Greece Island Hopper: Zakynthos, Athens, Naxos & Santorini (Self-Launched)
8 days · Greece
Travel Zone charges £1,450
No-markup version: ~£815 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Travel Zone's 8-day "Greece Holidays with 3 Guided Tours – Premium": Zakynthos and its shipwreck coast, a night in Athens, then the Cyclades at Naxos and Santorini. Instead of 4-star hotels, private transfers and packaged excursions, you'll book the same boats, buses and island tours yourself — the shipwreck/Blue Caves cruise, a self-drive or bus circuit of Naxos's villages, and a Santorini highlights day with Akrotiri and a winery tasting. Flights and ferries are cheap and easy to book directly, and Athens is one night — use the metro. Costs are approximate per person and assume shared hostel/guesthouse rooms, budget flights booked a few weeks ahead, and eating at tavernas and bakeries.
Day-by-day
Arrive Zakynthos – Laganas or Zakynthos Town
Zakynthos
Fly into Zakynthos (ZTH) — direct seasonal low-cost flights from Athens and several UK/EU cities, or a cheap Aegean/Sky Express hop from Athens from about £30-50 one way. From the airport, take the local KTEL bus or a shared taxi to Zakynthos Town (~£2-4) or Laganas. Check into a guesthouse or hostel-style studio near the port — Zakynthos Town is cheaper and more practical than the resort strip. Spend the afternoon walking the Solomos Square waterfront, the Venetian Bochali hill viewpoint, and a swim at Kryoneri or Argassi. Book tomorrow's shipwreck cruise online tonight (many operators list on GetYourGuide or their own sites, ~£28-38 including hotel-area pickup).
🚌Airport bus or shared taxi to town (~£3)
🛏Budget guesthouse/studio, Zakynthos Town or Laganas (~£32/night double, ~£16 pp)
- →Bochali viewpoint
- →Zakynthos Town waterfront walk
- →Book shipwreck & Blue Caves cruise online
Navagio Shipwreck Beach & Blue Caves boat trip
Zakynthos
Full-day boat trip from Agios Nikolaos or Porto Vromi to Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach and the Blue Caves — the same excursion the group tour includes, but booked direct. The small glass-bottom boats get closer to the wreck and into the caves; boats don't land on the beach itself (it's closed to landing), but you'll swim in the Blue Caves and stop at secluded coves. Bring water, sunscreen and cash for snacks; most boats don't include lunch. Return mid-afternoon, then a cheap gyros dinner in town (~£6) and an early night — you fly or ferry out tomorrow.
🚌Local bus or shared minibus to departure port (~£5-8 return)
🛏Budget guesthouse/studio, Zakynthos (~£16 pp)
- →Navagio Shipwreck Beach viewpoint by boat
- →Blue Caves swim stop
- →Coastal swimming coves
Zakynthos to Athens
Athens
Fly back to Athens (Aegean/Sky Express, book ahead for ~£35-55) or take the KTEL bus to Kyllini and the ferry to Kyllini–Athens route if you want the slow option. From Athens Airport, take metro Line 3 into the centre (~£8, 40 min) — skip the private transfer. Stay in a budget hotel or hostel in Monastiraki/Psirri or near Omonia for easy access to everything. Spend the late afternoon climbing Philopappos Hill for the Acropolis sunset, then wander Plaka's backstreets for a cheap souvlaki dinner (~£8). Buy your Santorini/Naxos ferry tickets online tonight (Ferries.gr, Direct Ferries or the operator site) — Naxos ferries leave from Piraeus.
🚌Flight Zakynthos–Athens (~£45) + airport metro (~£8)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Monastiraki or Psirri (~£30/night double, ~£15 pp)
- →Philopappos Hill sunset
- →Plaka and Anafiotika wander
- →Monastiraki flea market area
Athens to Naxos
Naxos
Morning ferry from Piraeus to Naxos — the highspeed ferries (Seajets) take ~3h20 and cost ~£45-60 one way; conventional Blue Star ferries take ~5h at ~£30-40 and are more comfortable with outside decks. Take metro Line 1 to Piraeus port (~£1.20). In Naxos Town, check into a budget guesthouse behind the port or a beach studio at Agios Georgios (a 10-min walk). Afternoon: walk the causeway to the Portara (Temple of Apollo gate) for sunset, then explore the Venetian kastro and old town lanes. Dinner of Naxian cheese, tomatoes and grilled fish in the old market (~£12).
🚌Metro to Piraeus (~£1.20) + ferry Piraeus–Naxos (~£45)
🛏Budget guesthouse/studio, Naxos Town or Agios Georgios (~£38/night double, ~£19 pp)
- →Portara sunset
- →Naxos Venetian kastro and old town
- →Old market food crawl
Naxos inland villages and Kouros statues
Naxos
Do the group's included island tour independently: book a small-group Naxos highlights day on GetYourGuide (~£45-55, often including Damalas pottery and olive press, Chalki citron distillery, Panagia Drossiani, Apiranthos and Apollonas) — or, cheaper and more fun, rent a scooter/car (~£25-35/day, fuel ~£8) and drive the same circuit yourself in a loop of about 90 km. Stop at Demeter's Temple, the Damalas pottery workshop and olive press, the Chalki citron distillery (free tasting), the 6th-century Panagia Drossiani chapel, marble village Apiranthos, and the giant Kouros statue at Apollonas, ending with a swim and espresso by the sea at Apollonas. Split the car cost between two and you'll save significantly.
🚌Rented car or scooter (~£30 + £8 fuel, split between two: ~£19 pp)
🛏Budget guesthouse/studio, Naxos (~£19 pp)
- →Demeter's Temple
- →Damalas pottery and olive press
- →Chalki citron distillery
- →Panagia Drossiani
- →Apiranthos village
- →Kouros statue at Apollonas
- →Swim at Apollonas
Naxos old town, then ferry to Santorini
Santorini
Morning in Naxos's Venetian kastro and the Archaeological Museum (~£5), then the short 1-1.5 hour highspeed ferry to Santorini (Thira) at ~£30-40 — book ahead in July/August as it sells out. From Athinios port, take the public KTEL bus up to Fira (~£2), then a local bus to Karterados, Perissa or Kamari where budget rooms are far cheaper than the caldera rim. Check in, then bus to Oia for the famous sunset — go early, bring a bottle of wine from a minimarket and sit on the castle steps; the crowds are intense but free. Alternatively swim at black-sand Perissa beach and eat at a beachfront taverna (~£12).
🚌Ferry Naxos–Santorini (~£35) + port buses (~£3)
🛏Budget guesthouse, Karterados/Perissa/Kamari (~£45/night double, ~£22 pp)
- →Naxos kastro and Archaeological Museum
- →Oia sunset
- →Black-sand beach swim
Santorini island tour: Akrotiri, Profitis Ilias & winery
Santorini
Recreate the included island tour by yourself: take the KTEL bus or rent a car (~£30-40/day) and drive the south loop. Start at the Monastery of Profitis Ilias for the island panorama, then the Akrotiri archaeological site (~£12 entry, one of the best-preserved Bronze Age towns in the Aegean — the site has good signage, or rent the audio guide for ~£4). Book a small winery tasting at one of the traditional cellars (Gavalas, Venetsanos or Santo Wines, 3-wine tasting ~£15-20). Lunch on a meze plate of fava, cherry tomatoes and white aubergine at a taverna in Akrotiri or Megalochori (~£12). Finish with a swim at Red Beach or Vlychada before returning the car.
🚌Local buses or shared rental car (~£15 pp split)
🛏Budget guesthouse, Karterados/Perissa/Kamari (~£22 pp)
- →Monastery of Profitis Ilias
- →Akrotiri archaeological site
- →Traditional winery tasting
- →Red Beach swim
- →Meze lunch in Megalochori
Santorini to Athens departure
Athens / Departure
Morning swim at Kamari or Perissa black-sand beach if your flight is later, then bus to Santorini Airport (JTR) for a 45-minute flight back to Athens (~£45-70, book ahead) — or take the highspeed ferry back to Piraeus (~£45-60, 5h) if you're connecting via Athens by land. If you have time before your onward flight, leave bags at the airport or at a Syntagma luggage locker and see the Acropolis Museum or change of guard at Syntagma. Airport metro for international departures (~£8).
🚌Bus to airport (~£2) + flight Santorini–Athens (~£55) + metro (~£8)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Kamari or Perissa beach morning
- →Optional Acropolis Museum or Syntagma stopover
Self-launched vs. Travel Zone
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£815 | £1,450 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £635 per person (44%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel Zone-style trips? Check them out here.~£815
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 Greece Island Hopper: Zakynthos, Athens, Naxos & Santorini (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £815 per person for 8 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 £1,450 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £815 — a saving of roughly £635 (44%) per person.
How long is the Greece trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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, backpacker 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?
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