The Top 10 Things to Do in Greece
#10 -
Parthenon
Pretty much every trip to Greece begins with Athens, as most flights to the islands connect from here. There’s a lot of great history here in Athens to check out! We recommend flying into Athens and staying two nights, so you can adjust to the time difference and have a day to check out Athens. We stayed in an airbnb south of the acropolis with Parthenon views. While it was a really nice place, if we went back I would probably try to stay east of the Acropolis, as you’re closer to the touristy areas. As for the Parthenon, we walked up and waited in a long line in the sun to purchase tickets, but after that it was all easy, fun exploring a 2,500ish year old site. Not only is it a great piece of history, but it also offers amazing 360 degree views of the city. Bring your camera, sun block, and comfortable shoes and you’ll have a great time.
#9 -
Mykonos Beaches
The beaches in Mykonos were unlike any beach experience we’ve had in the states. Basically, the restaurants own and operate the beach in front of their facilities as an extension of their restaurants. So, the awesome thing is you’ll have a server bringing you drinks and food whenever you want. That was really nice. The negative however, is that you have to pay to sit on the beach chairs. There’s little to no space that is just free to relax in. Some restaurants will offer you free chairs if you dine with them beforehand, so look for signs or people offering that.
#8 -
Watch the Sunset in Oia
A must see while visiting Santorini! Join the flocks of people who come to witness the beautiful colors painted across the sky over the Mediterrean Sea. Enjoy this majestic view while dining or sipping atop one of the many rooftop restaurants while taking in the cool evening air. Or stroll over to what the locals call the “castle” and join the crowds and music goers all taking in this natural beauty. Remember to bring your selfie stick and get out a little early to get a good viewing spot. We visited during the very hot summer month of July and the sunset was at about 8:00 pm every night. We learned to make reservations at restaurants ahead of time to get the best spots among the rooftops. Such a relaxing city and atmosphere!
#7 -
Santorini Sunset Cruise
As you just read, the sunset is the biggest event on the island of Santorini. For an alternate viewpoint and an excellent way to see the different parts of the island, we set out on a catamaran sunset cruise. We got to see white beach, red beach, jump into a hot spring (that wasn’t hot at all BTW), and eat some local food. While you don’t get to lay out at the various beaches, they stop the boat periodically and allow you to jump into the ocean and swim awhile. And of course, the finale is the sunset. They time the return home so you get to enjoy that aforementioned famous sunset while rocking in the water. All and all, a great adventure!
#6 -
Santorini Wine Tasting Tour
We had a fabulous time on a private wine tour with our guide Apostolos. He showed us the island, gave us the history, talked to many locals, and also gave us our own private time at our leisure to enjoy this tour. First we visited the Santo Wines winery which was great! It offered an open air cave feel overlooking the beautiful sea along a cliffside. The price of the tour includes the wine tastings and snacks. We also went to Gavalas Winery which had a relaxed and down to earth feel encompassed by beautiful violet flowers. The tour was very personalized, so if you’re wanting to see something, just ask your guide! Ours was very flexible and took us to the highest point of the island to enjoy the gorgeous views and to see the ancient Prophet Elias Monastery. Then, we walked along Kamari Beach and grabbed some ice cream, perused the street shops, and enjoyed a nice view of the water. We booked our trip just the day before by walking into the Atlantis Oia Dive Centre right in town in Oia. They also offer other excursions such as scuba diving or group tours.
#5 -
Monastiraki Area
Eating and drinking on rooftops is big business in Greece. After visiting the Parthenon, we walked over to an area called Monastiraki, which is one of Athen’s primary shopping and dining districts. While perusing through the streets, you’ll be met with many restaurant hosts inviting you up for a meal. We took up one such offer, and enjoyed an incredible meal at the rooftop restaurant atop the 360 hotel. It was one of our favorite meals on the entire trip. On top of that, we had a wonderful view of the Parthenon. Afterwards, we went back to the streets and got some delicious ice cream at DaVinci’s. It was a fantastic way to spend our afternoon in Athens.
#4 -
Rooftop Restaurants in Oia
Have you noticed the trend of watching the sunset in Greece? And all the different ways to view it? Another big part of your day in Santorini will be securing a table on a rooftop at the precise time to see the beautiful skies. During peak season, this will be competitive! We learned it’s best to stop by a restaurant when they open (when we’re heading out for a day of adventure) and make a reservation for dinner then. We tried three or four different spots and they all had great views. Simply look up the sunset time on Google and plan accordingly. Some of the restaurants had set “sunset” reservation times, but others would let you set the time however you liked, so you can start dinner with the sunset or enjoy it during dessert.
#3 -
Shopping along Santorini “Streets”
Oia is a place like none we’ve ever seen. The city “streets” rest right above your cave hotel, so every morning when you walk up the stairs to the street, you’re immediately thrust above the walking street, which is where you’ll find all their shops and restaurants. We walked this path every day and it never got old. There are souvenir spots, jewelry stores, clothing boutiques, cute cafes, and much more. One of their most popular stops is Atlantis Books, which has a very instagramable storefront and carries rare and new books. If you purchase a book they will stamp the inside with their store stamp, making it a memorable book forever.
#2 -
Stay in a Cave
When we first decided that we were going to spend our honeymoon in Greece we knew we had to stay in one of the cave-like structures that you see on all of the postcards. We knew nothing about how it all worked and learned a lot after our trip. First off, the area that you see in most postcards is a city called Oia in Santorini. Before the trip we figured it was like booking a room in a hotel. The difference, we learned, is that the caves are owned by many different groups. The one we stayed in was part of a group that owned a handful of rooms. It was a special experience to spend the night in a cave-like room, overlooking the Caldera, and being able to walk out our door to our private pool. The customer service was exceptional, from getting picked up from the airport, to a man carrying our huge suitcases down the many stairs (only drawback of staying in the caves is the stairs), to breakfast delivered to our room daily. Such an unforgettable experience!
#1 -
Panathenaic Stadium
We capped off our full day in Athens with going on a stroll through the National Garden, leading the way to visit Panathenaic Stadium, home of the first modern Olympic games. It was cool to look at a great piece of world history. Today, you can go there for a daily run from 7:30 am to 9:00 am, take an audio tour, sign up for the Authentic Athens Marathon that ends at the stadium, or catch the occasional concert that they host. We took some photos and admired the site before walking over to a rooftop restaurant where we capped our day off with food and drinks with a sunset view of the Acropolis. What a memorable day.
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