Amazing Aegean: Self-Launched Athens, Crete & Santorini

Land in Athens and take metro line 3 (airport to Syntagma/Monastiraki, ~£9 one way, 40 mins) to your hostel in Plaka or Monastiraki. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Plaka lanes and the Anafiotika quarter beneath the Acropolis, then walk up to Areopagus Hill for the free sunset view. For the 'sweeping Acropolis views' dinner from the tour, book a rooftop table at a mid-range taverna in Plaka or the Thissio side — many have direct Parthenon sightlines; expect £18-25 for a meze-and-wine dinner.

🚌Athens Airport to city: metro line 3, ~£9 single (or 3-day tourist ticket ~£17 if you'll ride a lot)

🛏Hostel dorm or private twin in Plaka/Monastiraki (£20-30/night)

• →Plaka & Anafiotika wander
• →Areopagus Hill sunset
• →Rooftop dinner with Acropolis view

Book an Acropolis + Parthenon timed-entry ticket directly on hhticket.gr (~£12-15, or the combined £25 multi-site ticket covering Temple of Olympian Zeus and more). Visit at opening (8am) to beat both heat and crowds, then walk the pedestrian avenue past the Panathenaic Stadium and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Afternoon: spend 2 hours in the Acropolis Museum (£10, or GetYourGuide skip-the-line with audio ~£18). Core the tour's Cape Sounio visit by taking the KTEL Attica bus from Pedion tou Areos / Aigyptou Square (~£6-7 return, 1h45 each way) for the Temple of Poseidon at golden hour, a classic local trip. Alternatively join a GetYourGuide Sounio sunset tour if you'd rather not bus it (~£40-50). Return to Piraeus and board the overnight Blue Star or Minoan Lines ferry to Heraklion — book a reclining seat (£30-38) or a shared inside cabin (from ~£50); this replaces the operator's private onboard dinner with a decent self-catered picnic from a Piraeus bakery.

🚌Metro day ticket + KTEL bus to Sounio (£6-7) + Piraeus–Heraklion overnight ferry (seat £30-38, cabin from £50)

🛏Overnight ferry — reclining seat or shared cabin

• →Acropolis & Parthenon (timed entry, ~£12-15)
• →Panathenaic Stadium & Temple of Olympian Zeus
• →Acropolis Museum (£10)
• →Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio

Arrive Heraklion early and take a city bus or 20-minute taxi to the wine village of Archanes (KTEL Heraklion–Archanes, ~£2). Base yourself in a family-run guesthouse in Archanes or the old town of Heraklion. Book a half-day Cretan cooking class in a village home through GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences (~£45-65 including lunch of what you cook, wine, and a garden tour) — this replaces the tour's private-home class and lunch in one go. Afternoon: visit a small honey producer or the Manolis-style wood workshop on the main street of Archanes (free to browse, honey tasting ~£4-8), and taste the local Kotsifali wine at one of the village co-op tasting rooms (~£8-10).

🚌KTEL Heraklion–Archanes bus ~£2 each way; short taxi ~£6

🛏Family guesthouse in Archanes or Heraklion old-town hostel (£18-28/night)

• →Cretan village breakfast at a kafeneio (~£5)
• →Half-day Cretan cooking class (~£45-65 incl. lunch)
• →Honey tasting (~£6)
• →Archanes village wood workshops & wine tasting

Take the KTEL intercity bus from Heraklion to Chania (~£12, 2h45), or ride via the Vouves plateau to see the 4,000-year-old olive tree at Ano Vouves (local bus via Kolymbari, ~£4; the tree and small museum are free). In Chania, wander the Venetian harbour, lighthouse and the Splantzia quarter; the Botanical Park of Chania is reachable by local bus or a £12 taxi ride if you want the garden walk (~£6 entry). Late afternoon, hop the frequent KTEL Chania–Rethymno bus (~£5, 1h) and check into a guesthouse inside Rethymno's old town. Dinner from the Venetian-mansion-style tavernas in the old town costs £12-18 for mezze and local wine.

🚌KTEL Heraklion–Chania ~£12; local bus to Vouves ~£4; KTEL Chania–Rethymno ~£5

• →4,000-year-old olive tree at Ano Vouves (free)
• →Chania Venetian harbour & Splantzia walk
• →Botanical Park of Chania (~£6)
• →Rethymno old town evening

Bus back toward Heraklion (KTEL ~£5), and take city bus 2 or a GetYourGuide combo transfer to the Palace of Knossos — buy the ticket at the gate or the combined Knossos + Archaeological Museum ticket (~£16-20). A GetYourGuide guided entry with an archaeologist is ~£25-30 if you want the history context the tour provides; otherwise the free signage plus a podcast works fine. Have a late lunch of Cretan cheeses and dakos in Rethymno or Heraklion's old town. Book an evening olive oil tasting at a Heraklion or Rethymno producer — several offer 60-90 minute tastings with Cretan pairings for £15-25; for a 17th-century mansion setting look at venues in Rethymno's old town and reserve ahead. Return to your Rethymno or Chania base overnight.

🚌KTEL bus ~£5 + local bus 2 to Knossos ~£2 each way

🛏Rethymno old-town guesthouse (£18-28/night)

• →Palace of Knossos (~£16-20 with museum)
• →Optional guided Knossos entry (~£25-30)
• →Olive oil tasting & Cretan food pairing (~£20)
• →Venetian harbour stroll in Rethymno

Morning bus to Heraklion port (~£5) and take the SeaJets or Golden Star fast ferry to Santorini Thira (~£30-45, 1h30-2h; book online in advance). Check into a guesthouse in Fira or Karterados — Karterados and Messaria are cheaper than caldera-view rooms and a 15-minute walk or £2 bus from Fira. Afternoon: local bus to Santo Wines in Pyrgos (~£2) for a self-guided flight tasting of Assyrtiko and Vinsanto with cheese and tomato paste pairings (~£20-28, book on the Santo Wines site or GetYourGuide). Then bus to Oia for the sunset (~£2) — arrive by 5pm in season and claim a spot near the castle ruins; the 'romantic sunset dinner' becomes a gyros or a taverna table off the caldera edge for £12-18 instead of a £90 Oia-view dinner.

🚌KTEL bus to Heraklion port ~£5; fast ferry ~£30-45; Santorini local buses ~£2 each (day pass ~£9)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Fira/Karterados (£25-40/night)

• →Santo Wines tasting with pairings (~£25)
• →Oia sunset
• →Caldera-edge walk Fira to Firostefani

Take the early local bus to Akrotiri (via Fira, ~£2-3) and visit the Bronze Age town excavation with the covered site entry (~£10-12) — a GetYourGuide small-group guided visit including transport is ~£40-50 if you want the archaeological narrative. Continue to Megalochori with its cave houses and bell towers (bus ~£2), then walk the vineyard flatlands back toward Pyrgos. In the afternoon, swim at Red Beach or Perissa if you want a beach fix. In the evening, book a 'Greek night' with live music, dancing and a set dinner in Fira or Kamari through GetYourGuide or at the venue directly (~£30-45) — the closest self-bookable equivalent to the tour's Greek wedding cultural experience.

🚌Santorini local buses ~£2-3 per leg

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Fira/Karterados (£25-40/night)

• →Akrotiri archaeological site (~£10-12)
• →Megalochori village
• →Red Beach or Perissa swim
• →Greek night with music & dinner (~£30-45)

Book a morning Blue Star ferry from Athinios to Piraeus (~£35-50, 5h) or a 45-minute Aegean/Ryanair flight (~£30-60 booked ahead) — the flight is the better match for the tour's own evening return. From Piraeus, metro line 1 + line 3 reaches the airport (~£9); from the airport, allow 90 minutes before your flight. If you need door-to-door, a shared airport transfer is ~£20-25 versus the operator's £52 private transfer. If time allows before your departure, a last baklava and coffee in Monastiraki makes a nice farewell.

🚌Santorini–Athens ferry ~£35-50 or flight ~£30-60; Athens metro to airport ~£9

🛏N/A (departure day) — add a final night in Athens (£20-30) if your flight is early

• →Port/airport transfer
• →Optional last Monastiraki wander