Jewels of Greece & the Aegean Islands — Self-Launched 8-Day Island Hopper
8 days · Greece (Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Crete, Santorini)
On The Go Tours charges £1,894
No-markup version: ~£640 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of On The Go Tours' "Jewels of Greece and Aegean Islands" — Athens' ancient icons on foot, a public-bus run to Delphi and the cliff-top monasteries of Meteora, then a DIY island hop across Mykonos, Patmos, Crete and Santorini using Greek ferries instead of a fixed group cruise. Same headline sights, built around hostels and guesthouses, getyourguide walking tours and Blue Star/SeaJets ferries. Note that the original squeezes Kusadasi (Turkey) into the loop via cruise ship; doing this independently is possible by booking a day trip from Samos or a fast ferry connection, but it's logistically heavy — this version keeps Kusadasi/Ephesus as an optional add-on from Mykonos/Samos rather than a compulsory stop. Costs are rough backpacker and budget-traveller estimates in GBP, peak-season (June–Sept) leaning. Book ferries early — summer sailings sell out.
Day-by-day
Arrive Athens — settle in around Plaka & Monastiraki
Athens
Land at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) and take Metro Line 3 (or the X95 bus) into the centre — €9/€5.50, about 40–50 mins — instead of a private transfer. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Plaka, Monastiraki or Koukaki. Spend the afternoon orienting yourself: wander Plaka's lanes, browse Monastiraki flea market, and get your first view of the Acropolis lit up from Filopappou Hill at sunset (free). Grab a gyros or souvlaki dinner for €4–6.
🚌Metro Line 3 from airport to Syntagma/Monastiraki (~€9)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Plaka/Monastiraki (e.g. Athens backpacker hostels, ~£18–28/night)
- →Arrival & Metro transfer to city centre
- →Plaka & Monastiraki orientation walk
- →Free Acropolis sunset viewpoint from Filopappou Hill
Athens in depth — Acropolis, Acropolis Museum & city landmarks
Athens
Buy a skip-the-line Acropolis & Parthenon combo ticket online (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£15–18 including the archaeological sites pass) or book a small-group guided walking tour (~£30–40) covering the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea and the Parthenon. Afterwards, visit the Acropolis Museum (~£10) and take a self-guided loop past the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, Zappeion, the Panathenaic Stadium and Syntagma's Greek Parliament / Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (try to catch the hourly changing of the guards). Finish with free time in Plaka. All these sites are walkable or a short metro ride apart.
🚌Walking + metro day pass (~€4.10)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Athens (~£18–28/night)
- →Acropolis & Parthenon (timed entry ticket)
- →Acropolis Museum
- →Temple of Olympian Zeus & Hadrian's Arch
- →Zappeion & Panathenaic Stadium
- →Greek Parliament & Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Athens → Delphi → Kalambaka (Meteora gateway)
Delphi & Kalambaka
Take an early intercity KTEL bus from Athens' Liosion station to Delphi (~3 hrs, €16–18) and explore the UNESCO Sanctuary of Apollo, walk the Sacred Way and view the Temple of Apollo ruins on the mountainside (site ticket ~€12). Continue by bus to Kalambaka beneath the Meteora rocks — the connection usually routes via Lamia/Trikala and takes most of the afternoon (~4–5 hrs). Check into a guesthouse in Kalambaka. This is a long travel day; the reward is waking up under the monasteries.
🚌KTEL bus Athens→Delphi (€16–18) + bus Delphi→Kalambaka (~€20)
🛏Family guesthouse in Kalambaka (~£20–32/night)
- →KTEL intercity bus to Delphi
- →Sanctuary of Apollo & Temple of Apollo (UNESCO site)
- →Walk the Sacred Way
- →Bus onward to Kalambaka
Meteora monasteries → back to Athens
Meteora
Catch the local bus from Kalambaka up to the Meteora monasteries (€3–4 return) or rent a scooter/ebike. Entry to each monastery is ~€3 (modest dress required — shoulders and knees covered). Visit two or three of the six cliff-top monasteries (Great Meteoron and Varlaam are the big ones). If you're heading back to Athens, take the afternoon/evening KTEL bus (€28–32, ~4.5 hrs). Optional long detour: a photo stop at Thermopylae with the statue of King Leonidas en route — only practical with a rental car.
🚌Local Meteora bus (~€3.50) + KTEL bus Kalambaka→Athens (~€30)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Athens (~£18–28/night)
- →Meteora monasteries (Great Meteoron, Varlaam)
- →Local bus up to the monasteries
- →Optional Thermopylae / King Leonidas statue stop (self-drive only)
Athens → Mykonos (ferry)
Mykonos
Head to Piraeus (not Lavrio — that's the cruise port the tour uses) and take a fast ferry or conventional Blue Star ferry to Mykonos (2.5–5 hrs depending on type, €40–65 one way; book on Ferryhopper/Blue Star/SeaJets in advance). Check into a hostel or family guesthouse in Mykonos Town (Chora). Explore the whitewashed lanes, Little Venice and the windmills, and swim at a nearby beach. Greek island hostels are pricier than the mainland — expect £25–45 in high season.
🚌Metro/tram to Piraeus + Blue Star/SeaJets ferry (~€50)
🛏Mykonos Town hostel or family guesthouse (~£30–45/night)
- →Ferry from Piraeus to Mykonos
- →Mykonos Town (Chora) lanes & Little Venice
- →Windmills and sunset at Kato Mili
Mykonos → Patmos (with optional detour via Kusadasi/Ephesus)
Patmos
Two options. (A) Simple island hop: ferry from Mykonos to Patmos (via Paros/Samos; ~4–7 hrs, €35–55), then explore the UNESCO-listed Monastery of St John the Theologian and the Grotto of the Apocalypse where Revelation is said to have been written (combined ticket ~€10). (B) Turkey detour: ferry/book a day trip to Kusadasi to see the Ephesus ruins including the Library of Celsus and Temple of Serapis (guided Ephesus day tour ~£45–60 via GetYourGuide) — this replaces the cruise ship's stop but adds logistics and a Turkish e-visa if you're not visa-exempt. Overnight in Patmos (Skala) or on Samos.
🚌Ferry Mykonos→Patmos (~€45) + local bus to monastery
🛏Guesthouse in Patmos (Skala) or Samos town (~£25–40/night)
- →Ferry to Patmos
- →Monastery of St John the Theologian (UNESCO)
- →Grotto of the Apocalypse
- →Optional Ephesus ruins & Library of Celsus day trip via Kusadasi
Crete & Santorini
Heraklion (Crete) & Santorini
Ferry to Crete (Heraklion) and, if time allows, visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos (ticket ~€15, bus no. 2 from Heraklion centre) — the tour treats this as optional too. Then take a high-speed ferry Crete→Santorini (Seajets/SeaJets, ~2 hrs, €55–75). Arrive in Santorini, take the local bus to Fira and settle in. Explore Fira's caldera-edge paths, and either walk or take the local bus to Oia for the famous sunset (~€2 each way). The cable car (€6) connects Fira town with the old port if you come in by tender — but with ferries you'll dock at Athinios port, where buses meet the boats.
🚌Ferries Heraklion→Santorini (~€65) + local Santorini buses
🛏Hostel or budget rooms in Fira/Karterados, Santorini (~£30–50/night in peak season)
- →Ferry to Crete / Heraklion
- →Optional: Minoan Palace of Knossos
- →High-speed ferry Crete→Santorini
- →Fira & Oia caldera sunset
Santorini → Athens (ferry or flight) and departure
Santorini & Athens
Return to Athens by high-speed ferry from Santorini's Athinios port (~5 hrs, €60–80) or, often cheaper/faster in peak season, take a short domestic flight (Volotea/Sky Express/Ryanair, £40–90 booked ahead). On the ferry arrival at Piraeus, take the metro to the airport for a mid-afternoon or later international flight (the original operator also recommends booking departures after midday). If you have time, one last souvlaki in Plaka before heading home. Trip ends in Athens at the airport.
🚌Ferry Santorini→Piraeus (~€70) or flight (~£65) + airport metro (€9)
🛏N/A (departure day)
- →Ferry or budget flight Santorini→Athens
- →Metro transfer to Athens airport
- →Final free time in Athens
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£640 | £1,894 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,254 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£640
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Jewels of Greece & the Aegean Islands — Self-Launched 8-Day Island Hopper cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £640 per person for 8 days in Greece (Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Crete, Santorini). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £1,894 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £640 — a saving of roughly £1,254 (66%) per person.
How long is the Greece (Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Crete, Santorini) trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Greece (Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Crete, Santorini).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, backpacker trip through Greece (Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Crete, Santorini), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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