10 Days in Greece: Itinerary for Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Mykonos and Santorini

Halfway through the trip, the road climbs into Kalabaka and the rock towers of Meteora rise over the rooftops, with monasteries perched on their summits. This is a spring route that starts in the capital, crosses the mainland to Delphi and Meteora, then ends in the Cyclades on Mykonos and Santorini.

Is 10 Days enough for Greece?

Yes, for a first trip that samples the three sides of the country: the capital, the mainland landscapes and the islands. You will not see all of Greece in this time, but you can leave with a clear picture of how different its parts are. The route below keeps the number of bases small, so you unpack only a handful of times and spend the rest of the days looking around.

Athens comes first because it is where the trip begins and where the sea routes to the islands start. After the city, the mainland loop takes in Delphi, which the ancient Greeks considered the navel of the Earth, and Meteora, where monasteries sit on top of rock towers. Both places reward a slow visit, and neither is about ticking off a checklist.

The islands close the trip. Mykonos and Santorini sit in the Cyclades, and together they give you the white-and-blue image people carry in their heads, plus a very different view of what a Greek island can be. Mykonos is an island of the winds, low and open, while Santorini is the broken rim of a volcano.

What the route leaves for another trip is a long list. Crete is the largest Greek island by area and population, and it deserves days of its own, with its mountains, its coastline and dishes such as dakos, gamopilafo and kalitsounia. Rhodes and Lesbos, the fourth and third largest islands, are other trips again. Naxos, the largest island of the Cyclades, is another good reason to come back.

Spring suits this plan well. April in Athens brings mild air and only a few rainy days, and the Orthodox Easter, which falls between early April and early May, adds processions and family meals to the calendar. Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are traditionally public holidays in Greece, so the dates of the trip against the date of Easter are worth a glance before you plan.

The itinerary stage by stage

Days 1 to 3: Athens

Spend the first three days in the capital, sleeping in or near the Plaka, the neighborhood of picturesque streets, historic landmarks and lively shops. It is a top attraction and it does get crowded, so a wander through the lanes is as much about people-watching as about the sights. Around the Acropolis hill you will find the ancient sites that give Athens its shape.

Between sights, eat the way the city does. Order souvlaki or gyros at a counter, then sit down in a taverna for meze, small plates such as feta, dips and grilled vegetables meant to be shared, and finish with a Greek coffee at a kafenio, the traditional coffeehouse. The Athens Metro runs from 5:30 a.m. to 00:30 a.m., and on Friday and Saturday nights lines 2 and 3 stay open later, which keeps late dinners within reach.

On the third day, leave the city by road for Delphi. Your base moves to the mainland, so pack light for the next stage.

Day 4: Delphi

Delphi is an ancient sacred precinct on the southwestern slope of Mount Parnassus, in Phocis. In antiquity it was a spiritual meeting place for the Greeks and home to the most important oracle of ancient Greece. Walking the site, you follow a path up the slope through what remains of the sanctuary, with the mountain behind you and the valley opening below. Delphi was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

The modern town lies very close to the archaeological site and spreads across two streets lined with traditional small houses, hotels and tavernas. This is where you sleep, and where you have dinner after the ruins. Order grilled meat or a plate of local greens, and spend the evening on a terrace with a view of the slope. From Delphi you continue by road to Kalabaka, the town at the foot of Meteora, which is your base for the next stage.

Days 5 and 6: Meteora and Kalabaka

Meteora is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala, in Thessaly, near the town of Kalabaka and the village of Kastraki. What makes it special is the monasteries on top of the rock towers, six of which remain today.

The complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988. Kalabaka itself is built at the foothills of the rocks, on the left bank of the Pinios river, and it is a gateway to the formations.

Spend the two days looking up and around: at the towers from the town, at the monasteries from the road, and at the landscape from the villages below. Monasteries are active places of the Orthodox Church, so visits follow the habits of a house of worship. In the evening, Kalabaka and Kastraki offer tavernas where you can sit under the rock towers over a plate of moussaka or grilled lamb. On day 6, head back toward Athens by road, since the sea routes to the islands leave from the mainland ports.

Days 7 and 8: Mykonos

Mykonos lies in the heart of the Cyclades, between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos, and it is nicknamed the island of the winds. The island rises to 1,119 feet at its highest point, so it is more open and exposed than hilly, and the wind is part of its character. Wander through the lanes of the main town, the chora, then spend a day on the coast.

The best time to visit Mykonos is mid-May through June or September through mid-October, while July and August are extremely crowded. A spring trip in April or early May sits just before that window, so it is the early edge of the season. Sit down for seafood, cheeses and a glass of ouzo, the anise-flavored spirit that goes with meze.

You reach the island from the mainland by sea. Blue Star Ferries provides ferry services between the Greek mainland and the Aegean Islands, and Golden Star Ferries operates from the mainland to the Cyclades.

Days 9 and 10: Santorini

Santorini is the southernmost member of the Cyclades, about 120 miles southeast of the mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago formed by the Santorini caldera, and its volcano is a wild natural wonder. In ancient times the island was known as Thera. It has an active volcano, and visitors can stay on the caldera rim.

Choose a base on the rim and spend the days looking across the water at the volcano, walking the villages and eating at tavernas. Order tomato-based dishes, fava, which is a purée of split peas, and local white wine. On the last day, make your way to the port or airport for the trip home.

Getting between stops

The mainland stages are the simplest to picture: three legs by road, each ending in a town where you stay. The islands change the way you travel. Several ferry companies serve the Cyclades, and each has its own character.

Blue Star Ferries was, has a fleet of 12 ferries, and serves more than 20 destinations in Greece. Golden Star Ferries was founded in 2011, is headquartered on Andros, and sails from the mainland to the Cyclades.

ANEK Lines is one of the largest passenger shipping companies in Greece. Founded by residents of Crete, it operates mainly on the Piraeus to Crete and Adriatic Sea routes, so it matters only if you add Crete to a longer trip. Heraklion Airport, on Crete, sits 3.1 miles east of the center of Heraklion and is the second busiest airport in Greece, after Athens.

In Athens itself, the metro and buses cover the city. Bus passengers cannot use the front door to get on or off the bus. When you plan the island legs, check each route with the company that runs it, since each ferry line serves its own destinations.

What to book before your 10 Days in Greece

Settle three things first: the sea routes to the islands, the places you will sleep in Delphi, Kalabaka, Mykonos and Santorini, and the dates around Orthodox Easter. Mykonos is described as best from mid-May through June or from September through mid-October, and July and August are extremely crowded there. Keep the rest of the days loose, so that a long lunch or a second walk through the Plaka can fit.

Adapting the route

Seasons change this route more than anything else. These are the Athens figures for four months, which describe the capital and not the islands or the mainland towns.

Spring sits in the middle of this table. April in the capital brings highs in the upper 60s and a modest number of rainy days, so a light rain jacket goes in the bag next to the walking shoes. Summer is the opposite: July is hot and nearly dry in Athens, so sun protection matters on the ancient sites. The highest temperature ever recorded in Greece was 118.4°F, in Tatoi and Elefsina.

For a shorter trip, drop one of the islands. Stay with Athens, Delphi and Meteora, or keep Athens and one island.

For a longer trip, add Naxos, the largest and most fertile island of the Cyclades, where Zas is the highest mountain of the group. Naxos has a port at Chora that is too small for cruise ships. Crete is the other natural extension, with its own coastline and mountains, and Mount Psiloritis is its highest peak.

For a slower trip, give each stage an extra night rather than add places: a third day in Kalabaka or a third on Santorini. If Easter falls in your dates, plan around the public holidays, since Good Friday through Easter Monday are traditionally observed. On Syros, Catholics and Orthodox share a common date for Easter, which makes the island a good addition if you like to see the holiday up close.

Good to know before you go

Carry some euros for small purchases at bakeries and kafenia, and keep a light layer for wind on the islands, since Mykonos is nicknamed the island of the winds. Treat the Athens figures as the capital’s own, and expect each island and mountain town to have its own weather. Ferry lines and the Athens Metro publish their own timetables, so confirm the legs you choose close to your dates.

Sources

• Wikipedia, Ancient Greece (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greece), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, ANEK Lines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANEK_Lines), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Blue Star Ferries (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Star_Ferries), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Fast Ferries (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Ferries), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Golden Star Ferries (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Star_Ferries), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Greek islands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_islands), checked October 12, 2026
• OASA, Athens urban transport (https://www.oasa.gr/en/), checked October 12, 2026
• Athens Transport, public transport guide (https://www.athenstransport.com/english/), checked October 12, 2026
• This is Athens, the official Athens tourism site (https://www.thisisathens.org/), checked October 12, 2026
• Santorini official guide (https://www.santorini.gr/), checked October 12, 2026
• Visit Greece (GNTO), Santorini (https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/cyclades/santorini/), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Santorini (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santorini), checked October 12, 2026
• Visit Greece (GNTO), Mykonos (https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/cyclades/mykonos/), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Mykonos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mykonos), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikivoyage, Mykonos (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mykonos), checked October 12, 2026
• Visit Greece (GNTO), Naxos (https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/cyclades/naxos/), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Naxos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naxos), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikivoyage, Naxos (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Naxos), checked October 12, 2026
• Heraklion airport information (https://www.heraklion-airport.info/), checked October 12, 2026
• Visit Greece (GNTO), Crete (https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/crete/), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Crete (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crete), checked October 12, 2026
• Meteora, official information (https://www.meteora-greece.com/), checked October 12, 2026
• Visit Greece (GNTO), Meteora (https://www.visitgreece.gr/mainland/thessaly/kalabaka/), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Meteora (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora), checked October 12, 2026
• Visit Greece (GNTO), Delphi (https://www.visitgreece.gr/mainland/central-greece/delphi/), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Delphi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikivoyage, Delphi (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Delphi), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Climate of Greece (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Greece), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Easter#Orthodox Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter%23Orthodox_Church), checked October 12, 2026
• Wikipedia, Greek Orthodox Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Orthodox_Church), checked October 12, 2026
• Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS), climatological normals 1991-2020 for Elliniko station (https://www.emy.gr/climatic-data), monthly mean daily maximum and minimum; rain from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis, 1991-2020, grid cell of Athens (Open-Meteo), checked October 12, 2026
• ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis 1991-2020, grid cell of Athens (Open-Meteo), checked October 12, 2026
• Plan de the (duree choisie by the redaction)

To plan your stay

• Best Time to Visit Greece: September and Late May to Early June
• Arachova: Parnassus Mountain Town, Formaela Cheese, Ski Season and Saint George's Day
• American Airlines Flights to Greece: U.S. Cities, Athens Arrivals and Onward Island Flights
• Greece on a Budget: Cash Machines, Cards, Beaches and Ferries