I visited Greece in May 2018, about two months after I got engaged (having thought all along that my then boyfriend/now husband would propose during this trip to a beautiful oasis, but he surprised me and proposed earlier). I put together a Greece travel itinerary and planned a visit to Athens, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos. We flew into Athens from NYC (JFK) to spend the first two nights of our trip exploring some of the history. We stayed at King George, a luxury hotel in Constitution Square that is within walking distance to many of the main attractions in Athens. The hotel is beautiful and has a restaurant on the 7th floor with stunning views of the Acropolis and the city. We were able to walk over to the the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Library, the Temple of Zeus, the old city (Plaka). We spent two nights in Athens and then took a flight to Crete.

Crete is a large island and it’s hard to see it all in a few nights. We stayed in Heraklion, the capital of Crete for two nights. Heraklion is a beautiful port city and is close to the Palace of Knossos ruins, which is referred to as “Europe’s oldest city.” We visited the Palace of Knossos ruins on our second day and then stopped by Agapi Beach for some beach time after a morning of exploring archaeologic relics.

We took a high speed ferry from Crete to Santorini, which I think is the most convenient way to travel the remainder of the islands we visited. It was about a 2 hour ferry ride and there are some beautiful views en route. There are 3 main areas in Santorini where one can stay-Oia, Fira and Imerovigli. I did my research on the different areas when putting together this Greece travel itinerary. I determined that Oai was where I wanted to be as it embodies a lot of that picturesque white and blue dome-like architecture one typically sees when coming across images of Greece. We stayed at Mystique, a luxury hotel situated within the Caldera Cliffs, offering panoramic views of the Aegean Sea.

It is of utmost importance that you catch a Santorini sunset in all its splendor when visiting the island so our next task after exploring the surrounding area and enjoying some pool time was finding a dinner spot where we could have an ideal sunset view. I think we accomplished that feat! Sadly, I don’t remember the name of the place we dined at, but there are tons of restaurants in the area that boast a great sunset view: Sunsets restaurant, Kastro Oia, Meze Meze.

Next on the Greece travel itinerary was Mykonos! Once again, we traveled by high speed ferry. This trip took about 2.5 hours. We made reservations at a brand new hotel (like literally opened the week we were there) Bill & Coo Coast and it was an unreal experience. There was a little bit of confusion because there are actually two hotels with the same name in Mykonos and we originally went to the older one (Bill & Coo Suites). The staff at Bill & Coo Suites was kind enough to transport us to Bill & Coo Coast. There was a limited number of guests staying here given it was opening week for the hotel, which gave it a very exclusive feel. The room we were given was incredible and even had its own private pool. The service was even more incredible. The hotel actually gave us a cordless phone to carry with us when we went out so we could call them and they would pick us up from wherever we are. This definitely came in handy because there weren’t really any ubers in Mykonos or anything similar that would enable us to get between the hotel and the town efficiently.

The aesthetics of Mykonos Town were my favorite-vibrant colors on all white backdrops and flowers lining all the streets and entryways. The vibe of Mykonos is also different than the other islands we visited as it’s more of a “scene.” Lots of high end restaurants, bars and lounges with an upbeat feel. After spending 3 nights in Mykonos, we headed back to Athens via ferry and flew back to NYC from there.

The total trip for this Greece Travel itinerary was about 9-10 days taking into account the time change and flight time. We spent the perfect amount of time on each island with the exception of Crete, which I think requires more than 2 nights if you’re expecting to cover more ground. Greece is a romantic haven brimming with culture and history with exquisite views at every turn. I didn’t get engaged there, but I can see why so many do!

*As of December 19, 2021 anyone over age 5 traveling to Greece is required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of arrival to Greece regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. Also, proof of vaccination or proof of recovery from COVID is required to enter most public spaces such as museums, restaurants, athletic facilities etc. For more information, check out the US Embassy in Greece website.