Greece & Aegean Islands: Self-Launched Island-Hopping Adventure

Land at Athens Airport and take Metro Line 3 into the centre (~£9 one-way, or £16 for a 3-day tourist ticket covering metro/bus/tram). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Monastiraki or Plaka. Spend the evening wandering Plaka's lanes, grabbing souvlaki (€3–4) and watching the Acropolis light up from Areopagus Hill — free.

🚌Metro Line 3 from airport to Monastiraki, ~£9

🛏Hostel dorm in Monastiraki/Plaka (~£20–28/night)

• →Evening walk in Plaka
• →Sunset at Areopagus Hill
• →Monastiraki street food

Book a timed Acropolis + Slopes entry online (~£16 in summer, £8 winter; combined ticket £26 covers 7 sites over 5 days). Go at 8am to beat crowds and heat. Afternoon: Acropolis Museum (£10). Alternatively join a self-bookable one-day Saronic cruise to Aegina, Hydra and Poros via GetYourGuide (~£60–85 including lunch) — the operator's optional version. Stay a second night in Athens.

🚌Walking / metro day ticket ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm in Monastiraki/Plaka (~£20–28/night)

• →Acropolis & Parthenon entry
• →Acropolis Museum
• →Optional Saronic Islands day cruise (Aegina, Hydra, Poros)

Morning self-bookable walking tour of Athens' ancient centre via GetYourGuide with a licensed guide doing the job the Cosmos tour director would (~£25). Around midday take the KTEL Argolidas bus from Athens (Kifissou terminal) to Nafplio, ~2.5–3h, ~£15. Ask the driver to stop/enjoy views at the Corinth Canal — or break the journey at Isthmia for the canal bungee-viewing footbridge. Evening in Nafplio's Venetian old town.

🚌KTEL bus Athens–Nafplio ~£15

🛏Guesthouse double in Nafplio old town (~£35/night, split if sharing)

• →Licensed Athens walking tour (GetYourGuide)
• →Corinth Canal viewpoint
• →Nafplio old town evening stroll

Local bus from Nafplio to Epidaurus (~1h, ~£4) to see the astonishing 14,000-seat ancient theatre famous for its acoustics (entry £10). Continue by bus/taxi to Mycenae (entry £10, museum included) — the Lion Gate and Tomb of Agamemnon. Late afternoon KTEL bus Nafplio–Sparta (~2h, ~£10). Overnight in Sparta.

🚌Local buses Nafplio–Epidaurus–Mycenae–Sparta, ~£18 total

🛏Budget hotel in Sparta (~£30/night)

• →Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
• →Mycenae archaeological site & museum

Early local bus to Mystras (~20 min, £2) and hike the UNESCO Byzantine citadel and frescoed churches (~£10 entry, allow 3–4h). Back in Sparta, visit a small local olive oil press or museum (a couple of farm shops offer free tastings). Afternoon/evening KTEL bus Sparta–Olympia via Tripoli and Patras (~4h, ~£15).

🚌Local bus to Mystras £2; KTEL Sparta–Olympia ~£15

🛏Guesthouse in Ancient Olympia village (~£30/night)

• →Mystras Byzantine site hike
• →Olive oil tasting at local press

Morning at the birthplace of the Olympics — site plus museum (~£14 combined, go at opening to avoid coach crowds). Then the long haul: KTEL bus Olympia to Patras (~£7), cross the spectacular Rion-Antirion Bridge, then bus to Nafpaktos and on to Delphi (~£15 total, 4–5h). Evening in Delphi village with valley views.

🚌KTEL buses Olympia–Patras–Nafpaktos–Delphi ~£22

🛏Guesthouse in Delphi village (~£30/night)

• →Ancient Olympia site & museum
• →Rion-Antirion Bridge crossing

Be at the Delphi site at 8am for the Temple of Apollo, the sacred way and the Tholos at Marmaria (~£12, museum included). Midday bus Delphi–Lamia–Trikala–Kalambaka (~4.5h, ~£20). Overnight in Kalambaka under the Meteora cliffs.

🚌KTEL bus Delphi–Kalambaka ~£20

🛏Guesthouse in Kalambaka (~£30/night)

• →Delphi archaeological site & museum

Walk or take a local bus (£2) up to the monasteries at opening (9am). Six monasteries, one entry ticket each (~£3 each, 3 is plenty). Great Meteoron and Varlaam are the standouts. Mid-afternoon KTEL bus or the direct train (Kalambaka–Athens, ~5h, ~£20 booked on TrainOSE/Hellenic Train) back to Athens.

🚌Local bus £2; train or bus to Athens ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm in Athens (~£20–28/night)

• →Meteora monasteries
• →Great Meteoron
• →Varlaam

Flex day for anything weather-affected earlier: the National Archaeological Museum (£12), the Ancient Agora and Kerameikos on your combined ticket, and the Varvakeios food market. Book your ferry tickets today if you haven't — fast ferries sell out in June–August. Evening taverna dinner in Psirri or Exarchia (~£18 with wine).

🚌Metro/bus day ticket ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm in Athens (~£20–28/night)

• →National Archaeological Museum
• →Ancient Agora & Kerameikos
• →Varvakeios market
• →Greek dinner in Psirri

Morning fast ferry from Rafina or Piraeus to Mykonos (~2.5–5h depending on vessel, £45–65 booked in advance on Blue Star or Seajets). Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Mykonos Town. Afternoon at Paraga or Ornos beach, sunset at the Little Venice windmills — all free.

🚌Fast ferry Athens–Mykonos ~£55

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Mykonos Town (~£45/night — book early, Mykonos is expensive)

• →Mykonos Town & Little Venice
• →Windmills sunset
• →Ornos beach

Ferries between Mykonos and Patmos don't run daily — take the morning ferry to Paros or Naxos and connect onward to Patmos, or book a Thursday/Sunday direct sailing (~5h, £40–55). Settle into Skala on Patmos and visit the Cave of the Apocalypse and the 11th-century Monastery of St John the Theologian (£8 combined) in the late afternoon — the operator's optional monastery visit, done independently.

🚌Ferry via Paros/Naxos to Patmos ~£50

🛏Family-run guesthouse in Skala, Patmos (~£40/night)

• →Monastery of St John the Theologian
• →Cave of the Apocalypse
• →Skala waterfront

Morning ferry Patmos–Rhodes (~5–6h, £40–50) via the Dodecanese route. If you're short on time, fly instead with Sky Express (~£60, 1h). On arrival head straight along the coast to Lindos by local bus (£4) — climb to the acropolis and the Citadel of the Knights (£10) for sunset. Base yourself in Rhodes' UNESCO old town, a hostel inside the medieval walls is a highlight in itself.

🚌Ferry Patmos–Rhodes ~£45; local bus to Lindos ~£4

🛏Hostel inside Rhodes Old Town (~£30/night)

• →Lindos acropolis & Knights' Citadel
• →Rhodes Old Town walls walk

Long transfer day. Fast ferry Rhodes–Santorini is 6–8h and only runs some days (~£55); the quicker option is a Sky Express or Aegean flight Rhodes–Santorini (~£60–90, 1h, book early). Check in at Fira or Karterados, then take the local bus to Oia for the world-famous caldera sunset — the operator charges for this as an excursion, but independently it's just a £2 bus.

🚌Flight Rhodes–Santorini ~£70; bus to Oia £2

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Karterados or Fira (~£40/night)

• →Oia sunset
• →Santorini caldera walk

Do the Fira–Oia caldera rim hike (10km, 3–4h, free) early before the heat. Afternoon: half-day volcano and hot springs boat trip self-booked at the old Fira port (~£25). Alternatively, visit the Akrotiri Bronze Age excavation (£10). Evening: back to Athens or stay a final night — a night ferry or early flight next day.

🚌Local buses £4 total

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Karterados (~£40/night)

• →Fira–Oia caldera hike
• →Volcano & hot springs boat trip
• →Akrotiri excavation

Morning flight Santorini–Athens (~£50–70 with Aegean/Sky Express if booked ahead; the 5-hour Blue Star ferry is ~£45). If your flight home is international, connect at Athens and allow 3h+. Trip ends at Athens Airport.

🚌Flight Santorini–Athens ~£60

🛏N/A — depart

• →Transfer to Athens Airport