Hi everyone,
This is late in the day, so any help is much appreciated. My husband and I are going to Greece (first time) in mid Sept (yes, soon) for 10 days.
I am very confused: Most friends have recommended- Athens 2-3 nights, Santorini 2 nights, and Paros Or Naxos for the rest.
In reading the posts on the Greece forum, it looks like there is a lots of other options (better?).
Has anyone done this itinerary and would you recommend it? Or should we do 3-4 nights in Athens, Santorini 2-3 nights, and a smaller/closer island? My original plan was to do Athens, Santorini and Crete- but it looks like we need 4-5 nights in Crete.
Thanks so much.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
9138 posts
There are definitely other options, but you may have definite reasons for choosing what you want to see and do, and where to go.
Our first Greece trip, for 2 weeks, started when we landed in Athens at night, then headed to the Island Hydra the next morning, for two nights. We then got back to mainland Greece (ferry to Ermioni), where we picked up a rental car (from Pop’s Car Rental) and drove to Nafplio for 2 nights, driving to several ancient sites.
The next week was spent on the Peloponnese Peninsula, visiting many additional historic places, and staying in Monemvasia, Areopoli, Kalamata, and Olympia. We visited Archaea Olympia, the stadium and temples where the original Olympic Games were held thousands of years ago, plus a fantastic museum.
We next drove north, crossed a bridge that’s almost 2 miles across, and stayed in Delphi for one night. We’d planned to stay for 2 nights, but the city was so noisy that we packed up and got another, better room for a night in a much nicer town, Galaxidi. Next, we drove to Athens, turned in the car, and stayed for 3 nights. This was in April, and we were there to see ancient sights, and not beaches.
Our second trip, starting in September the following year, was only Crete, but also for two weeks. We did get a couple of days at one black-sand beach, at Kato Zakros, along with many historic places in the interior, plus the two biggest cities on the north coast, Iraklio (aka Heraklion) and Hania (aka Chania). Crete for just 4-5 nights would give you a tiny peek at the big island, maybe staying in just the two biggest cities and moving on. I would suggest taking a week or more, just for Crete. If you were island hopping, Crete could be one of the islands, although I’d imagine you’d be flying there and back, not going by ferry, if you were squeezing Crete within a 10-day trip.
I haven’t been to Santorini, Paros, or Naxos yet, and one day, I’d like to see Delos, and take cooking lessons on Ikaria.
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
4172 posts
There are dozens (if not hundreds) of other options. "Better" doesn’t exist, it’s really about having experienced a few options yourself, and after that it's purely a matter of personal preference.
What your friends recommended might work for you... or it might not. What Cyn experienced might work for you, or it might not. Either way, it's true that less than a week in Crete isn't necessarily worth it.
One of the basic rules is to keep in mind that getting around in Greece practically takes a lot more time than flipping pages in a guidebook, and that in the islands, ferries don't run from just any island to any other.
I would also add our own personal golden rule: We don't go places that don't personally interest us, even if they're recommended by friends, and especially not places that are hyped up on Instagram or other social media. The more buzz there is about a place, the twice as hard you should think before going.