A week from Piraeus around the Aegean: whitewashed Mykonos, the Roman city of Ephesus in Türkiye, the medieval walls of Rhodes, Santorini's caldera and Minoan Crete. Late spring and early autumn are warm without the August crush.
Month by month
Best: May, June, July, August, September, October
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avoid Poor OK Good Excellent Peak
Worth avoiding: January, February, March, December.
Shoulder season: June, September, good weather with typically fewer crowds and lower prices.
Weather and crowds
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Wet days | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13°C / 56°F | 6°C / 43°F | 7 | Quiet |
| February | 14°C / 56°F | 6°C / 43°F | 7 | Quiet |
| March | 16°C / 60°F | 8°C / 46°F | 7 | Quiet |
| April | 20°C / 68°F | 11°C / 52°F | 7 | Moderate |
| May | 25°C / 77°F | 16°C / 60°F | 5 | Moderate |
| June | 31°C / 88°F | 21°C / 70°F | 5 | Moderate |
| July | 35°C / 95°F | 24°C / 75°F | 1 | Busy |
| August | 33°C / 92°F | 23°C / 74°F | 3 | Busy |
| September | 29°C / 84°F | 19°C / 67°F | 3 | Moderate |
| October | 23°C / 74°F | 15°C / 58°F | 4 | Moderate |
| November | 19°C / 67°F | 11°C / 53°F | 8 | Quiet |
| December | 15°C / 59°F | 8°C / 47°F | 9 | Quiet |
Weather: averages of recent years from Open-Meteo historical data (CC BY 4.0). Crowds: estimated from the seasons and holiday periods, not measured.
How long to stay
8–11 days is the sweet spot.
Flight time
About 10h from the US East Coast, 2.5h from Europe, 7h from South Asia.
Good to know
- Santorini anchors offshore and uses tenders; take an early one, the cable car queue back can take an hour.
- Ephesus is hot and shadeless; go first thing and bring water.
- Check whether your passport needs anything extra for the Türkiye call.
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