Visit Greece by car: The 7 best road trip itineraries

You’re planning to do a road trip in Greece?

Great idea!

Visiting Greece by car is the best way to optimize your itinerary and discover all the must-see attractions of the country.

In order to help you plan your stay, I have prepared this travel guide with the 7 best road trips itineraries in Greece depending on the duration of your stay (3, 5, 7, 10 days, 2 and 3 weeks and even 1 month!).

For each duration, I will give you a summary of the itinerary as well as the link to read the detailed itinerary article.

And at the end of this guide, I will also give you my list of the best accommodations in Greece depending on your budget as well as my best tips to enjoy the perfect road trip.

What’s the best airport to start a road-trip in Greece?

There are numerous national and international airports in Greece. The most important ones are located in:

• Athens, Greece’s capital city
• Thessaloniki, if you want to discover the North of Central Greece
• Santorini, in the Greek Islands
• Mykonos, also in the Greek Islands
• Rhodes, in the Dodecanese archipelago
• Corfu, for the Ionian Islands
• Heraklion, in Crete

All my recommended itineraries in Greece are starting from Athens. It’s the best choice if you want to discover Greece by car, for a short stay or a long holiday!

Renting a car for a road-trip in Greece

You’ve guessed it, it’s impossible to plan a road trip in Greece without renting a car.

You should rent your car directly at the airport when you will arrive. As there are many car rental companies at the airport, it’s where you will get the best price.

You should also book your car in advance, so you won’t have a bad surprise when you will arrive. It will also give you the opportunity to choose the car you want.

If you’ve already read some of my articles, you know that I always rent my cars on Rentalcars.com website, whether I’m in Andalusia, Sicily, Canada or even Thailand.

This easy to use website allows you to compare prices and customer reviews between all the national and international rental cars agencies located in Athens’ Airport for example.

You can also choose the “Full Protection Insurance”,  and get complete excess refund in case of accident or theft. It works for every single scratch on your vehicle.

If I recommend it, it’s because I know this insurance works perfectly: they refunded me more than 1200€ to date!

Rentalcars also offers the “Best Price Warranty”: if you find the same car cheaper elsewhere, they will refund you the difference.

And last but not least, you can modify or even cancel your booking for free. As it doesn’t commit you to anything, you should book your car as early as possible to get the best price.

Simply click the button below to compare rental cars prices:

3 days in Greece

If you’ve decided to spend a long weekend in Greece, then you should focus on one city or one of the Greek Islands.

You will have the choice, as there are several international airports in Greece.

You will find every details to plan your 3 days holiday in Greece, depending on where you arrive (Athens, Santorini, Rhodes or Thessaloniki) in my article: Recommended itineraries for 3 days in Greece.

For each itinerary, you will find a day by day program and a selection of the best places to stay during your long weekend!

Road trip in Greece: 4 or 5 days

If you want to do a 4 or 5 days road trip in Greece, it’s easy: you just have to read my article: The best itinerary to visit Greece in 4-5 days.

During your tour, you will discover:

• Athens (1 day)
• Saronic Islands (1 day)
• Peloponnese (1 day): Corinth Canal, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio
• Delphi (1 day)
• Athens (1 day)

In the article, you will find every details to plan your trip to Greece, with the best things to do for each day and the best accommodations.

Road trip in Greece: 1 week (Athens + Santorini)

You will find here a recommended road trip itinerary to visit Greece by car in 1 week.

This one-week road-trip in Greece takes you to Athens et Santorini.

• Athens (3 days)

For your 2 first days – get around Greece’s capital city on foot and visit:

• The Acropolis
• The Acropolis Museum
• Plaka district
• The Ancient Agora
• Monastiraki
• Mount Lycabettus
• Syntagma square

Third day – Choose a 1-day tour in Athens’ surroundings:

• Visit the Temple of Poseidon and Cape Sounion
• Visit the Saronic Islands
• A full-day Mycenae and Epidaurus trip
• A Day trip to Delphi

You will find an itinerary to visit Athens and its surroundings in 3 days in my article: The 20 best things to do in Athens.

• Santorini (3 days)

4th, 5th and 6th day – Discover Santorini and its best points of interest:

• Fira, with its white and blue houses, a typical postcard landscape
• Oia, the best place to enjoy the sunset
• A beautiful hike between Fira and Oia
• A cruise around Santorini
• The picturesque villages of Pyrgos, Megalochori and Emporio
• The Archaeological sites of the Ancient Thera and Akrotiri
• A Wine tour, to discover Santorini’s vineyards
• The island’s most beautiful beaches.

For more details about the best things to do in Santorini, you can read my article: Visit Santorini: The definitive guide.

7th day – End of your itinerary, it’s time to go back to the airport and take your return flight.

Road trip in Greece: 7 days (Athens + Peloponnese)

If you’re spending a week in Greece and don’t want to visit Athens and Santorini, you can choose a 7 days road trip in Central Greece. You will find the detailed itinerary in my article: 7 days in Greece: The Best Itinerary.

During this 6, 7 or 8 days road trip in Greece, you will discover Peloponnese‘s most famous cities and archaeological sites: Athens, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Nafplio, Monemvasia, Mystras, Olympia and Delphi.

Here is a summary of this road trip:

• 2 days in Athens: you will visit the Acropolis and its Museum, Plaka and Monastiraki districts, the Agora, Mount Lycabettus and many more beautiful places!
• 1 day to visit the archaeological sites of Mycenae and Epidaurus, and the lovely seaside city of Nafplio
• 1 day to discover the Palamidi Fortress and the hidden village of Monemvasia
• 1 day in Mystras (in the morning) and a visit of the archaeological site of Olympia in the afternoon
• 1 day in Delphi, one of the places I enjoyed the most in Greece
• 1 day to return to Athens

And if you’re looking for the best places to stay during this 7-8 days road trip in Greece, you will find all the best hotels in Peloponnese in my detailed itinerary (click here).

Road Trip in Greece: 10 days

You’re spending 10 days in Greece? Then, how about a road trip in Central Greece to discover some of the country’s best places to visit?

This road trip starts in Athens and ends in Thessaloniki. When booking your car, don’t forget to choose a rental company that won’t charge you if you drop off your car at a different location (It’s easy, you can see it directly on Rentalcars.com).

During this 10-day road trip in Greece, you will discover:

• Athens
• Peloponnese
• Delphi
• The Meteora
• Thessaloniki

1) Athens (3 days)

Let’s start this itinerary in Athens. If you want to discover all the city’s must-see attractions, you should stay there at least 3 days.

On your 1st day in Athens, you will visit:

• The Acropolis Museum
  
• The Acropolis
• Plaka district
• The Ancient Agora
• Monastiraki district
• Philopappos Hill
• Gazi district

During your 2nd day, visit the Panathenaic Stadium, the Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Take a stroll and relax in Zappeion Park and the National Garden, then reach Syntagma Square. There, the Changing of the Presidential Guard takes place every hour.

From Syntagma Square, reach Ermou street to do a bit of shopping, and visit the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

End your day on Mount Lycabettus, one of the best places to admire the sunset in Athens.

For your 3rd day, you should visit Athens’ surroundings and choose between these 2 one-day trips:

• Visit the Temple of Poseidon and Cape Sounion
• Visit the Saronic Islands

If you want to plan your trip to Athens, you can read my article: Visit Athens: the definitive guide.

2) Mycenae / Epidaurus / Nafplio (1 day)

The next day (on your 4th day), continue your 10-day road trip in Greece, and drive to Peloponnese.

There are 4 points of interest you should see during your 1st day in Peloponnese. You should visit them in this order:

• From Athens, drive for 1 hour to see Corinth Canal
• Then, go to Mycenae, the former home of King Agamemnon
• Visit the archaeological site of Epidaurus and its famous theatre
• Then, reach the city of Nafplio and spend the night there.

If you want more details about Corinth Canal, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio, you can read my article: The 15 best things to do in Peloponnese. 

3) Palamidi Fortress / Monemvasia (1 day)

On your 5th day, in the morning, end your stay in Nafplio with a visit to the Palamidi Fortress. There, you will enjoy splendid views of Nafplio and the sea.

Then drive for 3 hours to reach the hidden village of Monemvasia. Take a stroll in its beautiful paved alleys, and get back in your car to reach Mystras, the last stop of your day!

4) Mystras / Olympia (1 day)

For the 6th day of this road trip in Greece, you will spend a last day in Peloponnese.

You should get up early, as you will have a really busy day!

In the morning, discover the beautiful ancient city of Mystras. You will be amazed by its many churches, monasteries and convent, located in the heart of nature. This UNESCO World Heritage site was well restored and is the perfect place for a nice stroll.

Plan at least 3 hours to explore the site.

In the afternoon, you will visit another renowned ancient site: Olympia (a 2-hour drive from Mystras). If you arrive in Olympia around 3 or 4 p.m, you will have time to visit the archaeological site as well as the museum located nearby. Both are included in the 12€ entrance ticket.

You should also visit the Historical Museum of the Olympic Games (the entrance is included in your ticket too).

Spend the night in Olympia.

5) Delphi (1 day)

The 7th day of your road trip in Greece will now take you to Delphi.

There, you will discover the remains of the Temple of Apollo and the Theatre and enjoy a breathtaking view of the valley and the surrounding mountains.

Spend a night in Delphi.

6) The Meteora (1 day)

During your 8th day, you will visit the Meteora.

You will be amazed by these impressive monasteries built on top of huge rocks. It’s clearly one of my favorite place in Greece!

You can visit the interior of 6 monasteries, for 3€ each. Visiting one is enough, and the best one is for sure the Monastery of Great Meteoron. It is by far the biggest and most impressive.

7) Thessaloniki (2 days)

It’s now time to end your 10-day road trip in Greece with the city of Thessaloniki. You will spend 2 days here.

On your 9th day, visit Greece’s 2nd largest city.

If you’re spending 1 day in Thessaloniki, here are the best things to do:

• Modiano Market
• Egnatia Street
• The many churches
• The varied museums
• The White Tower
• Thessaloniki Waterfront

For more details, don’t forget to read my definitive guide about the city: The 12 best things to do in Thessaloniki.

On your 10th day, it will be time to fly back home!

Road trip in Greece: 2 weeks

You’re planning a 15 days road trip in Greece? Then, you’re lucky: you will have enough time to visit Central Greece and the Greek Islands!

This 2 weeks road trip in Greece also starts from Athens.

You will find every details to help you plan your road trip in Greece in my article: 2 weeks in Greece: the best itinerary.

Here is a short summary of this itinerary’s main stages:

1) Athens (2 days)

Let’s start this two weeks road trip in Greece with 2 days in Athens.

You will have enough time to see all the best places to visit listed in my article: Visit Athens: The 20 Must-See attractions.

1st and 2nd day – the best things to do are:

• The Acropolis
• The Ancient Agora
• Plaka and Monastiraki districts
• Mount Lycabettus

2) Peloponnese (3 days)

During the next 3 days of your 15 days road trip in Greece, you will discover Peloponnese.

3rd day: Visit the archaeological sites of Mycenae and Epidaurus and spend the night in Nafplio.

4th day: Discover the Palamidi Fortress located above Nafplio + visit Monemvasia + Spend the night in Mystras.

5th day: discover the beautiful ancient city of Mystras, a UNESCO World Heritage Site + visit the archaeological site of Olympia.

3) Delphi (1 day)

The 6th day of this 15 days road trip in Greece takes you to Delphi. In the morning, you will drive for 3h15 to reach Delphi from Olympia, but don’t worry: time will just fly by, as you will enjoy beautiful landscapes during your journey!

Spend the afternoon in Delphi, and visit this beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site and its museum.

4) The Meteora (1 day)

For your 7th day, you should go to the Meteora, and admire the impressive monasteries built on top of Huge rocks.

It’s clearly a must-see attraction during this 2 weeks road trip in Greece.

5) Thessaloniki(1 day)

8th day: drive to Thessaloniki, drop off your rental car and fly to Santorini island.

6) Santorini (3 days)

If you are visiting Greece in 15 days, you will have enough time to spend a few days in the Greek Islands.

You should start your itinerary in Santorini and spend 3 days there.

During the 9th, 10th and 11th days, you will explore the beautiful romantic island of Santorini. For the details, don’t forget to read my definitive guide about the most famous Greek Island: Santorini: The definitive guide.

You will also find a selection of all the best places to stay in Santorini.

7) Another Greek Island (3 days)

During your trip, you will also have time to discover another Greek Island.

For your 12th, 13th and 14th day, spend 3 days on one of these islands:

• Amorgos, if you’re an hiking lover
• Naxos, the best place to relax at the beach
• Paros, if you want to discover picturesque villages, beautiful beaches and a few marked trails.

If you want to discover my best 3-day itineraries for each island, you can click on the links above.

8) Return to Athens or Santorini (1 day)

Your 14-15 days itinerary in Greece is already over! For your last day, you will have to get back home.

You will have the choice between:

• Take the ferry to Santorini, then fly back home.
• Take the ferry to Athens, then fly home.
• From Naxos or Paros, you can also fly to Athens then fly back home.

Road trip in Greece: 3 weeks

You’re planning a 3 weeks road trip in Greece? That’s perfect 😃: during your holidays, you will discover 2 completely different atmospheres:

• Central Greece and Peloponnese
• The Greek Islands

I’ve made a detailed day to day itinerary to help you organize your three weeks road trip in Greece: The best itinerary to visit Greece in 3 weeks.

In this article, you will discover everything you need to know about Greece. The best things to do, how to get from one place to the other and the best places to stay during your trip.

Here is a brief summary of this itinerary:

1) Central Greece and Peloponnese (8 days)

During your 21 days road trip in Greece, you will have 8 days to discover the best of Peloponnese and Central Greece.

Day 1 and 2: Athens

Day 3: Mycenae / Epidaurus / Nafplio

Day 4: Palamidi Fortress / Monemvasia

Day 5: Mystras / Olympia – 2 of Peloponnese’s most famous tourist sites.

Day 6: Delphi, where the Oracle of Delphi (the Pythia) transmitted Apollo’s directives from Gods to humans

Day 7: The Meteora and its impressive monasteries built on top of huge rocks.

Day 8: Thessaloniki

2) The Greek Islands (13 days)

After 8 days in Central Greece, continue your 3 weeks road trip in Greece and discover 4 islands of the Cyclades archipelago. You should spend 3 days on each island (travel time included).

Days 9, 10 and 11: You will explore the romantic island of Santorini , see its most famous tourist sites and even do a boat trip.

Day 12, 13 and 14: Take the ferry to Amorgos. The island is a real hiker’s paradise, with its many marked trails!

Day 15, 16 and 17: The ferry will take you to Naxos . There, you can relax and take a dip at beautiful beaches.

Day 18, 19 and 20: The last Greek Island you will visit is Paros. Enjoy its many beaches, picturesque villages and beautiful marked trails!

Day 21: Your 3 weeks road trip in Greece is already over. Take the ferry to Santorini or Athens, then fly back home.

Road trip in Greece: 1 month

If you’re lucky enough to do a 1-month road trip in Greece, then you’re at the right place!

During this 1 month itinerary in Greece, you will visit Athens, Peloponnese and most of Central Greece.

Then, you will go to the magnificent Greek Islands and their postcard landscape: Santorini, Amorgos, Naxos and Paros.

You will end this one-month trip to Greece in the Dodecanese island of Rhodes.

If you want to plan your trip to Greece, you will find every details in my article: 1 Month in Greece: the ultimate itinerary. For each day, I will tell you more about the best things to do, how to get from one place to the other and the best places to stay.

It’s clearly the easiest way to plan your 1-month road trip in Greece!

Here is a brief summary of this itinerary:

1) Central Greece and Peloponnese (12 days)

For the 1st part of this one-month road trip in Greece, you will spend 12 days in Peloponnese and Central Greece.

Day 1 and 2: Get around Athens on foot. There, discover the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora, and take a stroll in the beautiful Plaka and Monastiraki districts.

Day 3: Do a Cape Sounion Tour, to see the temple and admire the view of the Saronic Gulf.

Day 4: It’s time for a full-day tour to the Saronic Islands: Visit Hydra, Poros and Aegina.

Day 5: Start your road trip in Peloponnese and visit the archaeological sites of Mycenae and Epidaurus. End your day in Nafplio and spend the night in the city. There, you can enjoy the beautiful old town and relax at the beach.

Day 6: In the morning, visit the Palamidi Fortress (located above Nafplio), then go to the village of Monemvasia. At the end of the day, drive to Mystras and spend the night there.

Day 7: Discover the many churches and monasteries in Mystras, the former capital of the Byzantine Empire. Then, drive to Olympia, and visit the archaeological site and the museum.

Day 8: In the morning, drive to Delphi. Then, visit the ancient site and the museum.

Day 9: From Kalambaka, follow the narrow road to the Meteora to discover the 6 monasteries built on top of huge rocks. It’s clearly one of the must-see attractions during this one-month road trip in Greece!

Day 10 and 11: Go to Thessaloniki for the 3 next nights. When visiting Greece’s 2nd largest city, you will discover the White Tower, many churches and museums, and a beautiful waterfront promenade.

Day 12: Drive to Thessaloniki’s Airport, drop off your rental car and fly to Santorini.

2) The Greek Islands (12 days)

Now that you’ve seen most of Central Greece, it’s time to continue this 1-month road trip in Greece in the Cyclades archipelago. You should spend around 3 days on each island, to discover all the best places to see.

During these 12 days, you will visit 4 Greek Islands: Santorini, Amorgos, Naxos and Paros.

Day 13, 14 and 15: Start your Cyclades itinerary with the world famous Santorini island. You will find every details to visit Santorini in 3 days in my article: Visit Santorini: the definitive guide.

Day 16, 17 and 18: Take the ferry to reach Amorgos, the perfect island for hiking lovers.

Day 19, 20 and 21: Go to Naxos and discover its magnificent beaches.

Day 22, 23 and 24: the last Greek Island you will visit during this one-month itinerary in Greece is Paros. There, you can visit picturesque villages, take a stroll in Paros Park, and relax at the beach.

3) Rhodes (4 days or more)

Now that you’ve discovered the best of Central Greece, Peloponnese and the Greek Islands, it’s time to end this 1-month road trip in Greece in the Dodecanese.

During these last days in Greece, you will visit the island of Rhodes. You can fly there from Athens or Santorini.

What are the best places to see in Rhodes?

• The Medieval city of Rhodes, one of the most impressive fortified city I’ve ever seen!
• Mandraki, Rhodes’ modern city
• The Acropolis of Rhodes
• Lindos and its Acropolis
• Saint Paul’s Bay
• The island’s numerous beautiful beaches
• Tsambika Monastery, and the beach named after it
• Epta Piges
• The Valley of the Butterflies
• The Ancient site of Kamiros
• The castles of Kritinia and Monolithos

If you want to plan your trip to Rhodes, you should read my article: Visit Rhodes: the definitive guide.

Where to stay in Greece during your road trip?

Now that you know all the best things to do during your road trip in Greece, it’s time to answer an important question: where to stay at every stage of your journey?

After a long day exploring the country, you will probably want to get a good night’s sleep (and a hot shower of course! 😅).

You will find here a list of all the best places to stay in Greece, for each city you will visit during your road trip. Everything is detailed in my itineraries.

You can also click directly here to find the best hotels: 

In Central Greece:

• The 5 best hotels in Athens
• The best places to stay in Delphi
• Where to stay in Meteora
• The best accommodations in Thessaloniki

In Peloponnese:

• Where to stay in Nafplio
• The best places to stay in Mystras
• The best hotels in Olympia

In the Greek Islands:

• The best hotels in Santorini
• Staying in Amorgos
• The best accommodations in Naxos
• The best places to stay in Paros

In Dodecanese:

• The best places to stay in Rhodes

When is the best time to do a road trip in Greece?

If you want to do a road trip in Greece, and if you only want to visit Central Greece and Peloponnese, you should plan your holidays during Spring (April – May – June) or Autumn (September – October)

You will enjoy nice weather and the roads are less crowded than during the summer holidays.

You shouldn’t do your road trip in Central Greece during Winter: the weather is often cold with heavy snow episodes.

If you’re planing to visit the Greek Islands during your road trip in Greece, then you should go there in May / June, or in September / October. If you’re not bound by school holidays, you should really avoid July and August, as the islands are very crowded and the weather is very hot.

Between November and March, it’s quite difficult to visit the Greek Islands, as there are not many ferry connections, and the boats won’t sail in case of bad weather. Most of the hotels are also closed.

If you want to do a full road trip in Greece and visit Peloponnese, Central Greece, the Greek Islands and even Rhodes (as in my 1-month itinerary), you should plan your holidays in May / June or in September / October.

And if you want to enjoy the beaches and swim during your trip to Greece, the best month for your road trip is September. That’s what I did, and it’s clearly the best month to visit Greece by car!

Greece Tours

On Voyagetips.com, I give you all my best tips and itineraries to plan your trip to Greece by yourself. (All my Greece articles are here)

However, if you prefer to book a Greece tour with a travel agency, I recommend you to check the 10 best Greece tours by clicking the button below:

Renting a boat in Greece

If you want to rent a boat for a nice day at sea during your trip to Greece, you should book it with Samboat.

Motorboats, sailboats, yachts, small boats without a license, with or without a skipper: they simply have the most complete offer for boat rental.

So, what are you waiting for to book your boat trip in Greece? 😊

And you, now that you know what to see: where do you want to go and what do you want to visit in Greece?

Greece travel guides

• Buy the Lonely Planet Greece guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk
• Buy the DK Eyewitness Greece guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk

You’re traveling to Greece ? These articles will help you !

Discover all my articles about Greece: All my articles to help you plan your trip to Greece are listed there.

• The 20 Best Things to do in Greece – The Ultimate Bucket list!
• The 15 Best Things to do in Peloponnese – All the must-see attractions

• Itinerary: 4-5 days in Greece – The perfect itinerary for a short stay in Greece
• Itinerary: 1 week in Greece – The best Itinerary to visit Athens + Santorini!
• Itinerary: 6, 7 or 8 days in Greece – The definitive guide to visit Athens + Peloponnese in a week
• Itinerary: 10 days in Greece – The definitive guide to visit Central Greece in 9-10 days
• Itinerary: 2 weeks in Greece – The best Itinerary to visit Athens + Central Greece + Cyclades (Santorini)
• Itinerary: 3 weeks in Greece – The best Itinerary to visit Athens + Central Greece + even more Cyclades islands!
• Itinerary: 1 month in Greece – The definitive guide to visit Greece in a month!

• Athens: The 20 Best Things to do and see
• Thessaloniki: The 12 best places to visit

Cyclades (Greek islands)

• The 15 Best Cyclades Islands to visit – With all the must-see attractions

• Itinerary: 1 week in Greek islands – How to visit the Cyclades in 6, 7 or 8 days
• Itinerary: 10 days in Greek islands – The definitive guide to visit the Cyclades in 10 days!
• Itinerary: Greek Island Hopping routes – The best 2 weeks itinerary to visit the Cyclades

• Amorgos: The 8 best places to see
• Andros: The 7 must-see attractions and activities
• Naxos: Top 10 things to do
• Paros: The 10 best places to visit
• Santorini: The definitive guide
• Tinos: The 10 best things to do

Dodecanese

• Rhodes: Top 12 best places to visit

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