Greek island hopping works best when you pick one group and stay in it: two islands in a week, three in ten days. Never book a ferry and a flight on the same day, because the meltemi cancels sailings at short notice.
Greek island hopping: How to combine it with Santorini Tours
Would you like to visit Santorini and other Greek island during that summer period? Now is your chance and it is known as Greek island hopping! You can perfectly combine it with Santorini Tours.
Greece is famous for its lacy shores and countless beaches. The color of the sea and the endless blue make it the ideal destination for a boat trip. The wild beauty of the Cyclades of the South Aegean is a unique place for a boat trip in Greece.
Are you ready to discover the Greek islands? In the Greek archipelago you will discover many things like: large and lousy islands. Cosmopolitan and luxurious but also pristine beaches and fishing villages of timeless beauty. Arid islands of the Cyclades, full of snowy or green islands, full of springs and exotic beaches.
The most popular Greek island hopping destinations
Island tours to the Aegean is a unique experience. Dodecanese, Crete, Sporades Islands, the northern Aegean Islands, invite you to live the experiences they offer. Put down the map and make notes: by yacht or sailing you will just travel the way you want, while travel agencies can tell you about ferry and high speed ferries that greatly shorten the voyage during the summer months.
The most popular combination for those looking for luxury and cosmopolitan atmosphere in the Greek islands are Mykonos and Santorini in the Cyclades. You can also easily combine the following islands, as there is a direct connection between them by ferries and speedboats: Andros-Tinos-Mykonos, Serifos-Sifnos-Milos, Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros, Patmos-Leros-Kos- Rhodes to experience the amazing neoclassical settlement of little Symi.
Private tours in Santorini
The duration of our excursion, which is exclusively prive, will be from four hours to a whole day, where we will visit different points of the island of special beauty, which are accessible only by boat or hiking. We also offer you Santorini private transfers.
We will guide you through the history of the island, its interesting geology, as well as the marine and underwater life. You will learn about the inhabitants’ lifestyle, architecture and traditional cuisine.
Book now for Santorini tours
The best way to enjoy this new type of vacations while you make a stop on the island of Santorini you should book now one of our special private tours:
- Santorini full day private tour
- Santorini sightseeing private tour
- Santorini exclusive shore private tour
- Santorini impressive Caldera private tour
- Santorini south part private tour
- Santorini north part private tour
- Santorini historical private tour
- Santorini sunset private tour
See more about Santorini island:
- Santorini festival tours
- Tradition tours in Santorini
- Santorini group tours
- Geological tour of Santorini
- Cycladic architecture, an unsurpassed heritage in Santorini
Greek Island Hopping: The Short Answer
Pick one island group and stay in it. Two islands in a week, three in ten days, four in a fortnight – and never book a ferry and a flight on the same day, because the meltemi cancels sailings at short notice and the plane will not wait.
Greek island hopping works best in the Cyclades, where the islands are close together and the ferry network is dense. The classic route is Athens to Mykonos to Naxos or Paros to Santorini, flying home from Santorini or back to Athens. It is popular for a reason: the crossings are short and the four islands are genuinely different from each other.
Book ferries ahead in July and August, especially with a car. Conventional ferries are slower, cheaper and sail in weather that stops the high-speed catamarans. Leave a full day of margin before any flight home.
Below: the routes that work, how the ferries actually operate, what it costs, how many nights each island deserves, and how Santorini fits into it – because it is the island most people build the trip around and the one with the most awkward logistics.
Where Should You Go Greek Island Hopping?
The Cyclades
The default and the right answer for a first greek island hopping trip. Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Santorini, Ios, Milos, Folegandros, Sifnos, Amorgos and a dozen more, all within a few hours of each other and of Athens. Whitewashed villages, dense ferry connections and the shortest crossings in Greece. Almost all greek island hopping happens here.
The Dodecanese
Rhodes, Kos, Symi, Patmos, Karpathos. Further east, closer to Turkey, with medieval and Ottoman layers the Cyclades do not have. Longer distances, fewer connections and a good option for a second trip.
The Ionian
Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada. Green rather than white, on the other side of the country, and reached from western mainland ports rather than Piraeus. A completely different look and feel.
The Sporades
Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos. Pine forests and clear water, north of Athens, and a compact and easy group.
The Saronic islands
Hydra, Poros, Spetses, Aegina. An hour or two from Athens, doable as a short trip in themselves.
Crete
Not a hop. Crete is a country and needs a week or two on its own, though it connects usefully to Santorini by fast ferry.
The rule
Do not mix groups on one trip. Greek island hopping between the Cyclades and the Dodecanese in a week means spending the week on boats.
What Are the Best Greek Island Hopping Routes?
The classic week: Mykonos, Naxos, Santorini
Fly into Mykonos or Athens, two nights on Mykonos, three on Naxos, three on Santorini, fly home. Short crossings, three very different islands, and the most-walked greek island hopping route there is.
The quieter week: Milos, Folegandros, Santorini
Volcanic rock formations, one of the best-preserved kastro in the Cyclades and the caldera at the end. Half the crowds, fewer connections, and considerably better if you have been to the Cyclades before.
The beach week: Paros, Naxos, Ios
The best greek island hopping route for beaches. The best sand in the group, short hops between all three, and a lively night on Ios if you want one.
Ten days: Athens, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini
Two nights in Athens for the Acropolis, then four islands with two or three nights each. The most balanced greek island hopping itinerary at that length.
Two weeks: add Amorgos or Sifnos
Both reward time and neither is on the standard circuit.
Santorini and Crete
Two hours by fast ferry to Heraklion, and a complete change of scale. Better as a Santorini-then-Crete trip than a hop.
The short version: Santorini and Ios
Under an hour apart, and about as easy as greek island hopping gets. Good for four or five days.
Which direction
Finish on Santorini if you want the dramatic ending and the easier flight home. Start there if you want to see it before you are tired of white villages.
How Do the Greek Island Hopping Ferries Work?
Two kinds of boat
Conventional ferries are large, slow, stable and carry cars. Piraeus to Santorini takes around eight hours. They sail in weather that stops everything else and they are the backbone of greek island hopping.
High-speed catamarans take four to five hours on the same route, cost roughly double, have assigned seats and are the first thing cancelled when the wind blows.
The ports
Piraeus is the main Athens port and by far the busiest. Rafina is closer to the airport and serves Mykonos, Andros and Tinos. Lavrio serves a smaller set. Check which one your ferry leaves from before you book a hotel.
Booking
Weeks ahead for July and August, especially with a vehicle. A day or two is usually enough in the shoulder months. Some operators still require you to collect paper tickets from an agency, so read the confirmation.
Boarding
Be at the quay forty-five minutes before, an hour with a car. Ferries dock stern-in, unload and reload within minutes, and they do not wait.
Luggage
You carry it on yourself. There is no porter system and no left luggage on most quays.
Cancellations
The meltemi cancels high-speed craft first and sometimes closes ports entirely. Operators announce it the night before or the same morning. This is the single biggest risk in any greek island hopping plan.
Seasickness
The fast boats are the rougher ride. Take something if you are prone, and sit low and central.
Which Islands Are Worth Which Greek Island Hopping Trip?
Santorini
The caldera, the archaeology at Akrotiri, ungrafted vines and the light. Expensive on the rim, crowded in two villages at midday, and unlike anywhere else in Europe. The island most greek island hopping trips are built around.
Mykonos
Chora’s maze of lanes, the windmills, Little Venice, serious beach clubs and the best nightlife in the group. Expensive, and it does not pretend otherwise.
Naxos
The best-value greek island hopping stop. The largest and most self-sufficient of the Cyclades. Mountain villages, marble quarries, Venetian towers, potatoes and cheese, and the best long sandy beaches in the group. The value island.
Paros
Parikia and Naoussa, marble villages inland, windsurfing, and the best-connected port for onward hops.
Ios
Superb beaches and a famous night in Chora. Small, cheap and young.
Milos
The best-kept secret in greek island hopping. Volcanic like Santorini and almost undeveloped, with rock formations at Sarakiniko that look lunar and dozens of beaches reachable only by boat.
Folegandros
A cliff-top Chora with one of the best-preserved kastro in the Cyclades, and very little else. That is the appeal.
Sifnos
Footpaths, pottery, hundreds of small churches and a food reputation that draws Greeks rather than foreigners.
Amorgos
Steep, dramatic and remote, with the Hozoviotissa monastery built into a cliff face. Fewer connections, which is exactly why it is quiet.
Tinos
Dovecotes, marble villages and a major pilgrimage church. Under-visited by foreign greek island hopping traffic.
Syros
The administrative capital of the Cyclades, with a neoclassical town that looks nothing like the whitewashed cliché.
Andros
Green, walkable and close to Rafina, with real hiking trails.
How Does Santorini Fit In?
It is the island most people build the greek island hopping trip around, and the one with the most awkward logistics. Worth understanding before you plan.
The port
All ferries use Athinios on the south-west coast: a single quay at the foot of a cliff with one road out and eight hairpin bends up to Fira. When a large ferry unloads, several hundred people and a hundred cars come off at once. Santorini port.
Getting from the port
Buses meet the main arrivals and run to Fira, where you change for everywhere else. Taxis are effectively unobtainable – the island has around thirty. A pre-booked transfer meets you by name and tracks the ferry rather than the timetable, which on a greek island hopping trip with luggage is the difference between arriving and queuing.
The wind
Athinios is exposed and Santorini sits at the southern end of the Cyclades, so it feels the meltemi. This is where sailings are most often cancelled.
The flight trap
Never connect a ferry into Santorini airport on the same day, and never sail out of Santorini on the day you fly home from Athens. It is the single most expensive mistake in greek island hopping and it happens constantly.
How long to give it
Three nights minimum, five if you want the volcano and the wineries as well as the villages.
Flying out from here
Santorini has an airport with direct seasonal flights, so most greek island hopping routes end here. across Europe, so finishing here rather than backtracking to Athens usually saves a day.
What to do with the time
Akrotiri with a guide, one boat into the caldera, one sunset that is not Oia, and the inland villages. One day in Santorini.
How Many Nights Per Greek Island Hopping Stop?
Santorini
Three nights minimum, five ideal. The caldera villages, Akrotiri, one boat and a sunset. Two nights is a stopover rather than a visit. Santorini first time.
Mykonos
Two or three. Chora, the windmills, one or two beaches and a night out. It does not need longer unless the beach clubs are the point.
Naxos
Three or four. The largest of the Cyclades, with mountain villages, long sandy beaches, a Venetian kastro and real agriculture. The island most people say they wish they had given more time.
Paros
Two or three. Parikia, Naoussa, good beaches and the best ferry connections in the group, which makes it a natural hub for greek island hopping.
Ios
Two. Excellent beaches and a famous night, and not much more.
Milos
Three. Extraordinary rock formations, dozens of beaches and very little development.
Folegandros
Two. One spectacular cliff-top village and quiet.
Sifnos
Two or three. Pottery, footpaths and a serious food reputation.
Amorgos
Three. Steep, remote and rewarding, with fewer connections.
Crete
A week at least. Not a hop.
Athens
Two nights at the start or the end. The Acropolis, the museum and one evening in Plaka.
The rule
Two nights is one full day, because arrival and departure days are half days. Any greek island hopping plan with two nights everywhere is really a plan with no full days at all.
What Does It Cost?
What greek island hopping actually costs, in bands.
Conventional ferry, Athens to Santorini. The cheapest way to reach the Cyclades, and eight hours.
High-speed catamaran, same route. Roughly double, and four to five hours.
Short hops between neighbouring islands. Modest, and the fast boats are proportionally less of a premium.
Vehicles. Substantially more than a foot passenger, and worth avoiding unless you genuinely need a car on every island.
Accommodation. The single biggest variable in greek island hopping. Mykonos and Santorini are expensive; Naxos, Paros, Milos and Ios are ordinary Greek prices.
Food. Cheap everywhere except the caldera rim on Santorini and the waterfront in Mykonos Chora.
Transfers. Port to hotel on each island. Priced per vehicle rather than per person with a private driver, which matters with luggage. Transfers.
Flights home. Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos and Paros all have airports. Flying out of the last island rather than backtracking to Athens usually saves a day and often saves money.
What to budget for. One cancelled sailing per fortnight in high summer, and the unplanned night that comes with it.
What Greek Island Hopping Mistakes Do People Make?
Four islands in seven nights. That is four half days lost to boats. Two islands in a week, three in ten days.
Connecting a ferry to a same-day flight. The wind cancels sailings at short notice. The most expensive greek island hopping mistake there is.
Zig-zagging. Every backtrack costs half a day. Draw the route on a map and go in one direction.
Mixing island groups. The Cyclades and the Dodecanese in one week is a week on boats.
Booking ferries before beds. Rooms sell out faster than seats in August.
Taking a car everywhere. Vehicle fares are high and most islands are small. Hire locally where you need one.
Assuming the fast boat will run. It is the first thing cancelled.
Arriving at a port with no transfer. Especially Athinios on Santorini, where there is no taxi rank worth the name.
Not checking which Athens port. Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio are not near each other.
Two nights everywhere. No island gets a full day.
Doing it in August because that is the holiday. Every problem on this list is worse in August.
No slack at all. One cancelled sailing and the whole itinerary falls over.
Greek Island Hopping: Frequently Asked Questions
How many islands should I visit? Two in a week, three in ten days, four in a fortnight. Arrival and departure days are half days, so more islands means fewer full ones.
Which islands are best for a first trip? The Cyclades: Mykonos, Paros or Naxos, and Santorini. Short crossings, dense connections and three genuinely different islands.
Do I need to book ferries in advance? Weeks ahead in July and August, especially with a vehicle. A day or two is usually enough in May, June, September and October.
Fast ferry or conventional? Conventional is slower, cheaper, more stable and sails in weather that stops the fast boats. Fast ferries roughly halve the time and double the fare.
Can I island hop without booking anything? In the shoulder months, largely yes. In August, no.
What happens if my ferry is cancelled? Operators usually announce the night before or that morning and rebook you. Ask about the conventional ferry before changing flights.
Can I connect a ferry to a flight the same day? No. Leave a full day. This is the one rule of greek island hopping with no exceptions.
When is the best time? May, early June, September and early October. August is the most difficult and the most expensive.
Should I take a car? Usually not. Vehicle fares are high and hiring on each island is cheaper and simpler.
Which port in Athens? Piraeus for most routes, Rafina for Mykonos, Tinos and Andros, Lavrio for a smaller set. Check before booking a hotel.
Is greek island hopping expensive? The ferries are not. Mykonos and Santorini accommodation is; Naxos, Paros, Milos and Ios are ordinary Greek prices.
Is it possible in winter? Not really. Skeleton timetables, frequent cancellations and much of the accommodation closed.
Arriving on Santorini
We are a local operator on Santorini and we handle the part of greek island hopping that goes wrong most often here: the arrival.
Athinios is a single quay at the bottom of a cliff with one road out and no reliable taxis. We meet every ferry by name, track the sailing rather than the timetable, and there is no extra charge if it runs late. Then we take you to the door, or as close as the lane allows.
While you are here we run private days: Akrotiri with a guide, three wineries with nobody driving, the inland villages at midday and a sunset from somewhere that is not the Oia castle. Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, so a family of four pays what a couple pays, and an 80 EUR deposit confirms a date.
See transfers, the full list of tours, or the FAQ.
When Should You Go?
May and early June
The best window for greek island hopping. Everything open, ferries running the full timetable, few crowds, moderate prices and the sea warming up. The wind is lighter than in high summer.
Late June and July
Full season. Maximum connections, warm water, and the meltemi building through July.
August
The hardest month. Every ferry full, every hotel at peak price, the whole of Greece on holiday, and the strongest wind of the year cancelling sailings. If you must, book everything months ahead.
September
The other great greek island hopping window. The warmest sea of the year, thinning crowds after the first week, and the full ferry timetable still running.
October
Good value and good weather at the start of the greek island hopping season’s end, with services thinning from the middle of the month.
April
Cheap and quiet, with a reduced ferry timetable and a cold sea. Fine for two well-connected islands, awkward for four.
November to March
Greek island hopping is not really possible. Ferries run a skeleton winter schedule, many are cancelled for weather, and a great deal of accommodation is closed. Santorini and a couple of others are workable as single destinations. Santorini in winter.
The meltemi
The north wind, strongest in July and August, and the main risk to any greek island hopping plan. It does not usually stop conventional ferries but it stops the fast ones, and it is the reason every plan needs slack in it.
How Do You Plan Greek Island Hopping?
1. Pick one group. Almost certainly the Cyclades.
2. Count your full days. Arrival and departure are half days. Three islands in seven nights gives you about four usable days.
3. Fix the flights first. In and out of different islands if you can – it saves backtracking.
4. Draw the line on a map. Good greek island hopping goes in one direction rather than zig-zagging. Every backtrack costs half a day.
5. Book accommodation before ferries. Beds are scarcer than seats.
6. Book the ferries. Weeks ahead in July and August.
7. Leave a full day before your flight home. Non-negotiable.
8. Book port transfers. Arriving at a port with luggage and no plan is the worst hour of most trips.
9. Do not fill the islands. Two or three things a day.
10. Keep one day loose. Something will be cancelled.
Greek Island Hopping Ferry Connections
Approximate crossing times on the standard greek island hopping routes, so you can build a route rather than guess at one. Check current timetables, which change several times a year.
Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini. Around eight hours on a conventional ferry, four to five on a fast one.
Athens (Rafina) to Mykonos. Two and a half to five hours depending on the boat.
Athens to Paros or Naxos. Three to five hours conventional, under three fast.
Mykonos to Paros. Under an hour.
Mykonos to Naxos. Around forty-five minutes on a fast boat.
Paros to Naxos. Half an hour. The shortest useful hop in greek island hopping.
Naxos to Ios. Around an hour.
Ios to Santorini. Under an hour.
Naxos to Santorini. Around two hours.
Paros to Santorini. Two to two and a half hours.
Mykonos to Santorini. Two to two and a half hours.
Milos to Santorini. Around two hours, with fewer sailings.
Santorini to Crete (Heraklion). About two hours by fast ferry.
Folegandros and Sifnos. Well connected to Santorini and Milos, less so to Mykonos.
What the times mean. Add an hour before and an hour after every crossing for the port, the boarding and the transfer at the other end. A two-hour sailing is a four-hour day.
Flying Versus Sailing
Which islands have airports
Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Milos and Syros in the Cyclades, plus most of the larger islands elsewhere. Athens connects to all of them and there are direct seasonal flights from across Europe to Santorini and Mykonos.
When flying wins
Long distances, tight schedules, and the leg home. Athens to Santorini is forty-five minutes against eight hours by conventional ferry.
When sailing wins
Short hops, cost, luggage, and the experience. Sailing into the Santorini caldera at dawn is one of the genuine pleasures of greek island hopping and no flight replicates it.
The hybrid that works
Fly in to the first island, hop by ferry, fly home from the last. The greek island hopping shape that wastes the least time. It avoids backtracking to Athens and usually saves a day.
Baggage
Ferries are far more forgiving than domestic flights, which have strict and low allowances. If you are carrying wine home, plan the flight leg carefully.
Reliability
Flights are cancelled for wind too, but far less often than fast ferries. On the last leg of any greek island hopping trip, that matters.
Worked Greek Island Hopping Itineraries
Seven nights: Mykonos, Naxos, Santorini
Nights 1–2, Mykonos. Fly in. Chora and the windmills on the first evening, a beach and a long dinner on the second day.
Night 3, ferry to Naxos. Under an hour. Afternoon in Chora and the Portara at sunset.
Nights 3–5, Naxos. One mountain village day, one beach day, one day doing nothing.
Night 6, ferry to Santorini. Around two hours. Transfer from Athinios, settle, sunset from Imerovigli.
Nights 6–8, Santorini. Akrotiri with a guide and the inland villages on one day, a boat into the caldera on the next. Fly home from Santorini.
Three islands, two crossings, four full days. That is a realistic seven-night greek island hopping trip.
Ten nights: Athens, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini
Two nights in Athens, two on Paros, three on Naxos, one on Ios, three on Santorini, flying home from Santorini. Every hop is short and the direction is consistently south.
Ten nights, quieter: Milos, Folegandros, Santorini
Fly to Milos or ferry from Athens, four nights there, two on Folegandros, four on Santorini. Fewer connections, far fewer people, and the best greek island hopping route for anyone who has done the classic one.
Five nights: Santorini and Ios
Three on Santorini, two on Ios, under an hour apart. The easiest short version there is.
Fourteen nights: the full Cyclades
Athens, Syros or Tinos, Mykonos, Naxos, Amorgos, Santorini. Six stops, and only at this length does six stop being a mistake.
Practical Notes
Twelve things worth knowing before a greek island hopping trip.
Luggage. One bag each that you can carry up steps and onto a ferry. Nothing about greek island hopping is friendly to a large hard case.
Cash. Cards are widely taken; carry notes for small tavernas, kiosks and cable cars.
Water. Most islands run on desalination or tankers. Drink bottled.
Pharmacies. On every inhabited island. Anything serious goes to Athens.
Insurance. Not optional, particularly with ferries and hire vehicles involved.
Wi-fi and signal. Good across the Cyclades, patchy on the smaller and steeper islands.
Shoes. Stepped lanes and worn marble everywhere. Grip matters more than style.
Scooters and quads. Cheap, popular and responsible for a great many holiday injuries on narrow unlit roads.
Licences. Many non-EU licences need an International Driving Permit in Greece and it is checked.
Ferry apps and sites. Useful for timetables, and the operator’s own site is the authority on cancellations.
Left luggage. Rare on quays. Hotels will usually hold bags after checkout.
Accessibility. Ferries are generally step-free onto the car deck; the villages are not. Plan around that honestly.
What Goes Wrong, and What to Do
Something usually does on a greek island hopping trip. None of it needs to spoil it.
Your ferry is cancelled
Almost always the wind, and almost always the fast boat. Ask about the conventional ferry before you change anything else – it frequently sails when the catamaran does not. Operators rebook without a fight.
You lose a night
Book the extra night where you are rather than trying to catch up. Rushing the next island to make up time is how a greek island hopping trip turns into a series of ports.
The port is chaos
Athinios on Santorini and Piraeus in Athens both are. Arrive early, know your boat’s name, and stand where the staff are pointing.
You board the wrong deck
On the large conventional ferries, seat classes are separate and the crew will redirect you. Not a problem.
Your accommodation is up sixty steps
Common in the Cyclades and universal on Santorini’s caldera rim. Ask before booking, and ask your driver how close a vehicle can get.
You are seasick
Take something before boarding rather than after, sit low and central, and choose the conventional ferry on a rough day.
You run out of cash
ATMs exist on every inhabited island but not at every port. Draw before you sail.
You miss the last bus
On most islands there is no taxi to fall back on. Book a vehicle or stay within walking distance of dinner.
The weather turns
Museums, archaeological sites and wineries are open in wind that stops every boat. A cancelled sailing is not a lost day if you plan for it. Akrotiri.
Who Should Go Where?
Couples and honeymooners
Santorini and one quieter island – Folegandros, Milos or Amorgos. Two stops in a week, not four. Santorini honeymoon.
Families with young children
Naxos and Paros. Sandy shallow beaches, short crossings, level towns and ordinary prices. Greek island hopping with a pushchair is easier here than anywhere else in the Cyclades.
Families with teenagers
Paros, Ios and Santorini. Beaches, water sports and something to do in the evening.
Groups of friends
Mykonos, Ios and Santorini, in that order, and expect to spend most of the budget on the first and last.
Budget travellers
Naxos, Paros and Ios. Conventional ferries, rooms behind the beach and village tavernas.
Walkers
Sifnos, Andros, Amorgos and Naxos, all with real marked footpaths.
Repeat visitors
Milos, Folegandros, Sifnos, Tinos, Syros, Amorgos. The second lap of greek island hopping is better than the first.
Anyone with limited mobility
Naxos and Paros have the flattest towns and the easiest ports. Santorini, Folegandros and Amorgos are steep, and Santorini’s port is at the bottom of a cliff.
Solo travellers
Ios, Paros and Naxos, all with easy social scenes and cheap rooms.
Combining It With Santorini Tours
Most people arrive here mid-way through a greek island hopping trip with two or three days and a list, and the list is usually too long. What we do is fit the island into the trip rather than the other way round.
On two nights. One private day: Akrotiri with a guide, an inland village for lunch, and a sunset from Imerovigli. That is the island in six hours.
On three nights. Add a boat into the caldera, or three wineries with nobody driving.
On four or more. Add Ancient Thira in the morning, a beach afternoon, and one day with nothing at all in it.
Arriving by ferry. We meet you at Athinios by name, track the sailing rather than the timetable, and there is no charge if it runs late. On a greek island hopping trip with luggage, that is the single most useful thing we do.
Leaving by ferry. We get you to the quay with time to spare, which matters because the queue starts before the boat arrives.
Prices. Per vehicle rather than per person, so a family of four pays what a couple pays. Hotel pickup anywhere on the island is included, we guide in twelve languages, and an 80 EUR deposit confirms a date.
See the personalised tour, the full list of tours, or the FAQ.
The One-Page Summary
Everything above, compressed.
Group. The Cyclades, unless you have been before.
Number of islands. Two in a week, three in ten days, four in a fortnight.
Direction. One way, no backtracking. Fly in to one island and out of another.
Booking order. Flights, then beds, then ferries, then transfers, then nothing.
Ferries. Conventional when you are not in a hurry; fast when you are and the wind is down. Book weeks ahead in July and August.
Timing. May, early June, September, early October. Avoid August if you can.
The absolute rule. A full day between your last ferry and your flight home.
Nights per island. Three minimum for Santorini, three or four for Naxos, two or three for the rest.
On each island. Two or three things a day, and one day with nothing.
Luggage. One bag each that you can carry up steps.
Transfers. Booked at every port. Especially here.
Slack. One loose day per week, because something will be cancelled.
That is greek island hopping done properly. The trips that go wrong are almost always the ones with one island too many and no room to move.
Is It Worth Doing at All?
Yes, and greek island hopping is the best way to see this country – but the version most people book is too full.
What greek island hopping gives you. Genuinely different islands within hours of each other, arrival by sea rather than by runway, and the sense of a country made of pieces rather than one destination. Sailing into the Santorini caldera at seven in the morning is worth the trip on its own.
What it costs you. Half a day per crossing, once you count checkout, the port, the sailing and getting to the next hotel. Four islands in a week means four of those.
Who it suits. Anyone with ten days or more, anyone travelling light, and anyone who would rather see three islands properly than six briefly.
Who should not bother. Anyone with a week and small children, anyone with heavy luggage, and anyone whose plan has no slack in it.
The single best piece of advice. One fewer island than you think, and one more night on each.
What Would We Tell a Friend?
Come in May, June, September or early October. Pick the Cyclades. Choose two islands for a week or three for ten days, and go in one direction rather than back and forth.
Fly into one and out of another. Book the beds before the boats. Take the conventional ferry when the crossing is short and you are not in a hurry. Leave a full day between your last sailing and your flight home, without exception.
Give Santorini three nights at least, book the transfer from Athinios, and do not try to fit the volcano, the wineries and the whole rim into a day and a half. Greek island hopping is not a checklist, and the islands you remember are the ones where you had a day with nothing in it.
Every Village and Site on the Island
Any of these can be built into a private day. Each has its own page with what to see and how long to allow.
Caldera villages: Fira · Firostefani · Imerovigli · Oia · Finikia · Baxedes
Inland villages: Pyrgos · Megalochori · Emporio · Mesaria · Karterados · Vothonas · Vourvoulos · Exo Gonia · Mesa Gonia · Pigadia
Beaches: Perissa · Perivolos · Kamari · Vlychada · Monolithos · Red Beach · White Beach · Agios Georgios · Agia Paraskevi
Sites and landmarks: Akrotiri · Ancient Thira · Akrotiri Lighthouse · Nea Kameni · Palia Kameni · Thirasia · Athinios Port
All our tours: All Santorini tours · Full day tour · Sightseeing tour · Personalised tour · North part tour · Horse riding · South part tour · Sunset tour · Shore excursion · Caldera tour · Food experience · Wine tour · Historical tour · Small group tour
Planning and services: Famous sights tour · Private transfers · Transfers to Oia and Finikia · Transfers to other villages · Villages of Santorini · History of Santorini · Tours near you · Languages we guide in · Food and fun tours · Gay friendly tours · Our tour buses · Daily tours · Day tours · FAQ · Gallery · Tour photo gallery · About us · Contact · Blog
