Day 1

• Arrive in Athens in the morning
• Grab some gyros at a local food place
• Go to Parthenon
• Grab dinner 

Day 2

• breakfast from Ellyz
• Walk around and go shopping (make sure to avoid scams!! Similar to NYC if you see brands being sold at anywhere other than their store they are probably fakes)
• Go to Eldian’s library or thermal baths!
• Grab dinner from little Kook
• Go into more of the shops and explore

Day 3

• Go to port for Santorini
• Arrive in Santorini a few hours later
• Drop things off at hotel and relax at one of the nearby beaches
• Grab dinner from a beachside restaurant 

Day 4

• Hike from Fira to Oia
• Grab breakfast in Oia or on the way! At one of the beachside cafes
• Take a bus back to hotel and clean up (hike is exhausting!) 
• Go back to Oia and go shopping 
• Get dinner at Oia Gefsis

Day 5

• get breakfast in Fira
• Go shopping
• Change and go back to Oia
• Get dinner at Karma Greek Restaurant 

Day 6

• take ferry or plane over to Crete
• Stay in Chania
• Browse historic town and local food
• Get gyros from “Pork to Beef” it’s a chain but it’s so delicious and affordable, we got this two nights in a row

Day 7

• rent a car and drive to Samarian gorge
• Do the hike!! It’s an out and back, long and demanding so be prepared!!
• After the hike enjoy the beautiful scenic drive and stop at Elafonisi beach to see the “pink sand”
• Return car and grab some dinner 
• Grab some dessert too!!

Day 8

• take an early bus to Rethymnon
• Explore Rethymnon old town
• Stop at one of the many seaside restaurants 

Day 9

• take bus to Heraklion
• Depart from Heraklion to Athens and then back home

Changes I would make

• spend more time in Crete
• Depart a day after arriving in Heraklion and take the day to explore its museums and wineries. 
• Research more about dinner options! We had some great discoveries but I’m sure we also missed some really amazing options too
• Would have loved to visit Dioskouri in Athens to enjoy some authentic Greek food and enjoy the history as well
• Even though it was on the itinerary, we ended up missing out on the thermal baths and hadrians library, would definitely want to check those out the next time I go
• Would have gotten an ATV rental or a donkey ride while on the hike in Santorini!
• Would have maybe also done a tour of the hot springs and volcanic island from Santorini