November is the month Greece closes for the winter, and the last one before Christmas prices. Athens sits near 19°C with the first proper rain since spring, the island season ends, archaeological sites switch to winter hours – and the free first-Sunday scheme returns, starting Sunday 7 November 2027. For Athens, the Peloponnese and Crete it is one of the best-value months of the year.
The season ends, mostly in the first fortnight
Greek island tourism runs roughly Easter to late October, and November is the month the shutters go up. Ferry timetables drop to winter frequencies from about the start of the month, seasonal hotels on Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos and Paros close, and by mid-November the small Cyclades are down to their year-round population.
What keeps working: Athens, Thessaloniki, the Peloponnese, Meteora, Delphi, and the big year-round islands – Crete, Rhodes and Corfu – which have towns and airports rather than resorts.
Free entry returns on the first Sunday
From 1 November to 31 March, state-run archaeological sites, monuments and museums are free on the first Sunday of each month. The 2027 season opens on Sunday 7 November.
It covers Ministry of Culture sites – the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, Delphi, Knossos, Mycenae, Olympia – but not the Acropolis Museum, the Benaki or other private and municipal museums. You still collect a free ticket at the gate.
Winter opening hours also take effect from around 1 November: shorter days and earlier last admission at every state site. Check the current times rather than assuming summer hours.
Weather: the rain comes back
Continue planning your Greece trip
- Athens – highs near 19°C, lows near 12°C, and about 60 mm of rain across eight days. Mild, often sunny between the fronts, and the first month since spring where you need a waterproof.
- Thessaloniki and the north – colder and wetter, with the first snow on the mountains and the ski season opening at the end of the month.
- Crete, Rhodes and the Dodecanese – the mildest part of the country at around 20–22°C, and the best November choice if you want warmth.
- The sea – still about 20°C at the start of the month, dropping through it. A hardy swim in Crete in early November is realistic; a beach holiday is not.
17 November, and what it means in Athens
The anniversary of the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising against the military junta is a school holiday and a significant national date. It is marked by a large commemorative march through central Athens, traditionally ending at the United States embassy.
For a visitor this is simply a logistics note: expect central Athens road closures and metro station closures on and around 17 November, a heavy police presence, and disruption in the Exarchia and Syntagma areas. Museums and sites stay open; getting across the centre by road does not work.
The food month
November is the olive harvest, and in an olive country that matters. New oil – agourelaio, pressed green and peppery – appears from the second half of the month across the Peloponnese, Crete and Lesvos, and it tastes nothing like a supermarket bottle. Chestnuts are roasted on street corners, the first tsipouro of the year is distilled with accompanying village parties in Thessaly and Epirus, and the mountain villages are in their best eating season.
Prices
After the first week, November is among the cheapest months of the Greek year alongside January and February. Athens hotel rates and flights fall sharply once the season ends, and restaurants that need booking in September do not.
The exception is the very end of the month, when Christmas demand starts and the ski resorts open. See how much a trip to Greece costs.
What to wear
A genuinely waterproof outer layer and layers under it – Athens at 19°C in the sun and 13°C in a downpour are different days. Shoes with grip, because the marble at the Acropolis and Delphi is dangerous wet. Covered shoulders and knees for churches and monasteries, and for Meteora a long skirt is required and lent at the door.
The November 2027 calendar
- From 1 November – winter opening hours at archaeological sites; winter ferry timetables.
- Sunday 7 November – free entry at state sites and museums; the first of the season’s free Sundays.
- Wednesday 17 November – Polytechnic anniversary; central Athens road and metro closures.
- Second half of November – olive harvest and the first new oil; tsipouro distilling in the north.
- End of November – Christmas lights go up in Athens and Thessaloniki; the ski season opens.
Read alongside
- Greece in October – the last warm month, with the islands still open.
- Greece in December – Christmas in Athens, and the islands shut.
- Best time to visit Greece – all twelve months compared.
- How much a trip to Greece costs – low-season daily numbers.
- Athens travel guide – the city that carries the Greek off-season.
- Greece travel guide – regions, islands and how to combine them.
- What to pack for Greece – the wet-weather list.
Frequently asked
Is November a good time to visit Greece?
For Athens, the Peloponnese, Meteora and the big islands, yes – mild weather, very low prices, empty ancient sites and the free first Sunday returning. For the small Cyclades it is the wrong month: the season has ended and most businesses are closed.
Are the Greek islands open in November?
Crete, Rhodes and Corfu are, as year-round places. Santorini, Mykonos and the small Cyclades largely close during the first half of the month, and ferry timetables drop to winter frequencies.
How warm is Greece in November?
Athens averages about 19°C by day and 12°C at night with roughly 60 mm of rain across eight days. Crete and the Dodecanese are the warmest at around 20–22°C; the north is colder with the first mountain snow.
Are museums free in Greece in November?
On the first Sunday – 7 November in 2027 – state archaeological sites and museums are free. The scheme runs 1 November to 31 March and does not cover the Acropolis Museum or other private museums.
What happens on 17 November in Athens?
The anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic uprising, marked by a large march through central Athens. Expect road and metro closures in the centre and a heavy police presence; sites and museums stay open.
Can you swim in Greece in November?
In early November in Crete or the Dodecanese, if you are hardy – the sea is still around 20°C at the start of the month. It drops steadily through November.
Do the archaeological sites change hours in November?
Yes. Winter opening hours take effect from around 1 November: shorter days and earlier last admission at every state site. Check current times before planning a late-afternoon visit.
Is November cheap in Greece?
After the first week, yes – among the cheapest months of the year along with January and February, until Christmas demand starts at the very end of the month.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
