Ideally, everyone should have a whole summer for Greece. But let's face it, most people leave home on a Friday evening and then fly back to work the next Sunday. That's 8 full days on the ground. We've included two weekends, but any 8 days will work. This itinerary is for those interested in sampling the distinctive "historical" Greece. Mold this to your needs. You can always drop a museum or site and take time to relax on a beach. However, this particular itinerary involves a fair amount of moving about and checking in and out of hotels: Maximum Greece in a minimum of time.

Day 1: Athens & the Acropolis

Arrive in Athens and get settled in your hotel. Then, walk to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, arguably the world's number-one destination. Make time for the Acropolis Museum (art-course sculptures!) and the Theater of Dionysos (ground zero of Greek drama!). For a modest dinner, head to Platanos Taverna or another of the restaurants in the Plaka.

Day 2: Athens & Santorini

Check out the gold masks, jewelry, sculptures, and other highlights at the National Archaeological Museum. Then head to the Ancient Agora to experience the more down-to-earth ancient Athens. Imagine the individuals' lives when you visit the ancient Kerameikos Cemetery. Any cafe nearby will do for a cool drink. Then hit the museum trail again. Plan to lunch at Oraia Ellada in the Plaka. Explore Syntagma Square. Take the evening flight or overnight ferry to Santorini. Get a taxi to Oia (Ia) and, after checking in at a hotel there, try Skala for dinner.

Days 3 & 4: Santorini & Crete

Whether Ancient Akrotiri is totally, or only partially, open, you must see it!. Spend the rest of the day at Kamari beach, with no end of cafes for snacks. Have lunch on the beach at Camille Stefani. Later, take in the restored mansion as you dine formally at Restaurant-Bar 1800 in Oia. On Day 4, look for the ancient cave houses hollowed into the solidified ash before flying via Athens or taking the ferry directly to Iraklion, Crete. Check into your hotel, then enjoy a stroll around town and grab a patio table for an Italian-Greek dinner in the heart of the city at Loukoulos.

Days 5 & 6: Crete

Go early to visit Knossos, then see the snake goddesses and rich Minoan artifacts at the Archaeological Museum. Go where the archaeologists used to go, and have lunch at the Ionia. After a siesta, take the walking tour of Iraklion before treating yourself to a superb meal at the Brillant Gourmet. Spend Day 6 touring Chania (by rental car, public transportation, or escorted tour), with its relatively intact Venetian-Turkish old town; or Phaestos, the second-most ambitious Minoan palace. Expect to be on the road for 5 hours round-trip for each. Eat lunch at the restaurant at Phaetos site or if you didn't take that trip, along Chania's harbor at the Amphora. Take an evening flight back to Athens.

Day 7: Athens or Delphi?

You may prefer to relax and spend a leisurely day taking in more of Athens, its museums, and its street life. Otherwise, we suggest a 1-day excursion to Delphi (177km/110 miles). (Your hotel can make the arrangements.) At Delphi, in addition to major attractions such as the Sanctuary of Apollo and the Delphi Museum, you'll be treated to breathtaking vistas. If that's too far, take the much shorter excursion to Marathon. Then, in the late afternoon, you could go to the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. Stay for sunset before heading back to Athens. Whatever you've chosen to do, treat yourself to a leisurely dinner when you get back to Athens; if you want to admire the Acropolis while you eat, try a rooftop table at Strofi Tavern.

Day 8: Flight Home

Go to the airport and fly home.