23 of Our Favorite Things To Do In Greece

I was born and raised in Greece (back in the 80s), and even at my age, I still haven’t explored my beautiful country to its full depth. Greece is considered one of the most diverse countries in the world, as there are so many differences in the landscape, from tropical beaches to relaxing islands to snowy mountains with bears, deer, and winter resorts. Trust me: there are lots of things to do in Greece if you have the time and money.

There are thousands of tours, attractions, museums, places, cute villages, and activities in Greece, as it’s one of the most diverse places on earth with so much history and culture to explore.

Places to Visit – Video Guide

It obviously really depends on your situation, where in Greece you are starting your trip, and how many days you may have in my extremely photogenic country. Still, I am trying my best in this article to compile a list of what to do in Greece.

In my opinion, the absolute best things you can do in Greece are:

• Visit the Parthenon and the Acropolis Museum in Athens
• Visit Santorini island and spend at least 3 nights there; it’s the most famous Greek island
• Go on a Sunset Cruise in Santorini
• Visit the prehistoric rocks of Meteora with the 1000-year-old monasteries
• Visit the sacred archaeological site of Delphi
• Try the famous Greek street food “souvlaki” along with other famous Greek plates such as mousaka, tzatziki, kleftiko, giouvetsi, pastitsio, dolmadakia, and seafood meze like grilled octopus, calamari, and shrimp.
• Watch a Greek play in the ancient theatre of Epidavros or the Roman theatre of Herodion; the Athens-Epidaurus Festival is the best cultural event in the country every year, with famous actors and performers from all over the world
• Hike the famous Samaria Gorge in Crete
• Go skiing in the famous Ski Centre of Parnassos, close to Athens, or Kaimaktsalan in northern Greece
• Go on a Greek island tour in the Saronic Gulf from Athens to glimpse the cosmopolitan islands of Hydra, Spetses, Aegina, and Poros.
• Visit the picturesque neighborhood of Plaka in Athens
• Go to the famous Navagio beach (Shipwreck beach) in Zakynthos island
• Explore the Melissani cave on the island of Kefalonia
• Visit the breathtaking Corinth Canal
• Visit the beautiful town of Nafplio, the first capital of Greece
• Visit the Archaeological Museum of Athens, the Byzantine Museum, and the Cycladic Art Museum in Athens
• Visit the stunning Archaeological Museum of Heraklion in Crete, with some of the most important artifacts in Europe
• Go on a Winery Tour in Santorini for a unique wine-tasting experience with awesome views
• Visit the religious peninsula of Mount Athos in the Halkidiki area (you can visit it only if you are a man…women are not allowed)
• Visit the famous tropical Balos beach and Elafonissi beach in Crete
• Watch a movie under the stars in a summer cinema; these are all over Greece, but the best are in Athens, where more than 60 summer cinemas still operate to this day
• Visit a Greek bakery and try the Greek cheese-pie tyropita, speenach-pie spanakopita, or anything else you may fancy; the best bakeries are in Athens, but there are some great ones in Crete and all the islands too
• Visit the Tomb of the Kings and King Philip (the father of Alexander the Great) in Vergina
• Explore the Ancient Agora and the Hefaestus Temple in Athens

VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

• Best Website To Book Any Tour in Greece: GetYourGuide 

• You don’t have to pre-book every tour online, but if you are visiting during the summer months of June-September, things get sold out, and it’s a good idea to have everything booked well in advance.
• There are direct flights to Greek islands but only from major European cities, otherwise the best way to reach a Greek island is to take a second flight from Athens or a ferry from Athens (Ferryhopper is the best website to book a ferry in Greece)
• You should spend a couple of nights in Athens if you have the time to and if this is your first time in Greece, as it’s a very culturally rich city (not the prettiest European city, though, but there are some cute neighbourhoods)

• If you only have time for one island, then make it Santorini. It’s the most famous one, and you won’t be disappointed.

• Mykonos is not on this list because even though it’s a magnificent island with stunning beaches, it has recently become a rich kids’ playground and not a destination where you will have fun. It’s also unreasonably expensive. You will be better off visiting Santorini or another Greek island.

So, let’s dive in and see the best things to do in Greece:

1. Visit the Parthenon and the Acropolis Museum

Even if you are not very interested in history and archaeology, it would be a great mistake to visit Greece without visiting the Acropolis and the Parthenon Temple, especially if this is your first time in Greece. Make no mistake: this is considered one of the marvels of Western civilization, one of the greatest monuments in Europe (if not the greatest…), and the epitome of classical Greek architecture and beauty.

If you are wondering which one to visit, the Acropolis or the Parthenon, please note that they are basically in the same location. “Acropolis” is literally the name of the natural rocky hill on which the Parthenon temple sits. A visit to the nearby Acropolis Museum is a must, too, as this is considered the best Museum in Greece.

I highly recommend that you book a guided tour of the Acropolis and the Museum, which includes tickets to other top attractions in Athens.

BOOK HERE THE BEST GUIDED TOUR TO ACROPOLIS

2. Visit Santorini Island

Santorini is the island you have seen all over Instagram, in travel brochures, and in any picture that talks about Greece or the Greek islands. Santorini is the real thing! Oia and Fira, with their unique architecture admired all over the world and unparalleled views of the volcano, will take your breath away.

I am warning you, though: Santorini and Mykonos are expensive places, as the demand is high. Also, I do not recommend making a day trip from Athens to Santorini. It is not possible, and it will cost you too much.

3. Go on a Sunset Boat Tour in Santorini

The best boat tours in Santorini use a catamaran boat type and even offer a meal or a BBQ with seafood or other Greek delicacies on board. The final stop to see the famous sunset is the trip’s highlight. This is honestly a unique experience, and the great thing is that it doesn’t exist only on Santorini.

Most of the Greek islands have local boat tours that will take you around the island and allow you to swim in some unique and deserted beaches only accessible by boat. Whenever you hear about a tour on a Greek island, please do yourself a favour and hop on immediately!

4. Visit Meteora

Meteora is only a 4-hour drive from Athens or Thessaloniki. I do not recommend taking the train in Greece, as trains can be dangerous and are not reliable in Greece. You will be better off by taking a guided tour by bus like the one below:

5. Visit the sacred place of Delphi

This is the most important archaeological site in Greece after the Parthenon in Athens. Apart from the ruins, the natural beauty of the location will stun visitors.

6. Eat “Souvlaki”: the world-famous Greek street food

There are a million variations of it all over Greece, but you will find some of the best in Athens and Thessaloniki. Some of the best souvlaki kiosks in Athens are: Kostas, Lefteris o Politis, Oi Gynaikes (The Girls), Achilleas, Tomas, and Kalyvas.

I am not a heavy drinker, but I know that the best thing you can accompany a souvlaki with is a cold Greek beer. This is one of the best combinations under the Greek summer sun. The other yummy combination you shoud try once in your lifetime is fries with feta chees. You can thank me later… ☺️

7. Watch a Greek play in an ancient theatre

Today, the Athens Herodion Theatre and Epidavrus Theater are home to one of the most important cultural events in Europe: the Athens-Epidaurus Festival. You can book any event that occurs from June to September every year in both locations.

Language is also no longer a barrier because even though all tragedies are presented in modern Greek, there are big displays with English translations for you to follow along. Epidaurus is a beautiful place with lovely beaches, and the theater is nestled in a forest.

8. Hike the famous Samaria Gorge in Crete

Hiking is not that easy, but it’s not very difficult either. I would call it intermediate.

I hiked the gorge when I was 25 with a couple of friends, and it took me around 5 hours from the top to the finish (the beautiful isolated beach of Agia Roumeli). You don’t have to do it that fast and you don’t have to do it alone as there are a lot of very good guided tours that will take you from Chania to the top of the gorge and then pick you up with a boat from the beach once you finish, such as this one:

9. Go skiing at the Ski Centre of Parnassos

Parnassos ski resort is very close to Delphi’s ancient ruins, so you can combine these two for a great two-day trip. Both ski centers are tiny compared to the Western European ski centers of Austria, Poland, or Germany, but they can be pretty fun. You can even see that the sea level is incredible from some points.

10. Go on a Greek island tour in the Saronic gulf from Athens 

You can do a great Greek island tour from Athens on a boat. These usually take you around the Saronic Gulf (the sea surrounding Athens) and will include a stop in Aegina, Poros, Hydra, and Spetses. These are small and super cute islands with lots of history and culture that are not to be missed.

If you feel like it, you can even stay on any of these islands for a night, but I do not recommend spending more time on any of these. In general, these islands are great for a day trip from Athens or a weekend stay, which is very typical for the Athenians nowadays.

I remember that, as a kid growing up in Athens, schools used to organize daily excursions to these islands for day trips from Athens. You can book a Greek island tour from Athens on GetYourGuide:

11. Visit the picturesque neighborhood of Plaka in Athens

One of the cutest corners of Plaka is the neighbourhood called “Anafiotika,” which feels like an island with whitewashed houses and narrow streets. No cars are allowed in Plaka, and it is great to wander around.

12. Go to the famous Navagio beach (Shipwreck beach) on Zakynthos island

Undoubtedly, Navagio Beach is a unique site. “Navagio” literally means “shipwreck” in Greek, and the boat that sits on the sand was abandoned by its crew in 1980 due to bad weather.

There is quite a story behind it, though, as recent court documents provided more info on what happened. The ship was smuggling illegal cigarettes from Africa to Europe, and it was called “Panagiotis.”

The story of the ship and how its shipwreck came to be is like it’s coming out of a Hollywood movie that includes millions of illegal cigarettes. This corrupt captain imprisoned two Italians who betrayed him because he was asking for more money and some really bad weather. Today, you can visit Navagio beach through a guided boat tour that will allow you to swim on the beach and also see the bottom of the ocean through glass:

13. Explore the Melissani cave in Kefalonia island

Melissani cave has recently gone viral on Instagram because of its stunning beauty, which combines the incredible sunrays that reflect on the turquoise waters and the dramatic cliffs and pine trees. You can book a tour that will take you to the cave safely:

14. Visit the beautiful town of Nafplio

Another highlight is the famous Mycenae Tombs, which are on the way to Nafplio, just a few kilometres outside of the city. These tombs of kings of the same significance as the Pharaohs in Egypt are inspired by those tombs.

15. Visit the great Museums of Athens

You probably already know that Athens is an archaeology and mythology fan playground, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are a ton of very rich Museums in the city. It’s not only about the Acropolis Museum and the Parthenon temple, because the National Archaeological Museum of Athens has a massive collection of some of the best findings from all over Greece. And there are a lot of them.

In addition, the Byzantine Museum of Athens has a stunning collection, and the Cycladic Art Museum is unique, with artefacts from the Greek islands dating back to 10000 BC.

16. Visit the stunning Archaeological Museum of Heraklion

There are many findings from the famous Minoan palace of Knossos, but by far, one of the most intriguing exhibits is the famous Phaistos Disc. To this date, nobody knows what it is saying, as the writing hasn’t been deciphered yet. However, I think Heraklion is not the best place to stay in Crete, and I always recommend the Chania area to everyone visiting the island for the first time.

17. Go on a Winery Tour in Santorini 

If you only have time for one winery, then I highly recommend you visit Santo Winery at Pyrgos village for some of the most stunning volcano views of the island. There are more than 16 wineries on the island, and you won’t have time to visit them all, so I recommend hopping on a wine tour that will allow you to drink as much wine as possible and also see more than one winery in a single day. Here is one of the best wine tours in Santorini:

18. DO NOT visit the religious peninsula of Mount Athos in Halkidiki 

Many guides consider this to be one of the top destinations and things to do in Greece, but I strongly disagree because entrance is only allowed for males. We live in the 21st Century AD, and there is still a place of significant history, culture, and beauty that women are not allowed to see or visit. Horrendous! As a father of 2 daughters, I find this appalling, so I do not recommend anyone visiting this area.

Just stay away, no matter what you read in guides. The fact that a modern European Country (and a member of the EU) such as Greece still allows this is also horrible. If women are not allowed to enter, then men shouldn’t have anything to see either. End of story.

19. Visit the famous tropical Balos beach and Elafonissi beach in Crete

The island of Crete has hundreds of sandy beaches all over its coastline, but Elafonissi and Balos stand out. They are both incredible sea lagoons with shallow waters and white, golden sand that are naturally protected. The European Union’s stringent rules protect both national sea parks.

They are both very hard to reach, but this doesn’t stop millions of people from visiting them every summer. Even though these are the top ones in the area, Chania Beaches are some of the best in Crete and Greece, and that is my recommendation whenever people ask me where to stay in Crete.

20. Watch a movie under the stars in an open-air cinema

One of the best memories I have growing up in Greece as a kid was the summer cinema my sister took me to. When I became an adult, there wasn’t a summer that I hadn’t watched a movie in a summer cinema, and it’s easily one of the most nostalgic things that I do every summer.

The origins of summer cinemas in Greece go back to the 30s, when people put up screens in the village center for everyone to watch. Some of the cutest open-air cinemas are in Athens, but there are some excellent ones on the Greek islands too. In Athens, my recommendation is to visit Cine Paris, Cine Thiseion, Cine Aegli, and Cine Deksameni in the center of Athens. Still, in Santorini, Open Air Cinema Kamari is a local favourite too.

21. Visit a Greek bakery and try the Greek pies

Greece is a foodie’s paradise, but apart from the obvious Greek food you can try in any Greek restaurant, the best thing you can do is just head off to any Greek bakery. Greek bakeries are institutions, freshly baked pastries, seek pie, apies, yummy bread. The great thing is that there is a bakery literally in every corner with a million options to choose from.

Still, the top sellers are usually the famous “koulouri” (Greek pretzel with sesame seeds), the famous Greek pie called “tyropita”, and the queen of them all, “spanakopita” (spinach and feta cheese pie with phyllo crust). All bakeries can make coffee for you, and my suggestion is to try the Greek iced coffee “frappe”, but most importantly, the iced cold freddo coffee, which is sold everywhere nowadays.

22. Visit the Tomb of the Kings and King Philip (the father of Alexander the Great) in Vergina

This is not only the tomb of Alexander the Great but also the tomb of his son, Alexander A. The sheer amount of gold and incredible artefacts found in this tomb is unimaginable, and Archaeology Professor Manolis Andronikos described the moment he held the sarcophagus of King Philip’s bones as the most surreal experience of his life.

23. Explore the Ancient Agora and the Hephaestus Temple in Athens

One of the most well-preserved temples in Greece is located near the Ancient Agora, close to the Parthenon Temple. It is dedicated to the ancient Greek god of fire and iron, Hephaestus.

Agora was the birthplace of democracy, where the rich and free Athenians (not the slaves) discussed and voted on the future of their city and their society. This site is only a few minutes walk from the Acropolis and the Plaka neighbourhood, so it is excellent to combine everything in one day while in Athens. You can book your entry ticket to 6 archaeological sites, which is a great deal:

CONCLUSION

Greece is one of the most diverse countries on earth, and it is worth visiting more than once. I know a lot of people who came back to Greece after spending a few days on holiday because there are simply so many things to do and see with your family, with your kids, or even solo. Yes, archaeological sites are obviously at the top of the list of things to do in Greece, but trying excellent Greek food, drinking incredible Greek wine, and visiting cute villages in the islands are also some of the best things to do in Greece.