2 Weeks in Greece - 6 Family-Friendly Itineraries

Itinerary #1: Highlights of Greece on Land and Sea

Get some of the best of Greece with this itinerary. While you can never see everything, you'll give it your best shot with both land and sea attractions in Athens, Meteora, Delphi, and the Cyclades.

Naturally, you'll start in the capital city of Athens, reclining with a view over the city from its hilly parks. Get introduced to the stories of Greece amid some of its most famous monuments, like the Parthenon, on an Acropolis mythology tour, followed by an evening strolling the streets of the Plaka neighborhood. See how far you can throw a shotput (or wrestle an errant sibling?) with an Olympics games workout before you hit the road for Meteora. These centuries-old monasteries have been sitting in their clifftop nests since before cranes existed, and you'll learn the secrets to their construction and more on a guided tour.

Delphi is up next, with its many temples and the lingering sense of fortune-telling. Explore the woods around Mount Parnassos, where nymphs were once believed to frolic, before you tour the archaeological site itself. See what inspires you with a painting class, followed by an afternoon in the seaside town of Galaxidi. That's just a preview of what awaits you in the islands, where you'll start with Naxos, the capital of the Cyclades.

After a morning on the beach, you'll head to the villages of Naxos on a food and culture tour that will leave you both well-fed and well-educated. A day trip to Delos and Mykonos by boat will introduce you to the mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, which once was also a thriving commercial port regularly attacked by pirates. Though Delos is now uninhabited, Mykonos is anything but, as you'll see as you mingle with the jet-set on its glitzy streets and enjoy the cafes of Little Venice.

From there, you're off to Santorini of the famous cliffs. You'll get the best insight into where to watch the sunset, followed by a private tour of the streets of Oia the next day. Go from atop the caldera down to Ammoudi harbor and out onto the beaches. A fishing trip will introduce you to some of the scalier residents of the Mediterranean, though don't get too friendly, since they'll ultimately end up on your plate.

Head back to Athens and spend your last full day on the Athenian Riviera and watching the sun set over the Temple of Poseidon as you plan your return trip. Learn more

Itinerary #2: Explore Mainland Greece's Less-Visited Spots

Get a little unconventional with this itinerary for families with school-aged children who have already done the hotspots. From the White Tower of Thessaloniki to the stone villages of Zagori, these mainland spots have plenty more to discover without the crowds.

It's always good to start with the classics, so you'll still begin in Athens with an ancient monuments tour. Veer off the standard tourist trail and into the Ioulia & Alexandros N. Diomidis Botanical Garden, the largest botanical garden in the southeastern Mediterranean. From there, you'll head to Delphi, once home to Apollo's oracle and now a sprawling archaeological site. In addition to the temples and museum, you'll also visit the National Park of Mt. Parnassos, where you'll wander, picnic, and maybe even try your hand at archery with your expert guide.

You'll head to Meteora next. Along the way, spend an afternoon in seaside Galaxidi, known for its fishing and carefully crafted models of miniature boats. Once you arrive in Meteora, you'll tour its many clifftop monasteries that have been in use for centuries, even without the aid of modern technology.

Stop at Mount Olympus along the way to your next destination, where you'll take a private history tour full of stories of Alexander the Great, the ancient Greek deities that once lived atop the mountain, and more. You'll eventually arrive in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city. Get acquainted with the city via a food and culture tour, then sleep it all off with a beach day on the neighboring peninsula of Chalkidiki and its clear, shallow waters.

Your last stop is Zagori, known for its 46 stone villages and the intricate bridges that connect them. Meet some chickens, learn to use a loom, and more with an intro to the rustic life in the area. Take an easy hike along the inter-village route that was once the only connection between the villages, then go for the adrenaline rush on a rafting trip through the Voidomatis River Valley and Vikos Gorge. On your final full day, venture into the natural wonders of the Aigialeia region on the northern Peloponnese, where you can ride a steep mountain railway, hike along the Vouraikos Gorge, and relax amid an olive grove before you return to Athens to catch your flight home. Learn more

Itinerary #3: Interactive Athens and Crete

This interactive itinerary will lead you and your school-aged children into exciting ways to experience Greek culture. Between beaches, botanic gardens, and bread-making, you can all pick up some new knowledge of Athens and Crete.

Start in Athens with a stroll through the tavernas and souvenir shops of the Plaka neighborhood. Practice your painting skills with the famously inspirational Parthenon viewed from afar, then get up close with the columns on a guided tour where you'll hear tales of ages past. Try out the discus, javelin, and shotput like an Olympian, then relax on the Athenian Riviera at its many museums and scenic viewpoints, finishing at the Temple of Poseidon for a seaside sunset. 

Your next stop is Chania, one of Crete's standout cities thanks to its mix of Venetian, Ottoman, and Egyptian influences. Visit Elafonissi Beach, one of the best in Greece, then choose a creative workshop and pay a visit to the Natural Park of Samaria to explore Crete's diverse plant life. Get in one more beach day at Balos and Gramvoussa, two more highly popular spots for their scenic views, before you head to Rethymno, one of Greece's best-preserved medieval old towns, full of shops and cafes perfect for a lingering dinner. Choose between city beaches or more isolated sunning spots as you explore spots like the Monastery of Arkadi and Ancient Eleutherna.

The last stop in Crete is the capital city of Heraklion. Clean off the road dust with a soap-making workshop or get your hands dirty on a scavenger hunt through the city set during the siege of 1669. Learn how to make bread and rusks, a traditional Cretan biscuit, in a hands-on workshop, then finish your trip with a day of Minoan myths, including the stories of Minos, Ariadne, Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Labyrinth, along with a visit to the Palace of Knossos if you wish before you head back to Athens. Learn more

Itinerary #4: Dive Into the Greek Islands

See why the Cyclades are nearly synonymous with Greece on this itinerary ideal for school-aged children. In addition to Athens, you'll visit Tinos, Naxos, and Santorini via interactive tours, beach time, and more.

Start your trip in Athens, where you'll take an evening wander through the Plaka district. Learn about ancient stories atop the Acropolis and its many monuments, including the famous Parthenon, and learn some strategy tricks via games like tilia and polis. See the city from a different angle in its many parks and hills, then take a guided drive down the Athenian Riviera to visit ancient ships, a toy museum, or sea turtle rescue facility before you watch the sunset at Cape Sounion.

Then it's island time. Your first Cycladic stop is Tinos, best known for its marble and the dovecotes that dot the countryside. Take a food tour to sample the island's inherited recipes and meet the shopkeepers. A marble art workshop will lead you through the Museum of Marble Arts, an open-air cemetery with impressive monuments, and the historic home of one of Greece's most famous sculptors. Afterward, a hike through the hills will lead you to some rocks of a different kind as you walk among the giant boulders of Volax.

Next is Naxos, known for its Venetian hilltop castle and delicious agriculture, especially cheese and potatoes. Take a bike tour around some of the island's towns, then cool off on the beach or keep it sporty with a windsurfing lesson. Board a catamaran for a full-day boat tour around the island, then go inland to spots like the marble village of Apiranthos until it's time for a village cooking class.

Finish up in Santorini, where you'll see the sunset from one of the many vantage points along the famous caldera. A guide will lead you through the winding streets of Oia atop the caldera, then down to the secret harbor at Ammoudi and out onto one of the island's colorful beaches. Finally, a fishing trip and visit to the museum of Lost Atlantis and the archaeological site at Akrotiri—which may even have been the real Atlantis—will have you dreaming of the sea for days even after you've returned to Athens and headed home. Learn more

Itinerary #5: Culture and Adventure in the Peloponnese

Get a little more adventurous on this itinerary for school-aged children. Search for treasure in Athens,  go biking or boating around the Mani Peninsula, and cook and kayak in Kalamata with your kids.

Start your trip by attempting to become an Athenian for the day as you jump into a scavenger hunt in honor of Athena, the city's patron and goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. Learn more about her and her drama-prone family of Greek gods and goddesses on a mythology tour among the monuments of the Acropolis, paired with a comic workshop, Olympic workout, and take a quick interactive language lesson to navigate daily transactions with ease.

Head out to the Mani Peninsula, passing the Corinth Canal and stopping in the Byzantine city of Mystras along your way. Tour Mystras's hillside fortress, then participate in a mosaic-making workshop at the foot of Mount Taygetos. You'll meet the rest of the Mani Peninsula the next day with a boat tour along the Maniot coast, then head inland to see the land-based parts of the peninsula, including the capital, the coves of Limeni, and the caves of Diros, where you'll pole through on a punting boat.

Make your way to Kalamata next. There's more than just olives to find here, as you'll learn on a treasure hunt through a 13th-century castle. Get back to the beach and then off to an art workshop on an eco-friendly farm, where you'll make crafts with materials found in nature. Tour Nestor's Palace, the best-preserved Mycenaean palace, go back out to sea with a boat trip to crocodile-shaped Proti Island, and learn to cook a traditional Messenian meal.

Hop out to the Polylimnio Gorge, where you'll practice your archery skills to see how you'd fare in an ancient hunt. On your final full day, you'll sea kayak through Navarino Bay, where the calm waters hide the fact that this was once the site of a famous naval battle—on a clear day, you may see ships at the bottom of the sea. Head back to land to explore Navarino itself and get a history lesson at the living castle of Koroni before it's time to go home. Learn more

Itinerary #6: History, Culture, and Nature in the Peloponnese

Do it all on mainland Greece with this itinerary. Ideal for older kids and teenagers, this trip brings you from the coast of Nafplio to the peaks of Olympia with cooking classes, a sea kayak trip over a sunken city, archaeological experiences, and more.

Start with the ancients in Athens, with a mythology tour through the monuments of the Acropolis and its famous Parthenon, before getting into the modern streets with a street art tour led by an artist. Try your hand at the culinary arts as you learn to make some Mediterranean favorites, then zoom down the Athenian Riviera on a private tour.

Make your way to Nafplio next, where you'll stretch your legs with a hike to the top of Acrocorinth, one of the biggest castles in Greece, passing natural springs and smaller hidden paths along the way. An Epidaurus tour is up next, with stops at the Sanctuary of Asklepios, once a medical center and temple, and the Ancient Theater, known for its still-perfect acoustics. For a different perspective, hop in a kayak, where you'll paddle over more ruins from the ancient city. Your next stop is a winery, where you'll tour the vineyard and be regaled by a professional storyteller with more mythology. That will lead you into a cooking class, followed by a trip to the shores of Lake Stymphalia, important both for its mythological significance and its modern status as a protected natural area and wildlife refuge.

Head to the Mani Peninsula, stopping at the Byzantine castle-town of Mystras and pausing for a mosaic-making workshop along the way. Here you'll tour the castle of Monemvasia and hike to the Upper Town. Hop back in the car to continue to the villages of Mani, which will lead you to the city of Kalamata. Outside the city limits, explore the wetlands around Gialova Lagoon with a bike ride all the way to  Voidokilia Beach, where you'll swap your wheels for a paddle and paddleboard and snorkel around the sandy coves.

Your next stop is Olympia, where you can be an archaeologist for a day. Perform a simulated excavation under the eyes of a professional before you head to a local honey farm for dinner and an interactive beekeeping experience that will leave you buzzing. One more drive takes you through Nafpaktos and the seaside town of Galaxidi before bringing you to Delphi. Tour the site of Apollo's oracle and its impressive ruins, then keep it in your memories with a painting class and hike on a trail once walked by followers of Pan before you go back to Athens. Learn more

More Great 14-Day Greece Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Greece? Check out these other 14-day Greece itineraries, with history-focused trips, beach getaways, and best-of tours to hit the highlights. 

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