Epic Greece Road Trip Itinerary For 10 Days: Explore Highlights
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Table of Contents
Overview Of Greece Road Trip Itinerary For 10 Days
Europe Travel Checklist
How To Get Around Greece: Public Transportation In Greece: KTEL Buses
0. DAY: ARRIVE IN ATHENS
Where To Stay In Athens: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
1. DAY: ATHENS
Sightseeing In Athens: Part 1
2. DAY: ATHENS
Sightseeing In Athens: Part 2
Traditional Zorba Dancing
3. DAY: ATHENS ⇒ CORINTH DAY TRIP
4. DAY: ATHENS ⇒ METEORA
In Which Towns To Stay Near Meteora
Where To Stay Near Meteora: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
5. DAY: METEORA
How To Get To Meteora Monasteries
Meteora Monasteries Interesting Facts
Practical Information For Your Meteora Visit
Which Meteora Moasteries Are Worth Visiting?
6. DAY: METEORA ⇒ THESSALONIKI
Sightseeing In Thessaloniki: Part 1
Where To Stay In Thessaloniki: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
7. DAY: THESSALONIKI ⇒ KAVALA
Sightseeing In Thessaloniki: Part 2
Where To Stay In Kavala: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
8. DAY: KAVALA
Sightseeing In Kavala
How To Get To Philippi
Ferry Information From Kavala To Thasos Island
9. DAY: KAVALA ⇒ THASOS
How To Get From Kavala To Thasos Island In Greece
Where To Stay In Thasos: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
10. DAY: THASOS ISLAND
More Tips For European Travel
Greece is a beloved destination for many travelers. But many of them eventually make their way to the Greek islands without exploring the rest – the Greek mainland. Therefore, I have created a Greece road trip itinerary for 10 days to guide you through Greece and Greek mainland highlights.
Our Greece road trip itinerary will start in the capital, Athens. After, we’ll explore national wonders, great natural spots, historical cities and finish on a Greek island, where you can chill, reflect on your journey, and enjoy Greek beaches. Let’s dive into our Greek journey.
Overview Of Greece Road Trip Itinerary For 10 Days
- DAY: Athens
- DAY: Athens
- DAY: Day trip to Corinth Canal
- DAY: Athens ⇒ Meteora
- DAY: Meteora
- DAY: Meteora ⇒ Thessaloniki
- DAY: Thessaloniki ⇒ Kavala
- DAY: Kavala
- DAY: Kavala ⇒ Ferry ⇒ Thasos island
- DAY: Thasos Island
Europe Travel Checklist
Before you set off for your Greek adventure, there are a couple of things you’ll need to manage. Here are the top essentials for you to think of before traveling to Europe/Greece:
- travel insurance
- car rental/train pass/tickets
- book a flight
- passport
- visa
- accommodation
Travel Insurance For Europe
Choosing travel insurance can be doubting. So I’ve done extensive research for you on the best travel insurance for Europe. Check out my article for a comparison of the best 3 travel insurance companies, so you can choose for yourself.
Get The Best Travel Insurance For Europe
Car Rental/Train Pass
You’ll need to decide whether you want to do this itinerary as a road trip and rent a car in Greece, or travel by train. If you want to rent a car, check out Local Rent company for the best deals.
For private transfers, check out Get Transfers. They offer reliable transfer services within Europe. Especially if you travel in a small group, it can be a good deal to book with them.
I don’t recommend traveling buy train in Greece. Their railway system is just developing, only offering train routes between main cities such as Athens and Thessaloniki.
If you decide to buy single tickets, check Trainline company. I always use them to search for and buy train tickets as they can reduce your fares significantly.
*Note that it’s much easier to do this itinerary with a car. Simply because you won’t get by train everywhere.
Book A Flight
Another thing you’ll need to do is to book a flight ticket.
Use flight aggregators to check the top flight deals. They gather information and all flight tickets from airlines around the world and select the best deals for you. Among the best are Skyscanner, Hopper, Kayak, and Priceline.
After you see the results in their search engines, I recommend going to the website of the particular airline they showed you. Check on the airline site for how much they offer for the same flight ticket.
If the price is more or less the same, book directly with the airline (simply because it’s easier to communicate with them if issues happen during your journey). If a flight aggregator has a much cheaper ticket, book with them.
Passport & Visa
Check the expiration date of your passport. Most airlines don’t even take you on board if your passport expires in 6 months. Avoid issues with boarding and on the road. Make sure your passport won’t expire in the next 8 months. Think about how long you’ll travel as you still have to come back home with the passport.
Lastly, check if you need visa to Greece. One of the best site for visa pre-check is iVisa. They also inform you about other necessary documents you might need to travel to Greece.
Accommodation
When you go through this Greece road trip itinerary, you’ll get accommodation tips from me in each place/city. So just scroll down and find the best hotel deals and beautiful accommodation spots in each day.
How To Get Around Greece: Public Transportation In Greece: KTEL Bus
This itinerary is designed as a road trip through Greece. I suggest you rent a car in Athens from the 3. day and travel by car until day 8 of this itinerary before departing the ferry to Thasos island.
If you don’t feel like driving a car, you can also do the entire itinerary with local buses. The leading bus company here in Greece is called KTEL. Their buses are comfortable and have a regular timetable for the routes you’ll cover on this itinerary. So you choose the best option for you.
You can check all bus connections at the KTEL website, which is the official bus company in Greece. However, in Greece, I highly recommend you come directly to the bus station a day before your trip to book your tickets. Their websites are not easy to navigate and most often in Greek language. Staff at the bus station speaks English so they’ll help you out reserving your ticket.
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 0. DAY: ARRIVE IN ATHENS
Our Greek itinerary will start in Athens, the capital. Take your time to check-in to your accommodation and get the first impressions of Athens going to Monastiraki square in the evening.
You can go to the 360 Cocktail bar and enjoy the first sights of the Acropolis.
Where to stay in Athens: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 1. DAY: ATHENS
Our Greek exploration starts in the capital of Greece. Athens is the oldest European city. It’s also a cradle of democracy. You’ll find many different architectural styles varying from Greco-Roman to Neoclassical up to modern architecture. The city has been named after the Greek Goddess of wisdom and war – Athena.
Let’s start our Athens 2-day itinerary today. Here are the sites I suggest you see:
Sightseeing in Athens
- National Archaeological Museum
- Syntagma Square
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Church of the Assumption of the virgin Mary
- Monastiraki Square
Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square is a great place to get some snacks and coffee before you explore it further. It’s the home for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and also the Old Royal Palace, hosting the Hellenic Parliament.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
It’s located in front of the Old Royal Palace, it commemorates those fallen during the wars. There are inscriptions with names of soldiers who died in the First and Second Balkan War, Greco-Turkish War, and World War I. and II.
What you can’t miss is the changing of guards in front of the tomb. They’re called Evzones presidential guards, and the changing ceremony is every hour.
Monastiraki Square
Monastiraki square is one of the busiest squares situated at the heart of Athens. You can visit the Monastiraki Flea Market, wander through the streets around and buy some local Greek products and souvenirs.
Get The Best Chocolate Cake In Athens
In the afternoon, I highly recommend you visit the bakery called Nancy’s Sweet Home. You can treat yourself with the best chocolate cake ever here. It’s definitely the best choco cake in Greece. But maybe in the whole Europe.
Evening cocktail with views of Acropolis
For the evening, I recommend you stay within Monastiraki and get some dinner. There are many restaurants. Afterwards, go up to the 360 Cocktail bar at Monastiraki square for a nice cocktail with the best views of Acropolis.
Also, Athens is very famous for its theatre stages, as it hosts all together 148 of them. Check out some of them and enjoy a performance even in the open-air in one of these old Athens theatres in the evening.
If you’re interested, find out more about the open-air theatres in Athens.
Have some sleep as tomorrow we will continue our Athens tour, visiting the most famous landmark in Athens.
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 2. DAY: ATHENS
Let’s see the highlights of Athens today. We’re going to explore the famous Acropolis and its museum. In the afternoon, you’ll get the chance to wander through one of the oldest Greek neighbourhoods in Athens. Have some delicious Greek yogurt with honey for breakfast, and let the city tour start.
Here is the suggested itinerary for today:
Sightseeing in Athens
- Acropolis
- Parthenon
- The Greek Flag
- The Erecthion
- Acropolis Museum
- Plaka District
Acropolis
Visit Acropolis in the morning (best right after opening when it isn’t so hot in summer and there are fewer tourists). This is where democracy was born in the past. It used to be one of the most important political and cultural centers worldwide. Back then, everything was ruled from Acropolis.
‘acros’ means hill, and ‘polis’ is a city in the Greek language
In Greece, the cities have been built around the Acropolis. It’s because Acropolis always served as a refugee for the inhabitants during a war or any threat. That is why also the most important buildings were built on the Acropolis. These are Parthenon, The Greek Flag, and Erecthion.
Parthenon
Parthenon is the symbol of western civilization and democracy. It was dedicated to the Greek Goddess Athena and is translated as the ‘apartment of the virgin.’ Even though it has been reconstructed several times, it’s one of the most important buildings that stand until today.
The Greek Flag
It’s situated in northeast corner of Acropolis. The Greek Flag symbolizes Greek culture and statehood and the place where the Evzone (Greek guard) was protecting and guarding Athens city during the Nazi occupation. You’ll get a fantastic view of the whole city from this spot, so don’t miss it.
The Erecthion
It’s the most sacred place of Acropolis. It was the place where Athena and Poseidon were competing for the honor of being the patron of the city.
As the Greek mythology says, Athena touched the ground with a spear, where an olive tree grew. Poseidon hit his trident into a rock and a spring burst. Athena scored the victory and was named the Patron of Athens.
Acropolis Museum
It’s built over the ancient ruins and has many glass floors so that you can see the excavations. This museum is so much worth a visit. You’ll learn a lot about the history of Acropolis and Athens. I am not the biggest musem fan, so you must believe when I say the Acropolis Museum is really worth visiting.
Plaka District
Walk through this beautiful Greek neighbourhood full of small family shops. You can buy local products and eat great food.
Acropolis Skip-the-Line Ticket
It’s s the most visited place in entire Greece and believe me, you don’t want to waste your time in line buying tickets. Instead, get the skip-the-line ticket before, which includes the entrance and an audio guide for your visit.
Evening In Athens & Traditional Zorba Dancing
In the evening, I suggest you have a delicious Greek dinner in some restaurant in the Plaka district and watch the traditional Greek dancers performing Zorba dancing. Join them after dinner and let your soul and mind control your body dancing. That’s how they do it. Just forget about everything and dance based on your feelings.
I highly recommend the Geros Tou Moria Restaurant. It has delicious food and the Zorba dancers are amazing.
Geros Tou Moria Restaurant Address: Mnisikleous 27, Athens
Enjoy the evening in the Greek capital. Tomorrow, we’ll take a day trip to another exciting site of Greek history.
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 3. DAY: ATHENS ⇒ CORINTH DAY TRIP
From today on, I recommend you hire a car so that you can explore the Greek mainland at your own pace. Hire the car today in Athens, and you’ll use it until day 8 of this Greece itinerary.
Today, you’re going to one of the most ancient cities in Greek history. The main site we are going to see is the Corinth Canal. Its construction was one of the most important milestones in Greek history, and you’ll soon find out why.
Distance Athens –} Corinth Canal by car: 1-hour drive
Corinth Canal
Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Aegean Sea. In the past, the ships had to cruise from the Ionian Sea around the entire Peloponnese Peninsula to get to Athens (Aegean Sea). As a result, its construction made it much easier for the ships to get to the Aegean Sea.
Nowadays, they can get to the Aegean Sea much faster thanks to the Corinth Canal. It’s saving them almost 700km (430 miles). What is more, it has converted the Peloponnese into an island, as it separated it from the Greek mainland.
Interesting Facts About Corinth Canal
- Corinth Canal is 25 metres (81ft.) wide and 6,4km (4 miles) long
- connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Aegean Sea
- saves the journey for ship by almost 700km (430 miles)
- has separated the Peloponnese peninsula from the Greek mainland, making it a Peloponnese island
If you’re an adventurous soul, you can do bungee-jumping from one of the bridges straight into the Canal.
Get A Snack Near The Corinth Canal
There are two bridges over the Canal, from where you can get the best view. I recommend you go to the Corinth Canal old bridge. When you are approaching the Canal by car, descend from the main road E8. There is a lovely coffee shop where you can get Greek snacks and great food. It’s called Coffee food Μαργαρίτα.
After, you can continue to Corinth city, which is just a 10-minutes drive from the Canal.
Corinth City
After seeing the Canal, you may also visit Corinth city. It used to be the wealthiest city of the ancient world and a crucial commercial centre until Athens gained its importance. Nowadays, it is a nice town with a pleasant atmosphere and a beach. Enjoy the walk through the city, get great food, and go to the beach – Paralia Kalmia.
Drive Back To Athens & Visit Olympic Stadium
In the afternoon, go back to Athens. On the way, you can check out the Olympic stadium in Athens – the Panathenaic Stadium. The Greeks built it for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
It’s the only stadium in the world constructed from white marble. Nowadays, they organize many concerts and performances here.
Enjoy the evening in one of the neighbourhoods in Athens.
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 4. DAY: ATHENS ⇒ METEORA
Good morning to Athens. Today, we’re leaving the Greek capital to explore other unique places of this country. The impressive Meteora is the next on our Greece road trip itinerary.
You’ll be driving north today. But before, you have to decide where you want to spend the night. That place will also be your starting point tomorrow to explore Meteora.
In Which Town To Stay Near Meteora
- Kalabaka town
- Kastraki village
- Trikala
Kalabaka town
Distance Athens –} Kalabaka: 4 hours drive
In Kalabaka, there are many options for accommodation. Tomorrow, we’ll start in Kalabaka and head up to the rocks to explore Meteora monasteries. Kalabaka is the village from where you will access them. There is a sightseeing bus that will take you directly to Meteora.
Kastraki village
Distance Athens –} Kastraki: 4 hours 5 minutes drive
Kastraki village is the closest to Meteora monasteries, only 5 minutes further from Kalabaka. It lies just below the rock formations you will explore tomorrow. It’s a tiny village, and the accommodation might get slightly expensive here. Tomorrow, you can access Meteora by the same sightseeing bus from this village as from Kalabaka.
My personal preference would be to stay in Kastraki village – you will get the real experience, stay in nature and right under the Meteora rocks.
Trikala
Distance Athens –} Trikala: 3 hours 30 minutes’ drive
Trikala is a city located 30 minutes drive from Kalambaka. There is a direct bus from Trikala to Kalabaka, from where you’ll change to the sightseeing bus to Meteora. Or you can also drive to Kalabaka and leave your car there in the morning.
If you want to explore another Greek city and don’t mind being slightly further from Meteora, book accommodation in Trikala.
If you take the bus from Trikala to Kalabaka, the best way is to go directly to the bus station in Trikala and book your bus tickets for tomorrow. In Greece, it’s much easier to book tickets directly at the bus station, rather than booking online. Their websites aren’t so easy to navigate through and often written in the Greek language.
Decide based on your preferences, where you want to drive and stay overnight. Tomorrow we’ll head to explore Meteora.
Where to stay near Meteora: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
Kalabaka Accommodation Tips:
Kastraki village Accommodation Tips:
TSIKELI HOTEL METEORA – ADULTS ONLY
Trikala Accommodation Tips:
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 5. DAY: METEORA
I hope you slept well in any of the suggested places. Let’s explore the incredible Meteora monasteries on the rock formations.
Important Info For Women Visiting Meteora Monasteries
Women visiting meteora monasteries have to cover their shoulders and knees, so either take clothes with long sleeves or take a scarf to cover yourself when entering the monasteries. Otherwise, you can’t go inside the monasteries.
How To Get To Meteora Monasteries
The first option for you is to drive a car there. However, the road is very curvy. So if you don’t like driving on tiny streets, getting rid of every bus and car, then I suggest you take the sightseeing bus.
The bus leaves from Kalambaka town and also stops in Kastraki village. If you stay in Trikala, you can take a local bus from Trikala to Kalambaka, where you change to the sightseeing bus to Meteora.
Sightseeing Bus To Meteora Monasteries
As for the tickets, a single way from Kalambaka is 1,80 Euros. You can also purchase a day-ticket for 5,50 Euros. With the day-ticket, you can hop off, see one monastery, wait for the bus, hop on and transfer to another monastery. You can buy the tickets directly with the bus driver.
Check out the times of the Meteora sightseeing bus and more information for the bus from Kalambaka/Kastraki village to Meteora. You’ll also find the opening hours of the monasteries on it.
Meteora Monasteries Interesting Facts
Meteora means ‘in the heavens above,’ and this name perfectly describes its position.
- It’s a large and significant complex of Orthodox monasteries, which are located on the steep rocks of Meteora.
- In Byzantine times, monks were building their monasteries high on the top of these rock formations as they believed they would be closer to God this way.
- These rock sculptures were formed some 60 million years ago by weathering and earthquakes.
- The monasteries were constructed in the 11th century, and there were initially 24 of them. Nowadays, only 6 are left, which are also accessible to the public.
How Did Monks Meteora Monasteries?
Are you wondering how the monks accessed these monasteries in the past? There were no bridges and pathways to them at that time. The monks used large nets to haul them up or climb up a long ladder to reach the monasteries. You can still see the nets nowadays.
Practical Information For Your Meteora Visit
You can visit all 6 monasteries or stick to some of them. They all have a lot in common – a chapel, rooms where Monks used to live decorated with frescoes, and cellars for food storage. I recommend you start at the top, the furthest monastery (Great Meteoron Monastery), and then continue down the road visiting other monasteries on the way (Varlaam and Roussanou monasteries).
The entrance to each of them is 3 Euros, so if you don’t want to pay extra for visiting all of them, I suggest you stick to the first three monasteries and see the others from the outside. You’ll buy the tickets right at the entrance to each monastery. There is no need to purchase anything in advance.
Meteora Monasteries
- Great Meteoron – is the largest, highest, and the oldest monastery of all 6
- The Holy Monastery of Varlaam – the second largest monastery in the complex
- Roussanou
- St. Nikolaos Anapafsas
- Holy Trinity
- St. Stehpen’s
Holy Trinity and St. Stehpen’s monasteries are slightly off the road, but you can still visit them and return to the Kalambaka town from the other side:
Which Meteora Monasteries Are Worth Visiting?
What I recommend is to take the bus from Kalambaka to Great Meteoron Monastery, explore the monastery and walk to the other two monasteries – The Holy Monastery of Varlaam and Rossanou. You can explore all three at your pace and don’t have to wait for the bus to come.
I think it’s just enough to see 3 monasteries, and these are the most significant ones. After, you can walk down to the Kastraki village and have some lunch there.
If you want, you can continue to explore other monasteries and take the bus from Rossanou again to the other two monasteries – Holy Trinity and St. Stephen’s. After, you can walk down to Kalambaka town or take the sightseeing bus back to the town.
Get back to your accommodation in the evening and have a rest as tomorrow, we’ll set off to another Greek city.
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 6. DAY: METEORA ⇒ THESSALONIKI
Today, we’ll continue our Greece road trip itinerary, going to a new Greek region. On the way, you’ll be passing by Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and the home of the Greek Gods.
Distance Kalambaka –} Thessaloniki: 2 hours 40 minutes’ drive
Distance Trikala –} Thessaloniki: 2 hours 20 minutes’ drive
Thessaloniki
In the afternoon, we’ll reach a new city, Thessaloniki. It has a rich cultural and historical background. In the past, Thessaloniki was part of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) and later was conquered by the Ottoman Empire (Turks).
This has lead to a wide cultural diversity. Moreover, it’s part of the Macedonian region, so you are now standing in two different places – still in Greece, but at the same time, in Macedonia.
Macedonia is a region that spreads through the following 6 Balkan countries: the northern part of Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, and the southern part of Bulgaria.
Leave your bags at your accommodation, and let’s head to the city. Below, I’m giving you suggestions for what to see in Thessaloniki. You can plan to see some of them today but leave some also for tomorrow. Tomorrow, you’ll have almost the entire day to explore Thessaloniki, too.
Thessaloniki Interesting Facts
- Thessaloniki was named after the Macedonian princess, half-sister of Alexander the Great. This name consists of two words – ‘Thessaly,’ the Greek region south of Macedonia, and ‘Nike,’ meaning a victory.
- Paul the Apostle visited Thessaloniki back in 50 AD. Thanks to this visit, Thessaloniki was one of the first places where Christianity was evangelized. Later, they established Christianity as the Roman Empire’s official religion, which was agreed on in Thessaloniki.
- Thessaloniki is also the birthplace of brothers Cyril and Methodius, who invented the oldest Slavic alphabet. Their theory and teachings later led to the creation of the Cyrillic script, which many Slavic languages use in their alphabet nowadays.
- You’ll find many Christian and Byzantine monuments, as Thessaloniki was one of the most important cities within the Byzantine Empire.
Sightseeing In Thessaloniki
- Aristotelous Square
- Hagia Sophia
- Rotunda
- White Tower
- Ladadika
Aristotelous Square
Most of the public celebrations, public and cultural events in Thessaloniki took place in this square. It’s a great starting point for your tour. If the sky is clear, stand on the square facing the sea – you might spot the peak of Mt. Olympus from here.
Hagia Sophia
Back in the times, the construction of this church was inspired by the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul (former Constantinople). It was the main church in Thessaloniki. Admire its impressive Byzantine architecture.
Rotunda
Rotunda is a temple, which has a fascinating history. It was a pagan temple and Christian church, and in the Ottoman Empire, it served as a mosque.
White Tower
The White Tower is today’s symbol of Thessaloniki. It wasn’t always a white tower in the past. It was used as a prison, where they tortured people during the Ottoman times. To ‘clean’ the tower’s history and reputation, it’s been named the White Tower nowadays. It’s also a museum about the history of Thessaloniki.
Ladadika
Ladadika is a beautiful district with colourful houses. It has many restaurants, bars, and local shops and is the place to go out at night.
Enjoy the evening walking on the sea promenade and have a good dinner in Ladadika street.
Where to stay in Thessaloniki: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
PLAZA HOTEL, PHILIAN HOTELS & RESORTS
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 7. DAY: THESSALONIKI ⇒ KAVALA
I hope you had an amazing day exploring a little bit of Thessaloniki yesterday.
Today, you still have the whole morning and afternoon to explore the rest and enjoy its atmosphere. Let yourself a time to see what you missed yesterday. In the late afternoon, we’ll continue our Greek road trip itinerary, heading to a new city.
Here are the sites you can see today in Thessaloniki.
Sightseeing in Thessaloniki
- Roman Forum
- Museum of Byzantine Culture
- Heptapyrgion
Roman Forum
Since Thessaloniki was also part of the former Roman Empire, it also hosted the cultural and political centre in its own Roman Forum.
Museum Of Byzantine Culture
If you don’t know much about the Byzantine culture, this is the opportunity to learn more. The museum has many art pieces collected from Macedonia, from Constantine’s period, when Christianity was introduced to the Ottoman empire.
Heptapyrgion
Heptapyrgion is a fortress up on a hill above Thessaloniki. In the Byzantine period, it was the main fortress of the city. During Ottoman times, it had a military purpose and served as a prison.
Walk through the promenade towards the White Tower, and have some Greek food before departure. In the late afternoon, pack your bags and set off again – let’s head to Kavala.
Distance Thessaloniki –} Kavala: 2 hours 30 minutes’ drive
Get to your accommodation. If you feel like it, go to the streets of Kavala for your first impressions.
Where to stay in Kavala: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 8. DAY: KAVALA
Welcome to Kavala, a Greek city that is also part of the Macedonian region. Kavala is quite different from any other Greek city. It didn’t always belong to Greece.
In the past, Bulgarians fought for Kavala to be in their territory. In the Middle Ages, it used to be home for Romans and Slavs. For many centuries after, it also belonged to Turkish territory. Only at the end of the 20th century became Kavala part of Greece.
Sightseeing in Kavala
- Kavala Castle
- Kamares aquaduct
- Imaret
- Philippi Site
Kavala Castle is a fortress that protected the city in the past. Get there for the best views of Kavala.
The Kamares Aquaduct was built with 60 arches. It’s a dominant architectural site of Kavala city, which used to supply water in the past. Watch the old houses built into it.
Imaret used to be an educational centre. Nowadays, it has been converted into a luxury hotel with stunning views of Kavala.
Enjoy the walk around Kavala Castle, stroll through the tiny streets and get to the lighthouse for beautiful sea views. Walk back to the promenade and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of this city.
Check out the bar Wood & Rock – which is built up in a traditional house with a unique atmosphere.
Optional Half-Day Trip To Philippi Site
In the afternoon, you can also plan to see the archaeological site of Philippi. It’s a small ancient city with excavations and a museum. It was named after King Phillip II of Macedonia and is famous thanks to Apostle Paul, who started to preach Christianity here. Philippi is the place from where Christianity was spread all over the globe.
How To Get To Philippi Site
If you hired a car, then the best way is to drive to Philippi. There is parking right before the entrance, where you can park.
But if you don’t want to travel by car, the cheapest and most convenient way to get to Philippi from Kavala is to take the local bus. The bus station is in the centre of Kavala. The bus company is called KTEL (inter-city bus), and there is a set timetable for buses departing to Philippi. You can buy the ticket directly at the counter of the bus station (much better than online).
This local bus will leave you in a small village, and you will have to walk 5 minutes to the Philippi site. Just follow the main road, and after you leave the small town, you’ll see the Philippi site and its big parking on your right-hand side.
Ferry Information From Kavala To Thasos Island In Greece
Once you arrive in Kavala (or after your walking tour), I suggest you go to the Kavala ferry port and book your tickets for tomorrow for the ferry to Thasos. More information on that on day 9. of this itinerary. But make sure you book the tickets today.
Enjoy your evening in Kavala and prepare for the Greek island adventure that is in front of us.
Greece Road Trip Itinerary 9. DAY: KAVALA ⇒ THASOS
What kind of Greece road trip itinerary would that be if we missed a Greek island. Don’t worry; we’ll now balance all these sightseeing days with a little bit of chilling on a beach.
To finish our 10-day Greece road trip itinerary, we’ll head to the Greek island of Thasos today.
Have a good Greek breakfast and a good coffee in the Mikel Coffee Shop (highly recommend).
After you are ready, let’s head to Kavala’s port and catch the ferry to Thasos Island.
How To Get From Kavala To Thasos Island In Greece
The ferry departs from the port of Kavala and takes you directly to Skala Prinos Port in Thasos. The entire journey takes about 1 hour & 15 minutes. It goes several times a day, but you will have to double-check the schedule as it changes over time. So always check the ferry departure times from Kavala to Thasos Island.
There is another ferry port in Keramoti (35 minutes’ drive from Kavala). The ferry from Keramoti departs more frequently throughout the day. It only takes 40 minutes to reach Thasos. From Keramoti, the ferry takes you to a different port in Thasos called Limenas.
I recommend going from Kavala. It’s much easier to depart from Kavala so that you don’t have to drive those extra 35 minutes to Keramoti.
Where to stay in Thasos: My TOP TIPS for Accommodation
LOULOUDIS BOUTIQUE HOTEL & SPA
Greece Itinerary 10. DAY: THASOS
Good morning to Thasos. Today marks the end of our Greek road trip itinerary. Make the most out of your stay on Thasos, enjoy the Greek food and some activities on this Island. You can do some water sports, cycling, hiking, scuba diving, horse riding, or even do a Jeep Safari tour.
Our 10-day tour of Greece is coming to an end. Anyway, you have many other options to explore after. If you have time, you can continue your journey to Turkey and visit Istanbul. If that’s the case, you can take the ferry from Limenas port in Thasos to Keramoti (Greece mainland). After, continue to Turkey.
Alternatively, you can hop on a ferry and check out other Greek islands. Read more about Greek ferries, their routes, and island hopping. Or check out the ferry schedules for your Greek Island Hopping adventure.
More Tips For European Travel
This is my Greece road trip itinerary, which will help you to spend 10 unforgettable days in Greece. I hope you will enjoy your 10-day trip to Greece. You can easily spend the whole month exploring all the sites on the Greek mainland, but I have picked up some of the highlights for you in this Greece travel itinerary. I have done this itinerary on my own and had fantastic 10 days in Greece.
If you want to visit more Greek islands, read my article about the best island day trips from Athens.
In case you want to keep traveling, you should visit Albania. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful and diverse countries on the continent. Get my Albania road trip itinerary for 10 days and see the highlights of the country. Or check out other suggestions for travel itineraires for your trip to Albania.
After, you can continue visiting North Macedonia with my North Macedonia road trip itinerary for 8 days. Or visit the capital of Skopje and make a perfect day trip to Matka Canyon. Or visit Lake Ohrid, another stunning destination in North Macedonia.
Check out my article about how many countries to visit in Europe in 2 weeks with full itinerary if you want to explore the highlights.
If you are interested in other itineraries that I designed, check out my travel itineraries.
As always, if you need any other suggestions or help with planning your Greece itinerary, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
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