Where to Celebrate Apokries in Greece

Wondering where the best Apokries celebrations happen in Greece? Our guide covers the top destinations for this legendary Greek Carnival!

Apokries is the Greek Carnival tradition, and should mark Greece as one of your destinations for winter travel! It’s an ancient Greek tradition, and the biggest party is in Athen, where they honour Dionysos, the God of Fertility. On a national level, the festival marks the fasting period beginning of the Easter season, and usually kicks off sometime in the middle or the end of February.

Across the country, you can marvel at huge parades with musicians, dancers and chariots! Attendees love dressing up, and virtually anything goes in the way of costumes. Less is definitely not more so go all out if you want! Not showing up in costume will seriously change the way you experience this incredible event, so don’t say you weren’t warned.

But Greece is a rather big and spread out country, so where are the best destinations to experience this festival? Read on to discover our suggestions for where to celebrate Apokries in Greece.

Where to Celebrate Apokries in Greece

1. Athens (Moschato)

The biggest carnival in Athen takes place in Moschato. Thousands of costumed people, and dozens of chariots participate parade. Several events take place in the festival, like a treasure hunt, Best Costume Awards, Best Dancer Awards, etc. Dancers and locals often motivate travellers to dance while drinking a glass of beer, wine or a cocktail! The party continues in local bars and squares throughout the night!

2. Patra

The city of Patra is only 3 hours away by bus from Athens and is famous for its carnival. The myth says locals began preparation of their costumes and parade for the next year the day after carnival ended! Anticipation for Apokries is high in Patra! Many people drink a local, sweet red wine called Mavrodafini Patron and the party begins in the morning.

3. Kalamata

In the southeast part of Peloponnese is Kalamata, one of the most picturesque cities of Greece. The weather is usually warmer here compared to other Greek cities, so most people celebrate all day and night. There are usually also daily excursions before or after the last weekend of Apokries. On the last day, there’s a fire where they burn the ‘’king’’ of the carnival. The party goes until the next day!

Greece is a pretty interesting country to navigate, so it’s better to plan where you want to celebrate beforehand. The Greeks definitely know how to throw a party, so don’t miss out on a unique experience!