Delos Tour: How to See the Sacred Island With a Guide or on Your Own

Myth makes Delos the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, and for centuries the island was a sanctuary and a thriving trading port. Today it is a sweep of sun-baked stone, so someone who can explain what you are looking at goes a long way toward bringing the ancient city back to life. Most visitors come on a half-day trip from Mykonos Old Port, a 30-minute crossing, and day trips also leave from Naxos and Paros. Delos is visited as a day trip by ferry from nearby islands. 2026 prices: site entry is €20 full price and €10 reduced, and the ferry is not included.

What does a Delos tour actually include?

The standard option is the half-day guided tour from Mykonos Old Port. It bundles the round-trip boat, entry to the site and museum, a certified guide, a wireless headset system and skip-the-line access at the entrance. On a guided tour, you follow a set route past the main sights, and then you have the museum to explore on your own, with time left to wander back out among the ruins if you like.

Day trips from Naxos and Paros cover less. They include the boat to Delos, a few hours on the island and three more in Mykonos Town before the trip home, but no guide and no entry ticket. The Paros trip adds hotel transfers to the port.

Is a guided Delos tour worth it?

If Greek archaeology is new to you, yes. The skip-the-line pass helps too. Without it, the ticket queue can take 15 to 30 minutes if you are among the last off the boat. Travelers who do their homework and like to linger over photos can manage well on their own.

What other kinds of tours are there?

• Private guided tours: a licensed guide leads you or a small group, shaping the day around your interests. Some also pair Delos with a walking or food tour back in Mykonos Town.
• Local guides at the site entrance: some wait there and offer private tours on the spot. Expect to negotiate, and expect the price to land close to an organized tour unless your group is large.
• Sailing and cruise trips: boat tours from Mykonos that visit Delos and the nearby island of Rhenia, often with swimming and lunch. Good if you want ruins and a swim in the same day.

What should you check before booking?

Start with the language and the day. On the guided tours listed for Delos, English runs daily, French on Thursday and Sunday, Italian on Wednesday and Spanish on Tuesday, with a minimum of 8 participants listed for the Spanish departure. German, Portuguese and Russian tours are mostly listed as private tours. Book ahead, especially in the busy months and for the departures that usually run only on set days.

Next, check what the price covers: entry fee, skip-the-line access, guide, headsets and hotel transfer. On Mykonos, a transfer from your hotel to the port costs extra.

Then look at your time on the island. Morning departures give about three hours on the island, and afternoon ones closer to two. Schedules can also shift with the weather, so recheck times shortly before you travel.

Big ferries dock at the New Port in Tourlos, about 1.2 miles (2 km) north of town, and the SeaBus links it with Mykonos Town. Delos boats leave from the Old Port, right in town. The Delos Tours ticket desk sits on Deliana Pier, directly outside the boats, past the tile-roofed Town Hall and the small blue-domed chapel of St. Nicholas. You can buy tickets or exchange vouchers there from half an hour before departure.

How do you see Delos well on your own?

Skipping the tour is easy. Buy a return ferry ticket at the booths by the pier, from a travel agent in town or online in advance, which is a sensible move in busy summer months. The €20 entry ticket is bought separately at the site ticket office on Delos. Bring your passport if you qualify for the reduced rate. On a morning visit, a ticket with a flexible return lets you stay longer and catch a later boat back. The evening has a single return sailing. Departure times can shift a little, so it helps to be at the pier early.

A few moves make the day smoother:

• Get off the boat fast. Boats from Mykonos, Naxos and Paros arrive around the same time, and the ticket line builds quickly. Stand near the exit as you dock and save the photos for later.
• Head up Mount Kynthos first. The climb is short, and the view over the ruins and the water rewards the effort. The island has almost no shade, so do it while the morning is still cool. The Temple of Isis, with its columns and pediment still standing, sits on the way up.
• Walk the Sacred Way from the Agora of the Competaliasts, the first market square by the harbor, to the Sanctuary of Apollo, then continue to the Terrace of the Lions and the Sacred Lake.
• Explore the grand houses south of the port. The House of Dionysus has a courtyard ringed with marble columns and a large floor mosaic of the god riding a tiger.
• Finish at the museum, where the original marble lions are kept. It is air-conditioned and has a bathroom.

A free leaflet with a basic map is available at the ferry ticket office and the site ticket office. Drinks are hard to come by on the island, though water vending machines stand at the port and the museum. Bring plenty of water, a hat and sunscreen.

When is Delos open, and can you reach it year-round?

The site and museum keep the same hours:

• April through August: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
• November: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

In September and October, last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Outside these months, visits can be arranged exceptionally by written request.

Admission is free on March 6, April 18, May 18 and October 28, on the last weekend of September, and on the first Sunday of each month from November through March. The ferry fare still applies.

Delos is also closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Labour Day, and over the Christmas holidays. Boats from Mykonos sail regularly through most of the season, with a much reduced service in winter.

Wheelchair users will find wide ramps and an accessible bathroom, and assistance dogs and therapy animals are allowed with the proper documents.

Whatever the season, the boat schedule sets your time on Delos more than the site's hours do, so confirm your return sailing before you start exploring.