Your Bucket List to Explore Greece in Autumn

Explore the beauty of Greece in the fall by visiting mountain villages, watching the leaves turn vibrant colors, eating local seasonal desserts, and more!

I'm an American, so I’m used to a spooky and fall-themed October filled with trips to watch the leaves change, to pumpkin patches, and to apple orchards.  We eat bags of candy and lots of baked apple desserts.  While living in Greece, realizing the season would be different, I asked Greeks for the BEST things to do in Greece to get in the fall spirit.  By now, I've accomplished each of these and want to share them with you for an unforgettable fall season.  Enjoy!

First things first: timing.  September may still be warm, but you can start doing activities like harvesting grapes and doing wine tours.  October and November are the primary autumn months.  December through February is winter.  It’s October 23 today and a windy 74F (23C), but last week we had a cold front that made us bring out our winter coats.

Visit Meteora to see the ancient monasteries

Meteora, with its ancient monasteries perched on towering rock pillars, is a bucket-list destination any time of year.  But in fall, when the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, the landscape becomes even more stunning! The crisp autumn air, clear skies, and quieter time of year make it an ideal time for hiking, exploring the monasteries, and taking in the magnificent views.  Don’t miss sunset over the monasteries from one of the few viewpoints tagged in Google maps.  It’s several hours from Athens so you’ll need 2-3 days to really appreciate it.  Ignore any “day trips” that are advertised.

Stay in Meteora:

Tsikeli: We stayed at Tsikeli in Kastraki, a small village that’s so close to the monasteries, it’s basically in their shadow.  Between the location, rooms, and breakfast, this was a 10/10 stay for us.

Visit my full Meteora guide for more information.

Visit Zagori or Evia to watch the leaves change color

Zagori is one of the top destinations for a fall getaway because the trees turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow.  The area is also brimming with tradition and culture, so you can experience olive harvesting or attend mountain markets in the villages.  Best of all, autumn is a quieter time in the area, so it will be a more relaxed and intimate experience.

Stay in Zagori:

Melinas Boutique - sweeping views over the valley, mountains, and village

Hotel Machalas - located next to the famous Zagori stone bridges

Much closer to Athens, Evia is full of undeveloped mountain land and is the true hidden gem of Greece.  Frequented by Greeks and unknown to tourists, it’s only 1.5 hours drive from Athens.   Although it’s technically an island, it’s connected to the mainland and very easy to get to.  The mountains here are wild and driving through them is as much an experience as the mountain villages and magical coves that are a photographer’s dream.

Stay in Evia:

Heliopetra Sea View Studios - an extraordinary set of villas perched above some of the most stunning desolate coves you’ll ever visit. 

Dream apartments Limnionas - we stayed here recently and while the interior is nice and simple, the patio view is out of this world and it’s a 5-minute walk to an extraordinary beach with coves.  This will be a magical stay.

Visit a mountain market in Evia’s Steni Dirfi village

Only 1.5 hours from Athens is Steni, a popular mountain village in Evia.  Steni means “narrow” in Greek and is named after its location along a mountain stream.  Cold water springs are located throughout the town and flow directly from this water source.  Visit just for the day or combine it with a longer trip to Evia.

On weekends, market stalls are set up at the “doctor’s foundation,” the main spring in the center of town. They sell traditional products like mountain tea, local herbs from Dirfis, spices, homemade pasta, trahana, honey, walnuts, jams, and spoon sweets. 

I walked away with quince spoon sweet (a new-to-me fruit that tastes like pear) and some vanilla fir honey as thick as peanut butter (which can be rare as Greece’s temperatures get hotter each year and it gets harder to produce).

Where to stay:

Dirfys House - a beautiful apartment right in the village

Chalet Dirfys - a chalet with a terrace and mountain views

Try local desserts: milopita, bougatsa, or moustokouloura

Milopita, also known as Greek apple pie, is a classic Fall dessert in Greece. It has layers of filo pastry filled with a sweet and tangy apple filling, often flavored with cinnamon and other spices. The top layer is typically brushed with butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar before baking until golden brown.

Bougatsa is one of my absolute favorite fall Greek foods. The “sweet” version is a flaky pastry filled with creamy custard and typically dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  In some regions, like Crete, there are both sweet and savory bougatsa options. The savory may have cheese or minced meat inside.  When you order, they will ask you if you want sweet or savory so you can choose.

Moustokoulera are grape molasses cookies and are common in fall because grapes are harvested for wine starting in September. They are made from grape must, flour, and spices.  It is usually served warm, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. 

Here are some of the best places to enjoy these desserts around Greece, but don’t be afraid to ask the traditional bakeries that you come across.

• Athens: To Kafeneion (Psiri)

• Thessaloniki: Trigona Elenidi (Ladadika)

• Nafplio: To Palio Elliniko (Old Town)

• Chania: To Koutouki tou Mantinaki (Old Town)

Wine tasting in Nemea

September is when the grapes are harvested and starts off the busy fall wine season in Greece’s wine country - Nemea!  Nestled in the ancient Peloponnese, Nemea is renowned for its full-bodied red wines, particularly the Agiorgitiko variety. 

You can take a winery tour and learn about the traditional winemaking techniques that have been passed down through generations.  If you don’t want to book ahead, you can also just pick a few wineries and show up on the day of.  It’s usually about €15-20 to taste 3-5 wines with a charcuterie board included.  Bottles are usually €10-25 each.

For those of us that are used to more modern facilities in the U.S., keep in mind that these in Nemea are more traditional.  Everything is a bit more local and cultural - one Agiorgitiko variety at Palivou Estate was even produced in clay pots to mimic traditional methods used 3,000 years ago in the area.

I recommend Keramitsos as a must-visit winery in the area.  It’s cushioned in a valley and has a direct view of an ancient monastery carved into a mountain.  

While you’re in Nemea, take advantage of the opportunity to explore ancient ruins like the Temple of Zeus and the site of the Ancient Nemean Games - it’s where Hercules was famed to have completed his first task of killing the Nemean lion that was terrorizing the area.

Where to stay: 

Kera Neme - Some choose to stay in Corinth, in Nafplio, or in other towns about an hour away, but because we were drinking wine, we wanted to minimize driving and stayed in Nemea town.  Kera Neme was a great base for the night.

Visit mountain villages in the Peloponnese 

Vytina, Stemitsa, and Demitsana are the fall villages of your dreams.  This is one of my top fall recommendations.  Although they are only a few hours drive from Athens, the villages transport you to medieval times with stone villages, ancient monasteries, and local markets. 

Stop in Vytina and Stemnitsa during the day and stay for a night or two in Dimitsana.  While in Vytina, expect the town center to be filled with local markets selling traditional products.  They are known for their wood products, honey, trachana pasta, and mountain tea. Stroll through the “Walk of Love” - a path through bright yellow autumn trees where couples in the village have traditionally gone to get to know each other. 

Stemnitsa is another charming mountain village in Arcadia.  Explore its stone-built architecture, visit the historic Monastery of Prodromos, and discover traditional crafts like silversmithing for which the village is renowned.

Saving the best for last, reserve ample time in Dimitsana to walk around its medieval stone town that is built up high in an amphitheater shape for the whole area to admire.  

Tip: the best photo spot in Dimitsana is right when you enter the town from the North (we were coming from Vytina).  It’s a viewpoint with a few spaces to pull over your car and take a photo with all of Dimitsana before you.  See for yourself in this image.

Second tip: driving through Dimitsana can be a bit nerve-wracking.  Instead of traversing the tight alleys in the village, we parked down below at the Health Center and walked up to our hotel.  Do what makes you feel comfortable!

Where to stay:

Amanites Guesthouse - we LOVED our stay here - do yourself a favor and just book it while you can.  The photos just don’t even begin to do it justice - it has the best view of the city right out your window.  The furniture is traditional mountain home furniture like most hotels in the area and it is very nice in person. The breakfast was also great with lots of fun Greek options to try!

Dimitsana books up fast.  If you can’t find any options on your favorite booking website, I recommend using Google maps to pinpoint some guesthouses and calling to see if they have a spare room available.  Most people will speak English.  Good luck - it’s worth it!

Harvest olives near Kalamata for olive oil

Fall in Greece means it’s time to harvest the olives from the trees for olive oil!  There is nowhere better to do this than the famous Kalamata. 

Recommended Tours:

Take an olive oil tour - walk through the beautiful groves (don’t forget to take photos there!), learn about the different types of olives and how they are harvested, visit an olive mill and learn about the olive oil production process, and taste local olive oil-based products.

Where to stay:

Anamnesis Feel the Mediterranean - a chic, private villa with a pool and mountain view

Orithyia Prime Living - stay in a stone castle on a mountain overlooking the beach

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Fall is celebrated differently around the world and while the activities vary, these months in Greece are a beautiful time filled with gorgeous weather and few visitors.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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