The Best 7 Day Greece Itinerary for First-Time Visitors!
Heading to Greece for the first time? Here is the BEST 7 day Greece itinerary for first-time visitors! Greece has no shortage of amazing places to visit (which is why I’m already itching to go back!), but I think for your first time there are a few places that will make your trip epic!
As your first time in Greece, I think Athens is a must. There is too much history to miss there!I think the views of Santorini are UNMATCHED. It is incredibly unique and as pretty as the photos make it out to be! However, it IS a bit crowded and does have a lot of tourists, so I think your last stop should be a less popular island to get a little more Greek culture!
Here is an epic way to spend one week in Greece!
- Why this breakdown of locations and days?
- Day 1: Athens
- Day 2: Athens
- Day 3: Santorini
- Day 4: Santorini
- Day 5, 6 and 7: A Second, Lesser-known Greek Island
- How we Spent our 3 Days in Crete
- Alternative Way to Spend 3 days in Crete
- Great Lesser-Known Islands to add to your 7 Day Greece Itinerary
- 7 Day Greece Itinerary Recap
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Why this breakdown of locations and days?
You will fly into Athens, so either start or end your 7 day Greece itinerary in the capital city! For your first time in Greece, I recommend visiting:
- Athens for the history (2 nights)
- Santorini for the views (2 nights)
- A lesser-known island to delve into the Greek culture and out of the crowds a bit (3 nights)
Why should Athens be on your list?
- In full transparency, Athens may not have been at the top of my “favorite European city” list, but I 100% recommend visiting. Athens is full of really old, rich history and truly feel like it should be visited.
- However, I don’t recommend spending a lot of your time here. For your first time visiting Greece, I recommend staying 2 nights!
Why should Santorini be on the list?
- Despite the mixed reviews of Santorini because of the crowds, it is a GORGEOUS island. The jutted cliffsides with the volcanic rock and white-wash architecture really is stunning.
- However, it is also an expensive island and, as mentioned, a busy one. So, I recommend staying just a couple of days to take in the views and then move to another island!
Why add a second island to the itinerary?
- The Greek islands are incredible. After you walk thousands of steps taking in the history of Athens and the views of Santorini, I recommend heading to a second island to slow down a bit, enjoy the sunshine and get away from the crowds a little! Therefore, I recommend spending 3 days on your second, less expensive and less crowded island!
- I’m going to leave a little bit of flexibility on the second island. We visited Crete and really liked it and I’ll give you details on that! But, know that there are LOADS of amazing Greek islands to choose from!
Keep reading for a detailed 7 day Greece itinerary!
Day 1: Athens
Be prepared for a full day of exploring Athens on foot!
Need help on choosing where to stay in Athens? Both the Plaka and Syntagma neighborhoods are nice and within walking distance of popular places such as Monastiraki Square and the Acropolis!
Morning: walking Tour
Start your morning with a free walking tour. I LOVE to start all of my city breaks taking a walking tour to get a feel for the layout of the city and to get more history of the city. Overall, it adds to the appreciation of a city!
We booked our walking tour through New Athens Free Tour, which are free and accept tips at the end (don’t forget to tip!)
- The tours start at 10:00 am at the Statue of Theseus
- Duration: 2.5 to 3 hours
- The walking tour covered:
- Monastiraki Square
- Roman Forum
- Ancient Agora (from the outside, no entry)
- Multiple viewpoints on Philopappos Hill
We really liked our walking tour! The guide was great and informative and we got to see a lot of what we wanted to see in Athens anyway!
Afternoon: Panathenaic Stadium (aka Kallimarmaro)
The walking tour will end on the Philopappos hill. There are a couple of view points up on this hill, so walk around to get a few different angles of the Acropolis! Your tour should be over by noon or 1:00 pm, leaving you plenty of time to see more of Athens!
After the tour, head to the Panathenaic Stadium, the home of the first modern Olympic games!
- Located 20-30 minutes from Philopappos Hill (depending if you walk the whole time or metro)
- Cost: 10 euros
- Duration: 1-2 hours
Evening: Lycabettus Hill
After seeing the stadium, take the metro and head to the Lycabettus Hill funicular!
Lycabettus Hill is one of the best sunset spots in Athens. You can get a 360 degree view of the entirety of Athens and see the Acropolis towering below!
- Cost: 10 euros for a round-trip funicular ride
Day 2: Athens
Plan for another full day of exploring Athens on foot!
Morning: Acropolis and Ancient Agora
Get up early and head to the acropolis! Trust me, you want to beat the crowds when you go see the famous Parthenon. Be at the gates when they open. You can purchase tickets at the entry, but there is a “skip the line” entrance for those who book tickets online. I RECOMMEND BOOKING TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME.
- Hours: opens at 8am
- Duration: Expect to spend about 2-3 hours climbing the hill, exploring the acropolis, and getting back down from the acropolis
After you tour the acropolis, be sure to stop at Areopagus Hill for a great view of the acropolis before heading down from the hill! P.S. this is where the guided tour will end as well if you opt to go that route.
After seeing the Acropolis, head to the Ancient Agora!
- Though our walking tour covered a lot of the history of the Ancient Agora, it didn’t go inside.
- The Ancient Agora was the epicenter of the ancient Athenian democracy and the place where Socrates and Pericles walked and spent a lot of their time
- Inside you will find the well-preserved temple of Hephaestus as well as artifacts of from Hippocrates and other well-known persons of the past
- You can see the majority of the Ancient Agora in 1-2 hours
- Book tickets to the Ancient Agora!
Guided Tour of the Acropolis and Ancient Agora
Another option is to do a guided tour of the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora. If you don’t have a good grasp of the history of the Acropolis, and especially the Ancient Agora, I recommend having a guide!
Mom and I tried to tackle the Ancient Agora on our own, and though it was great to see the Temple of Hephaestus, we just didn’t have enough knowledge to appreciate the deep history of the agora!
The Ancient Agora has artifacts as old as 3,000 BC and was the center of political functions where people such as Socrates and Aristotle regularly visited! A guide will just help tell you what you are looking at and why it is significant!
Acropolis + Ancient Agora Guided Tour!
-Duration: 4 hours
-Start time: 9am
-Cost: 90 euros per person
-Includes: Skip-the Line Tickets + Guide
Afternoon: Pssiri and Cooking Class OR Plaka
After visiting the Ancient Agora, head to Pssiri neighborhood.
This is a cute neighborhood that is home to the quirky cafe of Little Kook, decorated HEAVILY of Alice in Wonderland!
From Pssiri you can do one of two things:
- Either head back to Plaka (you should have seen a little of it if you did the walking tour) and explore it further
- Drishti from Trip Untraveled has a great read on how to spend your time and where to eat in the Plaka Neighborhood!
- OR Take a Cooking Class in Pssiri. The cooking classes in Athens are highly rated! Two of the most highly-rated classes are below!
Read for more information on how to spend 2 days in Athens!
Day 3: Santorini
Time for the beautiful Santorini portion of your 7 day Greece itinerary!
The easiest and most time-efficient way to get from Athens to Santorini is to fly. You can take a ferry, but the rides range from almost 5 hours (on the fastest ferry for about 85 euros) to almost 8 hours (on the slower ferry for about 45 euros) long.
Flights from Athens to Santorini are really affordable. However, when you search for flights, double check the baggage rules. Many like Volotea and Ryanair don’t come with a carry-on.
However, even flights that include a carry-on will be between 100-150 euros. Saving 4-7 hours is worth the up-charge!
Be sure to get an early flight from Athens to maximize your time in Santorini!
Book a flight from Athens to Santorini!
or
Read more on how to get from Athens to Santorini!
Also, the most time-efficient way to explore Santorini is by renting a car or scooter. You can absolutely get around Santorini via public bus, but the time schedule can be behind and you are at the mercy of its schedule.
Also, note that two days will not be enough to see the entirety of the island. However, with two days you can definitely see the famous coast villages and a bit of the inland of Santorini.
Morning: Fira
Once you land in Santorini, drop off your luggage and begin exploring. We stayed in Mesaria (a cheaper option but that has its con you read about here), which was close to Fira, but if you are staying in Oia you may want to switch the two day itinerary in Santorini!
Or, if you are dying to stay on the Santorini coastline, consider staying in Imerovigli to still have the epic views but to have less crowds and lower prices.
Begin your day by exploring Fira! Wherever you choose to stay, Fira is the most centrally located coastal village and is the capital of Santorini.
Fira is home to loads of boutiques, shops, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. So grab a coffee to enjoy your views with or begin buying epic souviners!
A few things not to miss in Fira are the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Church of Agios Stylianos and the Three Bells of Fira!
Afternoon: Imerovigli
The Three Bells of Fira are located on the edge of Fira. From here you will be headed to one of my favorite parts of Santorini, Imerovigli!
Imerovigli is located just north of Fira, but far enough away that it comes with MUCH LESS crowds than Fira (and Oia)
Not that you can miss it, but be sure to stop by the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, which is a white church with a blue dome and minimal crowds (we were the only ones there when we went!)
Imerovigli is also closer to Skaros Rock, which you can either get admire from the coastline or take the 15 minute walk out to it and the Skaros Venetian Fortress,
Imerovigli restaurants are also less crowded. So I recommend hanging out and enjoying dinner here as well!
Want a unique experience? Before dinner, do a wine tasting at the beautiful White Pearl Cavalieri. Here you will get epic views of the caldera at an infinity pool while trying 7 different local wines!
Day 4: Santorini
Your second day will be full of amazing coastline views in Santorini!
Morning: Oia
You’ll want to see Oia while you are in Santorini and if you really want to enjoy your time there, you will try to do it as early as possible. So, on the morning of your second day in Santorini, head to Oia early morning to beat the crowds!
Oia is the most famous village of Santorini; it’s where you’ll see the most recognizable spots from social media. While you are in Oia, don’t miss the:
- Oia Castle- some of the best views of either side of the coastline
- Oia Windmill- iconic to the Oia village of Santorini and takes you to the end of the village
- The Blue Dome Church of Santorini- THE blue dome churches. There are several viewing points of them, and you will want to get there early to beat the queue!
Also, from Oia you will be able to visit Ammoudi Bay. The climb is quite strenuous, but Ammoudi Bay is worth visiting due to the clear water, red cliffside and views from below!
Afternoon: Catamaran Tour
After exploring Oia and Ammoudi Bay, take a catamaran tour to make the most of the last half of your last day in Santorini!
Sail with Vista Yachting to see the iconic Red Beach plus visit the White Beach, lighthouse of Akitori, snorkel in the heated caldera waters and stop at Mesa Pigadia where the crew will barbecue a lovely dinner!
This 5 hour tour gives you the best bang for your time and will give you the opportunity to see the EPIC coastline FROM the water, which is an entirely different perspective.
–Start Time: 3:00 PM (for sunset sail)
–Duration: 5 Hours
–Cost: 120 euros
–Includes: Hotel pickup/drop off, unlimited white wine, a BBQ meal of chicken or pasta and snorkeling equipment
This is a top-rated catamaran sail and is also likely to sell out (again, especially in the summer!)
Here is more details on how to spend 2 days in Santorini!
Day 5, 6 and 7: A Second, Lesser-known Greek Island
Like I said before, I am leaving this portion of the 7 day Greece itinerary flexible. I recommend choosing an island that is lesser-known or a less busy island to slow down and soak up some sun and culture! Mykonos is probably the second most-popular island compared to Santorini, so I recommend choosing between Crete, Milos, Ios, etc.
We stayed in the Hersonissos area of Crete and explored the northern coast of the island, just east of Heraklion.
Everything you need to know about staying in Hersonissos, Crete!
How we Spent our 3 Days in Crete
Crete may not be “lesser known” but it is larger and more spread out and gave us time to slow down and catch our breath a little!
Day 5: Travel day from Santorini to Crete
- A quick and affordable way to get from Santorini to Crete is via ferry. The ferry ride is about 2 hours on the high-speed ferry and 4 hours on a traditional ferry. NOTE: During shoulder season many of the ferries only run 1-2 times a week!
- By the time we showed up to the ferry port early, rode the ferry and got to our hotel, it took nearly a day to transfer islands.
- Once we arrived, we opted to explore near our hotel and have dinner
Everything you need to know about traveling from Santorini to Crete!
Day 6: Hersonissos, Crete
- Explore Hersonissos! Hersonissos is a cute, quaint town in Crete that is home to a small harbor, shopping, bars and clear water and beaches to enjoy!
- Here is everything you should know about staying in Hersonissos!
Day 7: Stalida, Crete
- Explore Stalida and its beaches.
- Stalida is another quaint village in Crete, just a short ride from Hersonissos.
- Again, we slowed our roll a little in Crete and really enjoyed wondering the streets of small towns and enjoyed some beach time.
More details on how to spend 2 days in Crete!
We stayed at Village Heights Resort that had free public transportation to Hersonissos old town and Stalida Beach. You can visit these places via public transportation, but know that you may be limited on where you go in Crete without a car!
Rent a car to have the freedom to explore more of Crete!
Alternative Way to Spend 3 days in Crete
I definitely recommend Crete as an addition to your 7 day Greece itinerary. However, crete is a LARGE island compared to the others and you could spend a week or two alone just exploring it!
Next time I visit Crete, I plan to stay near Chania and explore the famous beaches of Elafonisi, Balos and other beaches that are found on the western side of Crete!
You will likely need a rental car to see a lot of the beaches or you will have to take guided tours to see Balos Beach OR Elafonisi Pink Sand Beach
Tory of Backpacks and Bubbly spent her three days in Crete similar to what I have mentioned above! Click here for her 3-day Crete itinerary if you wish to explore the Chania area instead!
Great Lesser-Known Islands to add to your 7 Day Greece Itinerary
I will be back to explore more Greek islands, because I absolutely loved it! If you don’t feel like Crete is your vibe, great less-crowded Greek islands are:
- Ios
- Milos or Kimolos (very near each other)
- Paros
- ETC, because there are LOADS of small, lesser-visited Greek islands to choose from!
Whichever island you choose for your 7 day Greece itinerary, I think the addition of this island really wraps up the itinerary well!
7 Day Greece Itinerary Recap
The hardest part of planning a trip to Greece is that you want to visit all the amazing places it has to offer and it simply isn’t possible. 🙃 This 7 day Greece itinerary will give you a great, well-rounded Greek experience though. From here, on your second trip to Greece, you can expand to more Greek islands and explore more of the places you couldn’t squeeze into your first trip!
Curious about when the best time to visit Greece is? Read here for my humble opinion 😜
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