Many people travel to Greece to spend time along its coast or on one of its myriad islands—a holiday destination that leaves salt on your skin. And there’s good reason to come for that alone, although it gives little sense of a country that is roughly 80 percent mountainous. Beyond the beach there are farming villages where a scenic adventure can segue into local wine and seasonal, farm-to-table food. Some places are worth visiting for a particular occasion: the grape harvest, or an Orthodox feast that brings a village’s scattered families home. Naturally, the best time to visit Greece depends on which of those pleasures you want to build a trip around. An Easter visit calls for early hotel reservations, while an island holiday late in the year needs a close look at ferry schedules and hotel closing dates. For help with those choices, we draw on recommendations from Curated Greece co-founders Vasilis Sarmantas and Seetha Ramanathan, along with Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist Ronnie Liadis of Liadis Travel.
Jump to:
When is the best month to travel to Greece?
What is the temperature in Greece by month?
What is the cheapest time to go to Greece?
When is peak season in Greece?
How many days are enough for a trip to Greece?
What are the nicest parts of Greece to visit?
Do Americans need a visa to visit Greece?
Plan your stay
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
When is the best month to travel to Greece?
September is the best month for a first visit to Greece that combines Athens with an island. The sea has had all summer to warm up, and ferries still serve the main routes frequently. Sarmantas and Ramanathan recommend it for beach holidays with fewer crowds than midsummer: In the Cyclades, the Aegean island group that includes Mykonos and Santorini, the most sought-after hotels remain busy well into the month of September, and sometimes even October.
Late May to early June is these experts’ other preferred window, near the start of a beach season —which generally lasts until early October. Liadis favors May for wildflowers and comfortable weather, though the sea can feel cool this time of year. The water is warmest from July to September, Sarmantas and Ramanathan told us.
April and May are good months to visit Greece for sightseeing. Cooler weather lets you linger at exposed sites such as the Acropolis, the ancient hilltop citadel of Athens, and the open-air theater at Epidaurus on the Peloponnese peninsula southwest of Athens.
For a trip in late October, look to Athens or larger southern islands such as Crete and Rhodes, where more hotels stay open year-round. On smaller resort islands, check hotel closing dates alongside ferry schedules before settling on a destination.
What is the temperature in Greece by month?
July and August are the hottest months, but keep in mind that an Athens forecast tells you little about a village high in the Pindus mountains of the northern mainland. The table below gives a broad seasonal guide using historical monthly averages for five destinations: Athens, the northern city of Thessaloniki, Corfu Town, Heraklion (on Crete), and Rhodes Town. Each range spans the lowest and highest city average in that group. These are benchmarks, so individual days, especially during heat waves, can be considerably hotter.
In summer, plan archaeological visits for the earliest entry time available, and check the site’s hours that morning since extreme heat can bring abrupt closures. The EU’s Copernicus climate service recorded extreme heat stress in parts of Greece during summer 2025. Hot, dry, and windy conditions also raise wildfire risk: consult Civil Protection’s daily risk map before a rural excursion and follow local restrictions and any 112 evacuation alerts. Keep in mind that a clear sky does not guarantee a smooth ferry crossing. The meltemi, a northerly wind over the Aegean, can take the edge off a hot beach afternoon while roughening the sea enough to disrupt ferries. When strong winds are forecast, confirm your sailing with the operator before heading to the port.
