Highlights of Greece — Self-Launched (Athens, Delphi, Meteora & Santorini)
8 days · Greece
Click Tours charges £1,600
No-markup version: ~£655 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day version of Click Tours' best-selling "Highlights of Greece" tour: Athens' Acropolis and ancient centre, the oracle sanctuary at Delphi, the cliff-top monasteries of Meteora, and three nights on Santorini's caldera. Instead of a coach group and 3-4 star hotels, you'll use hostels and family-run guesthouses, ride Greece's excellent KTEL intercity buses and Blue Star / SeaJets ferries, and book the same guided site visits individually via GetYourGuide or directly with the official site ticket portals. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP and will rise in July-August and around Easter.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Athens — Plaka & Anafiotika on foot
Athens
Fly into Athens (ATH) and take Metro Line 3 from the airport to Monastiraki or Syntagma, about €9 (£8) and 40 minutes — far cheaper than a taxi (~€40). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Plaka/Monastiraki (e.g. Athens Backpackers or a small family guesthouse near Monastiraki, £20-30 dorm, £40-55 private). Spend the late afternoon wandering Plaka's lanes and the whitewashed Anafiotika quarter on the Acropolis' north slope, then walk to Syntagma for the Evzones changing of the guard (every hour, free). Dinner of souvlaki or a taverna plate in Psirri (£10-14). Buy your Acropolis combo ticket online tonight to skip the queue.
🚌Metro Line 3 from Athens Airport to Monastiraki, ~£8
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Plaka/Monastiraki (£25 pp/night)
- →Metro airport transfer
- →Plaka & Anafiotika wander
- →Changing of the guard at Syntagma
- →Psirri dinner
Acropolis, Acropolis Museum & the ancient city walk
Athens
Booked yourself via GetYourGuide or the official Hellenic Heritage e-ticket: the €30 Acropolis & slopes combo ticket covers the Parthenon, Theatre of Dionysus, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Library — valid for 5 days. Go at opening (08:00) to dodge heat and crowds. Prefer a guide? A 2-hour small-group Acropolis walking tour on GetYourGuide runs about £30-35. Afterwards visit the Acropolis Museum (€15, or £18 on a skip-the-line GetYourGuide entry), then do the rest of the classical circuit on foot: Panathenaic Stadium (€10 outside view free), Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, and the Parliament/Unknown Soldier memorial. Evening: rooftop view of the lit Acropolis from Areopagus Hill (free) — no need to pay for the overpriced dinner-show excursion.
🚌All on foot; occasional metro hop ~£1.20
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Plaka/Monastiraki (£25 pp/night)
- →Acropolis & Parthenon (combo ticket)
- →Acropolis Museum
- →Ancient Agora & Roman Agora
- →Temple of Olympian Zeus & Hadrian's Arch
- →Panathenaic Stadium
- →Areopagus sunset viewpoint
Bus to Delphi — Sanctuary of Apollo, then on to Kalambaka
Delphi → Kalambaka
Take the KTEL Fokidas bus from Athens' Liosion terminal to Delphi (about 3 hours, €16-18 one way); buy directly at the terminal or via ktelbus.com. Store your bag at the site entrance or a Delphi café, then explore the Sanctuary of Apollo — Temple of Apollo, Treasury of the Athenians, the theatre and the stadium up the sacred way (€12 combined site + museum ticket; £15 if you take a GetYourGuide Delphi day tour with transport instead). The Delphi Archaeological Museum holds the bronze Charioteer. In the afternoon, bus back to Livadia/Amfissa and connect onward to Trikala/Kalambaka by KTEL (roughly €20-25 total, 3.5-4 hours). Overnight in Kalambaka village — a family-run guesthouse with a Meteora view is around £25-30 pp.
🚌KTEL Fokidas bus Athens–Delphi ~£15, Delphi–Trikala/Kalambaka ~£20
🛏Family guesthouse in Kalambaka/Kastraki (£27 pp/night)
- →KTEL bus Athens–Delphi
- →Sanctuary of Apollo & Delphi Theatre/Stadium
- →Delphi Archaeological Museum (Charioteer)
- →Onward bus to Kalambaka
Meteora monasteries by foot and local bus — back to Athens
Kalambaka → Athens
Meteora is the highlight of the trip. Start at 08:00 and either hike the old path up from Kastraki (about 45-60 minutes, free) or take the local KTEL Meteora bus that loops the monasteries (€3.30 day ticket). Entry to each monastery is €5 — the Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Rousanou and Holy Trinity are the classics; check opening days as each closes one day a week. Dress code: shoulders and knees covered, skirts provided at the door. Bring water and snacks — the roadside tavernas on the loop are pricey. Mid-afternoon, take the direct KTEL bus Kalambaka–Athens (about 4.5-5 hours, €25-30, book at ktel-trikala.gr or at the station). Optional stop: the Thermopylae battlefield and Leonidas monument lies on the road route if you take a morning bus and break the journey. Arrive Athens late evening.
🚌Meteora local bus ~£3, KTEL Kalambaka–Athens ~£25
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Athens (£25 pp/night)
- →Meteora monastery loop (Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Rousanou, Holy Trinity)
- →Kastraki old footpath hike
- →Local Meteora bus
- →Return KTEL bus to Athens
Ferry from Piraeus to Santorini — Oia sunset
Athens → Santorini
Take Metro Line 1 from Monastiraki to Piraeus (€1.20, 20 min) and board the morning Blue Star Ferry to Santorini, about 7-8 hours in economy (€40-55 one way, book on ferriesingreece.com or bluestarferries.com). It's slow but scenic and much cheaper than the €100+ SeaJets fast boat or a €120+ flight. Pack food and water — deck food is overpriced and the outdoor deck is a smoking area, so grab an inside seat. Arrive Thira in the afternoon, take the local bus to Fira or Oia (€1.80-2.50). Stay in Fira or Karterados rather than caldera-rim Oia: a hostel or family guesthouse is £25-35 pp versus £150+ on the rim. Catch the famous Oia sunset by local bus (crowded but free) and eat at a non-caldera taverna in Fira (£12-15).
🚌Metro to Piraeus ~£1 + Blue Star ferry ~£45 + local buses ~£4
🛏Hostel or family guesthouse, Fira/Karterados (£30 pp/night)
- →Blue Star Ferry Piraeus–Santorini
- →Local bus to Fira/Oia
- →Oia sunset viewpoint
- →Fira taverna dinner
Caldera boat trip, hot springs & Red Beach
Santorini
Book a half-day caldera cruise independently — the classic wooden-boat trip to Nea Kammeni and Palea Kammeni with swim stops in the orange hot springs is about £25-35 per person booked direct at the old port or on GetYourGuide (the operator's optional version is pricier). Afternoon: take the local bus to Akrotiri and walk to Red Beach (free; the Akrotiri Bronze Age excavation site is €12 if you want it), or hike the 10km Fira–Oia caldera rim path (free, 3-4 hours, the best free activity on the island). Cheap eats: gyros in Fira €4-5, bakery spanakopita €2-3. Skip the expensive caldera-rim romantic dinner unless you want to splurge — a sunset picnic with local wine from a shop costs a fraction.
🚌Local buses around the island ~£5
🛏Hostel or family guesthouse, Fira/Karterados (£30 pp/night)
- →Caldera volcano boat trip with hot springs swim
- →Nea Kammeni & Palea Kammeni
- →Fira–Oia caldera rim hike or Red Beach
- →Optional Akrotiri archaeological site
Santorini free morning — afternoon ferry or flight to Athens
Santorini → Athens
Morning free: swim at Kamari or Perissa black-sand beach (bus €2) or visit Pyrgos village and Santo Wines for a tasting (£10-12). Then take the afternoon Blue Star ferry back to Piraeus (€40-55, 7-8 hours, arriving late) or, if you'd rather save time, a Ryanair/Volotea/Aegean flight Santorini–Athens from about £35-60 booked a few weeks ahead — the operator charges €270 for this flight as a supplement, so booking it yourself is a big saving. Metro from Piraeus or the airport back into central Athens (€1.20 / €9). Overnight near Monastiraki.
🚌Local bus ~£2 + ferry ~£45 (or flight ~£45) + metro ~£2-8
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Athens (£25 pp/night)
- →Black-sand beach or Pyrgos village
- →Santo Wines tasting (optional)
- →Ferry or low-cost flight back to Athens
Athens markets, farewell souvlaki & departure
Athens
Last morning: the Central Market on Athinas Street and the flea market in Monastiraki for gifts (much cheaper than Plaka tourist shops), a final freddo espresso and koulouri, and a walk through the National Gardens. Metro Line 3 back to the airport (€9, 40 min) for your flight home. If your flight is late, the Benaki Museum or the National Archaeological Museum (€12) fills the time well. All transfers and tickets can be bought the same day — no group pickup required.
🚌Metro to Athens Airport ~£8
🛏—
- →Central Market & Monastiraki flea market
- →National Gardens walk
- →Metro to airport
Self-launched vs. Click Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Click Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£655 | £1,600 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £945 per person (59%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Click Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£655
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 Highlights of Greece — Self-Launched (Athens, Delphi, Meteora & Santorini) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £655 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 Click Tours?+
Yes — Click Tours 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 £655 — a saving of roughly £945 (59%) 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, hiking, 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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