Greece rewards planning more than most European destinations, because the ferries, the seasons and the distances all interact. These are the ways we put a Greek trip together for Australian travellers — each one a starting point we tailor, not a fixed departure.
Ways to travel Greece
Classical Greece
The mainland circuit — Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Olympia and Nafplio — by road, with no ferries involved.
- Best for history-focused travellers
- Comfortable coach or private driver
- Excellent in spring and autumn
- Typically 8–12 days
Island hopping
One archipelago done properly, with the crossings, transfers and timings built around real sailings.
- Cyclades or Ionian, not both
- Two nights minimum per island
- Ferry and flight legs pre-booked
- Typically 10–14 days
Athens and the Cyclades
The classic first trip — the capital, then two islands, with a buffer night before flying home.
- Best for first-time visitors
- Works comfortably in 10 days
- Santorini plus a quieter second island
- Easy to extend to Crete
Greek wine and food
Santorini's volcanic whites, Nemea's reds and Cretan varieties you cannot buy at home.
- Winery visits and tastings
- Cooking classes on Crete
- Market walks in Athens
- Pairs well with a longer stay
Greece for couples
Slower, quieter and built around the places worth lingering in rather than the ones worth photographing.
- Milos, Folegandros, Paros
- Caldera stays on Santorini
- Sailing days between islands
- Honeymoon planning welcome
Greece and Italy together
Two hours apart by air, and for a long-haul trip from Australia often the better answer than either alone.
- Italy first, Greece to finish
- Open-jaw flights
- Typically 16–21 days
- See the comparison guide first
How we plan a Greek itinerary
We start with the ferries, not the wish list. Most disappointing Greek trips come from an island sequence that does not exist in the timetable. We build the route around actual sailings and short flights, then fit the islands to it.
Fewer islands, longer stays. Two islands in ten days beats four almost every time. Each hop costs you a morning of packing, a transfer, a crossing and an afternoon of settling in — and the meltemi can take a day back without warning.
Athens at the start, not squeezed at the end. Two or three nights before the islands means you see the Acropolis rested and with a booked slot, rather than on a stopover.
A buffer before the flight home. One night back in Athens before an international departure has saved more trips than any other single piece of Greek planning.
Who we plan for
Couples and honeymooners, families wanting calm water and short transfers, groups travelling at an unhurried pace with fewer hotel changes, and food and wine travellers who would rather spend three days in one place than tick off five. If steps, walking distances or accessible transport matter, tell us early — in Greece that changes which islands we recommend, not just the pace. Santorini in particular involves far more stairs than the photographs suggest.
Not ready to enquire?
- Greece journal — still deciding between destinations
- Things to do in Greece — work out what you actually want to see
- Greece travel guide — seasons, transport and trip length