First time in Greece

I haven't been to Greece yet, but I've been boning up because I'm headed there for an RS tour in a few weeks. What I've learned:

When people think of beach destinations, most head for the islands. The RS tour spends most of its time on the Peloponese peninisula - basically a big island, connected to Athens by bus and ferry. Take a look at the tour itinerary . Also look at scrapbooks from previous tour participants to get more details, and some really beautiful amateur photos. And of course the RS guide book has lots of info too.

If you want monuments, museums, history, etc. then Athens would be your first choice. It has World-Class archeological sites and museums, not just the Acropolis but surrounding area including the Agora, Kerimikos Cemetery, Hadrians Library, Roman Forum, Hadrian's Arch, Temple to Zeus and lots more. Check out Anafiotika on the north side of the Acropolis if you want a taste of a Greek Island with its white-washed houses, narrow lanes, and views of Athens. Then there is the Plaka, Monistiraki & Sygtagma Square, the Central Markets and lots more. You could use up your entire week in Athens.

I would recommend three days in Athens and four on ONE island. Don't forget you have to get back to Athens for your flight home at least one day before departure. So you may want to go directly to an island or other destination then spend the remaining time in Athens to ensure you can get to the airport. You never know if there is a strike or other disruption that may cause you to miss your flight.

There are numerous islands, some close and some further away.

Check out Matt's Greek Guide for everything you want to know about Greece and then decide on where you want to go:

https://www.greecetravel.com/

I second that Matt Barrett's guide is a great source.

I am biased because I lived there for a few months and we all tend to like the areas we are most familiar with, but I LOVED Crete and believe it's overlooked. Most visitors seem to be cruise tourists who come for the day to visit Chania and Knossos and then leave. If you are willing to drive, setting up camp somewhere in eastern Crete, by but not in Chania to avoid cruise tourists (I love Stavros on the Akrotiri peninsula) would allow you beach time that's not overrun by tourists and well as plenty of good food and drink, hiking (great area for hiking in a variety of gorges, caves, etc.), and great local culture.

Greece is so rich that there are a million different answers to this so just know that whatever you choose you're going to love. Just don't put too much into too little time.

Might be a good idea to save your Athens time for the end so that you're near the airport on the day you depart.

Thus, move immediately to get to your most-distant point and start making your way back.

Every island is terrific for its own reasons. We've been to Chios, Crete, Rhodes, Kythera, Lefkada and Corfu. You cannot go wrong, though the really popular islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Kos, Naxos, etc.) will be busy, busy, busy. Some lesser-visited islands (remember, they're all great) are .... Forget it; I can't play that game. Do an internet search for islands in Greece (near Athens, if you like), look at a million breathtaking photos, and then pick one that strikes your fancy. Then, figure out how to get to it. Go there that way and stay four or five nights.

Don't worry, you are guaranteed to choose the correct answer with the only caveat being that in July I would stay away from the "biggies" though I'm sure those crowds are enjoying themselves immensely, too.