The Best Way to Spend One Week in Greece
Updated: Apr 23
Greece is one of those places I’ve been learning about since I was a kid and just couldn’t get out of my head. The islands looked beautiful, there’s a rich history, and who doesn’t love Greek food?! This one-week trip to Greece was truly a dream come true. It’s beautiful there, and I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend one week in Greece than by traveling around the various landscapes that are a must-see.
Contents
· Costs per person for One Week in Greece
· Delphi and Meteora Trip: Day 2 - 3
· Santorini: Day 4 - 5
· Mykonos: Day 5 and 6
If you’ve read my posts about saving on travel, then you know that when I see a deal, I take it. I hadn’t been to Europe since college and had been dreaming about it for a while after visiting Asia and South America, so I knew it needed to be my next destination. I started looking out for cheap flights and found one for the perfect dates. Just $530 for one week in Greece is a pretty good deal!
The flight was booked and research started. I knew a lot about the history of Greece, had seen countless photos, and couldn’t wait to see what it was actually like to be there. It did not disappoint! I’ve made this itinerary to help you plan a week in Greece, to dip your toes in and really start seeing what makes Greece such a unique place.
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Pro-tip: Use different sites to research for the cheapest flight. I use Hopper (get $10 off Hopper when you use code "MEGHAN."). To redeem for $10 off., Google Flights, TravelZoo, and Momondo to check! I found this deal after using the Google Flights map feature. Check out my step by step guide to save on flights here. Gain access to my planning documents by subscribing here.
In this post, I’ll break down the costs and give recommendations on what to see and do in each location. From the mainland to the islands, Greece is beautiful!
Costs per person for One Week in Greece:
International Flight — $535 Hotels/Airbnb — $125 Tours — $203 Car Rentals — $35 Internal Flights/Baggage/Ferry — $174 Food/Tips/Uber — $200 Total Cost — $1272
Athens: Day 1
Athens is what we had planned even though I ended up stuck in Turkey. Elizabeth did all of these things and had an awesome day so I highly recommend it still. Take your first day slow, get to know a new city, and have some fun!
We originally had booked an Airbnb in Athens, but to make Elizabeth feel more comfortable traveling solo, we canceled it and booked Philipos Hotel instead. The hotel was very nice but had a small room. The location was perfect though—they had excellent customer service and a delicious breakfast. No complaints at all!
Bike tour
This is a tour I actually found online and thought would be really fun. What better way to get to know a city than to ride around on a bike and experience all the different sites so you can go back and explore on your own? Well, because of Expedia and Turkish Airlines (read about the fiasco here), I ended up missing this, and we booked a tour for the last day to tour inside the Acropolis as well. Initially, we planned to do this ourselves since we would have done this tour… I will say, I was definitely jealous she got to do this even though I was in Istanbul for the day!
Delphi and Meteora Trip: Day 2 – 3 (overnight tour — 7)
One of the things I had to do while I was in Greece was see some of the important mainland sites. Delphi was one spot I had heard about and my parents raved about it after their trip (they went before I did, and gave me lots of tips), but I was skeptical about this one. I ended up LOVING IT! The history is so interesting.
Fun facts for you history people like me:
People from all over the known world at the time (as far as Asia and Africa) would come to Delphi to speak to the oracle about their life. Getting there must have been so difficult because it was up a very steep mountain and people brought their gifts for the gods. It is definitely a must-see spot when in Greece. I had no clue that Greece is mostly mountainous and let me tell you, the mountains in spring were covered in flowers! It was gorgeous!
There are many options for day tours to Delphi from Athens, but we opted for a two-day tour to Delphi and Meteora because Meteora was SO worth the extra day. My only complaint about this tour was the fact that we didn’t end up having very much time in Delphi. We were running around trying to see everything after the tour ended with just 30 minutes to explore and still missed a few things.
Picked up from hotel at 8:30 am
2-hour bus ride from Athens with 30 minute stop
Pro-tip: While you want to be there quickly, the stops were clutch since we were stuck on a bus for so long. Plus, we got to try lots of different Greek snacks!
Arrive in Delphi at 11:30 am
Pro-tip: Booking a tour for this trip was a solid choice. Our meals, drinks, and lodging were covered, we had wifi on the bus, and we got to go through with a guide since the ruins did not have signs or very much info.
Lunch on the way
This was my least favorite meal of the whole trip. Really, not much else to report here, but it’s difficult to take 40 people’s orders all at once so I do feel for them there.
3-hour drive to Meteora
This took the better half of the afternoon. We arrived in Kalambaka at our hotel around 7:30 pm. Our food was included which was really nice. Dinner was at the hotel, but we didn’t mind because riding a bus all day with 35 other people really does take something out of you, so not moving and having a nice big hotel room was pretty great.
We ended up sitting at dinner with an awesome couple from New Zealand that were on our tour who were traveling for a month through Europe and meeting up with friends in Italy. We loved their stories and shared about our lives. One of the best parts about traveling is meeting new people!
Meteora: Day 3
I saw photos of Meteora and immediately fell in love. Meteora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is incredibly unique for many reasons. Monks have lived in these very monasteries on top of spiral-shaped rocks since the 500s when they fled persecution.
Can you imagine carrying anything up these spires let alone building an entire monastery on top of rocks like these? It was incredible to see. Today, 6 of the 24 monasteries are still functioning and others are in ruins along the cliffs—a reminder of the past and Greek history.
I was blown away at the unique rock formations, monasteries, and beautiful green scenery. I know many people don’t end up seeing Meteora when they come to Greece, but let me tell you—it’s so worth your time! Don’t skip this incredible and unique spot in Greece.
Monastery Visits
We saw one monastery that was very easy to get to. The bus dropped us off close to the entrance and we went in quickly. The second monastery had many stairs you had to climb with a rock gate at the entrance. It still has a hanging basket that the monastery uses to lift large things to and from the top, which was incredible to see working.
This was definitely my favorite spot (pictured below). I also loved all the monasteries that are just tucked into the cliffs that are no longer functioning. What a beautiful reminder of the past and mystery of these mountains.
Pro-tip: You have to wear a long dress (not pants) as a woman to enter the monasteries. They provide skirts which were no problem for us as we toured the monasteries. Pack your own if you don’t want to wear one of these!
Lunch in Kalambaka
Kalambaka is known as the gateway to Meteora. You can actually see it from most of the monasteries and vice versa. It’s so unique and was a fun place to grab lunch. We enjoyed a traditional Greek lunch where the food was home-cooked and served right from the stove. So delicious and a little embarrassing after that mess with the bathroom.
Fun story: I didn’t see the signs here and used the men’s bathroom. Should have learned the Greek words for men and women… But it was too late!
Back to Athens
We made two stops on the drive back to use the bathroom and get snacks. This was seriously a brutal afternoon trip that seemed to go on forever. It took 5 hours to get back to Athens, and we definitely got bored on the drive. I wouldn’t take it back though because Meteora was incredible.
Pro-tip: Bring books and things to do besides your phone! While WiFi was great, it was spotty and didn’t work in the mountains. This left us with little to do on the drive, plus it ate our phone batteries causing us issues getting our plane tickets printed and an Uber in Athens.
Flight to Santorini
We had a late RyanAir flight and arrived in Santorini at 12:30 am. Thankfully, our hotel was able to pick us up and check us in late (for a $20 charge).
The graphics on the flight safety info were our favorite part of the flight. I was dying laughing while on the plane. If you’re a newbie to European airlines like I was, you can read my post about what to expect here!
Pro-tip: Many hotels in Greece do not have 24-hour hotel desks. Double-check hotel rules before booking. We specifically chose Santorini Reflexions Hotel because it allowed late night check-ins and was along the cliffs in Fira.
Santorini: Day 4 – 5
PS – Our hotel is the building with the blue door and individual balconies in this picture. IT WAS PERFECT!
Who doesn’t think of Santorini when they think of the Greek Islands?! It lives up to the hype and is an incredible place to visit. You could spend a whole week here alone there is so much to do!
We chose to stay in Fira instead of Oia for a few reasons. First, Fira is cheaper than Oia but still just as beautiful with its cliffs, villas, and little rooftop pools. Second, it was more in the center of the island which was better when trying to get to the beaches during the day.
We stayed at Santorini Reflexions Volcano and could not have been happier with that choice. I mean, look at this incredible view above we had at breakfast!!! Yes, three exclamation points because it was that good. The reception was so kind and helpful.
The manager helped us call our car reservation to make sure we had a secure pickup, made sure we had an excellent room, gave us free wine, and were so accommodating. There was also parking nearby for free so we were able to easily park our rental car. I LOVED this hotel!
Rent a car
Pro-tip: This was a must to get everywhere on our own schedule. Although there is a reliable bus service in Santorini, it is slower and on a schedule, so getting places will take longer. We wanted to stay on our own schedule and rental cars were not expensive so we went ahead and split the rental car cost to go all over the island.
We used Santorini Holiday Cars to book in advance and paid through PayPal with no problem. They were pretty responsive but were late dropping off our car, which set us back in our day.
Black Sand Beach
This beach is beautiful and overlooks the cliffs of Ancient Thera—our next stop. It was really empty while we were they are, and we felt very lucky to run along the beach all alone. In the summer, this is a really popular beach, but the rocks are really hard on your feet and get extremely hot since this is a black sand beach!
Ancient Thera
At the top of a hill in Santorini are some Ancient Greek ruins of a town called Thera. To get there, you’ve got to drive on some winding roads up the mountain and do a little bit of hiking, but the views are breathtaking. You’ll be along cliff edges the entire time you walk the ruins so be prepared for some scary but beautiful views!
Red Beach
Red Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Santorini. Waded in the water and, of course, watched for landslides! It does take some hiking to get down to this beach. You'll need sturdy shoes to get there and should plan on no shade as you get there.
Lunch on the coast
We found a random stop along our drive with a gorgeous view. They had our favorite lunch with a delicious feta cheese covered in sesame seeds and honey. Just wonderful—I wish I remembered the name, but we didn’t stop to consider it after being so hungry!
Walking Fira
Yes, we got fish pedicures! Yes, they left our feet feeling soft. No, I didn’t even last the trial 10 minutes before freaking out and taking my feet out…
Walk Oia
It was so crowded here! Seriously. I caught the first photo below because everyone was on the west side of Oia trying to catch the sunset so I got lucky on that one, but this second one shows you what the crowds were really like.
Pro-tip: Oia is the most popular spot in Santorini in the evenings. It is famous for its sunsets (NO SURPRISE THERE), so you have to plan ahead. Traffic in Oia was bad with all the tourists coming in on giant buses, so cars couldn’t get through. We were stuck on one road for about 15 minutes at a standstill.
This was in April too—not even close to the height of tourist season. Plan ahead and know it’s going to take a while to get there. Parking was about the same. We didn’t have to look for too long, but still, plan ahead.
Sunset in Oia
I wrote a whole post about this, but we tried all different spots around Oia. It was obvious that the old Byzantine Church had been recommended a lot because it was very crowded; since we couldn’t get near the edge to see the sunset, we left. We ended up just stopping along the side of a building and still had a great view.
Dinner at Floga Oia — (appetizer, dinner, dessert, and wine)
Floga is a top-rated seafood restaurant in Oia, and so when I saw it had open reservations for that evening we jumped on it.
This was definitely a splurge, but we were so happy we did it. The restaurant was fabulous, and the food was so good. I was in heaven leaving that place. The mussels were my favorite or maybe the calamari—so hard to choose!
This place did NOT have an “iconic” sunset view. We made reservations later on (8:30 pm) so we could catch the sunset then head over to an amazing meal on the other side of Oia, which is really only a 10-minute walk.
Also, funny story… We lost the car because my phone died. My plan was to look up the restaurant that I took a photo of next to the car. Well, when my phone died, I couldn’t remember the name of the place, and we ended up searching for the car for like 30 minutes that night. Funny now, not funny then.
Morning walk along cliffs of Fira
This walk goes from Fira all the way to Oia along the coast. We had time to walk about an hour of the path, and it was the perfect quiet way to see Santorini. Totally recommend!
Ferry to Mykonos
Do not wait to book your ferry tickets!!! I waited until a month before, and we missed the regular coach seats. We also couldn’t take the evening ferry as planned and missed some time in Santorini—I was so sad! Book far in advance if you can so that you aren’t left with few options. We took the high-speed ferry to save time, which I would recommend.
Pro-tip: Car rental companies are often okay with you dropping off your rental car at the port or airport. Simply ask when you talk about drop-off. We were able to leave our car at the port for the ferry without a problem.
Mykonos: Day 5 and 6
When you think of Mykonos, you think of parties on the beach. Well, we didn’t experience any of that. It was cold and rainy the entire time we were there. We asked many locals, where do people go when the weather is like this? They all said to their homes. NOOOOOO! People were not out, it was cold and gloomy, but Mykonos was still beautiful! The sunsets we saw there were the best and can’t be beaten.
We stayed at Madres Studios and Apartments. They are truly apartments right in old town Mykonos. The place was clean, and the beds were pretty comfortable. The only thing that was odd about it was that when we arrived, no one was there except an older man sitting on the terrace of the hotel and asked him for help. He didn’t speak English and called the owner on the phone.
When the owner answered he sounded really confused that people were checking into the apartment, even though we were there within the hours listed online for hotel check-in. It ended up being just fine, and we enjoyed our stay! We got our own beds, and the room was large. It also had a kitchen and a shower with a bathtub.
Rent a car
We really wanted to rent ATVs to beach hop, but because of the weather (it rained basically the entire time), we decided to get a car and still visit some different spots. ATVs are a little cheaper than renting a car, so this could be a fun and cheaper option for you! It was freezing pretty much everywhere we went. We ended up barely using the car just because we were so cold and didn’t feel like going to beaches.
Walkthrough Old Town
We walked through the old port, the little streets, and Little Venice. It was cold, but still beautiful. The water in Mykonos is a bright blue and crystal clear—just gorgeous! This is also where you'll find the famous windmills.
Shopping
We did most of our souvenir shopping here because when the weather is bad, nothing cheers you up like shopping. I probably spent way more than I would have normally, but shopping was the only thing to do and inside!
Little Venice
I feel like this might be an overrated thing to do while in Mykonos. While nice to see, we didn’t really feel like there was much to see here.
Archaeological Museum
This was actually a miss for us, but we really wanted to go. For some reason, the hours listed online said they opened at 4, but they actually closed at 4, so we missed it. However, on a rainy day, the museum is definitely a good thing to do!
Dinner
We stopped at a little spot right in old town Mykonos. I cannot stop thinking about this salad! It was so good, and this spot was really cute. There are plenty of restaurants all along the water in Mykonos, so head down toward the water and take in the lovely view.
Sunset in Mykonos
Not overrated and not to be missed!
Bars and beaches
We went to Namos, we went to Paraga Beach, and we attempted Paradise Beach, too. No one was at any of these places, and the weather was just not that great for this. However, the beaches were pretty, and it was still so nice to see them. When you are only in a place once, you make the best of it!
People told me that this was very bizarre weather for Greece in April, but it was the hand we were dealt. It was still great to see, and now I know what to do when I go back!
Mykonos to Athens Flight on RyanAir
We took another cheap flight from Mykonos to Athens on RyanAir and were back Saturday morning.
Athens: Day 7
We stayed at a very eclectic Airbnb in Athens. It was in a neighborhood we had originally planned to explore a little bit, but because of my flight issues (thanks again, Expedia), we didn’t end up exploring it. The Airbnb owner explained it as the “Beverly Hills of Athens”, which was funny to think about visiting! It was definitely an eclectic place, and the host was so very kind.
An Uber ride to the Acropolis cost us $10, which was not a bad price.
Pro-tip: Uber works in many different places around the world. If your phone has international service, using Uber can be an affordable, reliable, and safe way to travel.
Tour of Acropolis
We booked this tour at the last minute while in Mykonos. We decided to take a tour because we had read there were not many signs inside the Acropolis, and I had missed our initial bike tour. If you don’t have to do a tour inside the Acropolis then it can be a little confusing on your own. You can explore on your own if you want, but sometimes it’s fun to go with a group.
There were no signs inside, and I recommend you do at least one tour in Athens unless you really know your history. Our tour guide was an archaeologist and very knowledgeable. We liked this tour a lot, however, the downside was that we had to pay to get into the Acropolis in addition to our $30 for the tour. It ended up being more than expected.
Acropolis Museum
This is definitely worth a visit. It is located right near the Acropolis, and open fairly late, which makes it easy to get to even if you only have a day. You also aren’t allowed to take photos inside, so you will have to see this one for yourself.
Walking through downtown Athens
There’s lots of graffiti in Athens that is fun to experience; there are also many Greek ruins scattered near the Acropolis that all have an entry fee of just a few Euros each. We walked through many different ruins and then arrived in Syntagma Square.
We walked the flea market and past all the street art in Athens. It was so much fun to see all of the beautiful places in Greece. We continued walking past Zeus’ temple and the Panathenaic Arena, watched the changing of the guard, and walked through beautiful city gardens.
Elizabeth was hoping to find an old book to purchase for a friend, and we actually found a rare book shop near the flea market. They had wonderful books in all different languages, and we had memorable conversations with the owners.
We continued to walk, stopped for at Street Souvlaki (as we did on so many days), and made our way back toward the Acropolis for sunset.
Sunset over Athens
This was a beautiful spot for a sunset! There is a rock right at the bottom of the Acropolis near the entrances with an excellent view of Athens, then you turn around, and you get an amazing view of the Acropolis.
Wine and more Acropolis views
After catching the sunset, I started looking for rooftops where we could have a good view of the Acropolis and grab a glass of wine to relax. I found Davani Hotel online! It had a rooftop bar with an awesome view of the Acropolis. It did not disappoint and was the perfect way to end a long day in Athens: wine and a final view of the Acropolis.
We went back to our Airbnb basically right after this because we were so tired after walking the entire city that day.
I loved Greece and had a blast on this trip. While the weather didn’t cooperate at times, the trip was still a success. As I’m writing this post I am honestly smiling because it was seriously a ton of fun and super easy to plan. Greece was way easier than China, Peru, or Turkey to travel in, and I felt safe the whole time despite the current economy there! Have you been to Greece? What are your thoughts? Let me know!