Hello. I'm posting on behalf of my husband, who plans to take our 9-year-old to Greece for about a week in the spring. Forgive the vague questions but we're just getting started on the planning. The main question is: Where should they go? Athens and...? FWIW, I don't think they'll have a car.

They both love ruins, walking/exploring, and museums. Neither cares for crowds and beaches are not of great interest. My daughter is very into Greek myths but I am fairly certain that she won't do well with a trip of nothing but visiting ruins. So, where should they go? I'm not looking for kiddie activities per se, but things they'll both enjoy.

Thank you!

If they won't have a car and are thinking of about a week, maybe Athens (with a side trip to Cape Sounion?), and Naxos (with a day trip to Delos)? or Athens with Delphi and -- if time permits -- Meteora? I'm sure many more knowledgeable people will chime in....

I would say Athens + Nafplio, a beautiful seaside town in the Peloponnese about 2 hrs by express bus from Athens. Nafplio was once the Greek capital, and as well as some important ruins nearby has lots of other things to offer. No need to go to an island if you aren’t interested in beaches, but you could visit Hydra, an island without cars, with a short ferry ride from either of two small ports near Nafplio.
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/gr...ion-in-greece/

For what it’s worth, I’ve been to Greece many times and never found the need to rent a car. Athens has excellent public transport (watch out for pickpockets), and KTEL Argolida, a public bus system, has express buses from a station in Athens direct to Nafplio. There are also Athens-based tour companies that offer transfers and guided tours.

Nafplio looks perfect. Thank you!

I think Athens and Nafplio would be a wonderful trip. Athens has more to offer than just the usual tourist sites so would take a minimum of 2 days with 3 being better.

Check out this great website for what's happening in Athens:
https://www.athensguide.com/

Most everything one goes to Athens for is in a relatively small area so it's great for walking. Forget about a car. Use the Metro or taxi if need be but walking is easy and the best way to explore the city.

Nafplio is one of Greece's nicest towns and a great place to base yourself to explore the nearby World Class Archeological sites and more. Good bus service for most of the area.

The best website for Nafplio:
http://www.visitnafplio.com/

If you want to combine an island experience with Athens with a easy ferry ride then the nearby island of Aegina is perfect. It has most everything one wants in a Greek Island. It has two wonderful archeological sites, one right in the main town and the other a short taxi or bus ride away . . . one of the best preserved temples in Greece: The Temple of Aphaia. In addition there is a abandoned Byzantine village in the hills, ancient olive grove, beaches, seaside villages and is known as the Pistachio Capitol of Greece.

Nafplio is delightful! I would have mentioned it, but didn't realize that it would be easy to see surrounding sites without a car.

If you haven't already seen it, you might find some useful information in my long (but searchable) trip report -- it includes Nafplio toward the middle and Athens at the end.
With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

Your daughter might enjoy Hydra because of the hardworking donkeys taking the place of cars which are prohibited on the island. They offload all of the items arriving on the supply ships in the harbor and carry packages to the shops including the grocery stores and the high-end tourist boutiques. Donkeys also carry luggage and tourists up to their hotels in the higher part of town. Hydra is accessible via hydrofoil from Athens and is small so one night would be sufficient to get the flavor.

And so you might want to be sure to research the treatment of those donkeys, and how to identify responsible and caring donkey owners, before you decide to go.

Hydra is a much shorter ferry ride from Porto Heli or Ermioni near Nafplio, about 20 minutes from Ermioni, so if you have time to visit from there that would be better. Otherwise, take crazyh’s suggestion to visit Aegina from Piraeus. Check for local bus services and other means of transport when you get to Nafplio.

One can easily spend a whole week in Athens by visiting the most important sites like
Akropolis
Thission
Roman Agora
Theatre of Herodes Atticus
Walls of Perikles
Stadion
Akropolis Museum
National Museum
Cycladic Museum
Byzantine Museum
Benaki museum
Kaisariani
Kapnikarea
both Mitroupolis
Dafni monastery
Cape Sounion
Hymettos Caves
Wind tower, Mikrolimani and Turcolimani...

But it's a good idea to stay 2 days in or around Nauplion in order to visit Epidauros, Mycenae, Thyrins, Akrokorinthos.....
For a full immersion into Byzantine ruins, you may proceed up to Mistras.

If you prefer to go to an Island, you could consider the 3days trip Athens - Cape Sounion - Lavrion - Kythnos - Piraeus (or vice versa, according to the timetables).