Athens, Mykonos & Santorini — Self-Launched Island Hop
7 days · Greece
Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore charges £1,908
No-markup version: ~£850 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic Athens–Mykonos–Santorini island hop, booked entirely by you. You'll cover the same three destinations and the same headline experiences — the Acropolis, Mykonos Chora, the Delos archaeological site, a cooking class, Santorini's black sand beaches and Oia sunset, and the caldera volcano boat trip — but you'll book your own ferries (Blue Star / SeaJets), pick budget guesthouses and hostels, and book activities direct or via GetYourGuide for a fraction of the guided-group price. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP per person; Greek island summer prices spike hard in July–August, so shoulder season (May–June, September–October) is where the real savings live. Note: the original tour quoted in USD; converted here at roughly £0.79/$1.
Day-by-day
Arrive Athens — Plaka, Anafiotika & Acropolis views
Athens
Land at Athens Airport and take Metro Line 3 (airport ticket ~€9/£8) or the X95 express bus (~€5.50) into Syntagma. Check into a hostel or budget hotel around Monastiraki, Plaka or Koukaki. Spend the afternoon on a free self-guided wander: Syntagma Square and the Greek Parliament, the National Library, Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, then up through Plaka's lanes to Anafiotika for free Acropolis views from the Areopagus rock at golden hour. Cheap souvlaki dinner in Monastiraki (~£8).
🚌Airport Metro Line 3 to Syntagma ~£8 (€9); all sightseeing on foot
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Monastiraki/Koukaki (approx £22–30/night)
- →Self-guided walk: Syntagma Square & Greek Parliament
- →Hadrian's Arch & Temple of Olympian Zeus (exterior free)
- →Sunset at Areopagus Hill / Anafiotika
Acropolis early entry, then ferry to Mykonos
Athens → Mykonos
Book an early Acropolis + Parthenon ticket direct on the official e-ticketing site (~€20/£17 off-season, €30/£26 peak) or a GetYourGuide small-group guided entry (~£45–55) — go at 8am opening to beat the heat and the crowds. Grab a quick lunch and head to Piraeus port (Metro Line 1 to Piraeus, ~£2). Take an afternoon Highspeed ferry to Mykonos (~2h45–4h30 depending on the vessel; economy seat roughly £50–70 booked in advance on Blue Star Ferries or SeaJets). Check into a guesthouse in Mykonos Town or a hostel near Paradise/Paraga beach for the cheapest beds, then do your own evening orientation walk through Mykonos Chora: Little Venice, the windmills at sunset, and the narrow Cycladic lanes.
🚌Metro to Piraeus ~£2; highspeed ferry Athens–Mykonos ~£50–70; local bus to accommodation ~£2
🛏Mykonos guesthouse or hostel (Paradise/Paraga area cheapest — approx £30–45/night for budget)
- →Acropolis & Parthenon self-booked entry (~£17–26)
- →Self-guided Mykonos Chora walk: Little Venice, Kato Mili windmills
Delos & Rhenia boat trip + swim stops
Mykonos
Book the Delos day cruise separately — either the public Delos boat from Mykonos old port (crossing ~€23/£19 plus €20/£17 archaeological site entry, so roughly £36 total) or a combined Delos + Rhenia swim-and-lunch boat trip booked direct at the harbour or via GetYourGuide (the original tour charged ~€100 for this; the same trips are advertised on the quay for around €85/£68 — book direct and skip the markup). Wander the UNESCO ruins of Delos (birthplace of Apollo), then swim off Rhenia's turquoise coves. Evening: back in Chora, eat at a cheap gyros spot (~£8) and catch the sunset from the windmills.
🚌Local bus/boat from Mykonos Town old port ~£4
🛏Mykonos guesthouse or hostel (approx £30–45/night)
- →Delos archaeological site self-booked (~£36 incl. boat + entry)
- →Rhenia island swim stop (combined boat trip option ~£68)
- →Sunset at Kato Mili windmills
Mykonos cooking class, then ferry to Santorini
Mykonos → Santorini
Morning option: book a Mykonos cooking class in a traditional island home via GetYourGuide or directly with a local cookery host (approx £55–75 including the meal — often the cheapest dinner you'll eat on the island). If you'd rather save, do a self-guided bakery-and-deli crawl instead and put the money toward Santorini. Mid-afternoon take the highspeed ferry to Santorini (~2–3h, roughly £50–75 in advance on SeaJets or Golden Star). Check into a guesthouse in Fira, Karterados or Perissa — avoid the Oia caldera cliff unless you're splashing out. Evening stroll through Fira, walk part of the caldera rim path toward Firostefani for the sunset, and eat at a gyros/taverna in Karterados (~£10).
🚌Highspeed ferry Mykonos–Santorini ~£50–75; local bus in Santorini ~£2
🛏Budget guesthouse in Fira/Karterados/Perissa (approx £30–40/night)
- →Mykonos cooking class (~£55–75) OR self-guided bakery crawl
- →Self-guided Fira caldera rim walk to Firostefani
Santorini highlights DIY: Megalochori, black sand beach, winery, Oia
Santorini
Build the 'Santorini Highlights' day yourself with the local KTEL bus network (day pass roughly €5–10) or a rented scooter/car (~£30–40/day for a car, ~£18 for a scooter). Stop at Megalochori's whitewashed lanes and bell towers, swim at Perissa or Kamari black sand beach, then visit a family winery in Pyrgos or Megalochori for a tasting flight of Assyrtiko and Vinsanto (~£15–25 instead of the tour's €140 day). Finish in Oia for the famous sunset — go early (or watch from Imerovigli instead, which is far less packed). Dinner back in Fira (~£12).
🚌KTEL local buses ~£5–8 for the day, or split a rental car ~£35/day between a couple of travellers
🛏Budget guesthouse in Fira/Karterados/Perissa (approx £30–40/night)
- →Megalochori village self-guided walk (free)
- →Black sand beach swim at Perissa (free)
- →Winery tasting (~£15–25)
- →Oia sunset (free)
Caldera volcano boat trip & hot springs swim
Santorini
Book the classic caldera boat trip direct at Fira's old port or via GetYourGuide (~£35–50 including volcano entry fee of €5, a guided walk on Nea Kameni, a swim in the hot springs, and a stop on Thirassia island). Cheaper operators and the public boat beat the group-tour markup. Afternoon back in Fira: relax at a beach club or do the Fira-to-Oia cliff path on foot (~10km, 3–4h, free) if you've got the legs. Farewell dinner of tomato keftedes and fava (~£15).
🚌Local bus to Fira old port ~£2; boat trip transfers included in most tours
🛏Budget guesthouse in Fira/Karterados/Perissa (approx £30–40/night)
- →Caldera volcano boat trip incl. Nea Kameni walk & hot springs (~£35–50)
- →Optional Fira–Oia caldera hike (free)
Sunrise breakfast, fly or ferry back to Athens
Santorini → Athens
Early breakfast of Greek yoghurt and bougatsa in Fira (~£5), then head out. Cheapest option is the highspeed or conventional ferry back to Piraeus (~£45–70, 5–8h); the fastest is a direct Aegean/Sky Express flight Santorini–Athens (~£50–90 booked ahead, 45min). From Piraeus take Metro Line 1 to the centre or Line 3 straight to the airport if you're flying home same day. If you've got a few hours spare, stash your bag and do the free Benaki Museum's offshoot or a last Monastiraki market stroll.
🚌Flight Santorini–Athens ~£50–90 OR ferry ~£45–70; Athens metro airport ~£8
🛏—
- →Sunrise breakfast in Fira
- →Optional Monastiraki market wander in Athens
Self-launched vs. Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£850 | £1,908 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,058 per person (55%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore-style trips? Check them out here.~£850
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 Hop cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £850 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 Chasers formerly Expat Explore?+
Yes — Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore charges around £1,908 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £850 — a saving of roughly £1,058 (55%) 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, 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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