I traveled around Greece with 3 of my best friends. Here are 6 highlights from the trip and 5 things we'd do differently next time.

Since Athens is a big walking city and Mykonos is known to be a party island, we were grateful to have the two relaxing islands, Naxos and Santorini, at the latter end of the trip.

After an exhausting few days, I appreciated the serenity of the quiet islands that much more.

We were torn between morning and sunset when deciding when to book a boat ride.

I was grateful that we took the daytime cruise because it allowed us to see the island in broad daylight and swim while it was still nice and sunny.

I'll admit it, when our Airbnb host wouldn't stop messaging me in the days leading up to Santorini, I thought it was a red flag.

But befriending our host, Antonis, was the best thing we could've done.

As four girls who always wait until the last minute to plan, having someone point us in the direction of the best boat tours, wine tastings, and restaurants was a big advantage.

Our favorite meal of the entire trip was when we took Antonis to his favorite lunch spot and gave him full ordering responsibility.

Had we been alone, we probably would've ordered the basics, but he encouraged us to try new foods and gave us the local experience.

One of the best things Antonis introduced us to was a traditional dessert made from Greek yogurt and mastic (dried tree resin). We've been on the hunt for it in the US ever since.

We didn't plan on going wine tasting in Greece, but when Antonis insisted we do it, we couldn't resist.

It gave us a unique view of the vineyards that we didn't even know were right in our Airbnb's backyard. And after a few jam-packed days, this was the perfect activity to pause and take it all in.

We set aside a day to explore Naxos with no itinerary, and we got to take our time shopping in markets, sitting by the ocean, and discovering new food spots.

It was nice to be spontaneous and stumble upon hidden gems that day instead of stressing about making it to another activity on time.

We thought we were being smart by renting a car to explore Naxos, but it turned out to be the biggest mistake of the trip.

Our GPS service wasn't always great, and it often took us down smaller roads full of sharp rocks. We ended up with not one but two flat tires.

When we returned the car, we split the bill for the tire repair. But as we were boarding the ferry to leave the island, the owners came down on their motorcycle demanding more money for more damages.

There went our budget — and our dignity.

Athens was extremely hot in the middle of May, and walking around the Acropolis was a challenging feat.

We had to take many breaks, and I think I nearly passed out from dehydration. Plastic water bottles were expensive, so it would've been nice if we'd packed our own to fill up.

We felt pressure to go to a beach club in Mykonos because it's famously a party island. But the club wasn't worth it for us.

We went in the daytime, only to find out the real party starts at night. Our entrance fee included access to a daybed but not food and beverages, which added up quickly.

The following day, we went to a public beach, paid a fraction of the price for lounge chairs, and enjoyed ourselves just as much.

When booking our Airbnb in Mykonos, we saw a few comments about it being a bit of a walk to get to. As young, relatively in-shape people, we ignored the warnings.

But our accommodation was right on top of a massive hill and walking home (often in dresses and sandals) wasn't ideal.

We optimized our time by booking early ferry rides on travel days.

But the ferries were crowded, so I wish we paid a little more to upgrade to bigger, more nap-friendly seats.

This story was originally published on February 18, 2024, and most recently updated on June 12, 2024.