A Unique Greek Trip During the Off-Season

Visiting Greece in January to avoid the peak season! While summer is the peak season for Greece 🇬🇷, the recent European summers have become unbearably hot 🫠 and overcrowded, making it difficult to take good photos. So, I decided to visit during the off-season! It was the perfect choice—less crowded, warm even in winter, and overall a great experience! Although off-season travel can be challenging if the weather is bad, Greece in winter is often sunny ☀️, so the weather wasn’t an issue. One unexpected perk of the off-season was the abundance of cats 🐈⬛🐈! You encounter cats every few steps, and there are more cat encounters than human ones! 😂 Hotels are also cheaper during the off-season! In Athens and Santorini, you can stay at 4-star or 5-star hotels for around 10,000 yen per person. I stayed at the Grecotel Pallas Athena in Athens, which had stylish rooms. I spent two nights there before heading to Santorini, stayed two nights in Santorini, and then returned to Athens for one more night. Leaving your suitcase at the Athens hotel and traveling light to Santorini is highly recommended! Note that some hotels in Athens don’t offer luggage storage, so make sure to confirm this in advance. Breakfast was buffet-style, and I couldn’t resist eating a lot because it was so delicious! On the morning of the Santorini trip, we left early, so we requested breakfast boxes in advance, which the hotel prepared for us. To get to Santorini, you can usually choose between a ferry 🚢 or a flight ✈️, but ferries don’t operate during the off-season, so flying is the only option. Booking your flight early is recommended. Transportation from the airport to the hotel is limited during the off-season, so it’s best to book a taxi 🚕 in advance. We booked ours just a few days before arrival. In Santorini, we stayed at Ducato di Oia, a cave-style hotel often chosen for honeymoons. Some rooms come with heated pools or terraces, offering a variety of options. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend it! The only downside of traveling during the off-season is that many restaurants are closed. In the area we stayed on the island, only three restaurants were open. 😂 Despite this, I highly recommend visiting Greece during the off-season—it’s an incredible experience!