Greek Islands
Island-hop from the caldera cliffs of Santorini to the pink sand beaches and Minoan palaces of Crete, with Athens as your gateway to the Aegean
About Greek Islands
The Greek Islands are 6,000 islands scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas, of which 227 are inhabited and about 20 are on the average traveller's list. Santorini and Crete are the two that justify the flights, the ferry tickets, and the sunburn, and together with Athens they form a triangle that covers 4,000 years of history, the best beaches in the Mediterranean, and food that costs half what it does in Western Europe.
Athens anchors the trip with the Acropolis, the ancient Agora, and the Plaka neighbourhood where the restaurants are tourist-facing but the rooftop bars with Parthenon views at sunset are worth every euro. Santorini is the volcanic island that collapsed into the sea and left behind the caldera cliffs, the white villages, and the sunsets that launched a million Instagram accounts. Crete is the big one: large enough to drive for hours, diverse enough to offer pink sand beaches, 16 km gorges, Minoan palaces, and tavernas where the raki arrives free and the menu is whatever the kitchen cooked that morning.
The ferries connect them in a loop, and the rhythm of island-hopping is part of the experience: deck chairs on the morning ferry, watching the Cyclades appear as white specks on the horizon, arriving at a new port with a bag and a hotel booking and nothing else planned. The food shifts as you move: Athens does souvlaki and mezze, Santorini does fava and volcanic wine, and Crete does dakos and slow-cooked lamb with olive oil so thick and green it barely pours. The costs drop as you move from Santorini (the most expensive island) to Crete (one of the most affordable), and the crowds thin as you move east.
Cities in this region
3 destinations, each with its own character. Pick one as a base or string them into a route.
Suggested route
Things to do across Greek Islands
24 top experiences across every destination in the region.
Experiences worth booking ahead
Vetted tours and tickets across every destination in the region. The ones worth reserving before you arrive.
Stay in Greek Islands
Real-time pricing across hotels, apartments, and ryokans. Book direct from the map.
7 Days Island-Hopping: Athens, Santorini & Crete
A week covering the Acropolis, the caldera sunsets, and the beaches and tavernas of Crete. Ferries connect the dots, and each island feels like a different country.
Athens: Acropolis & Plaka
Acropolis at opening (EUR 20, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the view over Athens), walk down through the Plaka, lunch at a taverna in Anafiotika (the whitewashed village on the hillside, looks like a Cycladic island transplanted to the city), afternoon Ancient Agora (EUR 10), evening on a Monastiraki rooftop bar watching the sunset light up the Acropolis.
Athens to Santorini
Morning flight (45 min) or early ferry (5-8 hours, the deck views of the Cyclades are part of the experience). Arrive Santorini, check in, afternoon walk from Fira to Firostefani along the caldera rim (20 min, the Three Bells church, free), first caldera sunset from Fira with a glass of Assyrtiko wine (EUR 5-8).
Santorini: Akrotiri & South
Akrotiri archaeological site at 8 AM (EUR 12, the Minoan city buried by the eruption), Red Beach (bring water, limited shade), afternoon winery visit (Santo Wines EUR 10-15, the caldera view while tasting is the real product), sunset at Akrotiri Lighthouse (bring wine, 20 people instead of 15,000 at Oia).
Santorini: Oia & Ammoudi
Oia morning walk (the blue domes, the galleries, the light before 10 AM), down 300 steps to Ammoudi Bay (grilled octopus lunch EUR 14-18, swim off the rocks), afternoon beach at Perissa or Kamari (black sand, lounger EUR 15-25), evening Oia sunset from the kasteli ruins (arrive 30 min early for a spot).
Santorini to Crete
Morning ferry Santorini to Heraklion (2 hours, EUR 35-50). Arrive Crete, pick up rental car. Afternoon Knossos (EUR 15, the Minoan palace, the throne room, the labyrinth corridors), evening in Heraklion old town (dinner at Peskesi for ingredient-focused Cretan cooking, or a simple taverna on the back streets, EUR 15-25 pp plus free raki).
Crete: Chania & the West
Drive west to Chania (2.5 hours on the national highway). Venetian Harbour walk, Old Town exploration (the market, leather street Skridlof, the mosque), lunch at the harbour (Tamam in the old hammam for genuine Cretan). Afternoon: Elafonisi pink sand beach (75 min from Chania, arrive by 2 PM, swim until 6 PM) or Balos lagoon (boat from Kissamos EUR 25). Evening back in Chania, dinner in the old town.
Crete: Rethymno & Farewell
Drive east to Rethymno (1 hour from Chania). Fortezza morning (EUR 4, the Venetian fortress, the sea views), Old Town walk (the Rimondi Fountain, the minaret, the Renaissance streets), farewell Cretan lunch at a taverna (dakos, lamb, raki). Drive to Heraklion for evening flight, or continue east for a longer trip to Agios Nikolaos and Spinalonga.