There are many ways to plan a Greece 10-day itinerary. You can focus on the mainland, on some islands or on a mix of the two. You can drive, fly or sail. When it comes to spending 10 days in Greece, the sky is the limit in terms of possibilities.
Contents of Greece 10-Day Itinerary & Road Trip from Athens
How Many Days Do You Need for Greece?
Seven days should be the minimum time to spend in Greece to get a gist of the local culture and to learn how to properly say thank you in Greek.
Explore Athens and the surroundings, visit Meteora, Delphi and Thessaloniki, and two or three Greek islands – either take a day trip to Hydra, Aegina and Poros, fly to Mykonos or Santorini, or visit Corfu to see where the Durrells lived.
First Time 10 Days Greece Itinerary
This is a Greece 10 days itinerary you can copy exactly. I did it just before the COVID-19 pandemics. My itinerary was actually a road trip that started and ended in Athens. It included Arachova, Delphi. Meteora, Corfu, Mount Olympus, and Thessaloniki. It was a bit rushed. If I were to take this road trip across Greece again, I’d leave out Corfu and I’d spend more time in Epirus and Western Macedonia, a lovely yet underrated area of Greece.
Days 1 – 2: Explore Athens
Wherever you may be coming from, chances are you’ll fly into Athens. Here are the things you should plan for your two days in Athens:
- The Lycabettus Hill
- The Philoppapou Hill (with the prison of Socrates)
- The Acropolis
- The Temple of Olympian Zeus
- The Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora and Hadrian’s Library
- The Archeological Site of Lykeion
- Plaka and Monastiraki
- Piraeus
Where to stay in Athens:
Pick accommodation in the center to save time. Athens is busy, stopping a taxi in the street is an almost impossible mission and driving is not an option (as parking isn’t easy to find).
Since this 10 days Greece itinerary is a road trip, you’ll need to hire a car. The easiest way to do it is to rent it online in advance and have it waiting for you at the airport. Greece itineraries are best when driving (at least this is what I prefer).
Budget-friendly recommendation: Gazi Apartment. The apartment is a large open space with a kitchen and a bathroom, it has two double beds and it can accommodate up to four people. There’s no private parking, but you can park for free in the neighborhood.
The Gazi Apartment in Athens can sleep a maximum of four
This apartment is located in a quiet neighborhood, about 30 minutes’ walk from Plaka. The area is off the beaten path, so you won’t see a lot of tourists around. The nearest metro station is Kato Petralona, only two stops to Monastiraki station (on the M1 metro line).
Mid-range recommendation: Attalos Hotel. This hotel is close to the Monastiraki Metro station and within 5-10 minutes of walking from Plaka, Acropolis and Ermou Street. If you want a room with a view to the Acropolis, Attalos Hotel is the perfect choice.
When you make your hotel reservations, keep in mind that you’ll be needing one night of accommodation before your outbound flight.
The Arch of Hadrian in Athens
Day 3: Arachova – Delphi – Meteora
Leave Athens early morning and head over to Delphi. Just before you get to Delphi, you’ll pass by the scenic town of Arachova. There are 160km from Athens to Delphi, so take into account a three hours’ drive (as you’ll be stopping for photos in Arachova).
Lovely Arachova with its church tower and red roofs
Delphi and the scenic mountains around
The visit to Delphi will take around two hours, give or take. Have lunch in the area and then head over to Kalambaka (alternative spelling Kalampaka or Kalabaka), a town by the feet of the Meteora rocks. You’ll need to drive about 220 km, so allow three-four hours for this drive.
Check into your hotel in Kalambaka and header over to the top of the mountains to watch the sunset on the rocks. It is a scenic view you can’t miss. Some people even spend the night on these giant rocks.
Where to stay at Meteora: Either the town of Kalambaka and the tiny village of Kastraki would do just fine.
I recommend to get a room with a scenic view of the Meteora rocks at Kosta Famissi – find the current rates and book a room here. The decor of this hotel is on the kitsch and hilarious side, but the rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable, the view is awesome and the breakfast isn’t bad. There’s a huge public parking across the street (and it is free of charge).
For more details about visiting the Meteora monasteries, please read this article, here.
Day 4: Meteora – Epirus
As you wake up and check out of your hotel, drive to the monasteries. Try to be there before 9am to take photos without having to put up with the crowds. Visit as many monasteries as you wish. Chances are not all of them will be open, so you’ll probably end up visiting two-three, maximum.
After the monasteries, head over to Ioannina, in the Epirus, where you’re going to spend the night. Alternatively, spend one more night in the Meteora area to enjoy some hiking on those rocks.
Where to stay in Ioannina: Kamares Boutique Hotel and Spa is a very nice option. Check it out here.
Days 5 – 6: Corfu
Ferries to Corfu depart from Igoumenitsa several times a day.
The ferry ride takes about one hour – one hour and a half, depending on the type of craft. Normally, you should have time to visit Igoumenitsa and to have a nice lunch before you board on the ferry.
View of Igoumenitsa from the ferry to Corfu
Important! When you rent the car, check that you are allowed to take it to the islands. Most car rental companies won’t allow you to do this. You could get in trouble, should anything happen on the ferry or on the island.
You can check my other articles on Corfu here.
Day 7: Thessaloniki
Driving from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki takes almost four hours, so make sure you leave Corfu before noon, if you want to arrive late afternoon.
Days 8-9: Mount Olympus – Dion – Olympic Riviera
Get accommodation in Litochoro, the small town where the Mount Olympus trails start. Here’s my article on how to hike Mount Olympus and another article on visiting the archeological site of Dion.
Dion Archeological Site
On the 9th day of your Greece itinerary you’ll need to drive for about 5 hours to get from Litochoro to Athens, so keep this in mind when you plan your road trip.
Consider taking a small detour to visit Thermopylae. The Hot gates aren’t visible anymore, so you’ll have to use your imagination to re-create the ancient battle. Yet, the monument and the statue of Leonidas are cool. I was happy we took this detour during our trip.
Day 10 – Athens
If your flight is in the evening, you’ll have time to stroll around Plaka and Monastiraki or visit Piraeus or Glyfada. It all depends on the time of your flight and on how tired you are after such a long road trip across Greece.
