Greece Itinerary for Couples

Last year we went to Greece, and it was magical. Here is part one of a Greece itinerary for couples as you plan your own trip to Greece. Hope it helps you!

Walking to the Acropolis

Athens-Day 1

We flew from the U.S. to Athens. Obviously, this was an overnight flight but we were so excited to get to Greece. Once we landed to had a private transfer to our hotel. There were plenty of airport taxis too, but after such a long flight it is nice to have a car waiting. This is a surprisingly cheap option, so don’t worry too much about the cost. We checked into our hotel and changed our clothes. We stayed at the Elia Ermou Athens Hotel. This is a beautiful hotel in a great location. It is near a lot of restaurants and shopping. It had a great roof top area where breakfast is served with views of the Acropolis! The only con was it was pretty crowded when we were there in early June. Also, the rooms have glass showers that are partially open without privacy, which is obviously not good if you are traveling with your children or if you are easily chilled in the shower. That first day we just walked around Plaka and went to the Acropolis Museum. We recommend this for sure as many of the statutes from the Acropolis are actually housed at the museum to protect them from the elements. Then we had an early dinner and went to bed early since we were slightly jet lagged.

Acropolis of Athens

Athens-Day 2

The next morning we did a half-day tour of the Acropolis and surrounding areas. We were able to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Agora and the Temple of Hephaetus. Next we went to the Acropolis, which includes the Parthenon, Theater of Dionysus, Temple of Athena Nike, Temple of Erechtheion and the Sanctuary of Aslepius. I highly recommend a tour guide or a tour group as the Acropolis area is super crowded and there is so much to see and learn about. Definitely wear comfortable closed toe shoes as a tour like this involves lots of walking and climbing ancient steps and rocks.

Panathenaic Stadium

Athens-Day 3 & 4

The next two days we enjoyed exploring on our own. We went to the National Archeological Museum. This was an amazing place that has countless artifacts, art and statutes. We learned so much about Greece history and while we stayed around 4 hours, we could have stayed longer. We walked by the Panathenaic Stadium. This was built on the site of an ancient stadium and hosted the first modern Olympic games in the 1800s. You can book a tour and walk inside the stadium. We only had time to see it from the outside and took some pictures. It was pretty amazing to see! Then we walked to Anafiotika, which is located on the hill above Plaka. It is near the Acropolis too. In the 19th century, masons and builders from the Cyclades islands, especially Anafi, were invited to the capital to help revamp it. Masons and builders were highly respected from this area. They came to Athens, settled this area and brought the Cycladic style to their houses on the hill. This area of Athens was pretty quiet and peacefu1. We saw lots of cats, narrow walkways and lovely views of the Acropolis!

Anafiotika, Athens

Milos-Day 1 (Pollonia)

We checked out of our Athens hotel and went back to the airport. We took a short flight on a rather small plane to Milos! You can take a ferry or a short flight to the island. We picked the flight as it was shorter. We landed at a super small airport and had a private transfer to our hotel. We stayed at the Milos Breeze Boutique Hotel. This was one of my favorite hotels of our entire stay. It was small, quiet and gorgeous. It was perched on a hill with beautiful sea views and views to the town of Pollonia down below. This hotel had an included breakfast, which was delicious. It was so relaxing to eat breakfast and enjoy the gorgeous scenery each day. That first day we rented a small car to explore the island. There is a bus system on the island but we wanted a car so we could be on our own schedule and not wait for a bus or taxi. We drove around the first day to see the island, enjoyed the pool and ate dinner at a nearby restaurant in the village of Pollonia.

Milos-Day 2 (Provatas Beach & Sarakiniko Beach)

The next morning we went to Provatas Beach. This beach had a beach club with chairs/loungers, drink and food service. The beach was beautiful and not super crowded. The water was clear and rather cool as well! We enjoyed our half day reading and relaxing on this beach. It is highly recommended. Next, we drove to see the famous Sarakiniko beach. This beach looks like a moonscape and you have probably seen pictures of it on Instagram. If you explore this beach, bring comfortable shoes with traction and come here early. We just stopped by to take some pictures. It was super crowded by lunch time and there is only one small sandy area to swim. Depending on the day, some people cliff jump too. Bring a hat and lots of sunscreen, as there is no shade here. Milos has so many amazing beaches to explore, so definitely do your research and ask your hotel concierage for recommendations too. We were also told that some beaches can only be reached by boat or that car access is not recommended. Next, we went to Plaka, parked and hiked down to the Ancient Roman Amphitheater. This Ampitheater was not crowded and you can actually walk around and sit on the seats too. It has amazing views of the sea as well! Another item of note is on the way to the Ampitheater is a sign saying that the Venus of Milo statue was found in this area near the Ampitheater in 1820. The statue is now at the Louvre Museum.

This is just the first part of our Greece itinerary. Please check back soon for part 2, which includes the island of Santorini and Crete. I hope you have a lovely week!