One Week In Greece – Best Places To Go In 2021!
GREECE! It is on the top of everyone’s bucket list (for a good reason honestly) and it is now open for travel in 2021. You can read their updated information about restrictions and travel to Greece here. Greece has over 227 islands and incredible places to visit across the mainland. In one week we visited 5 of the best Greece locations from the mainland and islands.
We wanted to see as much of Greece as we could in just one week, so we put a little bit of everything in our itinerary: beaches, mountains, and historical sites. There is SO much to do in Greece so we had to prioritize what we wanted to get out of it instead of trying to do it all. We decided to go to:
- Nafplio
- Zakynthos
- Athens
- Meteora
- Santorini
We had also planned to make stops in Delphi and Corinth but unfortunately didn’t have the time.
Day 1: Nafplio (1 Night, Half Day)
We arrived in the Athens airport mid day (after our flight was delayed and cancelled – but that is another story). Since we were going all around Greece during the week, we rented a car. To rent a car in Greece you have to get an International Driver’s License beforehand, which was easier than we expected. We grabbed our rental car and immediately headed to Nafplio!
We got to Nafplio in the evening after a full day of travel, so we just got food and went to bed. The next morning we woke up early (which wasn’t hard to do with our jetlag) and went to walk the “999 Steps” of the Palamidi Fortress. Not that it makes it much better, but rumor has it there are only 857 steps. You can walk the steps anytime, but check the Fortress’ hours if you want to go inside once at the top! If you don’t want to walk up the steps, you can drive to the top and go through that entrance. A full ticket for the fortress is 8 Euros. You can get more info on the fortress here.
Pro Tip: Walk the steps in the morning because it is cooler AND it is shaded!
After the fortress we walked down to the Paralia Arvanitias beach which was right by the 999 steps entrance. The water was warm and there was a great beach bar we stopped and got breakfast at.
We then walked the Arvanitias Promenade, which goes around the little peninsula of Nafplio and is lined with Cacti! There are great views, and I hear it is even better at sunset! We did see that sometimes it is closed due to rocks falling – keep an eye out for that! Since we had our car by the Fortress steps, we only walked halfway then came back.
The Nafplio city square cannot be missed! It is the BEST place to buy souvenirs in Greece! They have the best prices and great selection. The square is only open for pedestrian traffic, which gives it such a fun feel. We checked out the shops and got some delicious gelato!
All this took about 4-5 hours, not spending too much time doing any one activity. If you have more time there are many other activities to do and things to see! You can check them out here.
After our charming stay in Nafplio we headed to Kyllini to catch the ferry to Zakynthos. To board the ferry you must complete their health form which asks for either a vaccination or negative results on a rapid or PCR test. This is true both ways!
Day 2: Zakynthos (1 Night, Full Day)
The ferry ride itself only takes about an hour to get to Zakynthos. When we first arrived to Zakynthos, we checked into our Airbnb and got some food. We then had a some time before sunset so we went to check out the Mizithres. It was about a 7 minute hike to the lookout. The lighting at sunset was perfect, and the lookout wasn’t terribly busy.
The next morning we took a private boat tour to Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach) and the Blue Caves. Because it was a private tour we also made some stops to swim at different caves and beaches. This is something you really can’t miss!
After our tour we drove to Porto Limnionas. This is a “beach” of sorts with cliff jumping, snorkeling, cave swimming, and even scuba diving! Pick a spot on the rocks or pay for a beach chair at the bar and cool off in the water.
Read more our full Zakynthos Travel Guide for more places to visit.
We then caught our ferry back to Kyllini and drove to Athens. This is when we planned to make a stop in Corinth on our way, but didn’t want to take the break. If you do stop in Corinth you can take a look at the Corinth canal and the Ancient Corinth Archeological Site where the Apostle St. Paul preached.
Note: An alternative to Athens next could be to drive to Meteora, which takes about 4.5 hours, but avoids the backtracking.
Day 3: Athens (2 Nights, 1 Day)
To the main hub! Here is what we were able to do in just one day:
- Ancient Agora with Temple of Hephaestus and the Museum
- Monastiraki Street Flea Markets
- Temple of Zeus
- National Gardens
- The Acropolis
We also had time for leisurely meals and would have had time for the Roman Agora and/or the Acropolis Museum, but at that point we were ready to rest our feet! We spent the evening in Athens and enjoyed walking around the outdoor restaurants at night. We stopped and got some Baklava and then called it a night!
Read more about how to do Athens in one day in our Ultimate 24 Hour Athens Travel Guide.
Day 4: Meteora (1 Night, 2 Half Days)
We got up in the morning and enjoyed a delicious breakfast before heading to Meteora.
Bonus: We found a beautiful sunflower field along the way!
We learned that the Monasteries all have different closing times and days they are closed, so take a look in your planning here.
We were able to visit a few monasteries our first day. Keep in mind that there is a dress code for visiting the monasteries! Women need to have a long skirt and men need to have long trousers, and no sleeveless shirts are allowed. If you forget, however, they will provide you with coverings. You also need to climb up many steps to access most of the monasteries so come prepared with water and good shoes (along with your mental preparation!).
After the monasteries closed we went down to the cute town and walked around the shops, grabbed a bite to eat, and of course we couldn’t resist the gelato! We went back up to the cliffs to watch the sunset and enjoyed the incredible views.
We stayed the night and woke up early for some pictures and a few more monasteries, then headed on our way back to Athens so we could catch our flight.
On our way back is when we would have made a few hour stop at Delphi. However since we visited more monasteries in the morning we did not have time to stop at Delphi.
We returned the rental car and hopped on our flight to Santorini!
Day 5, 6, and 7: Santorini
Most of our stays were only one night, but we had heard such amazing things about Santorini that we wanted to spend a few days to really enjoy it! With only having one week in Greece, dedicating 3 days to Santorini ended up being just under half of our vacation.
Our Airbnb host was kind enough to pick us up from the airport and show us to our stay, which was especially helpful because the Santorini walkways are a MAZE!
The first evening we enjoyed a dinner at sunset and a dip in our jacuzzi. We stayed near Oia and enjoyed our sunset views. Learn more about the different places to stay on Santorini in this guide.
The next morning we took a tour that visited the island Thirassia with the Volcano, the island Manolas with its snorkeling and winding steps to the top, the hot springs at Palea Kameni, and views of cliffs of Santorini. We got back in time to watch the sunset in Oia.
The next morning we rented ATVs to take along the island and visit a few of Santorini’s beaches. The ATVs were a great way to get around the island since the roads are narrow and winding.
Santorini definitely does not have the best beaches in the world, but it was fun to see the different beaches with their black sand, white sand, or red sand! We learned that some beaches are nudist and some are not – be wary if that is not your thing!
We also stopped and explored Thera (pronounced Fira), which is very similar to Oia with its white city on a cliff with shopping and pedestrian walkways. We then spent the rest of the day in Oia exploring the main street.
Oia sunsets get very busy, with some sites recommending you arrive an hour or more early to get a good spot. Instead we found a beautiful spot to watch the sunset farther from the hustle and bustle that we could enjoy alone together. We watched the sunset over the island instead of over the water horizon, but we didn’t mind!
Our flight back to Athens left early in the morning. Because of the early time the airport wasn’t busy and we found that security was almost empty! Our Airbnb host assured us an hour early was enough time, and he was right!
What We Would Have Done Different With Only One Week In Greece
Our one week in Greece was packed! We loved being in Zakynthos. We agree that if we were to redo our vacation we would spend two nights on Zakynthos and take some time from Santorini. The boat tour on Santorini was interesting but took up a lot of time away from the picturesque Oia. The beaches were also fun to see, but were not the highlight of Santorini for us. We decided we would have taken part of the Santorini time and put it towards Zakynthos to enjoy the adventure without so much of the rush.
What place are you most excited to visit??
