What is the best two-week Greece itinerary?

The most satisfying two-week itinerary balances mainland history with island beaches: Athens (3 nights) → Nafplio and the Peloponnese (2 nights) → Crete (4 nights) → Santorini (2 nights) → Paros or Naxos (2 nights). This gives you major archaeological sites, excellent food, the best beaches, and varied scenery.

How much does two weeks in Greece cost?

Mid-range budget: approximately €2,500–3,500 per person for 14 nights (excluding international flights). This covers mid-range hotels, ferries, local transport, site entries, and food at a combination of tavernas and restaurants. Budget travellers can do it for €1,500–2,000; upmarket Santorini/Mykonos-focused trips cost €4,000–6,000+.

Should I rent a car in Greece for two weeks?

A car is valuable for the Peloponnese and Crete sections (both have destinations poorly served by public transport). It is not needed in Athens or on the Cyclades (Santorini, Paros, Naxos). A hybrid approach — car for 4–5 days in the Peloponnese/Crete, public transport for cities and island-hopping — is practical.

Is the Peloponnese worth including in a two-week Greece itinerary?

Yes — it is the most underrated region in Greece. Nafplio is beautiful, Mycenae and Epidaurus are outstanding, and the drive through the Mani peninsula and Mystras (Byzantine city-ghost-town) is exceptional. Two nights based in Nafplio gives a solid taste. The Peloponnese differentiates a two-week trip significantly from the standard Athens + islands combination.

Two Weeks Greece Itinerary | The Greece Guides

Two weeks in Greece is enough to go beyond the standard island triangle and experience the mainland as well. This itinerary combines Athens and the Peloponnese (a frequently skipped part of Greece that punches well above its tourist profile) with Crete and a Cyclades loop.

Itinerary Overview

Days 1–3: Athens
Days 4–5: Nafplio and Peloponnese (Mycenae, Epidaurus)
Days 6–9: Crete (Heraklion, Knossos, Chania, Samaria Gorge)
Days 10–11: Santorini
Days 12–13: Paros or Naxos
Day 14: Return to Athens

Days 1–3: Athens

Day 1: Arrive, settle in, explore Monastiraki and Psyrri. Dinner in the Plaka or Thissio.

Day 2: Full Acropolis day (8am opening, combined ticket €30). Acropolis → Ancient Agora → Acropolis Museum. Afternoon walk through Anafiotika (the tiny Cycladic neighbourhood on the north slope of the Acropolis hill).

Day 3: National Archaeological Museum (Patission 44, entry €15, allow 3 hours) — the finest Greek antiquities collection in the world: Mycenaean gold from Shaft Grave Circle A, the Antikythera Mechanism, the Cycladic figurines gallery, and the bronze sculptures hall. Afternoon: Plaka neighbourhood, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Athens hotels:

Budget: Athens Backpackers (dorm from €22), City Circus Athens (from €80/night)
Mid-range: Hotel Athens Tiare (from €110/night), Emporikon Athens (from €130/night)
Upmarket: Hotel Grande Bretagne (from €400/night), Electra Metropolis (from €280/night)

Athens food:

Kostas (souvlaki, Plateia Agias Irinis, €3–4 per wrap — best souvlaki in Athens)
Dioskouri (taverna, Dioskouron 7 in Monastiraki, approximately €18–25 per person)
Oikonomou (mezedes, Kallirois 44, approximately €20–30 per person — excellent quality)

Days 4–5: Nafplio and the Peloponnese

Day 4: Bus from Athens Kifissos Terminal to Nafplio (2.5 hours, €16). Afternoon in Nafplio: walk the old town, climb the Palamidi fortress (999 steps, entry €8, views over the Argolic Gulf).

Day 5: Car hire or organised tour for Mycenae (12km, 1.5 hours, entry €12) and Epidaurus (31km, 1.5 hours, entry €12). The Treasury of Atreus (tholos tomb) at Mycenae is one of the most impressive Bronze Age structures in Europe. The theatre at Epidaurus has extraordinary acoustics — test them from the top tier.

Nafplio hotels:

Budget: Dimitris Bekas Rooms (from approximately €55/night), Hotel Marianna (from approximately €60/night)
Mid-range: Aetoma Boutique Hotel (from approximately €95/night), 3sixty Hotel (from approximately €110/night)
Upmarket: Nafplia Palace Hotels & Villas (clifftop, from approximately €220/night)

Nafplio food:

Sokaki (mezedes, Bouboulinas, approximately €20–30/person)
Savouras (seafood, waterfront, approximately €55–80/kg fresh fish)
Antica Gelateria di Roma (best ice cream in Greece, Farmakopoulou, €2–4/scoop)

Days 6–9: Crete

Day 6: Bus from Nafplio to Patras (2.5 hours, €12), ferry Patras → Heraklion (approximately 13 hours overnight, from €45 — a time-saving overnight crossing). Arrive Heraklion morning.

Alternatively: Drive Nafplio → Athens (1.5 hours), domestic flight Athens → Heraklion (50 minutes, from €35). The flight is faster but the ferry avoids backtracking to Athens.

Days 6–7: Heraklion area: Knossos Palace (city bus 2 from Heraklion, 20 minutes, entry €15 or €20 combined with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum). The Heraklion Archaeological Museum (entry €10 adult) — the Minoan collection is the finest in the world: the bull fresco, Snake Goddess figurines, and the Phaistos Disc.

Day 8: West to Chania: Drive or bus from Heraklion to Chania (2.5 hours, €15). Chania’s Venetian old town and harbour — one of the finest in Greece. Restaurants in the backstreets of the old town (not on the harbour front: approximately €25–35 per person for a good dinner).

Day 9: Samaria Gorge: Bus from Chania to Omalos (1 hour, KTEL Chania), walk the 16km gorge to Agia Roumeli (5–7 hours, entry €5, open May–October), ferry from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia (45 minutes, approximately €12), bus back to Chania (1.5 hours). One of the finest gorge walks in Europe.

Crete hotels:

Heraklion: GDM Megaron (from approximately €110/night), Galaxy Hotel (from approximately €80/night)
Chania: Casa Delfino (from approximately €160/night), Amphora Hotel (from approximately €120/night), Nostos Hotel (from approximately €90/night)

Crete food:

Heraklion market (1866 Street): local cheese, honey, olive oil
Chania: Halcion Days restaurant (modern Cretan, approximately €30–50/person), Michelas Winery (barrel wine and mezedes, approximately €15–20/person)

Days 10–11: Santorini

Ferry Heraklion → Santorini (approximately 2.5 hours by catamaran, from €40). Arrive, check in.

Day 10: Oia village (caldera walk from Imerovigli to Oia, approximately 2 hours) and sunset from the kasteli.

Day 11: Akrotiri archaeological site (entry €12) in the morning, Red Beach in the afternoon, caldera sailing trip in the early afternoon or sunset cruise (approximately €50–90 per person).

Santorini hotels: See Day 4 of the one-week itinerary above.

Days 12–13: Paros or Naxos

Ferry Santorini → Paros (approximately 3 hours, from €25) or Santorini → Naxos (approximately 2–3 hours, from €28).

Paros: Base in Naoussa for the best experience — harbour village, nearby beaches (Kolymbithres, Santa Maria). Wander the Parikia old town, visit the Ekatontapiliani church.

Naxos: The Portara at sunset, Naxos Town kastro, beaches at Agios Prokopios and Plaka, mountain village of Apiranthos by car or bus.

Both islands are a step down in price from Santorini and Mykonos — restaurants approximately €20–35/person, accommodation €80–150/night at mid-range.

Day 14: Return to Athens

Ferry or domestic flight from Paros/Naxos to Athens (ferry approximately 4–5 hours to Piraeus; domestic flight 45 minutes from Paros or Naxos airport). Return from Athens.

Budget Summary — Two Weeks

Per person, mid-range category:

Item	Approximate Cost
Athens accommodation (3 nights)	€360
Nafplio accommodation (2 nights)	€190
Crete accommodation (4 nights)	€380
Santorini accommodation (2 nights)	€380
Paros/Naxos accommodation (2 nights)	€280
Ferries (Nafplio→Patras→Crete, Crete→Santorini, Santorini→Paros)	€140
Local transport and taxis	€120
Site entries (Acropolis, Museum, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Knossos, etc.)	€120
Food (14 days × €45/day)	€630
Santorini catamaran tour	€70
Samaria Gorge entry + ferry	€17
Total	~€2,687

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Two Weeks in Greece: The Complete Itinerary