Greece in 11 days- where to go!

What sort of activities do you have in mind? It takes at least 3 days to scratch the surface of any destination in Greece, especially out on the islands.

We're not really into laying on the beach all day, but don't want to overdo it as it is going to be our honeymoon. Lots of hikes/sightseeing and experiencing good food/wine etc...We want to check out Santorini, Crete, Corfu and Mykonos but don't know if we have enough time.

That's not much time for Athens, Crete, Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu. Especially Corfu and Crete. Part of the fun of spending several days in one place is getting used to the rhythm of daily life and feeling like a temporary resident. Crete has hiking and beaches. Santorini has a little hiking, but mostly up donkey paths.

You need to rethink your overall itinerary. There just isn't enough time to visit 4 islands and Athens in 11 days. You haven't said if you plan to spend any time exploring Athens, but I'm assuming that's part of the plan, which makes trying to fit in 4 islands even more unrealistic. It takes time to get from one place to another, not to mention the time it takes to pack up and check out of your hotel, make your way to the airport or ferry port, travel to your next destination, find your way to your next hotel, check in and unpack. You'll lose a full half day or more for each destination you plan to visit. And if you fly to save time it means flying back to Athens for every ongoing connecting flight. Crete takes at least a full week with a rental car just to scratch the surface. It's very large. Corfu is not in the Aegean Sea, meaning more travel time to get there and then on to your next destination. Mykonos and Santorini are fairly close together but because of their similarity I suggest you choose one or the other. Then choose an island nearby, such as Naxos, Paros or Crete, which can be reached by ferry to avoid the necessity of flying back to Athens.

I think Athens, Crete and Santorini are a good mix. When you first arrive fly out the same day to Chania Crete, spend a few days, hike the Samaria Gorge, take a morning bus to Heraklion, see Knossos, then take the FlyingCat 4 highspeed ferry to Santorini the next morning, and then fly back to Athens for a couple of days. Saving Athens for the end insures you that you have those extra days to make it back to the mainland in case of mechanical breakdowns or cancellations due to high winds, which do happen in July.

Michele,

First of all, congratulations!!!

You'll lose the first day in flight times and time zone changes, so you'll only have 10 days for travel. Especially with Greece, you'll have to allow adequate travel times between locations, as some Ferry rides can be half a day or longer.

You might consider 3-4 days for Athens (including time getting over jet lag and perhaps a day trip to Hydra) and the rest of the time in the islands. I'd make Santorini the last stop, as you'll be able to get a flight from there back to Athens for the trip home.

As for which islands to choose, have a look at This Website to get some ideas.

BTW, Portland is beautiful at this time of year! I was there a few weeks ago for a short visit.

Happy Travels!

Thanks for all the great advice. We definitely need to sit down and plan everything out- I'm used to just jumping on a train and arriving in the next city in a few hours over there, so we need to factor in ferry and flight times and narrow the trip down to only a few places. Thanks again!

Hi Michele,

My husband and I had our honeymoon in Greece, too, for the same amount of time.

Here's what we did: flight to Athens, one night there; ferry to Paros for two nights; ferry to Mykonos for two nights; ferry to Santorini for two nights; flight back to Athens, two nights there; flew home.

We loved Paros and Santorini--I'd definitely recommend them. Mykonos was beautiful and we enjoyed our time at the beach (it was hot and the sun was super strong in September, so be careful in July!), but it was by far the most touristy and most expensive of the places we visited.

How long you should stay in each place depends on what kind of vacation you want to have. While I was happy we got to see Athens and three of the islands, it sometimes got a little hectic with all the traveling between islands that we did. But we tried to have a good balance of relaxation, time at the pool/ocean, hanging out in tavernas and exploring sites, wandering around cities, etc. If I had to do it over again I'd probably spend three nights on two islands.

Also, if you can, I'd suggest leaving immediately for one of the islands when you land in Athens. It will be a lot of traveling, but it was kind of a pain to fly in, find our hotel in Athens and then get up super early the next morning to head to the port.

Let me know if you have any questions. We loved our Greek honeymoon. :)