Traveling to Greece -Part 2- Santorini & Athens

Athens- Mykonos- Santorini. A complete 9 DAY ITINERARY and guide for the trip of a lifetime through the beauty, charm, culture, Greek and Mediterranean culinary cuisine and majestic blues and whites that encompassed our bucket list trip to Greece through Athens and the dreamy islands of Mykonos and Santorini.

After a few days of dining and dancing in Mykonos we were ready to experience the serenity that I always envisioned would await us in Santorini. To me, the island was always a picture perfect postcard that surely wasn't real. But it is! And it feels like a dream stepping into it! #greecevacation #greecetrip #ilovegreece

This was hands down our FAVORITE part of the trip! We enjoyed 4 magical days there and could've stayed a lifetime! #santorinigreece #santoriniisland #santorini

Santorini - 4 Days

Where to Stay –

• We opted to stay on the quieter side of the island in picturesque Oia where you'll find no shortage of the iconic blue domed white cave boutique hotels.

• Oia has very little night life and most of the town shuts down around midnight but it was fine for us after coming from several jam packed long party days in Mykonos.

• It can be crowded and touristy when cruise ships are there, so ideally plan your stay around a light cruise schedule, but either way you won't be bothered. It has fantastic views of the caldera (the cliff below) and nightly Grecian sunsets.

• Food is generally more expensive here than in other places.

Hotel –

• We stayed at White Pearl Villas and our villa was absolutely the highlight of our trip! It was just AMAZING! We stayed at the Sunset Chaser Villa, which was appropriately named as it is the last house on the edge of the cliff in all of Santorini with a huge outdoor terrace and amazing sunset views. It was super private and felt like we were royals living our best life on that terrace every day. #santoriniview #santoriniview

On top of the ruins of an old chapel that sat on our terrace at the Sunset Chaser

The view back of Oia from our terrace

You won't regret a stay at any of the White Pearl Villas but keep in mind the others are located on the opposite side of Oia.

• We saw a lot of boutique hotels in Oia and you really can't go wrong with any of them. #santorinihotels

• TIP: I would recommend doing research into which cave rooms are more private than others, keeping in mind that depending on your location, you might have a couple lounging on their "private terrace" right above or below yours. Essentially some are more private than others so just pay attention to that.

• The other popular spot for accommodations in Santorini is Fira (aka THERA). This area is more about its nightlife but boasts amazing views along the caldera as well.

Things to do –

• Watch the Sunset in Oia – our villa (White Pearl Villas) was a the perfect spot to watch the sunset each evening. We’d stop at a local market, grab some fresh tomatoes, cheese, wine and enjoy the beautiful views from our terrace. People would line up in nearby paths and camp out for a few hours to catch a glimpse of the famous sunsets each night so it was a luxury to have our private spot. #santorinisunset

The most beautiful sunset you could ever imagine!

Waiting for the sunset from our terrace while looking back at the crowds who had been gathering for hours behind us

We loved stopping by the local convenience store on our way back to the villa each day to grab fresh tomatoes, cheeses, and wines to enjoy as we marveled at the magnificent views.

• Stroll Oia – We loved browsing the local artist shops for paintings and jewelry made from Volcanic rock which Santorini sits upon. Every corner of Oia is filled with picturesque blue doors, the Santorini signature pink flowering bougainvillea trees and it feels like you're walking into a postcard. We loved wandering with no purpose to take it all in. #santoriniblue #santorinitravel #travelgreece

• Check out Atlantis Bookstore as you wander and you'll stumble upon the tiniest little treasure filled with great options if you need a nice read to relax and enjoy the views from your villa. We spent one afternoon doing just that with no agenda and it was time well spent!

Church of Panagia Platsani, Oia Santorini

• Day trip to Fira (aka Thera) - We spent 1 day in Fira by catching a 25 minute bus from the station in Oia. It cost about 2 euros/person*. You'll have an amazing time strolling, shopping and eating in Fira. Another plus is that everything was cheaper there than Oia. (*Disclaimer - prices may have changed)

Fira (Thera)

• Take a Wine Tour – We took a bus from Fira to Santo Wines and did the wine tour plus 2 tastings (cost about 30 euros/person*). You could buy wine from their shop afterward for about 25 euros/bottle* (*Disclaimer - prices may have changed). #santowines

• Hike down to Ammoudi Bay for lunch ***** 5 Stars for this one because this was the freshest seafood we have ever feasted on! The restaurant sits right on the water at the base of the caldera below Oia. We dined on Scorpion Fish, a local delicacy at Sunset Ammoudi at a table that was literally inches from the water and got to point out the freshest fish to cook farm to table style. It was such a fun experience! #ammoudibay

View from our terrace of Ammoudi Bay below

Tasting the Scorpion Fish at Sunset Ammoudi

• There are several other restaurants along the water. When you're done, be sure to take a donkey ride back to the top. That is unless you want a serious leg workout walking up the wide stairs.

• Take a Boat Tour/Sunset Cruise - I highly recommend doing a boat tour while on the island. We originally booked through sailing-santorini.com (catamaran cruises for 12-40 people) but our concierge hooked us up with a semi private motor yacht called Lucky 8 that looked even better so we did this one instead.

• It was an amazing experience sailing the Aegean with a few new friends. The sail takes you to the hot springs, black sand beach, red sand beach, rock jumping (which was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time jumping in to the icy Aegean waters!). All food and beverage is included on board and it's a must do!

Dining - We didn't have a bad meal our entire trip!

• Lunch in Fira - We ate lunch at Argo and it was one of our favorite meals in Santorini. You dine overlooking the caldera. Try the Ravioli drizzled with creamy honey and walnuts served with Chipsa pizza-like bread and take in the marvelous view. #firasantorini #fira

Ravioli at Argo

Restaurants in Oia –

• Skala - A lovely mix of Mediterranean and Seafood options on the main Oia pedestrian path. We loved sampling their Chicken Souvlaki and Spanakopita! #greekcuisine

Skala's Spanakopita was delicious!

• Roka - It was quaint with a super charming ambiance located right off the beaten path near the Oia bus depot. The food was excellent and I highly recommend the fresh Roka Salad with figs or the Sea Bass!

There is no shortage of feline friends to accompany you as you dine throughout Santorini.

• Skiza Café - This café had the traditional pizzeria flare with pastas and various pies to choose from. It's a good choice if you're looking for something quick and easy but it was probably the least impressive dinner we had while in Greece. I'd recommend stopping there for a tasty gelato after a hot afternoon stroll instead. Try the Mango or Caramel and Cookies flavors!

Gelato to die for!

• Thalassia We ate here for lunch on our first day and enjoyed a wonderful Greek salad with the freshest tomatoes and they have a wonderful Kabob with Tzatziki dish.

Fresh and savory Greek Cuisine from Thalassia.

Athens - The Ancient City - 1 Day

Hotel -

• DEPARTURE: We stayed at the Hilton Athens* on the back end of our trip to enjoy our Hilton Diamond Status amenities. This hotel had an amazing nightly reception for Diamond members, which was a great stop before heading out for the evening and we were able to enjoy their amazing spa and soak in the pool after a long day of walking and seeing the ancient sites around Athens.

*Disclaimer: Since the time of our trip, the Hilton Athens, closed for renovations in January of 2022. It is set to reopen in 2024 as a Conrad Athens, part of Hilton's luxury brand.

View of the City of Athens from our Hotel Balcony

Things to do -

• Acropolis Museum: This is an obvious must see if you'll be spending any time in Athens. It's a great place to start when visiting the grounds of the Ancient Acropolis, the ancient citadel located on a rocky hilltop above the city that houses the remains of the Parthenon temple originally dedicated to the Greek Goddess, Athena. Using the museum as your starting point will give you a great background on what you get to see afterwards in the ancient ruins. I'd reserve at least 2 hours at the museum, more if you like to read every placard, which we opted out of for the sake of time. #athensgreece #acropolis #acropolisofathens

• ACROPOLIS TIPS: Navigating the Acropolis itself by foot takes about 20-30 minutes to get on top of the hill. I would budget a couple of hours between the ruins and the museum. We did both at the same day since we only had the one day on the tail end of our trip. It felt busy but we were satisfied with the experience and did not feel like we missed anything.

• Stroll through Plaka Neighborhood and Syntagma Square: If you're short on time for a day as we were, then opt for a stroll through Plaka and Syntagma Square after visiting the Acropolis. You'll get a feel for the hustle and bustle that is the City of Athens while having plenty of opportunities for more delicious culinary and shopping experiences every 10 feet. It's the perfect spot to grab last minute souvenirs for any loved ones before retuning home as well!

Transportation -

• Walk when you can but using the Athens Metro subway is a fairly easy, budget friendly way to get around as well.

Dining -

• We ate dinner in Monastraiki, an flea market neighborhood in the old town of Athens that sits at the base of the Acropolis near the Ancient Agora on our last night. This was a beautiful spot for outside dining with the perfect view of the Acropolis. We simply walked the street until we settled on a menu that struck our fancy. There were lots of options with lively music and street vendors all along the road for the perfect Greek souvenir or unique costume jewelry. #acropolisview

Upward view of the Acropolis

Quenching our lifelong wanderlust to explore Greece for those 9 days was a complete dream come true and the perfect way to celebrate our 10 year anniversary! We can't wait to go back! #dreamvacation #bucketlisttravel #bucketlistadventures #bucketlisters #bucketlistdestination #bucketlistchecked

I hope you found this guide of our travels helpful and if you are planning a trip, feel free to reach out with any questions. If your travels do take you to Greece, let me know what you think and be sure to share any special gems you experience along the way for our next visit. I'm sure you'll look back on your time in Greece like it was a dream as well!