Visiting Delos from Mykonos, in Short
- Boats leave from the Old Port in Mykonos Town and the crossing takes about 30 minutes
- The boat ticket and the site entrance are two separate things, and you pay the entrance once you land
- The guided half-day tour bundles the boat, entrance, guide and skip-the-line into one booking
- The museum is open again and your entrance ticket includes it
- The site closes earlier as autumn goes on, at 18:30 in early October and 18:00 in late October
- Plan on about three hours, with flat shoes, a hat and plenty of water
- No swimming, no picnics and no overnight stays on the island
- A private RIB boat lets you skip the ferry timetable and choose how long you stay
- We can handle the transfer, the tickets and the guide for you
The Short Answer
If you only step away from the beach and the restaurant table once during your stay, make it for Delos. It's the little uninhabited island you can see from Mykonos Town, and it happens to be one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. Getting there is simple. You hop on a boat at the Old Port, spend a few hours wandering through the ruins, and you're back in Chora in time for a late lunch.
Our advice is to take the morning boat and, if you can, go with a guide. The site is quieter early on, the light is gentler, and you'll be finished before the heat really sets in. A guide matters more than you'd think. On your own, Delos can look like a lot of low walls and broken columns. With someone explaining it, you start to see the streets, the houses and the people who lived in them.
We checked everything in this guide in October 2026 against two sources: the Cyclades Ephorate of Antiquities, which looks after the site, and Delos Tours, who run the boats from Mykonos. The times and conditions here are for the 2026 season. Ticket prices change from year to year, so we've left them out on purpose. Ask us for the current rates when you're ready to book.
Why Delos Matters
Delos is tiny, only about 3.4 square kilometres, but for a long stretch of antiquity it was one of the holiest places in the Greek world. Myth says Apollo and Artemis were born here, and by the time of the Odyssey the island was already famous for it. Pilgrims kept arriving for centuries, and by the Classical period they came from all over the Greek world to worship at the sanctuary.
Then the story gets more interesting. In 478 BC the Delian League was set up here and its treasury was kept on the island, until Athens moved it to the Acropolis in 454 BC. In the winter of 426 BC the Athenians "purified" Delos by digging up the graves and moving the remains to the neighbouring island of Rhenia. After that, nobody was allowed to be born or to die on Delos. Later, in 166 BC, the Romans made it a free port, and it turned into a busy, mixed-up trading town full of merchants from across the Mediterranean, who built houses, shrines and warehouses.
All that wealth made it an easy target. Mithridates of Pontos sacked the island in 88 BC, pirates came back for more in 69 BC, and Delos slowly emptied out. Excavations began in 1872 and they still go on today. Since 1990 the whole island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and what makes it special is that you're not just looking at a temple. You're walking through an entire ancient town.
Delos at a Glance
| Item | Details for 2026 |
|---|---|
| Where | Uninhabited island, about 30 minutes by boat from the Old Port of Mykonos Town |
| Status | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990 |
| Boat ticket | Return crossing from the Old Port, sold separately, with children's rates available |
| Site entrance | Paid on Delos, museum included, with free and reduced rates for some visitors |
| Guided half-day tour | Boat, entrance, licensed guide and headset in one booking |
| Time needed | About three hours on the island |
| Season for boats | 1 April to 30 November 2026 |
| Best for | History lovers, first-time visitors, families with older children, anyone who wants a break from the beach |
The site opens at 08:00 every day, but the closing time creeps earlier as the days shorten. These are the official 2026 hours from the Ephorate:
| Period | Opening hours | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| April to August | 08:00 to 20:00 | Check on the day |
| 1 to 15 September | 08:00 to 19:30 | 19:00 |
| 16 to 30 September | 08:00 to 19:00 | 18:30 |
| 1 to 15 October | 08:00 to 18:30 | 18:00 |
| 16 to 31 October | 08:00 to 18:00 | 17:30 |
Like all archaeological sites in Greece, Delos is closed on Orthodox Easter Sunday and on 1 May. The Ephorate publishes its autumn hours up to the end of October, so if you're thinking of coming in November or later, ask us first and we'll check the current hours for you.
Getting from Mykonos to Delos
The only way to reach Delos is by boat, and the scheduled boats leave from the Old Port in Mykonos Town. That's the small harbour in Chora, not the New Port in Tourlos where the big ferries and many cruise ships tie up. It's an easy mistake to make, so double-check before you set off. The crossing takes about 30 minutes. If you'd rather not be tied to a timetable at all, have a look at the private RIB option below.
To find the right pier, look for the Town Hall, the only tile-roofed building on the waterfront, and the small blue-domed chapel of St Nicholas opposite it. Walk past both and you'll reach the pier with the Delos Tours ticket kiosk and the boats. Get there at least 30 minutes before departure, and keep your ID or passport handy, because it can be checked at boarding.
When you buy your ticket, check the return times. Tickets are valid on the boats of the joint-venture fleet that serves Delos, but the last boat back is the one you really can't miss.
Here's the 2026 timetable from Delos Tours. The morning boats give you roughly three hours on the island and the afternoon ones about two and a half. Mondays have fewer sailings than the rest of the week, so if you're planning around a Monday, check what's running first.
| Sailing | From Mykonos | Back from Delos | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 10:00 | 13:30 | Daily, 1 April to 30 November |
| Late morning | 11:30 | 15:00 | Tuesday to Sunday |
| Afternoon, summer | 17:00 | 20:00 | 2 May to 31 August |
| Afternoon, 1 to 15 September | 16:30 | 19:30 | Autumn timetable |
| Afternoon, 16 to 30 September | 16:00 | 19:00 | Autumn timetable |
| Afternoon, 1 to 15 October | 15:30 | 18:30 | Autumn timetable |
| Afternoon, 16 to 31 October | 15:00 | 18:00 | Autumn timetable |
Timetables can shift with the weather. A strong meltemi can delay or cancel sailings, and if that happens Delos Tours lets you choose between a full refund and using your ticket on the next departure. Delos Tours also publishes a separate September to November schedule, so for late-season dates we'll double-check the exact times for you.
Arriving on a cruise ship? If you dock at the New Port, the Mykonos SeaBus runs to the Old Port in about 12 minutes between April and October. If your time ashore is tight, though, a private transfer is the less stressful option. Your driver can meet you at the cruise gate and take you straight to the Old Port.
How Tickets Work
This is the part that trips most people up, so let's keep it simple. There are two separate tickets. The boat ticket gets you across and back. The site entrance is a different ticket, and you pay for it on Delos itself. The only time they're bundled is on the guided tour, which covers everything in one booking.
Entrance to the site is free for EU citizens up to 25 years old and for visitors from outside the EU up to 18, as long as they show an ID or passport as proof of age. EU citizens over 65 get the reduced entrance ticket between 1 October and 31 May, and some school and student visits qualify for reductions too. A few days each year are free for everyone: 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. Just remember that a free entrance day doesn't make the boat free. You'll still need your boat ticket, and children have their own boat rates.
Prices are set by the operator and the Ministry of Culture and they can change from season to season, so we don't print them here. Send us your dates and we'll tell you what applies on the day you want to go. Take your ID or passport with you for any reduction, and keep a bit of cash handy in case the card machine at the ticket office decides not to cooperate.
Four Ways to Visit
The Half-Day Guided Tour
This is what we'd suggest if it's your first time. You join a group with a licensed guide who walks you through the main sights and tells you what you're actually looking at. The booking covers the boat both ways, your entrance to the site and the museum, the guide, a wireless headset so you can hear everything without huddling around, and skip-the-line entry.
English tours run every day at 10:00 from 1 April to 10 November, and there's an afternoon English tour from 2 May to 31 October. French tours go out on Sundays and Thursdays, Italian on Wednesdays and Spanish on Tuesdays. For German, Portuguese or Russian you'll need a private tour. Group tours need at least eight people to run, and the headset is included free of charge, weather permitting.
- Return boat
- Site and museum entrance
- Licensed guide
- Wireless headset
- Skip-the-line entry
Orion Insider: Send us your date and your language, and our concierge team will help you get a place on the tour and arrange your ride to the Old Port.
On Your Own
If you'd rather wander at your own speed, buy a return boat ticket at the kiosk or online, and pay the site entrance when you arrive. It's the cheapest way to do Delos. You can follow the marked paths, linger where you like and skip what doesn't interest you.
The catch is context. A lot of Delos is foundations and low walls, and it only really comes alive when someone tells you what each building was. If you'd like some commentary without joining a group, Delos Tours also offers a self-guided audio tour in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
A Private Guide
A private guide works well for families, small groups, and anyone who likes to ask a lot of questions or set their own pace. Licensed guides can be arranged in whichever language you prefer, and it's the only way to do Delos in German, Portuguese or Russian. You get to spend your time on what interests you most, whether that's the myths, the mosaics or what daily life was like in the ancient town.
Orion Insider: Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and which language you'd like, and we'll help you set up a private guide, your boat tickets and a driver for the day.
Private RIB Boat Cruise and Transfer
If you'd like Delos on your own terms, a private RIB boat takes the timetable out of the equation. It's a comfortable, exclusive transfer, away from the crowds on the regular boats and free of their fixed departure times.
You choose how it works. Your boat can drop you off at Delos and come back for you at a time you agree in advance, or it can stay on standby while you explore. Either way, you decide how long to stay and take the archaeological site at your own pace.
- Drop-off and pre-arranged pick-up
- Boat on standby while you explore
Orion Insider: The private boat replaces the ferry, not the site ticket. You still pay the entrance on Delos, and the site's closing time still applies, so plan your pick-up before it. You can also pair the RIB with a private guide. Tell us your date and group size and we'll arrange the boat and your driver to the departure point.
What to See on Delos
You'll cover the island on foot, and most visits take in the highlights below. A guide will lead you through them in a sensible order. If you're on your own, treat this as a checklist.
The Sanctuary of Apollo
This is where it all started. The sanctuary has the foundations of several temples to Apollo, including an early one from the 6th century BC and the grand Delian Temple, which was begun in 476 BC and never finished. As you walk in along the Sacred Way, you begin to get a sense of why this tiny island meant so much to the ancient Greeks.
The Terrace of the Lions
If you've seen one picture of Delos, it was probably of the marble lions. They were an offering to Apollo, usually dated to around 600 BC. The ones standing on the terrace now are replicas, because the originals have been moved indoors to the Archaeological Museum to protect them. A short walk away is the Sacred Lake, which has been dry for a long time. Tradition says this is where Leto gave birth to the twins.
The Theatre Quarter and the Mosaics
The Theatre Quarter is one of the richest parts of the Hellenistic town. You can wander through the remains of merchants' houses here, among them the House of Dionysos, the House of the Dolphins, the House of the Masks and the House of the Trident, all known for their floor mosaics. This is the moment Delos stops feeling like a temple site and starts to feel like a place where people actually lived.
Mount Kynthos
Kynthos is the island's only real hill, and it's a fairly short climb up stone steps. The first settlers lived up here around 2500 BC. From the top you can see all of Delos and the surrounding Cyclades. It gets windy, and some steps are loose, so go slowly and hold on to your hat. Not every group tour includes the climb, so it's worth asking your guide whether it's on the programme.
The Archaeological Museum
The museum keeps the best finds from the excavations, including sculptures, mosaics and the original lions. It reopened in July 2024 after a long renovation and is open in 2026, and your site ticket already covers it. You'll still see some travel sites and listings saying it's closed. That information is out of date.
Orion Insider: The museum is a good place to escape the sun in the middle of the day. If you're on the morning boat, ask your guide to save a little time for it.
How Orion Makes the Delos Day Easy
The boat ride itself is the easy bit. What takes a bit of planning is getting to the Old Port on time, booking the right tour in the right language, and getting back afterwards. That's where we come in. We live and work on the island, and we take care of the logistics so you can just enjoy the day.
Your Delos Day with Orion
We drive premium SUVs, minivans and Sprinters, so a couple, a family or a bigger group can all travel comfortably. If you're staying somewhere quiet, a Mykonos Town transfer saves you from hunting for a taxi near the port right when the boats are leaving. And if you're coming off a cruise ship, our port transfers will be waiting at the cruise gate.
When to Go
Morning is best if you can manage it. The 10:00 boat puts you on the site while it's still cool, and that's when most guided groups go too. In July and August there's hardly any shade on the island, so an early start makes a real difference.
The afternoon boat has its own charm. You get less time, about two and a half hours, but the crowds thin out and the evening light on the ruins is lovely. Do check the closing times in the table above, since the site closes earlier in autumn.
Keep an eye on the wind. The meltemi is at its strongest in July and August, and it can delay or cancel boats. Leave some slack in your plans, and avoid booking a flight or a cruise departure for the same evening as your Delos trip. When you're back on Mykonos, our things to do in Mykonos guide has plenty of ideas for the rest of your day.
Coming late in the season? Delos Tours lists boat sailings until 30 November 2026 and English guided tours until 10 November. Hours may be shorter then and the weather is harder to predict, so check with us before you travel.
Practical Tips for Visiting Delos
Ready to See Delos?
Tell us when you'd like to go and who's coming, and we'll help with your tickets, your guide and your transfers. We're here on the island and happy to answer any questions before you book.
Continue Planning Your Mykonos Trip
Once Delos is on your list, these guides will help with the rest of your stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get from Mykonos to Delos?
By boat from the Old Port in Mykonos Town. The crossing takes about 30 minutes, and you can buy tickets at the Delos Tours kiosk on the pier or online. Make sure you go to the Old Port and not the New Port in Tourlos.
The honest answer is that the right restaurant is the one that suits your budget, your mood, and your group. Every pick on this list earns its place for a specific reason. Our concierge team can match you to the right table once they know a little more about your trip.
How much does it cost to visit Delos?
You pay for two things separately: the boat ticket and the site entrance, which you pay for on Delos itself. The guided half-day tour is the exception, because it bundles the boat, the entrance, the guide and skip-the-line into one booking. Prices change from season to season, so send us your dates and we’ll tell you what applies. Children have their own boat rates, and entrance to the site is free for EU citizens up to 25 and for visitors from outside the EU up to 18, with an ID or passport.
Is the museum on Delos open?
Yes. The Archaeological Museum reopened in July 2024 after a major renovation, and it’s open in 2026. Your site ticket already includes it. If you see a travel site saying it’s closed, that information is out of date.
Is Delos open on Mondays?
Yes. The Ephorate of Antiquities doesn’t list a weekly closing day for Delos, and boats sail on Mondays, although with fewer departures than on other days. The site is closed on Orthodox Easter Sunday and on 1 May, like all archaeological sites in Greece.
How long should I allow for Delos?
Plan on about three hours on the island. The morning boats give you roughly that, and the afternoon boats a little less, because the site closes earlier in autumn.
Can I swim or stay overnight on Delos?
No. Delos is an archaeological site with no accommodation, swimwear isn’t allowed on the site, and swimming off the coast is forbidden. The boats return the same day, so save your swim for the beaches back on Mykonos.
Should I take a guided tour or go on my own?
For a first visit, we’d go with a guide. Much of Delos is foundations and low walls, and it makes a lot more sense when someone explains what you’re looking at. If you’ve been before, or you like your own pace, going independently works well, and there’s also a self-guided audio tour if you’d like some commentary.
