Guidance for our September itinerary

Posted by Jeff P (Ontario) on 05/11/26 03:30 AM

Hello, Rick Steves community,

I and my wife will be traveling to Greece this coming September. We have used the forum to
guide us through a lot of initial thinking. We believe we've settled on an itinerary
that suits us -- late 50's both of us, active, healthy, Canadian. We are not resort travelers - we like
pensions, and rustic/real (but clean) housing.

Below is our proposed itinerary. Three parts - 1) Three Islands 2) Pelponnese 3) A few Athens days
It's not complete -- we don't have activities sketched out for our time in Paros and Sifnos yet, nor
have we mapped out the order of activities for Athens days.

We'd love any feedback on:
-- the places we've booked to stay

-- the overall ambition of our trip.
-- Paros? We are not 100% committed to Paros. We're going to Santorini just to see it, and we are really excited about Sifnos and the food festival. We'd like to stay at a third Greek island and are torn between Paros and Naxos. (Alternately, I'd love to go to Amorgos, but it seems so very difficult to get there and away.) Worried that Paros may seem too resort like, which isn't our jam. Would like easy transport, a good beach or two, hiking if possible, solid tavernas.
-- which ferries to take?

Islands
10 - 12 Sept Santorini - Staying in Immerovigli - Via Happening.
10 Arrive Santorini late evening - plane from Athens. How to get to Immerovigli at a late hour?
11 Sept - Fira/Oïa hike.
12 Sept - One more day in Santorini -- what to do that day?
13 - 16 Sept -- Paros. (Ferry from Santorini to Parikia, then to Naoussa). Staying in Naoussa - Ostria apartments. Explore Paros, avoiding the "resort" crowd as much as we can. Drive the ring road? Enjoy a beach or two. Wineries? Hiking. Day cruise to Delos? Is there a different suggestion about where we should stay? Which car rental company should we use -- it looks like we need a car, or could scooters work?
17 - 21 Sept -- Sifnos. (Ferry from Parikia to Sifnos.) Our dates are during the Telemedes Food Festival. Currently have a reservation at hotel Anthousa in Apollonia but are debating whether to stay there or Flora Geronti. Any thoughts on best places to stay?
22 Sept -- Ferry from Sifnos to Piraeus. Train from Piraeus to Athens, staying in Attalos Hotel.

Peloponnese leg
23 Sept -- Train from Downtown Athens to Airport, pick up car rental. Drive to Corinth, Nemea, Myceneae (?) on the way to Stemnitsa. Stay in Mpelliko Guest House in Stemnitsa. Thoughts on car rental agency to use?
24 Sept -- Hike from Stemnitsa to Dimitsana. Remainder of the day -- explore villages of the region, make a trip to Prodromou Monastery. Sleep Stemnitsa.
25 Sept -- Drive from Stemnitsa to Kalavryta -- A day on the Odontotos Train and Kalavryta museum sites. Return drive to Stemnitsa. (lots of driving this day -- not 100% committed to the train, but it sounds so great.)
26 Sept -- Stemintsa to Limeni -- visiting Ancient Messini on the way, hike the Kardamyli-Petrouvni-Agia Sofia-Old Town Karadmyli-Kardamyli loop, continue on to Limeni. Stay in Limeni -- Vasilios Apartment Hotel.
27 Sept -- Limeni to Gythio -- visit Drios Caves, [only as far south as Alika], Lagia, Kokkala - Gythio.
Stay in Saga Pension in Gythio.
28 Sept - Gythio to Napflio -- visit Mystras, then take coastal road to Leonidio, on to Napfliio.
Stay Napfliio two nights -- Eleni Pension.
29 Sept - Napflio day. If we didn't squeeze in Mycenae on the 23rd, we visit it this day.
30 Sept - Drive from Napflio to Athens Airport, via Epidauros. Return rental car. To Hotel Attalos in Athens.

Athens
1 and 2 October - In Athens, we'll visit the usual suspects, but aren't sure which order is the most efficient. Does anyone have a good strategy for seeing the sites?
3 October - Leave Athens.

We would welcome any guidance - many thanks, everyone!

Jeff

Posted by JoLui

France Southwest - Occitanie

05/11/26 08:40 AM

3816 posts

About the islands you will be visiting,

Santorini on September 10th:

Late in Greece is generally after 11 PM. From the airport, there is a bus to Fira, the capital, every hour until 10 PM, but the only way to get to Immerovigli is by taxi or a transfer service. Villa Hapenning offers an Airport/Port Transfer Service, contact them.

September 12th: If you are staying in Santorini that day, there are plenty of things to do, for example, the impressive archaeological site of Akrotiri, an ancient Minoan city, you can get there by bus from Fira or by taxi.

Santorini wines have a worldwide reputation, and many vineyards offer tours with tastings, and other walks or hikes are possible besides the Fira/Oia hike.

There's even a tomato museum, which few people know about, on Vlychada beach in the south of the island.

https://www.tomatomuseum.gr/

Paros

There are few resorts in Paros, a few villa complexes with grandiose names like "Blue Paradise" or "Ambassador Luxury Villas" are concentrated mainly in the northeast of the island.

I know Paros quite well, and personally, Naoussa is the last place I would go. Yes, it's a charming little port, but it has transformed in just a few years into an overly touristy and expensive place, benefiting from intense promotion by internet influencers, travel agencies selling honeymoon packages, and luxury brand branches that set up shop there for the summer.
The small beach in Naoussa is uninteresting. So, to sum up, Naoussa is not a tourist resort at all, but to me it has the same drawbacks.

But to each their own.

Although Paros has a good bus service (the hub is in Parikia), a car or scooters is the most practical way to get around the island (but I don't understand what you mean by "ring road").
I know 3 or 4 car rental companies in Paros that we've rented cars from. All the local rental companies offer pretty much the same types of cars and services. I always use companies that don't require a deposit or advance payment. I just make a reservation and pay by card or cash on the day I pick up the car.

Here are two examples from recent uses:

https://inparos.gr/

https://acropolisparos.com/

You only have two full days in Paros, so you'll have to make some choices. It took us almost a month to really get to know Paros.

A visit to Delos takes a full day with a stopover of a few hours in Mykonos.

You can also go to Antiparos for the day via a ferry that runs from the port of Punta (and Parikia in the summer).

There are some beautiful villages in Paros, such as the old capital Lefkes, Prodomos, Aliki, Marmara, and others.

The most beautiful beaches in Paros are located on the east coast, with the largest being Golden Beach.

In the northwest of the island, you'll find the lighthouse and Paros Park, with some hiking trails and a few small, hidden beaches.

https://parospark.com/

And by the way, there's an excellent winery in Paros, Moraitis.

https://moraitiswines.gr/en/mainpage/

And even a local brewery, if you get thirsty.

https://www.56islesbeer.gr/

We also explored the old marble quarries before they were secured and organized, but now it's officially possible.

https://parianmarble.com/currently-planned-visits/

About Sifnos

Excellent opportunity to go to Sifnos during the Nikolaos Tselementes festival!

You'll have a great time (and eat a lot of good food). We also spent quite a bit of time on Sifnos in different places, but I don't know the accommodations you mentioned. In any case, Apollonia is a good choice; it's the bus hub in case you still have some time to visit Sifnos (which also takes quite a few days). Our favorite place in Sifnos is the old capital, Kastro, but there's no beach.
On the south coast, there are some nice spots for swimming, and of course, numerous hiking trails, which are among Sifnos's main attractions.