Self-Launched 10-Day Greece: Delphi, Olympia, Kefalonia, Zakynthos & Santorini
10 days · Greece
Private Tours Greece charges £2,300
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Private Tours Greece's partially-guided 10-day loop: ancient Athens, Delphi and Olympia, then ferries across the Ionian islands (Kefalonia and Zakynthos) before flying to Santorini for a caldera sail. You book the same sites, boats and beds yourself — mostly on public buses, KTEL coaches, ferries and cheap flights — for roughly a third of the packaged price. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Athens — Plaka and Monastiraki on foot
Athens
Land at Athens airport (ATH) and take Metro Line 3 to Syntagma or Monastiraki (~€9/£8, 40–45 min) instead of a private transfer. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Monastiraki/Psirri — dorms £14–20, private budget rooms £35–50. Spend the evening wandering Plaka's lanes and Monastiraki square, eating souvlaki or a gyros plate (£8–10).
🚌Metro Line 3 airport → city centre, ~£8
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Monastiraki/Psirri (dorm £14–20 or budget twin £35–50)
- →Evening walk through Plaka and Monastiraki Square
- →Souvlaki dinner in Psirri
Acropolis, Acropolis Museum and the classical city
Athens
Book an Acropolis + Parthenon skip-the-line guided tour on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£30–40, includes entry; bare entry is ~£17 in high season — book the timed slot on hhticket.gr). Pair it with the Acropolis Museum (£10 timed ticket). In the afternoon do the free/self-paced panoramic loop: walk to the Panathenaic Stadium, then past the Temple of Olympian Zeus and through Syntagma Square — all walkable from Plaka in 2–3 hours.
🚌On foot; day metro pass ~£3.80 if needed
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Monastiraki/Psirri
- →Acropolis & Parthenon guided tour (GetYourGuide/Klook)
- →Acropolis Museum
- →Panathenaic Stadium exterior
- →Temple of Olympian Zeus & Syntagma Square walk
Athens → Delphi → Arachova → Olympia
Delphi / Arachova / Olympia
Early KTEL bus from Athens (Liosion terminal) to Delphi, ~3 hrs, ~£14 each way. Explore the Delphi archaeological site and Temple of Apollo (~£11 entry, or a £25 guided tour add-on) and the site museum. Hop the local bus or a 15-min taxi up to Arachova for coffee and a walk (small mountain town, ~£4). Then take the afternoon KTEL bus Delphi → Itea/Amfissa → Patras, and connect by train or bus to Olympia (~£15 total, 4–5 hrs). Sleep in the village of Ancient Olympia (guesthouses £30–45).
🚌KTEL bus Athens–Delphi ~£14; local bus/taxi to Arachova ~£4; bus Delphi–Patras–Olympia ~£15
🛏Guesthouse in Ancient Olympia (£30–45)
- →Delphi archaeological site & Temple of Apollo
- →Delphi museum
- →Arachova mountain town wander
Ancient Olympia, then bus/ferry to Kefalonia
Olympia / Kefalonia
Morning at Ancient Olympia — Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, the Olympic Stadium and gymnasium (~£11 entry; do it self-guided or join a £25 small-group tour). Around midday take the KTEL bus to Kyllini port (~1 hr, £5) and the ferry to Poros, Kefalonia (~1.5 hrs, £9–11), then a local bus or shared taxi to Argostoli (~40 min, £4). Base yourself in Argostoli or Lassi (hostel/guesthouse £20–30).
🚌KTEL Olympia–Kyllini ~£5; ferry Kyllini–Poros ~£10; local bus Poros–Argostoli ~£4
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Argostoli/Lassi (£20–30)
- →Ancient Olympia site & museum
- →Ferry crossing to Kefalonia
Kefalonia: Melissani Cave and Myrtos Beach
Kefalonia
Take the daily KTEL bus from Argostoli to Sami (~1 hr, £4), where Melissani Lake Cave is a short walk away — boat ride inside the cave ~£7. Continue by local bus or short taxi to Agia Efimia harbour village for lunch (£10) and then out to the Myrtos Beach viewpoint — bus links are thin, so a shared taxi or a £25 day-hire scooter/car split between travellers is the practical option. Return to Argostoli in the evening.
🚌KTEL Argostoli–Sami ~£4; local bus/taxi to Agia Efimia & Myrtos ~£12
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Argostoli/Lassi (£20–30)
- →Melissani Lake Cave boat ride
- →Agia Efimia harbour village
- →Myrtos Beach viewpoint/swim
Kefalonia → Zakynthos
Zakynthos
Bus to Poros or Sami and ferry across to Zakynthos (Kefalonia–Zakynthos ferries ~1.5–2 hrs, £10–12), or take the faster seasonal route via Kyllini. From Zakynthos port take a local bus into Zante town (£2) and check into a budget hotel or guesthouse (£25–35). Afternoon: explore Zante town's Solomos Square and Venetian castle ruins, then hit the nearest beach for a swim.
🚌Ferry Kefalonia–Zakynthos ~£11; local bus port–town ~£2
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Zante Town (£25–35)
- →Zante Town walk
- →Afternoon beach swim
Blue Caves and Navagio Shipwreck boat trip
Zakynthos
Book the standard group boat trip to the Blue Caves and Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach online or at the port — roughly £30–40 for a full-day cruise. Boats normally stop for swimming at the Blue Caves, view the shipwreck from the sea (landing is often restricted), and pass Porto Vromi, Agalas and Keri Caves. Many operators add a turtle-spotting stop near Marathonisi (Turtle Island) — pick a smaller-boat operator if you want the turtle swim (£40–45).
🚌Included in tour or local bus to the departure port ~£2
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Zante Town (£25–35)
- →Group boat cruise to Blue Caves & Navagio Shipwreck
- →Swim stop at St. Nicholas, Vasilikos
- →Porto Vromi, Agalas & Keri Caves photo stops
- →Turtle Island sightings
Zakynthos → Santorini (flight via Athens)
Santorini
There's no direct ferry, so fly: Zakynthos (ZTH) → Athens → Santorini (JTR) with Aegean/Sky Express, booked 6–8 weeks ahead ~£70–90 one-way. Alternative for the patient: ferry to Kyllini + bus to Athens + slow Blue Star ferry to Santorini (~£70, 20+ hrs). Settle into a guesthouse in Fira or Karterados (£25–40) and spend the evening on the caldera rim path to Firostefani for a cheap sunset and a gyros dinner.
🚌Flight Zakynthos–Athens–Santorini ~£80; local bus airport–Fira ~£2
🛏Guesthouse in Fira/Karterados (£25–40)
- →Caldera rim walk Fira–Firostefani
- →Fira old town evening
Santorini caldera & hot springs boat cruise
Santorini
Book the semi-private or standard catamaran/wooden-boat caldera cruise on GetYourGuide or Klook — £60–90 including a BBQ lunch on board, swim stops at the Nea Kameni hot springs, Red Beach and White Beach, photo stops at Aspronisi, Akrotiri and the lighthouse, and a sunset finish near Oia. Cheaper alternative: the public boat from Fira's old port to Nea Kameni + Thirassia (~£20) plus a Red Beach bus trip from Akrotiri (£2).
🚌Hotel pickup or local bus to departure point ~£3
🛏Guesthouse in Fira/Karterados (£25–40)
- →Caldera catamaran cruise with BBQ lunch
- →Hot springs swim at Nea Kameni
- →Red Beach & White Beach swim stops
- →Sunset viewing near Oia
Santorini → Athens or onward
Santorini / Athens
Final caldera coffee in Fira, then bus or a shared shuttle to Santorini airport (£2–5) for your flight out, or the slow Blue Star ferry to Athens via Piraeus (~£35–45, 5–8 hrs depending on season) if you're continuing overland. The packaged tour ends here, but ferries run to Naxos, Paros and Mykonos if you want to keep island-hopping on your own budget.
🚌Local bus to airport ~£3 or Blue Star ferry to Piraeus ~£40
🛏—
- →Fira morning coffee
- →Optional onward ferry to Naxos/Paros or Athens
Self-launched vs. Private Tours Greece
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Private Tours Greece | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £2,300 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,120 per person (49%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Private Tours Greece-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
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 Self-Launched 10-Day Greece: Delphi, Olympia, Kefalonia, Zakynthos & Santorini cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 10 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 Private Tours Greece?+
Yes — Private Tours Greece charges around £2,300 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £1,120 (49%) per person.
How long is the Greece trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, adventure 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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