A mom’s selection of fantastic places to visit in Greece with kids. Perfect places in Greece for a family vacation with sea, sun and history and tons of fun for kids and adults.
Greece is a fantastic destination for a family holiday.
Blessed with a beautiful coastline, crystal clear waters and some of the prettiest towns in the Mediterranean, Greece is the perfect beach vacation destination for a spring or summer holiday with the kids and it is also fantastic for culturally curious families.
Greece has some of the most exciting and striking archaeological sites in the world: Athens, Knossos and Delphi are just the most famous but there are plenty of places history lovers and archaeologists in the making will adore.
This is out guide to the best places to visit in Greece with kids and ideas on child-friendly activities for a family vacation in Greece.
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Table of Contents
The best things to do in Greece with kids
Enjoy Crete with kids
Crete is one of the most popular islands in Greece for a family vacation and it is indeed a special place.
A large island, Crete has all families may want from a beach vacation destination.
In Crete, you find family-friendly beaches, lovely towns, historical sites, water parks, opportunities to go boating and swimming, hiking opportunities and lots of tourist facilities for a stress-free holiday.
Crete is perfect for families with different travel styles as it offers all inclusive resorts but also the opportunity to get a self catering apartment and explore like a local.
Among the many child-friendly activities in Crete, there are the Labyrinth Park, the Natural History Museum and Crete Aquarium and of course Crete’s many beaches.
A must-see in Crete at any age is the stunning Knossos Palace. This is one of the most important and beautiful archaeological sites in Greece and one the kids and yourself are likely to love.
You can have a look at the many family-friendly hotels and apartments in Crete here
Explore Athens with kids
Athens is the capital of Greece and it has one of the most beautiful sites I have ever visited: the Acropolis.
The Acropolis is the ancient city of Athens and it is now a beautiful archaeological site that overlooks the modern city.
Crowned by the Parthenon, the Acropolis is one of those places that you simply cannot miss when visiting Greece.
The birthplace of democracy as we know it, ancient Athens has huge importance as the cradle of Western culture and it is also a place of immense beauty, where nature and architecture come together with spectacular results.
The Acropolis is wonderful to visit with kids of primary school age and up especially, who may have studied Greek history in school.
Top tip! The Acropolis gets very hot and sunny: I recommend you go early in the morning and book a family tour geared towards children to make the most of your visit. Make sure you also plan enough time for the wonderful National Archaeological Museum.
Other fun things to do in Athens with kids include exploring the Plaka neighborhood, which is pretty and full of cafes and food places, the delightful Anafiotika district with its pretty, whitewashed houses and street cats, and a visit to Syntagma square, great for kids as it hosts the scenic changing of the guards, which is quite a show!
Athens is perfect for a weekend with the kids as a starting point to your Greek adventure.
Especially in summer, however, I recommend you only plan a couple of days here and spend the rest of the time on the coast or road tripping.
You can read here >>> all out tips for visiting Athens with kids
Top tip! a great way to explore Athens with kids in a shoer amount of time is by joining a family walking tour. This is a fun way to get to know the city and see areas you may otherwise miss, at a pace that suits everyone, including the youngest member of your family!
Go on a mainland Greece road trip
People tend to sing the praises of Greece’s beaches but there is a lot more to Greece than the sea!
One of my favorite ways to visit the country is to get a car and get a on a family road trip.
The distances in Greece are not big and you can see many places when driving your own vehicle.
Our favorite Greece itinerary crosses the country from northeast to south.
Some places we recommend are Thessaloniki and its wonderful Byzantine churches, Mount Olympus, Meteora, Delphi and Corinth (impressive for kids due to its geography) and the Peloponnese, one of the most underrated yet stunning parts of the country!
A road trip in Greece such as this one is a fantastic way to explore different sides of Greece and it is perfect for families as it doesn’t require long drives.
In about 7 to 10 days, you can see many sites without long hours behind the wheel – perfect for the driver and the kids in the back!
Discover the Peloponnese
The Peloponnese is that part of mainland Greece that looks like a hand stretching into the mediterranean.
It is a varied, beautiful area with many things to see.
If you love history, the Peloponnese is where you will find Sparta, Argos, Mycenae and Epidaurus, just some of the most important archaeological sites from the Mycenean time and classical Greece era.
If you want to enjoy Greece’s small towns, pretty seaside villages and beaches, Peloponnese is also great: Nafplios is as pretty as a picture and we are in love with Koroni, which is a coastal town with tons of local charm.
You can find here >>> our detailed account and itinerary of our family road trip in Peloponnese with kids.
Enjoy the stunning island of Corfu
Corfu is a beautiful island in the Ionian Sea, between Greece and Italy.
It is one of the best Greek islands for kids and a fantastic place for families who want a bit of everything: glorious hills, cozy villages, pristine beaches and it also has fun water parks for those days when the kids just need to let their energy out and have a blast!
Corfu has several shallow bodies of water where kids and even toddlers can enjoy swimming and splashing.
Family beaches not to be missed in Corfu are also Palaiokastritsa and Halikounas, which has beautiful sand and you are also like to enjoy Sidari.
The town of Corfu itself is lovely and has delightful small alleys that are a pleasure for village exploring with kids.
Among the many things that make Corfu a great as a family destination is that it is a good base for organized tours and island hopping.
From here, you can easily hop on a day cruise to Paxos and Antipaxos, a walking tour around the pretty city center (perfect to find your feet on your first day) – two lovely options for curious families like ours, who like to mix time on the beach and some exploring!
Find family-friendly hotels and rentals in Corfu here.
Have a family sun holiday in the Cycladis islands
The Cycladis are a cluster of islands in the Aegean Sea and are among the most beautiful and famous Greek islands you can find.
Mikonos and Santorini are here but so are islands such as Paros, which have a more family-friendly vibe. If you are looking for a quintessential Greek island vacation, Paros and its beaches are ideal.
It is blessed with picturesque blue-domed churches, pretty harbors and gorgeous sandy beaches and, while popular, it is less crowded as the other Greek islands which is a surprise when you see how stunning it is.
Among the best kid-friendly beaches in Paros there are Santa Maria, large and with shallow waters perfect for small kids (one of the best beaches in Paros for toddlers), Kolymbithres (quiet and with lovely, protected coves), sandy Bartselo and the aptly-named Golden beach.
You can find a good selection of family hotels in Paros here
See awe-inspiring Unesco World Heritage sites
One of the things I love the most about Greece is how many UNESCO sites the country has and how varied they are.
Some are sun drenched and some are surrounded by luscious greenery but they are all worth a visit for their educational and historical value but also for their sheer beauty. Some not to be missed are:
The Acropolis – already mentioned, the ancient Athen with the Parthenon and some of the most beautiful views and ancient buildings you can see in Greece and the world
Delphi – surrounded by stunning mountains, home to the ancient Apollo’s oracle and the ‘omphalos’, the navel of the world
Olympia – famous as a religious center for worshipping Zeus and for the Olympic Games, that take their name from the locality.
Philippi – a wonderful (but very hot in summer!) archaeological site famous for the battle between Mark Anthony and Octavianus again the killers of Julius Caesar.
Mycenae – with imposing ruins one of the most important cities of the Mycenaean civilization, which dominated this part of Greece from 15th to the 12th century B.C and built the foundations of Classical Greek culture.
Epidaurus – a fantastic site with a shrine to Aesclapius, God of medicine
Meteora – famous for breathtaking monasteries perched on top of tall sandstone natural formations
Let the kids go wild in Greece’s waterparks
Up to know, I have listed places to explore and discover in Greece with kids but there are a lot of child-friendly attractions in Greece too that are perfect for sheer holiday fun.
Theme parks and water parks are becoming more and more popular due to tourist demand and they are independent parks or part of all-inclusive resort.
Among the most famous ones your kids may enjoy there are Allou Fun Park in Athens, Aqualand in Corfu and the Waterpark in Rhodes.
Relax in Greece’s all-inclusive family resorts
If you are looking for a sun holiday destination where you can simply relax and enjoy a resort experience, then Greece delivers!
Resorts come in all shapes and sizes in Greece and at different price points. Some of the most popular destinations for this type of holiday are Rhodes, Crete, Mikonos, Corfu, and Kos.
What to pack for visiting Greece with kids
Greece is a a wonderful sun vacation destination so what you want to pack for a family vacation in Greece in summer is anything you may need to enjoy the sun!
You can find our full family beach vacation packing list here however, these are our must have:
Water shoes for kids – Greece has many pebble and rocky beaches and water shoes are a must to protect small feet, especially if used to closed winter shoes!
A kids snorkel set – to make the most of those stunning clear waters of Greece
Swimsuit, beach towels and light clothing – for the beach and sightseeing
A camera for you and kids’ action camera so the kids can also bring home their captures
A good crossbody bag for you – so you can have all you need on days out
Good travel shoes for kids and good walking sandals for you, for long days sightseeing.
I hope you enjoyed this quick overview of fun things to do in Greece with kids and it inspired you to visit. Safe travel planning!
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