Athens, Mykonos & Santorini: Self-Launched Island Hopper
7 days · Greece
Travel Zone charges £1,600
No-markup version: ~£980 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Travel Zone's 7-day Athens, Mykonos and Santorini semi-guided package — same three destinations, same two headline excursions (ancient Delos and a Santorini island circuit with wine tasting), same ferry hops between the Cyclades, but booked entirely on your own. You'll swap 4-star hotels for well-reviewed guesthouses and budget hotels in the same towns, use Blue Star/Seajets ferries and local KTEL buses instead of private transfers, and join small-group day tours via GetYourGuide. Expect roughly £900-£1,100 all-in versus about £1,600 for the packaged tour — the single biggest saving comes from cutting the solo-supplement and airport/hotel transfer layer. Prices are approximate backpacker/mid-range estimates and spike hard in July-August (book Mykonos and Santorini 2-3 months ahead for summer).
Day-by-day
Arrive Athens — Plaka & the Acropolis at golden hour
Athens
Fly into Athens International (Eleftherios Venizelos) and take Metro Line 3 straight to Monastiraki or Syntagma — about 50 minutes, €9 one-way (or €5.50 for the slower airport bus X95 to Syntagma). Check into a budget hotel or guesthouse in Plaka/Monastiraki, then walk the old town: Plaka's stepped lanes, the Roman Agora, and Hadrian's Library. If you have energy, buy a €30 combined Acropolis ticket (valid 5 days, covers Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Kerameikos, Olympieion and more) — it's the same set of sites the packaged city tour covers, just at your own pace. Eat dinner at a taverna in Psirri or Anafiotika (moussaka and a carafe of house wine ~£12-15). Note: the packaged tour includes a hotel-to-airport transfer on Day 7; here you simply repeat the Metro.
🚌Athens Metro Line 3 from airport to city centre, ~£8 (€9); walking + metro around town
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Plaka or Monastiraki (e.g. Hotel Tempi, Athens Lodge or similar) — private twin/double, ~£35-45/night
- →Metro Line 3 airport transfer
- →Self-guided Plaka & Roman Agora walk
- →Acropolis combined ticket (€30, valid 5 days)
- →Dinner in Psirri
Morning ferry to Mykonos — Mykonos Town & Little Venice
Mykonos
Book a Blue Star Ferry (conventional, ~5h, from ~€45 economy) or a faster Seajets service (~2h50, ~€70-80) from Piraeus to Mykonos. The slow boat is cheaper and scenic; the fast boat matches the upgraded ferry the tour sells. Piraeus is on Metro Line 1 — leave central Athens with 60-75 minutes to spare. On arrival, hop the local KTEL bus from the new port to Mykonos Town (~€2) rather than a taxi (€15-25). Check into a guesthouse in or just outside Hora. Afternoon: wander the whitewashed lanes of Hora, Matoyianni Street's boutiques, the windmills at Kato Mili, and Little Venice for the sunset. Dinner in Hora ~£15-20 (Mykonos is the priciest of the three islands — eat one street back from the waterfront for better value).
🚌Athens Metro to Piraeus (~£1.20) + ferry ~£40-70 + local bus ~£2
🛏Guesthouse/studio in or near Mykonos Town (e.g. Pension Joanna, Hotel Nazos or similar) — ~£40-60/night
- →Blue Star or Seajets ferry Piraeus → Mykonos
- →KTEL local bus port → Mykonos Town
- →Self-guided Mykonos Town (Hora) & Matoyianni Street walk
- →Windmills & Little Venice sunset
Ancient Delos — the island where Apollo was born
Mykonos / Delos
The tour's Day 3 centrepiece, booked direct. Delos boat tickets are sold at the small kiosk on the Mykonos waterfront (or online via the Delos Cultural Centre / GetYourGuide) — boat + site entry roughly €40-50 return including the archaeological site fee, departures around 09:00-10:00 and 12:00 with returns mid-afternoon. You can go fully self-guided (the site is well signposted with English panels) or pay ~€10-15 extra for a 90-minute small-group guided walk. Bring water, a hat and snacks — there's essentially no shade, one water machine and basic toilets, and the terrain is uneven stone paths with no shade. Spend 3 hours on the island: the Terrace of the Lions, the theatre quarter, the House of Dionysos mosaics and the site museum. Back in Mykonos, evening is yours — cheap gyros in Hora (~£6) or a longer taverna meal.
🚌Walk to Delos boat departure point; boat ~30 min each way
🛏Same Mykonos guesthouse — ~£40-60/night
- →Delos boat + archaeological site ticket (~£35-45)
- →Optional 90-min guided walk on Delos
- →Site museum visit
- →Sunset at the Mykonos windmills
Ferry to Santorini — Fira, Imerovigli and Little Venice
Santorini
Take the midday Seajets/Blue Star ferry Mykonos → Santorini (~2-3h, €55-75). From Athinios port, the local KTEL bus up to Fira is €2.20-2.50 — far cheaper than the €25-35 port taxis. Stay in Fira rather than the resort strip the packaged tour uses; reviewers on the original tour specifically complained their hotel was far from Fira/Oia. Afternoon: walk the caldera rim path from Fira to Firostefani and Imerovigli (free, spectacular, ~1h one way), explore the whitewashed backstreets and blue-domed churches, then head to Alefkandra (Little Venice) in Oia — or watch sunset from Imerovigli if you want to dodge the Oia crowds. Dinner in Fira ~£15-20.
🚌Ferry ~£50-65 + local buses ~£4
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel in Fira town (e.g. Villa Renos, Hotel Kavalari, San Giorgio or similar) — ~£45-65/night
- →Seajets/Blue Star ferry Mykonos → Santorini
- →KTEL bus Athinios → Fira
- →Caldera rim walk Fira–Imerovigli
- →Little Venice & Oia sunset (via KTEL bus ~£2)
Santorini island circuit: Akrotiri, Profitis Ilias, wine & a swim
Santorini
Book a small-group Santorini half-day tour on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£45-70 pp) — several operators run the exact same circuit the packaged version sells: the Monastery of Profitis Ilias at the island's highest point, the Bronze Age town of Akrotiri (the 'Greek Pompeii'), a family winery tasting of 3 wines (Vinsanto, Assyrtiko, Nykteri), a meze-style lunch of fava, cherry tomatoes and white aubergine, and free swim time at Red Beach or Perissa's black sand. Do a morning departure so you keep the afternoon. If you'd rather be fully independent: KTEL buses reach Akrotiri and Perissa, the site entry is €12, and winery tastings run €15-25 — total ~£40 plus lunch. Evening: back to Fira for a rooftop drink or the walk down to the old port.
🚌Included in small-group tour pick-up, or local KTEL buses ~£5
🛏Same Fira guesthouse — ~£45-65/night
- →Profitis Ilias monastery viewpoint
- →Akrotiri archaeological site (€12)
- →Winery tasting (3 wines)
- →Meze lunch with local produce
- →Swim at Red Beach or Perissa black sand
Oia in the morning, afternoon ferry back to Athens
Santorini → Athens
Get the early KTEL bus to Oia (~€2, 25 min) before the cruise crowds land — the narrow lanes, the castle ruins and the windmills are genuinely quiet at 08:30. Coffee and a bougatsa, then back to Fira to check out. Take the afternoon ferry Santorini → Piraeus (Blue Star conventional ~5h from ~€45, or Seajets fast ~5h with the slow route/4h fast — book ahead in summer, they sell out). From Piraeus, Metro Line 1 back into central Athens. Recheck into a Monastiraki/Plaka hotel and finish with a farewell dinner — or, if you skipped it on Day 1, an evening Acropolis visit on the same €30 combined ticket.
🚌Local buses ~£4 + ferry ~£45-65 + Metro ~£1.20
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Plaka or Monastiraki — ~£35-45/night
- →Early Oia walk
- →KTEL bus Oia return
- →Afternoon ferry Santorini → Piraeus
- →Farewell dinner in Monastiraki
Athens sites & departure
Athens
Depending on your flight, use the morning for anything left on the combined Acropolis ticket — the Ancient Agora and the Temple of Olympian Zeus are both a short walk from Monastiraki — or the Acropolis Museum (€15, €10 off-season). Then Metro Line 3 back to the airport (~£8). If you want a guided version of the Athens sightseeing tour the operator offers as an add-on, GetYourGuide has half-day Acropolis + city walks from ~£35-45. No transfer needed: the airport metro is reliable and runs from ~05:30 to ~23:30.
🚌Athens Metro Line 3 to airport, ~£8
🛏—
- →Self-guided Ancient Agora / Olympieion on combined ticket
- →Optional Acropolis Museum (€15)
- →Metro to Athens airport
Self-launched vs. Travel Zone
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£980 | £1,600 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £620 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel Zone-style trips? Check them out here.~£980
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 Athens, Mykonos & Santorini: Self-Launched Island Hopper cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £980 per person for 7 days in Greece. 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 Travel Zone?+
Yes — Travel Zone charges around £1,600 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £980 — a saving of roughly £620 (39%) per person.
How long is the Greece trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Greece.
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, beaches, foodie trip through Greece, 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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