Greece - An Ideal 10 Day Itinerary

Greece is different, it isn’t Mars, but it is a different earth; a blue and white earth.

Its hotels are small whitewashed buildings tucked away in the mountains or on the edge of a cliff. Its food is the freshest and at its very core, vegetarian. Its drinks are ouzo; unheard of but tasty. Its roads are dusty and curling around its mountainous terrain. Its beaches are pristine blue and inviting. Its views are of a volcano half submerged in an ocean. Absolutely nothing can beat this gorgeous destination!

Much like the ancient Greek civilisation which consisted of various independent cities, each with their own culture and traditions, modern-day Greece is not significantly different. Every island here is different, whether it is the food, the terrain or the culture. The ideal scenario in a perfect world is to hop around all the islands but unfortunately, there is neither enough time nor the connecting ferries.

For the all the Greece-first-timers, this 10-day itinerary perfectly balances not only the must-sees but the hidden gems in this Hellenic region. Quell away all your pre-notions about the budget and places to visit and read on with an open mind.

When you are planning for Greece and when someone tells you, “Don’t even think about going to Mykonos and Santorini, it has become too touristy. Try the smaller islands”. You really need to reconsider your relationship with that person. Coming to Greece and not visiting these two islands is like coming to Paris and not visiting Effiel Tower because, you know! It is touristy. With Mykonos and Santorini set, the final piece in our jigsaw was Tinos, a lesser known island but all we were looking for was peace, tranquillity and a cultural connection. And to say the least, it couldn’t have been better.

Budget: All our hotels fall under our strict screening criteria: a review score of 8.0+ on www.booking.com and day rate of INR 6,000/night; budget but top-notch and extremely comfortable. Your food spend is completely dependent on your palette and preferences.

Food: There is the Greek street food ‘Gyros’ starting at €3, there are also family-run restaurants where a meal for two would cost around €15-18 and there are also Michelin starred restaurants for the occasional splurge of €30 for two. We have for you in this write-up, a selection of our best restaurants for an unparalleled Greek culinary experience.

How to get around: Ferries are the most efficient to hop across islands.

Tips:

• Bluestar Ferries and Superfast ferries offer flat 50% discount to ISIC student cardholders. Be sure to flash it if you happen to own one.

• Check Skyscanner for any last minute deals between the islands, we got a cool Ryan air 30-minute service from Santorini to Athens at €10/person (as compared to an overnight journey on a ferry costing €35-45 / person.

The Greek capital is the de facto starting point for any adventure and a gateway to the islands. The majestic Parthenon temple (one of the biggest Greek temples) standing proudly on the Acropolis is a constant reminder of the rich and illustrious history of this country.

See: By the time you land in Athens, take a cab to your hotel, check-in and enjoy a drink in the balcony, you would have already seen enough of the most important sight in the city (The Parthenon Temple).

Ride: The day passes costing €4.5 / person/day on the public transport are the best way to get around the city. Bus X95 offers convenient connections from the airport to city and vice versa.

Tinos, our missing puzzle piece was a surprise package from start to finish. Its authentic local vibe and the rustic taverns add to the island position as a Pan Hellenic religious and cultural centre.

Ride: The most stress-free mode of transportation is to rent a scooty/bike as buses are unreliable and cabs are a tad expensive. However, when it is extremely windy, the bikes are unavailable. Our taxi ride from Tinos town to Fakos beach cost about 10 Euros per side.

The island is swanky, glamorous, loud and has the most beautiful beaches.

Eat: The two clubs at Paradise beach (Paradise beach club and Tropicana beach club) have a well-stocked menu. Both of us really were on a pizza and gelato diet in Mykonos.

Ride: Finally, the winds had subsided and we were able to break from the shackles of public transport and were free-birds on our bike. Zisis will be more than happy to arrange one for you at the hotel, costing around € 20 a day.

There is one word which is used almost synonymously with this island, ‘The Caldera’. There is sunset by the caldera, there is caldera facing hotels and caldera facing restaurants; it is the centre of everything in Santorini. The caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic depression which is filled with ocean water after it collapsed after an eruption. I googled and summarised my understanding above. Would recommend reading up a bit on the history of the island to better understand what you are getting into.

Stay: We decided to split up our time in Santorini, stayed two nights in Pyrgos and one night in Oia. Pyrgos given its central location was a convenient spot to explore island leaving the last day in Oia to laze around and soak up some sun.

The Golden Rule: Before you decide to pay that exorbitant premium for the caldera facing room anywhere in Oia, remember ‘Sunset is free’.

See: Santorini is so much more than just the sunset view from the Oia castle.

The gyros(a greek local dish) in Obelix Psitopoleio in Thira are sumptuous and cheap.

Ride: Bikes are again your best friend here (€20/day).

In case you plan to split your time here, a car hire (€45/day) is most convenient with luggage and ultimate airport-drop as taxi transfers are really expensive and unnecessary.