Visit Greece in 3 days: recommended itinerary

Have you chosen to go to Greece for 3 or 4 days for your next vacation?

Good idea!

To help you prepare for your trip, we have prepared an itinerary for you to visit Greece in 3-4 days and discover some of the country’s unmissable places of interest.

In addition to things to do and see for each stage, you will find in this guide my selection of the best hotels according to your budget. And of course, I also give you all my best advice so that you make the most of your stay.

You will see, with our tips and good plans, organizing your Greece itinerary will be super easy!

So, what to do and see in Greece in 3 or 4 days?

Small note before starting: if you prefer to opt for a stay of 3 or 4 days in the Cyclades and not in mainland Greece, I advise you to choose the island of Santorini. You will find all the details to discover Santorini in our article “Visit Santorini in 3 days”.

3-4 days in Greece: what to do and see?

Day 1: Athens

It is impossible not to start this 3-4 day Greece itinerary without spending at least one day in Athens, the capital. Since the main tourist attractions are relatively close to each other, you can easily visit the city on foot.

Of course, it won’t be possible to see everything on this first day, but don’t worry, you will have a little time left at the end of your stay to finish discovering the city.

To visit Athens in 1 day, I advise you to start with the Acropolis Museum. Quite simply because it allows you to learn more about the emblematic place of the city and above all to better represent it before going to admire it more closely.

Don’t miss going to the top floor to contemplate the breathtaking view of the Parthenon.

This must-see museum is now the most visited in Athens. It is open every day and admission costs €10 in high season. To avoid wasting time on site, it is best to buy your skip-the-line ticket in advance on the internet.

You can get it by clicking here.

You can also book a guided tour of the museum by clicking here!

Find all the information about the Acropolis Museum on the official website (in English).

After the museum, head for the Acropolis, which is right next to it. The site, built on a hill, dominates the whole city.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can discover the Parthenon in particular. It is the best preserved and most emblematic element of the Acropolis. This temple is dedicated to Athena and was one of the first Greek monuments to be built entirely in marble. 

During your walk, you will also see 2 other temples, as well as a theater and an amphitheater. 

At the foot of the Acropolis, I then suggest that you continue your walk in Athens through the Plaka district.

If you’re feeling peckish, you’ll find plenty of snack bars selling the famous pork or chicken gyros, the traditional Greek sandwich. With a good ice cream for dessert, or, more typically, a Greek yogurt accompanied by honey or fruit, you will have already tried 2 Greek specialties on the first day!

And if you prefer to relax a bit, I recommend Le Liondi Traditional Greek Restaurant. Much better than all the tourist trap restaurants around, it offers really tasty typical Greek food. It is right in front of the museum exit.

To digest, you can then stroll through the district, which is one of the oldest in the city. There are many souvenir shops but everything has kept a picturesque side. 

I then recommend that you visit the Ancient Agora, the second site not to be missed during your 4 or 5 day stay in Greece.

The Agora represented the center of the city in antiquity. There were many buildings including the market or the center of government. Religious festivals, elections and even certain sports competitions were held there.

Today the visit is especially worth it for the temple of Hephaestus, one of the best preserved Doric temples in Greece. There is also a museum with a model of the site and some statues.

Count €8 for entry to the Agora or €30 with a combined ticket (I tell you about it in my “Tips for your Greece itinerary:” a little further down).

Leaving the Agora, you will find yourself in the Monastiraki district, which, along with that of Plaka, is one of the oldest. It is however very different from the latter. It’s more like walking through a souk, with lots of shops selling cheap clothes, shoes, or jewelry.

At the end of the day, head to the hill of Philopappos and hike up to the top. This is the best place to watch the sun set over the city and the Acropolis. If the sky is clear, it is even possible to have a panoramic view as far as the port of Piraeus.

Finally, for those who would like to end their first day in Athens with a drink or go out to party all night long, it is in the Gazi district that it happens. All you have to do is choose between the many trendy bars!

Spend the night in Athens.

And to find out more about all the places of interest in Athens, check out our article: The 20 things you must see in Athens.

Tips for your Greece itinerary:

I mentioned it when I talked about the entrance to the Agora, a combined ticket at 30€ allows you to visit not only the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora but also several other sites such as Hadrian’s Gate, the Temple of Zeus, the Roman Agora and the Lykeion. It is also valid for 5 days.

Click to buy this Acropolis + archaeological sites combined skip-the-line ticket.

And to make the most of your visit to Athens, I recommend that you opt for the all-in-one pass: the Athens City Pass!

It includes:

• The aforementioned combined Acropolis ticket
• Skip-the-line entrance ticket to the Acropolis Museum
• An audio guide for your visit to Athens
• A 10% discount on all other attractions in Athens

To book it, it’s here.

Want to know everything about the Acropolis? In this case, I recommend that you opt for a guided tour, which also allows you to skip the line.

The best guided tour in English is from GetyourGuide Originals. And you know what? She is so good that it is “satisfied or reimbursed”!

Accommodation in Athens

• Bedbox Hostel:  Hostel located 300 meters from Monastiraki Square and 700 meters from the Acropolis. Bed in dormitory from 18€ per night. Most: the location, the super friendly staff, the cleanliness.
• Evripides Hotel:  Located 400 meters from Ermou Street and 500 from Monastiraki. Room with a simple and comfortable decor from €70 per night, breakfast included. The pluses: the magnificent view of the Acropolis from the rooftop, the location for visiting Athens on foot, the welcome. It is our favorite for its performance / price ratio. 
• Amalia Hotel:  Located on Syntagma Square, just opposite the National Garden. Modern and spacious double room, some with a balcony overlooking the garden, from €155, breakfast included. Most: the comfort, the very hearty breakfast, the geographical location in the center.
• Wyndham Grand Athens:  5 star hotel located 1 km from Ermou Street and 1.5 km from the Acropolis. Design and elegant double room from €200, breakfast at €16. Most: the swimming pool on the roof, the panoramic view of the Acropolis, the Spa, the metro station just opposite.
• Electra Metropolis:  5 star hotel located just 200 meters from Syntagma Square and 600 from the Acropolis. Spacious and comfortable double room from €270, breakfast included. The pluses: the ideal geographical location, the view of the Acropolis from the roof terrace, the quality of the meals, the swimming pool. This is our recommendation for a luxury stay in Athens. 

Day 2: Excursion to the Saronic Islands

For the second day of this 4 or 5 day itinerary in Greece, I suggest you leave Athens to discover the surroundings.

On the program: the discovery of the Saronic Islands, the islands closest to Athens.

2 possibilities are available to you:

• You can do it yourself. That is to say , take the bus from Athens to the port of Piraeus, and board a ferry that will take you to one of the islands.

The easiest to access and the largest being the island of Aegina. The trip takes about 1h15 for 8€ but there are only 3 departures per day: around 8am, noon and 4pm.

So it is better to get up early to be able to spend the full day on the island.

• From Athens, there are also day trips to the Saronic Islands.

The advantage is that you don’t have to worry about anything. We pick you up directly at your hotel to drive you to the port of Piraeus and you will embark on a boat for a cruise around the islands. The other positive point compared to an independent discovery is that you will be able to see several islands and not just one.

The program includes 3 islands:

• Poros, the smallest of the islands and which has pretty colorful houses
• Hydra whose beaches are really beautiful
• Aegina, the largest of the Saronic Islands and home to an ancient Byzantine village.

You can also enjoy a buffet lunch served on the boat. It is included in the price.

If you want to make an excursion to the Saronic Islands, you can book directly here.

Return to spend the night in Athens.

Day 3: The Peloponnese

Today, for the third day of your 3-4 day trip to Greece, I suggest you visit part of the Peloponnese.

To get there, you can choose to rent a car in Athens. In these cases, I advise you to rent it until the end of your vacation in Greece because you will need it for the next few days.

If you do not wish to rent a car, it is also possible to visit the Peloponnese in the day from Athens with an organized excursion.

Once these practical considerations are settled, head to the Peloponnese and the first stop of the day: the Corinth Canal.

Only 1 hour drive from Athens, it would be a shame not to stop for a little souvenir photo. And since it is on the road, there is not even a detour to be made!

The history and construction of this canal, which allows boats to avoid a 400 km detour between the Saronic Gulf and the Aegean Sea, spans several centuries. We had to wait for the success of the Suez Canal to finally be able to complete the Corinth Canal in 1893.

6 km long, surrounded by 80 meter cliffs, and no wider than 24.6 meters, it is quite impressive today if you are lucky enough to witness the spectacle of a boat making its way between the walls. .

And for an exceptional experience during your stay in Greece, you can also go bungee jumping at the Corinth Canal! 

You must book this bungee jump from 70 meters high in advance.

After this short stop, get back in the car to reach Mycenae, about a 40-minute drive away. The site, one of the oldest in Greece, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mycenae was the city where the hero of the Trojan War, King Agamemnon, lived . There is the royal palace, the tombs and an archaeological museum.

However, expect to see only old stones as there is not much left.

I recommend this visit to history buffs. Otherwise it is better to go directly to the following site!

Head to Epidaurus, 45 minutes away, or 1 hour by road if you reach it from the Corinth Canal.

Also classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a must on a tour of the Peloponnese. The place is renowned for its extremely well-preserved theatre, whose architecture and acoustics are exceptional.

Admission to Epidaurus costs €12 and includes, in addition to the theatre, a temple dedicated to the god of medicine and a small museum.

For the last visit of the day, I recommend that you push on to Nafplio. The city, located by the sea is only 30 minutes from Epidaurus.

The old town of Nafplion allows you to take a pleasant walk through its picturesque streets. 

In Nafplio there are also 3 fortresses to see:

• The Bourtzi islet, which you can see at the entrance to the port
• The fortress of Acronauplia and its panoramic view of the city and the islet. You can get there by car in just 5 minutes from the city center.
• The Palamidi fortress that you can visit. There is parking at the entrance to park your car. You can then visit the interior for €8 and admire the different viewpoints of the sea and Nauplia from the bastions. The fortress being really big, count about 1h30 to go through it.

And to end the day in relaxation mode, I recommend Arvanitia beach, still in Nafplion. A small pebble beach, ideal for swimming and relaxing.

Then take the road in the opposite direction to Athens.

If you don’t feel like renting a car and driving in Greece, good news, you can still follow this program and visit all the places I recommend.

All you have to do is go on an organized day trip from Athens!

The excursion includes pick-up at your hotel as well as bus transport + a guide and entrance tickets to the sites.

The visits planned in the program:

• The Corinth Canal
• Mycenae
• Nauplie
• Epidaurus

So exactly the same as independent. It’s up to you to choose the option you prefer.

For the organized excursion, you can book directly here.

Day 4: Athens

You have already arrived at the last day of your 3-4 day Greece itinerary.

If you slept in Delphi, return to Athens to catch your return flight. If you chose the excursion the day before, you’ve already come to the right place!

In both cases, depending on the schedule of your plane, you can take the opportunity to visit the city a little more. In particular, you have to see:

• The Panatheian stadium where sports competitions such as chariot races or wrestling events took place, ancestors of our Olympic Games
• Hadrian’s Gate
• The Temple of Zeus
• The Zappeion park and the national garden for a cool stroll
• Syntagma Square and the Changing of the Guard
• Ermou Street if you want to end your 3-4 day stay in Greece with some shopping
• The National Archaeological Museum of Athens
• The hill of Lycabettus to admire one last time the view of the Acropolis and the city.

Tips for your Greece itinerary:

Your holidays in Greece last only 4 days?

No worries, just delete one of the days according to your interests!

3 days in Greece – Recommended itineraries

Do you want to go to Greece but you only have 3 days of vacation and not 4 or 5?

No worries, we also thought of you! And what’s great is that you will still have the choice between several cities to discover!

For a 3-day itinerary in Greece, you can indeed choose to land at:

• Athens
• Santorini
• Rhodes
• Thessaloniki
• Mykonos, reserved for those who prefer a holiday in party mode!

3 days tour in Greece to visit Athens

In 3 days in Athens, you will have time to discover all the must-see places in the city and maybe even take an excursion in the surroundings.

You will find all the detailed program of day-to-day visits in our article: Visit Athens in 3 days.

The Acropolis, the Plaka district, the Ancient Agora, the Monastiraki district, Philoppapos hill and Lycabettus hill, or even Syntagma square and Zappéion park, check out our article so you don’t miss a thing!

And if despite all this, you still have questions, do not hesitate to ask me in comments.

3 Day Greece Holiday in Santorini

Another possibility for a 3-day itinerary in Greece is to discover the most famous island of the Cyclades: Santorini. Ideal for a long romantic weekend and fill up on beautiful typical landscapes.

To find out all about the things to see and do in Santorini in 3 days, I invite you to read our complete guide to the island: Visit Santorini in 3 days.

In the program:

• Fira
• Oia
• Boat trip
• hiking
• Beaches like Red Beach or Black Beach
• And much more!

And as we have thought of everything, you will also find our selection of the best hotels in Santorini for all budgets.

3-day Greece itinerary to discover the island of Rhodes

The island of Rhodes is also an excellent choice for a 3 day Greece tour, especially if you already know mainland Greece or the Cyclades.

During these 3 days in Rhodes, I advise you not to miss:

• The medieval city of Rhodes
• Beautiful
• The Valley of the Butterflies
• To swim on one of the beaches of Rhodes
• To visit a castle

3-Day Greece Itinerary from Thessaloniki

Last option for a 3 day Greece itinerary, arriving in Thessaloniki. The city is still the second largest in the country behind Athens.

Things to see and do in Thessaloniki:

• The White Tower
• The waterfront
• Archaeological sites
• Museums
• The churches
• Ana Poli

Do you still have questions to prepare for your 3-day stay in Greece? Do not hesitate to ask us in comments!

Do not hesitate to give us your opinions and suggestions on our 3-4 day itinerary in Greece!