Let's cap off our Big Fat Greek Holiday series with a blog post I know a lot have been waiting for!
Whenever Ed and I travel, we often receive inquiries on our travel itinerary and expenses. Although I personally think that all these would depend on your travel style, and our choice of accommodation and activities may not be for everyone, we are always happy to share what we experienced.
As I often say, you can consider this blog post as a guide. Take whatever you think is helpful for you and include it in your self-made itinerary! So, without further ado, here's how we spent our days in Athens, Santorini, Naxos, and Mykonos!
 |
Expenses Overview
- Preflight expenses: 2730 AED/person
- This includes visa fees, travel insurance, air tickets and ferry tickets.
- READ: How to apply for Greece Schengen Visa in Dubai
- Hotel bookings: 588 EUR for 2
- We stayed in boutique hotels (small yet stylish hotels), except during our last day wherein we have to stay at Holiday Inn Athens Attica as it is the most convenient for our morning flight.
- Transportation: 114 EUR/person
- This includes train, bus, and taxi rides
- Food:160 EUR/person
- Ed and I love to eat. Our 8-day food budget of less than 400 EUR was already sufficient for 1 full meal, 1 light meal, snack, and coffee break per day.
- Extras: 166 EUR/person
- Extras are the activities like Zulu Bungy, Acropolis tickets, souvenirs, and whatnots.
- Total Travel Expenses per person: 6000 AED
 |
| Start your Greek Holiday in one of the oldest cities in the world - Athens! |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Hello, Athens!
|
||
Time
|
Activity
|
Expenses
|
01:40
DXB time
|
Flight to Athens via Middle Eastern Airlines
|
Return ticket: 1,600 AED/person
|
10:15
|
Arrival at Athens International Airport
|
|
11:00
|
Train (Athens Metro) from Airport to Syntagma
|
9 EUR/person
|
12:00
|
Check-in at Adam’s Hotel
|
Rate as of October 2017: 85 EUR/night
|
12:30
|
Lunch in Taverna Ta Giouvetsakia in Plaka
|
30 EUR for 2
|
15:00
|
DIY Walking Tour
|
Acropolis regular ticket: 20 EUR/person
|
18:00
|
Coffee break at A for Athens rooftop bar
|
4 EUR/frappe
|
19:00
|
Walk from Monastiraki to Plaka
|
|
20:00
|
Light dinner in Plaka
|
6 EUR/person
|
 |
| view of Acropolis from Adam's Hotel in Plaka |
 |
| We devoted a lot of time aimlessly wandering in villages at the foot of the Acropolis. |
 |
| And of course, we visited the Acropolis on Day #1. |
Day 2: Jam-packed adventure day!
|
||
Time |
Activity |
Expenses |
08:00
|
Breakfast in Adam’s Hotel
|
complimentary
|
09:30
|
Taxi to KTEL Kifisou bus station in Athens
|
15 EUR
|
10:30
|
Bus to Corinth
|
16 EUR/return ticket
|
11:30
|
Arrival in Corinth Canal
|
|
12:00
|
Zulu Bungy
|
80 EUR/package includes bungy jump, video, shirt
|
13:00
|
Lunch near Corinth bus station
|
15 EUR for 2
|
13:30
|
Bus to Athens
|
|
15:00
|
Syntagma Square: Watch changing of the guards' ceremony
|
|
15:30
|
Coffee break at Ermou Street
|
3 EUR/cup
|
16:15
|
Metro from Syntagma to Evangelismos
|
1.40 EUR/person
|
16:30
|
Walk from Evangelismos station to Telerifik station
|
|
17:00
|
Telerific Cable Car to Lycabettus Hill
|
7 EUR/return ticket
|
17:30
|
Lycabettus Hill: the highest spot in Athens
|
|
18:30
|
Back to Adam’s hotel to take bags
|
1.40 EUR/person |
20:00
|
Metro from Syntagma to Athens Airport
|
9 EUR/person
|
20:30
|
Light dinner in the airport
|
8 EUR for 2
|
23:15
|
Flight to Santorini via Ryanair
|
40 EUR/person
|
 |
| For thrill-seekers like Ed, why don't you bungy jump in Corinth Canal! |
 |
| Not to be missed: Changing of the Guards ceremony in Syntagma |
 |
| view of Athens from Lycabettus Hill |
READ: Our Top 10 Recommendations for Athens
Day 3: Hiking and Sunset Watching in Santorini
|
||
Time |
Activity |
Expenses |
00:05
|
Arrival in Santorini
|
|
00:30
|
Airport pickup (pre-booked)
|
25 EUR
|
01:00
|
Check in at Villa Maria Damigou in Firostefani
|
Rate as of October 2017: 300 EUR for 3 nights
|
09:00
|
Breakfast in Villa Maria Damigou
|
Complimentary
|
11:00
|
Hike to Oia
|
|
15:00
|
Arrival in Oia
|
|
15:30
|
Light snack at Skiza Cafe
|
6 EUR
|
16:00
|
Walk to Amoudi Bay via the donkey trail
|
|
16:30
|
Late lunch in Dimitri’s
|
55 EUR
|
18:00
|
Sunset watching in Oia Castle
|
|
19:30
|
Bus from Oia to Firostefani
|
1.80 EUR/person
|
20:30
|
Light dinner in Why Not Souvlaki
|
4 EUR |
 |
| We endured a 4-hour hike to Oia! Tiring yet the most memorable activity we had in Santorini! |
 |
| Amoudi Bay: Where we had a delicious seafood lunch after the hike. |
 |
| Santorini is picturesque even from the donkey trail! |
 |
| And here's the popular Santorini sunset! |
Day 4: Exploring Fira and Oia
|
||
Time |
Activity |
Expenses |
08:00
|
Breakfast in Villa Maria Damigou
|
Complimentary
|
10:00
|
Walk to Fira
|
|
10:30
|
Cable Car to Fira Old Port
|
6 EUR/person
|
11:00
|
Coffee break in Syrtaki Café in Old Port
|
14 EUR
|
12:00
|
Cable Car to Fira
|
6 EUR/person
|
12:30
|
Wander around Fira market
|
|
13:30
|
Bus to Oia
|
1.80 EUR
|
14:00
|
Lunch in Lotza
|
32 EUR for 2
|
15:00
|
Sightseeing in Oia
|
|
16:30
|
Bus to Fira
|
1.80/person
|
17:00
|
Ice cream in Fira Market
|
2 EUR/scoop
|
18:00
|
Sunset watching on a random deck in Fira
|
|
20:00
|
Back in Why Not Souvlaki for dinner
|
13 EUR for 2
|
 |
| Breakfast with a view in Santorini |
 |
| Fira: the capital and commercial center of the island. |
 |
| Oia: Hands down, the prettiest village in Santorini |
Day 5: Escape to Naxos!
|
||
Time |
Activity |
Expenses |
08:00
|
Breakfast in Villa Maria Damigou
|
Complimentary
|
09:00
|
Drop off at Santorini ferry port
|
25 EUR
|
10:45
|
Seajets Ferry to Naxos
|
43 EUR/person
|
12:10
|
Arrival in Naxos
|
|
12:30
|
Check in at Taki’s Place Guesthouse
|
Rate as of October 2017: 22 EUR/night
|
14:00
|
Lunch in Maro’s Taverna
|
15 EUR for 2 |
15:00
|
Naxos DIY walking tour
|
|
16:00
|
Coffee break at Gregory’s café
|
6 EUR for 2 |
18:00
|
Sunset watching in Portara
|
|
20:00
|
Dinner at Lotta
|
16 EUR for 2
|
 |
| Somewhere in Naxos Chora |
 |
| The Portara: remains of the unfinished Temple of Apollo in Naxos |
 |
| We loved our time in this less popular island! |
Day 6: Off to Mykonos!
|
||
Time |
Activity |
Expenses |
09:00
|
Breakfast in Taki’s Place Guesthouse
|
Complimentary
|
11:30
|
Check out and walk to Naxos ferry port
|
|
12:25
|
Seajets Ferry to Mykonos
|
39 EUR/person
|
13:05
|
Arrival in Mykonos
|
|
13:30
|
Pick up in ferry port
|
Complimentary
|
14:00
|
Check in at Pension Kalogera
|
Rate as of October 2017: 45 EUR/night
|
14:30
|
Wander around Mykonos Chora
|
|
15:00
|
Late lunch in Masdoupas
|
20 EUR for 2 |
16:30
|
Chill by the old port
|
|
18:00
|
Sunset watching by the windmills
|
|
20:00
|
Dinner at Saki’s
|
9 EUR for 2 |
 |
| Mykonos is known to be a party island, but it also has a quiet side. |
 |
| Mykonos Chora is a labyrinth! Find your way out to Little Venice to take a breather! |
 |
| Another magical sunset in the Greek islands. This time in Mykonos! |
Day 7: Last day in the Greek islands
|
||
Time
|
Activity
|
Expenses
|
07:00
|
DIY walking tour before the crowd wave in
|
|
09:00
|
Breakfast in Alegro’s
|
20 EUR for 2
|
10:00
|
Free time spend looking for Petros the pelican
|
|
12:00
|
Check out and drop off at Mykonos airport
|
Complimentary
6 EUR |
15:15
|
Flight to Athens via Ryanair
|
33 EUR/person
|
16:05
|
Arrival at Athens Airport
|
|
17:00
|
Take the Holiday Inn shuttle
|
|
17:30
|
Check in at Holiday Inn Athens Attica
|
Rate as of October 2017: 136 EUR/night
|
18:00
|
Take Bus X95 to Syntagma Square
|
6 EUR/person
|
19:00
|
Arrival in Syntagma
|
|
19:30
|
Dinner in Karyatis
|
36 EUR for 2
|
20:30
|
Souvenir Shopping
|
1 to 3 EUR each
5 to 10 EUR per box
|
22:00
|
Take Bus X95 to Airport
|
6 EUR per person
|
 |
| Wake up early to have Mykonos Chora to yourself! |
 |
| Mornings in Greece should start with a cup of Greek coffee! |
 |
| Meet Petros III: Mykonos' resident pelican |
Want to know more about Mykonos?
READ: Mykonos for Non-Partygoers
Day 8: Bye, Greece! Efharisto!
|
||
Time
|
Activity
|
Expenses
|
06:00
|
Check out
|
|
06:30
|
Take Holiday Inn shuttle to the airport
|
Complimentary
|
11:15
|
Flight to Dubai via Middle East Airlines
|
|
--- Love this? Pin it for later! ---
 |
2 Blogger Comments
It was like a Dream come true.
ReplyDeleteGreece has always held that special place in my Heart. The rich history and culture of this Place has attracted me since my school days! I was always day dreaming about the plans of visiting this place! Thanks to the Greece Visa team I Got the Visa with ease and now I am travelling to Greece!
Great Article. I am sure it is going to entice wanderlusts to grab a Greece visit visa & head to this seraphic destination.
ReplyDeleteI came across some impressive Greek locations on a Greece Visa site such as Acropolis, Corfu Town, Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos. The information shared on the site is detailed & helpful. I would love to visit all the top destinations of Greece on my next trip.