Santorini Explorer — Self-Launched Athens & Santorini
7 days · Greece (Athens & Santorini)
Fez Travel charges £1,000
No-markup version: ~£465 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of Fez Travel's 7-day "Santorini Explorer" (sold via TourRadar). Same bones: two nights in Athens with the Acropolis and ancient city sights, then the high-speed ferry to Santorini for three nights of caldera villages, volcano boat trips and red-sand beaches, before returning to Athens. Instead of paying for hotel transfers, greeters and vouchers, you book the pieces yourself: a central Athens hostel or budget hotel, the Acropolis ticket direct from the official e-ticketing site, a Blue Star or Seajets ferry, and a caldera-view guesthouse or hostel in Fira or Perissa. Everything is bookable on GetYourGuide, Ferryhopper, or directly with the operator. Costs are approximate 2025-26 backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP per person, assuming a shared dorm or budget double; single-room supplements in Santorini in high season can push accommodation up significantly.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Athens — Plaka & Anafiotika at golden hour
Athens
Fly into Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH). Skip the private transfer and take Metro Line 3 from the airport directly to Syntagma or Monastiraki (~€9, 40 mins, runs until just after midnight). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Plaka, Monastiraki or Koukaki — all walkable to the Acropolis. Spend the late afternoon wandering Plaka's lanes and the tiny Cycladic-style neighbourhood of Anafiotika on the north slope of the Acropolis, then eat a cheap gyros or souvlaki dinner in Monastiraki (€4-6). Buy your combined Acropolis ticket online tonight for tomorrow (€30 in peak season, €15 off-season) so you skip the ticket queue.
🚌Airport Metro Line 3 to Syntagma/Monastiraki, ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Plaka/Monastiraki/Koukaki (approx £22-30 pp)
- →Plaka and Anafiotika evening walk
- →Monastiraki Square and flea market
- →Cheap gyros dinner
Athens in a day — Acropolis, Ancient Agora and the city landmarks
Athens
Start early (Acropolis opens 08:00) and walk up to the Parthenon, Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike and Erechtheion before the heat and crowds. Your €30 combined ticket also covers the Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Kerameikos, Hadrian's Library and the Temple of Olympian Zeus — all valid for 5 days, so pace yourself. Walk the route the guided tour covers: Hadrian's Arch, Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Panathenaic Stadium (Kallimarmaro), the Parliament and Evzones changing of the guard at Syntagma, then the neoclassical Trilogy of the Academy, University and National Library. If you want narration, a GetYourGuide Acropolis + museum guided entry costs ~£25-35 — but the free audio guide apps and the €30 ticket get you 90% of the way for a fraction. Finish with a sunset view from Lycabettus Hill (funicular €5, or walk up free) and dinner in Koukaki.
🚌On foot + metro day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Plaka/Monastiraki/Koukaki (approx £22-30 pp)
- →Acropolis & Parthenon (combined ticket €30)
- →Ancient Agora and Temple of Olympian Zeus
- →Panathenaic Stadium exterior
- →Changing of the guard at Syntagma
- →Lycabettus Hill sunset
Ferry to Santorini — Fira and the caldera rim
Athens → Santorini
Take the metro or a €10 flat taxi to Piraeus port. Book your ferry in advance on Ferryhopper or Direct Ferries: Blue Star Ferries (slow, ~7.5 hrs, deck/aircraft seat from ~€45) or a Seajets highspeed (~5 hrs, ~€70-90) — the fast boat is worth it if you're short on time. Arrive at Athinios port and take the public KTEL bus up to Fira (~€2.50, timed to ferries) rather than a €25-35 taxi. Check into a guesthouse or hostel in Fira (caldera-view rooms are pricier; Perissa or Karterados are the budget options, ~£25-35 pp in shoulder season). Spend the evening walking the caldera rim path from Fira toward Firostefani and Imerovigli for the famous sunset, then eat at a taverna away from the caldera edge where prices halve.
🚌Athens metro/taxi to Piraeus + ferry (~£40-80) + port bus to Fira (~£2)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Fira/Perissa/Karterados (approx £25-35 pp)
- →High-speed ferry crossing the Cyclades
- →Fira caldera rim walk to Firostefani and Imerovigli
- →Sunset over the caldera
Volcano and hot springs boat trip, then Oia sunset
Santorini
Book the classic caldera volcano boat directly with a local operator (Dakoutros, Sunset Oia, or via GetYourGuide, ~£25-40 for the half-day wooden-boat trip; caldera cruise with dinner runs £80-120 if you want the upgrade). Sail out to Nea Kameni, hike up the active crater (€5 entry on the island), then swim in the warm sulphurous springs off Palea Kameni and smear on the therapeutic mud. Boats leave from the old port below Fira — take the cable car (€6) or the 588 donkey steps down. Afternoon: public bus to Oia (€1.80) for the castle sunset, or stay in Fira for a quieter view. Eat in Oia's back lanes, not the caldera-front restaurants.
🚌Cable car down to old port (~£5), local buses (~£4)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Fira/Perissa/Karterados (approx £25-35 pp)
- →Volcano and hot springs boat trip (~£25-40)
- →Nea Kameni crater hike
- →Oia castle sunset
Free day — Perissa black beach, Akrotiri and Pyrgos
Santorini
Your own self-launched day on the island. Take the bus to Perissa or Kamari for the black-sand beach (sunbeds €10-15 if you want one, or free on the sand at the ends) and swim. Alternatively, ride to Akrotiri to see the Minoan Bronze Age excavation (€12, roofed and superb) and the Red Beach nearby, or head inland to Pyrgos and Megalochori for whitewashed villages with almost no crowds and half the prices. Wine lovers: Santo Wines or Venetsanos do tastings from ~€15-25. Buses are €1.80-2.50 per hop and the whole island is doable without a car — or hire a scooter/ATV for ~£20-25/day if you're licensed.
🚌Local KTEL buses (~£6) or scooter hire (~£22)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Fira/Perissa/Karterados (approx £25-35 pp)
- →Perissa or Kamari black-sand beach
- →Akrotiri archaeological site (€12)
- →Pyrgos and Megalochori villages
- →Optional winery tasting (€15-25)
Ferry back to Athens — evening in Monastiraki
Santorini → Athens
Bus down to Athinios port for the return ferry to Piraeus (book the earlier departure so you arrive in daylight; ~£40-80). From Piraeus take the metro back to Monastiraki and check into a budget hotel for your last night. Spend the evening doing what the tour itinerary leaves open: a wander through Psyrri's street-art lanes, a drink on a rooftop bar with an Acropolis view (prices from ~€8), or a cheap seafood dinner at a taverna in the fish market area. If you skipped the Acropolis Museum earlier, it's open late on Fridays and costs €15.
🚌Port bus + ferry (~£40-80) + Piraeus metro (~£2)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Monastiraki/Psyrri (approx £22-30 pp)
- →Return ferry to Athens
- →Psyrri and Monastiraki evening wander
- →Optional Acropolis Museum (€15)
Last morning in Athens and departure
Athens
A relaxed final morning: coffee and bougatsa in a neighbourhood bakery (€4), a last look at the Ancient Agora if your 5-day ticket is still valid, or a market browse in Varvakios Agora. Take Metro Line 3 back to the airport (~€9, allow 1 hour plus check-in). If you're flying out late, the National Archaeological Museum (€12) or a half-day trip to Cape Sounion by KTEL bus from Victoria or Pedion tou Areos (~€7 return) are good ways to use the time.
🚌Metro Line 3 to Athens Airport, ~£8
🛏—
- →Neighbourhood bakery breakfast
- →Varvakios central market
- →Optional National Archaeological Museum (€12)
Self-launched vs. Fez Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Fez Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£465 | £1,000 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £535 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Fez Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£465
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 Santorini Explorer — Self-Launched Athens & Santorini cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £465 per person for 7 days in Greece (Athens & 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 Fez Travel?+
Yes — Fez Travel charges around £1,000 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £465 — a saving of roughly £535 (54%) per person.
How long is the Greece (Athens & Santorini) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Greece (Athens & 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, island-hopping trip through Greece (Athens & 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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