The Ultimate 4-5 days Greece Itinerary + Where to stay

You’re planning to spend 4 or 5 days in Greece? You’re looking for the best itinerary?

You’re at the right place!

In order to help you plan your stay, I have have prepared this 4-5 days Greece itinerary. During your trip, you will visit Athens, Saronic Islands, Peloponnese and Delphi.

In addition to the best things to do, I will also give you all my best tips and accommodation suggestions depending on your budget for each stage of your trip. You will see, planning your itinerary will be super easy!

So, how to spend a 4 or 5 days in Greece? Where to stay?

A quick note before starting: if you prefer to spend 4 or 5 days in the Greek Islands and not in Central Greece, I recommend you to visit Santorini island. You can find all the best things to do as well as itineraries to visit the island in my detailed travel guide: Visit Santorini: the definitive guide.

4-5 days in Greece: the best itinerary

Day 1: Athens

If you’re planing a 4-5 days itinerary in Greece, you have to spend at least 1 day in Athens, the capital. As most of the tourist attractions are located in the city centre, it’s really easy to get around Greece’s capital on foot.

Of course, you won’t discover all Athens’ must-see attractions during your 1st day, but don’t worry: you will have some time left at the end of your stay to finish visiting.

If you want to visit Athens in 1 day, you should start with the Acropolis Museum. There, you will learn everything you need to know about the History of Athens’ most iconic landmark before visiting it.

Don’t miss the top floor terrace, where you can enjoy an amazing view of the Parthenon!

Athens’ most visited museum is open everyday, and the entrance costs 10€ during high season. If you don’t want to waste your time in waiting lines, you should buy your skip-the-line ticket online.

You can buy it right here:

For more information about the Acropolis Museum, you can have a look at the official website.

It’s now time to discover the Acropolis. Built on top of a hill overlooking the city, the archaeological site entrance is located right next to the museum.

When visiting this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will discover the Acropolis’ best preserved monument, the Parthenon. Dedicated to the goddess Athena, it’s one of the first Greek temple entirely built with white marble.

During your tour, you will also see 2 other temples, as well as a theatre and an amphitheatre.

After visiting the Acropolis, go down to the foothill to discover Plaka district.

If you’re hungry, you should try the traditional Greek sandwich: the chicken or pork gyros. It’s really easy to find one in Plaka. With an ice cream, or an authentic Greek Yogurt (with honey or fruits) for dessert, it’s clearly the best way to try 2 Greek specialities for your 1st meal!

And if you prefer to rest a bit, you can try the Liondi Traditional Greek Restaurant, just in front of the Acropolis Museum. Its typical Greek cuisine tastes amazing, and it’s way better than some tourist traps you can find in the neighborhood.

After lunch, take a stroll in Plaka, one of Athens’ oldest neighborhood. The place still looks picturesque, even if there are many souvenir shops.

Then, visit the Ancient Agora. Together with the Acropolis, it’s the other ancient site you have to visit during your 4 or 5 days trip to Greece.

The Agora was Athens’ main square in the ancient times. It was also the commercial, cultural and political centre of the city. The Agora hosted many religious holidays, elections and sporting events.

There, you will discover the Temple of Hephaestus, one of the best preserved Doric temple in Greece. There is also a museum showing a scale model of the Agora and many statues found on site.

The entrance ticket costs 8€. You can also buy a 30€ combined ticket (I will tell you more about it in the “Voyage Tips – Advice” section a bit later).

After leaving the Agora, head to Monastiraki, one of Athens’ oldest districts located nearby. It’s quite different than Plaka: with its many shops selling clothes, jewelry and shoes, it feels a bit like the Arab souks!

At the end of the day, walk to the summit of Philopappos Hill, the best place to admire the sunset in Athens. You will enjoy a magnificent view of the Acropolis up to the Port of Piraeus if the sky is clear!

And, if you want to go out at night, have a drink and celebrate your 1st day in Athens, you should go to Gazi district. There, you will find many trendy bars and night clubs.

Spend the night in Athens.

If you want to know everything about the best places to visit in Athens, you can read my article: The 20 best things to do and see in Athens.

Where to stay in Athens

• Bedbox Hostel: A Youth Hostel located 300m from Monastiraki Square, and 700m from the Acropolis. Dormitory room starting from 18€ per night. Strong points: the location, the really kind staff and the cleanliness!
• Evripides Hotel: Located 400m from Ermou Street and 500m from Monastiraki. The rooms are simple but comfortable, starting from 70€ per night, with breakfast included. What I loved: the breathtaking view of the Acropolis from the rooftop, the location (perfect to visit Athens on foot) and the friendly and helpful staff! A great choice in Athens for its exceptional value for money!
  
• Amalia Hotel: Located on Syntagma Square, just in front of the National Gardens. The double rooms are modern and spacious. Some of them even have a balcony with a nice view of the gardens. The price starts at 155€ per night with breakfast included. Strong points: The comfort, the generous breakfast, and the location in the centre of Athens.
• Wyndham Grand Athens: 5-star Hotel located 1km from Ermou Street and 1.5km from the Acropolis. You’ll love the elegant and design double rooms here, starting from 200€ per night. Breakfast will cost you 16€. Strong points: the outdoor pool on the roof, the view of the Acropolis, the spa center, and the location right next to a metro station!
• Electra Metropolis: This 5-star hotel is located only 200m from Syntagma Square and 600m from the Acropolis. The price for a spacious and comfortable double room starts at 270€ per night, breakfast included. What I loved: the ideal location, the view of The Acropolis from the rooftop, the amazing restaurant, the pool. The best choice for a luxury stay in Athens

Day 2: Day trip to the Saronic Islands

For the 2nd day of your 4 or 5 days itinerary in Greece, you will leave Athens to visit the surroundings.

It’s time to discover the closest islands to Athens, the Saronic Islands.

You will have the choice between:

• Planing your day by yourself: you will take the bus from Athens to the Port of Piraeus, then the ferry to reach one of the islands.

The ferry takes only 1h15 to reach Aegina, the largest and closest Saronic Island, and the journey costs 8€. Be careful, as there are only 3 ferries per day: around 8h, 12h and 16h.

If you want to spend a full day on the island, you will have to get up early!

Click on the following button to check the ferries rates, schedules, and book your tickets online.

• Taking a full-day cruise from Athens to the Saronic islands.

Everything is included in this tour: a bus will take you to the port of Piraeus directly from your hotel, and you’ll sail to the islands from there. During this cruise, you will discover not one but several islands!

You will visit 3 islands:

• Poros, the smallest island with pretty colorful houses.
• Hydra and its beautiful beaches
• Aegina, the largest Saronic Island. There, you can visit an ancient Byzantine village.

A lunch buffet on the boat is even included in the price.

If you want to do this full-day tour to the Saronic Islands, you can book it right here:

Spend another night in Athens.

Day 3: Peloponnese

For the 3rd day of your 4-5 days trip to Greece, you will discover Peloponnese.

If you want to visit Peloponnese, you should rent a car in Athens. Rent it for the next 3 days, as you will need a car for the rest of your itinerary. If you don’t want to rent a car, it’s also possible to visit Peloponnese as day trip from Athens. I will tell you more about it below.

In any case, when you rent a car in Athens, you should use Booking.com Cars website. I’m using it everytime I need to book a car, whether I’m in Sicily, Sardinia or even Canada! This website is the best for 3 reasons:

• On Booking.com Cars, you can easily compare prices between all the car rental companies located at Athens’ Airport.
• You will have access to the customers reviews, to choose a reliable agency.
• The “Full Protection insurance” allows you to get complete excess refund in case of car accident or theft. They refunded me more than 1200€!
• You will get free cancellation or modification.

Click on the button below to compare car rental prices:

Now that you’ve got a car, it’s time to drive to Peloponnese. Your first stop will be Corinth Canal.

Located only 1 hour away from Athens, Corinth Canal is a great spot for a souvenir photo. As it’s on your way, you won’t have to make a detour!

The original idea of this canal emerged in the ancient times, but it was only achieved in 1893, after the success of Suez Canal. It avoids the boats a 400 km detour between the Saronic Gulf and the Aegean Sea.

This 6-km long and only 24.6-meter width canal is surrounded by 80-meter high cliffs. It’s very impressive, especially when a large boat is crossing!

And for an exceptional experience during your stay in Greece, you can also do a 70m bungee jump over the Corinth Canal!

You have to book this bungee jump in advance by clicking on the button below:

After this short stop, you will drive for around 40 minutes to reach Mycenae, one of Greece’s oldest archaeological site. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the former home of King Agamemnon, the Trojan War Hero. There, you will discover the Royal Palace, Tholos Tombs and an archaeological museum.

I must warn you: the site is mostly in ruins, and there are only a few remains left.

You should visit Mycenae only if you’re an History lover. If not, you can go directly to Epidaurus, the next site located 45 minutes away from Mycenae, or 1 hour away from Corinth Canal.

Epidaurus is, as Mycenae, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s clearly a must-see attraction in Peloponnese! This archaeological site is famous for its extremely well-preserved theatre. You will be amazed by its exceptional architecture and acoustics.

The entrance ticket costs 12€. There, you will also discover a Temple dedicated to the god of medicine Asclepius and a small museum.

The last stop of your day is Nafplio. This lovely seaside city is located only 30 minutes away from Epidaurus.

Nafplio’s old city is the perfect place to take a stroll in beautiful picturesque alleys.

You will also see 3 castles in Nafplio:

• The Bourtzi Castle located at the port entrance, on a small island.
• The Acronafplia Fortress and its nice panoramic view over the city. It’s located only a 5-minute drive from the city centre.
• The Palamidi Fortress. You can visit it for 8€. From its many strongholds, you will enjoy an amazing view over the sea and Nafplio. As it’s quite large, plan at least 1h30 to visit the site.

End your day at Arvanitia Beach, close to Nafplio. This nice small pebble beach is the perfect place to relax and take a dip!

Then, get in your car and drive back to Athens.

If you don’t want to rent a car in Greece, then I’ve got a good news for you: you can visit all these beautiful places without a car!

You can book an organized full-day trip from Athens:

The tour includes the pick-up at your hotel, the bus transfer, a guide and the entrance tickets for all the sites.

During this day, you will visit:

• Corinth Canal
• Mycenae
• Nafplio
• Epidaurus

As you can see, it’s exactly the same program as if you did it by yourself. Choose the option that suits you best!

You can book your guided bus tour here.

Day 4: Delphi

For the 4th day of this 4 or 5 days Greece itinerary, you will continue to explore Athens’ surroundings and visit the archaeological site of Delphi.

If you’ve already rented a car, it takes around 2h20 to reach Delphi from Athens. If not, just like for the Peloponnese, you can take a day trip from Athens (more info on this below).

10 kilometers before arriving Delphi, you can visit Arachova, a beautiful mountain village built on the hillside. You will for sure love its pretty stone houses and charming alleys! There, you can try the “formaela”, a typical Greek cheese made with sheep’s or goat’s milk.

In winter, Arachova is renowned for being Greece’s largest ski resort, with 22 ski slopes. People are coming from all over the country to go skiing and party all night long in this luxurious village.

Once you’re in Delphi, park your car at the archaeological site’s entrance. Buy your 12€ ticket to access the site and the archaeological museum. There, you will discover many vestiges and statues found on site.

Delphi was built on the slopes of Mount Parnassus and was considered as the centre of the world by ancient Greeks. There, the Pythia (the oracle of Delphi) transmitted Appolo’s directives from the gods to humans. During 6 centuries, Greek History was strongly affected by the interpretations of the Pythia’s prophecies.

When taking a stroll in Delphi, you will discover the Temple of Apollo, the theatre and the stadium. The site also offers a magnificent view over the mountains and valley.

If you don’t want to go back to Athens in the evening, you can spend the night in Delphi and drive back to Athens the next morning. It only depends on your flight’s time of departure. You will find a list of the best places to stay in Delphi a bit later in this article.

If you’re staying in Delphi for the night, you should try the Taverna Vakhos. The menu is quite different and more upscale than in the other restaurants, for an identical price. The dishes were copious and delicious! As it’s quite popular, it’s better to book in advance.

Where to stay in Delphi

• Fedriades Delphi Hotel: Located a 10-minute walk from the ancient site of Delphi. The modern double rooms with balcony are starting from 55€, and you have to add 8€ for breakfast. Strong points: the panoramic view, the high quality beds, the kind staff.
• Kastalia Boutique Hotel: Located only 5 minutes from Delphi. You’ll enjoy large and modern double rooms, starting from 62€ including breakfast. What I loved: the terrace, where you can have your breakfast, the warm welcome, the location. It’s the best value for money in Delphi!
  
• Nidimos Hotel: Located only 1km from the archaeological site. The bright and comfortable double rooms with balcony are starting from 65€ per night, with a 10€ breakfast. Strong points: the various and copious breakfast, the free parking lot, the beautiful view.

Day 5: Athens

Your 4-5 days road trip in Greece is already over!

If you spent the last night in Delphi, go back to Athens to take your return flight. If you chose the 1-day tour, then you’re already in Athens!

In any case, depending on your flight’s time of departure, you will have some time to discover more of Athens. For example, you can visit:

• The Panathenaic Stadium, where major sporting events such as chariot races and wrestling competitions were held.
• The Arch of Hadrian
• The Temple of Olympian Zeus
• Zappeion Park and the National Garden, if you want to relax a bit
• Syntagma Square, to see the changing of the Presidential Guard.
• Ermou street, if you want to go shopping a bit
• Athens National Archaeological Museum
• Mount Lycabettus, to admire the view of the Acropolis one last time!

3 days in Greece: recommended itineraries

You want to visit Greece, and you only have 3 days?

Don’t worry, you will find here my recommended itineraries. You will even have the choice between 5 different cities!

For this 3 days itinerary in Greece, you can choose to land in:

• Athens
• Santorini
• Rhodes
• Thessaloniki
• Mykonos, only if you want to party all day and night long!

3 days itinerary in Greece: visit Athens

If you’re spending 3 days in Athens, then you will have time to discover the city’s must-see attractions and even visit its surroundings.

You will find a list of the best things to do as well as a detailed itinerary in my free travel guide: The 20 best things to do in Athens.

You will visit many beautiful places, such as the Acropolis, Plaka District, the Ancient Agora, Monastiraki district, Philoppapos Hill, Mount Lycabettus, Syntagma Square and Zappeion Park. Read my article if you don’t want to miss anything!

You will also find a list of the best places to stay in Athens.

If you still have questions, you can ask me in the comments section below. I will gladly help you!

3 days holiday in Greece: Santorini

You want to discover the most famous and romantic Greek Island during your 3 days Greece itinerary? Then, you have to spend a long weekend in Santorini! It’s the perfect place for a romantic gateway, or if you want to discover Greece’s most famous postcard landscape.

If you want to know everything about Santorini’s must-see attractions, you can read my definitive guide: The 12 best things to di in Santorini.

The best things to do in Santorini are:

• Fira
• Oia
• A boat trip around the island
• Hiking from Fira to Oia
• Relax at the Red Beach or the Black Beach.
• And even more!

You will also find my selection of the best hotels in Santorini for every budget.

3 days trip to Greece to discover Rhodes

Rhodes is also a great place to visit during a 3 days itinerary in Greece, especially if you’ve already been to Central Greece or the Greek Islands.

During your 3 days in Rhodes, you should visit:

• Rhodes’ medieval city
• Lindos
• The valley of the butterflies
• Relax and take a dip at one of Rhodes’ best beaches
• Visit a castle

You will find every details you need to plan your trip to Rhodes in my article: Visit Rhodes: the definitive guide.

In this article, you will discover all the best things to do, itineraries to visit Rhodes in 3 days, a tourist map and my best tips to rent a car on the island. There is even a selection of Rhodes’ best accommodations!

3 days itinerary in Greece: Thessaloniki

You can also choose to spend 3 days in Thessaloniki, Greece’s 2nd largest city.

The best things to do and see in Thessaloniki are:

• The White Tower
• Thessaloniki’s Waterfront
• The Archaeological sites
• The many museums
• The beautiful churches
• Ana Poli

If you want to plan your 3 days visit to Thessaloniki, you can read my detailed article: The 12 best things to do in Thessaloniki.

And if you want to find the best hotel in Thessaloniki, it’s right here!

Flying to Greece

As always, you should book your plane tickets as early as possible to get the best prices. If you want to check the rates and schedules, you can use our flight comparator, in partnership with Skyscanner.

If you need help to plan your 3, 4 or 5 days itinerary in Greece, don’t hesitate to ask me your questions in the comments section below.

Greece Tours

On Voyagetips.com, I give you all my best tips and itineraries to plan your trip to Greece by yourself. (All my Greece articles are here)

However, if you prefer to book a Greece tour with a travel agency, I recommend you to check the 10 best Greece tours by clicking the button below:

Renting a boat in Greece

If you want to rent a boat for a nice day at sea during your trip to Greece, you should book it with Samboat.

Motorboats, sailboats, yachts, small boats without a license, with or without a skipper: they simply have the most complete offer for boat rental.

So, what are you waiting for to book your boat trip in Greece? 😊

Greece travel guides

• Buy the Lonely Planet Greece guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk
• Buy the DK Eyewitness Greece guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk

You’re traveling to Greece ? These articles will help you !

Discover all my articles about Greece: All my articles to help you plan your trip to Greece are listed there.

• The 20 Best Things to do in Greece – The Ultimate Bucket list!
• The 15 Best Things to do in Peloponnese – All the must-see attractions

• Athens: The 20 Best Things to do and see
• Thessaloniki: The 12 best places to visit

Cyclades (Greek islands)

• The 15 Best Cyclades Islands to visit – With all the must-see attractions

• Itinerary: 1 week in Greek islands – How to visit the Cyclades in 6, 7 or 8 days

• Amorgos: The 8 best places to see
• Andros: The 7 must-see attractions and activities
• Naxos: Top 10 things to do
• Paros: The 10 best places to visit
• Santorini: The definitive guide
• Tinos: The 10 best things to do

Dodecanese

• Rhodes: Top 12 best places to visit

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