Blog · 6 November 2026
Greece from India: Athens, Santorini, Mykonos and Crete, how many days, and what a trip costs
Greece is two holidays in one. Athens has the Acropolis and some of the oldest ruins in Europe, and a short ferry or flight away are the white villages and blue sea of the islands. It's one of the gentler ways into Europe for a first trip: the weather is warm for much of the year, the food has plenty for vegetarians, and the main places are close enough to see in a week or so.
How many days do you need?
Plan on seven to ten days. Give Athens three days: one for the Acropolis and the old town, one for museums and markets, and one for a day trip to Delphi or Meteora, or an evening drive to Cape Sounion. Then pick one or two islands. Santorini is the famous one, with cliff-top villages and sunsets, and three nights there is about right. Mykonos is smaller and livelier, and two nights is enough. With ten days or more, add Crete for its beaches, gorge walks and the palace at Knossos. Fly into and out of Athens, and move between the islands by ferry or a short flight.
What a trip costs
For a couple flying from Delhi and staying in a midrange hotel, a 10-day Greece trip in December comes to about ₹6,09,100, or ₹3,04,550 per person. That covers return flights, ferries or flights between the islands, the hotel, food, local transport, the attractions we pick for you, the Schengen visa, travel insurance and a 10% buffer. Island hotels cost much more in summer, so the month you travel and the islands you choose change the total the most.
You can change the dates, travellers, hotel, places and attractions on our Greece trip cost page and see every line update.
Attractions worth paying for
- Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens: about ₹3,180 per adult. Go at opening time; by late morning it is hot and crowded, and tickets are for a set time slot.
- Acropolis Museum: about ₹2,120. It sits below the hill and is a good place to cool down after the climb.
- Delphi day trip from Athens: about ₹10,600, or the longer Meteora day trip, with monasteries on top of rock towers, at about ₹15,900.
- Cape Sounion sunset trip to the Temple of Poseidon: about ₹5,830.
- Caldera sunset catamaran cruise in Santorini: about ₹13,780. It's the one splurge most people remember, and usually includes a swim stop and dinner on board.
- Akrotiri archaeological site in Santorini, a Bronze Age town buried by a volcano: about ₹1,908.
- Delos island boat trip from Mykonos: about ₹7,420. The whole island is an ancient site.
- Knossos palace in Crete: about ₹2,120, and the Balos lagoon boat trip: about ₹4,240.
Free and cheap things to do
Walk the lanes of Plaka and Monastiraki below the Acropolis, and climb Lycabettus Hill for the sunset over Athens. In Santorini, the cliff path from Fira to Oia is free and gives the same views the expensive hotels sell. In Mykonos, Little Venice and the windmills at sunset cost nothing, and in Crete the old Venetian harbour at Chania is lovely in the evening. Public beaches all over Greece are free.
When to go
June to September is peak season: hot, sunny and busy, with the highest hotel and ferry prices on the islands. April, May and October are the best value: warm enough to swim by late May, with fewer crowds and lower prices. From November to March many island hotels close and ferries run less often, but Athens stays open and is pleasant for sightseeing. Summer days in Athens often pass 33°C, so plan ruins for the early morning.
Visa for Indians
Greece is in the Schengen area, so Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa. The visa fee is €90 for an adult, plus the service charge at the visa centre. Apply at the Greek visa centre if Greece is your main or only country, and book your appointment early, because slots fill up fast before the summer. The same visa lets you add Italy or another Schengen country to the trip.
Tips that save money
- Go in May or late September and October; island hotels can cost half of what they do in August.
- Stay in Fira or Kamari in Santorini rather than Oia, and walk or take a bus to Oia for the sunset.
- Book island ferries early in summer, and compare them with short flights from Athens.
- Greek food is easy for vegetarians: try spanakopita, gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers), Greek salad and fava. Bakeries are a cheap breakfast.
Want the numbers for your own dates and group? Plan your Greece trip and send it to us for live flight and hotel prices.