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8 day itinerary in mid October

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We are a family of three adults traveling to Greece in mid-October for eight days (with a ninth day as a travel day). It’s our first time, and we are considering the following plan:

  • 3 days in Athens - Day 1 and 2 when we arrive and Day 8 before our flight back (which is Day 9 early morning)

Since it’s our first time, could you please suggest an itinerary for the five days in between (Day 3 to Day 7)? We are thinking of

  • 2 days in Mykonos (not sure as we have heard it may be slow with beaches, restaurants closed around mid October)
  • 2 days in Santorini (definitely like to go here)
  • 1 day of travel time from Athens to (or between) the islands and back if we take the ferry

I understand that the islands start to slow down or shut down as it gets into October. We would appreciate your recommendations. If Mykonos is not ideal, what other island should we consider? What about the Argo Saronic Islands closer to Athens, such as Salamina, Aegina, Agistri, Poros, Hydra, and Spetses?

Other option, we can spend 4 days in Athens and around. And 4 days in Santorini and skip Mykonos or other islands. Thanks

Posted by
4713 posts

Most recommend flying to the island on arrival day, then putting all of your Athens time together at the end.
Why is Mykonos on your list? Knowing what you are looking for will help others advise.
I personally would consider Santorini only in a month like October, so I'd go for it. I think two destinations makes better sense with your time frame. Count in nights, so you have a clear picture of full days.

Posted by
4 posts

Thanks and that's what I am thinking after reading your post and recommendation by another contributor JoLui.

We will land in Athens around 8 am and I am thinking about booking a Aegean flight around 11 am to Santorini that morning. On the way back, take a ferry to one of the island (this is the recommendation we are looking) and a ferry from there to Athens and spend the last 3 days.

So my question: How many days would you recommend in Santorini out of the 5 days that we have? Do you recommend any other island on the way back from Santorini to Athens for a day or two? Thanks

Posted by
4713 posts

Happy to see your post reappear--I'll top your thread, but the islands are not my area!
If it were my trip, I would pick one island. I just like to move less, and especially for a popular island, I would like having time to spread around to other parts of the island. I know many say 2-3 days is fine for Santorini, but they are usually talking about people with either less or much more time. Two nights does not warrant moving to me, though I would check the ferry routes to see what would work well.
Someone will come along eventually with a suggestion--I find the Greece page has great contributors, but they are not necessarily on here every day.

Posted by
2172 posts

Here is a possible itinerary over 9 days, arrival and departure included, taking into account your "desire" to see 2 islands.

I would like to point out that I would never do this kind of itinerary for myself. Same opinion as Valadelphia, too much travel for a short time to spend in the chosen locations

1 day of travel is a day largely wasted. (check out hotel A - transfer to port/airport - flight or ferry - transfer port/airport to hotel B - check-in to hotel B.

Even optimized as best as possible, it only leaves you 1 full day in Santorini and 3 full days on another island (N). Which to me is unimaginable, but it's your vacation, not mine .

  • Day 1 Flight US → Santorini via Athens - 1/2 day in Santorini

Night 1 Santorini

  • Day 2 Santorini - 1 full day in Santorini

Night 2 Santorini

  • Day 3 Santorini → Island N - 1/2 day on island N

Night 3 Island N

  • Day 4 Island N - 1st full day in island N

Night 4 Island N

  • Day 5 Island N - 2nd full day on Island N

Night 5 island N

  • Day 6 Island N - 3rd full day on island N

Night 6 Island N

  • Day 7 Island N → Athens 1/2 day in Athens

Night 7 Athens

  • Day 8 Athens 1st full day in Athens

Night 8 Athens

  • Day 9 Flight → US.

That said, it doesn't say what island N is. The most convenient choice in terms of ferries and logistics would be either Naxos or Paros.

Here are the ferry timetables in mid-October from Santorini to Paros and Naxos.

My advice: Choose Blue Star ferries and avoid the small and uncomfortable Superjet and Superjet 2 from Seajets Ferries.

The Blue Star ferries stop first at Naxos then at Paros.

Change the date if necessary.

To Naxos (JNX):

http://www.openseas.gr/JTR/JNX/2024-10-23/2024-10-23/itineraries

To Paros (PAS)

http://www.openseas.gr/JTR/PAS/2024-10-16/2024-10-16/itineraries

Posted by
4 posts

Thanks JoLui. This is really helpful and I will try to follow the itinerary.

Thanks everyone who responded to the thread. Have a great weekend

Posted by
3 posts

If you can handle the motion and sea, take the Ferry.

We took 12 p.m. ferries, and they got to our hotels by 3-4 p.m. So no day was wasted, plus we could have a leisurely breakfast at each hotel before leaving, and luggage, etc., was no issue. It is very easy to take a ferry.

Athens- Santorini- Under 3 hours.

Santorini to Mykonos - Under 3 hours.

Both legs per person will cost around $175 per person total.

We went from Santorini to Athens, 4 hours long, but on a huge ferry. It was like a Hotely with great food, nice restrooms, plenty of views, and no motion.

In Athens, you must go to the Acropolis and its Museum tour with a guide. I just posted the below today. Copy pasting it.

Dear Fellow Travelers,

I wanted to take a moment to share my incredible experience exploring
the Acropolis last week. Our visit was greatly enriched by the expertise and
guidance of Faye Georgiou, an outstanding licensed tour guide who has
been leading tours at the site for 50 years and an Archaeology PhD.

Having Faye as our guide added a whole new dimension to the
experience. Her knowledge and personalized explanations helped us gain
a deeper appreciation for the historical significance of each area.
Navigating through the crowds and understanding the history on our own
would have been overwhelming, but having Faye there made the visit
much more engaging and rewarding. You can reach her at
[email protected]

I strongly recommend considering a knowledgeable guide when visiting
the Acropolis. The added layer of insight and interactive experience
truly enriches the visit and provides a deeper understanding of the
historical context. Without Faye, we wouldn't have experienced even a
fraction of what we did.

Thank you, Faye, for bringing the history to life and making our visit
to the Acropolis truly unforgettable.

With much appreciation

Neeraj

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