1. Central Greece
Athens, Delphi, Cape Sounion

2. Crete
Chania, Elounda, Knossos, Heraklion

3. Cyclades
Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Folegandros

4. Northern Greece
Thessaloniki, Mount Olympus, Meteora, Naoussa, Lake Kerkini

5. Peloponnese
Nafplio, Mycenae, Porto Heli, Monemvasia, Kalamata

Best time to visit: April-October

Go for this: Thessaloniki, for its many attractions, delicious gastronomy, and the vast Jewish tradition of the city (don’t miss the Jewish Museum); explore Mount Olympus – the residence of the Gods – and the ancient royal tombs of Vergina.

But try this: Naoussa, home to some of the best wineries in Greece (the history of Greek red wine begins here!) and known for its red dry Xinomavro variety. Walk along the river in Naoussa’s park of Saint Nicholas, an earthly paradise of natural beauty, and pay a visit to the School of Aristotle archeological site — the Harvard of antiquity — where Alexander the Great studied.

Favorite hotel: Electra Palace, in Thessaloniki’s impressive Aristotelous Square, the beating heart of the city and one of the most beautiful urban spaces in Greece. Sporting a neoclassical façade with oriental touches, the hotel is one of the city’s most-loved architectural landmarks, featuring a top floor restaurant with panoramic views of the Thermaic Gulf.

Favorite guest experience: Discovering the astonishing Meteora — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, perched on high cliffs and accessible by staircases cut into the rock formations. Start your day in Thessaloniki, arrive at Meteora by helicopter, and be back in Thessaloniki for dinner!

Favorite restaurant: Sebriko, a beautiful mezedopoleio (a restaurant serving traditional local meze dishes) in a quiet alley just inside Thessaloniki’s Byzantine walls. Try the sardines wrapped in grape leaves and the grilled octopus with taramosalata (fish roe dip).

Foods:
- Pork souvlaki
- Soutzoukakia Smyrneika (spicy meatballs in tomato sauce)
- Bougatsa (warm, sweet cheese pie)

Wine:
- Xinomavro
- Malagousia
- Assyrtiko
- Limnio