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Travel and Tour World Greece Stands Alongside North Macedonia and Others as Europe’s Summer Aviation Shapes Winter TravelTravel and Tour World Greece Moves Alongside US And More As Canada Issues Travel Advisory Amid Entry Rules, Fraud, Demonstrations And Security RisksTravel Daily News ORA Hospitality to open Mykonos flagship in 2027Travel and Tour World Athens Follows Barcelona And More As Greece And Spain Rein In Short-Term Rentals With Freezes, Tough Caps Across Tourism HubsConde Nast Traveler 10 Best Greece Resorts 2026: Readers’ Choice AwardsTravel and Tour World Puerto Rico Joins Greece And More In Battling Water Shortages As Tourism Hubs Race To Protect VisitorsTravel and Tour World Greece’s Mythical Acheron River Emerges as a Spectacular New Nature Adventure EscapeTravel and Tour World Greece’s Greek Isles See Luxury Hotel Rates Surge More Than 130% Since 2019Travel and Tour World Greece is Now in the Spotlight as Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards Champion Better Travel Across EuropeTravel and Tour World Bulgaria Goes Hand in Hand With Greece and More in Europe as Online Booked Tourist Overnight Stays Rise Over 16% in Q2 2026Travel and Tour World Greece Reveals a Surprising Shift as American Visitor Numbers Fall but Tourism Spending RisesTravel and Tour World Greece Unites With Spain, USA And India in Facing A Spine-Chilling Nightmare Prompting Ruthless Global Travel Disruption WarningsTravel and Tour World Greece Travel Surges as Detroit Gains Its First Nonstop Athens Link With Delta in 2027Travel and Tour World Rhodes, Greece Turns Its Medieval Heart Into a Grand Stage for Music, Art and Cinema This Autumn: All You Need to KnowTravel and Tour World Greece Stands Alongside North Macedonia and Others as Europe’s Summer Aviation Shapes Winter TravelTravel and Tour World Greece Moves Alongside US And More As Canada Issues Travel Advisory Amid Entry Rules, Fraud, Demonstrations And Security RisksTravel Daily News ORA Hospitality to open Mykonos flagship in 2027Travel and Tour World Athens Follows Barcelona And More As Greece And Spain Rein In Short-Term Rentals With Freezes, Tough Caps Across Tourism HubsConde Nast Traveler 10 Best Greece Resorts 2026: Readers’ Choice AwardsTravel and Tour World Puerto Rico Joins Greece And More In Battling Water Shortages As Tourism Hubs Race To Protect VisitorsTravel and Tour World Greece’s Mythical Acheron River Emerges as a Spectacular New Nature Adventure EscapeTravel and Tour World Greece’s Greek Isles See Luxury Hotel Rates Surge More Than 130% Since 2019Travel and Tour World Greece is Now in the Spotlight as Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards Champion Better Travel Across EuropeTravel and Tour World Bulgaria Goes Hand in Hand With Greece and More in Europe as Online Booked Tourist Overnight Stays Rise Over 16% in Q2 2026Travel and Tour World Greece Reveals a Surprising Shift as American Visitor Numbers Fall but Tourism Spending RisesTravel and Tour World Greece Unites With Spain, USA And India in Facing A Spine-Chilling Nightmare Prompting Ruthless Global Travel Disruption WarningsTravel and Tour World Greece Travel Surges as Detroit Gains Its First Nonstop Athens Link With Delta in 2027Travel and Tour World Rhodes, Greece Turns Its Medieval Heart Into a Grand Stage for Music, Art and Cinema This Autumn: All You Need to Know
Athens – GreeceSantorini – GreeceMykonos – GreeceCrete – GreeceMeteora – GreeceDelphi – Greece
📍 Athens📷 Andrew Parlette · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
🌍 Europe🗓️ Best: May–Jun and Sep–Oct

Greece ✓

AthensSantorini

Ancient ruins, whitewashed islands and endless blue sea

🕒 –:– local time18 stories this week5 sources 6 top placesCapital Athens

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Greece📸 Photo album · 9 photos · Ultra-HD
Greece📜 History of Greece

The story of Greece

Greece's story begins in the Bronze Age, when the Minoans built palaces such as Knossos on Crete and traded across the Aegean, followed by the warrior kingdoms of the Mycenaeans on the mainland. After a period of decline, city-states such as Athens, Sparta, Corinth and Thebes emerged. In the fifth century BC Athens experimented with democracy, raised the Parthenon on the Acropolis and nurtured playwrights, historians and philosophers whose ideas still shape the world.

Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great united much of Greece and carried Greek culture as far as Egypt and India. Rome absorbed Greece in the second century BC, but Greek remained the language of learning in the eastern Mediterranean. When the Roman Empire divided, Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire, a Greek-speaking Christian state that lasted for a thousand years and left mosaics, monasteries and fortified towns across the country.

Read the full history

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, most of Greece came under Ottoman rule for nearly four centuries, while Venice held some islands and coastal ports. The Greek War of Independence began in 1821, and a modern Greek state was recognised in the early 1830s, expanding over the following century to include Crete, Macedonia and the Dodecanese. The twentieth century brought world wars, a civil war and a period of military rule before democracy was restored in 1974.

Greece joined the European Community in 1981 and the eurozone in 2001, and hosted the 2004 Olympic Games. For visitors, the country is an extraordinary blend of ancient ruins, Byzantine churches, Venetian harbours and Ottoman-era towns, set among thousands of islands, mountain villages and a food culture built on olive oil, fresh fish and long, sociable meals.

Timeline

  1. c. 2000 BCMinoan palace civilisation flourishes on Crete
  2. 776 BCTraditional date of the first Olympic Games at Olympia
  3. 447 BCConstruction of the Parthenon begins in Athens
  4. 336 BCAlexander the Great becomes king of Macedon
  5. 1453Fall of Constantinople; Ottoman rule extends over Greece
  6. 1821Greek War of Independence begins
  7. 1974Democracy is restored after military rule
  8. 1981Greece joins the European Community
Greece 🛂 Visa & entry

Entry rules depend on your passport and change often.

  • Schengen Area – Part of the Schengen Area – 29 European countries with no passport checks between them. Short visits are usually counted under the 90-days-in-any-180 rule across the whole area.
  • European Union – EU member – EU/EEA citizens can travel and stay freely.
  • Eurozone – Uses the euro.

Before you book, check the official rules for your passport:

The latest visa and entry news for Greece appears below as soon as publishers report it.

Travel and Tour World🛂 Visas & Entry Rules
Greece Moves Alongside US And More As Canada Issues Travel Advisory Amid Entry Rules, Fraud, Demonstrations And Security Risks

Greece Moves Alongside US And More As Canada Issues Travel Advisory Amid Entry Rules, Fraud, Demonstrations And Security Risks Canada releases new travel advisories for Greece, US and Poland concerning entry restrictions…

#Greece#United States#Travel advisory#Visas & Entry Rules
Greece✨ 10 best things to do in Greece

Things to do in Greece

  1. Climb the AcropolisWalk up to the Parthenon early in the morning and look out over Athens to the sea.
  2. Watch a Santorini sunsetJoin the crowds in Oia as the sun sinks behind the volcanic caldera.
  3. Island-hop by ferrySail between the Cyclades, discovering whitewashed villages, quiet coves and harbour tavernas.
  4. Visit the Meteora monasteriesGaze at medieval monasteries perched on top of towering sandstone pillars.
  5. Hike the Samaria GorgeTrek through one of Europe's longest gorges in Crete's White Mountains down to the Libyan Sea.
  6. Run on the ancient stadiumWalk through the tunnel into the original stadium at Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games.
  7. Consult the oracle's homeExplore Delphi's sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, once considered the centre of the world.
  8. Feast at a tavernaShare meze, grilled octopus and a Greek salad by the sea as the evening cools.
  9. Swim at Navagio BeachView the famous shipwreck cove on Zakynthos from the clifftop or by boat.
  10. Explore KnossosWander the remains of the Minoan palace linked to the legend of the Minotaur.
Greece🗺️ Where to visit in Greece

Where to go in Greece

  • AthensCapital · ancient sites and nightlifeThe Acropolis, superb museums and lively neighbourhoods such as Plaka, Psyrri and Koukaki.
  • SantoriniCyclades · volcanic islandCliff-top villages, black-sand beaches and the prehistoric site of Akrotiri.
  • CreteLargest island · beaches and gorgesMinoan palaces, Venetian harbours in Chania and Rethymno, mountains and long sandy beaches.
  • MeteoraThessaly · monasteriesA UNESCO-listed landscape of monasteries balanced atop rock towers.
  • 📍
    NaxosCyclades · beaches and villagesLong beaches, mountain villages and a relaxed alternative to busier islands.
  • 📍
    NafplioPeloponnese · historic townAn elegant harbour town, ideal for visiting Mycenae and the theatre of Epidaurus.
  • 📍
    ThessalonikiNorthern Greece · food and Byzantine heritageA vibrant city of Byzantine churches, Roman ruins, a waterfront promenade and great food.
  • 📍
    CorfuIonian Islands · Venetian old townA green island with a UNESCO-listed old town and clear blue bays.
Greece✨ Must-do experiences
  • Climb to the Acropolis and the Parthenon
  • Island-hop by ferry across the Aegean
  • Watch the sunset from Oia in Santorini
  • Share meze and grilled fish at a seaside taverna
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Greece🍽️ Taste of Greece
  • Moussaka – baked layers of aubergine, meat and béchamel
  • Souvlaki – grilled meat skewers often served in pita
  • Horiatiki – Greek salad with tomato, cucumber and feta
  • Spanakopita – spinach and feta pie in filo pastry
Greece🌦️ Weather & best time to visit Greece

Best time to visit Greece

Greece has a Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. The north and mountains are colder in winter, while Crete and the southern islands stay warmest.

BestMay–June and September–early October: warm seas, sunshine and fewer crowds than midsummer.
ShoulderApril and late October: mild weather for sightseeing and hiking, though some island services are reduced.
AvoidJuly–August if you dislike heat and crowds; many islands are also very quiet from November to March.
13°💧💧Jan
14°💧Feb
17°💧Mar
20°💧Apr
26°☀️May
31°☀️Jun
34°☀️Jul
34°☀️Aug
29°☀️Sep
24°💧Oct
19°💧💧Nov
15°💧💧Dec

Typical daytime highs and rain in Athens (approximate averages).

Greece🎉 Festivals & events in Greece
  • March–May (date varies)
    Greek Orthodox EasterCandlelit processions, midnight church services and lamb roasts make this Greece's biggest celebration.
  • June–August
    Athens Epidaurus FestivalTheatre, music and dance staged in Athens and the ancient theatre of Epidaurus.
  • February–March
    Apokries (Carnival)Costumed parades and parties, with Patras hosting the largest carnival in the country.
  • 28 October
    Ochi DayA national holiday with parades commemorating Greece's refusal of an ultimatum in 1940.
  • November
    Thessaloniki International Film FestivalA major film festival that brings premieres and screenings to Thessaloniki.
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Greece🧭 Greece itinerary ideas

How many days in Greece?

7 daysAthens and the Cyclades

Day 1-2 explore Athens, the Acropolis and its museum. Day 3-4 ferry to Naxos or Paros for beaches and villages. Day 5-7 continue to Santorini for the caldera, Akrotiri and sunset in Oia.

14 daysMainland and islands

Days 1-3 Athens and a day trip to Delphi. Days 4-6 Meteora and the Peloponnese via Nafplio, Mycenae and Olympia. Days 7-14 take ferries through the Cyclades and finish on Crete for gorges, beaches and Knossos.

Greece🎒 Backpacking Greece – tips & hacks

Backpacker budget: about $45–70 a day

  • Book ferries in advance during summer, and choose slower conventional ferries over fast boats to save money.
  • Ios, Naxos and Paros have plenty of budget rooms and hostels; Athens' Psyrri and Koukaki areas are good backpacker bases.
  • Fill up on gyros, souvlaki and spanakopita from bakeries and grill shops for cheap, satisfying meals.
  • Travel in May, June or September to find lower room prices and quieter beaches.
  • Long-distance KTEL buses connect mainland towns cheaply and reliably.
Greece🛡️ Safety & money in Greece

Stay safe

  • Greece is generally safe, but pickpocketing is common on the Athens metro and at busy sites.
  • Heatwaves can be intense in summer; avoid strenuous sightseeing at midday and drink plenty of water.
  • Wildfires can occur in hot, dry weather, so follow local authority instructions and alerts.
  • Rent scooters and quad bikes only if you are experienced, and always wear a helmet on island roads.

Money

  • Greece uses the euro, and cards are widely accepted, though some small tavernas and kiosks prefer cash.
  • ATMs are easy to find in towns, but carry cash on small islands where machines may run dry.
  • Tipping around five to ten percent in restaurants is common, and rounding up for taxis is appreciated.

Emergency: 112 general · 100 police · 166 ambulance · 199 fire

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Greece🛬 Getting to Greece

Athens International Airport is the main gateway, with many seasonal international flights to islands such as Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and Santorini. Ferries link Greece with Italy and Turkey, and there are land borders with Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey.

✈️ Cheap flights to Greece: airports, flight times & best time to fly →

Greece💡 Did you know? 5 facts about Greece
  • Greece has thousands of islands, though only around two hundred are inhabited.
  • No point in Greece is more than about 140 kilometres from the sea.
  • The marathon race is named after the legend of a messenger running from Marathon to Athens.
  • Greek is one of the oldest recorded living languages, with written records going back more than three thousand years.
  • Mount Olympus, home of the mythical gods, is the highest mountain in Greece.
Greece❓ Greece travel FAQ

Greece travel questions

Is Greece safe for tourists?

Yes, Greece is generally very safe for visitors. Watch for pickpockets in Athens and crowded places, and follow local advice during summer heatwaves and wildfire alerts.

When is the best time to visit Greece?

May–June and September are ideal, with warm seas and fewer crowds. July and August are hottest and busiest, while many islands wind down in winter.

How many days do you need in Greece?

A week covers Athens and two or three islands. Two weeks lets you add the mainland highlights like Meteora, Delphi and the Peloponnese, or more islands.

Do I need a visa for Greece?

It depends on your passport – Greece is in the Schengen Area and rules vary by nationality. Check the official government site or embassy before you travel.

Which Greek islands are best for first-timers?

Santorini and Mykonos are famous, while Naxos, Paros and Crete offer great beaches, food and variety. Choose based on whether you prefer nightlife, quiet villages or history.

Greece💰 What a trip costs
$$price level
$45–70backpacker / day
$110–190mid-range / day

Approximate daily cost per person (stay, food, local transport).

Greece🚌 Getting around

Ferries link the islands and domestic flights save time on longer trips. KTEL buses cover the mainland, and Athens has a metro.

Greece🛕 Sacred & spiritual places
  • Mount Athos – Monastic peninsula, a deeply holy place for Orthodox Christians
  • Cave of the Apocalypse, Patmos – Where St John is said to have written the Book of Revelation
  • Panagia Evangelistria, Tinos – Major Orthodox pilgrimage church on the island of Tinos
Greece🤝 Local etiquette
  • Cover shoulders and knees when visiting monasteries and churches
  • Avoid showing an open palm towards someone – it can be rude
  • Meals are long and social, so take your time

📰 Older Greece stories Everything our agents ever found – keeps loading as you scroll

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