EuropeOriginal Research

Greece

Q: Do Americans need a visa for Greece?

US passport holders can stay in Greece (Schengen) up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. ETIAS authorisation required from late 2026 — €7 online, valid three years.

Q: How many days do you need in Greece?

For Athens and two islands, plan 10–12 days minimum. A classic first trip: 3 days Athens, 4 days Santorini, 4 days Naxos or Paros. For a deeper island-hop (5+ islands), plan 2–3 weeks. Greece rewards slow ferry travel; rushing undercuts the whole experience.

Q: Which Greek island should I visit first?

Santorini for the iconic views (but it's crowded and expensive). Paros or Naxos for the classic Cycladic experience with fewer tourists. Milos for beaches. Crete for size + variety (Minoan history, mountains, beaches). Skip Mykonos unless nightlife is the main goal — it's become extraordinarily expensive.

Q: Is Greece expensive to travel?

Mid-range $120–180/day per person — mid-range hotel, tavernas, ferries, one island activity. Shoestring: $60–90 with pensions and ferry deck seats. Santorini and Mykonos run 50–100% more than other islands; Athens and the mainland are notably cheaper.

Q: How do I get between Greek islands?

Ferries from Piraeus (Athens' port) connect all inhabited islands. Book Blue Star (slow, cheap), SeaJets (fast, pricier), or SkyExpress flights for longer distances. For island-hops of 3+ stops, buy tickets 2–3 weeks ahead in July–August; day-of is fine in shoulder season.

Q: Is Greece safe for tourists?

One of the safest Mediterranean countries — violent crime is rare, tourist scams are minimal. Athens has some pickpocketing around Omonia and Monastiraki metro stations. Island travel is very safe. Rent a car on Crete or Rhodes and drive defensively — local driving is assertive.

Island-hopping, ruins & Mediterranean blue

Guides4

Comparisons2

SafetyExercise Normal Precautions

— Overview

Why we keep coming back.

Greece invented Western civilisation and then retired to the beach. Whitewashed Cycladic villages, turquoise Aegean waters, and meze-laden tavernas make it an eternal favourite.

Live · right now

24° / 75°F

clear sky in Athens

Feels 25° · 45% humidity · wind 5 km/h

Next 3 days

Wed, May 13

27° / 17°

Thu, May 14

26° / 17°

Fri, May 15

26° / 16°

Next holiday · Greece

Πεντηκοστή

Sun, May 31, 2026

In 19 days · Pentecost

Also coming up

Mon, Jun 1Δευτέρα Πεντηκοστής20d
Sat, Aug 15Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου95d
Wed, Oct 28Το Όχι169d
Fri, Dec 25Χριστούγεννα227d
Sat, Dec 26Σύναξις Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου Μαρίας228d

Live · exchange rate

1 USD = 0.850 EUR

1 GBP = 1.16 EUR
1 EUR = 1.00 EUR

ECB feed · refreshes daily

🇬🇷 Fast facts

Capital: Athens
Language: Greek
Population: 10.4M
Currency: euro (€)
Timezone: UTC+02:00
Calling code: +30
Drives on: Right

Best time to visit · based on 10-year climate

Go in May, Jun, Sep, Oct

Source: Open-Meteo ERA5 (Athens)

JAN

8.9°

71mm

FEB

10°

49mm

MAR

12°

46mm

APR

15.8°

34mm

MAY

20.3°

32mm

JUN

25.6°

28mm

JUL

28.7°

10mm

AUG

27.9°

11mm

SEP

23.9°

25mm

OCT

18.9°

26mm

NOV

14.9°

80mm

DEC

10.9°

96mm

IdealGoodDoableTough

Hotel pricing · Athens, Greece

$135

median / night

Low $135 · mid-market 3–4★ · updated Apr 22, 2026

See live rates →

Jet-lag prep · flying to Athens

How bad will the jet lag be?

Severity from three major hubs. Full plan — bedtime shifts, light, melatonin — in the tool.

Open planner →

From New York (JFK)

Moderate5.5/ 10

~7 days to recover · heading eastbound

From London (LHR)

Minimal1.6/ 10

~2 days to recover · heading eastbound

From Singapore (SIN)

Mild3.6/ 10

~5 days to recover · heading westbound

— Regions

Where to go in Greece

Athens & Attica

The Acropolis, the Plaka neighbourhood, the Cape Sounion sunset, and the airport that connects to every island. Three days in Athens, no rushing.

Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos)

The whitewashed-village postcard. Santorini for the sunset, Mykonos for the beaches and clubs, Paros and Naxos for everyday Cycladic life — and ferries that connect all of them.

Dodecanese (Rhodes, Symi, Kos)

The eastern islands — Rhodes' Crusader-era walled town, Symi's pastel harbour, Kos for ancient ruins and beaches. Quieter than the Cyclades, closer to Turkey.

Crete

Greece's largest island, big enough for a full week — Heraklion's Knossos, Chania's Venetian harbour, the Samaria Gorge, and the wild south coast at Loutro and Sfakia.

Peloponnese & Mainland

Nafplio, Olympia, Mycenae, Mystras, Mani's stone tower-villages. The mainland Greeks holiday in — undertouristed and easy by car.

— When to go

The seasonality call

Period	Verdict
May–early Jun	Perfect — warm seas (above 20°C), wildflowers, half the prices of August.
Jul–Aug	Peak — Santorini and Mykonos sold out, Cycladic ferries packed, mainland 35°C+.
Sep	Best overall — sea still warm, crowds gone after first week, harvest dinners across Peloponnese.
Oct	Athens and Crete still excellent; smaller Cycladic islands largely shut from mid-month.
Nov–Mar	Mainland and Athens for archaeology in the cool; islands closed except Crete and Rhodes.

— Entry & visa

Visa requirements

US, UK, Canadian and Australian passport holders enter the Schengen Area visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day window. From mid-2026 the EU's ETIAS authorisation is required (€7, valid 3 years). Six-month passport validity beyond your departure date.

— Budget

What you'll spend

Shoestring: $60–100/day — pensions, gyros and souvlaki, deck-class ferries, free archaeological sites in winter.
Mid-range: $160–260/day — boutique hotels, taverna dinners with wine, premium ferry seats, Acropolis combo ticket.
Luxury: $700+/day — Cycladic cave hotels with private plunge pool, helicopter island-hops, yacht charters Mykonos–Santorini.

Santorini and Mykonos run 50–100% above other islands in peak. Paros, Naxos, Milos, Sifnos and the Peloponnese stay reasonable.

— Getting around

Transport on the ground

Domestic flights connect Athens to Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes and Corfu in under an hour. Ferries (Blue Star, SeaJets, Hellenic Seaways) are the romantic option — book on Ferryhopper. The new Athens–Thessaloniki Express trims that route to 4h. Rent a car on Crete and the Peloponnese; mopeds on small islands. Avoid driving Athens itself.

Edited by

Elena Vasquez

Travel Editor · Madrid, Spain

Elena Vasquez is travel editor at destination.com, focused on continental Europe. Based in Madrid, she has reported from every EU country and writes with particular interest in the line between tourism and daily life — neighborhoods changed by short-term rentals, restaurants that still feed locals, markets that survive.

Continental Europe
Food & markets
Overtourism
City guides

Greece hub last reviewed May 1, 2026

— Topical guides

Greece by topic

Deep-dives across the angles travellers ask about most — food, itineraries, wellness, off-season picks. Each guide pulls together our reporting on a single slice of Greece.

Greek Islands Guides
Santorini and Mykonos vs the islands the Greeks actually fly to — sorted by ferry time, vibe and how loud the bars get.
Read the guide →

— From the journal

Greece guides

All 4 stories →

Hotel

5 Romantic Greece All-Inclusive Resorts Adults-Only

Are you and you’re partner planning a trip to Greece? Then I’ve got some great news for you. In 2023 alone, Greece saw a whopping…

14 min read

Art and Culture

Discover Athen’s Ancient Charms

Located in the heart of ancient civilization, Athens, the capital of Greece, calls to those of us who are looking to explore both the ancient…

4 min read

Neighbourhood Guide

Ano Mera in April: Mykonos's Quiet Village Before the Crowds

Ano Mera in April: Mykonos's Quiet Village Before the Crowds — an expert guide with local insights and Expedia booking.

7 min read

Hidden Gems

Thirassia: Santorini's Forgotten Island Where May Means Caper Harvests and Empty Shores

Thirassia: Santorini's Forgotten Island Where May Means Caper Harvests and Empty Shores — an expert guide with local insights and Expedia booking.

8 min read

— Head to head

Pair it with.

— Safety advisory

Current level 1 · Exercise Normal Precautions

Greece is a safe destination with low violent crime. Petty theft can occur in tourist-heavy areas of Athens.

Read the full briefing →

— The scorecard

How Greece scores.

Our editorial team rates every destination 1–10 across 10 travel dimensions, calibrated against the full catalogue. Strongest on beaches and culture & history; weakest on adventure.

Value for money

7/10

Food scene

8/10

Beaches

10/10

Culture & history

9/10

Ease of travel

8/10

Nature & landscapes

8/10

Nightlife

8/10

Family-friendly

7/10

Adventure

7/10

Luxury options

8/10

Compare Greece with another destination →

Editorial itineraries

Day-by-day plans for Greece

10 days

10 Days in Greece: Athens, Santorini, Milos, and Crete

A 10-day Greece itinerary — three nights in Athens, two on Santorini, two on quieter Milos, and three on Crete — connected by ferries and one short domestic flight.

— FAQ

Planning a trip to Greece

Browse every travel FAQ on destination.com →

What's the best time to visit Greece?

May, early June, and September are ideal — warm seas, fewer crowds, cheaper ferries. July–August is peak and crowded across the islands, especially Santorini and Mykonos. October is excellent for Athens and the mainland; islands start winding down but still pleasant.

Do Americans need a visa for Greece?

How many days do you need in Greece?

Which Greek island should I visit first?

Is Greece expensive to travel?

How do I get between Greek islands?

Is Greece safe for tourists?

— How we report this hub

What you read here, and where it came from.

On-the-ground reporting. Every section of this Greece guide is sourced from destination.com editors who have reported from the country in person, in many cases more than once. We don't pivot from press releases.
No paid placement. Hotels, restaurants and operators named here are recommended on editorial merit. When we earn an affiliate commission on a booking link, we say so on the page — it never affects what we recommend or in what order.
Data we use. Visa rules, prices and seasonality call-outs cite official government sources, our editor's most recent in-country reporting, or the operator's published rate (in that order). Numbers age — see the verified date below for the last review.
Corrections. Send corrections directly to our editors; we publicly log every correction we make.

Reviewed by Elena Vasquez✓ Last verified May 1, 2026

— Plan the tripAffiliate · We may earn

Book Greece in one place.

Hotels, flights and packages via our booking partner — Expedia Group. Live pricing, free cancellation on most.

Hotels

Live rates across Greece

Search on Expedia →

Flights

One-ways, returns, multi-city

Search on Expedia →

Packages

Flight + hotel, bundled

Search on Expedia →

Loading destination guide

Where to go in Greece

Athens & Attica

The Acropolis, the Plaka neighbourhood, the Cape Sounion sunset, and the airport that connects to every island. Three days in Athens, no rushing.

Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos)

The whitewashed-village postcard. Santorini for the sunset, Mykonos for the beaches and clubs, Paros and Naxos for everyday Cycladic life — and ferries that connect all of them.

Dodecanese (Rhodes, Symi, Kos)

The eastern islands — Rhodes' Crusader-era walled town, Symi's pastel harbour, Kos for ancient ruins and beaches. Quieter than the Cyclades, closer to Turkey.

Crete

Greece's largest island, big enough for a full week — Heraklion's Knossos, Chania's Venetian harbour, the Samaria Gorge, and the wild south coast at Loutro and Sfakia.

Peloponnese & Mainland

Nafplio, Olympia, Mycenae, Mystras, Mani's stone tower-villages. The mainland Greeks holiday in — undertouristed and easy by car.

The seasonality call

Period

Verdict

May–early Jun

Perfect — warm seas (above 20°C), wildflowers, half the prices of August.

Jul–Aug

Peak — Santorini and Mykonos sold out, Cycladic ferries packed, mainland 35°C+.

Sep

Best overall — sea still warm, crowds gone after first week, harvest dinners across Peloponnese.

Oct

Athens and Crete still excellent; smaller Cycladic islands largely shut from mid-month.

Nov–Mar

Mainland and Athens for archaeology in the cool; islands closed except Crete and Rhodes.

What you'll spend

Shoestring

$60–100/day — pensions, gyros and souvlaki, deck-class ferries, free archaeological sites in winter.

Mid-range

$160–260/day — boutique hotels, taverna dinners with wine, premium ferry seats, Acropolis combo ticket.

Luxury

$700+/day — Cycladic cave hotels with private plunge pool, helicopter island-hops, yacht charters Mykonos–Santorini.

Santorini and Mykonos run 50–100% above other islands in peak. Paros, Naxos, Milos, Sifnos and the Peloponnese stay reasonable.

Transport on the ground

What you read here, and where it came from.

On-the-ground reporting. Every section of this Greece guide is sourced from destination.com editors who have reported from the country in person, in many cases more than once. We don't pivot from press releases.

No paid placement. Hotels, restaurants and operators named here are recommended on editorial merit. When we earn an affiliate commission on a booking link, we say so on the page — it never affects what we recommend or in what order.

Data we use. Visa rules, prices and seasonality call-outs cite official government sources, our editor's most recent in-country reporting, or the operator's published rate (in that order). Numbers age — see the verified date below for the last review.

Corrections. Send corrections directly to our editors; we publicly log every correction we make.

Reviewed by Elena Vasquez✓ Last verified May 1, 2026