Athens, Mykonos & Santorini: Self-Launched Island Hopper (7 Days)
7 days · Greece (Athens, Mykonos & Santorini)
Travel Zone charges £1,265
No-markup version: ~£735 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Travel Zone's best-selling Cyclades island-hopper, rebuilt for independent travellers. You get the same route — Athens sightseeing, two nights on Mykonos, two on Santorini including the volcano-and-hot-springs boat trip with sunset near Oia, then back to Athens — but you book your own guesthouses and hostels, ride the public Blue Star and SeaJets ferries the locals use, and join the caldera cruise as a walk-up passenger rather than on a packaged transfer. Costs below are rough per-person estimates at shoulder-season (April/May or late September) backpacker rates; July–August Santorini and Mykonos accommodation can easily double. Solo travellers: budget hotels on the islands are pricey in high season, so hostels and guesthouses in Kamari and Mykonos Town keep this genuinely affordable.
Day-by-day
Arrive Athens — Plaka, Monastiraki & a first souvlaki
Athens
Land at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos and take the metro Line 3 (or the X95 express bus) into the centre for €9/€5.50 — the airport bus drops at Syntagma, a short walk from most Plaka and Monastiraki hostels. Check into a private-room hostel or small guesthouse in Plaka or Psirri, then spend the late afternoon wandering Monastiraki's flea market and the lanes below the Acropolis. Grab a €3.50 gyros or souvlaki for dinner and, if you're up for it, walk up Areopagus Hill for a free sunset view over the city.
🚌Metro Line 3 from Athens Airport to Monastiraki (~€9, 40 min) or X95 bus to Syntagma (~€5.50)
🛏Private room in a Plaka/Psirri hostel or budget guesthouse (e.g. hostels around Monastiraki, ~£30-40/night)
- →Metro transfer into central Athens
- →Monastiraki flea market wander
- →Areopagus Hill sunset viewpoint
Acropolis morning, then ferry to Mykonos
Athens → Mykonos
Book your Acropolis ticket online (€20 in low season, €30 in high season, timed entry from 8am — going early beats the cruise crowds) and pair it with the Ancient Agora and Plaka. If you'd rather have a guide, GetYourGuide runs Acropolis walking tours from about £30. Head to Piraeus metro station in the early afternoon (Line 1, ~20 min) for the Blue Star ferry to Mykonos — the slow conventional ferry costs roughly €40-45 and takes 5h15, while SeaJets' high-speed boats cut it to about 2h45 for €60-70. Book on Ferryhopper or Direct Ferries a few days ahead. On arrival, a local bus or €15 taxi takes you into Mykonos Town; the operator's budget picks like Olia sit right by the beach and ferry terminal. Note Mykonos hotel prices spike hard in July–August, so hostels/guesthouses in town or Tourlos are the budget play.
🚌Piraeus metro (€1.20) + Blue Star Ferry Piraeus–Mykonos (~€42, 5h15) or SeaJets fast ferry (~€65, 2h45); local bus into town (~€2)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room in Mykonos Town / Tourlos (~£40-55/night shoulder season)
- →Acropolis & Ancient Agora self-guided visit (€20-30)
- →Optional GetYourGuide Acropolis walking tour (~£30)
- →Ferry crossing to Mykonos
Mykonos: windmills, Little Venice & a beach afternoon
Mykonos
Spend the morning getting lost in Mykonos Town — the Kato Mili windmills, Little Venice, and the Panagia Paraportiani church are all free and within a 20-minute walk. Browse the boutiques, then take the local bus or a short boat taxi to a beach: Paradise and Super Paradise have beach clubs, while Agrari and Elia are calmer and cheaper. Lunch on a €10-12 gyros or grilled octopus at a seaside taverna away from Little Venice (where prices triple) and catch sunset back at the windmills with a supermarket beer. Rent a scooter (~£25/day) if you want Delos views from the north coast, or add a half-day Delos boat trip from the old port (~£25-35) if archaeology is your thing.
🚌Local KTEL buses to beaches (~€2 each way) or boat taxi from Mykonos Town (~€5)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room in Mykonos Town / Tourlos (~£40-55/night)
- →Kato Mili windmills & Little Venice walk
- →Beach afternoon (Paradise/Elia/Agrari)
- →Optional Delos half-day boat trip (~£30)
Fast ferry to Santorini — Fira caldera walk
Mykonos → Santorini
Take the midday SeaJets or Golden Star ferry from Mykonos to Santorini (about 2h-2h40, €65-75; the slow Blue Star route is cheaper but can take 5 hours plus). From Athinios port, the local bus climbs to Fira for €2.50 — the operator's hotels like Zephyros sit in Kamari, a 15-minute bus ride from Fira and cheaper than caldera-view rooms. Book a guesthouse in Kamari, Karterados or Fira town. In the late afternoon, walk the Fira-to-Firostefani caldera rim path (free, 45 min each way) for the classic whitewashed-cliff photos, then eat at a taverna in Karterados or Pyrgos where mains run €10-14 rather than Fira's €25.
🚌SeaJets/Golden Star ferry Mykonos–Santorini (~€70, 2h30) + port bus to Fira (€2.50) + local bus to Kamari (€2)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room in Kamari / Karterados / Fira (~£40-50/night shoulder season)
- →Ferry crossing to Santorini
- →Fira–Firostefani caldera rim walk
- →Karterados taverna dinner
Volcano boat trip, hot springs & Oia sunset
Santorini
This is the day that mirrors the operator's included cruise — but you book it yourself. Choose a caldera boat trip from the old port of Fira (walk down the 588 steps or take the cable car for €6): the standard wooden-boat volcano tour with Nea Kameni crater walk, swim stop at the Palea Kameni hot springs, and evening return via Oia runs €25-35 on GetYourGuide or at any Fira ticket office, plus the €5 national park entrance for the volcano itself. Operators like Dakoutros or Nst DV offer the version with an onboard BBQ/wine dinner for around €50-60 if you want the operator's dinner-included experience. Pack water and a towel — the hot springs swim is from the boat, not a beach. Afterwards, the boat drops you near Oia for the famous sunset, and the local bus back to Fira/Kamari costs €2.
🚌Cable car down to Old Port (€6) or walk; local bus Oia–Fira–Kamari (€2-3)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room in Kamari / Karterados / Fira (~£40-50/night shoulder season)
- →Volcano & hot springs wooden boat cruise with dinner option (€25-60)
- →Nea Kameni crater walk (€5 park entrance)
- →Palea Kameni hot springs swim
- →Oia sunset viewpoint
Santorini slow morning, ferry back to Athens
Santorini → Athens
Use the morning for a free swim at Kamari's black-sand beach, a walk up to Ancient Thera (€6) or the village of Pyrgos, then head to Athinios port. The afternoon Blue Star ferry to Piraeus takes 7-8 hours (~€45-55) and arrives late evening; the high-speed SeaJets option is roughly 5 hours for €70-80 and much easier on a one-week schedule. Book ahead on Ferryhopper — April and October ferries sell out. Arrive into Piraeus and take metro Line 1 to Monastiraki (€1.20) to your Athens hostel.
🚌Kamari–Athinios local bus (€2.50) + Blue Star Ferry Santorini–Piraeus (~€50, 7-8h) or SeaJets fast ferry (~€75, 5h) + Piraeus metro (€1.20)
🛏Private room in a Plaka/Psirri hostel or budget guesthouse (~£30-40/night)
- →Kamari black-sand beach morning
- →Optional Ancient Thera hilltop ruins (€6)
- →Ferry crossing back to Athens
Last Athens morning & departure
Athens
Squeeze in a final Athens morning: the Acropolis Museum (€10-15, closed some Mondays — check) or the free-to-wander Anafiotika neighbourhood beneath the Parthenon, plus a last €3 coffee and bougatsa in Psirri. Head to the airport by metro Line 3 or the X95 bus with at least 2.5 hours to spare for a European flight.
🚌Metro Line 3 Monastiraki–Airport (~€9) or X95 bus (~€5.50)
🛏—
- →Acropolis Museum visit (€10-15)
- →Anafiotika & Plaka wander
Self-launched vs. Travel Zone
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£735 | £1,265 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £530 per person (42%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel Zone-style trips? Check them out here.~£735
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 Athens, Mykonos & Santorini: Self-Launched Island Hopper (7 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £735 per person for 7 days in Greece (Athens, Mykonos & 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 Travel Zone?+
Yes — Travel Zone charges around £1,265 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £735 — a saving of roughly £530 (42%) per person.
How long is the Greece (Athens, Mykonos & Santorini) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Greece (Athens, Mykonos & 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, beaches, backpacker trip through Greece (Athens, Mykonos & 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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