Win a trip to Santorini for two, $3,000Enter free
Skip to main content

The Best Time to Visit Greece

Greece is a summer icon, but the smartest time to go is on either side of the peak - when the sea is warm, the islands are open and the crowds and prices haven't hit their August ceiling. Here's every month rated for weather, crowds and cost.

See hotels in GreeceLive prices for your dates
By Alice4 min readPublished
Table of contents
Blue-domed churches of Oia overlooking the caldera and Aegean Sea, Santorini, Greece
Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0

In Brief

When is the best time to visit Greece?

The best time to visit Greece is late spring (May-June) and early autumn (September-October) - warm, sunny days, swimmable seas and open islands, but without the July-August peak in heat, crowds and prices. July and August are the hottest and busiest, ideal if you want guaranteed beach weather and lively nightlife but happy to pay for it. The islands largely wind down from November to March, when Athens and the mainland stay open and cheap.

Key takeaways

  • Best all-round: May-June and September-October - warm seas, fewer crowds, fair prices.
  • Peak season: July-August - hottest, busiest and most expensive; book far ahead.
  • Cheapest: November-March, though many island hotels and ferries pause for winter.
  • Sea is warmest: July through early October, so September swims are superb.

Best time to go

May–June & September–October

Cheapest time

November–March (low season)

When to avoid

July–August (heat, crowds & peak prices)

Greece climate at a glance

Avg daytime high (°C / °F) · rainfall · season
Peak seasonGreatShoulder / valueOff-peakmore drops = wetter
  • 13°55°F
    Jan
  • 14°57°F
    Feb
  • 16°61°F
    Mar
  • 20°68°F
    Apr
  • 25°77°F
    May
  • 30°86°F
    Jun
  • 33°91°F
    Jul
  • 33°91°F
    Aug
  • 29°84°F
    Sep
  • 23°73°F
    Oct
  • 18°64°F
    Nov
  • 14°57°F
    Dec

Find your month

Every month in Greece is rated for weather, crowds and price. Drag the slider to find your sweet spot - the greener the month, the better value the trip.

Sweet spot - best value

Cheapest window: November–March (low season)

March: $ · Low crowds · 16°C, mild, showers

See March hotels
Flights to GreeceCompare fares for your month on Trip.comHotels in GreeceBook earlier for peak-season datesThings to doTours & tickets in Greece

Greece month by month

Every month rated for weather, crowds and price, so you can match the trip to the month.

Peak seasonGreatShoulder / valueOff-peak
MonthWeatherCrowdsPriceWhat it's like
Jan13°C, cool, wetLow$Low season: cool and often wet, with most islands quiet or closed. Athens stays open, cheap and uncrowded.
Feb14°C, cool, wetLow$Still winter - mild by northern standards but changeable. Good for budget city breaks in Athens, not the islands.
Mar16°C, mild, showersLow$Spring stirs - wildflowers, mild days and low prices, though the sea is still cold and island services limited.
Apr20°C, mild, pleasantModerate$$Warm, green and blooming, with quiet ancient sites; islands begin to reopen, and Orthodox Easter is a highlight.
May25°C, warm, sunnyModerate$$One of the best months: warm, sunny and dry, the sea warming up and the islands fully open before the crowds.
Jun30°C, hot, dryHigh$$$Reliably hot and dry with long days and warm seas; high season is under way but not yet at its August extreme.
Jul33°C, hot, dryPeak$$$Peak summer - very hot and busy, with the meltemi winds cooling the Aegean islands. Book everything well ahead.
Aug33°C, hot, dryPeak$$$The hottest, most crowded and priciest month, when Greeks holiday too. Fabulous energy, but reserve far in advance.
Sep29°C, warm, dryHigh then easing$$The connoisseur's month - the sea at its warmest, summer heat easing and the crowds thinning after the first week.
Oct23°C, mild, sunnyModerate$$Pleasantly warm with the sea still swimmable early on; islands wind down through the month at shoulder prices.
Nov18°C, cool, wetLow$Autumn rains set in and most islands close for winter; fine for a cheap, quiet Athens or mainland trip.
Dec14°C, cool, wetLow$Low season and often wet; the islands are dormant, but Athens is atmospheric, cheap and festive for city breaks.

When to book Greece

On the table above, Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov and Dec sit in the bottom price band and Jun, Jul and Aug in the top one. Find the row that sounds like your trip.

Booking windows for Greece, by what the traveller wants
If you wantMonthsWhy
The best trip for the moneyApr, May and SepRated good above without hitting the top price band, so you are not paying peak rates for the conditions.
The lowest price, whatever the weatherJan, Feb, Mar, Nov and DecThe bottom price band. Check the weather column first, because some of these are cheap for a reason.
Peak season anywayJun, Jul and AugBusiest and dearest. This is the window where booking early changes the price, not just what is left.
To know what to skipJan, Feb, Nov and DecRated off-peak here. The low price is the compensation, not a bargain.
Check Greece hotel pricesSee what Apr, May and Sep actually costs for your dates
  • Free cancellation on most rooms
  • No booking fee
  • Prices on Trip.com

Time it right: Greece's seasonal highlights

  • Island season in Greece

    Island season

    May–October

    The window when ferries run frequently and island hotels, tavernas and beach clubs are all open - May, June, September and October are the sweet spots.

  • Orthodox Easter in Greece

    Orthodox Easter

    Spring (movable feast)

    Greece's most important holiday, with candlelit processions and feasting - deeply atmospheric, but domestic travel and island ferries book up fast.

  • Meltemi winds

    July–August

    Strong, cooling northerly winds sweep the Aegean at the height of summer - refreshing on the beach, but they can disrupt small-boat crossings.

  • Wine & olive harvest

    September–October

    Autumn brings grape and olive harvests across the mainland and islands - warm days, golden light and thinning crowds.

Best time to visit Greece: FAQ

The timing questions travelers ask most before booking.

The cheapest months are the November-to-March low season, when flights and Athens hotels drop sharply - but bear in mind most islands largely shut down, with limited ferries and closed hotels. For the best value while the islands are still open and the weather is good, aim for May, early June or October: shoulder-season prices with warm, sunny days and swimmable seas.

July and August are the ones to weigh carefully: they're the hottest (regularly 33°C+), the most crowded and the most expensive, with island hotels and ferries booked out. They're wonderful if you want guaranteed beach weather and buzz, but if you'd rather have space and value, come in May-June or September. Deep winter (November-March) is best avoided for the islands, which mostly close.

The Greek seas are at their warmest from July through early October, peaking around 25-26°C in late August and September. This is why September is such a favourite - the water is at its most inviting just as the summer crowds and heat ease off. In May and June the sea is pleasant but still cool from winter; by June it's comfortable for most swimmers.

May is one of the best months to visit Greece. Days are warm and sunny (around 25°C), the islands are fully open, wildflowers are out, ancient sites like the Acropolis and Delphi are pleasant to explore, and prices and crowds are well below the summer peak. The only caveat is that the sea is still warming up, so early May swims can feel brisk.

For July and August - and popular islands like Santorini and Mykonos in June or September - book flights and hotels three to six months ahead, as the best places sell out and prices climb. For the shoulder months and mainland trips, four to eight weeks is usually fine. Athens (ATH) is the main hub; many islands also have direct summer flights worth comparing.

Greece has a classic Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers (33°C+ in July-August) and mild, wetter winters (12-15°C in Athens). Spring and autumn are warm and largely dry - the sweet spots. The islands are sunnier and breezier than the mainland thanks to the summer meltemi winds, while northern Greece and the mountains are cooler and see real winters with snow.

Staying in Greece? Book the area before the hotel

Picking the month is half of the decision. The other half is the area, because that is what sets how far you walk and what a room costs in Greece. These go into the detail:

Compare all hotels in GreeceLive rates for the dates you picked
  • Free cancellation on most rooms
  • No booking fee
  • Prices on Trip.com

Continue Planning Your Trip

Photo credits (2)

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.