The trip, in order
Follow the route day by day. Times and prices can change, so check official information before you travel.
Oia and Akrotiri
Santorini
- 1
Oia
Cliff-edge Santorini village of whitewashed houses, blue-domed churches and caldera views. Oia grew as a prosperous maritime settlement in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with captains' houses and cave dwellings built into the volcanic cliffs. The 1956 earthquake caused major damage, followed by restoration and tourism growth. The visit is strongest when you focus on caldera viewpoints, cave houses and churches and sunset streets.
- Duration
- 180 minutes suggested
- Price
- Mostly free public access; particular museums, organised activities, parking or managed areas may charge.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
- 2
Akrotiri Archaeological Site
Bronze Age town preserved beneath volcanic ash on Santorini, with streets, multi-storey buildings and traces of wall paintings. Akrotiri flourished during the Aegean Bronze Age until the great volcanic eruption in the second millennium BCE buried the settlement in ash. Excavations begun in the twentieth century revealed a sophisticated urban community and exceptionally preserved architecture. The visit is strongest when you focus on covered excavation streets, multi-storey buildings and minoan-influenced urban remains.
- Duration
- 120 minutes suggested
- Price
- Admission is normally charged for the principal visitor area; check the current official rate.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Ancient Thera
Santorini
- 1
Ancient Thera
Ancient city stretched along a high ridge above Kamari and Perissa, with Hellenistic and Roman remains. The settlement was founded in the Archaic period and developed under Hellenistic and Roman rule. Its mountaintop position controlled eastern Santorini, while public buildings, sanctuaries, houses and a theatre survive along the ridge. The visit is strongest when you focus on ridge-top ruins, ancient theatre and views over santorini's east coast.
- Duration
- 120 minutes suggested
- Price
- Admission is normally charged for the principal visitor area; check the current official rate.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Portara and Chora
Naxos
- 1
Portara of Naxos
Monumental marble doorway of an unfinished Archaic temple standing on the islet of Palatia beside Naxos Town. Construction of the huge temple began in the sixth century BCE under the tyrant Lygdamis but was never completed. The surviving doorway became the defining monument of Naxos harbour and preserves the scale of the abandoned project. The visit is strongest when you focus on marble gateway, sunset views and harbour and chora panorama.
- Duration
- 60 minutes suggested
- Price
- Mostly free public access; particular museums, organised activities, parking or managed areas may charge.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Temple of Demeter
Naxos
- 1
Temple of Demeter at Sangri
Restored sixth-century BCE marble sanctuary in the fertile interior of Naxos. The temple was built around the middle of the sixth century BCE using fine local marble and was associated with agricultural deities, especially Demeter. Later Christian reuse altered the site before modern excavation and partial reconstruction. The visit is strongest when you focus on archaic marble architecture, rural naxos setting and small site museum.
- Duration
- 90 minutes suggested
- Price
- Admission is normally charged for the principal visitor area; check the current official rate.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Parikia and Ekatontapiliani
Paros
- 1
Parikia and Panagia Ekatontapiliani
Paros's port capital, combining Cycladic lanes with one of Greece's most important early Christian church complexes. Parikia grew around an ancient and medieval harbour settlement. The church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani preserves early Christian and Byzantine phases traditionally linked to the age of Constantine, while Venetian and Cycladic elements shape the surrounding town. The visit is strongest when you focus on ekatontapiliani church complex, old market lane and frankish castle remains.
- Duration
- 180 minutes suggested
- Price
- Mostly free public access; particular museums, organised activities, parking or managed areas may charge.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Chora and Windmills
Mykonos
- 1
Mykonos Chora and Windmills
Whitewashed Cycladic town of lanes, waterfront quarters, chapels and iconic windmills. Mykonos Town developed as a compact Aegean port and trading settlement. Its windmills processed grain carried by maritime traffic, while the maze-like street pattern and whitewashed architecture reflect Cycladic building traditions adapted to wind and sun. The visit is strongest when you focus on kato mili windmills, little venice and matogianni lanes.
- Duration
- 180 minutes suggested
- Price
- Mostly free public access; particular museums, organised activities, parking or managed areas may charge.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Delos Day Trip
Mykonos
- 1
Delos
Sacred Cycladic island covered by the remains of a major sanctuary of Apollo and a once-thriving Hellenistic trading town. Delos was revered in Greek mythology as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis and became a Pan-Hellenic sanctuary. In the Hellenistic period it developed into a major commercial port before attacks in the first century BCE led to decline. The visit is strongest when you focus on terrace of the lions, sanctuary of apollo and house of dionysus mosaics.
- Duration
- 240 minutes suggested
- Price
- Admission is normally charged for the principal visitor area; check the current official rate.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.