I think I massively underestimated how much it was going to cost us to travel to Greece. I’m not saying that you can’t do it cheap, I’m sure there are ways to do it but as you know we are not budget travelers. I work to travel, well I work to be able to afford to live but travel is a big priority for us (you know what I mean).
As for many, Greece had been at the top of my bucket list for quite some time. I mean seriously, who doesn’t love Greek food or dream of seeing those pristine white and blue buildings?
We tried to do a little bit of everything on the trip: a little bit of adventuring, relaxing, seeing the most popular spots and some that weren’t as well known.
The details
So first, I think it’s important to point out the details of our trip so you can take away from it what you will. Not every trip is going to be the same and you can adjust your schedule based on what you like or don’t like about our trip:
Total days: 9
Places visited: Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Athens
Hotel type: Mid to Higher-end
Dining out: Some fast food but mostly restaurants (no homemade meals)
Transportation: Ferry and planes
Hotel: $180 / night (avg)
I found that the prices of hotels varied widely depending on where we were and where we were staying. Santorini and Mykonos were obviously much more expensive than Naxos and Athens.
To help save money we picked more budget (but still really nice options) in Naxos and Athens which allowed us to spend a little bit more in the other destinations. The thing I quickly realized is that the Santorini is not cheap so I would recommend finding a nice option in Fira. With Mykonos, there are fewer options if you want to be walking distance to the old town but if you do your research you’ll be able to find something beautiful and relatively cheap.
Santorini: The Aressana Hotel and Spa – $350 / night
Mykonos: Dimele Rooms & Suites – $200 / night
Naxos: Korali Palace Hotel – $100 / night
Athens: Airbnb – $70 / night
Transportation: $880
I know this number seems scary but that includes our international flights and the ferries and planes to and from all of the islands in Greece. I actually had quite a good experience with the ferry’s – despite reading some awful reviews before leaving. We actually had a terrible experience with Volotea airlines and would never recommend using them if I’m being honest, but the ferries were great!
I think if you’re planning on moving around in Greece this is an important cost you need to consider. There are only so many ways to get around and the prices vary based on season and availability.
I will say we booked a business class ticket on the Blue Star Ferries from Santorini to Naxos and it was such a good decision. It wasn’t that much more expensive and the room was relatively empty and MUCH quieter. If it’s in your budget I would highly recommend it.
International roundtrip flight from Toronto: $715
Ferry from Santorini to Naxos: $50
Ferry from Naxos to Mykonos: $67
Flight from Mykonos to Athens: $42
Food: $130 / day
I know that seems really high but as I mentioned I absolutely LOVE Greek food and wanted to make sure we ate as much as possible in some really nice restaurants. Here and there we would get street Gyro (which was equally so delicious).
We are also relatively big drinkers, especially while on vacation so I can imagine a non-drinkers budget would be much less expensive than ours. I was actually surprised with the price of drinks in Mykonos, I thought there would be spots to get a cheaper glass but seeing as we love drinking with a view, our hands were a bit tied.
I would say out of all the things I’ve listed for the cost to travel to Greece, this is one of them that you can drastically lower relatively easily. We also didn’t really cook any of our own meals (which part of me wishes we had have for one or two but too late now!).
180 Degrees Sunset Bar
Expensive but if you’re looking for a sunset with a view this is the spot you want to go to
Tours and activities: $350
One thing we always try and do when we travel is to book a tour. I find it’s always the best way to really understand what you’re seeing. One of our favourite memories on the trip was our tour with Santorini Best Tours. Not only were we able to see the entire island in one day but we learned so much as well!
The tour we chose was a private guided tour (generally runs you about 110 EURO per person). We were picked up right at our hotel and had the private guide at our leisure. What I also loved about it was that he adjusted the itinerary and schedule based on our likes and wants. Plus the van was a Mercedes and air-conditioned which, honestly was needed.
The other activity we participated in on our trip was an ATV experience on the island of Naxos. It took a lot of convincing on my part to get Ben involved but because there really isn’t THAT much to do in Naxos, this was not only a way to keep us entertained on a cloudy, colder day but also a great way to see the island on our own. I loved every minute of it! Just make sure to find a vendor that looks reputable and offers insurance.
Looking for other tours in Greece?
Total cost per person: $3055
I know, that number seems a bit scary when you’re looking at it but as I’ve mentioned there are ways that you can cut down those costs. You don’t have to to the tours we did, and you can always hunt for more affordable places to stay.
See also:
How to see Santorini in one day
The best itinerary for 3 days in Santorini
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