How to Visit Mykonos Greece: Ports, Ferries, Tours and Everything You Need to Know
The short answer
Land at one of two ports 2.5 km apart, cross between them on the €2 Sea Bus, and remember that the island itself charges no admission. The one ticket you will pay for is Delos, at €20, and no cruise fare includes it.
The one fact that decides your first hour
Mykonos has two passenger ports, they are 2.5 km apart, and which one you land at is not always your choice. The New Port at Tourlos takes cruise ships and almost every ferry. The Old Port sits at the edge of the Chora, and it is where every scheduled boat to Delos leaves from. Between them runs a road with no proper pavement, which is why walking it is a worse idea than the map suggests.
The answer is the Sea Bus: €2 per person, about twelve minutes, every thirty minutes and every fifteen when a cruise ship is in, running 1 April to 31 October. It leaves the cruise dock and the Tourlos marina and lands beside the Town Hall. A taxi does it in five minutes for around €10, when you can find one. The map and ports page lays out both ends.
Getting to the island in the first place
| Arriving by | Lands at | To Mykonos Town | First move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | Mykonos Airport (JMK) | About 4 km | Taxi, bus, or a transfer booked ahead |
| Ferry from Piraeus or Rafina | New Port, Tourlos | About 2.5 km | Sea Bus or KTEL bus |
| Cruise ship | Tourlos, or the Old Port | 2.5 km, or nothing | Sea Bus, or walk |
Flights land about four kilometres south of town, closer to Ornos and Platis Gialos than to the Chora. Ferries come in at Tourlos. If you are on a cruise, the port is decided close to the day, and it is worth reading the shore excursions page before you sail rather than at the pier.
What a day here actually costs
Almost nothing on Mykonos charges admission. The Chora, the windmills, Little Venice and the church of Panagia Paraportiani are all free to walk up to. What costs money is moving and eating, and one ticket that is not on Mykonos at all.
- Free: the Chora, Little Venice, the Kato Mili windmills, Paraportiani, every public beach
- €2: the Panagia Tourliani monastery at Ano Mera, and the Sea Bus crossing
- A few euros: a KTEL bus ride to the southern beaches
- €20: the Archaeological Site and Museum of Delos — not included in any cruise fare here
- From $44 upwards: a guided tour or a boat day
Getting around once you are here
The Chora is closed to traffic and crosses on foot in twenty minutes. The KTEL buses run from Fabrika station to Ornos, Platis Gialos, Paradise and Agios Ioannis, and from the Old Port station to Ano Mera, Elia and Kalafatis. That is the south covered, cheaply.
What the buses do not do is the north. Armenistis Lighthouse, Fokos, Ftelia and Agios Sostis have no service at all, which is the single clearest reason a guided circuit exists on an island this small. Visitor information has the full fare table.
Where the tours actually meet
Seven different places, and this catches people out more than anything except the ports. Boats leave from Tourlos, from the Old Port, and from jetties at Ornos, Platis Gialos, Paraga and Agios Ioannis Diakoftis. Land tours meet at Fabrika bus station, at the Manto Mavrogenous statue in the middle of the Chora, or at the cruise terminal gate. Five of the tours in this list collect you from your hotel or your ship instead, which removes the question.
Delos, and why it needs its own plan
The one ticketed thing a Mykonos visitor is likely to do is on a different island. Delos opens 08:00 to 20:00 from 1 April to 31 October, 08:00 to 16:00 through November, and closes from 1 December. The site and museum share one €20 ticket. The licensed boats leave the Old Port at 10:00 daily, plus 11:30 Tuesday to Sunday and 17:00 in high season — and there is no midday sailing on a Monday.
Three of the cruises here tie up and put you ashore for ninety minutes; three sail past without stopping. That distinction is worth thirty seconds of checking before you book, and it is set out on the Delos page. Either way the swimming happens next door at Rhenia, which is uninhabited and has the better water.
The wind, and what to do about it
Between June and September the meltemi blows from the north at force five to seven, hardest in July and August. It will not ruin your holiday, but it may move your boat: three of these operators carry a written clause allowing the captain to re-route to the sheltered south coast. Book the boat day for a morning, because the wind builds through the day and eases overnight. Everything here refunds at 24 hours, so a forecast that turns is not a fare you lose. The weather page has the month-by-month numbers.
How long to stay
| You have | What fits | What to book |
|---|---|---|
| 4-8 hours off a ship | The Chora and either a beach or the north by vehicle | A shore excursion, before you sail |
| Two nights | The Chora, one beach, one boat day | The boat day, three to five days ahead |
| Three or four nights | All of that plus Delos and Ano Mera properly | The boat day and the Delos crossing |
| A week | Everything, with slack for the wind | Nothing urgently |
Two nights is the shape most people should aim for. Things to do sets out nine options with the hours each one needs.
What to book before you arrive, and what not to
Book: any boat day between June and September, because the cruises cap between twelve and twenty-five guests. Book: anything on a day when a cruise ship is in, because the island's supply of small vehicles is finite. Do not bother booking: the buses, the Chora, or the Delos boat, which sells at the Old Port on the morning. The FAQs cover the rest.
Every trip named here is compared on price, hours and what the fare covers at Mykonos Greece Tours.
Frequently asked questions
Which port will my cruise ship use?
Can I walk from the New Port into town?
Do I need a car on Mykonos?
How much do Mykonos Greece tours cost?
Is the Delos entrance fee included in a cruise?
Tours that fit a first visit
Mykonos Greece Small-Group Tour for Cruise Passengers, with Port Pickup
Four hours ashore with pickup at either port and a written guarantee that you are back before all-aboard.
From $124 per person
Check Availability
Small-Group Half-Day Tour in Mykonos
Hotel pickup, twelve travellers and the monastery entry paid, on the circuit the buses cannot do.
From $129 per person
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Half-Day Highlights of Mykonos Tour
The lowest-priced guided circuit here, meeting at the cruise terminal gate at the New Port.
From $58 per person
Check AvailabilityGet the port right and the rest of Mykonos is easy. When you are ready to choose a trip, every one of them refunds in full up to 24 hours before it starts.