Ahhhhh Greece! The winter gloom is still upon us, and it makes me warm and fuzzy just recalling the sunshine, the incredible sights, delicious cuisine, and the famous Greek hospitality that I was lucky enough to experience in May 2023.

When to go: Greece can get dreadfully hot in the summer (around 40C/104F), so I highly recommend going during shoulder season (spring and fall). We went in mid-May and the weather was just perfect – not too hot, not too cold (20C-25C/68F-77F). The airfare and hotel prices will be softer during this time as well so it’s a double win!

Planning your itinerary: Most people land in Athens and jet off to the Greek islands like Mykonos or Santorini right away, but I assure you that Athens is worth at least 2 days of your time. It’s a beautiful city that has a lot of offer in terms of sightseeing with a great international food scene and fantastic service, akin to what you would find in America. Everyone speaks English (even street vendors) and it’s really easy to get around the city on foot or by metro.

After spending 2 days in Athens, we rented a car and drove to Delphi and the Peloponnese region. Even if you’re not into history, you will appreciate the abundant beauty of this region. We spent about 4 days but you could easily spend more time in the Peloponnese. One week in Greece is definitely not enough to see everything, but that’s all the time that we had and we know we will be returning again and again in the future. Also don’t be intimidated by the idea of driving in Greece, it’s perfectly easy to do and we had no issues at all using Google Maps navigation.

Athens Sights:

The Acropolis: This hilltop temple complex is the most well-recognized symbol of Athens and the ancient Greek world, and it’s an absolute must-see. It’s humbling to climb up the steep white marble steps, polished by the feet of billions of pilgrims, invaders and visitors alike for the past 2,500 years. At the top of the Acropolis is the Parthenon, the landmark temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It’s been through the wringer over the millennia but still standing majestically over its patron city.

Definitely make a timed reservation online at least a month or two before you go, from the official website – don’t be fooled by the unofficial reseller/middlemen websites masquerading as the official one. Many people suggest to visit in the morning, but it can still become awfully crowded even if you go first thing when it opens. We went towards the end of the day to see the sunset with a bird’s eye view over the city and it was amazing! It wasn’t so crowded either. Also it’s best to wear sturdy shoes or sneakers because it is quite a hike, and the rocks and marble steps up there can be very slippery. We saw some people in flip-flops slip and fall.

The Acropolis Museum, which is just down the slope, is very informative – displaying artifacts found on site. I suggest to visit the museum and then go up the Acropolis to complete the experience. The line for the museum can get quite long also, so do consider booking the skip-the-line tickets in advance on the official website here.

The National Archaeological Museum: If you’re an ancient history buff like I am, don’t miss this museum! It is so chock full of precious ancient Greek artifacts that it will make your head spin. From the famous golden death mask of Agamemnon to the exquisite Vapheio Cups, crafted over 3,400 years ago showcasing Bronze Age Minoan-Mycenaean decorative art, visiting this museum is definitely worth your while. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us museum lovers) many people seem to neglect this sight from their Athens itinerary so there’s no need to book your tickets in advance like the Acropolis; you can simply purchase your tickets at the door. It’s not too crowded inside!

Even though it’s only a short subway ride from the central part of Athens (near the Acropolis where most tourists stay) perhaps the challenge of getting to this museum, which is located in a rather unsavory neighborhood, put people off from coming. We saw people lying on the sidewalk with their drug paraphernalia in broad daylight, which I’ve never seen outside the U.S. before. Be vigilant when walking from the Omonia subway station to the museum, as well as on the subway itself. We experienced a gang of youths trying to distract my husband while eyeing his new iPhone intensely! They tried to talk to him while sandwiching him in a crowded subway car, but my husband managed to squeeze away and stand with his back to the wall, and with his hand firmly on his sling bag, he stared them down, like I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO DO BUT YOU PICKED THE WRONG MARK!! And then they slinked away. LOL. My husband is a youthful, tall and strapping man, so if he could get targeted, anybody can. The pick-pocketing gangs of Athens are notorious actually, but we didn’t see anything else that made us feel unsafe other than this.

The Ancient Agora: The Ancient Agora was the heart of Athenian life, filled with administrative buildings, schools, places of worship, marketplaces, baths, etc. Famous philosophers such as Socrates and Plato used to walk these very streets with their peers and discussed various concepts that we take for granted today, such as democracy, free thinking and speech, which originated in Athens. The beautifully restored Stoa of Attalos also contains the Museum of the Ancient Agora, which houses interesting artifacts relating to democracy as well as relics found on site.

Psyrri: This vibrant neighborhood is perfect for indulging in delicious cuisines of your choice at the end of your sightseeing day, and for a stroll afterwards! It’s filled with hip restaurants, cafes, bars, street art, and convivial ambiance.

Delphi: An easy 2 hour drive from Athens, Delphi is a must-see. It was the most famous site for divination in the ancient world and people from all over the Mediterranean journeyed to this holy place to seek guidance from the Oracle of Delphi when making important decisions in life, politics, and war. A lot of people just do a day trip from Athens to Delphi, but I highly recommend booking an overnight stay so you can enjoy the magnificent view of the valley while having your breakfast on your hotel balcony. We stayed at the Nidimos Hotel and it was very affordable, clean, with great service and parking to boot. Again, absolutely fantastic million-dollar views from the balcony and they deliver the delicious breakfast to your room if you ask the night before. It was one of the most memorable in-room hotel breakfast experiences I have had in my life!

The Delphi Archaeological Site and Museum are incredible to experience together. The site itself has breathtaking views and stately temples, and the museum houses remarkable sculptures, ancient architectural elements, adornments, etc. found on site.

Peloponnese: The Peloponnese region is home to extraordinary ancient cities like Mycenae and Epidaurus, as well as newer (medieval) cities such as Nafplio. Mycenae was the center of a preeminent Greek civilization starting from the Bronze Age. In the Homeric epic Iliad, the king of Mycenae, Agamemnon, led the unified Greek forces against the Trojans in the infamous Trojan War. The structures remaining in the ruins of the ancient city may not seem overtly impressive at first, but if you consider how they are over 3,000-4,000 years old, you will marvel at how they put together these giant limestone boulders without modern machinery and how they still remain standing in such an earthquake prone zone for several millennia. They were so impressive to the ancient people that they believed the mythical one-eyed giants called Cyclops must have helped the Mycenaeans, thus gaining the moniker Cyclopean masonry.

Can you imagine seeing a performance in this massive 15,000 seat theater with that unbelievable natural backdrop? The ancient Greeks had it good! Perfect acoustics still survives to this day and if you’re lucky, someone will show off their singing skills at stage level, which you can clearly hear even from the nosebleed seats at the top. A random lady started started singing opera when we were there and we were so fortunate to really test the acoustics, engineered to perfection 2,400 years ago. Don’t miss a visit to Epidaurus when you’re in the Peloponnese!

If you love the idea of strolling in picture perfect streets in the cutest seaside town, linger in Nafplio (also known as Nafplion) for a day or two to truly soak in its ambiance. It’s filled with shops selling handcrafted goods, restaurants serving fresh seafood, charming cafes to relax in the town square. It also has a lot of history and interesting medieval architecture, including the striking hilltop Palamidi Fortress. You can drive up in your own car (there’s a small parking lot inside the fortress) or take a taxi. You definitely won’t regret the trek – the views are unforgettable!

The only thing we regretted from this trip was not having enough time to visit the famous clifftop monastery at Meteora – it’s supposed to be phenomenal! But we will have something new to add to our itinerary on our next visit to Greece. Can’t wait 🙂 Happy travels!