You may know the struggle: between your schedule, your travel buddy’s schedule, and your PTO availability, it’s hard to plan a trip across the ocean.

And then you find yourself facing a time constraint: you are only given seven days to see Greece for the first time.

I spent my Greece trip island hopping between Athens, Mykonos, and Paros, and it ended up being an excellent way to experience the country. Here’s exactly how I planned the route, traveled between each destination, and what I learned along the way.

How Much Time Do You Need to See Greece?

I always imagined I’d need two weeks to see Greece properly for the first time — I was imagining visiting multiple islands, having boat days, beach days and city days with tours and museums… the whole nine yards. I think thats the best way to make the most of your 9+ hour flight from the US.

But I learned that if seven days is all you have, seven days is what will work.

In fact, I think I have an incredible seven day itinerary to follow – the only catch? You will also need two full travel days to make it work.

If you travel from a Saturday to the next Sunday, depending on your work schedule, you can minimize your PTO to five days and max out your weekend time. 

My Greece Goals

For my first trip to Greece, I knew there were a few non-negotiable goals: 

• See the Acropolis in Athens 
• See at least two different islands
• Visit the beach 
• Try a lot of Greek food
• Sit on the steps of a restaurant in the Plaka neighborhood

I was able to accomplish all of this, and I’m going to share with you exactly how you can do it, too. 

Stop	Nights	How I Got There
Athens	1	Flight from NJ (9 hours)
Mykonos	2	Ferry (3 hours)
Paros	3	Ferry (45 mins)
Athens	1	Ferry (4 hours)

If you’re looking for the details of how to plan your days in each location, I have you covered.

Detailed 7 Day Greece Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Athens

Take that Redeye to Athens. Direct if you can!

Being from NJ, I’m biased to the United flights that leave from Newark.

Get settled, though — the 9 hour flight is a long one. 

Day 2: Intro to Athens

Arrive in Athens bright and early. Do what you need to do to regroup.

Once you’re ready, it’s time to get acquainted with the city. Today is all about getting your first introduction to Athens.

Stroll through different neighborhoods, try the local food, and definitely book an evening tour of the Acropolis so you can beat the heat and the crowds. Book your ticket in advance and skip the line. I booked my tour for 5 PM, which gave us two hours to walk around before heading to dinner.

End you day with a rooftop view — It’s one more way to see the city on your first day. Some rooftop recommendations include:

1. Attic Urban Rooftop
2. Elysium Athens Rooftop
3. Metropolis Roof Garden
4. 360 Rooftop Bar

Day 3: Athens to Mykonos

This morning, you wake up in Athens! Grab your first Greek breakfast, maybe a yogurt bowl and freddo cappuccino like I did.

Then travel to Piraeus, the Athens Port. FreeNow (a ride-share app) is the best way to get there if you have a lot of luggage, or you could always take the metro, which takes you a short walk from the port.

You’re traveling to Mykonos today — the party island three hours from Athens known for white washed buildings, waterfront dining, stunning beaches and iconic windmills.

Make sure to book your ferry well in advance, and in my opinion, it’s better to splurge for the faster one! That way you can maximize your time on land exploring. Book your ferry here using FerryHopper.

Upon your arrival in Mykonos, check into your accommodation (I’m the biggggest fan of Airbnbs abroad) and get to exploring.

You’ll stay in the Old Town of Mykonos, close to the port. You’re going to need to hire an Imove ride (a different ride-share app) to get to the edge of the town. No cars are allowed past a certain point, which adds to the Mykonos charm. 

Today is whatever you want to make it — but in Mykonos! Shop, eat, explore, go to the beach, and scope out the first place you want to try for dinner.

For Hailey and I, Mykonos was dreamy. We were so captivated by everything, like the whitewashed streets, pops of blue, little shops, leisurely meals, and that feeling of being somewhere completely new.

Day 4: Mykonos – Make The Day Yours

Mykonos is full of welcoming people to meet, shops to see and tavernas to try.

You need to spend all day today living life Mykonos-style.

For Hailey and I, that meant exploring all morning, finding some great jewelry, trying Greek foods like gyros, Spanakopita, Saganaki and tzatziki, and eventually ending the afternoon on the beach.

Enjoy one more meal on the island and instead of dinner in Little Venice, avoid the crowd and go for drinks there afterwards. Maybe even stop by one of the lively bars at night for a taste of what this party island can offer.

Day 5: Mykonos to Paros

Another early morning is in place: it’s time to catch a quick ferry — this time it’s only 45 minutes to Paros.

You’ll notice right away the difference in the port town of Parikia where you arrive. 

Slower, less crowds, and more relaxed.

Spend the day in Parikia and get your first taste of Paros, but then take the bus to the fishing village of Naoussa

It’s cheap and easy to use the bus to get from town to town — the bus leaves right from the Parikia port.

Once you get settled in Naoussa, it’s time to prep for your big night. Tonight, you’re cooking with a Paros legend.

A short drive away in the village of Drios, Maria Anousaki teaches a cooking class at Anezina Village, where this hospitable Paros native shares her mother’s and grandmother’s recipes in a group class. If there’s only one excursion you do in Paros, make sure it’s Maria’s cooking class.

Learn more about how incredible this class is in my article here. You’ll spend the rest of your night here cooking, eating, drinking and dancing!

Day 6: Paros

Today in Paros, the options are endless. You might beach-it-up, maybe buy a spot on a boat day trip, relax in Naoussa or travel to a different part of the island.

Some top rated excursions:

• Captain Ben’s
  • A highly rated boat day that explores spots around Paros, Antiparos and the blue lagoon.
• Antiparos and Despotiko Boat Day Trip
  • Swim and snorkel, see Antiparos and Despotiko, relax on the boat and enjoy a fresh cooked lunch.

End the day with a meal overlooking the water and watching the sunset from the promenade.

Day 7: Explore Paros via ATV

You’re an absolute adventurer today, and not having plans is part of the day.

Rent an ATV from any nearby shop in Naoussa, and take it for a ride around the island. Make sure to see Lefkes and a beach town or two, like Marpissa or Faragas.

For 50 euros, we had the ATV for the whole day. It was exciting because unlike taking a bus or ridshare, we had control to see whatever we wanted around the island.

ATVing is very popular on Paros, and it makes exploring so much easier. You’re able to see most of the island in a day if you really want to. Make the best of it and travel all over, or ask the ATV company for tips on where to go.

Then, enjoy one final meal in Paros, and you should probably get Loukoumades for dessert if you haven’t already.

Day 8: Paros to Athens

It’s a travel day, but you’ll make the most of it.

Catch up on some sleep on the near four hour ferry from Paros to Athens, and then do whatever it may be that you need to do to check off your Greek bucket list.

For Hailey and I, it was:

• Finding an authentic “pastitso”
• Tracking down the donkey milk products I wanted to take home
• Enjoying a drink on the steps of Plaka

There are some things in your head that you just feel you need to do to complete a trip.

I always have those things on my mind. Right from the start for me, it was having that drink on the steps in Plaka surrounded by crowds as the sun began to set. I had this vision for myself and needed to make it happen.

I reserved a table on the steps a few weeks in advance, and I was so pleased with where we were seated. We enjoyed a Greek spritz and some grape leaves while debriefing our trip, and it made for the perfect break before heading to one final dinner (pastitso, of course).

Day 9: Travel home

Make your way back to the Athens airport. (We took the metro straight to the airport)

Your epic trip has come to an end, but you’ll epic pictures to look back on and treasure forever.

One Week in Greece

Seven days in Greece was a great amount of time. Absolutely doable. And it was easy to fill the days with fun activities.

There was definitely a lot of moving around, so if you’re looking for a more relaxing approach, I’d pick one island and spend more time there.

This itinerary is tested and approved by me. Would you try this itinerary for one week in Greece?

FAQs about Greek Travel

Is it easy to island hop from Athens to Mykonos and Paros?

Yes! Island hopping is easy and efficient between Athens, Mykonos and Paros. Choosing to travel by ferry cuts out the hassle of the airport and puts you right in the main port of all locations.

How do you get from Mykonos to Paros?

Ferry. The two islands are close, and the travel time is as fast as 35 minutes on some ferries.

How do book a ferry in Greece?

Never traveled by ferry before? No need to worry. It’s very easy to buy you ticket online in advance using FerryHopper. You can check out departure times, travel times and prices, and compare to find the best fit for your itinerary and your budget.

How many days do you need to see Athens?

2 full days to see Athens is enough. It allows for seeing the main sights and getting to explore different neighborhoods, and it doesn’t leave a lot of time for downtime.