Comfort Travel7 days, 6 nightsGreece

Greece in 7 Days: Comfort Route

Two nights in Athens and four on Naxos, with a fast ferry, a central hotel and afternoons left alone.

Destination

Greece

Travel style

Comfort

Duration

7 days, 6 nights

Approximate budget

Approx. 1,700 to 2,500 EUR per person, excluding flights

Best time to travel

Late May to June, September

Route overview

Seven days in Greece works well if you accept one island. Two nights in Athens covers the Acropolis and the museum properly, then four on Naxos gives you beaches, a decent old town and food that is better than on the more famous islands.

Naxos is the deliberate choice here instead of Santorini. It has a real town rather than a viewing platform, it is a fraction of the price, and the ferry link from Athens is direct.

Comfort in Greece mostly means avoiding heat and queues. Acropolis at opening, long lunch, afternoon indoors or in the sea, and dinner at nine like the locals.

Day by day

Day 1
Arrive in Athens
Metro or private transfer to a hotel in Plaka or Koukaki. Rooftop dinner with the Acropolis lit, which is the standard opening move and still a good one.
Day 2
Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum
Timed entry at 08:00, down through the Agora by late morning, then the museum in the afternoon when it is cool. Early evening walk up Filopappou Hill for the view back.
Day 3
Fast ferry to Naxos
Around three and a half hours from Piraeus or Rafina. Book a numbered seat in the upper lounge. Check into a hotel near Agios Georgios beach or in the Chora.
Day 4
Naxos town and the Portara
Kastro quarter in the morning, the marble gateway at sunset. Between the two, do nothing at all.
Day 5
Island drive and mountain villages
Rent a car for the day. Halki for distilled citron, Apeiranthos for marble lanes, and a taverna lunch in the hills where the meat is local.
Day 6
Beach day
Plaka and Mikri Vigla in the south are long, sandy and rarely crowded outside August. Windsurfing at Mikri Vigla if the meltemi is blowing.
Day 7
Departure
Fly directly from Naxos to Athens, 40 minutes, or take the morning ferry if the connection allows.

Accommodation approach

A four star hotel in Koukaki or Plaka in Athens, then a beachfront or Chora hotel on Naxos. Rooms with air conditioning are non-negotiable from June onwards.

Getting around

Airport transfer in Athens, fast ferry to Naxos with reserved seats, a rental car for one or two days on the island, and a short domestic flight back.

What to eat

Modern Greek cooking in Athens, which has improved enormously in the last decade
Naxos graviera cheese and local potatoes
Fresh fish sold by weight at harbour tavernas
Citron liqueur from Halki

Planning tips

Book the Acropolis time slot online, the 08:00 entry is the difference between pleasant and punishing.
Ferries can be cancelled in strong meltemi winds in July and August. Keep a buffer day before your flight home.
On the islands, ask what came in today rather than reading the whole menu.
Rent the car in advance in high season, island fleets are small and sell out.