5 Greece Outfit Ideas to Pack For Your Island Holiday

Ready to head off on an epic holiday to Greece, but not sure what to wear? We’ve traveled to Greece dozens of times, from Athens to the islands and all over the beautiful mainland. After many trips, I’ve put together some fun Greece outfit ideas for your next vacation! This Greece packing list will help you use your own style, wardrobe, and budget to decide what you need (and what to skip) in your suitcase.

How to Start Your Greece Packing List

First off all, I want to stress that these are very realistic ideas for what to wear in Greece! Every single traveler will have their own unique style and needs when packing for a European vacation.

You also want to take into account how long you are traveling for. For my last trip, I was gone for a week and way overestimated the number of Greece outfits that I would use. Most of my day was actually spent in a bathing suit, which I will share more about soon.

These Greece outfit ideas are based on visiting the beautiful Greek Islands where most travelers spend their holidays. While we love Santorini and Mykonos, our favorite islands have often been the small, quiet ones with fewer tourists. I will also share some tips for the big cities like Athens at the end.

Luggage For Your Greece Outfits

Before we get to some of my favorite outfits for Greece, let’s talk about your actual suitcase. The first thing you need to realize is that Greece isn’t always the best for bags with wheels.

I’m not saying you have to pack light or use a travel backpack. However, know that many of the most incredible hotels in Greece require lots of steps to get to… especially the ones with the best views! Keep this in mind when looking for where to stay in Santorini and other mountainous islands.

For example, in Rhodes Old Town there is an amazing boutique hotel that we stayed at called 10GR Hotel & Wine Bar. The only problem is it’s deep inside the city walls. If you don’t arrange for them to come help you with your luggage, you’ll definitely be struggling!

Be sure to confirm where your accommodation is located and how you will get to them when packing a rolling suitcase. We absolutely love the style of this Osprey Daylight 45 travel backpack. 

Level8 has a ton of great options as well if you’d prefer something with wheels. We’ve been using both for the last few years and they’ve held up extremely well.

What Type of Trip Are You Taking?

If you’ve been following our travels for awhile, then you know Greece is one of our favorite countries in the world! We’ve explored everywhere from the popular islands like Crete, Paros, and Milos, to the lesser-visited spots like Karpathos and Astypalea.

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing vacation or up for an adventure, we’ve written over 100 Greece articles to help plan your trip. Here’s some of our general tips below to get you started.

• Planning a Trip to Greece: 10 Step Easy to Follow Guide
• Is Greece Expensive? 11 Tips to Save You Money!
• When’s the Best Time to Visit Greece? Month to Month Breakdown
• 12 Stunning Cyclades Islands to Visit On Your Greece Vacation
• 48 Best Greek Foods, Drinks & Desserts You Can’t Miss in Greece

5 Greece Outfit Ideas For Your Next Holiday

1. Island Hopping on the Ferries 

There are very few people who visit Greece and only go to one island. This means you’ll need an outfit for your travel days once you arrive.

Some of the larger islands have airports that you can easily get to from Athens and other major cities. With that said, we’ve done most of our traveling around the islands using the Greek ferry system.

The best Greece outfits for travel days are a simple shorts and a t-shirt combo. Really, whatever is comfortable for buses, ferries, or car rides when you’ll be sitting for long periods.

I feel like everyone starts their Greece packing list with long, flowing dresses (which we will get to) and leave out the more practical items. If you are traveling on the high-speed boats like Dodekanisos Seaways, there is likely no outdoor spaces.

Yet, if you are using the more affordable slow boats such as Blue Star and Zante Ferries, then you should plan to be outside. It’s so relaxing to grab a seat with a cold beer or freddo iced coffee and watch the islands pass you by.

Having a warmer layer either a sweatshirt or windbreaker can be great for windy days in the swing season. I normally wear a pair of linen or lightweight shorts with a t-shirt, light sweater, or jacket on travel days.

We always pack something comfortable and easy to carry in a backpack besides our main luggage. Check out this photo below from our first island hopping trip in Greece! Thankfully, I have since upgraded my luggage and travel day outfits. 

→ How We Got From Santorini to Milos by Ferry For Just €19

2. Swim Suites and Beachwear

On our last week-long trip to Kefalonia Island, I packed 3 bikinis and 1 one piece bathing suit. Honestly, I wore the same bikini almost every day beach hopping because it was my favorite at the time.

Even if you are not planning to swim in the sea, you will still want be out in the sun. Maybe you’re just hanging out by the infinity pool, or taking a boat trip to the famous Kleftiko Caves on Milos. Either way, you’ll want to be prepared with some beachy Greece outfit ideas.

Think about a wrap or some kind of loose coverup to go over your swimsuits.The last thing you’ll want to do is squeeze into some tight clothing between beaches when it’s piping hot out!

3. Dresses & Summer Outfits for Greece 

This is probably 80 to 90% of my Greece outfits wardrobe. I don’t think there is a flowing Maxi dress that won’t look good on the islands.

Obviously, any shade of blue looks stunning in Greece with the sparking blue waters. Bright colors such as yellow, pink and gold will also blend perfectly with the picturesque architecture. On my last visit, I loved flowy dresses, high waisted skirts, and crop tops.

If you don’t already own these, then don’t worry! Greece has so many boutique shops to explore and buy your own. Almost every store is packed full of beautiful dresses that you’ll want to fill your suitcase with. 

4. Comfy Adventure Exploring

By now you can tell that everyones vacation in Greece will look different. While we will never pass up a relaxing afternoon at the beach, our favorite days have been hopping on a scooter to explore the islands.

This is when you’ll want to have a Greece outfit that you can be out and about in. I prefer something loose and comfortable that still looks cute for pictures at a viewpoint.

Whether you’re renting a car or walking around the small villages, you’ll want to wear something semi-active for adventure days.

5. Greece Outfits For Hiking & Outdoors  

Speaking of the outdoors, some of our favorite hikes in the world have been in Greece! It would be irresponsible to not mention the famous Fira to Oia hike that no traveler should miss on Santorini. 

Still, know that almost all the islands have trails that lead to some out of this world viewpoints. For example, we once hiked up to the Halki castle to sit in Zeus’s chair!

One of the best places to experience on the mainland is Meteora Greece. You’ll want to come up with some active Greece outfit ideas for climbing to the top of those ancient monasteries. 

What To Wear in Greece For Travel Days

We touched a little bit on this already in our section on the Greek Island ferries, but what about flights? Many travelers will be taking long international flights to get to Greece!

I typically where something similar en route to Greece every time. Basically, it’s long loose black pants, a cozy t-shirt, and sweatshirt.

You shouldn’t pack this outfit and not think “oh this is my comfortable clothing for Greece” because it’s going to be dirty. Traveling from the U.S. to Greece can be an extremely long trip depending on your layover. 

If you can do laundry when you arrive, then awesome! Just know that most family-run hotels on the islands don’t offer this. I usually just put this Greece outfit away and use it for my return travel day.  

Don’t Forget Shoes On Your Greece Packing List!

We’re sure you’ve seen photos of the iconic sunset in Santorini, but do you know how many steps it took to get there? Not to mention the uneven stones that make up most of the island’s walking streets!

For this reason, I always pack white sneakers with my outfits for Greece. This is the brand that I literally wore for years, and I recently just ordered another pair.

You can always pack heals for special occasions if that’s your style, but never travel to the islands without sandals (I love these Birkenstocks).

It’s smart to wear shoes that you’ll be able to cover a lot of steps in. Thinking back now, I would definitely switch Birkenstocks for sandals that have a heal strap to give me extra support. 

How about what to wear in Greece in the water? It’s funny because out of all the places we’ve traveled in the world, Greece and Croatia are two of the countries that I specifically pack water shoes for.

Many of the beaches are made of rocks and small pebbles, which can be uncomfortable without the proper footwear.

Greece Outfit Ideas to Skip

This might be a hard one, but don’t overpack for your Greece vacation! Remember that you will have to carry everything around with you when visiting multiple islands or towns. You’ll also want to save room in your bag for souvenirs to bring home.

If you’re planning a mix of adventure and beach days, bring Greece outfits that are comfortable but also beautiful to go with the surreal backdrops. Islands like Mykonos are definitely fancy, but overall the Greek style is very relaxed. 

What you can definitely skip is any kind of yoga pants and “athleisure” clothing unless you are literally going for a hike. Jeans and thick fabrics are also not popular on the islands, partly because it’s just too hot for them in the summer. 

Now if you’re visiting the capital in Athens or big city of Thessaloniki, it can be quite cold in the winter months. This is when you may need those winter coats and pants with your outfits for Greece. You may also want to wear minimal jewelry out in the cities to not stick out. 

Have any questions about what to wear in Greece or want to share your own Greece outfit ideas? Let us know in the comments! 

Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake

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