The best culture experiences in Greece

Experience the best of Greek culture

With every destination in Greece bursting at the seams with history, myths and local traditions, our guide to the best culture experiences takes you around the top archaeological sites (many UNESCO World Heritage Sites) and museums and into authentic coastal and mountain villages. We cover every period of Greek history, from Minoan palaces and Ancient Greek temples and theatres to Venetian castles and contemporary art museums.

The cultural highlights of Athens

Culture in Athens starts with the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, and we explore both in depth. But that’s just the start as we introduce you to other historical highlights, such as the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and Panathenaic Stadium (used to host the first modern Olympic Games) as well the top museums in Athens (including the National Archaeological Museum, Museum of Cycladic Art and Benaki Museum of Greek Culture as well as the National Gallery of Athens and Goulandris Museum of Modern Art … two contemporary masterpieces.

And speaking of modern gems, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) is home to the National Opera House and National Library. There’s all that and much more.

The best of Thessaloniki and mainland Greece

Like Athens, Thessaloniki is a city made to be walked. You’ll find Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman heritage all around you as well as iconic landmarks such as the White Tower (now a city museum). And just a short drive from Thessaloniki are other highlights of Macedonian heritage, such as the Royal Tombs in Vergina (containing the remains of Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great) and the archaeological site of Philippi. 

Cultural highlights everywhere you look

Travelling around Greece, it’s astonishing how many cultural landmarks are household names: The archaeological sites of Delphi, Epidaurus, Messene and Olympia are all legendary (we take you around all of them). And we follow in the footsteps of Aristotle in Halkidiki and scale the heights of Palamidi Castle, one of the legacies of the Venetians in Nafplio, in the western Peloponnese.

Cultural gems on Greek islands

Whilst you’re on a Greek island soaking up the sun and sea, make sure to leave time to fill up on a bit of culture. Every island has their gems: the medieval Old Town and Temple of Lindos on Rhodes, the Asclepion of Kos, the Temple of Demeter on Naxos and Spinalonga island in Crete to name a few. 

And speaking of Crete, you’re not going to Heraklion without going to the Palace of Knossos and the Archaeological Museum, containing wonders of the Minoan civilisations. Likewise, we take you into the mastic villages of Chios and from Mykonos to the island of Delos and the birthplace of the god Apollo. Are you ready for the ride?

Coastal and mountain villages in Greece

The final stop on your culture tour of Greece is in the villages. Whether you’re on the Greek coast or in the mountains (and often you can combine the two), you’ll experience villages overflowing with authenticity. We have village-hopping experiences on many Greek islands (including Crete, Paros, Chios, Naxos, Sifnos, Thassos, Karpathos, Samos and Paxos) as well as mainland destinations such as Halkidiki and on Mt Olympus.

We did say you can experience culture everywhere in Greece.