Solo-ish Greece: Self-Launched Athens to Santorini Island Hopper
9 days · Greece
G Adventures charges £1,620
No-markup version: ~£985 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day Cyclades island hop from Athens to Santorini, covering the same ground as the guided group tour — Athens' Acropolis and Ancient Agora, a cooking class, then ferries out to Tinos, a day trip to Mykonos, Naxos, and finally the Santorini caldera — but booked independently via hostels/guesthouses, public ferries and GetYourGuide-style day tours. Same destinations, same experiences, roughly a third of the price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Athens — Plaka, cooking class & first souvlaki
Athens
Fly or train into Athens and check into a hostel in Plaka or Monastiraki, walking distance from the Acropolis. Spend the afternoon getting your bearings around Syntagma Square and the Plaka lanes, then join an evening Greek cooking class where you make (and eat) your own moussaka, tzatziki and dolmades. This replaces the group's welcome dinner and included cooking class — book a small-group session on GetYourGuide from around £45, or a cheaper local taverna cooking workshop for £30.
🚌Metro Line 3 from Athens Airport to Syntagma, £9 (or £5.50 overnight bus). Airport bus X95 is £5.
🛏Hostel dorm in Plaka/Monastiraki (e.g. Athens Backpackers, City Circus) — £18-25/night
- →Greek cooking class (book on GetYourGuide)
- →Plaka & Monastiraki orientation walk
- →Optional Athens bike tour (~£30)
Acropolis, Ancient Agora & sunset on Filopappou Hill
Athens
Buy the €30 Acropolis combined ticket (covers Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Kerameikos, Olympieion and Hadrian's Library — valid 5 days) and beat the crowds by arriving at opening (8am). Walk the Acropolis, Parthenon and Ancient Agora at your own pace with a free Rick Steves audio guide or a £15 GetYourGuide skip-the-line guided entry. In the evening, walk up Filopappou Hill for the classic free sunset view back over the Acropolis — the same spot the group goes to.
🚌Walkable; occasional metro hop £1.20
🛏Hostel dorm in Plaka/Monastiraki — £18-25/night
- →Acropolis & Parthenon (combined ticket €30 ≈ £26)
- →Ancient Agora
- →Filopappou Hill sunset walk
- →Optional: Shedia Home cafe stop (non-profit social enterprise, coffee £3)
Ferry to Tinos via Rafina — Chora & food tour
Tinos
Head to Rafina port (bus X63 from central Athens, £3, ~45 min) for the morning fast ferry to Tinos (1.5-2hrs, £30-40 one-way, book on Ferryhopper or Blue Star/Seajets). Tinos is the quiet, pilgrimage-focused island the tour uses as a base. On arrival, check into a guesthouse in Chora and spend the afternoon wandering the marble-paved alleys and the Panagia Evangelistria church. Join a small-group Tinos food tour (~£50) or DIY a cheaper version by hitting the local bakeries, cheese shops and the famous Tinian loukoumades.
🚌Athens bus X63 to Rafina £3; Rafina-Tinos ferry £30-40
🛏Guesthouse in Chora, Tinos (e.g. Favie-style family rooms, or a budget studio) — £30-45/night
- →Tinos food tour (GetYourGuide/local operator ~£50) or DIY food crawl
- →Panagia Evangelistria church & Chora old town walk
Day trip to Mykonos — Little Venice & windmills
Mykonos / Tinos
Take the morning ferry over to bustling Mykonos (Tinos-Mykonos ~30-45 min, £15-25 each way, several sailings daily in season). Base yourself in Mykonos Town: the iconic windmills, Little Venice, the narrow whitewashed lanes and the harbourfront. It's pricey here so bring a picnic or eat a gyros (£5) rather than a restaurant meal. Late afternoon ferry back to Tinos for a cheap dinner and your own room.
🚌Round-trip ferry Tinos-Mykonos £30-50
🛏Guesthouse in Chora, Tinos — £30-45/night
- →Mykonos Town: windmills, Little Venice, old harbour
- →Free beach time (Platis Gialos / Ornos)
- →Optional final-style group dinner with hostel mates
Tinos walking tour, Pyrgos & optional marble/pottery class
Tinos
A slower day on Tinos. Take a guided walking tour of Chora (~£25) or self-navigate to the village of Pyrgos, one of the most famous marble-carving villages in Greece. Sign up for a marble-carving or pottery workshop (£30-45) — an authentic local experience without the group markup — or just wander the villages and pick a quiet beach for the afternoon. The tour includes lunch today; DIY by eating at a village taverna (mains £8-12).
🚌Local bus Chora-Pyrgos £2 each way, or rent a scooter £15/day
🛏Guesthouse in Chora, Tinos — £30-45/night
- →Tinos Chora walking tour
- →Pyrgos village & marble-carving workshops
- →Pottery class (optional ~£30)
- →Beach time
Ferry to Naxos — Venetian Castle & old town
Naxos
Morning ferry from Tinos to Naxos (1-1.5hr, £20-28). Check into a guesthouse in Naxos Town (Chora). Spend the afternoon exploring the Venetian Castle (Kastro) and the winding old town, then walk out to the Portara — the giant unfinished temple gate on the islet of Palatia, best at sunset. The group's included Naxos walking tour can be replicated with a free audio guide or a £20 small-group walking tour.
🚌Tinos-Naxos ferry £20-28
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Naxos Town — £25-40/night
- →Naxos Venetian Castle (Kastro)
- →Naxos old town walking tour
- →Portara sunset
Naxos free day — beaches, villages & Mount Zas
Naxos
The tour's 'Me Day' — use it your way. Options include a beach day at Agios Prokopios or Plaka (bus £2, sunbed £8), a visit to the mountain villages of Halki, Apiranthos and Filoti (local buses £2-4 each), a hike up Mount Zas (the highest in the Cyclades, free, ~3hrs round trip), or a day trip to the ancient Kouros statues and Demeter's Temple. Grab lunch in a village taverna and a sunset beer back in Naxos Town.
🚌Local buses around the island £2-5 each leg
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Naxos Town — £25-40/night
- →Beach day (Agios Prokopios / Plaka)
- →Halki & Apiranthos village visit
- →Mount Zas hike (free)
- →Castle on the hill & archaeological museum (£6)
Ferry to Santorini — caldera hike Fira to Oia
Santorini
Morning ferry Naxos to Santorini (2-2.5hrs, £25-35). Drop bags at a budget guesthouse in Fira (Santorini is by far the priciest island — book early, expect £50-75/night for a simple room in high season). In the afternoon, walk the spectacular caldera rim trail from Fira to Oia (~10km, 3-4hrs, free) with viewpoint stops at Firostefani and Imerovigli — the exact caldera hike the group does. If you'd rather not walk, the local bus Fira-Oia is £1.80.
🚌Naxos-Santorini ferry £25-35; local bus Fira-Oia £1.80
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Fira or Karterados — £50-75/night
- →Caldera hike Fira to Oia (free)
- →Oia sunset & blue domes
- →Optional final group-style dinner in Fira (mains £12-18)
Santorini departure — optional Red Beach & airport
Santorini
Depending on your flight time, spend the morning at Red Beach or Perissa Black Beach (bus £1.80 each way, sunbed £10), or take a short boat trip to the volcano (£20). Then head to Santorini International Airport (JTR) — bus from Fira £1.80, taxi £20-25 — or connect onwards. Note that if you need to get back to Athens, direct flights and ferries both run daily (flight from £50, ferry £40-60, 5-8hrs).
🚌Local bus to airport £1.80, or taxi £20-25
🛏None (departure day)
- →Red Beach or Perissa Black Beach
- →Optional volcano boat trip (£20)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£985 | £1,620 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £635 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£985
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 Solo-ish Greece: Self-Launched Athens to Santorini Island Hopper cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £985 per person for 9 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,620 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £985 — a saving of roughly £635 (39%) per person.
How long is the Greece trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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, foodie 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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