1 Week in Greece - 6 Family-Friendly Itineraries

Itinerary #1: Highlights of Greece on Land and Sea

Get the best of two worlds with this itinerary. School-aged children and their families can enjoy some city time, then unwind on island beaches.

Start with the "city" part of the trip, overlooking the buzz of Athens from one of its many parks. You'll dive right in the next day, with a mythology tour that will lead you through some of the country's most famous monuments accompanied by its best-known myths and legends. A cooking class in an organic grocer will teach you how to make some favorite Greek dishes, then spend the evening sampling them as cooked by the experts in the tavernas of the Plaka neighborhood. Stretch your skills in an Olympic Games workout that will train you in some of the same ancient sports, then relax on the Athenian Riviera with a highly customizable drive that will end with a sunset over the sea on Cape Sounion.

Head to Santorini on your fourth day, where you'll find the classic white architecture overlooking the caldera. Seek out the best sunset spots, then experience the island's streets on a private walking tour through Oia at the far tip of the caldera and get in some time in the sun on the multicolored sand beaches. Top it off with a fishing trip to try your hand at catching your own meal, combined with a trip to the museum of Lost Atlantis and Akrotiri, the site that may have been the real-life Atlantis, before you have to return to Athens. Learn more

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

If you and your school-aged children have already been to Greece and want something new, try this itinerary to some less-visited spots. You'll cross canals, gorges, and ancient temples along your way.

You'll start with the classical Athens tour, listening to mythology amid the monuments of the Acropolis. Enjoy a morning in the botanical garden in Athens, hearing stories of nymphs and deities in nature, then get off the beaten path and out to Corinth, home of the famous canal. Get down into the canal and experience its impressive engineering, then even further out to sea with a boat trip through the Corinthian Gulf, where you'll see small islands, sandy beaches, and maybe even a pod of dolphins frolicking alongside you.

Head inland to explore the Aigialeia region. Here, you can take an easy hike to some village waterfalls or ride the mountain railway before you relax in an olive grove or visit the Ancient Theater of Aigeira. Spend the night in Nafpaktos and the next morning exploring its seaside promenade before you drive to Delphi. Once you arrive in Delphi, you'll be greeted with plenty of activities to explore the ancient site, including a painting class, site tour, and stroll through the National Park of Mount Parnassos before you return to Athens. Learn more

Itinerary #3: Interactive Athens and Crete

Find a sense of accomplishment on this itinerary full of interactive experiences. Paint the Parthenon, exercise like an Olympian, and attempt an excavation with your school-aged children.

You'll start your trip in Athens by strolling through the Plaka neighborhood, where the streets are lined with tavernas and interesting shops. Keep it Classical the next day, as you find the ideal overlook to paint the Parthenon, then hear about how others have interpreted it and the deities that it's dedicated to on a mythology tour. You'll follow that with a glimpse into the athletics of the Olympic Games, trying your hand at discus, javelin, and even a race in the Panathenaic Stadium. Then head down the Athenian Riviera, full of museums and scenic stops that you can select at your leisure before spending the sunset hours at the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion.

From Athens, you'll go to Rethymno, known for its well-preserved Old Town and scenic seaside architecture. It's located near the ancient Palace of Knossos, whose legends you can listen to on a storytelling day dedicated to tales featuring Minos, Ariadne, Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Labyrinth (along with a visit to the Palace if you so choose). Wind down on the beaches of Chania, including the well-known pink sands of Elafonissi, and do some digging in the sands on an excavation simulation and historical Cretan lunch before you return to Athens. Learn more

Itinerary #4: Dive Into the Greek Islands

Split your time between the city and the Cyclades with this itinerary. Combine Athens and the island of Naxos for an island exploration ideal for school-age children with strategy games, cooking classes, and more.

Start your trip in Athens with an exploration of the Plaka neighborhood, known for its easy walking streets lined with both modern tavernas and ancient sites. Next, you'll head to the top of the Acropolis to hear stories of Classical heroes and monsters, then down to the Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology to try your hand at some ancient strategy games and puzzles like pawns, dice, and the ostomachion of Archimedes. Spend some time relaxing in one of the city's many parks, then enjoy a private tour of the Athenian Riviera that can be customized to include stops like the Neraida Floating Museum or the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece before ending with a sunset at the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion.

You'll then head to Naxos, the largest island in the Cycladic chain. Walk its cobblestone streets up to the hilltop Kastro or out to the lonely Portara archway. Explore inland with a guided bike tour followed by a dip in the water at one of the many sandy beaches, where you can either lounge or learn to windsurf if the mood strikes. Go further into the island with a drive through its villages that you'll cap off with a cooking class in a petite hamlet that's also home to the largest folklore museum in the Cyclades. Prepare a three-course meal in your host's home and toast to your journey before you return to Athens for your departure. Learn more

Itinerary #5: Culture and Adventure in the Peloponnese

Mingle culture with adventure in this itinerary for school-aged children. Whether you're hunting for treasure or creative inspiration in Athens or biking into the sunset, you're sure to find something that will appeal.

When you arrive in Athens, you'll dive into a treasure hunt to appeal to Athena, the city's patron goddess. Learn all about her and her dramatic relatives on a mythology tour on Acropolis Hill and into the Ancient Agora, followed by a visit to a comics museum where a professional storyteller will share more tales and help kids create a comic book of their own. Get physical in an Olympic games workout with sports like discus and javelin, then cool down in the National Garden created by the first queen of Greece. You'll finish the day with an interactive language lesson so that at least one member of your party knows how to say "good morning" in Greek.

Drive out to the Mani Peninsula, pausing to admire the engineering of the Corinth Canal along the way. You'll also stop at the Byzantine fortress of Mystras and its three levels, and break for a mosaic-making workshop at the base of Mount Taygetos. Circle around the Peninsula on a boat trip past caves and villages, then spend some time relaxing on the beach. For your last full day, visit the stone villages of Mani, full of rich history, charming cafes, and scenic viewpoints, before capping it off with a sunset bike tour and swim underneath the sinking sun. Learn more

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

Get a mix of it all with this itinerary. Best suited for older kids and teens, this trip will have you hopping through multiple areas of what Greece has to offer, from Athenian street art to Spartan castles to seaside bike tours.

Start off in Athens by scoping out the city from a hillside park. Head to the top of the Acropolis with a professional storyteller to hear some Classical tales amid the monuments, then down into the streets and alleys for a street art tour with an artist. Head to Sparta next, once the famous warrior state, and see some examples of their military strategy with a hike up to the castle of Acrocorinth. You'll also tour the castle at Mystras, once the capital of the Byzantine state in Greece, and its three separate zones.

Then head to Nafplio, where you'll spin through the city on a guided bike tour that starts at the hilltop Palamidi Castle and winds you down through the streets and eventually to a sandy beach for a cooling dip. Take a tour of the Sanctuary of Asklepios, dedicated to medicine and the god of healing, as well as the Ancient Theater at Epidaurus, which is known for its perfect acoustics and is still in use for stage productions today. Not all of Epidaurus is still standing on land, though—a kayak tour will take you gliding over some sunken ruins of the city before your return to Athens. Learn more

More Great 7-Day Greece Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Greece? Check out these other 7-day Greece itineraries, with history-focused trips, beach getaways, and best-of tours to hit the highlights. 

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