Achilleion Palace gardens above Gastouri with views to the Ionian Sea
Visit Corfu · Visit Greece

Visit Corfu

Your practical guide to visit Corfu — and the best base to visit Greece from. Plan before you land, use it on the ground.

UNESCO Old Town, Venetian fortresses, Empress Sisi's Achilleion, Ionian beaches and Greece's most famous Easter pot-throwing tradition.

UNESCOOld Town listed 2007
€1.30blue bus Zone A
3 kmairport to town
45 minto Paleokastritsa
Start here

Start here — four ways into the city

Arriving at CFU

Ioannis Kapodistrias Airport sits 3 km south of Corfu Town. Blue Bus Line 15 links the terminal, Green Bus station, San Rocco Square and the port for €1.30 in Zone A (Astiko KTEL Kerkyras, checked Aug 2026). Taxis wait outside — budget ~€15 by day, ~€20 between 00:00 and 05:00; confirm the meter or fare before you leave (cfu-airport.gr).

Old Town in one day

The UNESCO-listed core fits on foot: cross the Contrafossa into the Old Fortress (€10 full ticket, Ministry of Culture, checked Aug 2026), walk Liston arcades on Spianada, then drop to the harbour. Allow 90 minutes for the fortress alone; last entry is 20 minutes before closing.

Buses without a car

Blue buses cover town and nearby suburbs; green KTEL coaches reach Paleokastritsa (route A9, €2.50 one-way, ktelkerkyras.gr, checked Aug 2026). Buy blue-bus tickets at kiosks or machines — on-board purchase costs more by law (astikoktelkerkyras.gr).

What it costs

Plan on €55–75 per person per day on a budget (hostel, taverna, buses), €95–140 mid-range, or €190+ with a rental car and boutique hotel. Museum entries run €7–10 for Achilleion gardens and the Old Fortress — prices verified Aug 2026.

Orientation

Why Corfu is worth your time

Corfu is the greenest of the major Greek islands: Venetian fortifications, British-era cricket on Spianada, and a town small enough to cross on foot yet large enough to fill a week.

Most visitors land at CFU, base themselves in or near the Old Town, and use blue buses or green coaches for beaches and villages. Easter is the cultural peak — Holy Saturday pot-throwing (Botides) at 11:00 on Spianada is listed by Greece's National Tourism Organisation (visitgreece.gr, checked Aug 2026). Outside festival weeks the rhythm is simpler: morning sights, long lunch, swim or sunset viewpoint, repeat.

The island suits travellers who want both urban history and day-trip coves without changing hotels. Rhodes and Crete offer more sheer scale; Corfu wins on compact UNESCO streets, Achilleion, and fast airport access.

Unmissable

The sights you should not skip

  • Achilleion Palace — Empress Elisabeth's hilltop villa above Gastouri; gardens open €7, interior closed for restoration (achillion-corfu.gr, checked Aug 2026). Blue bus Zone B €1.80.
  • Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio) — €10 entry, summer 08:00–20:00 (odysseus.culture.gr, checked Aug 2026). Five minutes' walk from Liston.
  • Spianada & Liston — Free squares and arcades; Easter processions and daily café life.
  • Kanoni & Pontikonisi — Classic photo stop; boats to Mouse Island — fare check locally at the jetty.
  • Paleokastritsa — Northwest coves and monastery; green bus A9 about 45 minutes, €2.50 (ktelkerkyras.gr).

Full see & do guide · Achilleion detail page

Self-guided walks

Ready-made routes — no backtracking

These loops start from Spianada and avoid doubling back. Times assume summer opening hours — verify before winter visits.

  1. Fortress & harbour loop (2–3 h) — Old Fortress → descend to Spilia old-port cafés → New Fortress viewpoint → Liston coffee. Old Fortress ticket €10.
  2. Kanoni sunset (half day) — Blue bus to Kanoni → Vlacherna monastery → optional boat to Pontikonisi → café wait for sunset over the lagoon.
  3. Mon Repos coastal walk (2 h) — South from Garitsa through Mon Repos park to Faliraki bathing pavilion — paved paths, shade, swimmable sea in calm weather.

Interactive map and longer itineraries add restaurant stops and ticket times.

Beyond the city

Get out of town for a day

You can reach three different landscapes in under 90 minutes by public transport from Corfu Town.

Paleokastritsa coast

Green bus A9, about 45 minutes, €2.50 one-way (ktelkerkyras.gr, checked Aug 2026). Clifftop monastery, boat trips to caves — book boats on site.

Paxos & Antipaxos

Passenger ferries leave Corfu port — schedules and prices vary by season; check corfuport.gr or operators before you travel.

Sidari & north coast

Route A2 to Sidari, about 75 minutes, €3.70 (ktelkerkyras.gr). Canal d'Amour rock formations — go early in peak season.

All day trips

What's on

Coming up in Corfu

Events

Every guide

The complete Corfu guide index

Every page on this site, in the order you will need them.

See & Do

The sights that matter, with the hours and prices to plan around.

Eat & Drink

What to order, where to find it, and what it should cost.

Getting Around

Blue buses in town, green buses around the island, and when you still need a car or taxi.

Day Trips

Where to go, how long it takes, and how to get there without a car.

Areas

What each district is actually for, and how they join up on foot.

Events

Confirmed dates only — every entry links to the official source.

Essentials

The boring page you will be glad you read.

Itineraries

Routes built around walking distance, opening hours and meal times.

City Map

Every landmark, food stop and viewpoint, plus four self-guided walks.

Family Guide

Stroller routes, shade, playgrounds and the museums kids actually like.

Where to Stay

Pick the area first, the hotel second. Here is how the areas differ.

Nightlife

Where it happens, what time it starts, and how to get home.

Trip Cost

Real daily numbers for three travel styles, itemised.

Achilleion Palace

Hours, tickets, what is actually inside, and when the light is best.

Corfu vs Rhodes

An honest comparison — including when Rhodes is the better call.

Beaches

Which beaches are genuinely swimmable, and how to reach them by bus.

Islands

Routes, crossing times and how to book ferries properly.

Before you go

Numbers worth saving

  • Emergency — 112
  • Tourist police — 1571
  • Single transit fare — €1.30
  • Airport taxi — ~€15 (night ~€20)
  • Currency — EUR (€)
  • Dialling code — +30

Essentials