Self-Launched Best Greek Islands: Athens, Mykonos, Santorini & Crete (8 Days)
8 days · Greece
Travel Zone charges £1,450
No-markup version: ~£565 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Travel Zone's 8-day Athens–Mykonos–Santorini–Crete island hop, rebuilt for independent travellers. You'll use the same ferries and high-speed catamarans the tour uses, stay in well-located guesthouses and budget hotels instead of 3* tour hotels, and book the Santorini caldera cruise, volcano walk and Knossos entry yourself via GetYourGuide or directly with local operators. Same islands, same highlights, roughly half the price — with total freedom to linger on the beaches, tavernas and backstreets the tour rushes past. Costs are approximate backpacker/mid-range estimates in GBP per person, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Athens — Plaka & Acropolis at golden hour
Athens
Land at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) and take the Metro Line 3 straight into the centre (Monastiraki or Syntagma, ~€9/£7.50, 40 mins) or the X95 airport bus (~€5.50/£4.70) — no need for a private transfer. Check into a Plaka or Monastiraki guesthouse, then wander the cobbled lanes below the Acropolis. If you arrive early enough, walk up Filopappou Hill for free sunset views over the Parthenon, then eat at a Psyrri taverna (gyros £4, sit-down mezze dinner £12-15).
🚌Airport Metro Line 3 to Monastiraki ~£7.50 (90-min ticket) or X95 bus ~£4.70
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel in Plaka or Monastiraki, double room ~£45-60/night (£22-30pp)
- →Metro from airport to city centre
- →Evening walk through Plaka and Anafiotika
- →Filopappou Hill sunset viewpoint (free)
- →Taverna dinner in Psyrri
Athens morning, then high-speed ferry to Mykonos
Mykonos
Get up early for the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum (combined ticket €30/£26, book a timed slot on GetYourGuide or the official site to skip the queue) — or just climb Lycabettus for free if ruins aren't your thing. Grab a quick souvlaki lunch, then head to Piraeus by Metro (Line 1, ~€1.20) for the afternoon high-speed ferry/catamaran to Mykonos (SeaJets or Golden Star, ~2h45-4h, £45-65 booked ahead on Ferryhopper). Arrive in Mykonos Town, check into a guesthouse in the backstreets (much cheaper than the harbour front) and walk to the windmills and Little Venice after dark.
🚌Athens Metro to Piraeus ~£1; high-speed ferry Piraeus–Mykonos £45-65
🛏Guesthouse/studio in Mykonos Town backstreets ~£55-75/night (£28-38pp)
- →Acropolis & Acropolis Museum (self-booked timed entry)
- →Piraeus ferry departure
- →Mykonos windmills and Little Venice at night
Mykonos — beaches, Matoyanni Street & Delos option
Mykonos
Full free day. Catch the local bus from the south station to Paradise, Paraga or Elia beach (€2-3 each way) and swim, or hop a morning boat to Delos archaeological island (€20 entry + €22 boat, book locally at the old port) — one of Greece's best ruins and far quieter than the tour's schedule allows. In the afternoon, browse Matoyanni Street boutiques, get lost in the whitewashed alleyways and grab a gyros (£4-5) rather than a harbour-front dinner. Optional sunset at Agios Ioannis beach.
🚌Local KTEL bus to beaches €2-3 each way; optional Delos boat €22
🛏Same Mykonos guesthouse
- →Beach day at Paraga/Elia (bus)
- →Optional Delos island half-day trip
- →Matoyanni Street and Little Venice wander
- →Gyros lunch and backstreet bars
Ferry to Santorini — Fira caldera walk
Santorini
Take the morning high-speed ferry from Mykonos to Santorini (Thira) — ~2h, £40-60 with SeaJets or Golden Star, book on Ferryhopper a week ahead as summer sailings sell out. From Athinios port catch the KTEL bus up to Fira (€2.50) and settle into a guesthouse in Fira or Karterados (Karterados is 20 mins walk from Fira and noticeably cheaper). Spend the late afternoon walking the clifftop path from Fira to Firostefani and Imerovigli for classic caldera views, ending with a sunset and an affordable taverna dinner in Karterados.
🚌High-speed ferry Mykonos–Santorini £40-60; port bus to Fira €2.50
🛏Guesthouse in Fira or Karterados ~£50-70/night (£25-35pp)
- →Mykonos–Santorini fast ferry
- →Fira–Firostefani–Imerovigli caldera walk
- →Sunset over the caldera
- →Dinner in Karterados village
Santorini volcano cruise, hot springs & Oia sunset
Santorini
Book the classic caldera boat trip yourself — either the wooden sailboat day cruise via GetYourGuide (~£35-50) or a local operator from the old port in Fira. It includes the guided climb of Nea Kameni volcano (~1.5 hrs, €5 entry collected on the island), a swim stop at the Palea Kameni hot springs, and Thirassia. For the tour's dinner-cruise equivalent, pick a sunset cruise option (~£55-75 incl. Greek buffet dinner and local wine) or do it cheaply: afternoon boat back to Fira, bus to Oia (€1.80) for the famous sunset, then dinner in Oia or Fira (£15-20). Bring cash for the volcano entry fee and water.
🚌Walk/transfer to Fira old port; bus Fira–Oia €1.80
🛏Same Santorini guesthouse
- →Nea Kameni volcano guided walk (€5 entry)
- →Palea Kameni hot springs swim stop
- →Thirassia island stop
- →Optional sunset dinner cruise with local wine
- →Oia sunset
Santorini morning, then ferry to Heraklion, Crete
Heraklion
Use the morning for a Red Beach or Perissa black-sand beach swim (local bus €2-3) or a wine tasting near Pyrgos. Then take the afternoon high-speed ferry or catamaran from Santorini (Thira/Athinios) to Heraklion, Crete — ~2h15-3h, £45-65 on SeaJets or Minoan Lines via Ferryhopper. From Heraklion port it's a 20-minute walk or €1.20 city bus to the centre; check into a hotel inside the Venetian walls near Lion Square, then eat raki-and-mezze style in the old town (£12-15). This ferry also exists as an overnight conventional ferry if you want to save a hotel night.
🚌High-speed ferry Santorini–Heraklion £45-65; port walk or city bus €1.20
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Heraklion old town ~£45-60/night (£22-30pp)
- →Morning beach swim or village wander
- →Santorini–Crete fast ferry
- →Evening in Heraklion old town and Venetian harbour
Knossos Palace & Heraklion's Minoan treasures
Heraklion
Take local bus No. 2 from Heraklion centre to Knossos (€1.80 each way, 20 mins) and buy the combined Knossos + Archaeological Museum ticket (€20/£17). Go early — by 9am the site is calm. Either read up beforehand, use a free audio guide, or split the cost of a licensed guide at the gate. Back in town, spend the afternoon in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, home of the Minoan frescoes and Phaistos Disc. Finish with a Cretan cooking class or a long dinner of dakos, snails and raki in the old town (£18-22). Optional half-day trip to Phaistos or the Lasithi plateau if you have a car.
🚌Local bus No. 2 to Knossos €1.80 each way
🛏Same Heraklion hotel
- →Knossos Palace (combined ticket €20)
- →Heraklion Archaeological Museum
- →Cretan cooking class or long taverna dinner
Crete breakfast and departure
Heraklion
Slow breakfast of bougatsa and Greek coffee, a last wander along the Venetian Loggia and Koules Fortress, then take the airport bus (bus line 1/1A, €1.50, 20 mins) or a taxi (~€12-15) to Heraklion Airport for your flight home. If you're adding on time, Crete's west (Chania, Rethymno) is 2-3 hours by KTEL bus from Heraklion and well worth an extra few days.
🚌Heraklion airport bus €1.50 or taxi ~£12
🛏None (departure day)
- →Old town breakfast
- →Venetian Loggia and Koules Fortress walk
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Travel Zone
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£565 | £1,450 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £885 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel Zone-style trips? Check them out here.~£565
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 Best Greek Islands: Athens, Mykonos, Santorini & Crete (8 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £565 per person for 8 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 Zone?+
Yes — Travel Zone charges around £1,450 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £565 — a saving of roughly £885 (61%) per person.
How long is the Greece trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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, budget 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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