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Itineraries/Europe/Greece

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.

12 nights
Family of 4
~A$13,760
4 stops
Athens3n
Santorini3n
Crete5n
Athens1n
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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.

1

Athens

3 nights
Fly 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 stay: Family hotel in Plaka or near Syntagma Square
2

Santorini

3 nights
Domestic 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 stay: Family room with caldera view in Fira or Imerovigli
3

Crete

5 nights
Seajets 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 stay: Family hotel in Chania old town or Heraklion
4

Athens

1 night
Domestic 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 stay: Airport transit hotel for fly-home morning

Good to know

Estimated cost

The ~A$13,760 estimate covers accommodation across all 4 stops. Flights, daily spending, activities, and transport are additional — use SaveToRoam’s savings planner to track it all.

What’s included

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