FFU Editorial Note: Ferry times verified against current Greek Travel Pages and Aegean Speedlines schedules. Hotel pricing in shoulder season (May/Sept). Site fees from Tap.gr and Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Last verified: 8 May 2026.
Greece in 10 days is the test of “less is more.” The mistake first-timers make is trying to hit Athens + 4 islands + Meteora + Crete in 10 days. You burn 4 days on travel and arrive home knowing nothing. Below: the route we actually recommend — Athens, two islands, and one mainland detour — deep enough to feel like Greece rather than photograph it.
Part of the FFU Greece cluster: Greece overview · 30 things to do · Best time to visit · Where to stay
The route at a glance
Days 1–3: Athens · Day 4: Delphi day trip OR Hydra · Days 5–7: Naxos (or Paros) · Days 8–10: Santorini → fly home from Santorini.
Total: ~580 km of ferry + flight + drive. No rental car for islands. One rental day for Delphi if you choose that variation.
Days 1–3: Athens
Day 1 — Arrive, settle, walk Plaka
Land Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH), take the Metro Line 3 (blue) to Syntagma or Monastiraki (40 min, €9). Or taxi €40 fixed rate. Check into a hotel in Plaka, Monastiraki, or Koukaki (south of the Acropolis, walking distance, less touristy).
Afternoon: shake off the flight with a Plaka → Anafiotika walk → Roman Agora → Hadrian’s Library → Monastiraki square. End at the Areopagus rock for free first views of the Acropolis. ~3 hours.
Dinner: Mani Mani (modern Cretan, Koukaki, book ahead) or Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani (traditional small plates, Monastiraki). Athenians eat at 9–10:30 p.m.
Day 2 — Acropolis morning, Plaka tavernas evening
Morning (8 a.m. opening): the Acropolis. Plan 2.5 hours. Hit the Parthenon, the Erechtheion (with the Caryatids), the Temple of Athena Nike. Then descend the south side via the Theatre of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
Lunch: the Acropolis Museum (open 9–5; €10) — the architectural masterpiece by Bernard Tschumi, with the Parthenon Marbles displayed in chronological order at actual scale.
Afternoon: Ancient Agora (€10 — the political heart of classical Athens, with the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos). 2 hours.
Evening: sunset at Lycabettus Hill (funicular €10, walk-up free). Dinner in Plaka — Liondi or Daphne’s for traditional, or O Thanasis (Monastiraki, since 1964) for souvlaki.
Day 3 — National Archaeological Museum + Psyrri
Morning: National Archaeological Museum. €12. Plan 3 hours. Mycenaean gold, the Antikythera mechanism, Bronze Age frescoes from Akrotiri.
Lunch: Diporto (the legendary subterranean Athens institution, no menu, no English, you eat what’s cooking — €15 for two with wine).
Afternoon: walk the Plaka shopping streets, the Central Market (Varvakios), and Psyrri’s craft cocktail bars. Or visit the Benaki Museum (€12, mid-range Greek and Byzantine art).
Evening: rooftop drinks at A for Athens or 360° Cocktail Bar for Acropolis-illuminated views. Dinner at Funky Gourmet (Athens’s Michelin-starred experimental Greek, splurge tier) or Cookoovaya (Exarchia, more accessible).
Day 4: Delphi day trip OR Hydra
Variation A — Delphi (recommended for first-timers)
Drive (or organized tour) 2.5 hours northwest to Delphi — the navel of the ancient world. Temple of Apollo, the theatre, the stadium, the museum with the Charioteer of Delphi. €18 combo. Allow 4 hours on site. Lunch in Arachova (the cute mountain town 10 min away). Drive back to Athens, arriving evening.
Organized tours from Athens run €60–€90, including transport, lunch, and guide.
Variation B — Hydra day trip (recommended for second-timers)
Take the 8:00 a.m. Hellenic Seaways ferry from Piraeus to Hydra (90 min, €30 each way). Hydra has banned cars since 1950 — you walk, hire a donkey, or take a water taxi. Walk the harbour, lunch at Sunset Restaurant (the cliff-edge classic) or Kodylenia’s. Swim at Vlychos Beach (20-min coastal walk west). Last ferry back at 7 p.m.
Days 5–7: Naxos (or Paros)
Day 5 — Ferry to Naxos, settle
Take the 7:00 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. high-speed ferry from Piraeus (Rafina is faster but check your departure port — book on ferryhopper.com). Naxos in 4 hours, €60–€80 each way. Book reserved seats; bring water and snacks for the ferry.
Naxos Town (Chora) is the base. Check into a hotel near the Apollo Gate (Portara) — walking distance to harbour, restaurants, beaches. The town’s Venetian-era Kastro (castle quarter) is the atmospheric option for boutique stays.
Afternoon: walk the Old Town’s narrow lanes through the Kastro, sunset at Apollo Gate (the photograph), dinner at To Apolafsi or Doukato Restaurant.
Day 6 — Mountain villages + Mount Zas
Rent a car for the day (€30–€50). Drive into Naxos’s interior — the largest Cycladic island has a dramatic mountain core. Visit the village of Halki (the historic kitron-liqueur capital, distillery tours), Apeiranthos (marble streets, traditional architecture), and Filoti (the gateway to Mount Zas).
Hike Mount Zas — the highest peak in the Cyclades at 1,001m, a 4-hour return hike from the Aria spring. The summit views span the entire archipelago.
Lunch in a mountain village — Lévrosos in Apeiranthos for traditional, or Yiannis Taverna in Halki.
Evening: dinner in Naxos Town. Try Axiotissa or Boulamatsis.
Day 7 — Beaches, Plaka beach, ferry to Santorini
Naxos has the best beaches in the Cyclades — sand (not pebbles like most of the chain). Drive to Plaka Beach (5 km of golden sand, low-key beach bars), Mikri Vigla (windsurfing), or Apollonas (north coast, the Kouros statue lying half-finished in an ancient quarry).
Take the late afternoon ferry to Santorini (1.5 hr from Naxos, €40–€60). Arrive in time for sunset.
Variation: substitute Paros for Naxos. Smaller, more lively, world-class restaurants in Naoussa, similar beach quality but slightly less wild interior.
Days 8–10: Santorini
Day 8 — Caldera, Oia sunset
Stay in Oia (the cliff-edge village with the famous sunset, expensive), Imerovigli (between Fira and Oia, slightly cheaper, equally photographable), or Pyrgos (inland, hilltop, much cheaper, less postcard but a more authentic Santorini experience).
Afternoon: walk the Caldera Path from Fira to Oia — 10 km of cliff-edge trail with the entire caldera below. Allow 4 hours including stops. End in Oia for sunset.
Sunset: not the famous castle ruins (2,000 people). Walk 10 min north to the windmill or watch from a sailing trip. Or, contrarian choice: book dinner at a Pyrgos taverna with a sea view (the eastern Santorini sunsets are different but equally stunning, and uncrowded).
Day 9 — Akrotiri archaeological site + Red Beach
Morning: Akrotiri archaeological site (€12, 90 min) — the Bronze Age “Greek Pompeii” buried by the 1600 BC volcanic eruption. Frescoes, multi-story buildings, an entire ancient city under a climate-controlled covering.
Lunch: at To Psaraki near Vlychada (sea-view fish taverna, locals’ choice).
Afternoon: Red Beach (5 min from Akrotiri — the famous red volcanic-rock beach), or White Beach (boat-only access, 30 min ride, more dramatic). Or visit the Santo Wines winery for a sunset tasting.
Evening: dinner at Selene (Pyrgos, the island’s most respected restaurant, Greek tasting menu, €120) or Metaxi Mas (Exo Gonia, traditional, the locals’ favourite — book 4 weeks ahead).
Day 10 — Sailing tour + flight home
Morning–early afternoon: sailing tour of the caldera (€80–€140 per person, 5–7 hours including lunch and snorkel). Visit the volcanic islets, hot springs, swim in the caldera. End at Oia or Ammoudi Bay for the famous sunset (or earlier, depending on flight time).
Late afternoon: 30 min taxi or shuttle to Santorini airport (JTR). Direct flights to most major European cities; long-haul typically requires Athens or international hub connection.
Variation: if you’ve fallen in love with Santorini, fly to Athens at end of trip and connect international from there — gives you one more morning on the island.
Major variations
Crete-based variation (replaces days 5–10)
Skip the Cyclades; fly Athens → Heraklion or Chania (50 min). 4 days in Chania (Samaria Gorge hike, Elafonissi pink-sand beach, old town), 2 days in Heraklion area (Knossos, Heraklion Archaeological Museum). Crete is bigger than people think — needs a rental car. Best for travellers who want one place rather than island hopping.
Mainland-heavy variation (replaces day 4 + days 8–10)
2 days Athens (compressed) → 2 days Meteora (the cliff-top monasteries) → 2 days Delphi/Mount Parnassus → 2 days Nafplio + Mycenae → fly home. Best for travellers more interested in archaeology and architecture than islands. Doable as a Peloponnese rental-car loop.
Sailing variation (replaces days 5–10)
Charter a catamaran from Athens or Paros. 5–7 days of sailing the Cyclades — different anchorage every night. €1,500–€4,000 per person depending on class and skipper-vs-bareboat. Best in June or September for steady but manageable winds.
Ferries, planes, money
Ferries: Greek ferry network is excellent but the schedule changes seasonally. Book at ferryhopper.com 1+ week ahead in summer. Athens departures from Piraeus (the main port) or Rafina (smaller, often faster connections). Reserved seats on high-speed ferries are €40–€80; deck-class on slow ferries €25–€45.
Domestic flights: Aegean Airlines and Sky Express run Athens → Santorini, Mykonos, Heraklion, Chania, Corfu in 30–50 min. €40–€120 each way. Faster than ferry but you lose the sailing-into-the-Cyclades experience.
Daily budget per person: Mid-range — €150–€220 in May/September, €220–€350 in July/August. Budget — €80–€120 (hostels, taverna meals, public transit). Comfortable — €350+ in islands, €280+ in Athens.
Tipping: Greeks round up €1–€2 per meal, no more. Service charge typically not added; if added, that’s what you pay.
FAQ
Should I rent a car?
For Athens: never. Excellent metro, walkable centre, parking is impossible. For islands: depends. Naxos and Crete yes; Santorini and Mykonos no (they’re small, parking is awful, ATV is the local way around). For mainland (Delphi, Peloponnese, Meteora) yes — that’s how you reach the interesting villages.
Is 10 days enough for Greece?
Yes — for Athens + 1 island region. Not enough for “all of Greece” — that’s a 3-week minimum. Pick: Cyclades-focus, Crete-focus, mainland-focus, or sailing-focus. Don’t try to combine more than two of these in 10 days.
Should I learn Greek?
English is widely spoken in tourist Greece. In Athens hotels and tourist-zone restaurants, fine. In smaller villages and especially on smaller islands, basic Greek warms the trip. Learn 8 phrases — kalimera, kalispera, efharisto, parakalo, ena trapezi gia dyo parakalo, ti ekanis?, signomi, yia mas!
Best month for this exact route?
Mid-May or mid-September. Athens walking weather, Cyclades open with full ferry schedules but pre-crush, sea swimmable. Avoid August for Athens (locals gone, hot, half-restaurants closed) and last 10 days of July for the famous Cyclades (peak crowds and prices).
Naxos or Paros — which?
Naxos is bigger, wilder, more interior to explore (mountain villages, Mount Zas), better beaches. Paros is smaller, more food-focused (Naoussa is one of the great Greek dining villages), better connected to Mykonos and Santorini. First-timer: Naxos. Foodie: Paros. With a third night to spare: do both (Paros 1 night, Naxos 2 nights).
What if the meltemi wind grounds my ferry?
The summer northerly meltemi can cancel small-ferry routes (especially Mykonos-Santorini and inter-Cycladic small islands). Build a buffer day. If your flight home is from Santorini, give yourself 2 days on the island — if a ferry is cancelled and you have to fly Mykonos → Athens → Santorini, you don’t miss your departure.
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