Greece Travel Guide

Which islands to pick, how to island hop without wasting days, and where the good beach clubs, boat days and dinners are.

Free to readUpdated 2026-09-2212 chapters

Greece is not one trip, it is a hundred different ones depending on which islands you choose. Santorini and Mykonos are famous for good reasons and expensive for the same reasons; the Cyclades around them are cheaper, quieter and in some cases prettier. This guide helps you pick two or three islands that suit the trip you actually want, then tells you what to do once you land — including the boat days that end up being everyone's favourite part.

Start here

Before you go

Late May to mid June and all of September are the best weeks: hot sea, long days, everything open, and noticeably cheaper than August. Two islands in a week, three in ten days — any more and you will spend your holiday on ferries.

Ferry schedules, opening dates and prices change every season and boats are cancelled in high winds. Confirm everything directly and keep a spare day before any international flight home.

Pick islands in the same group

Practical tip

Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios and Milos are all Cyclades and connected by frequent boats. Mixing in Corfu or Crete means flying, not sailing.

Book accommodation early

Practical tip

The good hotels in Oia, Mykonos town and Milos sell out by February for July and August.

Leave a buffer day

Practical tip

Ferries get cancelled for wind. Never plan to sail into your flight home on the same day — go back to Athens the night before.

Pack flat shoes and a cover-up

Practical tip

Every island town is marble steps and cobbles, and most restaurants want more than a bikini at dinner.

Cash

Practical tip

Cards are widely accepted, but beach bars, small tavernas and some boat operators are cash only. Draw out at the port.

Planning

Which islands are right for you

An honest comparison. Pick two or three that are near each other.

Santorini

Neighbourhood

Cyclades

Cliffside villages, caldera views, black sand beaches, volcanic wine. Not a swimming island — the beaches are a drive away and the sea is deep and dramatic rather than calm.

Why it's here: Go for the views and the sunsets. Two to three nights is enough.
Best time: Late May, June, September

Mykonos

Neighbourhood

Cyclades

Whitewashed old town, world-famous beach clubs, big nightlife, a young crowd and very high prices.

Why it's here: Go for the nights and the beach clubs. Three nights.
Best time: June to September

Paros

Neighbourhood

Cyclades

Gorgeous villages, good food, a real windsurfing and young traveller scene, still relaxed. Naoussa is the prettiest port town in the Cyclades.

Why it's here: The best all-rounder and the best value of the famous islands.
Best time: June to September

Naxos

Neighbourhood

Cyclades

The biggest beaches, mountain villages, farms and the cheapest good food. Family-friendly and unhurried.

Why it's here: For beach days and a slower half of the trip.
Best time: June to September

Milos

Neighbourhood

Cyclades

Lunar white rock formations, a hundred small coves and the best boat day in Greece. Quieter nightlife.

Why it's here: Choose Milos over Santorini if you want to swim rather than look.
Best time: June to September

Ios

Neighbourhood

Cyclades

Small, beautiful and famous for a very young party scene in the main town.

Why it's here: Only if a heavy night out is the point of the trip.
Best time: July and August

Crete

Neighbourhood

Separate group

Huge, with mountains, gorges, cities and pink-sand beaches. Needs a car and a week of its own.

Why it's here: Not an island-hopping stop — a separate trip.
Best time: May, June, September, October

Athens

Athens, in 36 hours

Most trips start here. Two nights is plenty and it is a genuinely good city night out.

The Acropolis

Must see

Athens

Go at opening or in the last two hours of the day. Forty minutes up top is enough in the heat.

Why it's here: Unmissable, and genuinely better early.
Best time: First entry
Booking: Timed entry online.
What to wear: Hat, water, no shade.
Photo tip: The Parthenon from the west side, with the columns backlit.

Acropolis Museum

Must see

Athens

Cool, modern, and it makes the hill make sense. An hour and a half.

Why it's here: Best value ticket in Athens.
Best time: Afternoon

Plaka and Anafiotika

Experience

Athens

Bougainvillea, tiny white houses built by island craftsmen, stepped lanes under the Acropolis.

Why it's here: The prettiest walk in the city, and it is free.
Best time: Early morning
Photo tip: Anafiotika's whitewashed lanes look like the islands.

A rooftop bar under the Acropolis

Bar

Athens

Drinks with the lit Parthenon above you.

Why it's here: The best first night of the trip.
Best time: Sunset
Booking: Book the sunset slot — rooftops fill.

Souvlaki and a proper taverna dinner

Casual eat

Athens

Athens is the cheapest food of the whole trip. Eat well before you get to the islands.

Best time: From 9pm

Santorini

Come for the caldera, the sunsets and the volcanic beaches. Stay in the right village and it is magic; stay in the wrong one and it is a car park.

Stay in Imerovigli or Firostefani

Neighbourhood

Santorini

Same caldera view as Oia, a fraction of the crowds, and a 25-minute cliff walk into Fira.

Why it's here: The single best accommodation decision on the island.
Booking: Book months ahead for a caldera-view room.

Oia sunset

Experience

Oia

The famous one. Thousands of people, and still beautiful. Watch from a bar terrace with a booking rather than the castle ruins scrum.

Why it's here: Go once, book a table, do not fight for the wall.
Best time: Arrive 90 minutes before sunset
Booking: Reserve a terrace table days ahead.
Photo tip: Shoot back towards the blue domes as the light goes gold, not into the sun.

The Fira to Oia cliff walk

Experience

Santorini

Around 10km along the caldera rim, three hours at an easy pace, with views the entire way.

Why it's here: The best free thing on Santorini.
Best time: Start at 7am
What to wear: Trainers, water, sun cover.

A catamaran day around the caldera

Experience

Santorini

Hot springs, the volcano, Red Beach and White Beach, lunch on board, sunset sailing back.

Why it's here: How to actually swim in Santorini, and the best day on the island.
Best time: Sunset cruise
Booking: Book a few days ahead in summer.
What to wear: Bring a jumper for the sail back.

Assyrtiko wine tasting

Experience

Santorini

Volcanic white wine grown in low baskets on the ground. Several wineries have terraces over the caldera.

Why it's here: A great late afternoon when you are beached out.
Best time: Late afternoon

Amoudi Bay

Casual eat

Below Oia

Three hundred steps down from Oia to fish tavernas at the water, with a swim off the rocks.

Why it's here: The best meal on Santorini and a proper swim.
Best time: Lunch
Booking: Take a taxi back up unless you like steps in the heat.

Black sand beaches

Experience

Perissa and Perivolos

Long volcanic beaches with beach bars, on the opposite side of the island from the caldera.

Why it's here: Where locals actually swim.
Best time: All day

Mykonos

Beach clubs, boat days, late dinners and the best nightlife in the Cyclades. Expensive, unapologetically.

Beach clubs on the south coast

Experience

Mykonos

Sunbeds, music, lunch and champagne through the afternoon at the clubs along Paraga, Platis Gialos and Super Paradise.

Why it's here: The reason most people come. Pick one per day, not three.
Best time: From 1pm
Booking: Reserve beds the day before, especially for a group. Expect a minimum spend.
What to wear: Swimwear plus a good cover-up.

Mykonos Town after dark

Experience

Chora

Whitewashed maze, boutiques, Little Venice and the windmills. Get lost deliberately.

Why it's here: The prettiest town in the Cyclades once the day-trippers leave.
Best time: After 8pm
What to wear: Dress up.
Photo tip: Little Venice at sunset, windmills behind you.

A boat day to Delos or around the coast

Experience

Mykonos

Either the ancient site of Delos, or a private boat that hops between the quieter northern beaches.

Why it's here: The northern beaches are far calmer and far cheaper than the south coast.
Best time: Morning departure
Booking: Book the private boat a week ahead in high season.

Dinner in Chora

Restaurant

Mykonos

Greek food done expensively and very well, in courtyards and rooftops across the old town.

Why it's here: Book something with a view for one night — it is worth the splurge once.
Best time: 9pm
Booking: Book several days ahead in July and August.
What to wear: Smart.

Agios Sostis or Fokos

Experience

North coast

Undeveloped beaches with one taverna and no music. The antidote to the clubs.

Why it's here: The day everyone remembers after three nights out.
Best time: All day
Booking: Bring cash; some tavernas here take nothing else.

Budget warning

Practical tip

Mykonos

Sunbeds, transfers and drinks are priced well above the rest of Greece. Always ask the price before ordering a bottle or taking a bed.

Quieter islands

Paros, Naxos and Milos

Where to go when you want the same water for half the price.

Naoussa

Neighbourhood

Paros

A fishing harbour turned into the best evening town in the Cyclades: bars on the water, small restaurants, boats coming in.

Why it's here: The prettiest place to spend the evening in Greece for a normal budget.
Best time: Sunset onwards
Photo tip: The harbour with the fishing boats at blue hour.

Kolymbithres beach

Experience

Paros

Smooth granite rock formations sheltering small sandy coves.

Why it's here: Great swimming and the most interesting beach on the island.
Best time: Morning

Antiparos

Day trip

From Paros

A ten-minute ferry to a smaller, quieter island with good beaches and one lovely main street.

Why it's here: Easy half day.

Plaka and the Portara

Experience

Naxos

A long sandy beach and a giant marble doorway on an islet by the port, best at sunset.

Why it's here: Naxos has the best beaches in the Cyclades and the lowest prices.
Best time: Sunset at the Portara
Photo tip: Silhouette through the marble doorway.

Mountain villages

Experience

Naxos

Halki and Apiranthos: marble lanes, distilleries, cheese, and almost no other visitors.

Why it's here: The most authentic afternoon on this list.
Best time: Afternoon
Booking: Easier with a hire car or a quad.

Sarakiniko

Photo spot

Milos

White volcanic rock shaped like the surface of the moon, dropping into deep blue water.

Why it's here: The most extraordinary landscape in the Cyclades.
Best time: Sunrise or late afternoon
What to wear: Nothing to hold on to — good grip shoes.
Photo tip: Wide shot with one person in colour against the white rock.

A full-day boat around Milos

Experience

Milos

Kleftiko sea caves, tiny coves you can only reach by water, swimming stops all day.

Why it's here: The best boat day in Greece.
Best time: Full day
Booking: Book two to three days ahead; cancelled in high winds.

Klima

Photo spot

Milos

Fishermen's houses with brightly painted doors right on the water.

Why it's here: A ten-minute stop that fills a camera roll.
Best time: Late afternoon

On the water

Beach clubs and boat days

Build one full boat day into every island. It is always the best day.

Book a private boat as a group

Experience

Split between six to ten people, a skippered day boat is often no more than a beach club sunbed each — and you get the whole day, your own music and empty coves.

Why it's here: The best value big day out in Greece.
Best time: Leave by 9:30am to beat the wind
Booking: Book several days ahead and confirm what is included.

What to bring

Practical tip

Reef-safe sun cream, a cover-up, a hat you can tie on, cash, a dry bag and motion sickness tablets if you are unsure.

Beach club etiquette

Practical tip

Most clubs charge per bed or set a minimum spend. Reserve the day before, arrive by 12, and check whether the price covers an umbrella.

Wind

Practical tip

The meltemi wind blows hardest in July and August and can cancel boats at short notice. Book boat days early in your stay so you have a spare day to rebook.

Food

What to eat

Greek food is simple and the best of it is cheap.

A proper taverna dinner

Restaurant

Greek salad, grilled fish by the kilo, tzatziki, fried courgette, lamb, house wine from the barrel. Order for the table and share everything.

Why it's here: The best value meal you will eat all year.
Best time: 9pm

Souvlaki and gyros

Casual eat

A few euros, sold everywhere, and the best late-night food in the country.

Best time: Late

Fresh fish, priced by weight

Restaurant

Choose the fish, agree the weight and price before it is cooked. Grilled whole with lemon and oil.

Why it's here: Worth doing once on every island.
Best time: Lunch by the water
Booking: Always confirm the price per kilo first.

Loukoumades

Casual eat

Little honey doughnuts, usually with cinnamon or chocolate.

Why it's here: Dessert, every time.
Best time: After dinner

Frappé or freddo espresso

Café

Iced Greek coffee, drunk slowly, all morning.

Why it's here: The islands run on it.
Best time: Morning

Nights

Nights out

Dinner at 9pm, bars at 11pm, and in Mykonos nothing before midnight.

Little Venice, Mykonos

Bar

Mykonos

Bars with tables on the water's edge, spray included, sunset over the windmills.

Why it's here: Best sunset drink in the Cyclades.
Best time: Sunset
Booking: Book a front table.

Mykonos clubs

Bar

Mykonos

Big beach clubs turn into parties in the afternoon; town clubs run until sunrise.

Why it's here: Nothing starts before midnight in town.
Best time: Midnight
Booking: Table minimums are high — agree before you sit down.
What to wear: Dress up.

Naoussa harbour bars

Bar

Paros

Cocktails on the harbour wall, a young crowd, no attitude.

Why it's here: The best-value good night out in Greece.
Best time: From 10pm

Fira bar street

Bar

Santorini

A run of bars and small clubs in the island's main town.

Why it's here: Where the night actually happens on Santorini.
Best time: From 11pm

Getting home

Practical tip

Island taxis are few and vanish after midnight. Agree a pickup with a driver in advance or use your hotel's transfer — do not plan to hail one.

For the camera

Photo spots

Sunrise on the islands is empty, warm and pink. Use it.

Oia blue domes

Photo spot

Santorini

The three domes above the caldera.

Why it's here: The most recognisable shot in Greece.
Best time: Sunrise
Photo tip: Walk 10 minutes past the crowds; the second viewpoint is nearly empty at 7am.

Imerovigli caldera walk

Photo spot

Santorini

White chapels and cliff edges with nobody on them.

Why it's here: Better light and no queue.
Best time: Sunrise

The windmills

Photo spot

Mykonos

Five windmills above the town at sunset.

Why it's here: Classic and easy.
Best time: Sunset
Photo tip: Shoot from the Little Venice side.

Sarakiniko

Photo spot

Milos

Bright white rock and deep blue water.

Why it's here: The most unusual landscape in the guide.
Best time: Early morning
Photo tip: Wear colour — the background is pure white.

Naoussa harbour

Photo spot

Paros

Blue boats, white walls, ruined fort in the water.

Why it's here: Best at blue hour.
Best time: After sunset

The Portara

Photo spot

Naxos

A marble doorway framing the sunset.

Why it's here: Free, five minutes from the port.
Best time: Sunset

Logistics

Ferries and getting around

The part of a Greece trip most people get wrong.

Fast boats versus conventional ferries

Practical tip

High-speed catamarans are roughly half the time and twice the price, and they are cancelled in rough seas more often. Conventional ferries are slower, cheaper and far steadier.

Book ferries ahead in summer

Practical tip

July and August routes sell out. Book online in advance, arrive at the port 45 minutes early, and watch for last-minute gate changes.

Flying between islands

Practical tip

Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos and Milos have airports with flights via Athens. Usually only worth it to save a full travel day.

On the islands

Practical tip

Rent a quad, a small car or a scooter. Buses exist but they are infrequent and you will lose hours waiting.

Seasickness

Practical tip

Take tablets before boarding, sit low and central on the boat, and look at the horizon.

Money

What to budget

Per person, per day, excluding flights and accommodation.

Taverna dinner with wine

Practical tip

25 to 40 euros per person on most islands.

Mykonos or Santorini dinner

Practical tip

60 to 120 euros per person with drinks.

Beach club sunbed

Practical tip

20 to 40 euros on most islands; 80 to 200 for two beds at a famous Mykonos club.

Ferry between islands

Practical tip

25 to 75 euros depending on distance and boat speed.

Quad or small car hire

Practical tip

30 to 60 euros a day.

A realistic day

Practical tip

90 to 150 euros per person per day on Paros, Naxos or Milos; 200 to 350 in Mykonos or Santorini in high season.