12 Days in Greece
The Acropolis, the Cycladic whitewash of Santorini, and the archaeology and beaches of Crete. Greece's canonical first-time family route with a single transit night in Athens before flying home — island-hopping that's genuinely achievable in a 12-night school holiday window.
Plan to save
Your weekly savings target
A$562 / week
to save before you go · A$15,169 total · 27 weeks until you leave
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Your stop-by-stop itinerary
4 stops across 12 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Greece.
Stop
01
Athens
3 nightsFly into Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) one-stop via Middle East hub
Highlights
- Acropolis and Parthenon (early morning to beat the heat and crowds)
- Acropolis Museum — kid-friendly exhibits on the original sculptures
- Plaka old town walking and souvlaki dinners
- Ancient Agora and the Temple of Hephaestus
- National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Local tips
- Climb the Acropolis first thing in the morning — by 11am in summer it's 35°C+ on the marble with zero shade
- Buy the combined Athens archaeological sites ticket at the Ancient Agora (skip the Acropolis queue)
- Plaka restaurants get touristy and expensive — eat one street in on the side lanes or cross into Psyrri for half the price
Suggested stayFamily hotel in Plaka or near Syntagma Square
Stop
02
Santorini
3 nightsDomestic flight Athens → Santorini (JTR) on Aegean or Sky Express (~45 minutes)
Highlights
- Oia sunset walk (book dinner at a taverna with caldera view to avoid the crush)
- Caldera boat tour with hot springs swim and volcano crater hike
- Akrotiri archaeological site — Minoan Bronze Age city buried by volcanic ash
- Red Beach and Perissa black sand beach day
- Fira to Oia clifftop hike (~10km, moderate, stunning)
Local tips
- Stay in Fira or Imerovigli, not Oia — Oia accommodation is 50%+ more expensive for the same view
- Book the caldera boat tour for your first full day so you know when sunset happens for Oia
- Rent a car or quad bike for one day to explore the south of the island (Akrotiri, Red Beach) — public buses are slow and crowded
Suggested stayFamily room with caldera view in Fira or Imerovigli
Stop
03
Crete
5 nightsSeajets high-speed ferry Santorini → Heraklion (1h 45m) or Chania (Crete, 3-4h via Seajets)
Highlights
- Knossos Palace and the Minotaur labyrinth archaeology
- Chania old Venetian harbour and Cretan food scene
- Samaria Gorge hike (16km, full day, challenging for younger kids)
- Elafonissi pink sand beach day trip
- Balos Lagoon boat trip from Kissamos
Local tips
- Hire a car in Crete for at least 3 days — the island is 250km long and the best beaches and archaeology are scattered all over it
- Use Chania as the base for the west of the island (Samaria, Elafonissi, Balos) and Heraklion as the base for Knossos and the east
- Samaria Gorge is a full-day hike with a ferry boat back to Chania at the end — book the Samaria bus + boat combo tour in advance
Suggested stayFamily hotel in Chania old town or Heraklion
Stop
04
Athens
1 nightDomestic flight Crete → Athens (Aegean or Sky Express, ~1 hour). Fly home next morning.
Highlights
- Final souvlaki or gyros dinner in Plaka (if time before airport transfer)
- Duty-free shopping at Athens airport
- Debrief the trip with the kids over final Greek salad + tzatziki
Local tips
- Book an airport hotel or a Plaka hotel with early-morning airport shuttle — Athens traffic to the airport is unpredictable, especially at morning rush hour
- Keep this night simple — pack, sleep, fly home. Save the big farewell dinner for your last Crete night instead.
- Check in online 24h before the international flight to avoid the Athens airport check-in queues which can be brutal in peak season
Suggested stayAirport transit hotel for fly-home morning
Real cost estimates · calibrated 2026, not glossy estimates
What it costs
All-in for a family of 4.
Here’s what Greece costs across the four components SaveToRoam tracks. Flights are shoulder-season ex-Australia; travel insurance and personal extras vary.
| Component | Family of 4 |
|---|---|
Flights Return economy flights ex-AU (mid-shoulder estimate) €895 per person | €3,580 |
Accommodation 4 stops | €2,550 |
Activities & local transport Activities & local transport incl. domestic flights, ferry, and Crete hire car (estimated) €386 per person | €1,544 |
Daily food & local transit 12 nights × family of 4 | €1,632 |
Trip total Insurance & personal extras separate | €9,306 ~A$16,006 |
What it covers
The ~A$15,169 estimate is all-in for a family of 4 — accommodation across 4 stops, shoulder-season flights from Australia, activities and local transport, and daily food. Travel insurance and personal extras vary, so we keep them separate.
What you get
When you use this template, SaveToRoam creates your trip with all 4 stops, every cost component pre-loaded, and a personalised savings plan with a weekly target. You choose your dates — we handle the maths.
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