Is the Delos day trip worth it?

For history-minded travellers, absolutely — it is one of the best archaeological sites in Greece, accessible only from Mykonos, and almost completely free of mass tourism. For guests who prefer beaches and towns, it is optional. Your specialist will build it in if you want it.

How does this differ from the Best of Greece 9-day tour?

The 8-day version focuses on Athens and the two iconic islands — Mykonos and Santorini. The 9-day adds Crete with Knossos Palace, a Delphi day trip, and a cooking class in Mykonos, with more breathing room throughout.

What happens after I request this trip?

You'll complete a short planning form with your dates, group size, and any preferences. A travel specialist will respond within one business day with a personalised proposal and exact pricing. No obligation — it's a conversation.

8-Day Private Package Journey

Greek Islands Discovery

Athens, Mykonos & Santorini — the definitive Greek island journey.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €3,700 per person 8 days / 7 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

8 days across Greece.

Eight days from Athens through the Cyclades — the definitive Greek island journey. Begin in Athens with the Acropolis and the ancient city, then take the ferry north to Mykonos for whitewashed lanes, windmills on the ridge, Little Venice above the water, and beaches that have drawn the world's most discerning travellers for fifty years. Continue south to Santorini for the volcanic caldera — the most dramatic landscape in the Aegean — where cliffside villages, blue-domed churches, and volcanic-soil wines provide the perfect finale. This private journey connects all three with expert guides, hand-picked hotels, and every transfer handled so all you need to do is show up.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Athens

The city where Western civilisation decided to begin.

Your private driver meets you at Athens International Airport and delivers you to your hotel near the historic centre — the Acropolis visible on its limestone rock above the rooflines, the unmistakeable silhouette that confirms you have arrived. After settling in, spend the afternoon in Plaka: the oldest continuously inhabited district in Athens, its lanes pressing up against the base of the Acropolis rock, its Byzantine churches squeezed between neoclassical houses and tavernas where the owners have been grilling lamb for longer than most cities have existed. We'll share our curated list of favourite restaurants for your first Greek evening — a table in Monastiraki Square with a view of the ancient Agora, or a quieter spot in Psiri where the mezedes arrive one after another.

Private airport transfer to central Athens
Plaka neighbourhood at leisure
Curated restaurant recommendations for your first evening

4–5★ centrally located hotel, Athens historic centre

Day 2

Athens Highlights & the Acropolis

Two thousand five hundred years, still standing.

Your archaeologist guide meets you after breakfast for the Acropolis before the crowd and the heat arrive. The Propylaea gateway, the Parthenon — its optical illusions so refined that every apparently straight line is in fact subtly curved to counteract the eye's natural distortions — the Erechtheion with its Porch of the Caryatids, six female figures in marble bearing the weight of the roof with apparent ease. The view from the summit takes in the whole of modern Athens: the Theatre of Dionysus below, the Agora, and on clear days the sea at the Saronic Gulf. The Acropolis Museum at the base of the rock holds the original carvings in climate-controlled galleries — glass floors reveal the excavations below your feet. The afternoon is yours: the ancient Agora where Socrates argued, the Monastiraki flea market, or the neighbourhood of Koukaki for an afternoon coffee away from the tourist circuit.

Acropolis with archaeologist guide — Parthenon and Erechtheion
Acropolis Museum and original sculptures
Ancient Agora below the sacred rock
Monastiraki and Plaka at leisure

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Athens historic centre

Day 3

Athens to Mykonos

White walls, blue water, windmills on the ridge.

After breakfast and checkout, your private driver transfers you to the port for the ferry to Mykonos. The crossing takes you through the heart of the Cyclades — the islands appearing and receding on both sides, the Aegean living up to its reputation for clarity. Mykonos Town appears from the harbour as a white hill above the water: the windmills on the ridge, the church domes, the Kastro district above Little Venice. Your driver meets you at the port and delivers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore Mykonos Town: the warren of narrow lanes designed, according to local tradition, to disorient pirates — they still work. Find Little Venice in the evening, where the tables are set directly above the water and the waves occasionally reach the chairs.

Ferry crossing to Mykonos through the Cyclades
Mykonos Town at leisure
Little Venice above the water
Windmills on the Kato Myli ridge

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ boutique hotel, Mykonos

Day 4

Mykonos Highlights

The town, the windmills, the church that is five churches.

Your guide leads a morning walk through Mykonos Town's essential quarter. Begin in Alefkandra — Little Venice — where the old sea-captain houses hang over the water on timber supports. Climb to the Kastro district above, whose narrow lanes lead to a windswept clifftop chapel with views across the harbour. Walk past the five Kato Myli windmills on the ridge — built by the Venetians in the sixteenth century and still the most photographed objects on the island. Continue to the Church of Paraportiani, five churches fused together over three centuries into a single asymmetrical white mass that is Mykonos in architectural form. Then drive along the coastline to the village of Ano Mera in the island's interior, where the sixteenth-century Monastery of Panagia Tourliani sits in a quiet square surrounded by tavernas serving the same roast lamb they have served on Sundays for generations. The afternoon is free for the beaches — a water taxi from the old harbour reaches most of them in fifteen minutes.

Little Venice and Kastro district morning walk
Kato Myli windmills and Church of Paraportiani
Ano Mera village and Panagia Tourliani Monastery
Free afternoon for beaches by water taxi

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ boutique hotel, Mykonos

Day 5

Free Day in Mykonos

The island at your own pace — which is the correct pace.

Today belongs entirely to you — and Mykonos rewards those who take it slowly. The beaches are arranged along the southern coast by character: Platis Gialos is the family beach, Paradise and Super Paradise the livelier options, Elia the quieter and most beautiful of the larger beaches. A water taxi from the town harbour reaches most of them in fifteen minutes. For those who want an adventure, we can arrange a day trip to Delos — the uninhabited sacred island one nautical mile west of Mykonos, whose ruins are among the most significant in the ancient world: the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, a trading hub whose mosaics, marble lions, and temples are extraordinarily well-preserved and almost entirely unvisited by mass tourism. Or simply spend the day wandering the old town, finding a new café, and watching the pelicans patrol the harbour. We'll have restaurant recommendations ready for your evening.

Free day — no schedule
Optional: Delos sacred ruins day trip
Mykonos beaches by water taxi
Evening in Mykonos Town

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ boutique hotel, Mykonos

Day 6

Mykonos to Santorini

From Cycladic elegance to volcanic drama.

The morning ferry south from Mykonos cuts through the heart of the Cyclades — Paros and Naxos visible to the west, Ios to the south — and then Santorini appears: not as an island in the conventional sense but as the curved rim of a volcanic crater, the caldera a near-circular bay of impossibly blue water enclosed on three sides by cliffs of compressed volcanic ash, the white villages of Fira and Oia visible as lines of light along the clifftop. Your private driver meets you at the port for the transfer to your caldera-view hotel. The afternoon is for settling in, finding the terrace, and watching the light change across the caldera as the afternoon stretches toward the famous Santorini sunset.

Ferry through the Cyclades to Santorini
Caldera views on arrival
Caldera-view hotel and terrace
First Santorini sunset

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ caldera-view hotel, Santorini

Day 7

Santorini Highlights & Wine Tasting

Oia at dawn, the caldera always, and a wine grown in volcanic ash.

Your guide meets you for a morning that begins in the cliffside villages along the caldera rim. Start in Firostefani — the highest point on the rim with views encompassing both the caldera and the open sea — and continue to Imerovigli, known locally as the 'balcony of the Aegean'. Walk or drive north to Oia, the village at the northern tip whose blue-domed churches and whitewashed lanes are the visual shorthand for the entire Aegean. Early morning, before the day-trippers arrive from the cruise ships, Oia is extraordinarily quiet: the alleyways empty, the light low and golden. Your guide leads you through the maze of steps and passages to the ruined Venetian castle at the headland. In the afternoon, a wine tasting at Santo Wines or another volcanic estate: Santorini's Assyrtiko grape grows in the volcanic pumice in basket-shaped vines close to the ground, producing a dry white wine of extraordinary mineral intensity. Enjoy the wines with breathtaking views across the caldera.

Firostefani and Imerovigli cliffside villages
Oia village — blue domes, captain's houses, Venetian castle
Wine tasting at Santo Wines with caldera views
Final Santorini sunset

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ caldera-view hotel, Santorini

Day 8

Departure

Greece gives you its light — and you take it home.

Your last morning above the caldera: a slow breakfast on the terrace, the Aegean below catching the early light in that particular mineral blue that is specific to these waters. At the agreed time, your private driver transfers you to Santorini Airport or the ferry port for your departure — via Athens if your international connection requires it. If your departure is later in the day, the morning is free for a final swim, a last walk through Fira, or simply another hour on the terrace. Your travel specialist remains reachable until you're home.

Final caldera breakfast at leisure
Private transfer to Santorini Airport or ferry port

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Athens

2 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Historic centre

Walking distance to the Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, and the Acropolis Museum

Mykonos

3 nights

4–5★ boutique hotel

Mykonos Town or above

Walking distance to Little Venice and the old harbour; sea-view and pool suite upgrades available

Santorini

2 nights

4–5★ caldera-view hotel

Fira or Imerovigli

Caldera-facing rooms with private terrace — the sunrise and sunset views from the room are the experience

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

7 nights in 4–5★ hotels and island resorts (double occupancy)
Daily breakfast at each hotel
Airport meet & greet on arrival
Private airport transfers in Athens
Ferry tickets Athens–Mykonos and Mykonos–Santorini
Private transfers on all islands
Private archaeologist guide in Athens
Private guides in Mykonos and Santorini
Santorini wine tasting at a volcanic estate
Skip-the-line access at the Acropolis
All entrance fees included in guided visits
24/7 travel specialist support throughout your trip
Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet with restaurant and local recommendations

Not Included

International flights to/from Athens or Santorini
Travel insurance (required — we can arrange coverage on request)
Lunches and dinners
Personal expenses (shopping, additional tastings, beach clubs)
Gratuities for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
City/tourist tax (collected directly by hotels)

Good to Know

Santorini and Mykonos are very high-demand in July–August — we recommend booking 4–6 months ahead for peak season travel to secure first-choice hotels.
The island order can be reversed (Santorini first, then Mykonos) depending on your flight routing.
All guides and experiences are arranged exclusively for your group — never shared with other travellers.
Santorini's caldera-view hotels are built into the cliff face and typically do not have road access — luggage is carried by donkey or porter up the steps.
Flexible booking: adjust or postpone your dates up to 60 days before departure at no charge.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Delos sacred island day trip

A short ferry from Mykonos to the birthplace of Apollo — extraordinary marble ruins, the Avenue of Lions, and remarkable mosaics, with almost no crowds

From €95 pp

Santorini caldera sunset cruise

A private caïque along the caldera rim at golden hour — hot springs stop, Red Beach swim, and Oia from the water as the sun goes down

From €130 pp

Mykonos private beach picnic

A private boat to a secluded cove, a picnic prepared by a local chef, swimming in clear Aegean water — the island at its most exclusive

From €180 pp

Athens Delphi day trip

The oracle of the ancient world — mountain sanctuary, ancient theatre, and the most dramatic archaeological site in mainland Greece

From €160 pp

Professional photo session

A portrait session in the Oia lanes at golden hour or Mykonos's windmills at sunrise with a local photographer

From €350

"Santorini was everything the photographs promised and more. Oia at six in the morning, before anyone else was there, was one of the most beautiful things we have ever seen. Mykonos was more fun than we expected. Hamilton & Chase made the whole trip feel effortless."

Sophia & Andrew L.

New York, NY · Greek Islands, June 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Can we swap Mykonos for Crete or Paros?

Yes — Crete makes an excellent alternative for guests who want more archaeology, hiking, and local culture alongside the beaches. Paros is quieter than Mykonos with beautiful villages, excellent seafood, and less of the party atmosphere. Your specialist will advise on which island suits your travel style.

When is the best time to do the Greek Islands?

Late May through June and September through mid-October are ideal — warm, clear, and manageable in terms of crowds. July and August are peak: beautiful weather, very busy, and more expensive. The islands largely close from November through March.

Private Package Journey

Greek Islands Discovery

8 days / 7 nights

From €3,700

per person

Ready to go?

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More Greece Tours

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+1 646-466-6841 explore@hamiltonandchase.com

Available Mon–Fri 9am–6pm CET.
On-trip support is 24/7.

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