Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The regions, and what each is for
The Peloponnese
The southern peninsula, joined to the rest by the Corinth canal, and the richest single region for a first mainland trip.
- Archaeology: Epidaurus, Mystras, Olympia, Mycenae.
- Towns: Nafplio, the prettiest small town in Greece, and Monemvasia, a town inside a rock.
- Wild coast: the Mani, Kardamyli, Voidokilia and the beaches of Messinia.
- Mountains: Arcadia, the stone villages, Dimitsana and Vytina.
A week is a comfortable loop. See the Peloponnese road trip.
Central Greece
The band north of Athens, and the one everybody crosses without stopping.
- Delphi, the sanctuary under Parnassos, and Arachova above it.
- Meteora, monasteries on rock pillars, and the best single sight on the mainland.
- Osios Loukas, the finest Byzantine mosaics in the country.
- Karpenisi and Lake Plastira, mountain Greece at its greenest.
- Volos and the Pelion peninsula, where the mountain villages sit above the sea.
Epirus
The north-west, and the most beautiful mountain region in Greece.
- Zagori: stone villages, arched bridges, the Vikos gorge, and a UNESCO cultural landscape.
- Ioannina, the lake city with an Ottoman citadel and an island in the water.
- Metsovo and Konitsa, and the highest mountains in the country after Olympus.
- Parga and Sivota on the coast, facing the Ionian islands.
Macedonia and Thrace
The north, and the least-visited part of all.
- Thessaloniki, the second city, and the best place to eat in Greece.
- Vergina, the Macedonian royal tombs, and Dion at the foot of Olympus.
- Mount Athos, the monastic republic, seen from a boat.
- Kavala, Xanthi and Drama in the east, with a visible Ottoman past.
- Kastoria, Florina and the Prespa lakes in the far north-west.
- Litochoro for Olympus itself.
How to move around it
By car. The motorway network is genuinely good: the Egnatia across the north, the Ionia down the west, the A1 north from Athens and the A7 into the Peloponnese. Distances are shorter than they look on a map.
By bus, the KTEL network, which reaches everywhere and has no national timetable. See getting around Greece.
By train, for a short list of journeys only. See trains in Greece.
When to come
The mainland is a spring, autumn and winter destination as much as a summer one. Inland summer heat is severe, the mountain villages are at their best under snow, and the archaeological sites are unbearable at midday in August.
Last checked August 2026. Site hours and mountain access are seasonal - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Is mainland Greece worth visiting?
Yes, and it is where the mountains, monasteries and most of the archaeology are. It sees a fraction of the international visitors the islands do.
What is the best region of mainland Greece?
The Peloponnese for a first trip, because it combines archaeology, towns, beaches and mountains in a week-long loop. Epirus is the most beautiful.
How do you travel around mainland Greece?
By car, on a good motorway network. The KTEL bus network reaches everywhere but has no national timetable, and the railway serves only a few routes.
When is the best time to visit mainland Greece?
Spring and autumn, and winter for the mountains. Inland summer heat is severe and makes midday at an archaeological site genuinely unpleasant.
What is the best sight on the Greek mainland?
Meteora, the monasteries built on rock pillars in Thessaly, with Delphi and the Macedonian tombs at Vergina close behind.
Next
Read the Peloponnese road trip, Meteora, or Zagori.