Greece Itinerary
By Rick Steves
So much to see, so little time. How to choose? To help you get started, I've listed my top picks for where to go in Greece, and my plan for your best two-week trip to Athens and the Peloponnese.
Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are my recommended priorities.
- 2–3 days: Athens
- 5 days, add: Hydra
- 7 days, add: Delphi
- 10 days, add: Nafplio, Epidavros, Mycenae
- 12 days, add: Olympia, Monemvasia
- 14 days, add: Kardamyli and the Mani Peninsula, and slow down
- More time: Head to Mykonos and/or Santorini, two of Greece's best islands
Rick’s Best Two-Week Trip to Greece
Outside of Athens, this region is best visited by car. If you'd rather get around by bus, you'll see less in the same amount of time (or you can add more days to your itinerary to see it all).
Best Trip by Car
Day 1: Arrive Athens (sleep in Athens)
Day 2: Athens (sleep in Athens)
Day 3: Athens (sleep in Athens)
Day 4: Boat to Hydra (sleep on Hydra)
Day 5: Hydra (sleep on Hydra)
Day 6: Boat back to Athens, pick up rental car, drive to Delphi (sleep in Delphi)
Day 7: Sightsee Delphi, drive to Olympia (sleep in Olympia)
Day 8: Sightsee Olympia, drive to Kardamyli (sleep in Kardamyli)
Day 9: Relax in Kardamyli (sleep in Kardamyli)
Day 10: Mani Peninsula loop drive, on to Monemvasia (sleep in Monemvasia)
Day 11: Monemvasia (sleep in Monemvasia)
Day 12: See Mycenae en route to Nafplio (sleep in Nafplio)
Day 13: Nafplio, side-trip to Epidavros (sleep in Nafplio)
Day 14: Return to Athens, drop off rental car (sleep in Athens)
Day 15: Fly home, or continue to Mykonos and/or Santorini by plane or boat
Best Trip by Public Transportation
Day 1: Arrive Athens (sleep in Athens)
Day 2: Athens (sleep in Athens)
Day 3: Athens (sleep in Athens)
Day 4: Morning in Athens, afternoon bus to Delphi (sleep in Delphi)
Day 5: Delphi (sleep in Delphi)
Day 6: Morning bus to Athens, then boat to Hydra (sleep on Hydra)
Day 7: Hydra (sleep on Hydra)
Day 8: Morning boat back to Athens, then bus to Olympia (sleep in Olympia)
Day 9: Sightsee Olympia (sleep in Olympia)
Day 10: Morning bus to Nafplio (sleep in Nafplio)
Day 11: Day trip to Mycenae (sleep in Nafplio)
Day 12: Day trip to Epidavros (sleep in Nafplio)
Day 13: Bus to Athens (sleep in Athens)
Day 14: Fly home, or continue to Mykonos and/or Santorini by plane or boat
Bus notes: Research and consider bus connections carefully (usually easier to do in person than online); these can be limited and complicated, especially on the Peloponnese.
With limited time, you could see Delphi either as a day trip on Day 4 (return to Athens for the night) or as a single overnight (bus from Athens to Delphi on the morning of Day 4, spend the night in Delphi, then bus to Athens and boat to Hydra on Day 5).
If you've seen enough ancient sites, you could skip Olympia (which is time-consuming to reach by bus), and visit the very different town-and-giant-rock of Monemvasia (also time-consuming by bus, but worthwhile if it appeals to you), or easier, enjoy more beach time on Hydra.
Without a car, the easiest connection from Hydra to the Peloponnese is via Athens, but adventurous travelers could tackle the cheaper and shorter — though more complicated — boat-taxi-bus connection to Nafplio instead.
This bus itinerary leaves out the hardest-to-reach destinations: Kardamyli/Mani Peninsula (best by car or with a hired local driver) and Monemvasia. With an extra week and a bunch of patience, you could include all of my recommended destinations.