Delos: Visiting the Sacred Island from Mykonos Greece
Delos is the one place a Mykonos visitor pays to enter, and almost nothing about it is included in the boat fare that takes you there. This page settles the four things that decide the day: what the ticket costs, when the boats run, how long you actually get ashore, and whether you need a guide. Three cruises tie up at the site and three sail past it, so a Delos tour from Mykonos is worth checking against its own inclusions before you book.
Delos in one paragraph
A low, dry island about an hour's sail west of Mykonos, and in antiquity the religious centre of the Cyclades. What survives is not one monument but a whole town at ankle height: house floors with their mosaics still in them, a theatre cut into the slope, an avenue of lions, a market square. Nobody lives there. Nobody is allowed to stay overnight. It is an archaeological site with a boat service, and that combination is what makes the timetable matter more than the opening hours.
The €20 ticket, and why your cruise fare does not include it
| What | Price | Covers | Bought |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site and museum ticket | €20 per person | The Archaeological Site of Delos and the Archaeological Museum together | On the island, on arrival |
| Licensed guide | €45 per person on one cruise listing | About 90 minutes with a licensed English-speaking guide | Pre-booked and paid before the day |
| 3D self-guided app | Sold as an option on one cruise | A web app in nine languages, walked at your own pace | With the cruise booking |
| Any cruise fare in this list | — | Not the site ticket | — |
The Greek Ministry of Culture sets that price, not any tour operator, so it is the same whichever boat you arrive on. Not one cruise in this list includes it, and two say so in writing in their own exclusions. A third adds that the crew will return to Delos to collect anyone who went ashore, which is the clearest signal that going ashore is a separate decision from booking the cruise. Take cash or a card and budget it apart from the fare.
The scheduled boat from the Old Port, 2026
| Sailing | Leaves Mykonos Old Port | Leaves Delos | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 10:00 | 13:30 | Daily, 1 April to 30 November |
| Midday | 11:30 | 15:00 | Tuesday to Sunday only, 1 April to 30 November |
| Afternoon | 17:00 | 18:00 to 20:00, moving with the season | Daily, 2 May to 26 October |
These are the licensed scheduled sailings, and they leave from the Old Port beside the Chora, not from the New Port at Tourlos. If your ship berthed at Tourlos, allow twelve minutes and €2 for the Sea Bus before you even start — the map and ports page covers that crossing.
Monday is different
There is no midday sailing on a Monday. The 11:30 out and 15:00 back run Tuesday to Sunday only, which leaves a Monday visitor with the 10:00 morning boat or the 17:00 afternoon one. It is a small fact that reshapes a day, and it is the kind of thing that is easier to plan around than to discover at the ticket window. If Monday is your only free day, take the 10:00 and treat the afternoon as Mykonos.
Guided, audio-guided or on your own
Three ways to see the site, and the honest ranking depends on what you want from it rather than on what costs most.
1 · On your own, with the €20 ticket
The site is open, walkable and signed. A traveller on one of these very cruises says outright that the guided option is not necessary if you like exploring at your own pace. Cheapest, and the most flexible.
2 · A licensed guide, about 90 minutes
Sold as an option on two of the cruises, at €45 per person on one of them and included in the fare structure on the other. A reviewer who took it called it excellent for adults and dry for children, which is a fair description of a guided archaeology walk.
3 · The 3D web app, nine languages
One operator offers a self-guided 3D app instead of a live guide. It suits anyone who wants the explanation without the group pace, and it is the only non-English option here beyond the guided cruises.
How long you actually get ashore
| How you go | Time ashore | Ticket | Also gets you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled boat, 10:00 | About 3 hours 30 minutes | €20, on the island | Nothing else — you come straight back |
| Scheduled boat, 11:30 (Tue–Sun) | About 3 hours 30 minutes | €20 | Nothing else |
| Mykonos Greece Sail Cruise to Delos and Rhenia | 1 hour 30 minutes | €20, plus €45 if you add a guide | 2 hours 30 minutes swimming at Rhenia, and a BBQ lunch |
| Mykonos Sail Cruise to Rhenia with a Guided Tour of Delos, Lunch and Drinks | 1 hour 30 minutes | €20; the guide is an option in the fare | 2 hours at Rhenia, a meal and an open bar |
| Mykonos Delos Rhenia Daily Cruise with BBQ, Drinks & Transfer | 1 hour 30 minutes, and going ashore is optional | €20 | 1 hour 30 minutes at Rhenia, transfer, BBQ and drinks |
Ninety minutes is enough for the main avenue, the terrace of the lions, the theatre quarter and the museum at a brisk pace. Three and a half hours is enough to slow down. Reviewers on the cruises consistently say they would have taken more time, which is the trade you make for a swim stop and a lunch on the same day.
Nobody stays the night
There is no accommodation on Delos, no restaurant beyond a small cafe, and no service after the scheduled returns. The last boat is the last boat. There is also almost no shade: the site is open ground, and in July and August the sun is up for twelve hours. Take water, a hat and shoes with a sole — the paths are uneven ancient stone.
The cruises that land, and the cruises that pass by
This is the distinction worth checking before you book anything. Three of the boats here tie up and let you ashore. Three sail past the island without stopping and say so in their own inclusions. Both are legitimate days out; they are just not the same day out.
| Cruise | Delos | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mykonos Greece Sail Cruise to Delos and Rhenia | Lands, about 90 minutes ashore | From $147 | Check dates |
| Mykonos Delos Rhenia Daily Cruise with BBQ, Drinks & Transfer | Lands, about 90 minutes ashore | From $171 | Check dates |
| Mykonos Sail Cruise to Rhenia with a Guided Tour of Delos, Lunch and Drinks | Lands, about 90 minutes ashore | From $125 | Check dates |
| Mykonos Greece Catamaran Cruise: Day or Sunset, with Meals and Transfers | Sails past without stopping | From $130 | Check dates |
| Mykonos Sailing Tour to Rhenia, with Free Transfers | Sails past without stopping | From $112 | Check dates |
| Mykonos: Brand-New Catamaran Cruise with Meal, Drinks and Transport | Sails past without stopping | From $140 | Check dates |
Questions about visiting Delos
Is the Delos entrance fee included in a cruise?
How much is a Delos ticket?
Do all Mykonos boat tours stop at Delos?
Do I need a guide on Delos?
How long do I get on Delos?
Can I swim at Delos?
Is Delos open in winter?
For the wider island — the windmills, Little Venice, Ano Mera — see key highlights, and Mykonos Greece Tours compares every trip that sails from here.
Sources
Checked on 5 September 2026. Hours and the ticket price are the Ministry of Culture's own. The sailing timetable is the licensed operator's published 2026 schedule and it moves with the season.
Get to Delos
Three of these cruises land on the island and give you ninety minutes ashore. All of them refund in full up to 24 hours before the start time.
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