Hi All,

I am planning my first trip to Greece during the first two weeks in May, and just starting my research.

Most of my trip (8 days) will be with an organized art group, to attend a painting workshop on the island of Hydra. I'd like to add up to a week to explore Greece beyond Hydra, and am looking for suggestions about what to see/do for the days I add on.

What I like: Discovering a new culture and history; I enjoy moseying around leisurely, visiting historical sites, enjoying nice scenery and good food. I love wandering through old town areas and cities, being in walking distance to restaurants, shops, etc. It don't need to sit on a beach -- sunbathing (and nightlife) is a low priority. ALSO: I have a terrible fear of heights and roads with sheer drop offs terrify me so need to consider this in my travels, when driving from place to place. NO hiking.

My questions:

Athens:
I plan to get a private guide to the Acropolis ... what else would you suggest for 2-3 days to explore Athens?
Should I stay near the ferry departure point, or stay elsewhere and uber there for my ferry departure?
(Hotel suggestions appreciated, up to 300E per night)
Would you suggest visiting Athens at the beginning or end of the trip?

Hydra:
the art group I am traveling with is staying at the Hydroussa Hotel.
After a week in Hydra would you visit nother island or concentrate on the mainland? (I assume mainland from what I've read ... just checking!)

Mainland/Athens/Nafplio:
Is Nafplio a good addition for a first timer, in addition to Hydra and Athens? If so, how many days in Nafplio?
How is the drive between Nafplio and Athens for someone with a fear of heights?
I've read that you can ferry between Nafplio and Hydra, so this seems a possibility ... .
How to get from Nafplio to the Athens airport, if I leave Nafplio for the end of my trip?
(Hotels appreciated, up to 300E per night)

Scheduling:
How would you suggest dividing my time, and sequencing the itinerary between Athens and Hydra, and possibly Nafplio, to be efficient?
Would you save Athens for the end ... i.e., fly Newark to Athens, and then take the ferry to Hydra the next day to start my workshop, and save exploring Athens and Nafplio until after the workshop? Or explore Athens (and possibly Nafplio) before the Hydra portion, and fly home directly after Hydra? Or Athens >>Hydra >> Nafplio? Looking for most efficient plan!

Thanks in advance for advice and suggestions!!!

Just to clarify, will you rent a car? Nafplio is indeed a good idea. The drive there from Athens airport is easy, taking a couple of hours. No one will force you to detour to look at the deep cut of the Corinth canal, or the heights of Acrocorinth, but a stop at Nemea's ancient stadium is well worth it.
General advice is to be in Athens the night before your flight home. Do you know what time that flight departs?

Athens: You have a wealth of options! A good guidebook would serve you extremely well. In the meantime, you might take a look at my trip report. The section on Athens begins with post # 181.
With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

I would not stay near the port, but somewhere near the sites you decide to visit.

If you are flying out of Athens, you would do well to be there the night before your flight, so putting ALL your time in that city at the end would make sense to me.

Nafplio: Yes, an excellent choice. I was glad to have three nights there, but I travel hard and fast, so if you want a more leisurely visit, a longer stay would be worth considering. The section on Nafplio in my trip report begins with post # 137.

Just to clarify, I will not rent a car to go to Nafplio, not comfortable driving in a foreign country. Happy to go by bus or pay a driver -- I've traveled on public transportation as well as hired a driver in other countries (Italy and Portugal), and it works well for me.

Thank you for suggesting staying near the sites I plan to visit in Athens; I haven't quite figured out what sites those will be, other than the Acropolis, but appreciate the suggestion. If you have any specific neighborhoods to suggest, I'd appreciate hearing that.

Based on both comments, I will plan on being in Athens the night before my flight.

PS thanks for link to trip report ... looking forward to reading!

Stayed in Psyrri, which was handy enough to the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum (highly recommend the latter); also to the Central Market and Monastiraki bazaar. Enjoyed a morning cooking school at the Greek Kitchen and the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology. The archeological museum was a bit longer hike, and another neighbourhood would be more convenient for art museums if those draw you. We took in all the ancient sites on the passport ticket, but then, we had five days.

We really enjoyed our visit to the National Gallery in Athens. We thought it really well curated and wonderful art of many different genres and times.

You can take public transport from Hydra to Nafplio but buses are infrequent so you’d need to plan this carefully. It might also be worth checking Pegasus Cruises or looking at connections from Poros. Otherwise, if you go via Athens, you’d travel from Piraeus to the bus station then by bus to Nafplio. It’s straightforward enough if you plan ahead.

if you would like to visit another island, you could take another ferry from Piraeus.

I agree that visiting Athens last makes sense so you’re near the airport for your return home.

FTOttawa thanks so much for the response, re: staying in Psyrri, and visiting the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology and the archeological museum/all the ancient sites on the passport ticket.

Also, thx for the excellent suggestion re; the cooking class and visiting the Central Market and Monastiraki bazaar. ... a favorite experience of mine on a recent trip to Portugal was a 'food tour' led by a Portuguese woman who not only took us to places and neighborhoods that I never would have discovered on my own, but also shared the history of various dishes and gave a personal glimpse into the culture and the life of her family. I'd love to replicate that experience!

dreamon , thanks for suggesting the National Gallery but I may pass on that ... I have easy access to NYC, and can enjoy various art museums where I live. But if there's a neighborhood with nice galleries showing local artists, that could be fun. Thanks for suggestions on logistics also.

kja your trip report is a wealth of information -- I need to spend more time with it.

ALL -- I am inclined to stay in Athens, rather than split time between Athens and Nafplio, as it sound like the passport ticket will provide plenty of opportunities to experience the artifacts of ancient civilizations, and much more ... still on the fence, but leaning that way. Any other suggestions re: ways to experience Athens are much appreciated!

Staying in Athens makes perfect sense. I suspect you may have misunderstood about the gallery I mentioned. It showcases Greek artists as does the Goulandris gallery (or at least did when we visited). Of course visiting is entirely optional but these are artists which you may not find at home.

Thanks for clarifying about the National Gallery ... I will surely check out! I just checked the website (https://www.nationalgallery.gr/en/) and it looks amazing

You won’t run out of interesting things in Athens, Ronnie. There are a few more cultural museums on my own wish list for next time.

One easy day tour that you might consider is to Delphi, possibly stopping also at Hosios Loukas monastery for a bit of Byzantine art. There are many reliable tour operators.

Vasia of the Greek Kitchen walked us around the central market to buy our ingredients. She knew everybody, of course.

FTOttawa thank you for these suggestions ... I am very excited about a food tour with the Greek Kitchen and will investigate a day tour to Delphi. Much appreciated!

If it helps: The section of my trip report on Delphi and the Hosios Loukas Monastery is in post # 151.

Hi Ronnie,

I'm curious about your painting workshop. Is it plein air or is there a studio?

Thanks,
Anna

HI Anna,

I am traveling to Greece for this workshop: https://winslowartcenter.com/product...5-may-12-2025/

It will be plein air ...

Are you a painter? I love to combine travel with art

Hi Ronnie,

I'm not a painter but my husband is. Your painting trip looks fabulous. Have you taken classes through this company before?

Anna

Hi Anna, I have taken many classes through Winslow Art Center. You can try a teacher in a low-stakes way before committing to a trip, by looking at Winslow's online archive of free classes and demos, or trying an online class. In my case, I took two different online classes with this teacher and know his teaching style. Hope your husband finds something he likes there!

Plaka & Anafiotika: Stroll through these charming old neighborhoods, full of shops, cafes, and picturesque streets.
It’s generally better to explore Athens at the end of your trip since it's close to the airport, making your departure easier.

MelissaOlosey Thank you for those suggestions! I will be spending 3 days in Athens at the end of my trip and have added these neighborhoods to my plans.