Greek Island Hopping (Plus) — Self-Launched Edition: Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini & Ios
11 days · Greece (Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Ios)
Contiki charges £1,650
No-markup version: ~£880 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 11-day self-launched version of Contiki's Greek Island Hopping (Plus): Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini and Ios, linked by public Blue Star and SeaJets ferries. You book your own guesthouses and hostels (comparable quality to the tour's 3-star island hotels), use the same ferries the tour reserves seats on, and pick up the optional boat trips, volcano cruises and village walks yourself via GetYourGuide, Klook or locally at the port. Solo travellers can do this at their own pace — and can save roughly £600–800 against the equivalent "Plus" departure. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and are approximate; late-July/August peak pricing on Mykonos and Santorini can push accommodation up significantly.
Day-by-day
Arrive Athens — Plaka & Monastiraki evening
Athens
Land at Athens International and take Metro Line 3 into town (~€9, 40 min) or the X95 airport bus (~€5.50). Check into a budget hotel in Psirri/Monastiraki or an Athens hostel. Spend the late afternoon wandering Plaka's lanes below the Acropolis and watching the sunset from Areopagus Hill (free). Evening: souvlaki or a meze dinner in Monastiraki, ~€12–15.
🚌Metro Line 3 from ATH airport to Monastiraki ~£7.80
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Psirri / Monastiraki (private double or 4-bed dorm)
- →Self-guided Plaka & Anafiotika walk
- →Sunset at Areopagus Hill (free)
- →Monastiraki street food dinner
Morning Acropolis, afternoon ferry to Mykonos
Athens → Mykonos
Book an Acropolis + Parthenon timed entry slot online in advance (~€20, off-peak €10) and go first thing at 08:00 to beat the heat and cruise crowds. Back to the hotel by 11:30, then Metro to Piraeus. Take the Blue Star Ferries conventional ferry to Mykonos (~4h 45, €40–45 economy) or the faster SeaJets (~2h 40, €70+). Check into a guesthouse or hostel near Paradise/Platis Gialos or in Mykonos Town, then join a locally-run evening walking tour of the old town and Little Venice (~€25 via GetYourGuide) or simply wander the windmills yourself.
🚌Metro to Piraeus ~£1.80 + Blue Star ferry Athens–Mykonos ~£37
🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Mykonos Town / Paradise Beach (private double or dorm)
- →Acropolis & Parthenon timed entry (~£17)
- →Mykonos by Night walking tour (~£22) or self-guided Little Venice & windmills
Mykonos — Paradise Beach & Delos option
Mykonos
Free day. Bus or local sea taxi to Paradise and Super Paradise beaches (beach bus ~€2 each way). Sunbeds on Paradise are pricey in peak season (~€25–40 per set) — bring a towel and use the free sand, or pay for a lounger if you want shade. Alternative: a half-day boat trip to the UNESCO island of Delos, the ancient sacred birthplace of Apollo (~€50 including entry via GetYourGuide, morning departure from Mykonos Town). Evening in Mykonos Town for the windmill sunset.
🚌Local beach buses and sea taxi ~£6 total
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Mykonos
- →Paradise & Super Paradise beaches
- →Optional half-day Delos archaeological boat trip (~£43)
Ferry to Paros — Parikia & Naoussa
Mykonos → Paros
Morning SeaJets or Blue Star ferry from Mykonos to Paros (~40–50 min fast ferry, €30–40; ~1h15 conventional, €20–25). Check into rooms or a guesthouse in Parikia, the harbour town, or Naoussa if you want the fishing-village vibe. Afternoon: walk Parikia's old town and the Panagia Ekatontapyliani church (free), then bus to Naoussa (~€2) for its Venetian castle ruins and harbour tavernas.
🚌Ferry Mykonos–Paros ~£30 + local bus ~£2
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Parikia or Naoussa (private double)
- →Parikia old town & Ekatontapyliani church
- →Naoussa harbour village walk
Paros — boat cruise to Antiparos
Paros
Book a full-day sailing or motorboat cruise around Paros and Antiparos with swim stops and lunch on board (~€55–75 via GetYourGuide or at Parikia harbour — the tour's optional activity, self-booked). Cheaper alternative: public ferry to Antiparos (~€3) plus entry to the Antiparos Cave (~€8), then rent a bike or scooter to reach Soros and Livadia beaches. Dinner at a local taverna in Parikia (~€15–18).
🚌Boat cruise or local ferry ~£5–10
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Paros
- →Full-day boat cruise Paros & Antiparos (~£55)
- →Taverna dinner in Parikia
Ferry to Santorini — sunset at Fira
Paros → Santorini
Ferry from Paros to Santorini (~1h fast ferry ~€40, or ~2h15 conventional ~€25). Check into a guesthouse in Fira, Karterados or Perissa — this is where you save real money, as caldera-view rooms can be triple the price of a village room 10 minutes away. Late afternoon: sunset cruise option out of Fira's old port (~€35 — the tour's optional evening cruise), or take the free caldera-rim walk from Fira to Firostefani and Imerovigli to watch the sun drop.
🚌Ferry Paros–Santorini ~£33 + local bus ~£2
🛏Guesthouse in Fira, Karterados or Perissa (private double or dorm)
- →Caldera-rim walk Fira → Imerovigli (free)
- →Optional sunset boat cruise from Fira old port (~£30)
Santorini — Oia, volcano cruise & black sand beach
Santorini
Early bus to Oia (~€2, 25 min) before the crowds arrive, then walk Oia's castle path. Mid-morning: volcano and hot-springs boat trip to Nea Kameni + Thirassia from Fira's old port (~€30–40 self-booked), with the walk up the volcano. Afternoon: bus to Perissa or Kamari for the black sand beach (~€2). Return to Fira for dinner. If you'd like the Greek wedding experience, book it directly with a local operator (~€45).
🚌Local buses ~£6
🛏Guesthouse, Santorini
- →Oia village early walk
- →Volcano & hot springs boat trip (~£30)
- →Perissa black sand beach
Ferry to Ios — Mylopotas & Chora
Santorini → Ios
Ferry Santorini to Ios (~45 min fast ferry, €20–30). Settle into a guesthouse near Mylopotas beach or in Chora — Far Out Beach Resort is walk-in-bookable too and budget-friendly. Afternoon on Mylopotas (free beach or ~€15 sunbeds), then a stroll up into Chora's whitewashed lanes and to the windmills above the village for sunset.
🚌Ferry Santorini–Ios ~£22
🛏Beach resort or guesthouse, Ios (Mylopotas or Chora)
- →Mylopotas beach afternoon
- →Chora lanes & windmill sunset
Ios — speedboat safari & taverna dinner
Ios
Book a speedboat safari to the inaccessible south-coast coves (Agios Theodoros, Manganari) directly with an Ios boat operator or via GetYourGuide (~€60–80). Cheaper alternative: hire a scooter or ATV (~€25/day) and reach Manganari, Kalamos and the Homer's Tomb viewpoint. Evening: sunset dinner at a Chora taverna (~€18–20).
🚌Scooter or ATV hire ~£22
🛏Beach resort or guesthouse, Ios
- →Speedboat safari (~£65) or scooter exploration
- →Taverna dinner in Chora
Ferry back to Athens — Psirri dinner
Ios → Athens
Long ferry day: SeaJets from Ios to Piraeus takes ~4h 30 (~€65), or the cheaper conventional ferry is ~6–7h (~€45). Arrive Athens in the evening, check into your Psirri/Monastiraki hotel, and head out for a farewell dinner of grilled fish and mezze in Psirri (~€20). Optional: a rooftop bar for an Acropolis-lit view.
🚌Ferry Ios–Athens ~£55 + Metro ~£1.80
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Psirri / Monastiraki, Athens
- →Psirri neighbourhood dinner
- →Optional Acropolis-view rooftop bar
Athens — Acropolis Museum & departure
Athens
Morning: the Acropolis Museum (~€15) if you skipped it, or a wander through the Ancient Agora (~€10). Stock up on koulouri and coffee, then Metro Line 3 back to the airport for your flight home.
🚌Metro to ATH airport ~£7.80
🛏—
- →Acropolis Museum (~£13) or Ancient Agora (~£8.50)
Self-launched vs. Contiki
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Contiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£880 | £1,650 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £770 per person (47%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Contiki-style trips? Check them out here.~£880
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.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Greek Island Hopping (Plus) — Self-Launched Edition: Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini & Ios cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £880 per person for 11 days in Greece (Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Ios). 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 Contiki?+
Yes — Contiki charges around £1,650 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £880 — a saving of roughly £770 (47%) per person.
How long is the Greece (Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Ios) trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Greece (Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Ios).
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 beaches, culture, backpacker trip through Greece (Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Ios), 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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