Greece 2 week Itinerary: Explore ancient ruins and enchanting islands

When I started researching and planning for a 2 week trip to Greece, I knew there is a lot to cover, so we would have to narrow our choices. Greece is a treasure chest full of ancient ruins. From the grandeur of Acropolis to the drama at Delphi. Then there are sun-kissed islands scattered all over the Aegean Sea. Fit for romance and for family trips.

This Greece 2-week itinerary is a great option for a first-time visit, if you want to cover both the ancient sites and some of the enchanting islands. Our first week of Greece travel itinerary was focussed on Athens, Delphi before moving onto the dramatic landscape of Meteora. 

The second week of our 2 week Greece itinerary was spent enjoying the spectacular islands – Mykonos, Santorini in the Cyclades group, and finally Crete, the largest island in Greece. We not only enjoyed the history and architecture all over Greece but loved the regional produce bursting with flavours.

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Overview of our 2 weeks in Greece itinerary

Athens (4 nights) – Meteora (2 nights) – Mykonos (2 nights) – Santorini (3 nights) – Crete (4 nights) 

We travelled to Greece in mid-May when Mykonos and Santorini hadn’t got the peak summer crowds as yet, so we were able to enjoy their beauty in a peaceful fashion. If you are thinking of spending 2 weeks in Greece in July or August, I would suggest giving these famous islands a miss and going to some of the lesser-known gems in the Cyclades group. There are several Greek islands suited for a family trip.

We spent 16 days in Greece in total following the above itinerary. To make this into a 14 days Greece itinerary, I suggest choosing between Mykonos or Santorini. Crete has many things to do and see, so that turned out to be a fantastic choice. And for a 10 day Greece family trip, you could consider just Athens, Mykonos and Sanntorini.

Travel Resources for Greece

You have to think how you would move around Greece, both on the mainland and between the islands. We rented a car in Athens via Discover Cars to drive to Delphi and further to Meteora. There are train and bus options as well on this route.

We took ferries to reach Mykonos, Santorini and Crete. It was easy enough to check the schedule and ferry fares at Omio and book online. We booked a month in advance once we had finalised our Greece itinerary. Crete is quite far from the mainland so instead of taking a ferry back, we decided to book a domestic flight on Aegean Airlines. You also have the option to taking a flight from Athens to Mykonos or Santorini. But I thought the ferry trips were enjoyable and part of the family adventure.

Day 1-3 of Greece trip: Cultural immersion in Athens

Our flight landed early in Athens, we directly took a metro to Monastiraki. We had booked our luggage to be picked up from the airport itself and transferred to our apartment. We had also booked a combo ticket for Acropolis and 6 other sites in Athens earlier. The plan for our 3 day in Athens was to immerse in ancient Greek ruins, and that’s what we did. 

2025 Update: The above combo offer is no longer available. Get Your Guide has combined separate tickets for different sites and made an updated combo ticket. This includes timed entry to the Acropolis, and up to 5 archaeological sites of your choice (Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Aristotle’s School, or Panathenaic Stadium), and Acropolis audio tour.

Day 1 was busy with exploring the Hadrian’s Library and the Roman Agora to begin with, and then Syntagma Square. Afternoon was spent checking into our lovely apartment booked on Airbnb. And we enjoyed the evening hiking to Lycabettus Hill for stellar views of the city.

Day 2 in Athens was spent in an engaging food tour of Plaka neighbourhood. This comprised breakfast, pre-lunch snacks and Greek coffee, another pre-lunch snack, then lunches at 2 different spots, olive oil tasting, and finally some Greek sweets. Did I say food coma! On our food walk, we also passed by numerous shops to buy jewellery, ceramics, olive oil and other food products as souvenirs or gift items. The evening was enjoyable with a visit to the Acropolis, the most impressive historical site in all of Greece. This is a must-visit attraction even if you are going to Athens for a day.

More ancient sites to be explored on Day 3: Ancient Agora, Aristotle’s school, Olympieion, and Kerameikos cemetry. Afternoon was spent visiting the Acropolis Museum. This is close to the Acropolis site and can be combined with visiting the citadel. Do note that the museum requires a separate ticket and is not included in the combo ticket we had purchased. 

Day 4 of Greece itinerary: Day trip to Peloponnese region

Mainland Greece is famous for its rich history spanning more than 3000 years. There are important ancient ruins and archeologiccal sites outside the capital city as well. So while the first 3 days of our Greece mainland itinerary was spent in Athens, Day 4 was was reserved for a day tour to Peloponnese region.

This guided bus tour first took us to the Cornith Canal which separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. We visited Epidavros site first. The amphitheatre here is the best preserved one in all of Greece. The coastal town of Nafplio was our spot for lunch and to take some rest. We used our free time to explore the old town. The last site to be visited was Mycenae, considered to be the greatest and richest kingdom of the later Bronze Age.

You can easily spend a week exploring the Peloponnese region, it is one of the best places to visit in Europe in October, when scorching heat has given way to pleasant weather.

Day 5: Enjoying the Delphi archeological site

The next morning, we woke up fresh to pick up our rented car from Athens city center. And then we took the scenic route to visit the famous archeological site of Delphi. If you are not visiting Meteora, I suggest you cover Delphi as a day trip from Athens.

The Delphi site is set amidst mountains and gorgeous scenery. It is easy to buy tickets directly at the site which also covers the visit to the museum nearby. We spent an hour at the archaeological site. The Delphi museum near the site holds all the important artifacts excavated from the Delphi site, so don’t give that a miss.

Post lunch, we drove via beautiful winding roads to reach Kalambaka town in Meteora. It was early evening so we could check into Hotel Theatro for 2 nights, and walk to a diner and enjoy the views of monoliths looming all over the town.

Day 6 of Greece 2-week itinerary: The towering landscape of Meteora

The landscape here is unlike anything you may have encountered so I highly recommend Meteora in Greece. There are more than 190 monoliths here and monasteries made on top of these rocky columns in the 14^th and 15^th centuries. Exactly 6 of the 24 monasteries and hermitages made earlier are still active and you can visit them.

Drive up to them, take a bus tour, hike to one or several of these monasteries, take an e-bike tour, there are several ways to enjoy Meteora. Meteora offers some of the best hiking trails in Greece with spectacular views.

We chose to do an easy hike tour in the morning. We had pre-planned this activity and accordingly compiled our packing list for Greece to include hiking shoes. The 5-hour morning hike we chose to go up to Great Meteoron was an easy route, suited for even young kids. The visit to the largest active monastery in Meteora was a quick one. 

I booked an E-bike tour in the evening to see all the 6 monasteries (from outside) and view the gorgeous sunset. Great experience. My husband and daughter had booked an ATV to zip around the mountain areas. We all met at sunset point and enjoyed the views from here.

Day 7: Drive back to Athens to take a ferry to Mykonos

The last day of our time on Greece mainland was spent mainly in travel. We had to drive back from Meteora to Athens, return the rental car, take a taxi to Piraeus port to get on board a ferry to Mykonos. Mykonos is closer to Athens than Santorini, so we chose to visit Mykonos first on our 2-week Greece itinerary. You also have the option of taking a domestic flight from Athens to reach this island.

Needless to say, we were tired after a long travel day when we checked into our hotel. But the stunning environs of Myconian Kyma, the design hotel we chose for our stay in Mykonos, lifted our spirits. It was walking distance to Chora, the old town of Mykonos and we walked there to enjoy a beautiful evening.

The famous windmills in Chora looked magical in the night. As did the old town itself, where the party vibes were tangible. But thankfully this was not peak season as yet. In Little Venice, the water lapping up on the building is reminiscent of Venice. The hotel concierge got us a waterfront table at a lovely restaurant here to enjoy our drinks and dinner.

Day 8 of Greece travel itinerary: Breezy and carefree in Mykonos

We had only one full day to explore Mykonos. So the next morning, we were back to Chora to explore its myriad lanes and boutique stores, cafes in daylight. Chora in Mykonos is as photogenic as you had believed it to be. It is what you imagined a Cycladic village to be like, with its white-washed walls, cobblestone streets and bougainvillaea-covered archways. We walked our way north towards Mykonos’ oldest church, Panagia Paraportiani.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the famous windmills, the emblem of Mykonos Chora. These were built by the Venetians in the 16th century, about 7 remain to this day.

The evening was spent at Ornos beach. There are plenty of beach bars to enjoy a cocktail here and deckchairs with umbrellas on rent. This is a family-friendly beach in Mykonos with shallow waters. Mykonos as compared to Santorini offers plenty of sandy beaches great for families. It was a breezy evening and the beach was quite empty. The water was cold to the touch. Not a typical beach day, we still enjoyed our time here.

Day 9: Land in Santorini and get wowed by Oia

We landed via a fast ferry from Mykonos to Santorini and managed to get out of the port quickly. Santorini port can get very busy in summer months, especially in the late afternoons, when many ferries land or take off to other Greek Islands. 

We had booked Mystique, a luxury hotel in Oia to enjoy our 3 days in Santorini. Oia is instantly recognizable, from the thousands of Instagram photos that we have all seen. It is as pretty as was expected. And has plenty of Greek Island luxury hotels.

It was already evening by the time we freshened up and set out to explore. The whole village of Oia looks like a work of art as the houses are carved into the lava rock. The main marble street has fancy hotels, restaurants and boutique shops lined at both ends. We walked to almost the end of the village, to see an epic sunset. 

Day 10 of 2 weeks in Greece: The south side of Santorini

Day 10 morning of our Greece 2-week itinerary was spent enjoying the spectacular views from our hotel. We couldn’t get enough of the jaw-dropping caldera views. Afternoon was spent enjoying a leisurely lunch at Ammoudi Bay, which sits directly below Oia village. 

There are about 300 steps down to Ammoudi from the Venetian castle in Oia.  You can also take a taxi to Ammoudi Bay which is what we did on the way back, or rent an ATV to get there. Climbing down the steps gives you stellar views of the bay, so my vote is for that.

The second half of the day was reserved for exploring the south-west side of the island, renting a car from Akrotiri village, visiting the Black Beach and the Red Beach, and then seeing the sunset at Akrotiri Lighthouse.

Day 11: Chill day, but let’s add Fira to Oia hike

Since we had splurged on a stay in Oia, we spent Day 11 chilling out at our hotel, and just enjoying the sun and the sea. This was the last full day in Santorini, and I had one more item to check off my list. The 10-km Fira to Oia hike which gives the most spectacular views of the island, the caldera, and the sea from different angles. This is an easy to moderate hike, so I encourage you to put it on your Santorini itinerary. This hike is along the rim of the caldera.

I had a private taxi drop me to the Three Bells Church at Fira, where I started my hike. The main paved path from Fira to Firostefani and then to Imerovigli village is lined with boutique stays and restaurants, and is quite interesting to walk through. And then it was down a rocky path all the way to Oia. I crossed 3 churches, a rocky outcrop named Turtle Rock, Perivolas village and finally my hotel.

Day 12: Travel day to each Crete and drive to Chania

After enjoying our hotel for the morning of Day 12, we had a long travel day ahead. Drive to Santorini port was the last time we enjoyed the views of the interesting topography that this volcanic island offers.

Our ferry from Santorini reached Heraklion Port in Crete, and our first adventure was to rent a car. Having a car makes it easy to drive around and discover Crete, the largest island in Greece. This island offers some famous Greek landmarks. It took us more than 2 hours to reach our hotel in Chania on the first evening. If you have limited time on your Greece trip, you may need to choose between Cycladic islands and Crete, see this post on Crete or Santorini.

We had based ourselves at Tanneries Hotel in Chania for our 4 days in Crete. You can also consider splitting your stay in Crete: the first 2 days in Heraklion which is more central, and the next 2 days in Chania on the western side of the island.

Day 13 of Greece 2 week itinerary: Stunning Lasithi Plateau

Day 13 of our Greece 2-week itinerary got us to the scenic Lasithi Plateau in the first half and then to Knossos Palace in the second half of the day. We drove from Chania first to Heraklion on the regular highway and then via winding scenic roads to reach Lasithi plateau. The gorgeous views made it worth the drive. 

This fertile area, dotted with several villages, is also known as the plateau of windmills. The plateau of Lasithi has nearly 10,000 windmills. We also visited Diktaion Cave, also referred to as the Cave of Zeus. This has some interesting stalactites and stalagmites to view. If you don’t have a car, it is easy enough to take a guided tour to the Lasithi Plateau and the Diktaion Cave. 

The second half of the day was for exploring the Knossos Palace site, one of the best places to visit in Crete of ancient history interests you. Unlike the Acropolis site in Athens, which we visited on our own, we had booked a private guided tour to Knossos Palace. And this was a good decision. Known for its monumental architecture and art, the Knossos Palace was built by the Minoan civilisation, which is often regarded as the first civilisation in Europe. 

You can even combine a tour of Lasithi Plateau with Knossos Palace.

Day 14: Visit to Elafonissi Beach

The plan for Day 14 was to drive to the southwestern part of Crete and visit the famous Elafonissi Beach. Elafonissi is famous for its pink sand created by thousands of shattered seashells. 

There are multiple parking lots near the beach but it is no longer possible to drive up to Elafonissi beach. The beach is crowded all through the day. But it is a large beach, so even with the crowds, you manage to get space for sure. The sand is not pink all over, but you are likely to find it pink closer to the water and in areas which are secluded near rocks. The water is crystal clear and in end-May when we visited, cold and refreshing.

The evening was exploring the old town of Chania and the beautiful Venetian harbour area. 

Day 15 of 2 week Greece itinerary: Samaria Gorge hike

The last day in Crete was reserved for the Samaria Gorge hike, one of the highlights on my Greece travel itinerary. Samaria National Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the White Mountains of Crete. Therein lies the second largest gorge in all of Europe.

The hike begins at the trailhead and park entrance booth at an elevation of 4,035 feet, the starting point is located in the mountain town of Omalos. The trail ends by the shores of the coastal village of Agia Roumeli. Between the two points are 10 miles of descending trail and rocky terrain.

I had booked a tour for this to manage the complicated logistics for this hike. The bus tour ensured hotel pick-up to the trail head located in the mountain town of Omalos. The guide had also arranged for the ferry from Agia Roumeli, this is the only way to get out of this beach town. The 1 hour ferry route got us to Chora Sfakion, where our bus was waiting to get us back to our hotel.

Day 16: Flight back to Athens and then home

Crete was a great finale to our 2 weeks in Greece. Instead of taking a 9-hour ferry from Crete to Athens, I had booked a flight back to Athens in late afternoon. Make sure if you have connecting flight from Athens to elsewhere, you keep enough cushion in the layover at Athens to manage flight delays from the islands.

[This post was originally published in 2024 and last updated in April 2025.]

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