🪪 Island hopping at a glance
📅 The one-week rule
In 7 days, three islands is the maximum for a trip that won’t turn into a race. Two is often better. A big island, such as Naxos, Paros, Rhodes or Crete, can fill a whole week. Stay at least two nights on each island: one night looks fine on paper, but in practice it means arriving, unpacking, one evening and straight off to a new port.
Don’t count only the hours on the ferry. Count the before and after too: check-out, getting to the port, waiting, boarding, arriving, a new room. A two-hour ferry ride often takes up the whole morning or the whole afternoon.
👍 Why it’s worth it
- You see very different islands on the same trip.
- The ferries between the islands are part of the experience.
- You can combine a lively island with a quiet one.
- You cover nearby islands without going back to Athens.
👎 What it costs you
- Every move eats half a day: check-out, port, waiting, ferry.
- The wind can change your plans.
- Packing and unpacking every two or three days.
- Not every island connects with every other, nor every day.
🧭 Choose an island group
Island hopping works mostly within one island group. The Cyclades are the easiest area, with the most ferries in summer. If you are staying in Athens, the Cyclades and the Saronic Gulf are the most natural choices. Combining different groups, for example the Cyclades with the Dodecanese, is possible, but only on specific routes on certain days, or by going back to Athens.
| Group | Islands | How to get there | For island hopping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyclades | Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Milos, Sifnos, Folegandros, Tinos, Amorgos | Ferry from Piraeus, Rafina or Lavrio | The easiest, with a dense network in summer |
| Dodecanese | Rhodes, Kos, Symi, Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos | Flight or a long ferry from Piraeus | Good with Rhodes or Kos as a base, needs timetable checks |
| Saronic Gulf | Aegina, Agistri, Poros, Hydra, Spetses | Ferry from Piraeus | Ideal for a few days from Athens |
| Sporades | Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos | Ferry from Volos or Agios Konstantinos, flight to Skiathos | A good trio, with ferries between them |
| Ionian | Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca, Zakynthos | Flight, or KTEL bus and ferry from western ports | Fewer connections, often needs a car |
| North Aegean | Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria | Flight or overnight ferry | Long distances, for those with time |
🗺️ Five ready-made routes
Here are five routes that work in practice, from a long weekend to ten days. They all start from Athens. Always check the timetables for your dates, because they change every year and every season.
🗺️ Five ready-made routes
Each colour is one route: red is the classic Cyclades route, green the quiet western one, purple the family route with Paros, Naxos and the Small Cyclades, blue the Saronic Gulf and orange Rhodes with Symi. The lines show the order of the islands and are only indicative.
| Route | Days | Character | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Santorini, Naxos, Mykonos | 7 | The best-known islands, caldera, beaches, nightlife | A first trip to the Cyclades |
| 🟢 Sifnos, Milos, Folegandros | 7–8 | Quiet islands, volcanic coasts, food, footpaths | Couples, people avoiding the crowds |
| 🟣 Paros, Naxos, Small Cyclades | 7–10 | Sandy beaches, villages, short distances | Families, first-time island hoppers |
| 🔵 Aegina, Poros, Hydra | 3–4 | Nearby islands, short fast-ferry rides | A few days, people staying in Athens |
| 🟠 Rhodes and Symi | 5–7 | Medieval town, Lindos, colourful harbour | History lovers, flying to Rhodes |
🔴 The classic: Santorini, Naxos, Mykonos in 7 days
The three best-known Cyclades islands in one week. Santorini needs two nights for the caldera, Akrotiri and a calm evening. Naxos another two, for the Chora, the beaches and the mountain villages. Mykonos rounds off the trip with beaches, a stroll around the Chora and a trip to Delos. The plan works, but it isn’t relaxed: if you arrive late in Athens or leave early, drop one island. Often the best version is Santorini and Naxos, or Naxos and Mykonos.
Santorini
Arrive by ferry from Piraeus or by plane. The caldera from Fira to Oia, Akrotiri, the sunset and a quiet evening in Imerovigli or Pyrgos.
Naxos
Ferry to Naxos. The Portara and the Kastro in the Chora, swimming at Agios Prokopios and Plaka, and a day in the mountain villages, Chalki, Filoti, Apeiranthos.
Mykonos
Ferry to Mykonos. The Chora, Little Venice and the windmills, beaches, and a morning trip to Delos. Back by ferry to Rafina or Piraeus.
Oia above the caldera.
The capital on the edge of the cliff.
The Portara at the entrance to the harbour.
Apeiranthos with its marble lanes.
The windmills above the Chora.
Sunset right on the waves.
Photos: Mstyslav Chernov (CC BY-SA 3.0), Yoo Chung (CC BY-SA 2.5), Olaf Tausch (CC BY 3.0), CaS2000 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Mariordo (CC BY-SA 4.0), Julian Lupyan (CC0) · Wikimedia Commons
🟢 The quiet western route: Sifnos, Milos, Folegandros
A different, quieter rhythm. Sifnos has villages, footpaths and the most famous cuisine in the Cyclades. Milos has volcanic coasts, Sarakiniko and Kleftiko. Folegandros has a Chora on the edge of a cliff and plenty of peace. The connections exist, but not always every day or at convenient times: check the timetables before you book rooms.
Sifnos
Ferry from Piraeus. Apollonia and Kastro, footpaths between the villages, and the cooking of Sifnos, from chickpea stew to its pottery.
Milos
Sarakiniko, Klima and Plaka at sunset, and a day on a boat around the island to Kleftiko.
Folegandros
The Chora on the cliff, the Panagia church, and swimming in coves you reach on foot or by small boat. Back to Piraeus or on to Santorini.
White rocks like the moon.
Only from the sea.
The fishermen’s boathouses.
The Chora on the cliff.
Wild landscape, plenty of peace.
Photos: dronepicr (CC BY 2.0), Zde (CC BY-SA 4.0), Etienne O. Dallaire (CC BY 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🟣 The family route: Paros, Naxos and the Small Cyclades
Paros and Naxos face each other, with many ferries a day and a short crossing. They have long sandy beaches, shallow water, villages and distances that don’t tire children. From Paros it is easy to reach Antiparos, and if you have ten days, the local ferry from Naxos takes you to the Koufonisia and Amorgos.
Paros
Ferry from Piraeus. Parikia, Naousa, Lefkes, Kolymbithres, and a day on Antiparos with the small ferry from Pounta.
Naxos
A short ferry ride. Beaches for children, the Chora, mountain villages and the kouros at Apollonas.
Koufonisia and Amorgos
For those with time: the local Small Cyclades ferry to the Koufonisia and Amorgos with Hozoviotissa. Back by ferry to Piraeus.
The little harbour with the castle.
Shallow water for children.
Ten minutes on the small ferry.
Long sandy beaches on Naxos.
Hozoviotissa in the rock.
Photos: Zde (CC BY-SA 4.0), Demetria pl (CC BY-SA 4.0), SNappa2006 (CC BY 2.0), Jules Verne Times Two (CC BY-SA 4.0), Apenauta (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
🔵 The Saronic Gulf: Aegina, Poros, Hydra in 3–4 days
The easiest route if you only have a few days. Ferries to the Saronic Gulf leave from Piraeus and stop at one island after another, so you go from Aegina to Poros and Hydra without returning to Athens. Find out more in our guide to the Saronic islands.
Aegina
Early fast ferry, the Temple of Aphaia, Agios Nektarios and lunch in Perdika.
Poros
The same ferry continues south. The town, the clock tower and beaches with pine trees.
Hydra
Car-free cobbled lanes, the coastal path to Kamini, and back to Piraeus.
Temple, pistachios, fishing villages.
The clock tower above the strait.
An island without cars.
Hydra’s taxi.
Photos: Jebulon (CC0), Vlahos Vaggelis (CC BY 3.0), dronepicr (CC BY 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🟠 Rhodes and Symi: history and colour
The Dodecanese are far from Piraeus, so fly to Rhodes. Stay three or four days for the Old Town and Lindos, then take the fast ferry to Symi, one of the most beautiful harbours in the Aegean, about an hour away. Go back to Rhodes for your flight.
Rhodes
Flight from Athens. The Old Town and the Street of the Knights, Lindos and its acropolis, beaches on the east coast.
Symi
Fast ferry from Rhodes. Gialos with its neoclassical houses, the Chorio, the Monastery of Panormitis, and back to Rhodes for your flight.
The acropolis above the bay.
The Street of the Knights.
Gialos with its colourful houses.
The monastery in the southern bay.
Photos: Jebulon (CC0), Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 4.0), npinikas (CC BY 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🚢 Ferries and real connections
The routes from Athens to Santorini and Mykonos fill up first: for July and August, book early. Routes between islands are often easier, but not always daily. Some run two or three times a week. Websites such as Ferryhopper and OpenSeas show all the timetables together.
Don’t just check whether there is a ferry. Check the arrival time too. A ferry that arrives at 23:30 on a small island is not the same as one that arrives at 15:00. From Ioulianou 50, Piraeus is the simplest starting point: a 3-minute walk to Victoria and about 30 minutes on Line 1. For Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, check Rafina too. For all the practical details, see our guide to ferries from Piraeus.
A smart plan: fly to the most distant island, for example Santorini, and come back by ferry from island to island towards Athens. You save the long hours of the first leg and keep the ferries for the short hops. See also our guide to ferry or plane.
📅 When to go
Late May, June, September and early October are the best periods: plenty of routes, more reasonable prices, bearable heat, and in September a warm sea. July and August are crowded, rooms are expensive and the meltemi blows. From November to April routes thin out, many places to stay close, and island hopping becomes hard.
🎒 Packing for many ports
- A backpack or a small soft suitcase. Ports and villages have steps, slopes and cobblestones.
- A light jacket for the ferry’s air conditioning and windy evenings.
- A power bank for tickets, maps and photos.
- A hat, sunscreen and water shoes for pebble beaches.
- Some cash. On small islands, ATMs are not always close by.
- A water bottle. Tap water in the Cyclades is often not good to drink.
🏖️ Choose islands to suit your pace
- Nightlife: Mykonos, Ios, and Naousa on Paros.
- Families: Naxos and Paros, with sandy beaches and short distances.
- Peace and quiet: Sifnos, Serifos, Folegandros, Amorgos, Kythnos.
- Walking: Andros, Tinos, Sifnos, Amorgos.
- Volcanic landscapes: Milos and Santorini.
- Away from the crowds: Anafi, Kimolos, Donousa, for those with time.
⚠️ The mistakes that ruin the trip
- Five islands in 7 days. It looks rich on paper. In practice it becomes check-in, check-out, ferry, fatigue.
- Tight connections. If one ferry is late, the next one doesn’t wait.
- Islands that look close on the map but have no convenient ferry between them.
- The distant island at the end, the day before an international flight. Get back to Athens a day earlier.
- Everything booked with no margin. A free night at the end is worth more than one more island.
🌬️ If your ferry is cancelled
In strong wind, a sailing can be cancelled. First talk to the company or the agency you booked with about moving to the next ferry or getting a refund. Then check whether another company sails the same or the next day. Let your next place to stay know you will be late. Keep a little money aside for an unexpected night: travel insurance helps when a delay brings costs.
Leave one night at the end of your trip unbooked, or with free cancellation. If all goes well, you spend it on an island or in Athens. If a ferry is cancelled, it saves the whole plan.
💰 Budget
The cost varies a lot with the island, the month and how you travel. With simple rooms, conventional ferries and tavernas it stays low. With small hotels, fast ferries and pricier food it goes up quickly. Mykonos and Santorini push the bill up, while Naxos, Paros and the quieter islands keep it lower. The cheapest plan is not always the one with the cheapest tickets: if a bad connection costs you half a day or an expensive last-minute room, the cheap ferry didn’t turn out cheap after all.
Frequently asked questions
How many islands fit into 10 days?
Three or four. Five only if you know exactly what you are doing and accept losing time on the move.
Which month is best?
June and September, into early October. Warm weather, fewer people and more reasonable prices.
Can I buy tickets at the port?
Outside July and August, usually yes. In peak season, especially on popular routes, book in advance.
The Cyclades and Crete on the same trip?
Yes, Santorini is connected to Heraklion by ferry in summer. That makes a lovely route, for example Naxos, Santorini, Crete, and then you fly back from Crete.
Do I need a car?
Usually not. Most islands have buses, taxis and day rentals. A car on the ferry costs money and limits your flexibility.
— Kathy
