first time visit to Greece - rough ideas

No matter what anyone else thinks, 4 nights on Santorini will fly by. There's lots to see and do there. Go to the TripAdvisor website and find the Santorini forum, then click on "Things to do" at the top of the forum page.

IMO, you are giving Athens too little time. I would take your second scenario in a heartbeat. I enjoyed Hydra, and while Santorini strikes me as breathtaking (pictures only), IMO with your little time in Greece it takes away from the must sees, and your choices are wonderful. Save Santorini and perhaps some of the other islands for another trip. You will get plenty of beautiful scenery with your choices. IMO, Delphi is one of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen. Hydra is adorable. Napflio is close to the two sites you want to see (alone on this forum, I was kind of ho hum on the city as compared to other places that I toured, but is lovely so don't know why I feel that way, other than I live on a coast?). Athens is remarkable in an absolutely different way. Crowded with residents, but they made it such fun, and it had wonderful museums...some I didn't make it to that trip w/ 4 full days due to all the ruins, etc., and great people watching and views as well. You will have a great trip, IMO, regardless of your choice. #2 would just be my choice for a first trip.

We were in Greece for a month, with 3 nights/2.5 days in Santorini, and that was our least favorite place. We are not beach people, more interested in culture, villages, history, ruins, etc. It IS beautiful, but so much of Greece is beautiful in the same way. Id say the difference is that on Santorini, the geography is what makes it uniquely striking. Beyond that, the places like Fira and especially Oia have been polished to appeal, which ended up feeling to us like a resort. The whole island is so dependent on tourist dollars that we felt like we'd entered a big island resort. Many people love resorts, but since we dont, it all felt less like real Greece and more like Disney Greece. That said, yeah, walking around Oia and Fira taking pictures was really fun - there are stunning shots everywhere you look. Akrotiri was remarkable, a must see. We also splurged on a Catamaran dinner cruise, which was funny because of how unlike us it was, BUT, it gave us the best 360-degree understanding of the geological formation of Santorini, and showed us sites from a perspective that helped us 'see' the whole island (seeing Oia from within Oia vs seeing it from below on the sea was a great complement). I recommend starting your site seeing early every morning, because the cruise ships discharge the masses around 10am, and thats when things get really crowded. Oia is markedly more expensive, for lodging and meals.

We spent 3 nights in Nafplio, and while I agree with Wray that it wasn't as remarkable as others seem to think, we really enjoyed it, found it a fun place to explore, and then we also went to Epidavros and Mycenae in one day (a.m., and p.m.) and those were great! We spent 1.5 days in Athens at the end of our trip, and loved Athens! We planned for a short time because, well, it fit our other plans, and we'd heard mediocre things. But we really enjoyed our time there. First day was Acropolis (arrived in line before opening, perfect bc the crowds really came in as we were leaving), and Agora, and walking and walking all over the city (we stayed in the Koukaki neighborhood - loved it). Second morning was the Acropolis museum - loved that) and then we departed.

The other place we went that you did not mention was the Peloponnese, which Lonely Planet rated as one of the best places in the world, and which we feel in love with. So much variety (mountains, villages, ocean, rivers, beaches, castles, ruins etc etc), so much beauty. But exploring this would probably add too much time. Do it in the future ;)

You cant really go wrong! Id say, read a LOT about the places and try to plot out how you imagine spending your time. That way, you can get a better sense of just how much time you'd want in each (like, do you need 3 full days in Santorini? How will you use them?). But also, since you are going in Spring, you won't have that tourist-crush experience we did in Santorini so maybe it will be a pristine island experience mostly to yourselves. That would be special

I would go with choice 1 followed by 3. I would take Santorini over Hydra.

We spent 3 nights on santorini and found that allowed us to hike from Oia to Fira and see the highlights of the island.

We spent 4 nights in Nafplio but it was very hot and we spent two afternoons at the beach. Three nights would have been adequate any other time of the year.

We spent 3 nights in Athens and like another poster enjoyed it much.

But really you can’t go wrong with any of these scenarios.

If you decide on 3, you might consider adding Meterora. You could drive there from Delphi and then do Athens. I haven’t been there but my older son has and he absolutely loved it. It is on my list for a return visit.

Looking at your choices, I like your first choice. We spent 4 nights in Santorini and felt 3 nights would have been fine. One day we did an island tour that hit all the highlights. We stayed 2 nights in Nafplio and wished we had time for 3 nights. It's a lovely area. We enjoyed Epidavros & Mycenae. We spent 1 night in Delphi and felt it was perfect. We were in Athens four nights. Plenty of time to see all the attractions. Such a walkable city. Hydra was our least favorite stop. Felt it was way too touristy.

You say Spring 2020, but which month? Because i am pretty sure that will effect what is open especially on the islands.

We just got back from a trip to Greece from May 15-23. The weather was beautiful - sunny and 70's. We stayed 3 nights in Santorini and 3 nights in Athens. I would recommend your choice of 3 nights Santorini, 3 nights Nafplio, 1 night Delphi, 3 nights Athens.
We loved staying in Oia on Santorini. The views of the caldera and the Aegean Sea are gorgeous and the promenade is lovely. The blue domed churches, Greek windmills, castle ruins. and cavelike Cycladic dwellings are so picturesque. We took a bus one day and got off in Imerovigli and hiked downhill on the cliff walk from Imerovigli to Firostefani and Fira and enjoyed spectacular views. Another day we took the bus from Oia to Fira and then a bus to Akrotiri to the archaeological site. The Akrotiri ruins are fascinating. Dinner on the rooftop terraces of the restaurants in Oia at sunset time is lovely. In Athens we stayed right near the Acropolis and had an early morning tour of the Acropolis with Athens Walking Tours which was outstanding. There is a lot to do in Athens, and it has amazing history.

Thank you all so much for your insightful responses!! They’re very helpful even if they are conflicting. I will do more research into each place in hopes that I can get a better feel for the vibe and how it will mesh with our personalities and travel style. It’s not easy narrowing in when you want to see it all.

We are hoping to book for the end of April, early May. Possibly April 22 through May 3.

2 nights Santorini, one day to walk around Oia, look at Caldera view, , go to a winery and visit Akrotiri. Then leave and use your time to have a real Greek experience on Paros or Naxos. We could not wait to leave touristy, mobbed Santorini!
More time is needed in Napflion , one the most beautiful cities in Greece. Significant ancient sites surround it, Mycenae, Epidavros, Nemea, Corinth.
Your second option is best.

We did a similar trip two years ago. We put Santorini in the middle of our trip for three nights and it was perfect. It was like a vacation from vacation. You could start in Athens for 3 nights, 3 nights in Santorini, fly back to Athens and then do what you want from there. We did Delphi and Meteora with the last night back in Athens. Enjoy your trip.