🏝️ Island hopping

Greek island hopping: 16 routes that work

Sixteen island-hopping routes built around how the ferries actually run — which islands connect well, how long the crossings take, the months that suit each route and the catch on every one. Crossing times are typical ranges checked in September 2026; confirm your sailings with the operator.

Four rules before you pick a route

1.Stay at least two nights per island — a one-night stop is mostly packing, port and ferry.
2.Stick to one island group. Crossing between groups often means going back through Piraeus.
3.In July and August the meltemi can cancel boats in the Cyclades: keep a buffer day before any flight home.
4.Fly in and out of different airports where you can, so you never have to retrace a route.

Α · Cyclades

10–14 days

The classic Cyclades

The route most first-timers want, and for good reason: Mykonos for the town and the nights, Paros and Naxos for beaches, villages and food at saner prices, Santorini to finish on the caldera. The ferries between them are frequent in season.

Acropolis of Athens Athens & the Riviera Windmills of Mykonos Mykonos Golden Beach of Paros Paros Agios Prokopios Beach Naxos Castle of Oia Santorini

The legs

Piraeus / Rafina → MykonosFerry · 2h40 – 5h50
Mykonos → ParosFerry · times vary — check the operatorCheck which days run direct.
Paros → NaxosFerry · 25 – 50 min
Naxos → SantoriniFerry · 1h05 – 2h45
Santorini → PiraeusFerry · 5h – 11h+Or fly home from Santorini (JTR).

Best months: Late May–June, September–early October
Suits: First visits, couples, friends; anyone who wants variety over depth.
The catch: July and August bring the meltemi to exactly this route, plus the highest prices and the biggest crowds (Mykonos and Santorini also receive cruise ships). Two nights per island is the minimum; drop one island rather than rush.

Build this in the planner →The planner takes up to three stops.

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Β · Cyclades

8–12 days

The western Cyclades

Volcanic coves and boat days on Milos, the best food of the Cyclades and hilltop villages on Sifnos, then the cliff-top Chora of Folegandros. Quieter, more walkable, less showy than the classic route.

Paralia Firopotamos Milos Kamares Beach Sifnos Katergo Beach Folegandros

The legs

Piraeus → MilosFerry · 2h30 – 7h30
Milos → SifnosFerry · times vary — check the operator
Sifnos → FolegandrosFerry · times vary — check the operator
Folegandros → PiraeusFerry · 3h45 – 9h40

Best months: June, September
Suits: Couples, walkers, food lovers, second-time visitors.
The catch: Fewer sailings than the central Cyclades, so the inter-island legs may not run daily — build the order around the timetable, not the other way round. Kleftiko on Milos is boat-only and wind-dependent. Sifnos fills with Greek visitors in August.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Γ · Ionian

10–14 days

The Ionian by car

The road-trip islands. Drive onto Lefkada over its causeway, take the small ferry from Vasiliki to Fiskardo on Kefalonia, add two unhurried nights on Ithaca across the strait, then continue south to Zakynthos. Big beaches, green mountains and your own car throughout.

Porto Katsiki Lefkada Myrtos Beach Kefalonia Ithaca Ithaca Navagio Zakynthos

The legs

Mainland → LefkadaDrive · times vary — check the operatorJoined to the mainland — no ferry needed.
Vasiliki (Lefkada) → Fiskardo (Kefalonia)Ferry · ~1h (April–October)
Sami (Kefalonia) → Ithaca (Pisaetos)Ferry · times vary — check the operatorShort, carries cars, and the easiest island to add to this route — Ithaca has no airport and almost everything on it closes in winter.
Kefalonia → ZakynthosFerry · times vary — check the operatorSeasonal and infrequent; the reliable alternative is back via Kyllini on the mainland.
Zakynthos → KylliniFerry · ~1h15

Best months: June–September
Suits: Families and Romanians driving down; anyone who wants beaches and freedom over nightlife.
The catch: Beach closures matter here: Navagio on Zakynthos is closed to landing until 31 October 2026 (view it from the clifftop), Egremni on Lefkada is reported closed by land (boat access only), and Myrtos on Kefalonia had a landslide in July 2026 — keep away from the cliff base. Book car spaces on the Vasiliki–Fiskardo boat early.

Build this in the planner →The planner takes up to three stops.

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Δ · Dodecanese

8–12 days

Rhodes, Symi and Kos

A medieval walled city and Lindos on Rhodes, the painted harbour of Symi, then Kos for ancient sites and easy beaches. Both big islands have international airports, so you can fly into one and out of the other.

Tsambika Beach Rhodes Saint George Bay Symi Magic Beach Kos

The legs

Rhodes → SymiFerry · 45 min – 1h30
Symi → KosFerry · times vary — check the operatorDodekanisos Seaways links the islands; not every day.

Best months: May–June, September–October
Suits: History lovers, couples, families; a good late-season choice — the south-east stays warm.
The catch: Symi fills with day-trippers from Rhodes at midday; stay overnight to see it empty. Small-island VAT is lower on Kos and Symi, but not on Rhodes.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Ε · Saronic

5–8 days

The Saronic islands from Athens

The short-hop option: no flights, no long crossings. Aegina for its temple and pistachios, car-free Hydra for its stone harbour, Spetses for mansions and pine-backed coves.

Moni Aegina Beach Aegina Bisti Beach Hydra Paralia Agii Anargiri Spetses

The legs

Piraeus → AeginaFerry · 40 min – 1h25
Aegina → HydraFerry · times vary — check the operatorDirect boats are limited — you may need to go via Piraeus.
Hydra → SpetsesFerry · times vary — check the operator
Spetses → PiraeusFerry · 1h30 – 4h

Best months: April–June, September–October
Suits: A short break from Athens, couples, travellers without a car.
The catch: Athenians fill these islands at weekends — go midweek if you can. Hydra has no cars and plenty of steps: pack light. Beaches are pleasant rather than spectacular.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

ΣΤ · Sporades

6–10 days

Skiathos and Skopelos

Pine forest down to the sand. Skiathos has the airport and the famous beaches; Skopelos is greener, calmer and home to the clifftop chapel from Mamma Mia!

Koukounaries Beach Skiathos Panormos Beach Skopelos

The legs

Volos → SkiathosFerry · 1h15 – 2h45Or fly to Skiathos (JSI).
Skiathos → SkopelosFerry · times vary — check the operatorA short hop in season.
Skopelos → VolosFerry · ~2h – 3h30

Best months: June–September
Suits: Families, beach lovers, drivers from Romania (Volos is on the mainland road network).
The catch: Skopelos has no airport. Skiathos beaches are busy in August. Outside June–September sailings thin out considerably.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Ζ · Crete & Cyclades

10–14 days

Crete and Santorini

Greece's biggest island paired with its most photographed one. A week or more on Crete — Knossos, Chania's Venetian harbour, the gorges and the lagoon beaches of the west — then a few nights on the Santorini caldera.

Balos Beach Crete Castle of Oia Santorini

The legs

Athens → CreteFlight · times vary — check the operatorOr the overnight ferry Piraeus–Heraklion (7h50 fast – ~9h); many fly direct to Heraklion or Chania.
Heraklion → SantoriniFerry · times vary — check the operatorHigh-speed boats in season; check the operator.
Santorini → HomeFlight · times vary — check the operatorSantorini (JTR) has international flights in summer.

Best months: May–June, September–October
Suits: Travellers who want one big island to explore and one iconic finale; families (Crete) and couples (Santorini).
The catch: Crete is huge: drives are long, so base yourself in two places rather than one. The Heraklion–Santorini crossing is on fast, wind-sensitive boats — keep a spare day before the flight home.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Η · Ionian

7–10 days

Corfu and Paxos

Corfu's Venetian old town and green north coast, then tiny Paxos for olive groves, three harbour villages and a boat to the turquoise water of Antipaxos.

Issos Beach Corfu Paralia Voutoumi Paxos

The legs

Igoumenitsa → CorfuFerry · 1h10 – 1h30Or fly direct to Corfu (CFU).
Corfu → PaxosFerry · 45 min – 1h20
Paxos → Corfu / IgoumenitsaFerry · times vary — check the operatorIgoumenitsa–Paxos is about 1h35.

Best months: May–October
Suits: Couples, families, drivers from Romania via Igoumenitsa.
The catch: Corfu's old town is crowded on cruise-ship days. Paxos is small and books up in August; there is no scheduled ferry from Sivota, only excursions.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Θ · Attica, Peloponnese & Saronic

7–10 days

Athens, Nafplio and Hydra

History first, island last. The Acropolis and Athens, then Nafplio — the most elegant small town on the mainland and a base for Mycenae and Epidaurus — and finally car-free Hydra.

Acropolis of Athens Athens & the Riviera Ancient Theatre at the Asklepieion of Epidaurus Nafplio & the Peloponnese Bisti Beach Hydra

The legs

Athens → NafplioDrive · around 2h by road
Nafplio → Athens / PiraeusDrive · times vary — check the operatorReturn the car before the island — Hydra has no cars.
Piraeus → HydraFerry · 1h05 – 2h
Hydra → PiraeusFerry · 1h05 – 2h

Best months: April–June, September–October
Suits: First-timers who want the classics, spring and autumn travellers, culture over beaches.
The catch: Summer heat is serious at the ancient sites — go early, and note the Acropolis can close at midday on extreme-heat days. Major sites now cost €20 each and the Acropolis €30.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

Ι · Cyclades

7–10 days

Naxos, Amorgos and the small Cyclades

One sandy island and one vertical one, on the same eastern line out of Piraeus. Naxos gives you the shallow beaches, the mountain villages and the food; Amorgos gives you a monastery stuck to a cliff, the best-kept donkey paths in the Cyclades and water you swim in off rocks. The boats that run between them also call at the small Cyclades — Koufonisia, Schinoussa, Iraklia — which we do not cover yet but which sit on exactly this line.

Agios Prokopios Beach Naxos Amorgos Amorgos

The legs

Piraeus → NaxosFerry · 3h15 – 7h
Naxos → AmorgosFerry · times vary — check the operatorVia the small Cyclades on the slow boat; not every day.
Amorgos → PiraeusFerry · 5h (fast) – 9–10hThere are also links to Santorini, if you would rather fly home from JTR.

Best months: June, September, early October
Suits: Walkers, divers, couples, and anyone who wants one easy island and one demanding one in the same week.
The catch: Amorgos has no airport and the crossing back can be ten hours, so keep a buffer day before a flight. Its beaches are small and pebbly — if sand is the point of the holiday, give Naxos the extra nights. Rooms on Amorgos sell out months ahead for August.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

ΙΑ · Dodecanese & Crete

10–14 days

Rhodes, Karpathos and Crete

Karpathos sits in the open sea halfway between Rhodes and Crete, and the long Piraeus line that serves it calls at both. Rhodes for the walled medieval town, Karpathos for Apella, the wind at Afiartis and the ridge village of Olympos, Crete to finish with gorges, Minoan palaces and the best food of any island.

Tsambika Beach Rhodes Karpathos Karpathos Balos Beach Crete

The legs

Rhodes → KarpathosFerry · times vary — check the operatorA few sailings a week on the Piraeus–Rhodes line; there are also flights from Rhodes.
Karpathos → Crete (Sitia / Heraklion)Ferry · times vary — check the operatorThe same line, westbound — check which day it runs.
Crete → PiraeusFerry · 7h50 (fast) – ~9h overnightOr fly home from Heraklion (HER) or Chania (CHQ).

Best months: June, September
Suits: Travellers with two weeks who want one island nobody they know has been to.
The catch: This is the thinnest timetable of any route here: the Karpathos legs run a few times a week and the island is a long way from everywhere. Build the trip around those two sailings, or fly one of the legs. The summer wind that makes Afiartis famous also roughens the east coast in July and August, and much of northern Karpathos closes from November to April.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

ΙΒ · North Aegean

10–14 days

The North Aegean line: Samos, Chios, Lesvos

Three big islands in a row down the Turkish coast, joined by the same North Aegean line. Samos for pine forest, walking and the UNESCO pair at Pythagoreio; Chios for the fortified mastic villages and the mosaics of Nea Moni; Lesvos for olive oil, ouzo and a petrified forest. Each has an airport, so you can fly out of a different one from the one you flew into.

Kokkari Beach Samos Mavra Volia Beach Chios Castle of Mithymna Lesvos Myrina Castle Limnos

The legs

Piraeus → SamosFerry · times vary — check the operatorAn overnight crossing; flying to Samos (SMI) saves a day.
Samos → ChiosFerry · times vary — check the operatorThe North Aegean line — not daily. Check before you fix the dates.
Chios → LesvosFerry · times vary — check the operator
Lesvos → LimnosFerry · times vary — check the operatorThe optional fourth island, further north on the same line: wheat fields, long sandy beaches and a castle with deer in it.
Limnos or Lesvos → PiraeusFerry · times vary — check the operatorOr fly home from Mytilene (MJT) or Limnos (LXS).

Best months: May–June, September–October
Suits: Second or third visits, drivers, walkers, people who travel for food and for places that are not performing.
The catch: These are big islands and the inter-island boats are far less frequent than in the Cyclades — two or three a week on some legs, so the order follows the timetable. You need a car on each one: the mastic villages, the west of Lesvos and the mountain villages of Samos are all an hour or more from the port.

Build this in the planner →The planner takes up to three stops.

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

ΙΓ · Cyclades

8–12 days

Andros, Tinos and Syros

The Cyclades most people sail straight past, on the same Rafina and Piraeus lines as Mykonos. Andros for 300 km of stone footpaths and a green interior, Tinos for marble villages and the best eating in the group, Syros for a whole nineteenth-century city that stays open all year. Rafina is half an hour from Athens airport.

Andros Andros Tinos Tinos Syros Syros

The legs

Rafina → Andros (Gavrio)Ferry · ~2hKTEL bus from the airport to Rafina, about 30 minutes.
Andros → TinosFerry · times vary — check the operatorThe same boat carries on to Tinos and Mykonos.
Tinos → SyrosFerry · times vary — check the operator
Syros → PiraeusFerry · 2h30 – 4h

Best months: Late May–June, September
Suits: Couples, walkers, food lovers, and anyone who wants the Cyclades without the Mykonos bill.
The catch: All three take the meltemi, and the north coasts of Andros and Tinos take it worst — ask which side is sheltered before you drive. Avoid 15 August on Tinos unless the pilgrimage is why you came: every bed on the island is booked.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

ΙΔ · North Aegean, Macedonia & Thessaly

10–14 days

From Romania by car: Thassos, Halkidiki, Meteora

The drive-down loop. A short car ferry to Thassos, Halkidiki's peninsulas for the beaches, then inland to the monasteries on the rocks of Meteora before heading home.

Thassos Hero Thassos Alykes Beach Halkidiki Halkidiki Meteora Meteora & Delphi

The legs

Bucharest → KeramotiDrive · around 7–8h (~560 km)Via the Makaza–Nymfaia border crossing.
Keramoti → Thassos (Limenas)Ferry · 35 – 40 min€6 adult, car €22 up to 4.25 m; tickets at the port.
Thassos → HalkidikiDrive · times vary — check the operatorFerry back, then the Egnatia motorway west (tolled).
Halkidiki → MeteoraDrive · times vary — check the operatorA long day across the mainland; break it if you can.

Best months: June, September
Suits: Romanian families and couples with their own car.
The catch: Mind the Bulgarian e-vignette (prices up 30% from 1 August 2026) and the Egnatia tolls. Meteora monasteries typically charge €5 each, in cash, with different closing days — check before you go. Thassos has its own guide at thassos.online. For a wilder second week, carry on east to Samothraki.

Build this in the planner →The planner takes up to three stops.

Partner links

Around Thassos by boatA full-day circuit of the coast with swim stops, including coves the ring road does not reach.See boat trips →

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

ΙΕ · Attica & Evia

5–8 days

Athens and Evia, no ferry needed

The second-largest Greek island, and you drive onto it. At Chalkida the water narrows to forty metres and a bridge crosses it, so Evia is about an hour and a quarter from Athens with no boat and no timetable: the ancient city of Eretria, the Dimosari gorge below Mount Ochi, the thermal springs of Edipsos and beaches Athenians keep for their own weekends.

Acropolis of Athens Athens & the Riviera Chiliadou Beach Evia

The legs

Athens → Chalkida (Evia)Drive · about 1h15 by roadOver the bridge — no ferry, no booking. Eretria is an hour and a half from the Acropolis.
Central Evia → Karystos (south)Drive · times vary — check the operatorOr shortcut by ferry from Rafina to Marmari and Karystos.
Central Evia → Loutra Edipsou (north)Drive · times vary — check the operatorAlso reachable by ferry from Arkitsa on the mainland.
Evia → AthensDrive · times vary — check the operator

Best months: April–June, September–October
Suits: Drivers, walkers, families on a short trip, and anyone adding a few unhurried days to an Athens stay.
The catch: Evia is 180 km long with a mountain down the middle: the north and the south are effectively two separate holidays, so pick one per trip. Nothing on the island works without a car. The north was badly burned in the wildfires of August 2021 and you will drive through blackened slopes above green ones.

Build this in the planner →

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

ΙΣΤ · North Aegean

8–12 days

From Romania by car: Samothraki and Thassos

The same drive as the Thassos trip, with a far stranger island bolted on. Samothraki is a 1,611 m mountain standing in the sea, reached by car ferry from Alexandroupoli: cold waterfall pools in the gorges, the sanctuary where the Winged Victory was dug up, goats everywhere and almost no sunbeds. Then cross to Thassos for the sand your family will want by then.

Pachia Ammos Samothraki Samothraki Thassos Hero Thassos

The legs

Bucharest → AlexandroupoliDrive · times vary — check the operatorVia the Makaza–Nymfaia crossing, the same road people take for Thassos.
Alexandroupoli → Samothraki (Kamariotissa)Ferry · ~2hThe boat carries cars. Check the day's sailings before you commit — some days have only one.
Samothraki → KeramotiDrive · times vary — check the operatorFerry back, then about two hours west along the coast.
Keramoti → Thassos (Limenas)Ferry · 35 – 40 min€6 adult, car €22 up to 4.25 m.

Best months: June, September
Suits: Romanian couples and families with their own car, walkers, campers, anyone who would rather swim in a river than on a sunbed.
The catch: The Samothraki ferry is cancelled in strong northerlies, so keep a spare day. The island has one real road, almost no organised beaches and a free-camping scene that fills Therma in August; its sand is on the south coast, down rough tracks. Bring shoes you do not mind soaking for the waterfall pools, and never walk the upper Fonias falls without a guide.

Build this in the planner →The planner takes up to three stops.

Partner links

We may earn a commission. It never changes your price.

All ferry routes and fares →

Before you go

Pre-booked taxiA taxi booked for a set time and price — useful for the ride back from a beach club or a late dinner, when every car on the island is already taken.Book a taxi →Meet-and-greet pickupA driver waiting with your name at the airport or the port, flight and ferry delays tracked. Costs more than a taxi rank and removes the scramble for one.Arrange a pickup →Left luggage near ports & stationsThe Greek problem nobody plans for: you check out at noon and the boat leaves at nine. Drop the bags near the port, spend the day on a beach instead of on a bench.Find a drop-off →

We may earn a commission from these. It never changes your price.

Island hopping questions

How many islands can I visit in a week?

Two, realistically three if they are close together — such as Paros and Naxos, which are 25 to 50 minutes apart. Plan at least two nights per island; more stops mostly means more time in ports.

What is the best island-hopping route for a first visit?

The classic Cyclades — Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini — has the most frequent ferries and the most variety. For a calmer, cheaper version, swap Mykonos for a longer stay on Naxos.

When is the best time for island hopping in Greece?

Late May, June and September. Ferries run full summer timetables, the sea is warm, and the meltemi wind is usually weaker than in July and August. Many small-island businesses close from November to April and ferries run winter timetables.

Can I island-hop with a car?

Yes, and in the Ionian it is the best way: Lefkada is joined to the mainland and a car ferry runs from Vasiliki to Fiskardo on Kefalonia from April to October. In the Cyclades a car is useful on big islands such as Naxos, but taking one between islands costs more and needs early booking.

Do I need to book island-hopping ferries in advance?

Book the inter-island legs once your dates are fixed if you travel in July or August, around 15 August or at Orthodox Easter, or with a car. Outside peak season, foot passengers can usually book a few days ahead.

Four rules before you pick a route

The classic Cyclades

The legs

The western Cyclades

The legs

The Ionian by car

The legs

Rhodes, Symi and Kos

The legs

The Saronic islands from Athens

The legs

Skiathos and Skopelos

The legs

Crete and Santorini

The legs

Corfu and Paxos

The legs

Athens, Nafplio and Hydra

The legs

Naxos, Amorgos and the small Cyclades

The legs

Rhodes, Karpathos and Crete

The legs

The North Aegean line: Samos, Chios, Lesvos

The legs

Andros, Tinos and Syros

The legs

From Romania by car: Thassos, Halkidiki, Meteora

The legs

Athens and Evia, no ferry needed

The legs

From Romania by car: Samothraki and Thassos

The legs

Before you go

Island hopping questions

Where the journey goes next