The village of Oia strung along the top of the Santorini caldera cliff, with yachts anchored in the water far below

Greece travel guide: the islands and Athens

Which island group suits your trip, how many days to give Athens, how the ferries really work and where to sleep once you land.

Where to go in Greece

Greece sorts its islands into groups, and each group is a different trip. Start with the one that matches what you want from it, then pick the islands inside it.

Top-rated tours and activities in Greece

Six of the most booked trips across the country, one per region. In Athens, a guided visit to the Acropolis that carries on into its museum. On Santorini, the boat out to the volcano and the hot springs in the caldera.

From Chania, the cruise to Balos lagoon and Gramvousa. On Zakynthos, the boat to the Navagio shipwreck. From Rhodes, the fast boat to Symi, and on Milos, a day under sail to Polyaigos with lunch on board.

Prices, ratings and reviews from GetYourGuide, checked on November 2, 2026.

See more activities in Greece

Plan the trip: ferries, hotels, maps and airports

Greek ferries

Which port, which company, and what the wind does to the timetable.

Where to stay

The area you book decides the holiday more than the hotel does.

Maps of Greece

Where each island sits, and how much sea lies between them.

Greek airports

Which code is which island, and how long the transfer really takes.

A Greek ferry reversing on to the quay of a Cycladic port with its stern ramp lowered

How to plan a trip to Greece

When to go

The sea is warm enough to swim from late May to October, and June and September give you that without the August crowds or prices. July and August bring the meltemi, the north wind that blows across the Aegean and is a common reason for a cancelled ferry. If the trip is mostly Athens and the ancient sites, spring and autumn are kinder than the summer heat.

How many islands in one trip

Fewer than you think. Every island hop costs half a day between packing, the boat and checking in again. A useful rule is one island per four or five days, and islands from the same group, because the ferries run within the groups far more often than between them. The map of the Greek islands shows which ones chain together.

Fly or take the ferry

Most trips start in Athens, so give the city a day or two before the islands. From there, the ferries leave from Piraeus and Rafina, and the larger islands such as Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and Santorini also have their own airports with direct flights from abroad in summer. Flying straight to an island and taking the ferry back to Athens at the end often saves a day.

Reading in French? Our sister site vivreengrece.fr covers Greece for French readers.

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