Ancient ruins, island hopping and Mediterranean food
Greece mixes the ruins of ancient civilisation with whitewashed islands, clear seas and simple, delicious food. Athens and its Acropolis are the starting point, then visitors spread out to the Cyclades, Crete and the mainland's mountains and monasteries. Ferries make island hopping a classic adventure. It suits history lovers, beach seekers, families and couples alike.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
The rocky hill crowned by the Parthenon and other temples of classical Athens. It is the most famous ancient site in Greece.
A modern museum at the foot of the Acropolis showing sculptures from the site. Its glass top floor faces the Parthenon.
A volcanic island with white villages perched on cliffs above a flooded caldera. Oia's sunsets are world famous.
A lively island known for its windmills, Little Venice and beach clubs. It is a party hotspot in summer.
A small island that was a major religious centre and birthplace of Apollo in myth. Its ruins spread across the whole island.
The sanctuary of Apollo on a mountain slope, home of the ancient oracle. The theatre, stadium and museum are all on site.
Monasteries perched on top of giant rock pillars rising above the plain. It is one of the most striking sights in Greece.
The Bronze Age Minoan palace near Heraklion, linked to the legend of the Minotaur. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum holds its treasures.
A long gorge in the White Mountains of Crete ending at the Libyan Sea. The downhill hike takes most of a day.
A Venetian harbour town with a lighthouse, narrow lanes and waterfront tavernas. It is a lovely base for western Crete.
A shallow turquoise lagoon on Crete's northwest tip. You reach it by boat or a rough road and a hike.
The sanctuary where the ancient Olympic Games began, with temples, a stadium and a strong museum. It sits in a green valley.
Nafplio is an elegant seaside town, and nearby Mycenae was the capital of Agamemnon's legend. Epidaurus theatre is close too.
A cove on Zakynthos with a rusting shipwreck framed by white cliffs. It is best seen from the clifftop viewpoint or by boat.
A walled medieval city built by the Knights of St John, with the Palace of the Grand Master. Its streets are full of history.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
The Acropolis, museums and food scene.
history, food, gateway · Open the city guideCaldera views and sunsets.
romance, views · Open the city guideBeaches and nightlife.
nightlife, beach · Open the city guideWestern Crete base with Venetian harbour.
beach, food · Guide comingCrete's capital and gateway to Knossos.
history · Guide comingPeloponnese base for ancient sites.
history, coast · Guide comingNorthern food city with Byzantine sites.
food, history · Open the city guideMedieval old town and beaches.
history, beach · Guide comingVenetian old town and green Ionian coast.
old town, beaches · Guide comingCaldera views and sunsets.
romance, views · Guide comingThe capital and its ancient core.
Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, Cape Sounion
Classic white and blue islands.
Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos
Greece's largest island with Minoan ruins and gorges.
Knossos, Chania, Samaria Gorge
Ancient sites and coastal towns.
Olympia, Nafplio, Mycenae
Mountains, monasteries and Thessaloniki.
Meteora, Delphi, Thessaloniki
Green western islands and historic eastern ones.
Corfu, Zakynthos, Rhodes
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: May to June and September to October. Warm seas, long days and smaller crowds than midsummer.
July and August are hot and very busy on the islands, and the meltemi wind can make Aegean ferries rough; northern mountains and ski areas see snow in winter.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
54°F daily high, 49°F average, 2.6 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Greece Level 1 (exercise normal precautions), with petty theft, summer wildfires and heat the main concerns.
Ferries, domestic flights and buses connect islands and towns, though summer ferries need booking and can be disrupted by wind.
Food and ferries are good value, but popular islands like Santorini and Mykonos are expensive in summer.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Check visa and entry rules on the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (https://www.mfa.gr/en/) and on your own government's travel advice before you go, as rules can change. |
| Plugs | Type C, F; 230 V |
| Tap water | varies |
| Tipping | Tipping about 5 to 10 percent in restaurants is common but not mandatory. |
| Payments | Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for small tavernas, kiosks and islands. |
| Emergency | 112, or 166 ambulance |
| Etiquette | Greeks are warm and sociable, and meals are long and shared. Do not touch ancient monuments. Wildfire rules are strict in summer, so never light fires outdoors. |
| What to wear | Cover shoulders and knees in monasteries and churches, and women may need a skirt at some monasteries such as Meteora. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Ferries run from Piraeus and Rafina to the islands, with fast boats and slow boats, and domestic flights cover longer hops. KTEL buses link mainland towns, and renting a car helps on Crete and the Peloponnese. |
| Main airports | ATH, HER, SKG, JTR, JMK, RHO, CHQ |
| Ride apps | Uber, FreeNow |
Ancient Greece gave the world democracy, philosophy and the Olympic Games, with Athens at its height in the 5th century BC. The region was later part of the Roman and Byzantine empires, then under Ottoman rule for nearly four centuries. Greece won independence in the 1820s and grew to its current borders over the following century. It joined the EU in 1981 and uses the euro.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.