The weathered marble columns and triangular pediment of the Parthenon stand above a crowd of visitors on the Acropolis. Standing in front of the Parthenon was the highlight of our Athens itinerary 2 days of sightseeing.

GREECE

Ancient ruins, whitewashed villages, brilliant blue water and more islands than you could ever explore in one trip—Greece has all the ingredients for an unforgettable Bucket List adventure.

Bill and I spent two weeks exploring Greece, combining several days in Athens with an 8-night cruise that took us to Rhodes, Mykonos, Thessaloniki and Santorini (plus a stop in Ephesus Turkey).

What I loved most was how different each stop felt—from wandering among ancient ruins and medieval streets to finally seeing those whitewashed villages, blue-domed churches and ridiculously blue Aegean water I had pictured before we arrived.

Kari and Bill stand beside the blue-domed Three Bells of Fira with the deep blue Aegean Sea stretching behind them in Santorini, Greece. Their lightweight summer clothes, hats and comfortable shoes are suited to a sunny day of sightseeing..

And we barely scratched the surface. Greece has more than 2,000 islands, about 170 of them inhabited, along with a mainland shaped by mountains and surrounded by the Aegean, Mediterranean and Ionian seas.

Whether you’re thinking about cruising between several destinations or spending more time island hopping, the guides below share what we learned from our first trip and will help you decide how you want to experience Greece.

Greece Travel Guides:

Here are all my guides about Greece. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the website, please complete the short form above.