8 days
Athens to Santorini: Greek Island Hopping
Eight days island-hopping through the Cyclades — Athens, Syros, Mykonos and the sacred ruins of Delos, then on to the volcanic caldera of Santorini.
Greece / Ancient site
Delos
The sacred island of Delos, birthplace of Apollo, where millennia-old temples, mosaic-floored houses and the iconic Lions' Terrace stand amid near-silence.
According to ancient tradition, Delos was the birthplace of Apollo, the god of light, music and prophecy — born here to the titaness Leto alongside his twin sister Artemis. Over centuries the island evolved from a sacred pilgrimage centre into one of the Aegean's busiest ports, a cosmopolitan crossroads where merchants, travellers and worshippers from across the Mediterranean converged. Today Delos is an open-air archaeological site, its ruins spread across a low, rocky island with almost no shade and little shelter from the wind. The silence is occasionally broken by boats delivering visitors from Mykonos, twenty minutes away.
The Sacred Heart of the Island
The Terrace of the Lions stands at what was the processional entrance to the island's holiest precinct. Five marble lions face toward the sea, their bodies weathered but their poise unmistakable. The originals were removed long ago for preservation; the copies that remain give a clear sense of what once commanded this space. The Sacred Way, a column-lined avenue, led visitors from here toward the Temple of Apollo, whose foundations and remaining columns still define the island's visual centre. Nearby stand the ruins of temples dedicated to other deities, a reminder of how densely this small island was packed with sacred architecture.
The Living City
Beyond the sanctuary zone, the remains of Delos's residential and commercial districts reveal a city of considerable sophistication. The House of the Dolphins and the House of the Masks take their names from their exceptional mosaic floors — vivid depictions of dolphins, Dionysiac figures and mythological scenes rendered in tiny coloured stones. Columns and wall fragments indicate multi-storey buildings, and street patterns show the logic of a town that once hummed with trade and daily life. The stadium and gymnasium speak to athletic culture; warehouses and market foundations confirm the island's role as a trading hub.
The Archaeological Museum
Before or after exploring the site itself, the museum provides essential context. The original Lions of Delos are here, along with bronze and terracotta finds, painted pottery, and carved dedications that trace the island's religious life across centuries. Standing before the museum's finest pieces, visitors understand why this place — barely two kilometres at its widest — was once considered one of the most important in the ancient world.
On the map
Find it on the map
- Delos Ancient site
Tours that visit Delos
Good to know
Before you book you should know
-
Is this trip right for you?
Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that.
Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in.
Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month.
How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above.
-
Rooms, and travelling on your own
Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three:
- Twin share — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender.
- Travelling as a couple — one double room.
- Individual room — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book.
Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard.
-
Accommodation
The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip.
Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking.
-
Passports, visas and insurance
Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight.
Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport.
We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well.
-
Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change
Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around.
What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions.
