To be honest,unless someone refers on very small countries such as San Marino or Vatican city or similar, I do not get this kind of question.
Greece is a very diverse place, populated by 11 million citizens and it covers a good 131,990 km2/50,944 sq miles, including a very interesting mainland and 100s of islands. I do not see how you could not fill only 10 days no matter what your interests are.

Absolutely agree! I would spend 7 days in the Islands, choosing one or two (we love Naxos) ad the rest of the time in Athens. 10 days will fly by!

Meant to add that we love Athens, I think it has a great vibe and is very underrated!

I like the idea of going to Greece. Is it necessary to go to the islands or is there enough to see on the mainland? We have a tendency to go to a country and never return, so we generally try to see too much.

You can barely scratch the surface of a country like Greece in 10 days, so grab a guide book and pick what appeals to you the most. Of course you do not have to go to an island. The mainland is full of attractions! I try every year to snag an affordable flight that works for me, and last year I was considering the Peloponnese region.

Vienna and Budapest are better done together with Krakow or Prague thrown in as you wish, for a city tour.

Hi James,

You don't need to go to the islands at all, and in fact there is much more to see on the mainland anyway. If you are happy with one day on the beach you could even get that in Athens, as there are many beaches along the coast in the Athens suburbs.

Most of my visits to Greece have been to the islands, but the more time I spend on the mainland the more I appreciate it. Athens is a wonderful city, and you could easily spend most of your 10 days there. Don't listen to people who say 1-2 days in Athens is enough — the city is much more than just the Parthenon and Plaka. If you are interested in historic sights, include the Nafplio area in your trip. Delphi is another place I would highly recommend.

We spent 4 days in Nafplio, a lovely seaside town on the Peloponnesus peninsula. We stopped at Corinth canal on the way, saw Nemea, Mycenae, and epidavros and had a great time! You could also go to Delphi. 10 days is not a lot of time to fill in Greece!

There is so much to see and do on the main land. if you want to go to an island try Hydra. it is a quick ferry ride away from Athens.

Approx 30 x 2-3 weeks holidays in Greece & 6 years living here & I haven't seen everything yet, so yes, you will find plenty to fill your 10 days
What would be priority interests other than a beach for at least a day? With such a diverse choice of islands & mainland destinations your interests will help narrow down options for an itinerary.

When exactly will you be there? It will affect the recommendations you get. With ten days to spend - you'll just touch a few of the many wonders in Greece. Familiarize yourself by reading travel books on Greece to help you narrow down the areas of interest.

I agree with parosblue, you need to communicate what time of year & it would be helpful to know if you plan to rent a car. Not knowing this, a suggestion would be: Athens, Naplio, Gythio, Monemvasia, Mani Peninsula and Elafonisos Island which has one of the best beaches in Greece.

We would definitely rent a car and would probably travel in September. We usually move alot faster than most travelers and like to book lodging as we go. We enjoy seeing the sights and doing regular tourist things. Is it still warm enough to swim in September?

Is it still warm enough to swim in September? YES !