Length: 7 days | Budget: $$$$
Greece was the ultimate honeymoon destination…and a dream come true! Greeks are passionate about their country, about their culture, and their food. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome, and take pride in offering you local foods (for example, olives, eat, yogurt) and drinks (Santorini white wine and ouzo). If you want a trip that is filled with romantic sunsets, cliff-side views, delicious seafood, and ancient history….then you’ll love the itinerary that we planned for Greece.
Days 1-3: Santorini
Santorini may be heaven on earth – once you’re there, look around and you’ll find yourself surrounded by smooth white-washed buildings and sapphire blue waters. Time seems to stand still while you’re there…and magical moments aren’t too hard to find. The first thing you’ll want to decide is which part of the island you want to stay in. Most tourists end up staying in Fira, the capital city of the island, because it’s bigger, offers more lodging and food options, and has a busier nightlife.
We chose to stay in Oia, which is the Northern-most part of the island and offers the traditional postcard views of blue-domed buildings, and the sun setting over a sparkling Aegean Sea. Oia was a perfect choice for us because we wanted a more peaceful, relaxed setting (we were on our honeymoon after all). Either way, you can’t go wrong because you’re staying on one of the most beautiful islands in the world!
TIP: If you decide to stay in Oia like we did and are arriving by either ferry or by plane, I would recommend pre-booking a taxi service as getting to the village can be a bit of a drive. We arranged pick-up service with our hotel in advance for ~25 EU for 2 people.
Because we were on our honeymoon, we definitely splurged when it came to lodging – but don’t worry if you want to go to Greece on a budget….you can find plenty of wonderful value lodging options on the island! If you’re visiting on a special occasion, willing to splurge for a few days, and are looking for a luxurious, spotless, family-run boutique, I would highly recommend staying at the Filotera Suites in Oia. Each suite at the Filotera Suites is a ‘cave suite’ and offers a private jacuzzi and balcony area.
We were truly blown away by the level of service we received from the hotel. The attention to detail was superb (e.g. local wine and flowers in celebration of our honeymoon, superb breakfast plates, jelly candies on our pillow every night, fantastic recommendations for activities and food) and the entire staff made us feel like kings and queens.
We loved being able to ‘pre-select’ our breakfast options at night and scheduling a time for breakfast to be served at the location of our choice (balcony, pool side, etc.) Mornings in Santorini feel peaceful and serene (probably because the tour boat excursion groups haven’t arrived on the island yet!) – we loved having a lazy, quiet breakfast on our balcony overlooking the caldera. Also…. the Greek breakfast option offered by the hotel was to-die-for!
Oia is a place to roam around and get lost. Make sure to carve out some time to explore the village and and little shops. For the best view of the sunset, head to the stairs towards Amoudi Bay (214 steps below the town of Oia, also known as the donkey trail).
We found the stairs to be much less crowded than the other popular sunset viewing sections (e.g. church ruins, spots by the windmill) – a word of warning though, the closer you get to the bottom of the stairs/towards the port, the more donkey droppings there are. Stay close to the top of the stairs during sunset to keep a more romantic atmosphere (there is absolutely nothing romantic about donkey poop….). Also, make sure to check when sunset is expected to occur (see average sunset times by month here) – you’ll want to go 30-45 minutes early if you want to secure a prime spot of the view, so plan accordingly.
TIP: Amoudi Bay is a fishing port that features a great selection of moderately-priced tavernas selling fresh seafood. We had a lovely dinner at Katina Taverna. You CANNOT miss the lobster spaghetti special for two – the lobster was fresh and the pasta was cooked in lobster broth which made it extremely flavorful. We also ordered the white eggplant salad (white eggplant ONLY grows in Santorini so it’s a must try).
Our first morning in Greece was dedicated to the Oia to Fira Hike (a must-do in Santorini). Honestly, this was one of the highlights of our trip and if you can only do ONE THING on your trip to Santorini, make it this! We started the hike from Oia right after breakfast, and were able to make it to Fira by 12pm (just in time for a hearty, rewarding, and guilt-free lunch).
Most people start the hike from the Fira side because the way from Oia is slightly more challenging (you’re going uphill, Fira is at a higher elevation), but it really didn’t make sense for us since we were based in Oia. Bring lots of water and sunscreen because the sun can get a bit intense. Also, don’t forget to bring your camera because there are photo spots every step of the way!
There are great resting points throughout the hike, including stops in the towns of Imerovigli and Firostefani. Both offer stunning views of of anchored cruise ships in the Aegean Sea.
Lunch was at a tiny, crowded place on the main street of Fira called Lucky’s Souvlaki – a place that is highly regarded and famous for their gyros. As with most places in Greece, Lucky’s doesn’t have an address but head to the main street of Fira and you won’t miss it. After lunch, we roamed around the streets of Fira for about an hour and enjoyed touring the many shops filled with olives, soaps, ceramics, etc.
Another must-do: forget the planned itinerary, rent an ATV (we shared one), and spend a half-day driving around the island. There are literally dozens of ATV/bike rental shops around Fira so you don’t need to reserve one in advance – we found a rental shop that allowed us to leave the ATV overnight in Oia for pick-up the next morning (saved us a bus trip back from Fira to Oia).
I’ll admit, ATV-ing probably wasn’t the SAFEST activity in the world, but it was totally worth it because we got to see some of the more remote parts of the island (Kamari, Perissa Black Sand Beach), away from the crowds. It cost us about $35 for a 24-hour rental (including helmets and insurance). We probably got jipped on the cost of insurance, but hey…it gave us peace-of-mind!
TIP: If you are able to rent an ATV, make sure to drive it to Kamari beach. When you are at the beach, look up to the closest mountain – you will see a mountain-side with switchback roads. Head to the switchbacks and make your way to the top for a breathtaking view (and different perspective) of the island. Be careful because it is a narrow road and there is no fencing near the edge!
When you explore the island by ATV, you’re sure to drive past herds of donkeys grazing in cliff-side fields. I made my husband stop the ATV so that we could hop a fence and say hi to some donkey friends!
A lovely place for dinner is Mellitini, in Oia. The restaurant is tucked away on the corner of a street (close to the St. George church). Mellitini serves traditional Greek tapas (we ordered spicy lamb sausage, fried chickpea balls a.k.a Revithokeftedes, local Greek beer, and saganaki a.k.a fried cheese).
On our last day in Santorini, we took a sunset sailing tour with Sunset Oia Sailing Cruises. If I had to do it again, I probably would’ve skipped the tour. The activity was one of our more expensive ones (~$150 for 2) and because the water was so cold (we went at the end of May), our entire tour group ended up staying on the boat for 6-7 hours (anti-climactic and boring!) However, if you really want to do a sailing tour while in Greece, I would recommend this company – they were organized, friendly, and even offered round trip transfer from our hotel to the Amoudi Port.
The tour took place on a catamaran and made 3 stops – the 1st stop was the Volcano Hot Springs for a quick swim (this was sort of a bust, the water wasn’t very hot), the 2nd stop was at the Red Beach, and the last stop was near the White Beach for some snorkeling, and BBQ on the ship. The BBQ was the best part of the tour…the crew served a delicious variety of chicken and pork kabobs, veggies, and dips. Bonus – alcohol flowed freely and was complementary! We also enjoyed watching the sunset from the water……stunning!
TIP: If you decide to do the sailing tour, make sure to bring an extra coat, towel, or blanket. We went prepared with windbreakers but STILL felt cold!
Days 3-5: Mykonos
We only had 2 days in Mykonos but felt that it was plenty of time to explore and relax on the island. Mykonos is best known for a party-hard culture, swanky club scenes, and glamorous beaches. There are a few ways to get from Santorini to Mykonos, but the easiest way is to travel by high-speed ferry. We pre-ordered two Economy tickets (around 124 Euro/person) on the Hellenic Seaways website and took the Highspeed #6 Vessel.
Don’t have time to reserve in advance? No worries, you can easily buy your tickets from shops located in the port. The total transportation time was ~2.5 hours and we were able to enjoy a quick nap on the ferry (it’s large, clean, and surprisingly comfortable!) I would recommend pre-booking transportation from the Mykonos port to your hotel so that you don’t have to get your bearings immediately after walking off the ship. Our hotel (Mykonos Ammos Hotel) offered complimentary transfers from ports/airport which was extremely convenient.
TIP: The high-speed ferry from Santorini to Mykonos will make a few other stops (Paros and Ios). If you have some flexibility in your travel plans, you could use the ferry to island hop and check out some additional sights prior to heading to the party island of Mykonos. Ferries only stop for a short period of time (~10 min at each stop) so make sure you are ready to get on/off the boats quickly!
The Mykonos Ammos Hotel is located in an area away from the main tourist center, right on Ornos Beach. It was fairly convenient for us to get to the tourist center by bus (word of warning, you must plan your schedule around the bus schedules – they typically depart every hour and don’t run late into the night). Most of the rooms at the hotel are ‘sea view suites’ which means that your hotel door literally opens out onto the sandy beach, amazing! There were plenty of shaded/non-shaded beach loungers and umbrellas for guests to enjoy (free of charge, though looking at Trip Advisor reviews, this was a new change). The hotel also had a great sushi restaurant (Kuzina) which doubled as the complimentary breakfast buffet location in the morning.
Mykonos town is a maze of winding roads and boutiques. After relaxing for a bit in our hotel room, we decided to venture to the tourist center by bus (Ornos to the Fabrika station), and get lost in the streets of Mykonos town. We made sure to hit up all the tourist sites including: Matoyianni Street, Little Venice, and the windmills. For dinner, we enjoyed some hummus, taromosalata (creamy fish roe dip, a specialty of Greece), and fresh grilled seafood (sea bream) at Katerina’s Bar, a cafe which offered a stunning view of the windmills.
TIP: If you decide to order grilled fish in Greece, know that it’s presented to you as a whole fish and you must ask them to ‘fillet’ it for you (if that’s the way you prefer to eat your fish). For the longest time I thought that waiters were asking to “feel” my fish….turns out, they were asking whether or not I needed help with “filleting”.
My husband and I were planning on checking out the ‘late-night party scene’ at one of the many beach clubs on Mykonos after dinner but we were so exhausted from traveling that we ended up going back to the hotel and falling asleep by 10pm. I will say, we DID end up having a late night though because at around midnight, I woke up starving and persuaded my husband to walk with me to find some food. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a local 24/7 bakery and ended up taking back a bunch of baked goods back to the hotel, pigging out, and satisfying our late-night cravings. Now THAT’s what I call a PARTY.
As I mentioned before, Mykonos is best known for extravagant partying and beautiful beaches so you’ve got to check out a few of the beach clubs while you’re on the island. We spent our second day at Mykonos hanging out on Paradise Beach, tossing back frozen alcoholic drinks (pina colada please!), snacking (spicy cheese dip!), and napping under bright beach umbrellas. Other beach activities to consider include: taking a water taxi to Agrari Beach which offers plenty of family-friendly beach activities, relaxing at the secluded but stylish Psarou Beach, or checking out another party scene at Elia Beach.
While we were in Santorini, everyone kept telling us to prepare ourselves for the wild nights and crowded party scenes in Mykonos. Well let me tell you, we did not get ANY of that (time of year is key here!). We decided to stay out late on our last night in Mykonos and headed back to Paradise Beac to enjoy some late-night dancing and drinks. Turns out, the club season hadn’t really started yet (typically end of May) so there were literally 10-20 people standing around the stage….dancing awkwardly. We only stayed for 30 minutes but ended up having a blast people-watching….and I will say, it was a very MEMORABLE way to end our last night in Mykonos!
TIP: As I mentioned before, public buses don’t run late at night so you have to call a taxi for pick-up from the Paradise Beach area.
Days 5-7: Athens
We headed to the Mykonos Airport the next morning and took off for Athens on an Aegean Airlines flight. The flight was SO easy (we literally were on the plane for 20 minutes minus take-off and departure) and I would highly recommend this option if you are wanting a quick way to get from the islands to the mainland.
From the airport, we took the metro line (there’s only one from the airport!) to the Acropolis Station and checked into the Athens Gate Hotel. The Athens Gate Hotel is a standard 3-star hotel (nothing to rave about here) but it was a good option for us – it was conveniently located next to the bumbling streets of Plaka and offered a stunning view of the Acropolis from the rooftop (was voted the 4th best rooftop bar in the world on TripAdvisor).
On our first day in Athens, we were able to walk around and knock-off a bunch of the tourist sites on our list including: the Athens Central Market a.k.a Varvakio Agora (a local market that is a great place to buy spices, olive oil, meats, and cheeses), the Temple of Hephasestus, the Monastiraki district/flea market, Syntagma Square, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Panathenaic Stadium (site of the first modern Olympics), and the Temple of Zeus and the adjacent Hadrian’s Gate/Arch.
The Acropolis/Parthenon though, was BY FAR, one of the most impressive sights that we saw while we were there. I remember walking around the streets of Athens, looking over my shoulder, and being completely taken by surprise at the view of the amazing, ancient building standing in the clouds. You can purchase entrance tickets to the Acropolis for ~$25/person and because we went later in the day, we didn’t even have to wait in line! I would recommend reading-up on the Acropolis prior to your visit so that you can truly understand the architectural and historical significance of the site. It really is spectacular.
TIP: The best time to visit the Acropolis is in the late afternoon (~6pm) after the crowds have dissipated and the heat of the sun has faded. It’s much less overwhelming to visit at this time, and it still gives you enough time to tour the entire site which closes at 8pm!
My mom always says that when traveling, the trick to finding a good place to eat is to find the off-the-beaten path restaurant that is filled with locals (also….avoid the restaurants with the multi-language menus!) Using this advice, we were able to stumble into a GREAT local restaurant called O Tzitzikas kai O Mermigkas.
The restaurant was packed even though it was 3pm in the afternoon and we were offered a free shot of vodka before we even ordered our food. I enjoyed a local special (pan-fried beef liver with carmelized onions and potatoes) while Kevin ordered the Mastihato (an amazing bird’s nest resembling dish of crispy kadaifi noodles, cream sauce, and chicken).
After our meal, we saw that the gelateria next store (Le Greche) had a long line out-the-door so of course, decided to check it out and grab some dessert. We were so glad we did because it was delicious! Le Greche’s gelato is made from scratch and they only use local, carefully sourced ingredients.
Since we had a short amount of time in Athens, we decided to take a tour called the Hidden Athens (Plaka and the Hills of Athens) to learn more about the city and get off-the-beaten path. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend it if you are 1) interested in learning about Athens culture and architecture from a local Athenian, or 2) if you want to explore the outskirts/hidden areas beyond the standard tourist sites. However, if you’re on a budget and want to skip the guide, you can do our same tour yourself by following the below!
As part of the Hidden Athens tour, we were able to discover the following sites: 1) the National Gardens (great place for a quick stroll), 2) the Presidential Palace (we got to learn about the changing of the guard), 3) Mars Hill a.k.a Areopagus and the cave where Socrates was held prisoner, 4) Anafiotika (small, hidden neighborhood on the northern side of Athens filled with lovely graffiti art), 5) Agio Nikolaos Ragavas Church (an ancient 11th-century Byzantine church) 6) Brettos (the oldest distillery in Athens covered in colorful walls and features fancy fruity liquors), and 6) Philopappou Hill (offers stunning views of Athens and the acropolis…pack a picnic of spanakopita to enjoy with the views!).
While you are in Athens, you absolutely absolutely have to eat at Mani Mani, a local restaurant which features hearty Peloponnese cuisine. I had read about the restaurant (it was featured in a New York Times article) while I was researching and planning out our itinerary. We almost didn’t go and are so glad we did because it was the best meal we had while in Greece. We ordered a salad, 2 entrees, and a bottle of wine…and the entire meal cost us 50 Euros! Our favorite dish was the sweet green salad with soft, creamy katiki cheese. The meal was a great way to end our unforgettable honeymoon in Greece together.
To be honest, we weren’t sure what to expect from Athens (we had heard that it was dirty, crowded, and overwhelming) but we actually loved our time there…it’s a magical city filled with history, culture, and fun cobble-stoned streets!
Want more details or a full day-by-day itinerary of this trip? Need help planning your trip to Greece? Sign-up for my e-mail list or shoot me a comment/question below!
Good article and right to the point. I am not sure if this is truly the best place to ask but do you folks have any ideea where to hire some professional writers? Thx 🙂
I came across your blog while we were planning a trip to Norway. It was super helpful, and I used most of your recommendations. We had a great time in Norway. Now when we started planing Greece trip, your blog was the first one I checked to see if you have one on Greece. I like the way you explain all the things that matter, food etc, to have a wholesome experience. Thank you!