Hi,
My partner and I are a couple in our 30s planning a trip in April 2026, and I’d love some advice on how to balance our time in Greece.
We enjoy museums, great food, wine, scenic walks/hikes, and some ruins/history, but we probably do not want an entire trip built around Greek ruins.
Right now, our rough itinerary looks like this:
• Sat April 11 – arrive Athens around 5:05 PM, overnight Athens
• Sun April 12 – Athens
• Mon April 13 – Athens
• Tue April 14 – fly to Santorini
• Wed April 15 – Santorini
• Thu April 16 – fly back to Athens, pick up rental car, drive toward Delphi and stay overnight near Delphi
• Fri April 17 – Delphi / continue to Meteora
• Sat April 18 – Meteora
• Sun April 19 – Thessaloniki
• Mon April 20 – Thessaloniki
• Tue April 21 – Thessaloniki
• Wed April 22 – fly to Amsterdam
• Fri April 24 – fly home from Amsterdam
One thing we are considering is taking an earlier flight on April 14 to Santorini to maximize our time there.
My main question is: how many nights would you recommend in Santorini for travelers like us?
Would 2 nights feel too short, or is 3 nights meaningfully better in mid-April? Also open to suggestions for another island option.
I’m also wondering whether Santorini deserves more time than Thessaloniki for our interests, or whether the current balance makes sense.
Any thoughts on pacing would be appreciated, especially from people who like a mix of culture, food, scenery, and a little history rather than a ruins-heavy trip. We can cut time from Amsterdam if needed, as we've been there many times.
Thanks for your help!