A week in Greece: Recommended itinerary

Have you chosen to go on a trip to Greece ?

In order to help you organize your stay, we have prepared a 7 or 8 Days Greece itinerary to discover some of the country’s unmissable places of interest .

In addition to things to do and see for each day, 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.

So, what to do and see in Greece in 7 days? 

Day 1-2: Athens

To visit Greece in 7 days, you will land directly in Athens, the capital. 

The international airport is about a 50-minute drive from the city center. For the first 2 days of this 7-day trip to Greece, you won’t necessarily need to rent a car because Athens can be visited very well on foot.

However, a car will then be necessary for the rest of the route. It’s up to you whether you want to rent your car now at the airport so you don’t have to bother picking it up later or whether you prefer to save 2 days of rental and pick it up on the morning of the 3rd day.

So, if you have rented your car directly, you can easily reach your hotel.

Otherwise, you have several choices to join it:

• By taxi for 40€.
• By metro taking line 3 (the blue one). The best option to avoid potential traffic jams.
• By bus, line X95 reaches Syntagma Square, the central square of Athens. This is the cheapest option but not the fastest.
• By a shuttle set up by your hotel. Find out beforehand whether the establishment offers this service.

After these practical considerations, I now take you to discover the capital of Greece.

And what better than to start with the essential visit to do during a 7-8 day Greece itinerary: the famous Acropolis of Athens. Built on top of a hill and dominating the whole city, you will have the opportunity to admire it from everywhere but nothing beats a visit to the interior of the site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

The best preserved and restored element is undoubtedly the Parthenon. Dedicated to Athena, it is one of the first buildings of Antiquity to have been built entirely with marble. 

On the site, you can also see 2 other temples, also in honor of Athena as well as a theater and an amphitheater.

And to continue your momentum, at the end of the visit to the Acropolis, I advise you to visit the Acropolis Museum. You will see many elements discovered on the site and can discover its history. Be sure to go to the top floor to admire the view of the Parthenon.

Skip-the-line museum tickets can be booked here. You can also book a guided tour of the museum by clicking here!

You can also reverse and start with the museum first to put things in context before going to see the Acropolis.

At the exit of the museum, it will be time to take a lunch break and that’s good because the area around the Acropolis, Plaka is full of restaurants and taverns. The Liondi Traditional Greek Restaurant, which is located just opposite the exit of the museum, offers typical and tasty cuisine, for example. It stands out compared to other restaurants that are a bit more of a tourist trap in the area.

But if you don’t want to sit down at a restaurant, you can always eat a chicken or pork gyros on the go , the Greek sandwich par excellence. Followed by a good ice cream for dessert or a Greek yogurt with honey, it was my favorite lunch formula during my holidays in Greece!

For the afternoon, start with a stroll through Plaka, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. There are many souvenir shops there but the place has managed to retain its picturesque side. 

Then head to the Ancient Agora, for the 3rd visit of this day in Athens. The city’s central square in antiquity is home to the Temple of Hephaestus, which is one of the best-preserved Doric temples in all of Greece.

The Agora museum is also interesting to be able to imagine the site in antiquity and see several statues.

At the exit, take a walk in Monastiraki, a district renowned for its diverse and varied shops, organized like a souk. You can find everything there: clothes, shoes, jewelry, souvenirs.

It will then be time to climb the hill of Philoppapos to watch the sunset over the Acropolis. The top allows you to contemplate a panoramic view of the whole city up to the port of Piraeus.

If you are not too tired and you like to go out in the evening or just want to have an aperitif, I recommend that you end the day in the Gazi district. This is where the trendy bars are and where everyone meets to party.

Spend the night in Athens.

The next day, continue this 7-8 day stay in Greece by continuing your walk in Athens.

I suggest you start with a passage to the Panatheic stage. Built in the 4th century BC, it hosted major sports competitions where wrestling, athletics and chariot races took place. It is also the place where the first modern Olympic Games were held in the 19th century.

For €5, you can access the interior, the bleachers and the track, but if you don’t want to pay, you can also climb to the top of the bleachers through the park next to the stadium. From up there, the view of the Acropolis is worth the detour.

After a brief passage at Hadrian’s Gate and the Temple of Zeus, a 5-minute walk from the stadium, you can enter the Zappeion Park and the National Garden (the 2 are adjacent) for a short bucolic walk shade and cool.

Get out at Syntagma Square to watch the changing of the guard, which takes place every hour. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Athens, due to the traditional costumes of the guards: skirt, white tights and shoes with pompoms!

The main building to be seen in the square is the Parliament, the seat of political power.

Facing Syntagma Square, then take Ermou Street. This is the street to do in Athens if you like shopping. You will find the big international brands like Zara or H&M.

If you follow it to the end, you will reach the Monastiraki district. But as you already saw yesterday, I suggest you continue the day with a visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Its collection, ranging from the Neolithic period to the Roman period is really very rich! The gold mask of Agamemnon is one of the most famous pieces.

And to end the day in style,  climb Lycabettus Hill, one of the best-known lookout points to admire the sunset over the Acropolis and the city. The top of the hill can be reached on foot via stairs or by cable car.

Stay another night in Athens.

Tips for your Greece itinerary:

A combined ticket at 30€ allows you to visit the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora as well as several other sites: Hadrian’s Gate, the Temple of Zeus, the Roman Agora and the Lykeion.

I advise you to buy it in advance on the internet and present it at the entrance to each of the sites mentioned above. 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, the one from GetyourGuide Originals, must be booked by clicking here.

And for even more details on things to see in Athens, you can read our article: What to do and see in Athens?

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 3: Mycenae / Epidaurus / Nafplion

The second leg marks the start of your 7-day road trip in Greece.

Get in your car, or pick it up at the airport, depending on the option chosen, and set off to discover the Peloponnese. 

Make a first stop about 1 hour drive from Athens, to see the Corinth Canal. Dug into the rock, this canal is particularly impressive because it is very high and narrow. When the boats pass, you will see that it is important to calculate the trajectory well!

And for an exceptional experience during this itinerary in Greece, you can also do a bungee jump at the Corinth Canal.

Then get back in the car for a 40-minute drive to Mycenae. Considered one of the oldest sites in Greece, Mycenae was the home of King Agamemnon, who became legendary for his victory in the Trojan War. 

The place houses the royal palace, tombs and an archaeological museum. His gold mask, which I have already spoken to you about previously, is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Athens.

The entrance costs 12€ but I prefer to warn you, the site is really in ruins and it still takes a lot of imagination to represent its past grandeur. If you are not too old stones, you can do without it and go directly to the next site.

After Mycenae, set off again for another major archaeological site in the Peloponnese: Epidaurus. It is approximately a 45 minute drive.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, people come to Epidaurus to admire its ancient theatre, an architectural masterpiece. Built in the 4th century, its acoustics are exceptional. You can drop a coin in the center of the stage and the sound will reverberate perfectly at the highest level.

In Epidaurus, there is also a temple dedicated to Asclepios (god of medicine) because the site is a former place of pilgrimage for many patients who came here to seek miraculous healing. There is also a very small archaeological museum.

But only the theater is still well preserved. The rest is in ruins and surrounded by scaffolding.

Then join your last stop of the day, the pretty town of Nafplio. It takes 30 minutes from Epidaurus.

Nafplio is a small town located by the sea. It consists of 2 areas: a modern part and the old town with its picturesque streets. You can take a pleasant walk there.

It also has 3 fortresses:

• The Bourtzi islet, built at the entrance to the port
• The fortress of Acronauplia which offers a nice view of the city and the Bourtzi. It is very easily accessible by car, it will only take you 5 minutes to admire the view.
• The fortress of Palamède which dominates the city. It’s the biggest and most impressive of the 3. But its visit isn’t for right away, I’ll save it for you for the next day’s program!

To end the day, I suggest you go to Arvanitia beach, a small pebble beach quite nice for sunbathing and swimming. You can also rent deckchairs and parasols at the private beach there. Rest before the big day’s drive the next day.

Stay one night in Nafplio.

Accommodation in Nafplio

• Agamemnon Hotel: Located in the old town of Nafplion, opposite the Bourdzi fortress. Double room, some with a balcony overlooking the sea from €55, breakfast included. Most: the location, the view, the warm welcome.
• Amymone and Adiandi Hotel: Located 5 minutes from the beach, in the old town. Elegant and tastefully decorated double room from €75, breakfast included. Most: the delicious breakfast, the location on a pedestrian street, the original and nice decor. It is our favorite for its performance / price ratio in Nafplion!
• Amalia Nafplio Hotel: Located on the outskirts of the city, about 2 km from the center. Luxurious and comfortable double room from €110, breakfast included. Most: the swimming pool, the free private parking, the calm, the varied breakfast.
• Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas: This 5-star hotel welcomes you 5 minutes walk from the beach and 15 minutes walk from the center. The establishment offers spacious and modern rooms with balcony overlooking the fort and the sea from 260€. For the luxury version, you can also stay in a villa with a private pool from €570. Most: the swimming pool, the view, the quality of the restaurant and the breakfast. This is our recommendation for a luxury stay in Nafplio!

Day 4: Fortress of Palamidi / Monemvasia

Today, continuation of this 7-day itinerary in Greece, with a visit to the fortress of Palamidi, in Nauplia.

Try to get there early as the day’s schedule includes quite a bit of travel time.

You can reach the fortress directly by car, there is parking at the entrance. The fortress is really big and well laid out. There are many bastions and viewpoints over the sea and Nafplio. Entry costs €8. Count about 1h30 to 2h to cover it.

Get back in the car to go to Monemvasia, which is still a 3-hour drive from Nafplion. The village is a must for a stay in the Peloponnese.

It is located on an island that can be reached by crossing a dike. There are parking lots at the end and along the road. The best is to park your car there and then take the shuttle (1€) which takes you to the entrance of the village because the latter is entirely pedestrian. You can also walk there (about 15 minutes).

You will only get a glimpse of the village after passing under the perimeter wall because Monemvasia is indeed completely undetectable from the outside. Built on the sides of a cliff, it served as a natural fortress during the barbarian invasions or the wars against the Franks or the Turks.

Today, the village is full of bars, craft shops and local products but the walk in the cobbled streets is really nice. The main square is home to a church and a cathedral. 

From the bottom of Monemvasia, you can access the cliff-top fortress via several paths. Up there, the view over the rooftops below and the sea is splendid.

After Monemvassia, I suggest you take the road to Mistra, about 1h30. It’s best to be closer to the site to see the next day.

Spend a night in Mistra.

Accommodation in Mistra

• Byzantion Hotel : Located next to the main square of Mistra. Comfortable room with a view of the archaeological site from €55, breakfast included. Most: the swimming pool, the view, the private car park.
• Mazaraki Guesthouse: Located very close to the Mistra site in the heart of nature. Spacious and warm suite with balcony from €115, breakfast included. Most: the swimming pool, the setting, the neat decor, the breakfast served in the room.
• Arxontiko Taygeti: This guest house is located just 5 km from the city center of Mistras. Duplex suite with kitchenette, lounge area and balcony with view of the mountains and the Mistra site from €160, breakfast included. Most: the calm, the excellent welcome, the environment, the fridge filled for breakfast.
• Mystras Grand Palace Resort: This 5-star hotel is located 5 minutes from Mistra by car. The brand new establishment offers rooms with stone walls and exposed beams with terrace, from €180, breakfast included. Most: the swimming pool, the jacuzzi, the sauna, the comfort of the rooms, the tranquillity. This is our recommendation for a luxury stay in Mistra.

Day 5: Mistra / Olympia

On the morning program of this 7-day trip to Greece, I invite you to discover one of the sites that I really liked: Mistra (or “Mystrás”).

From the center of the city of Mistra it is only 5 minutes by car. There are 2 entrances with parking : one for the upper part of the site and one for the lower part. I recommend that you start by visiting the top of Mistra.

An ancient fortified city, Mystrás was the capital of the Byzantine Empire and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The upper part allows you to discover the fortress which offers a magnificent panorama of the surrounding plain and Mystrás. It is the highest point of the ancient city. Going down, but still in the upper town, you have to see the Agia Sofia church, the small palace and the palace of the Despots.

The best thing is then to get out, get back in your car and park at the entrance to the lower town. You will be asked for your entry ticket again to enter the site, so don’t throw it away!

The lower town of Mistra includes several churches, monasteries and convents, one of which is still inhabited by nuns. Do not miss:

• the Convent of the Pantanassa
• the monastery of the Peribleptos
• the Brontochion monastery
• and the Church of Agios Teodoros.

Mystrás is for me one of the most beautiful places in the Peloponnese. The buildings are perfectly restored and the site is located in the middle of nature: it’s simply magnificent.

Allow about 3 hours of visit, the site is quite large!

After Mistra, I suggest you join another of the most important sites of the Peloponnese, that of Olympia. It takes about 2 hours for the journey.

Between the 3 hour walk this morning and the 2 hour drive, you will arrive around 3 or 4 p.m. in Olympia. This gives you time to visit the archaeological site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was here that the Olympic Games were held between the year 776 and the year 393 BC. There were wrestling events, discus throws but also chariot races. The winners of the games were granted many privileges.

I prefer to warn you, it takes imagination to imagine the gymnasium, the temples or the sports facilities. On the other hand, there are still quite a few explanatory panels, which helps a little.

And then if you visit Olympia at the end of the afternoon, you will have the advantage that there are fewer people and that the brightness is better for photos.

The €12 entrance ticket also includes a visit to the archaeological museum. You can see objects and statues found in Olympia. It is more interesting to visit it before the site because it will be easier to represent the places to you afterwards.

Finally, if you still have time, know that your entrance ticket also gives you the right to visit the historical museum of the Olympic Games. It explains the whole history of the games and details the tests performed. Note that the explanatory panels are in French!

Spend a night in Olympia.

Tips for your Greece itinerary:

To visit Mistra, hiking shoes are mandatory! It climbs and the paths are slippery and filled with stones.

If you are looking for a good restaurant in Olympia, I recommend the Dimitra restaurant. We ate great pasta there!

Accommodation in Olympia

• Leonidaion Guesthouse: Located 10 minutes walk from the site of Olympia. Spacious and comfortable double room from €55 per night, breakfast included. Most: free private parking, walking access to the site, location in a street above the main so quiet. It is our favorite for its performance / price ratio in Olympia!
  
• Amalia Hotel Olympia: Located at the entrance to the city. Spacious and bright room with bay window and balcony or terrace from €80, breakfast included. Most: the swimming pool, the very good and varied breakfast, the welcoming staff, fruit basket and water offered.
• Arty Grand Hotel: Located on top of a hill overlooking the city. This 5-star hotel offers modern double rooms with lounge area and balcony from €95 per night, breakfast included. Most: the huge outdoor pool, the indoor pool, the setting. This is our recommendation for a luxury stay in Olympia.

Day 6: Delphi

For this penultimate day of your 7-8 day Greece itinerary, I suggest you leave the Peloponnese to visit the last ancient site of your stay: Delphi.

In my eyes, it is quite simply the best ancient site in Greece.

3h15 drive separates you from Delphi from Olympia, in central Greece, but you can make some really cool stops on the way:

• Kalogria Sandhill is a large sandy beach surrounded by dunes and pine forest. There is a nice walk to do.
• Gianiskari Beach, a pretty sandy beach which is reached by a track. Not touristy and quite quiet.
• Nafpaktos: a pretty town by the sea with 2 large beaches, bars and a small port. Ideal for the lunch break. There is also a castle at the top of the city which offers a beautiful view of the bay and up to the Charilaos Trikoupio bridge (entrance at 2€).
• Galadixi is another small village by the sea with a walk to do along the port and also in the pine forest. There are cafes and restaurants.
• Between Nafpaktos and Galidaxi, you will see that the seaside road is really pretty and there are several beaches for swimming.

Arrived in Delphi in the afternoon, I advise you to start by visiting the archaeological site. It is on the outskirts of town and has parking.

Located in the middle of the mountains, the ancient site is famous because it was there that the Pythia delivered the mythical oracles of Delphi. The place was so important that the Greeks considered the ancient city to be the center of the world. For 6 centuries, the history of the country has been strongly impacted by the more or less true interpretations of the oracle.

Erected on Mount Parnassus and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Delphi today allows you to take a beautiful walk to contemplate the Temple of Apollo, the theater and the stadium. The panorama over the valley and the mountains is truly superb.

Admission at €12 also includes a visit to the museum located next door. Here you will find the remains and statues found in Delphi.

For the meal I recommend the Taverna Vakhos. The menu is a little different and more upscale than the other restaurants, for the same price. We ate well and it was plentiful. However, it is better to book.

Accommodation in Delphi

• Fedriades Delphi Hotel: Located 10 minutes walk from the ancient site of Delphi. Modern and warm double room with balcony from €55, breakfast at €8. Most: the panoramic view, the quality of the bedding, the warm welcome.
• Kastalia Boutique Hotel: Located just 5 minutes from the city of Delphi. Spacious and modern double room from €62, breakfast included. Most: the terrace for breakfast, the excellent welcome, the location. It is our favorite for its performance / price ratio in Delphi. 
• Nidimos Hotel: Located 1 km from the archaeological site. Bright and comfortable double room with balcony from €65, breakfast €10. Most: the rich and varied breakfast, the free parking under the hotel, the beautiful view.
• Amalia Hotel Delphi : Located 800 meters from the archaeological site. Modern and bright double room with large bay windows offering a view of the sea from €90, breakfast included. Most: the large swimming pool, the view, the setting.

Day 7: Return to Athens

Here you are on the seventh and last day of this 7-day stay in Greece and unfortunately you will have to think about returning to Athens.

It takes about 2h30 to reach the airport.

Depending on the departure time of your flight, you can take a last tour of the city of Athens to finalize the souvenir purchases or go swimming on one of the surrounding beaches.

Do not hesitate to give us your opinion and suggestions on our 6-7-8 day itinerary in mainland Greece!

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