8-Day Active Couples Trip to Greece

Start the day with breakfast. I recommend the Happy Blender for refreshing smoothies and acai bowls or Gregory’s Cafe for flaky pastries.

Next, embark on a historic bike tour. Here’s the great news—you get to use E-bikes, making the terrain even easier and more bikeable! This tour gives you a quick pass of all of the classic sites, with enough time to take a picture, and take note of which you want to explore more in-depth. If your timing is right, you may even get to see the Changing of the Guard at the Presidential Mansion.

Lunch break: For lunch, it’s always the right choice to pick up gyros. We typically found a stand nearby—if you see someone shaving meat off a vertical rotisserie, it is going to be a good gyro. If you are near Gyristroula or o Gyros Pou Gyrevis, you can enjoy some of the best gyros I can recommend! You will also not regret getting horiatiki, which is a Greek salad. The combination of fresh vegetables and large chunks of feta cheese is to die for!

Afternoon art: Now take the metro to National Archaeological Museum to enjoy a deep dive into ancient art and culture.

Day two is your history day.

Using a joint ticket, enjoy both the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. Ideally, go to the Acropolis as soon as it opens, or after 5 pm to avoid crowds.

Remember all of those historical sights you saw on your bike tour yesterday that you wanted to soak in a little more? Spend some time revisiting these areas. Maybe it is the stadium where the first Olympics were held, the Ancient Agora (market), or the Arch of Hadrian.

Transportation tip for Athens: buy a multi-day metro pass to get you through your entire stay.

You will also find incredible treats—especially gelato!—as you explore Athens. I can’t recommend enough visiting the Mona Lisa L’Atelier Del Gelato and ogling at the chocolate wall while ordering your dessert.

Day three is for shopping and enjoying a slower pace as you wander the streets of Athens.

The neighborhoods of Monastiraki, Plaka, Psyrri are excellent for shopping. Be sure to confirm the price of any item from a street vendor prior to committing to a purchase.

As you visit Plaka, you will be around another excellent gelato shop: Kayak Ice Cream Store.

Today, you will fly to Santorini. The flight is short, so you will likely have an afternoon and evening to start your exploring.

Afternoon exploration: This is the perfect time to hike from Fira to Oia. This hike will take you several hours, but the terrain is not particularly challenging. You will get to fully take in Santorini, walking through towns, along the coastline, overlooking the classic white buildings, and ending with the sunset in Oia.

Dinner: I recommend enjoying a seafood dinner at Pelekanos.

Transportation tip: Santorini does not have great public transportation or Uber, and its roads are difficult to navigate. For the best experience here, you will want to hire a driver.

For your full day in Santorini, I recommend enjoying one-of-a-kind excursions. Here are two popular options.

• Take a pirate-ship-looking boat to an active volcano, where you can hike with your guide to the volcano rim and smell the sulfur! Then, take the boat to a natural hot spring. Jump off the boat into the cool water, and find yourself swimming in the hot spring only a few dozen feet away!

• Take a catamaran cruise to enjoy snorkeling on stunning beaches, with Greek BBQ served onboard.

Transportation

To get to and from the coast for your excursion, you have a few options: pay a reasonable fee to ride a cable car, walk the zig-zagging path, or ride a donkey (yes, really!).

I recommend taking the cable car down, then riding a donkey back up. You just can’t pass up that opportunity!

It’s now time to head to your third Greek destination: Crete.

Take the afternoon to walk the streets of the old town, Rethymno. You will find beautiful souvenirs to pick up, and don’t forget to enjoy your time taking in the views of the water!

Dinner: Enjoy dinner at Taverna Pelagias Yard—the charcuterie board is wonderful to share!

Transportation

Crete is large and much more drivable than Santorini. Rent a car for your time here.

Be sure to either know how to drive a manual, or pay a little extra for an automatic car.

Treat yourself to a boat tour of Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island.

Highlights

Balos Lagoon is rated one of the best beaches, and it does not disappoint. Think calm, shallow waters extending far enough for plenty of lounging and swimming.

On Gramvousa Island, you can hike to an old fortress, or enjoy more time on the beach.

Dining tip: Gramboussa Restaurant is a family-friendly Greek restaurant in the village of Kaliviani, known for its traditional Cretan cuisine and featuring recipes that are centuries old.

End your trip with the most breathtaking hike of your life: the Samaria Gorge.

This hike is pretty long, but it’s all downhill. You will find yourself in awe of the scenery constantly, and enjoy crossing streams, noticing the horses along the path, and ending at a gorgeous black sand beach (so wear your swimsuit!).

There is a tiny town at the end of the hike, Agia Roumeli, with a small restaurant serving some of the best food in Crete. Order the Greek yogurt with honey and an entree of lamb—maybe it’s just the long hike you have just completed, but it will be among the best meals of your life!