Island Day Trips From Athens

11 guides

The Saronic Gulf islands are Athens' great escape. Ferries from Piraeus reach Aegina in 40 minutes, Hydra in under two hours, and Poros and Spetses not long after. No car needed -- most of these islands either ban vehicles entirely or are small enough to walk.

For something further afield, Kea in the western Cyclades is a 50-minute catamaran from Lavrio, and Evia -- technically Greece's second-largest island -- is connected to the mainland by a bridge at Chalkida. Whether you want car-free harbours, pine-fringed beaches, or a quick swim and seafood lunch, there's an island day trip to match.

Island Day Trips From Athens

Aerial view of Hydra harbour with stone mansions and moored boats, Saronic Gulf Islands

Hydra Island Day Trip From Athens

No cars, no motorbikes, no high-rises. Hydra is the most atmospheric island you can reach from Athens in a day, a car-fr...

65 km 90 min 5 min read
Doric columns of the Temple of Aphaia on a pine-covered hilltop, Aegina island Islands

Aegina Island Day Trip From Athens

The closest Greek island to Athens and the easiest to reach: Aegina is a 40-minute ferry ride from Piraeus, with a 2,500...

27 km 5 min read
Aerial view of Hydra harbour, a stop on the Saronic Islands day cruise Islands

Saronic Islands Cruise From Athens: Hydra, Poros, and Aegina in One Day

Three Greek islands in a single day: the Saronic Islands cruise is one of the most popular day trips from Athens. You bo...

5 min read
Poros town waterfront seen from the sea with white and terracotta-roofed buildings rising to the clock tower, yachts in the harbour and mountains beyond Islands

Poros Day Trip From Athens

A small, green island separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strait just 250 metres wide. Poros is one of the easies...

58 km 5 min read
Pine-fringed beach with turquoise water near Skala on Agistri island Islands

Agistri Day Trip From Athens

The least known of the Saronic islands and arguably the most beautiful for a simple beach day. Agistri is a small, pine-...

55 min 5 min read
Waterfront and harbour of Spetses island with neoclassical buildings Islands

Spetses Day Trip From Athens

The furthest Saronic island from Athens and the most refined: Spetses is where wealthy Athenians have kept summer homes ...

6 min read
The Strait of Salamis where the Greek fleet defeated Persia in 480 BC Islands

Salamis Island Day Trip From Athens

The closest island to Athens and one of the most historically significant places in the Western world, yet almost no tou...

7 min read
Ioulida hillside village seen from Korissia port, Kea island, Cyclades Islands

Kea Island Day Trip From Athens: The Un-Touristy Cyclades

Kea is the closest Cycladic island to Athens, just one hour by ferry from Lavrio port, and almost nobody outside Greece ...

8 min read
A quiet palm-fringed beach on the Evia coast, looking across the strait towards distant hills Islands

Evia and Eretria Day Trip From Athens

Greece's second-largest island is right next to Athens: barely an hour's drive to the bridge at Chalkida, or a quick fer...

8 min read
A Blue Star Ferries ship docked at the new port at Tourlos on Mykonos, with the marina and town beyond Islands

Athens to Mykonos: Ferry Times, Prices & Which Port (2026)

The ferry from Athens to Mykonos takes as little as 1 hour 50 minutes on the fastest high-speed catamaran and up to arou...

9 min read
A Blue Star ferry docked at Santorini's Athinios port, with the switchback cliff road above and Thirasia island across the water Islands

Athens to Santorini: Ferry and Flight Guide

Santorini sits roughly 200 km southeast of Athens across the Aegean Sea. Up to ten ferries make the crossing daily in su...

14 min read

Browse our complete guide to the best day trips from Athens.