Greece - 10 day itinerary for a perfect Greek holiday

Spending a holiday in Greece and searching for a 10 day itinerary? Then this is the right place to be! Greece is a dream destination. There are so many great islands to explore, it’s sometimes hard to choose where to go. Each Greek island has its own charm and the more you search for information, the more great islands you want to explore. This is where I come in. With my Greece vacation tips for 10 unforgettable days, I’ll show you possible greek itineraries so you can get the most out of your time in this great country.

Are you planning a family vacation, a photo trip or are you traveling as a couple? Then this blogpost is for you. Depending on your personal preferences, you should find your perfect destination here. Of course, you can’t explore all of Greece during a 10 day itinerary, but I want to give you an idea of how you can spend your own unforgettable trip with my Greece vacation tips. The itineraries can be customized according to your personal taste and schedule, but should give you an overview of what you can experience in Greece.

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Greece 10 Day Itinerary – Table of contents

Greece 10 Day Itinerary – Good to know
Island of Crete
Perfect Greek Honeymoon Itinerary
- Santorini, Mykonos, Athens
- 10 day itinerary – island hopping in Greece
Island of Rhodes
More Greece vacation tips

Greece 10 day itinerary – Good to know

Currency: Euro (Attention! Cash is preferred in taverns and rural areas)
Language: Greek, but English is also widely spoken
Arrival: The largest & most famous islands have an airport. However, there are many small islands that can only be reached by ferry.
Travel around: Depending on what you plan to do on each island, a rental car is worthwhile. The road network is well developed. Buses also run regularly on large islands.
Food: Greek gyros – available everywhere and offered at reasonable prices (about 4€) served as a snack to go in pita bread.
Sockets: European (Type C: Euro Standard)
Religion: Greek Orthodox (knees and shoulders must be covered when visiting Greek churches).
What to expect: beautiful landscapes, good food, hospitality, great beaches, historical sites & ancient ruins.

The Island of Crete

General information about Crete

Crete is the largest Greek island and has three airports. There are numerous direct flights if you fly here within Europe. Most of the planes land in Heraklion. Alternatively, you can also fly to Chania and Sitia, whereby the flight to Heraklion is often the cheapest. Ferries also run daily between the Greek islands or from the Greek mainland. Travel time from Athens to Crete is 9 to 11 hours, depending on the port.

As a Crete vacation tip, I recommend renting a car on the island. During the summer months, tourists are mainly on the typical tourist paths. With a car you can easily avoid this, especially in the south of the island there are still crystal clear waters, empty beaches and authentic Greek food.

By the way, here is one of my favorites Greece 10 day itinerary vacation tips: Tourists under 18 or students with an international student card can visit many attractions in Crete for free. Retirees also get a 50% discount on the entrance fee in many places if they are over 65. This makes a Crete vacation super family-friendly and inexpensive.

10 Days – Crete itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Heraklion & explore the city (Morosini Fountain, Venetian Loggia, Agios Titos Church, Venetian Fort and Heraklion Port).

Day 2: Palace of Knossos (Attention! This place gets crowded: Best to be here already 8am) & explore the town of Agios Nikolaos – then relax at Ammoudi Beach or Voulisma Beach

Day 3: Drive to Matala – visit the hippie village and the hip Matala Beach – then a hike to the Red Beach (Kokkini Ammos)

Day 4: Explore Elounda and enjoy another beach day at Elounda beach.

Day 5: Change of location to Chania – exploring the historic old town, Venetian harbor and city beach.

Day 6: Drive to Balos and Falassarna beach (Attention – sturdy shoes are needed for this walk!)

Day 7: Hiking in Samaria Gorge

Day 8: Explore the pink beach of Elafonissi, then go to Kedrodassos beach and relax.

Day 9: Exploring Rethymnon & Arkadi Monastery

Day 10: Relaxing on the beach and departure

Crete itinerary – Insider tips

Crete is much more than an island where you just spend lazy times by the beach. There is so much to discover here that it is perfect for a road trip. Also Crete is a great destination for a self-catering vacation, because well-stocked supermarkets can be found all over the island and apartments with kitchens are relatively inexpensive.

If you plan a little more then 10 days for your Crete holiday, you should definitely include the southeast of the island to your Crete itinerary. The region around Iepetra is also worth a trip and somewhat less touristy than other regions on Crete.

Greece – 10 day itinerary tip: From Crete it is not far to Santorini. For about 130€ you can get there and back by ferry. The trip to Santorini takes max. 2 hours. So, if Santorini is usually too expensive for you, you can include this day trip to your 10 day itinerary from Crete and save some money.

More Insider vacation tips for Crete:

Coastel town Makrys Gialos and Potamos
Preveli Beach
The Botanical Garden of Crete
The fishing village of Mochlos
Beaches of Xerokampos
black Beach of Koutsounari

Perfect Greek Honeymoon Itinerary

Santorini, Mykonos and Athens

Who does not dream of the perfect honeymoon in Greece. Immediately you think of the blue domed roofs in Santorini or a walk by the sea through the alleys of Mykonos and of course the Acropolis in Athens. If this is exactly what comes to your mind, when thinking about your honeymoon, then this 10 day itinerary is perfect for you. You will discover the most romantic and beautiful places in Greece, so you won’t be able to stop being amazed. If you have some more time in Greece, Naxos can be wonderfully added to this greek itinerary.

10 day itinerary – Island Hopping in Greece

Santorini: The picture-perfect island when you think of a perfect Greek honeymoon itineary. The island is so fantastically beautiful that it attracts thousands of tourists every year, but once you’ve seen it with your own eyes, you’ll know why. Blue roofs, white facades, the sea and the cliffs – Santorini really has everything you need to experience a romantic Greek honeymoon. By the way, you don’t necessarily need a car on the island. You can get to all the sights cheaply and regularly by bus – even to the famous sunset in Oia.

Mykonos: Also in Mykonos you can find one postcard motif after the other. White houses and colorful wooden balconies are candy for the eye and really worth every photo. Mykonos is a lively Greek island that still tugs on its energy late into the night. So if you want to have a bit of a party atmosphere during your 10 day greek honeymoon itinerary, this is the place to be. If you want to explore the island outside the city center, I recommend a quad or scooter. However, you should be careful. The roads are developed, but you will always encounter potholes.

Athens: Athens is probably one of the most beautiful metropolises in Europe and numerous historical sites await you in the city center. Athens is ideal for a city trip and offers the contrast program to a vacation on Greek islands. There is much to discover and so the city should definitely be included in your 10 day itinerary for Greece. In Athens itself, many guided tours are offered, but you can also explore the city on your own. Of course, in this wonderful city, you should not miss the Acropolis.

10 Day Itinerary – Island Hopping in Greece

Day 1-4: Santorini – sunset in Oia, shopping in Fira, hiking along the Caldera, Imerovigli and the Skaros Rock, Red Beach, excavations of Akrotiri

Day 5-8: Mykonos – sailing trip, Mykonos windmills, little Venice, Paradise Beach, Chora, church of Panagia Paraportiani, Ano Mera

Day 9-10: Athens: Acropolis and surrounding historical ruins, Central Market, Plaka, Zeus Temple, Archaeological Museum

Greece 10 day itinary tip No. 1: For the Acropolis and the surrounding ruins you can buy a combi ticket, but you only have access to the Acropolis once. If you leave the fenced area, you will not get back in. Unless you buy a new ticket.

Greece 10 day itinary tip No. 2: If you talk to the locals on Santorini, they prefer the sunset in Fira. If you want to avoid tourists in Santorini travel low season. Even in October the temperature is still warm and sunny here.

The Island of Rhodes

General information about Rhodes

Rhodes is the main island of the Dodecanese archipelago and the fourth largest island in Greece. With 3000 hours of sunshine a year, it is the perfect destination for your summer vacation. Also on Rhodes, I recommend renting a car for a perfect vacation in Greece. So, you can explore this beautiful Greek island the best way possible. Rhodes has great places to be found. The flight to Rhodes takes place from many European airports as a direct flight. Since there is only one airport on the island, there are also numerous car rental agencies located here. I do not recommend you to take the ferry from Athens. Unless you want to spend 13 hours on a ship.

10 Days – Rhodes itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Rhodes – relaxing beach day Anthony Quinn Bay & Ladiko Bay

Day 2: Exploring Rhodes Town (Ancient Walls, Grand Master’s Palace and Historic Old Town) and walking around Mandraki Harbour.

Day 3: Day trip to the neighboring island of Chalki from the port of Kamiros Skala

Day 4: Relaxing at the Kallithea Thermal Baths (3€ entrance fee – open from 08.00-20.00)

Day 5: A day in Lindos (Lindos Town, Lindos Beach & Acropolis of Lindos)

Day 6: Excursion to the ghost town of Eleousa and the abandoned house of Mussolini (Villa de Vecchi)

Day 7: Day trip to the neighboring island of Symi from Mandraki port

Day 8: Beach day at Tsambika beach & exploring the caves at Traganou beach

Day 9: enjoy the sunset at Monolithos castle and explore burial chambers at Fourni Beach

Day 10: Relax and depart

Rhodes Itinerary – Insider Tips

As in all tourist spots in Greece, it is worthwhile to get up early and visit respective attractions on Rhodes in the morning. The early bird gets it all and this is especially true for Lindos. However, I have a real insider tip for Lindos for your 10 day Greece itinerary. It is worth to know the procedures of the guided tours, because they start in Lindos with the ascent to the Acropolis. So when you arrive here, you can first relax on the beach, then take a look at the old town and visit the Acropolis in the early afternoon. The guided tours are all gone by then and you only have to share the place with a few tourists.

More Insider tips for your perfekt Rhodes vacation