Greece Guided Tours

Essential Greece Travel Tips

From entry requirements and local transport to island ferries and connectivity, these practical tips will help you travel around Greece with confidence.

Visa & Entry

Citizens of many countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and EU member states, can usually visit Greece visa-free for short stays. Before travelling, confirm the current entry requirements that apply to your nationality.

Currency & Payments

Greece uses the Euro (€). Credit and debit cards are accepted in most cities and tourist destinations, although cash remains useful in smaller villages, on less-visited islands, and at some family-run tavernas. Access to cash is generally straightforward in cities and larger towns, while smaller islands may have more limited banking facilities. Tipping around 10% in restaurants is appreciated, not obligatory.

Getting Around

Mainland Greece has a well-developed bus network and a more limited rail system linking major cities, while an extensive ferry network connects the islands, particularly from the ports of Piraeus (Athens) and Rafina. For the Peloponnese, Epirus, and mountain regions, private transfers or organised tours are typically the most practical option, since the most rewarding destinations often lie off the main transport corridors. Most Greece tours depart from Athens or Thessaloniki.

Health & Safety

Greece is a safe destination for tourists with low rates of serious crime. Standard urban precautions apply in Athens. Hiking in Epirus and the Pindus Mountains, including Vikos Gorge and Mount Olympus, requires proper footwear and preparation, as terrain can be demanding and trails are sometimes remote. If you plan to hike, kayak, sail, or take part in other outdoor activities, make sure your insurance policy covers them.

Connectivity

Greece has reliable 4G coverage across cities, mainland towns, and most popular islands. EU roaming rules apply for European travellers. Coverage can be patchy on smaller islands and in remote mountainous areas of mainland Greece. Prepaid SIM cards are easy to purchase at airports, shopping centres, and mobile phone stores throughout Greece.

Language

Greek is written using its own alphabet, which may seem unfamiliar at first but quickly becomes useful for reading road signs, menus, and place names. English is widely spoken in Athens, on the islands, and throughout the tourism industry. In rural mountain villages, especially in Epirus, English may be more limited. Learning efcharistó (thank you) and kaliméra (good morning) is always appreciated.

Climate Across Greece

Greece's climate shifts noticeably between its mainland mountains, its Aegean islands, and its Ionian coast — each with its own rhythm and its own best season.

Mainland & Athens

Most of mainland Greece, including Athens, has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers (June–August) regularly reaching 30–35 °C, and mild, wetter winters averaging 10–14 °C. Spring and autumn are generally the most comfortable seasons for sightseeing, with daytime temperatures around 18–24 °C and far less heat to contend with at major archaeological sites.

The islands & Aegean coast

The Aegean islands, including Santorini, Mykonos, and the Cyclades, share the Mediterranean pattern but with the moderating effect of the sea — slightly cooler summer nights and a famous afternoon wind known as the meltemi, which picks up most strongly in July and August. Sea temperatures peak around 24–26 °C in August, making the beach season run from late May through October on the warmest islands.

Greece's Mountain Regions

The mountains of northern and central Greece follow a different seasonal rhythm. The Pindus range and Mount Olympus see genuinely cold, snowy winters, with snow on the higher peaks from November through April. Summers in the mountains are notably cooler than the coast, rarely exceeding 25 °C, with afternoon thunderstorms possible in July and August. The main hiking season generally runs from May to October, peaking in June and September.

Crete

Crete has its own microclimate, generally warmer than the mainland and with a longer summer season. The south coast, sheltered from northern winds, can feel almost North African in its warmth, while the White Mountains in the island's interior hold snow well into spring — making Crete one of the few places in Greece where snowy mountain landscapes and warm beach weather can be enjoyed during the same season.

When to Visit Greece

Greece rewards visitors in every season, but the right month depends heavily on what kind of trip you're after — ancient ruins, island beaches, or mountain trails all have their own sweet spot.

Best Overall: May–June & September–October

Late spring and early autumn are widely considered the best all-round months to visit Greece. Archaeological sites are far less crowded and less brutally hot than in midsummer, sea temperatures are still pleasant, and mountain trails in Epirus are fully accessible. Most Greece tour packages combining history, islands, and nature schedule their core departures within this window.

Peak Summer: July & August

High season for the islands, with Santorini, Mykonos, and the Cyclades at their busiest and most expensive. The meltemi wind is strongest during these months, which is ideal for sailing but can complicate ferry schedules. Mainland sightseeing in Athens and the Peloponnese is best tackled early morning to avoid both crowds and peak heat.

Hiking Season: May to October

The Pindus Mountains, Zagori's stone villages, Vikos Gorge, and Mount Olympus are best explored between May and October, with June and September offering the most reliable combination of clear trails and comfortable temperatures. July and August bring afternoon thunderstorms at altitude, which experienced guides plan around.

Winter: Ruins Without the Crowds

Winter is a genuinely rewarding time to focus on Greece's archaeological and cultural sites — Athens, Delphi, Mycenae, and Meteora are all dramatically quieter, and Athens itself has a lively café and museum culture year-round. Snow covers the highest peaks of the Pindus Mountains and Crete's White Mountains from December through March, while Greece's ski resorts operate mainly on the mainland. 

Festivals & Events

The Athens Epidaurus Festival (May–October, with its main programme running from June to August) brings ancient drama back to life in the very theatres it was written for, including performances at the 4th-century BC Epidaurus theatre. Easter (Orthodox calendar, often later than Western Easter) is one of Greece's most significant cultural events, especially memorable on Crete and in mountain villages.

Greek Food & Drink

Greek food is built on simplicity, seasonality, and centuries of Mediterranean tradition — and every region, from Crete to Epirus, tells its own version of the story.

Greek Cuisine: Simple, Seasonal, Deeply Regional

Greek cooking relies on a small number of exceptional ingredients rather than complexity: olive oil, tomatoes, lemon, herbs, fresh fish, and grilled meat, paired with vegetables that often taste as though they were picked that morning — because, especially in rural Greece, many of them are. Crete and the islands lean heavily on seafood and wild greens; the mountains of Epirus favour pies, dairy, and slow-cooked meat; and the Peloponnese is one of Greece's most important olive oil and wine-producing regions.

What to Eat

Souvlaki and gyros are Greece's defining street foods — grilled meat wrapped in pita with tomato, onion, and tzatziki — but many traditional Greek meals begin with or include a selection of small plates known as mezedes: tzatziki, dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), saganaki (fried cheese), and grilled octopus. Moussaka, a layered baked dish of aubergine, minced meat, and béchamel, is the classic comfort dish found across the country. In Epirus, look for pita in its savoury form — flaky pies filled with local cheese, wild greens, or leeks, a mountain tradition distinct from the islands' lighter fare. Crete has its own culinary identity entirely, built around wild herbs, snails, and the island's distinctive olive oil, often credited as a foundation of the original Mediterranean diet studies.

Drinking Culture

Greek wine has a documented history stretching back over 4,000 years, and the country's indigenous grape varieties — Assyrtiko from Santorini, Agiorgitiko from Nemea — are gaining serious international recognition. Ouzo, the anise-flavoured spirit, is the classic accompaniment to seafood mezedes, traditionally served with water and ice that turns the drink cloudy white. Greek coffee, prepared unfiltered in a small pot called a briki, remains a daily ritual, alongside the now-ubiquitous frappé (iced instant coffee) on hot afternoons.

Eating Well While Touring Greece

The best Greek food is rarely found in the most photographed tavernas. It's in family-run kitchens in Zagori villages serving pies made that morning, in Cretan farmhouses where the olive oil comes from trees on the property, and in Athens neighbourhood spots away from the main tourist routes near the Acropolis. Several Greece tours through Balkan Tours Club include dedicated culinary experiences: cooking classes in Athens, farm visits and gastronomy walks in Crete, and wine tastings in the Peloponnese.

Greece's Must-Visit Destinations

Greece spans mainland mountains, a sprawling archipelago, and centuries of layered history, so most guided tours focus on a coherent region rather than the whole country. Here are the destinations that anchor most Greece travel packages.

Athens

Greece's capital is where most journeys begin, and it more than earns a full day or two before heading further afield. The Acropolis and its Parthenon remain among the world's most recognisable archaeological landmarks, but Athens also offers the sprawling ancient agora, the National Archaeological Museum's staggering collection, and the Plaka neighbourhood's tangle of cafés and tavernas beneath the Acropolis rock. Athens serves as the main starting and ending point for the majority of Greece tours

Delphi

Set dramatically into the slopes of Mount Parnassus, Delphi was considered by the ancient Greeks to be the centre of the world, and the seat of the Oracle whose pronouncements shaped the decisions of kings and city-states for centuries. The site's temple ruins, ancient theatre, and museum (home to the famous bronze Charioteer statue) make it one of the most atmospheric archaeological sites in the country.

Meteora

Few sights in Greece are as immediately astonishing as Meteora: a cluster of Eastern Orthodox monasteries built directly onto the summits of soaring sandstone pillars in Thessaly, some dating back to the 14th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Meteora combines genuine religious significance with a landscape so dramatic it regularly appears in countless films and photographs.

Nafplio & Mycenae

Nafplio, a graceful Venetian-influenced port town in the Peloponnese, makes an excellent base for exploring the legendary sites of Mycenae (the Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus) and the Sanctuary of Epidaurus, with its near-perfectly preserved ancient theatre still used for performances today. The nearby fortified town of Monemvasia and Byzantine Mystras add further depth to any Peloponnese itinerary.

Zagori

Tucked into the Pindus Mountains of Epirus, Zagori is a region of 46 traditional stone villages connected by ancient arched bridges and surrounded by some of Greece's most dramatic mountain scenery, including Vikos Gorge — among the deepest canyons in the world relative to its width. It has become a hub for a rapidly growing hiking and self-guided trekking scene, revealing a completely different side of Greece far removed from the island experience.

Crete

Greece's largest island is essentially a country within a country: Minoan palaces at Knossos, the dramatic White Mountains and Samaria Gorge, distinctive regional cuisine, and beaches ranging from the postcard-famous Balos and Elafonissi to quiet coves far from the main tourist routes. Crete rewards travellers who give it more than a day or two, and several guided tours focus on the island exclusively.

Santorini & the Cyclades

Santorini's caldera views and whitewashed villages built into volcanic cliffs remain one of the most photographed sights in the Mediterranean, and for good reason. Beyond Santorini, the wider Cyclades — Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, and quieter islands like Serifos and Milos — offer everything from buzzing nightlife to near-empty beaches, often connected by ferry for island-hopping itineraries.