Itinerary: 12 days In Greece On A Budget With Public Transport

Budget Airline Scoot introduced a few new destinations into it's ever expanding menu of routes last year. So a friend and I decided to take advantage of their national day promotion (which featured a 1-for-1 deal) and managed to get return tickets for just $480 each! 

Since it was a promotional flight, travel dates were limited and we eventually settled on a winter tour of the beautiful country from 27th Feb to 13th March. Approximately 12 days and 11 nights. 

If you've always wanted to explore Greece but hasn't a clue how to start, you're in for a treat! Continue reading to learn more about where we went, how we travel and how much the place cost. I'll drop as much travel tips as I can so this blog post should be pretty informational. 

Day 1: Singapore to Athens to Delphi

Our flight was 3:00am Singapore time. So both of us reached the airport around 1:00am and printed our boarding pass with one of Scoot's fuss free check-in booths. To save an extra twenty bucks or so each, we decided we would travel light and challenge Greece with just a 10 kg carry-on.

I sorta outdid myself this time with a collective weight of just 9.8kg - and that's with my winter jacket bundled in! The biggest bulk I left behind this time was my photography equipment and tech gadgets. No Mac book air, no Canon DSLR , no prime lens, no tripod, not even a point and shoot camera!

For this trip, I only brought 2 smartphones. A Note 8 which I recently acquired and an iPhone6s. On top of replacing my usual photography arsenal, they are also my communication device, GPS Maps, travel resources, hotel booking confirmation, and entertainment console. The latter being extremely important given the excruciating long flight from Singapore to Athens. 

We arrived at Athens International airport at around 11am and decided to grab a quick brunch at the modest airport. Bagel cost €4.90 each - grossly overpriced compared to the rest of Athens. My advice is to tighten your belt until you get into the city. 

Our first destination was Delphi. We took bus x93 ( exit 6, Bus bay 3) from the airport. Each trip cost €6 and can be purchased from the ticket booths beside the bus bay. No passes are allowed except Airport passes. 

How to get to Delphi from Athens International airport :

Bus from Airport to Liosion Intercity Bus Station ( Approx 45mins, €6 one way)

• Take bus x93 towards Kifisias.  ( Exit 6,  Bus bay 3)

• Alight at Liosion Intercity Bus station

• Turn away from the main road and walk a straight path down to the sorta hidden bus interchange. 

• Buy tickets from the Delphi ticket booth ( Approx 3 hrs,  €16 one way)

• Board bus to Delphi at Bus Berth 7

This is what the humble Bus Interchange looks like. Each counter has the destination it serves written in English on it so there's no fear of getting in the wrong queue! The bus ticket cost €16 each way. The approximate duration is 3 hrs. The place to board the bus is just right in front of the bus interchange. Follow the signboard on the ceiling to find the right bus bay.

Below is the bus timetable (caa Feb 2018)

The coach buses are big, spacious , clean and comfortable. There is a short stop somewhere in the first half of the journey for a toilet/ cigarette break. The pit stop is a little cafe with nice clean toilets and fairly nice views. 

The Delphi bus stop is very non-descript. It alight you just outside the bus ticket office that also functions as a restaurant.  One might even argue that dining is their primary occupation given the set up xD

We spent one day and one night in Delphi. Our accommodation of choice is the Pytthia Art Hotel. Our room though a little old, had a pretty nice view of the mountain and the sea. According to Rick Steve's guidebook, almost every hotel here will have a glorious mountain view so you don't have to sweat over your hotel choice. Click here to search for awesome accommodation deals in Delfi via Booking.com.

It was nearly evening by the time we arrived so we didn't do much except stroll around the captivating little town. We eventually settled on Taverna Vakchos for dinner. It was one of the recommended Greek restaurant in Rick Steve's guide book and it was a nice cozy little place. Placing our trust on the guidebook, we went ahead with the recommended dishes such as their kokoras kokkinisto (rooster cooked in red wine) and baked lamb with lemon sauce. However we screwed up on our dessert orders and instead of getting yogurt topped with seasonal fruits, we ordered seasonal fruits instead haha. 

Perhaps perplexed by our genuine shock when the fruits came, the kind restaurant owner waived charges for the platter of fruits. How nice is that! Dinner cost us roughly €9.10 each. 

Here are some night shots of the lovely little town. 

Day 2: Delphi & Athens

Rise and shine! Check out the sunshine on our balcony! 

Breakfast at Pytthia Art hotel is simple but fulfilling. The spread includes simple bread, cake, cereal, yoghurt, honey, cheese and cold meat slices. The selection of beverages includes juice, milk, coffee and tea (a nice array of em!). I particularly liked the super concentrated peach juice they served but they were too sweet for my friend's palate. I guess I have a sweet tooth ^^; Halfway through the meal, one of the staff came and offered us cheese omelette on the house - yum yum! What a way to make a girl (2 actually) feel special and welcomed! 

Full glass panels and fabulous natural light in the dining area made for one of the most instagram worthy food shot of the entire trip xD

We spent our only day in Delphi doing exactly what everyone else does in Delphi - visit the Sanctuary of Apollo , The Archaelogical museum (€6 combine off season ticket) and The sanctuary of Athena Pronea (free!). 

We took the last bus back to Athen and arrived in Athens after the sun set. Things got a little confusing after we arrived back at Liossion Bus station as we weren't quite sure how to get to our hostel. Eventually we found a nearby bus station and asked a local for direction. The local who happened to be going to the same Omonoia metro station gladly led the way. I'm sorry I don't remember the bus number anymore xD 

Our accommodation for the next 4 days was The Sparta Team Hotel in Menandrou. Situated right in the heart of the city, the hostel is walking distance to Monastiraki and Omonia Train station.  Having arrived after the sun went down - I'd have to admit we were a little intimidated by the crowd. We soon got used to the bustling chaos and learnt to appreciate the busy little alleys that served awesome and cheap food. 

Our first dinner in Athens was Indian food at a restaurant near the hostel. The entire meal cost both of us just €7 ! 

Day 3: Athens City Walking Tour

We walked from the hostel to Monastiraki and had our brunch at the famous Thanasis Souvlaki. We ordered a kebab set with Saganaki and salad. We also ordered a cup of authentic Greek Coffee which came in the most endearing fashion ever ;  on a tray basket hand delivered by friendly local. 

At the recommendation of a friend who had just  toured Athens, we signed ourselves up for a guided day tour of Athens through Athens Free Walking Tour.com .

Our lovely guide for the day was this pretty lady called Evangeline. We enjoyed the tour and got to learn more about Greece through the perspective of a local. The retelling of history and explanation of the significance of each Archaeological site made appreciating the ancient city much easier. 

We met up outside the National Library of Greece but since we were early, we got ourselves some coffee nearby and the staff at the beautiful cafe was incredibly sweet and friendly.  Our tour started at the Library and ended roughly around 3+pm at the Socrates Prison. 

The walking tour is free but tipping is expected. If you're looking for an inkling of how much to give, I'll let you know we went with €5 for both of us. But feel free to give however much you wish. 

After the tour ended, we bought a €30 combined ticket and made our way into the Acropolis. The ticket and entrance for the Acropolis and the Theater of Dionysos comes together so take note when you exit one to go to the other. Don't make the mistake of accidentally exiting the site before reaching the Theater of Dionysos like we did as the ticket will only grant entrance once. So sadly, neither of us stepped foot into the Theater. 

We decided to make our way to the ancient site of Kerameikos after this as according to Google, it was supposed to open till 6pm. However when we arrived at around 4:50pm, the site was already closed. So we had a quick dinner at Gyristroula restaurant just across Thissio Metro station before taking a train back to Monastiraki. Winter obviously wasn't peak season so with the exception of the Acropolis, everywhere else in the city was relatively quiet.


Gyristroula is a small and cosy Souvalki restaurant with friendly staffs and free WiFi. We ordered a simple fare of Meat Gyros with fries, sour cream and Greek beer. Our dinner costed just €9.70 for two.  

We ended the night with some light strolling around the Plaka, admiring the souvenirs, pigging out on Greek chips and huge strawberries. 

Day 4) Athen City shopping

As the previous day. We did breakfast at the nearby coffee house cum pastry shop. A cup of Nespresso with a fluff pastry puts us back by €2 each. And don't laugh at Nespressos here - the Greeks take their coffee very seriously and even if it's instant Nespressos, they make it absolutely smooth and frothy. It was a joy to glurp down even for a coffee evangelist. And the pastries here are filled to the brim with cheese, just one was enough to fill us up. 

We decided to start our day of sightseeing at Kerameikos since we missed it yesterday and guess what we saw when we got there - a strike notice. We have experienced our first taste of authentic European democracy! The only advice I can give to you is to ask the ticket staffs if there are any upcoming planned strikes during your travel period ; nobody informed us before we bought the combined tickets and frankly we weren't too excited to lose one day on our tickets. They might not know the answer but the least you could do was ask , or Google it. 

With nothing much to do, we decided to take a train back to Monastiraki and explore the sites from the outside. Left without much choice, we also moved our shopping schedule ahead and bought some souvenirs at the Plaka. We bought necklace, hairbands, Ornamental ouzo, magnets and soaps. Tonnnes of soaps. Our curiosity got the better of us and we decided to try a Salepi drink. The push cart it was sold from just oozes tradition!

After that we decided to visit the Archaelogical Museum. Entrance ticket was €5. Set aside 2 hours for the museum as it is big.

Then we decided to do Rick Steve's walking tour which we downloaded onto our phones before the trip. I highly recommend you do so too if you are visiting Athens by yourself. The podcast draws out a route of where to go, what to see and the history behind each artifact. It is also free so why not? The tour comes with a map of Athens City too.

We started our tour at the Hadrian's Arc and the Temple of Olympian Zeus , ending at Monastiraki. 

Here is where the tour covered :

1. Syntagma Square
2. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier & Evzones Guards
3. Greek Parliament
4. Walking through Syntagma Square History
5. Ermou Street
6. Church of Kapnikarea
7. Cathedral
8. Cathedral Square
9. Church of Aglos Eleftherlos
10. Agla Filotheis Street
11. Adrianou Street
12. Arch of Hadrian & Temple of Olympian Zeus
13. Lysicrates Monument & Square
14. Circling the Acropolis 
15. Anafiotika
16. Roman Forum & Tower of the Winds
17. Agora Square & Library of Hadrian
18. Monastiraki Square
19. Monastiraki Metro Station 

The city is full of cats ! At some point, we even found ourselves surrounded by some 20 cats! How adorable!

Once back at the Monastiraki square, I devoured 4 macarons (€0.80/each) from The Beneth ; a competitively priced pastry and confectionery shop right inside Monastiraki square itself. We also found another tiny Parisian crepe store that sold super affordable hot dogs (€0.90) across the Monastiraki Square and decided to sit down for one. Check out the size of that sausage!

While we were chilling around, we met a lovely local who cautioned us against having our bags freely on the table and advised we always keep them in front of us. We ended up befriending the friendly local who even went as far as to buy us some local produce as souvenirs! 

We got dinner sorted out at a Souvalki stall near our hostel which we brought back and ate at the lobby along with the strawberries and chips from yesterday. 

Day 5) Hydra Island

We checked out of Spartan hostel and had the same breakfast. Then we made our way via train to Pireas Train station. Today is the day we take a ferry to Hydra!

But as it turns out , we weren't early enough to get tickets to the ferry! The lady at the ticket counter inside the train station urged us to run as fast as we could and refused to sell us the tickets because according to her "if you don't reach the boat in time, the tickets are useless anyway ". The next ferry was 2 hours away and that was time I didn't want to waste so you bet we dashed like crazy to the pier. To make things worse, the port wasn't exactly close and were not as clearly marked as we'd like.  We actually went to 2 different ferries before finally finding the right one.

Thank goodness the crew allowed us on board even at such eleventh hour. Unfortunately for them, their supervisor didn't take these two gatecrashers too kindly and they got a scolding for letting us on board without checking our tickets  ^^; Apparently there was no way they could sell us the tickets on-board, the only way they could get us tickets was to arrange for a pair at the next stop or something. Pretty complicated. 

The ferry ticket is €28 (one way). Duration was roughly 2 hours 15 minutes. 

Online Ferry website: http://www.hellenicseaways.gr

Online reservation/ purchase Is possible but since it was the off peak season (winter), we decided to try our luck at the ticket booths. It is recommended to book your tickets in advance during the peak season (summer) as tickets can sell out quickly since many Athenians tend to venture to hydra themselves for an idyllic weekend getaway. 

On a personal note, I hate boats. When we first got on the ferry, we were told to sit in the first row and I got so sick! Thankfully one of the crew soon allowed us to move somewhere else where I fell fast asleep from exhaustion. The seats were big and comfortable and I spent the rest of the trip in a heavy slumber which worked out perfectly for me.

Found our hotel with the help of Google maps we downloaded before hand. Checked in and after a short rest,  we were on out. Our Hotel for the night was Pension Erofili. The place was simple, spacious and clean. There was even a plato on the roof top! If you're not interested in Pension Erofili , click here to check out Booking.com's top 30 recommended hotels in Hydra .

We decided to follow Rick Steve's recommendation and started walking towards the famous Vlychos beach! Without any grand itinerary in mind, we just stroll along the coastline and enjoyed the scenery along the way. The weather was mild and the skies and the sea were gloriously blue! 

Lunch was had at the only restaurant we found along the way - Kodylenias. We ordered their shrimp rice and lamb stew. The bill was €36.80 for two, complimentary water and bread included. 

We spent the rest of the day just gawking at the stunning landscape around us and snapping a lot of pictures.   

By day 5, I was already tired of pasta and bread. So I fixed myself a meal of instant noodles in coffee cups with a tin of spicy sardines. My friend just ate some bread she bought from the stores in the afternoon. Given another chance, I'd head down to one of the local Pubs/restaurant for some local cuisine and hopefully the company of some friendly locals - after all, meeting people is at the heart of free and easy travels. 

We both agreed that 1 day wasn't enough to explore and experience Hydra. Even though the idyllic island doesn't have an exciting night life to talk about, the stunning blue skies, natural landscape and friendly locals definitely deserved 2 days.

Day 6) Athens City tour & Syntagma Change of Guards

Checked out of our hotel in Hydra by 7am and dragged our baggage to the ferry. With time on our hand this time, we strolled to the ticket office that was off a little corner from the port and grabbed a pastry from the only bakery that was opened. Pastries start from €1.50 - €2.50.  It was small, cozy and affordable.

We arrived back on a Sunday and after dropping our luggage at our new accommodation, we rushed to the Syntagma Square ( very close to where our hostel check-in was) and joined the hordes of tourists waiting for the change of guards ceremony. 

Sunday, 11am is the best time to visit Syntagma Square as there is an elaborate changing of guards. The entire march last roughly 15 minutes but be there early to get the best spot. The embellished Evzones unit guards the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Hellenic Parliament and the Presidential Mansion. Everything from their pom pom shoes to their pleated skirts bears a historic meaning. Various state-run museums  (such as Acropolis) are free on the first Sunday of the month during the off-seasons (Nov - Mar). 

A side adventure happened when we were on our way to get the keys - our backpack were opened and my friend lost a pair of pairs that happened to be on top. Beware of pickpockets in Athens! 

The Monastiraki flea market is the busiest today as vendors from all walks of life peddles their craft. We met a guy who made coin pouches from recycled cassette tapes and old clothing. Every material in his pouches have been up-cycled and handcrafted.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the War museum, the Athenian Agora, the Sunday market and just Athens city. We randomly decided to try out this lovely restaurant called Melilotos. We ordered salmon with celery sauce and Lamb Stew with rice. The cheesecake was freshly made upon order and tasted incredibly light, fresh and delicious! Apparently they make it on the spot when it is ordered so please try it if you ever find yourself there.  

The meal set us back at roughly €17.20 each. 

Our hostel (Ermou Budget Guest House) for the night was awesome. Right in the middle of Syntagma Square and at just  €53 per night. 

Day 7) Four nights in Santorini

Rise and shine early the next day as we took Bus x95 back to the airport. The airport shuttle bus happened to just be around the corner of our hostel and the ticket counter is a small booth just beside the bus stop.

Unfortunately for me, I had to buy a second ticket because my first ticket wouldn't work. My advice to you is to buy your ticket just before the bus comes and keep the receipt in case it doesn't work. We bought our tickets the night before and the receipt happened to be with my friend (who was in the bus). With the bus scheduled to move off within 2 minutes, and facing an apathetic staff on duty, i decided it would be easier to just buy a new ticket and move on. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing was a scam and the staff the night before had pocketed the money and gave me an empty card. 

Anyway, today we fly to Santorini! Our flight cost us SGD$128.5 each and duration of it was roughly an hour. We flew via Aegean Airline and the service rendered were pretty good. We initially wanted to travel the romantic old fashioned way via Ferry but realised 1) it takes a long time 2) you cannot alight at other islands while stopping over (or it's just like 10 pathetic minutes) 3) there are no overnight ferries 4) it is not cheap 5) the winter ferry schedules were limited. So yeah, end of our romanticism. 

We arrived at the tiny Santorini airport and took no time jumping onto bus no 16 that brought us straight to Fira (central town). We spent 4 nights at Santorini (we stayed at Golden Star) and travelled around the island relying solely on the public buses. The buses are spacious and affordable because they are buses that the locals use themselves. The ticketing system is interesting and reminiscent of the stories my parents used to tell me about their childhood. Bus tickets in Santorini is paid and issued to a Bus conductor using an old fashioned handheld contraption. It is either paid before you board or an agile guy will get into the bus, squeeze through the crowd and collect money from you. All very basic but adds a very human touch at every point.

The only down side of travelling on Bus was the lack of control over our schedule. If you are travelling as a group of more than 3, you should really consider renting a vehicle. 

We didn't really do much in Santorini except hitting Oia multiple times, visiting some famous heritage sites , archaeological sites, beaches and then lounge around. Oia is famous for it’s beautiful sunset though I found it pretty underwhelming - or maybe it’s just the weather. The four days there was plagued with dreary and gloomy skies that frankly, made everything two notch less interesting. 

While winter was comfortable, it can get very windy on the island and everyone seemed to either be on a holiday or renovating their properties. The combination of wind and abundant home remodelling project everywhere made for a face full of sand that sometime feels a little scratched at the end of the day. No joke.  

One of the highlights was visiting the crater. We booked a day tour and met 2 fellow Singaporean girls who became our travel mates for the rest of the day. 

They drove us to Oia and we had dinner at the Lotza restaurant. We met a guy holding a basket of fishes on his way into the restaurant and he encouraged to dine there, exclaiming that the fishes are fresh and he caught them himself. It was easy to splurge on food as a group and we ordered to our heart's content. It turned out to be one of our best meals in Greece as the fish was fresh and the flavours were all on point. Our Asian tummy were entirely satiated by the rice served on the side.

Day 11) City tour and Souvenir shopping

We took an early flight back to Athens and spent the day walking around city central and eating cakes. We went to the Alice in wonderland inspired cafe (Little Kook) that we passed by the last time and finally went in for a sugar loaded afternoon tea.

We walked around town and did the usual tourist shopping. Then we returned to the hotel to drop our loots off before going out for dinner. That was when my unfortunate fated dawned upon me - I had been pickpocketed in one of the shops (T.T) !

The thieves had packed around me while I was shopping  with my hands full. They opened my backpack without my knowledge TWICE and stole a smart phone and a small bag with majority of my cash. I really should have left both of them in the Hostel but I often don’t do what I preach T_T. I spent most of the evening searching for a Police Station to report the loss and feeling really poor and sad. The highlight of the evening was chancing upon this Burger Bar called Hot Hot Burger Bar that served amazing burgers in very affordable prices.

Our Hostel for the night was Othonos Apartment and it was impeccable! It is literally across the road from Syntagma Square and Metro. The Airport Bus stop is less than a 100 steps away. However it seemed like Othonos Apartment is no longer listed on Booking.com so click on this link and check out other deals available in Athens. 

Day 12) Back to Singapore 

Hop onto the airport bus that was right underneath our accommodation and flew back to Singapore. 12 hours of being stuck on a seat, reading comics, watching dramas and sleeping was not easy but bearable. 

Overall, I spent roughly SGD$1729. The actually amount is probably closer to $1.8k since I left out my Travel insurance from the calculation because I can't remember how much it cost and I'm too lazy to dig the receipts out. But $1.8k for 12 days in Europe isn't half bad! 

Most of the money went to transport and shopping so if you shop less, you can enjoy Greece for even lesser! I kept a record of my spending in Greece and the top 3 expenditure was in transport, shopping and food.

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People often ask me how do I know where to stay and what to do when I travel. 

I get most if not all of my travel information from Google while I reserve my accommodations predominantly with Booking.com and I implore you to try it too if you have not tried it yet. 

I love how comprehensive and easy the platform is to use and how it consolidates all my hotel/hostel details in one single mobile app. They have a good mix of hostels and hotels to fit almost any kind of traveller and budget. A big plus point for the platform is the fact that almost every accommodation listed with them have a very flexible and straight forward cancellation policy. Most of them allow free cancellation until 72 hours prior and require no pre-payment. I have used that to my advantage many times as we all know how difficult it can be to plan an extended itinerary and sometimes, plans change! 

*Disclaimer: The links to booking.com are affiliate links for me. This means I will get a small commission for every booking done through these links but don't worry, nothing will come from your pockets because they are paid for by the company/hotel. If you found the information I shared on my blog helpful,  I would be very thankful if you can purchase your next adventure through my affiliate links. This will encourage me to continue working hard to share travel tips and information with the world. I won't lie, these blogs and vlogs are really a lot of work (x_x;;)


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