancient Agora
- Temple of Hephaistos
- Roman Agora
- Hadrian’s Library
- Tetraconch Church
- Lunch at Monastiraki Square
Click HERE for the perfect travel guide, itinerary, stay options and things to do in Athens.
That’s all about it, things you can do in Greece in 10 days. So guys hope you find this blog helpful planning yours, and if you have any queries please write it down in the comment section below. We would try to help with the best of our knowledge.
