Hi all,
I have been lurking and reading posts especially trip reports. And using guidebooks and other sources I have come up with an itinerary for my family of 4 (mom & dad in our 50s, reasonably fit, 2 teenagers 17 & 14). Please give me any suggestions to improve.
Nothing is booked so far.

Land in Athens Jun 11th evening, check in, eat and sleep
Day 1 : Jun 12th - Athens sightseeing (Acropolis, Acropolis museum etc)
Day 2 : Jun 13th - Athens sightseeing (Lycabettus hill, changing of guard and sunset at Temple of Poseidon/Cape Sounion)
Day 3 : Jun 14th - Drive to Acrocorinth/Corinth, sightsee and drive on to Nafplio to sleep.
Day 4 : June 15th - Explore Nafplio and relax - maybe go to the beach.
Day 5 : June 16th - Visit Mycenae, Tiryns, Nemea, Epidaurus. Sleep Nafplio
Day 6 : June 17th - Drive to Delphi via the coastal route (Rio-Antirio bridge). Explore Delphi.
Day 7 : June 18th - More Delphi exploration, return to Athens by night.
Day 8 : June 19th - Fly to Chania, Crete at 9 am. Explore Chania, relax.
Day 9 : June 20th - Private boat trip/road trip to Balos Lagoon (& Falassarna beach?), relax on the beach/lagoon all day. Optional evening - Drive to Aptera and explore
Day 10 : June 21st - Trip to Elafonnissi beach, relax on the beach. Optional evening - Drive to Aptera and explore
Day 11 : June 22nd - Day trip to Samaria/Idros Gorge. Hike. Drive to Heraklion via Melidoni caves.
Day 12 : June 23rd - Morning & afternoon - Knossos palace & museum if not visited yesterday), evening relax/explore
Day 13 : June 24th - Morning & afternoon - tour of Lassith plateau - visit birthplace of Zeus, quaint villages etc evening - relax/explore
Day 14 : June 25th - boat trip to Spinalonga/sailing & snorkeling/beach relaxing
Day 15 : June 26th - Ferry to Paros (8 am) lunch & explore the main town, relax.
Day 16 : June 27th - Day trip to Antiparos?
Day 17 : June 28th - Explore Paros - Valley of Butterflies, Tripiti beach, Lefkes
Day 18 : June 29th - Day trip to Naxos?
Day 19 : June 30th - Day trip to Delos?
Day 20 : July 1st - Relax - explore Naousa?
Day 21 : July 2nd - Fly to Athens (11:05 am flight). Land in Athens by 12 pm. Visit National Archeological museum & 6 pm Greek food walking tour.
Day 22 : July 3rd - Last day in Athens - explore
Day 23 : July 4th - Fly back.

You’ve identified some wonderful destinations, so I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful trip no matter how you tweak your plans! Just a few observations:

· You might explore ways to change your itinerary so you don’t have three separate stays in Athens. Eliminating even one change of hotel would, I think, make your trip easier. Maybe you could start your trip in Crete? (Remembering to give yourselves at least 36 hours before trying to drive after a flight from CA.) Then on to Paros, Cape Sounion, Nafplio, Delphi, Athens? Just one idea.

· I think Day 5 is quite ambitious. I don’t think I could have done all that in a single day. Maybe you can, but you would, I think, do well to think through your priorities in case you find that you can’t do it all.

· Delos is magnificent. I would encourage you to include it in your plans if at all possible.

If you haven’t already seen it, here’s my trip report:
With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

Hope that helps!

Kja,
Yes I did read your trip report and loved it.
About backtracking to Athens, I see what you mean. But given when we are arriving in Greece (June 11th, unfortunately cannot get off earlier due to school), I feel like Athens needs to be done before the big summer rush which happens more towards the end of June/early July from my understanding. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
We could fly back from Crete. That would mean we do Paros first before Crete. But since the ferry from Paros only goes to Heraklion and the international flights are also from Heraklion, we'd have to backtrack the Heraklion-Chania route at least once.
Here is what I come up with as a modified version, please let me know what you think.

Fly out on Jun 10th evening.

Land in Athens Jun 11th evening, check in, eat and sleep

Day 1 : Jun 12th - Athens sightseeing (Lycabettus hill,changing of guard and 6 pm Greek food walking tour.

Day 2 : Jun 13th - Athens sightseeing (Acropolis, Acropolis museum etc)

Day 3 : Jun 14th - Visit National Archeological museum & sunset atTemple of Poseidon/Cape Sounion)

Day 4 : June 15th - Drive to Meteora via Thermopylae. Sleep Meteora

Day 5 : June 16th - Explore monasteries in the morning. Leave for Delphi after lunch. Explore Delphi in the evening, sleep Delphi.

Day 6 : June 17th - Explore Delphi more in the morning, Leave for Olympia after lunch driving across the Rio-Antirio bridge, explore Olympia in the evening. Sleep Olympia.

Day 7 : June 18th - Explore Olympia in the morning, leave for Nafplio after lunch, relax.

Day 8 : June 19th - Explore Nafplio and relax

Day 9 : June 20th - Visit Mycenae, Tiryns, Epidaurus - day trip. Sleep Nafplio

Day 10 : June 21st - Drive to Acrocorinth, Corinth, Nemea sightsee and drive on to Athens to sleep.

Day 11 : June 22nd - Ferry to Paros (8 am) lunch & explore the main town, relax.

Day 12 : June 23rd - Day trip to Delos.

Day 13 : June 24th - Explore Paros - Valley of Butterflies, Tripiti beach, Lefkes

Day 14 : June 25th - Day trip to Antiparos.

Day 15 : June 26th - Day trip to Naxos?

Day 16 : June 27th - Relax - explore Naousa?

Day 17 : June 28th - Ferry to Heraklion, drive to Chania. Explore Rethymno & Aptera on the way.

Day 18 : June 29th - Private boat trip/road trip to Balos Lagoon (& Falassarna beach?), relax on the beach/lagoon all day.

Day 19 : June 30th - Explore Chania, relax.

Day 20 : July 1st - Elafonnissi beach

Day 21 : July 2nd - Day trip to Imbros Gorge. Hike. Drive to Heraklion via Melidoni caves. (Long day!)

Day 22 : July 3rd - Morning & afternoon - Knossos palace & museum, evening relax

Day 23 : July 4th - Morning & afternoon - tour of Lassith plateau - visit birthplace of Zeus, quaint villages etc evening - relax/explore

Day 24 : July 5th - Fly back.

I’m glad to know you enjoyed my TR!

Sequencing a trip is always a challenge. I’m glad you’ve considered some options, understand that you are facing dilemmas, and leave it to you and your family to choose what makes most sense for you. I just wanted to raise the issue for your consideration.

As for you new plan:

· Much as I loved Meteora, I don’t think you can do it justice in a half day. Honestly, it can easily take a full day. And IMO, Delphi doesn’t lend itself to an evening (or even a bit of an afternoon) and a bit of the next morning – the layout of the main temple doesn’t offer a “branching off” point. You need to commit to seeing the site or to shortchanging some of its most special corners. That, at least, was my impression. Honestly, there isn’t much to “explore” in Delphi in the evening; seeing the site and its stellar museum (which you can only do during the day) can bring that era of Greek civilization to life in a way that few other places can – and that can take the better part of a day. It is a glorious place; I urge you to consider giving it more time. So, IMO, you would be wise to rethink this part of your trip.

· One option: Given that you aren’t sure how you will spend your time on Paros, add a day or two to the Meteora / Delphi loop?

· I assume day 10 is not described in the order you plan.

· If I’m following correctly, this new plan cuts your time in Athens. If so, you will have to skip a LOT of its fascinating sights! Maybe that’s intentional? Again, give it some thought.

And one other little thing: Please don't use bold text! I'm sure it seems a little thing, but it makes it harder for people to read.

Thanks for all your suggestions.
I can't reduce days in Paros, the question marks only indicate possible excursions for the day.
We do have 3 full days in Athens in the current itinerary, I gather you don't think that's enough?
So the choice is to do Meteora & Delphi in a rushed way & to do 3 days in Athens or to do an extra day in Athens and drop Meteora so that we can do justice to Delphi. Leaning towards the latter.
No, day 10 is going first to Nemea, then Acrocorinth and ancient Corinth and then to drop car off and stay in a hotel near the port so that the next morning we can catch the ferry easily.

If you go to Meteora, the one monastery you should see is Varlaam. Be aware of the schedule. Each monastery is closed for a different day of the week:

https://meteora.com/meteora-monasteries-opening-hours/

Here is a trip report, buy only about the food we ate:

https://www.hungryonion.org/t/a-week...n-athens/40118

Sounds like this is your "I'm never going back to Greece" trip. That's a lot of time in a car with teenagers. But you know your family better than I do.

Interesting comment. I certainly enjoyed Varlaam. I'm not sure I'd single it out as "the one" to see.

I think it sounds busy but good and gives you a great taste of Greece.

If you get an early start to Meteora you’ll have two half days which would be fine. It’s quite a long drive to Delphi and you won’t want to buy tickets on two days running so your time at the site and museum might be a bit compressed but doable.

Double check ferries support your plans. I like preferencing ferries over flights. You will be leaving luggage in your car quite a bit and I’ve no idea whether that’s an issue (we don’t drive so don’t know).

Greece is wonderful - have a great time.

You say "please correct me if I am wrong" so I will. You're mistaken about taking Athens first to avoid crowding later. Wrong. Athens is a huge city, with room for many and does NOT crowd up more in mid-summer, quite the opposite. From mid-june on, both tourists AND Greeks are heading for islands, and that's where crowding will damage your experience. I've done 13 trips in Greece, Moslty late-may thru Mid-June (and in 9 of them bringing along newbies like yourself), I found what works best for crowd-avoidance, and the MOSt satisfying stays. Following are the basic steps -- using your major must-sees

• DAY 1: land in ATH allow 2 hrs to collect luggage, check in for afternoon Domestic Flight to CHANIA, CRETE
• DAY 2 - 6 CRETE (3 days Western Crete & Gorge 2 days, drive E, see Knossos etc, last night in Heraklion; Skip Lassithi)
• DAy 8 - 14 PAROS/ANTIPAROS (In June my Recommend is stay in ANTIPAROS -- walkable to great beaches, take 10-min ferry to PAROS for sightseeing & excursion ferry)
• Da6 15 - FLY back to ATH in AM (40 mins); pick up car at Airport & drive to Peloponnese w 2 stops (1) exit at ISTHMUS to walk out on OLD bridge to see Corinthh Canal and (2) 15 mile past Canal, exit big highway to see ANCIENT NEMEA -- the "Olympia runner-up" Sacred Games... fab stadium! fine ruins, NO crowds -- inspiring "revival" of traditional games -- http://nemeangames.org/ (Olympia most famous for art/artifacts in Museum, a looong drive with restless teens; be sure you're not just "checking off a list" to go there.
• DAY 16-17-18 - Enjoy explore NAFPLIO, visit Mycenae OR Tiryns (no crowds there), check great local beach options -- use this superb NONcommercial website for ALL sights, activities etc - http://www.visitnafplio.com/
• DAY 19 - In AM, drive East from NAFPLIO to visit ANCIENT EPIDAURUS... then go on to Coast for shore-lunch & swim, drive up To ISthmus to join Biggie intercity highway back to AIRPORT to turn in Car; taxi or (preferred) car service like Welcome Pickups (flat daytime fee) to a central Athens hotel or apartment.
• DAY 20 - 23 -- 3 full days of sightseeing. Advantages of "Athens Last" include (1) immersion in Greek ways will make you savvy about efficient sightseeing (2) you avoid the time-wasting of checking in/out of Athens twice and most importantly (3) your time in Historic Greece areas will make the world-famous Landmarks Much more meaninglul. Also, do not rush or twist your schedulle to see sunset at Sounion - you will have seen glorious sunsets in the island and Naflio, and NOT in the company of 12 bus tours, hundreds of people all jammed together to get the perfect photograph.
CONCLUSION -- you do not have time for Meteora or Delphi, unless you add another 4 days to your trip. You can't pour a quart into a pint bottle. Save those 2 for a grown-ups trip, and you'll get more out of it & avoid teen complaints at long drives.

Listen to travelerjan. I followed her advice for my trip to Greece (although shorter than yours) and she was right about every single thing!

Gosh, Susan (blush) thanks! All I hope for is to help peoplle have the BEST experience in this country I love ... and I've never heard anybody say, Oh I wish I'd visited 3 more places in Greece... instead, they always say wistfully, if only we'd been able to stay a couple more days in xxxx ...

Actually I don’t agree with taking flights instead of ferries, not necessarily better, especially depending on your arrival time into Greece and how long you have to hang around the airport. I also prefer ferry travel over flights. They are a quintessential part of exploring Greece.

While I wouldn’t underestimate how long journeys can take, you know best your preferred pace of travel. You have obviously spent time choosing where you want to visit and how you’ll do it.

I agree it’s best not to change hotels more often than necessary but Greek travel often means travelling through Athens more than once. We find that returning to Athens can be like returning ‘home’ to a familiar place, which we like, so multiple stays is not all bad, especially if more than one night.

Even if something doesn’t work out perfectly, it’s your holiday and I have no doubt you’ll have a wonderful time. I have been badgering my husband to return for another holiday to Greece but he’s saying not next year so I envy you.

I have to admit limited tolerance for ferries. I can enjoy an hour or two; beyond that, I'm tend to become bored. I think it's something that different people experience differently.

As to dream on's love of ferries & repeated stops in Athens -- I can agree --- When there is TIME. On my first trip, way back when, I did just that, but I had 31 days. The OP has listed 23 days (you can't count homebound-flight day) ... and has indicated wanting to spend about 14 days of that in the Island portion, PLUS Nafplio & vicinity, PLUS considerable time in Athens. You cannot do that, and also use up the better part of day day, for expample, taking a Blue Star (big, open-deck) ferry from the Cyclades to Pireaus. The closed-in,, so-called Fast ferries, aren't really that much faster, cost a whole lot, and are no fun at all. Teens would absolutly hate them, also.

You certainly helped me have a great trip! 😀