For Families

This itinerary works well for families with kids between 7 and 15 years old. We tried to balance the adults' reasons for coming all the way to Greece (seeing unique sites) with the children's desires (swimming in hotel pools). As for food? The varied Greek menu should provide something for everyone's taste. And for better or worse, fast food is increasingly available all over Greece. Heat, especially in high season, should be a concern for travelers of all ages. Stay out of the midday sun, especially on the beach. Most forms of transportation offer reduced rates for kids 11 and under, as do most hotels, museums, and archaeological sites. Our itinerary assumes that you will rent a car for touring the Greek mainland. We also recognized that children wilt faster while traveling than adults do.

Days 1 & 2: Athens

After you arrive in Athens, settle in to offset jet lag. Cool off by getting a day pass to the Athens Hilton pool. By late afternoon, stroll over to the Acropolis. Before and after dinner at Taverna Sigalas, walk around the Plaka/Monasteraki district. On Day 2, visit the National Archaeological Museum -- forget the vases and go straight to the gold objects and the statues! Have lunch at the museum's outdoor cafe, or head to the National Garden with its cool paths, small zoo, and outdoor dining. Later, take in the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Syntagma Square. If no one in your family group is flagging, check out Attica Zoological Park, which is open until 7pm, or the multimedia Hellenic Cosmos museum and its interactive exhibits (hours vary). After a rest at your hotel, ride the cable car up Mount Likavitos. And treat yourself to a traditional Greek dinner at the Rhodia.

Day 3: Mycenae & Nafplion

Rent a car and drive via the Corinth Canal to Nafplion. Early risers with kids might stop at Water Fun, a water park near the canal. Otherwise, take at least an hour's detour to visit the Citadel and the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae. Tell the kids about the Trojan War before coming, so they can appreciate the tombs here. Plan to eat at La Petite Planete just below the site. At Nafplion, settle in to your hotel, then either visit the impressive fortress or swim at the town's Arvanitia beach.

Day 4: Epidaurus & Luna Park

Drive to the Theater at Epidaurus and amaze your kids by demonstrating its incredible acoustics. Get snacks and drinks at the site; for lunch, Leonidas on the approach road is a good bet. Return to Nafplion to swim, then take time to walk around Nafplion before or after dinner at reliable, if not exciting, Hellas Restaurant, with a great location on the main square (Plateia Syntagma).

Day 5: Olympia

Set off across the interior highway to Olympia, the site of the original Olympic Games. For lunch, stop at one of the restaurants along the road. Check into Grecotel Lakopetra Beach; take a dip in its pool before (and after, too!) visiting ancient Olympia. If the stadium is open to visitors, cheer your children on if they want to run the dash along the original Olympic Stadium. After such a long day, it might make sense to dine at your hotel.

Day 6: Delphi & the Sanctuary of Apollo

Drive along the coast road to Rio, with its spectacular new bridge across the Gulf of Corinth, then proceed to Delphi. If you want a pool, check into Amalia Hotel; otherwise, head for the excellent in-town Acropole or Varonos hotels. In the cool of the evening, take an introductory walk down to the Sanctuary of Apollo. Make a note to be back early to walk along the 2,000-year-old marble path, the Sacred Way. For dinner in Delphi, try the excellent Epikouros, with its varied menu, or the traditional Taverna Skala.

Day 7: Delphi & Crete

Spend the morning exploring Delphi and its museums. Drive to the Athens airport, lunching en route. Take a late-afternoon flight to Iraklion. Hit the lovely beach soon after checking into the Xenia-Helios hotel; it's right out the door. The kids can also play basketball, tennis, or Ping-Pong here. Dine at the hotel or, if you are up to it, go into Iraklion for an early dinner at Ippocampus. The kids should love the fried zucchini and potato slices. You'll like the seafood.

Day 8: Knossos & Water City

Your hotel can arrange for you to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, one of the great archaeological sites of the world. Kids will appreciate the sheer complexity of the site. Reward them with time back at the hotel's beach or a visit to Water City, a water park at Kokkini Hani, just along the highway from the Xenia-Helios hotel. If they find that too childish, visit the Cretaquarium, a couple of miles further east along that coast road. That night, try dinner at the Pantheon in Iraklion's famous Dirty Alley -- no longer "dirty" but still atmospheric.

Day 9: Matala/Chania

In a rental car, drive to the caves and bluff-enclosed cove beach at Matala, once a major hippie destination. Then take the mid-island route, with its spectacular scenery, to your hotel on the coast west of Chania. Savor the stuffed crab at Antigone, along the harbor of Chania. Preparing for Day 10, sign up for a daylong trek through the Samaria Gorge or for the half-day Evangelos boat excursion

Day 10: Samaria Gorge

Get up early and don good hiking shoes before you take the bus to undertake the 18km (11-mile) excursion through Samaria Gorge. It's a long day, and you should make sure your children have hiked before (and that you know their limits). Carry water and snacks, although cafes await you at the end of the gorge. A boat makes the leg from the gorge to a bus that will return you to your hotel. Most likely you will be too exhausted to dine anywhere except at the hotel. Or, if all this seems too demanding, head to the glass-bottomed boat, the Evangelos, for a tour of this area's underwater life. And while on the harbor, visit the replica of an ancient Minoan boat now on view in one of the old Venetian arsenali.

Day 11: Santorini

Take the ferry to Santorini (a 5-hr. trip). Check in at a hotel at Kamari, if you prefer a beach, or at Oia (Ia), if you prefer a spectacular view. In the evening, dine on the terrace overlooking the caldera at Selene in Fira town. Whatever you eat will be memorable.

Days 12 & 13: Akrotiri & Fira

If it is open, visit the unique excavated ancient city (nicknamed the "Minoan Pompeii") at Akrotiri: Even jaded kids will be impressed by the three-story, 3,500-year-old houses. If it remains closed, enjoy instead the spectacular site and ruins of ancient Thira. Then snorkel (or relax) at the beach at Kamari; or take in the sights of Fira town. On Day 13, wake up in time to take the excursion to the volcanic islet in the caldera -- it will probably be your only chance ever to walk on an emerging volcano! You should also have time to take the cable car from Fira town down to the shore and then come back up by donkey before flying to Athens in the early evening.

Day 14: Athens

Back in Athens for your final day, you have many choices -- strolling, window-shopping, another museum. As a reward for struggling with all those Greek menus, take the kids to one of the recommended restaurants in the Plaka. If you're up to renting a car again, head to the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion for the day and for the sunset. Otherwise, take in any of the places in Athens that you missed on your first days. Top off your stay with dinner at Thanasis in the Plaka.

Day 15: Flight Home

Take a taxi to the airport for the flight home.