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Ready to spend two weeks island hopping around Greece? From Paros and Naxos to Mykonos, Milos and Santorini, this incredible 14-day Greek island hopping route takes you to some of the most popular islands throughout the Cyclades. Prepare to explore beautiful white-washed villages, lay on stunning beaches, eat delicious Greek food and experience the wonderful Greek culture! Keep scrolling to read.

Psst, this post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure .

Oh, buddy, am I excited to write about this incredible Greek island hopping itinerary! As someone who has visited Greece every year for the past three years, this is hands down one of my favorite countries to visit in Europe .

With its affordability, delicious food, unique islands, welcoming locals, captivating history and jaw-dropping scenery, Greece is truly one-of-a-kind.

If you are wanting to visit it for yourself, specifically in the warmer months like April through September, this is the ideal Greek island hopping itinerary that’ll help you see the best of popular islands across the Cyclades region.

In my comprehensive guide below, I dive into:

✓ What you should know about the Cyclades region ✓ How long to spend on each Greek island ✓ The best things to do on each island ✓ Where you should stay on the Greek islands ✓ How to get from one island to the next ✓ My must-know Greece travel tips ✓ How to save money in Greece ✓ Local Greek customs (like tipping)

…and so much more! If you are thinking about or in the depths of planning a two-week trip to Greece, this is the ultimate guide on how to experience the best of what Greece has to offer.

When planning your trip, don’t forget to read my guide on 25 things to know before you go to Greece !

Table of Contents

ISLAND HOPPING IN GREECE

Before we jump into the itinerary, there are some key things you should know about the Cyclades, which is the primary region you will be traveling around.

Below, I explain what the Cyclades are and the islands it includes, the best way to get around Greek islands and the best time to visit the Cyclades.

What are the Cyclades?

The Cyclades is one of my favorite regions of Greece! A very popular group of islands in the Aegean Sea, the Cyclades are known for their picturesque white-washed villages, turquoise-blue waters, unique landscapes (hello, Santorini’s volcanic terrain!), beautiful beaches and ancient historical sites.

What islands are in the Cyclades?

While this itinerary focuses on the popular islands of Milos, Paros, Naxos, Mykonos and Santorini, there are around 220 islands throughout the Cyclades (though only a handful are inhabited).

Aside from the islands mentioned in this itinerary, the Cyclades include other well-known islands like Syros, Ios, Antiparos, Kythnos, Folegandros, Serifos, Anafi and Sifnos.

How do you get around the Cyclades?

The best—and easiest—way to get around the Cyclades is by ferry (psst, I use Ferryhopper ). Unless you are going off the beaten track and visiting lesser-popular Greek islands, most are going to be directly connected via ferry.

That said, it’s worth noting that ferries can be rather expensive, especially if you are visiting Greece during busy season (i.e. July and August).

Additionally, if you are visiting during the summer months, it’s crucial that you book your transportation ahead of time, as ferry tickets can often sell out.

What is the best time of year to visit the Cyclades?

Personally, I find that shoulder season is the best time to visit Greece as a whole. This includes the end of April, all of May, the beginning of June, all of September and the beginning of October. Not only is the weather often more comfortable, there are far less crowds, lending to a more enjoyable Greece experience.

I’ve also visited Greece in the spring , which was really nice! It wasn’t super warm but it wasn’t really cold either, so it was a nice escape from my winters in the UK and Minnesota .

14-DAY GREEK ISLAND HOPPING ITINERARY

Without further adieu, let’s get into my all-encompassing 14-day Greek island hopping itinerary, shall we? Find out how to spend two weeks exploring Athens, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Milos and Santorini.

Here’s a quick summary:

Athens (2 nights)

Mykonos (2 nights), naxos (2 nights), paros (3 nights), milos (3 nights), santorini (2 nights).

My top recommendation is to use this Greek island-hopping itinerary as an outline and modify based on your unique travel style!

For instance, if you’re flying into Athens pretty early and will have nearly two days there, make the most of your first day and leave the next to give you one more night on an island!

Or if you want to skip super busy islands, like Mykonos, and focus on the more relaxed ones, like Paros, do it! This two-week Greece itinerary is just a guideline that you can adjust to your liking.

Athens is one of my favorite cities to visit in Greece! It’s also the easiest destination to fly into, especially if you’re coming from somewhere outside of Europe, as it has a well-connected international airport.

A ridiculously vibrant city, there are a ton of things to do in Athens, from exploring historic ruins and visiting the Acropolis museum to eating allllll the different types of food, wandering around markets, and experiencing one of its many rooftop bars.

Best Things to Do in Athens

While I recommend checking out my blogs on the 13 best things to do in Athens and 5 ridiculously fun things to do in Athens , here’s a snapshot of some things to do with your one full day in the city.

• Visit the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum (take a peek at this guided tour !)
• Explore the many different historic ruins around the city
• Wander through the neighborhood of Plaka—don’t miss Brettos, the oldest distillery in Athens!
• Check out some of the markets (Monastiraki is great!)
• Try some cheap gyros (HIGHLY recommend Vegan Beat if you’re veggie !)
• Visit a rooftop bar during sunset (obvs one that overlooks the Acropolis)

Where to Stay in Athens

• Budget : Bedbox Hostel OR City Circus Athens
• Mid-Range : Phaedra Hotel OR Athens Residence Apartments
• Luxury : Acro Urban Suites OR A77 Suites

How to Get From Athens to Mykonos

Getting from Athens to Mykonos is a piece of cake! Personally, I book all my Greek ferries through Ferryhopper , which has a super easy-to-use app that holds all your e-tickets.

When booking a ferry from Athens to Mykonos, make sure to look at which ferry port you are departing from—it’ll either be Rafina or Piraeus . These two ferry ports are located on complete different sides of Athens so it’s crucial to plan accordingly!

Prices for ferries between Athens and Mykonos tend to hover between €40-90, depending on the speed of the ferry (speed boats cost more). The slow ferries take around 4-5 hours, while the speed boat can get you there in as little as 2.5 hours.

If you are short on time, it may be worth paying extra to get to Mykonos on a faster boat!

Use the little widget below to see how much a ferry from Athens to Mykonos will cost during your island-hopping trip in Greece.

Aside from Santorini, Mykonos is arguably the most popular island in Greece! And after you explore its stunning white-washed villages, swim in its crystal-clear waters, take in its magnificent views and experience its nightlife, you’ll likely understand why.

While Mykonos isn’t my favorite island due to its expensiveness and excessive crowds, it definitely still has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to food and bar options.

Best Things to Do in Mykonos

If you get an earlier ferry from Athens, you can have one and half days on this gorgeous island. With your time on Mykonos, I recommend you:

• Walk around Mykonos Town, featuring narrow streets, white-washed homes and cute shops.
• Visit “Little Venice,” a beautiful row of seaside homes surrounded by lots of restaurants and bars.
• Admire the view from the Mykonos Windmills (go for sunrise to avoid the crowds!).
• Shop till you drop at one of Mykonos’ many luxury stores.
• Check out the Church of Panagia Paraportiani.
• Soak up the sun on one of its many beaches—Paradise Beach and Paralia Kalo Livadi are popular!
• Visit the Archaeological Museum of Mykonos.
• Check out the Monastery of Tourliani.
• Explore the island on a guided highlights tour !

You can get around Mykonos either by bus, taxi, car, scooter, ATV, water taxi or foot! Personally, we got around via bus but I’m wishing we would have rented a car , scooter or ATV for more freedom on where to go.

Where to Stay in Mykonos

When visiting Mykonos on your 14-day Greece trip, I recommend staying in either Mykonos Town or Ornos ! While Mykonos town offers a ton of restaurant and bar options, Ornos has amazing beach access and stunning hotels.

• Budget : Studio Eleni OR Orpheas Rooms
• Mid-Range : Corfos Hotel OR Matogianni Hotel
• Luxury : Adorno Beach Hotel & Suites OR Semeli Hotel Mykonos

How to Get From Mykonos to Naxos

Getting the ferry from Mykonos to Naxos can be a super quick at only 30 minutes if you take the speed boat! The regular ferry takes around 1.5 hours but is about 60% cheaper, which is ideal for those traveling Greece on a budget.

Click here to view your ferry options and costs .

Since you will only have one day on the island of Naxos, I recommend getting the earliest ferry you can. This gives you more time on Naxos, which is a rather large Greek island!

The largest of the Cyclades islands, Naxos features an incredibly hilly landscape, countless beaches with turquoise waters, a charming town with lots of great restaurants and shops, and the amazing Temple of Apollo that features stunning views.

Becoming more and more popular, especially among families, now is the time to visit Naxos before it gets too crowded! Here’s my top tips on how to visit Naxos and what to do when island-hopping in Greece.

Best Things to Do in Naxos

Naxos is pretty big, so don’t expect to see all of it with only one full day on the island! That said, there are still so many things you can do to make the most of your time here.

• Visit the iconic Portara, a massive marble doorway dating back to ancient times, located at the Temple of Apollo.
• Walk up to the Kastro (Castle) of Old Town, built in the 13th century.
• Relax on the Naxos’ pristine beaches, like Agios Prokopios, Agios Georgios and Plaka.
• Hike to the summit of Mount Zas, the highest peak in the Cyclades, for breathtaking views.
• Experience traditional Greek cuisine at local tavernas and seaside restaurants.
• Windsurf or kitesurf (Naxos is known for being a very windy island).
• Explore the picturesque villages of Halki, Apirantho and Filoti.
• Visit Vallindras Kitron Distillery—kitron is a citron liqueur unique to Naxos island.
• Check out the oldest church on Naxos, the Church of Panagia Drosiani.

To make getting around Naxos easy, you can rent a car but public transport is also available.

Where to Stay in Naxos

I recommend staying in Naxos town (Naxos Chora) ! This gives you access to tons of restaurants, shops, the castle, Temple of Apollo, Agios Georgos beach and the ferry port.

• Budget : Syrianos Hotel OR Kapetanos Rooms
• Mid-Range : Panormos Hotel & Studios OR Venetiko Apartments
• Luxury : Nissaki Beach Hotel OR Anapollo Boutique Hotel (Adults Only)

How to Get From Naxos to Paros

Next up on this 14-day Greek island-hopping itinerary is Paros, a personal favorite of mine! To get to Paros from Naxos, you’ll grab a short 30 minute ferry ride (if you take the speed boat). Prices for the Paros-Naxos ferry range between €15-35, depending on the type of ferry.

To see prices for your specific dates, use the handy Ferryhopper widget below.

Paros is by far one of my favorite Greek islands due to its stunning beaches, beautiful villages, affordable prices and delicious restaurants! Plus, it’s super easy to get around via rental car or ATV, which I think is one of the best ways to explore the island.

Best Things to Do in Paros

• Visit the charming fishing village of Naoussa for its white-washed buildings and picturesque harbor.
• Explore the adorable villages of Lefkes, Kostos and Marpissa. (Lefkes is my fav.)
• Check out the historic Panagia Ekatontapiliani aka the Church of 100 Doors.
• Soak up the sun at the beach—Παραλία Φάραγκα, Kolympethres Beach and Paralia Parikia are popular but I can personally recommend Paralía Molos (small but insanely beautiful and quiet).
• Wander through the quaint, narrow alleys of Parikia, the island’s capital.
• Take a day trip to the gorgeous, uninhabited island of Antiparos. ( Check out this boat tour !)
• Eat your fill of local food at cute tavernas—try the slow-roasted chickpeas, a Paros delight!
• Visit the ancient marble quarries of Marathi and marvel at the colossal unfinished sculptures.

Where to Stay in Paros

I recommend staying in Naoussa , the cute seaside fishing village just north of Paros town! There are also some really gorgeous beaches around this area that are easily accessed via ATV or car.

• Budget : Katerina Rooms OR Liprando
• Mid-Range : Hotel Bilia OR Hotel Marinero
• Luxury : Sandaya Luxury Suites OR Lilly Residence-All Sea View Suites

How to Get From Paros to Milos

At just under two hours, the direct ferry ride from Paros to Milos is easy and efficient. However, note that while this ferry goes daily, it seems to only go in the evening (around 6 PM).

To view the Paros to Milos ferry schedule and prices, click here .

Milos is becoming more and more popular! With its otherworldly landscapes, bright blue waters, breathtaking beaches, classic Greek island experience, ancient ruins and white-washed villages that the Cyclades are known for, it’s no wonder that more travelers are flocking here than ever before.

I have no doubt that once you visit, Milos will rise to the top of your favorite Greek islands list!

Best Things to Do in Milos

• Marvel at the lunar-like landscape of Sarakiniko Beach and swim in its super blue waters.
• Explore the Catacombs of Milos, one of the largest early Christian cemeteries in Greece.
• Relax at Tsigrado Beach, a secluded paradise surrounded by cliffs.
• Wander through the picturesque fishing village of Firopotamos, as well as the stunning Plaka, Milos’ capital.
• Embark on a hike to the top of Profitis Ilias, the highest peak on Milos, for amazing panoramic views.
• Check out the Milos Mining Museum, chronicling the island’s mining history.
• Go on a boat tour around the island. (Take a peek at this highly-rated tour that has an open bar !)

Where to Stay in Milos

When on the island of Milos, I recommend staying in either its capital, Plaka , or Adamantas (where the ferries dock). These are both well-connected to the rest of the island via local bus! Or you can get a rental car or ATV to get around.

• Budget : Arethousa OR Livanios Studios
• Mid-Range : Semiramis Guesthouse OR Piazza Castello
• Luxury : Arco Solium Suites OR Thalassitra Private Pool Suites & Spa

How to Get From Milos to Santorini

Onto your final island in this 14-day Greece itinerary—Santorini! Getting from Milos to Santorini is easy, as there is a direct ferry route that takes around 2 hours.

However, this is one of the most expensive ferry tickets at around €100 per person. That said, I think it’s definitely worth it, as Santorini is one of the most beautiful and unique Greek islands.

To view ferry times and prices for your dates, use the Ferryhopper widget below!

Santorini is arguably the most popular island in Greece, as its volcanic landscape, incredible views and stunning architecture draws millions of tourists each year.

From couples and families to solo backpackers, friends and everyone in between, Santorini truly offers something for every type of traveler.

Best Things to Do in Santorini

There are many things you can do on Santorini with only one day! While not a ton of time, this island will no doubt blow you away.

• Watch the breathtaking sunset in Oia, known for its iconic views over the caldera.
• Take a boat tour or hike along the caldera rim for stunning volcanic landscapes. ( Check out this one !)
• Explore the ancient Minoan city ruins at Akrotiri, nicknamed the “Pompeii of the Aegean.”
• Relax on the unique red sands and clear waters of Red Beach or on the strange black sands of Perissa Beach.
• Go wine tasting in Pyrgos village, offering delicious local wines and panoramic views.
• Wander about Fira village’s charming alleys, boutiques and cafes.
• Soak in the natural hot springs near Nea Kameni.

For a more comprehensive Santorini travel guide that talks about how to get around the island and what to do with one day on the island, click here !

Where to Stay in Santorini

There are SO many accommodation options on Santorini! While many stay in either Fira or Oia , these villages can be super expensive, so I recommend Kamari or Mesaria if you’re on a budget.

• Budget : Oscar Hotel OR Villa Pelekanos
• Mid-Range : Gianna Suites OR Hermes Hotel
• Luxury : Abyss OR La Perla Villas and Suites

Where to Go After Santorini

Santorini has a really well-connected airport to both Athens and the rest of Europe—which is why this two-week Greek island-hopping itinerary ended here! My guess is you’ll likely fly back to Athens, where there are countless international flights to all over the world.

Alternatively, if you have more time in Greece, why not go to Crete? Crete is incredibly beautiful and also has two well-connected airports—Chania and Heraklion. It also has a direct ferry from Santorini .

To see what Crete is like, check out my blog on how I spent one week exploring Chania, Balos Beach, Loutro and Sougia .

GREECE TRAVEL TIPS

Get travel insurance.

Travel insurance is incredibly important for staying protected while you’re exploring! In my personal—and sometimes controversial—opinion, I don’t think anyone should travel if they can’t include travel insurance in their overall budget.

Personally, I use either World Nomads, SafetyWing or Travelex travel insurance.

• World Nomads is for the more adventurous traveler who plans on doing a lot of activities, like hiking, ATV riding, scootering, swimming, boating and the likes. It also comes with your expected travel insurance coverage like trip interruption, baggage delay and medical stuff. A little bit more expensive but good coverage.
• SafetyWing is ideal for digital nomads who need both medical and travel insurance, like emergency dental, travel delay, baggage loss and unexpected medical treatment. This is ideal if you’re already traveling, as you can start a new plan from wherever (some travel insurances don’t allow this). It’s also pretty affordable.
• Travelex is your classic travel insurance built for the everyday American tourist. It covers you for trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, emergency medical and dental, missed connections and baggage loss or damage.

Book Tours in Advance

Greece can—and does—get incredibly busy, especially during the summer! I recommend you book all tours in advance to ensure you get to do everything you want. This includes things like boat tours (a must do in my opinion), city tours and island tours.

When searching for tours in Greece, I tend to always book with GetYourGuide . There’s always a ton of options and they’re rated by real travelers.

Buy Ferry Tickets Early

It’s an absolute MUST to buy ferry tickets in advance if you’re island-hopping around Greece during the summer months! Ferry tickets can sell out quick and if there’s only one ferry going per day (like from Paros to Milos), then you’re out of luck if they run out.

Again, I recommend using Ferryhopper to buy and hold your Greek ferry tickets. The app is super easy to use, too.

Book Local Accommodation

Forget inauthentic chain hotels like Best Western, Hyatt and Hilton—book local accommodation where you will not only be supporting the local economy, you’ll also have a far better experience.

For instance, when I stayed at Katerina Rooms in Naoussa, Paros, the lovely lady who runs the place brought us little local treats every morning, like loukoumades, warm sweet rolls and fresh orange juice! It was so cute.

Personally, I always book with Booking.com , as I find it has the best prices (especially when you’re on a mobile device or you’re part of the Genius program where you get 10% off).

To explore your local hotel options for Cyclades island hopping, click here .

GREECE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

What is the best greek island hopping route.

As you can guess, I recommend my 14-day Greek island hopping itinerary explained above! The route goes from Athens to Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Milos and Santorini, all of which have direct ferry connections between them, making it super easy to follow.

You also have at least one full day on each island, which I think is enough time to get a feel for the uniqueness of each destination. (These islands aren’t massive.)

However, if you want to check out lesser-visited Greek islands, I recommend swapping out Mykonos for Syros and Naxos and Santorini for Crete. Here’s an example of what that Greek island hopping itinerary could look like:

• Athens – 2 nights
• Syros – 2 nights
• Paros – 3 nights
• Milos – 3 nights
• Crete – 4 nights

If you have a specific Greek island hopping route you want some feedback on, ask in the comments below!

Is Greece cheap for travelers?

Yes… and no. As with many destinations, Greece caters to both budget and luxury travelers.

However, there is a pretty wide range of prices across the Cyclades, as you will find that islands like Paros and Naxos are more affordable than Mykonos and Santorini.

For budget travelers, like budget backpackers, you can find affordable hostels and hotels that start around €30-40 per person. Hotels are cheaper if you are splitting with someone, as many local hotels start at €50-70 per night.

With regards to food, I find that Greece has some of the most affordable food prices out of most European countries, especially if you are eating vegan and vegetarian food like me. Generally, you can find eat a cheap lunch or dinner at a local taverna for around €15-20 per person.

How much money should I save for two weeks in Greece?

For this 14-day Greek island hopping itinerary, I recommend saving at least $2,000 (around €1,800 and £1,600). This is per person and does not include the cost of your flights, as I don’t know where you are coming from.

If you’re a semi-budget traveler like me—one who likes to stay in affordable hotels but occasionally indulges in luxury and drinks pretty regularly (e.g. glass of wine at dinner)—then this should be more than enough for your Greece trip.

On the flip side, if you’re more of a luxurious traveler who is here to have a good time on a once-in-a-lifetime Greek island hopping trip, then I recommend saving at least $4,000.

Beautiful, 4- and 5-star hotels in Greece tend to hover between €250-1,000+, depending on which island you’re visiting. As you can imagine, the luxury hotels in Santorini are the most expensive (but also the most extraordinary).

Food at high-end or very popular, highly-rated restaurants (like those with a good view) tend to have main dishes ranging from €20-50. Local seafood dishes seem to cost the most.

Can Greece be traveled on a budget?

Yes, absolutely! I have traveled to Greece every year over the last three years and each of those times were on a budget. Here are my tips for traveling Greece on a budget:

• Travel during off or shoulder season —this is by my money-saving tip that’ll make the biggest difference, as high season comes with high prices no matter where you go.
• Stay at local hotels or hostels and split your accommodation costs with another person.
• Choose small, local tavernas —these can often be found away from the main tourist area.
• Pick up breakfast items from the local grocery store or bakery and eat it at your hotel in the morning.
• Grab a small lunch from a local gyro shop, bakery or street vendor.
• Book your ferries in advance to get the best prices (I use Ferryhopper ).
• Use public transportation , like local island buses—renting a car or an ATV can be expensive (an ATV rental on Paros costs around €80-100 for the day).
• Avoid tourist traps like expensive souvenir shops, scams and sketchy tours.
• Carry a reusable water bottle to avoid paying for water—I love my GRAYL filtering water bottle, as this allows me to drink tap water on any island, even if it’s not recommended. Find it here on the GRAYL website or on Amazon .
• Negotiate prices for things like tours and souvenirs, especially at markets and when you’re offered a tour on the streets of Greece. (Don’t do this if you’re in a store or something—that’s tacky.)

For more tips, check out my blog on 25 things you should know before traveling to Greece .

What are the best Greek foods to try?

As a vegan, I have SO many food options in Greece! It’s amazing and why Greece is one of my favorite European countries. Personally, I think every traveler should try:

• Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves)
• Gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers)
• Melitzanosalata (smokey eggplant dip)
• Hummus (creamy chickpea dip)
• Fasolada (hearty white bean soup)
• Spanakopita (savory spinach pie—often made with feta but not always)
• Briam (roasted vegetable casserole)
• Fava (creamy split pea or lentil dip)
• Athoi Gemistoi (stuffed zucchini flowers)
• Stewed chickpeas (Cyclades local dish)
• Loukoumades (sweet Greek donut balls)

If I had to choose my favorites, it would be gemista, stewed chickpeas and fava with warm bread!

Do you tip in Greece?

Usually, but this depends on the situation. Tipping in restaurants is very normal and often expected, but not the same amount as you would in America!

Often, it’s only around 5-10%—I just round up the bill to make it easy. For instance, if your bill came to €37, you would just round it up to €40. That said, a service charge (aka a tip) is sometimes included in the bill, so make sure to check before tipping!

Tipping in cafes and bars, as well as taxi drivers, hotel staff, tour guides and drivers, is appreciated but not required or expected.

Are there any Greek customs I should know?

For sure! One thing you will notice when visiting Greece for two weeks is how hospitable and welcoming Greeks are. They are incredibly kind and will go out of their way to help you. (That said, I did get stared a lot in Greece by older men but I think that’s just the norm.)

Additionally, Greece is a very religious country, and many customs and traditions are associated with the Greek Orthodox Church. When visiting a church or monastery, show your respect by wearing modest clothing and refrain from swearing or loud behavior.

When you’re at dinner, you may be given ouzo or raki, both of which are often served as a complimentary aperitif before a meal or as a digestif after a meal. If you’re offered ouzo or raki, it’s polite to accept and enjoy the drink as a gesture of goodwill and friendship!

I definitely recommend trying it! Though not for everyone, these two alcohol beverages are made from distilled grapes and are very common throughout Greece. Raki is more so found around Crete but ouzo is found nearly everywhere in Greece.

Also, don’t forget to say “yamas!” Or cheers in Greek before taking your first sip of ouzo or raki!

Lastly, when island-hopping around Greece for two weeks, you may notice how expressive and passionate the Greeks are. Don’t be surprised if you find Greeks stand closer to you or touch your arm during conversation—it’s a sign of friendliness and engagement!

Which words should I know for my two-week Greek island-hopping trip?

There are a few Greek words that every traveler should know before going to Greece! These include:

• Ne — “yes”
• Ohi — “no”
• Yassas — “hello” or a casual greeting
• Kalimera — “good morning”
• Yamas — “cheers!”
• Efharisto — “thank you”
• Parakaló — “please” or “you’re welcome”

Watch this video on YouTube to see how these Greek words are pronounced!

What are lesser-visited Greek islands?

If you’re interested in visiting a few lesser-known Greek islands, I’d highly recommend Syros, Sifnos, Kithnos or Folegandros.

Syros, in particular, is lovely due to its more colorful buildings—think pastel pinks and yellows and varying shades of red, blue and white. It’s also known as the capital of the Cyclades, so it’s super easy to get to from Athens, Myknonos, Naxos and Paros.

Additionally, Crete is another really great island, which can be reached via direct ferry from Santorini, Naxos, Milos and Paros.

It’s the largest Greek island, so it’s really easy to escape the crowds and find some hidden gems. Plus, I have found that it’s one of the more affordable Greek islands, as there is a wide array of accommodations, restaurants and things to do.

Get inspired to travel to Crete by reading my blogs on visiting Chania, Sougia and Loutro ; visiting the incredible Balos Beach ; and staying at the sensational Monastery Estate Retreat Hotel .

Is Greece worth the hype?

Yes, yes and heck yes. Greece is one of my favorite countries due to its friendly locals, delicious food, gorgeous landscapes, amazing beaches and wide array of Greek islands that offer very different experiences.

If you plan on island hopping around Greece for two weeks, you will not regret your trip! It’ll arguably be one of the best things you have ever done (especially when done right).

With that said, I hope you got some value and inspiration from this 14-day Greek island hopping itinerary! If you have any questions about traveling or backpacking Greece, don’t hesitate to ask them below in the comments. 😊

Safe travels,

Not sure what to check out next? Readers love these posts:

25 important things you should know before going to Greece

• 11 essentials to pack when traveling to Europe for the first time
• Spending 4 days on the captivating island of Corfu, Greece
• 20 simple ways to practice ecotourism & be a more green traveler
• 10 airport travel tips all flyers should know
• What to pack for Greece in the Spring

Love this post on the best 14-day Greek island hopping route? Pin it!

As mentioned above, this post contains affiliate links. Which means if you make a purchase through the links, this site receives a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure here .

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Real Greek Experiences

Greek Culture, Travel Information, Itineraries, Life in Greece

Greek Island Hopping: A Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners And Not Only

Island hopping in Greece is an experience of a lifetime! The stunning scenery, crystal-clear waters, delicious food, and rich history and culture make for a fantastic trip. Here are all the tips you need to plan your Greek island-hopping trip entirely on your own.

How to travel between the Greek islands by ferry

Island hopping in Greece is a unique experience. From the amazing beaches to the picturesque villages and numerous ancient sites, there is so much to explore on each island.

With well over 100 beautiful islands to choose from, planning an island hopping trip to Greece might seem like a daunting task. In reality, though, it’s not that hard to plan your Greek vacation on your own.

I’m Vanessa from Athens, and I’ve been island-hopping in Greece since I was a kid. I’ve travelled to over 60 of our islands, and I wrote this guide to help you plan your own island hopping trip in Greece. Here is my step-to-step guide and my best tips!

1. Research the best time of year to visit the Greek islands

Before you start planning to travel to the Greek islands, you should know that Greece has four seasons. In fact, winters in Greece can be surprisingly cold and damp. Most of the coastal resorts, even on world-famous islands like Santorini, actually shut down in winter!

The best months to visit the islands of Greece are from May to September, when the weather is warm and you can enjoy the beautiful beaches.

However, keep in mind that July and August are peak tourist season, and many islands will be crowded. If you’re looking for a calmer vacation, consider visiting in May, June or late September.

April and October are also good options, though the weather can be a little hit and miss. If you are looking to visit in April or early May, you could plan your trip around the Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations , which are very unique.

For some more insight, have a look at these articles:

• Best time to visit the Greek islands
• Hottest Greek islands to visit in October

2. Check a map of Greece and see where the islands are

As you are starting to plan your trip, look at a map of Greece. You will notice that most of the islands are clustered together in groups. The main Greek island groups are the following:

• Cyclades islands , known for their white-washed houses and dry, rocky landscapes. Mykonos , Santorini , Paros, Naxos and Milos belong to the Cycladic islands.
• Saronic islands , which are located close to Athens and are known for their cosmopolitan feel. Examples are Aegina, Hydra and Spetses.
• Sporades islands , known for their verdant landscapes. There are four islands in this group – Skiathos, Skopelos , Alonissos and Skyros.
• Dodecanese islands , which are the furthest away from Athens. Some of them are Rhodes, Kos, Symi , Tilos and Nisyros .
• Northern Aegean islands , some of the lesser known islands in Greece. Lesvos, Chios and Ikaria are some of the biggest ones.
• Ionian islands , which are known for their long sandy beaches and thick forests. Corfu , Kefalonia and Zakynthos are the most popular ones.
• Crete , Greece’s largest island, which is located to the south of the Greek mainland.
• Evia , a large island close to Athens, which you can reach via a bridge.

For more information on what each island group looks like, have a look at this  introduction to the Greek island groups .

3. How to plan your Greek island itinerary 

To plan your Greek island itinerary, research the islands and their attractions, allocate time for each island, plan accommodation and transportation, create a rough daily itinerary, and be flexible in case of unexpected changes.

That was easy, eh? Let’s break this down further!!

So, if you are like most people, you will have about one or two weeks to spend in Greece. In order to save time and avoid last-minute stress, it’s usually best to plan your itinerary in advance.

First, you will need to decide which islands you want to visit. While it can be an overwhelming task, it becomes a lot easier if you narrow them down by island group, or proximity on the map! Then, you can decide if you want to focus on the most touristy islands, or perhaps some small islands that you don’t know anything about.

As you are planning your itinerary, you will need to check transportation options between the islands. It’s much easier to visit islands that are directly connected to each other via ferry.

I use a search engine called Ferryscanner to check ferry routes and book my ferry tickets. Most ferry itineraries are released a few months in advance, so there’s plenty of time to plan. You can also see past ferry routes on a site called Openseas . While exact routes may change from one year to the next, this will give you a pretty solid indication.

Find the best Greek island hopping routes

My best tip when island hopping in Greece, is to visit islands which are connected on direct ferries. Usually, these belong to the same island groups.

Some examples are:

• Santorini, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos
• Andros and Tinos
• Milos and Kimolos
• Rhodes, Nisyros and Kos
• Santorini and Crete
• Ithaca, Kefalonia and Zakynthos
• Corfu and Paxi.

While it may be tempting to visit islands in completely different island groups, you will find that the logistical challenges involved might not be worth it. For example, travelling from the Cyclades to the Ionian islands would require flights and / or ferry journeys of several hours.

Of course, it’s still possible to visit islands that are far from each other if that’s what you want. Just be prepared to allow for extra travel time, and note that transportation is likely to be costly.

Allow enough time on each island

When you are planning your Greece trip, you will be tempted to try and visit several islands, especially since there are so many beautiful ones to choose from. However, more isn’t always better!

I recommend spending at least 3 nights on each island, and longer for larger islands. So, if you have 9-10 days in Greece, I would suggest that you visit no more than three islands.

It’s also important to factor in travel time between islands when planning your itinerary. Check the ferry schedules and travel times carefully, as they can vary depending on the season and the day of the week. And note that, occasionally, a ferry might get delayed – more on this, later.

Allow enough time to see the sights, enjoy the gorgeous beaches and scenic landscapes, soak up the atmosphere, and fully immerse yourself in the local culture. This will help make your trip to Greece even more memorable!

4. Check flight options to Greece

Once you’ve got a rough plan in mind, you can check out available flight options to Greece and the islands. Many people fly into the Athens International Airport (ATH), the biggest airport in Greece.

However, several islands also have international airports. If you are flying from Europe, you may be able to find direct flights to major destinations in Greece such as Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Skiathos. These flights are usually available during late spring, summer and autumn.

In addition, several islands such as Naxos, Milos or Syros have domestic airports, and there are daily connections to and from the Athens airport year-round. So you can fly into Athens, and catch an onward flight a few hours later.

Once you’ve booked your flights, you can move on to the next step: book your accommodation!

5. Book your hotels on the Greek islands

Once you have planned your itinerary and decided which islands you want to visit and in what order, you can go ahead and book your accommodation on each one.

Accommodation options on the Greek islands can vary a lot. Some islands, like Mykonos or Santorini, will offer a range of luxury resorts and villas. Most islands also have more budget-friendly options like guesthouses or small family-run hotels.

I recommend booking your accommodation in advance, especially if you’re travelling during peak season. While there may be last-minute options available, they might not be suitable for your specific needs.

Also, keep in mind that many of the smaller islands, such as Schinoussa or Donoussa , have limited accommodation options. During the high season, rooms can actually get sold out, as there are many travellers who return every year. Make sure you check availability of accommodation before finalizing your itinerary.

I’ve always found that Booking.com offers more choice and better value in Greece than other similar platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO. So make sure you check all options before you book.

6. How to buy Greek ferry tickets

Once you have booked your accommodation, you can book your ferry tickets as well. As mentioned earlier, Ferryscanner is a useful search engine to check ferry routes and book your tickets.

Some travellers prefer to book their ferry tickets last minute. In my opinion, it’s usually best to book them at least a week or two in advance, especially during the peak tourist season when some ferries can actually sell out.

And while there will often be another ferry on the same day that you can take, it doesn’t hurt to secure the route you actually prefer!

A few tips on ferry travel in Greece

Ferries are the most common mode of transportation between the Greek islands. There is a huge network of ferries, some of which run year-round. Others are seasonal and run in spring, summer and autumn.

Itineraries for most ferries are announced a few months in advance. So, for example, if you are travelling in June, you will find that most ferry routes will be announced by March or April.

The Greek ferry system is very efficient overall. Still, ferries can sometimes be delayed or, in rare cases, cancelled. Always allow for extra time when planning your ferry trip. If you are flying back home from Athens, I suggest spending your last evening in the Greek capital.

Keep in mind that ferries will typically be crowded during peak season. Get to the port at least a half hour early, especially if you don’t have a numbered seat – more on this below.

And finally, make sure to bring a light jacket on board. Some of those ferries have ridiculously cold air-condition!

Fast ferries vs slow ferries

Generally speaking, there are two types of ferries in Greece: the fast ferries and the slow ferries.

The fast ferries only have assigned indoor seating, and you are not allowed to walk on the outdoor deck. People often refer to all fast ferries as “SeaJets”, as the majority are run by a company called SeaJets.

Note that not all SeaJets are equal – in fact, they vary a lot in size. The smaller ones can be claustrophobic for some people, and are a no-no if you easily get seasick, as the meltemi summer winds will affect them. If you have a choice, it’s best to travel on the bigger SeaJets, that also carry vehicles on board.

Most of the slow ferries are bigger, and they have both an outdoor and an indoor area. They are generally more comfortable to travel on, even on windy days, and are also cheaper, especially if you get a deck (non-assigned) seat. Many of the most popular slow ferries travelling around the Aegean Sea are run by a company called Blue Star Ferries.

In any case, it’s a good idea to have some motion sickness medication with you, just in case. And if you are planning to sit on the deck, don’t forget your sunscreen and a hat. You won’t feel you are sunburned until you look at yourself in the mirror – I’ve learnt the hard way!

7. Choose some tours to enhance your Greek Island Experience 

If you are interested in taking any organized tours on the islands you are visiting, it’s worth doing some research before you go.

You will typically find many interesting options on most islands. Some examples are sailing tours, guided tours of the ancient sites, road trips, cooking classes, and outdoor activities.

Here is a tiny selection of great tours on some of the most popular Greek islands:

• Sunset cruise in Santorini , a great way to experience the iconic island 
• Guided tour of the Palace of Knossos in Crete , which was first built around 1,900 BC!
• Half-day trip from Mykonos to Ancient Delos and Rhenia – combines history, culture and amazing swimming spots
• Cooking class in Naxos island , one of my favourite Cyclades islands for food
• Amazing sailing trip in Milos , a fantastic activity where you will see the amazing coastline of Milos
• Kayaking in Rhodes – I took this myself and had a blast!

For a huge selection of tours in Greece and the rest of the world, you can check out these two platforms: GetYourGuide and Viator .

In addition to that, you can usually find last-minute sailing tours on most islands, often on smaller boats with basic facilities. Ask around at the main port town.  

8. Decide how you are going to get around each island

There are several ways to get around the islands. Examples are public buses, taxis, boat trips, and walking / hiking. You will also find or rental cars, ATVs, scooters and bicycles on most islands.

Public transportation is one of the most affordable ways to get around the islands. The buses are known as KTEL buses, so you can Google the name of the island plus the phrase “KTEL bus” to find out bus itineraries. Note that these change often – there are more services in the peak season months than, for example, in April or May.

All in all, renting a vehicle will offer more freedom, and you will be able to visit places at your own pace. DiscoverCars is a great website where you can easily book cars for many of the largest islands. You can also check Google Maps for car rental services on each island – just make sure you read reviews from previous customers. 

Like with hotels, if you are travelling in July or August, it’s usually best to book your vehicle in advance. Have a look at this article on driving in Greece .

9. Learn a few Greek words and phrases

Learning the Greek alphabet and a couple of basic Greek phrases can enhance your island hopping experience in Greece. While English is widely spoken in tourist areas, Greeks truly appreciate it when visitors make an effort to speak Greek.

Start with the basics, like “ kalimera ” (good morning), and “ yiassou ” (hello /goodbye). Also, try to master “ parakaló ” (please), and “ efharistó ” (thank you). Unfortunately, the last one is a bit of a challenge for most people!

I’ve written three guides with a few words and phrases in Greek – have a look:

• The Greek alphabet
• Useful Greek words and phrases
• Greek curse words – use them wisely, if at all 🙂

10. How to pack for your island hopping trip

And now, let’s fast forward to a few days before your Greek island hopping trip… packing time!

When packing for your trip to Greece, keep in mind that the islands can get very hot in the summer months. Be sure to pack light, breathable clothing. However, make sure you also throw in a light jacket for those windy evenings, or the air-conditioned ferries.

Now, I can not stress it enough: Exploring the Greek islands usually involves lots of walking, and it will often seem that there are stairs wherever you go. Bring your most comfortable walking shoes , and consider packing light, as you may need to carry your suitcase up and down several flights of stairs.

You will also need a hat, sunglasses, your swimsuit, sunscreen and insect repellent. Mosquitoes in Greece are not dangerous, but they can be a nuisance… I’m talking from experience! Here’s how to avoid mosquitoes in Greece .

That said, if you forget any of those items, no worries – they are easily available all around Greece. Pharmacies, cosmetics stores and supermarkets all stock sunscreen and insect repellent, but you can also find them at many tourist shops.

Here is some more information on what to pack for Greece for every season and why I think Tevas are the best shoes for Greece .

11. Bring some cash to use on the Greek islands

These days, most businesses in Greece take credit and debit cards. However, you will still find that, sometimes, you can pay in cash only. As an example, local buses in Santorini require cash payment!

Similarly, some smaller family-run restaurants and shops in remote areas will typically prefer cash payment. In rare occasions, you might not even have the option to pay with your card.

Therefore, it’s always a good idea to carry some cash on you when you are out and about. And if you need to withdraw money, there will usually be an ATM or two in the island’s main towns.

In terms of cards, while Visa and Mastercard are both fine, note than American Express is not widely accepted in Greece.

Actually, I warmly recommend Revolut whenever you are travelling – I’ve been using it for years and it’s saved me a lot of hassle and commission fees in many countries. If you want to have a look, you can check out my referral link !

12. Embrace Greek island life!

And the big day has arrived – you are finally on one of the Greek islands! Now what?

Well! As a Greek, I can tell you that our islands are known for their relaxed and slow pace of life. Do take some time to relax on the great beaches, and take in the stunning wild beauty of the islands.

Wherever you go, you are going to want to do some sightseeing, explore the towns and traditional villages, and learn about the ancient history. But don’t forget to slow down! Take your time to embrace the Greek cuisine, and enjoy a leisurely meal with a couple of drinks at one of the Greek tavernas .

Here is my guide with 50 of the best Greek dishes !

Last, but definitely not least, make sure you talk to the locals and ask about island life. I’ve always found that the conversations I’ve had with the islanders have offered me more insight about the local culture than I could ever find in any travel book or guide!

FAQs about Greek island hopping

Here are some questions that readers have asked me in the past:

Which is the best Greek island for island hopping?

You can start your Greek island hopping trip in Athens, or on any island with an international airport. Some examples are the two most famous islands in Greece, Santorini and Mykonos, which many first-time visitors include in their Greece tour. Other islands with international airports include Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos. You can easily take a ferry from any of those to other nearby islands.

Is Greek island hopping worth it?

It is definitely worth visiting the Greek islands at least once in your life. To plan your Greek island itinerary on your own, you will need to choose the islands you want to visit, and research ferry connections between them.

When should I go Greek island hopping?

The best time of the year to travel around the Greek islands is between May and September, when the weather is warm. You will then make the most of the fantastic beaches and enjoy the local atmosphere.

How easy is Greek island hopping?

It’s actually pretty easy to plan your Greek island hopping itinerary on your own. Alternatively, you can always find some Greek island hopping packages or even sailing cruises.

What is the best way to island hop in Greece?

The best, and often the only, way to island hop in Greece is by ferry. There are several Greek island hopping routes which usually include some of the most popular islands. If you like sailing, you can also take a sailing trip around the islands.

Do you need a car for Greek island hopping?

While a car is not strictly necessary if you want to visit Greece and the Greek islands, it will offer you more freedom if you want to explore each island at your own pace. Public transportation is quite good on some of the most popular islands, but if you want to visit remote beaches or get away from areas with mass tourism, a vehicle is always a good idea. 

Is Greek island hopping expensive?

Greek island hopping doesn’t need to be expensive. To keep ferry costs down, it’s better to visit fewer islands that are on the same island hopping route. Here’s some information on island hopping in Greece on a budget , and my article on why Greece is not expensive .

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First-timer's guide to the Galápagos Islands

Mar 1, 2020 • 5 min read

Planning is paramount before a booking a trip to the Galapagos Islands © Jesse Kraft / Getty Images

Wildlife is sure to wow visitors to the Galápagos Islands , but the archipelago has so much more to offer. Before a journey to this bucket-list destination, proper planning is paramount. Here’s what to know before you go.

From the adrenaline rush of snorkeling nose-to-nose with white-tipped reef sharks to the wonder of watching up-close as blue-footed boobies perform mating dances on the sand, visitors can experience firsthand how locals coexist in harmony with the creatures of the Galápagos Islands – home to the rarest and most diverse species found in the world, and the inspiration behind Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. 

There, time stands still, animals rule, and people delight in close encounters with wildlife, as there are no natural predators for the animals to fear. And beyond the one-of-a-kind wildlife viewings , there’s so much more to explore. In order to fully embrace a journey to the Galápagos Islands, it’s important to go properly prepared. 

What to pack 

From the jagged, jet-black lava fields of Santiago Island, to the powdery-soft beaches of Mosquera Islet, the landscape varies greatly throughout the Galápagos Islands, so proper footwear is fundamental. Sturdy, waterproof sandals will be required for wet landings, and lightweight runners or hiking boots will provide the proper support and protection from the rocky, uneven surfaces encountered during dry land hikes.

Weather waxes and wanes throughout the day, so prepare for both warm and wet environments. While the temperatures aren’t typically tropical, high-SPF sunscreens, protective sunglasses and neck-shading sun hats are essential, as the proximity to the equator means it can be easy to burn – even on cloudy days. 

For long days on the water, manage motion sickness with a patch or over-the-counter pills and pack a small first-aid kit filled with essential medications that you may need while out at sea. Bug repellent isn’t mandatory, but it might help to prevent bites during longer inland explorations.

Shorts and t-shirts will suffice on most days, however, a light raincoat and sweater will provide comfort on wetter days and cooler mornings. Avoid slipping on soggy swimsuits by packing a few, as the night air can be humid and swimming and snorkeling are sure to occur several times throughout the day.

Most importantly, bring a fully-charged camera with back-up batteries to capture the stunning scenery and fantastic flora and fauna found throughout the islands – many of which are unique only to this part of the world.

How to get to the Gal á pagos Islands

 There are two stopover cities to choose from when traveling through Ecuador ’s mainland en route to the Galápagos Islands: Quito or Guayaquil . While both are stunning cities, Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city, has more frequent direct flights to the islands, and is closer in proximity. 

Hotel del Parque – the first luxury boutique hotel to open in Guayaquil, is situated in the suburb of Samborondon, is a short 10-minute drive from the airport. Transportation can be arranged through the hotel. Situated on a tropical oasis, the restored 19th-century property offers authentic Ecuadorian cuisine and a peaceful setting to catch up on sleep before embarking on the remainder of the journey to the Galápagos.

There are two major airports on the Galápagos Islands: Seymour Airport (serving the island of Baltra), and San Cristobal (found on the island of Cristobal). The arrival and departure airport will depend on the location of the cruise departure or land accommodation site.

Before entering the area, a mandatory park fee must be paid by most visitors coming from overseas. In an effort to reduce over-tourism, each visiting adult traveler must pay USD$100. This rate is set to double by the end of 2020.

You might also like: Ultimate Ecuador: plan your perfect adventure  

Where to stay 

Water-loving wanderers often opt for a stay aboard a cruise ship or on one of the eco-friendly yachts, but there are land-based accommodations available as well.

While cruising tends to be the more common choice, a land-based stay offers a well-rounded option, providing visitors with opportunities to connect with the local people and culture, experience close encounters with the land-bound wildlife more frequently, and enjoy a restful sleep – ideal for those prone to seasickness, or guests looking for breaks to settle their sea legs. 

For a more affordable land-based option, Puerto Ayora provides hostel-style accommodations, however day trips and excursions to attractions found throughout the islands will need to be booked separately.

Pikaia Lodge , a luxury eco-lodge found on Santa Cruz , sits in the heart of a private tortoise reserve, perched on the edge of an extinct volcanic crater, and overlooks acres of endemic Scalesia trees. 

Darwin delights in every corner of the luxury lodge, which nods to the connection to the Theory of Evolution that emerged from Darwin’s visit to the Galápagos Islands, and the five-star cuisine, private 100ft luxury yacht, on-site spa and infinity pool provide the perfect setting for restful downtime in between days of adventure throughout the Galápagos Islands.

What to see and do 

For island visits, the guidance of a certified tour guide is mandatory. This can be arranged through cruise excursions or as a part of a hotel package. Wildlife viewing is a must, but the islands also offer adventure spots beyond the ocean’s edge. 

Observe giant Galápagos tortoises in the wild and learn about the history of the significant species at El Chato Tortoise Reserve , found on Santa Rosa. Afterward, explore the underground world of the islands by creeping through the on-site lava tube caves. 

Head to Academy Bay and mingle with locals at the waterfront fish market and then stroll through the artisanal shops and purchase cacao treats, lava-laced jewelry and locally-grown coffee beans during a visit to town.

Then, hike along stunning stone pathways to Tortuga Bay and watch as black marine iguanas run along the white sandy beach. Head past the unswimmable Playa Brava and kayak with sea turtles and sharks at the hidden bay of Playa Mansa, found just beyond a mass of mangroves that line the shore. 

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Greek Island Hopping Itinerary: 1-2 Weeks + My Best Tips

Greek island hopping routes: the definitive guide.

You’re planning to do some Greek island hopping for your next trip? You’re looking for the best Greek Island hopping itinerary?

Then look no further!

In order to help you plan your stay, I have prepared this detailed travel guide.

A quick note before starting: In this travel guide, I will give you a 2 weeks Greek islands hopping route . For other durations, please read the following articles:

• 1 week Greek island hopping itinerary
• 10 Days Greek island hopping itinerary
• And if you prefer to visit Dodecanese and Rhodes island: Visit Rhodes, the definitive guide .

Now, let’s get back to your 14-15 days Greek island itinerary .

During your 2 weeks trip , you will discover some of the best islands of the Cyclades archipelago : Santorini , Amorgos , Naxos , Paros and Ios.

In addition to the must-see attractions for each stage of the itinerary, I will also give you all my best tips and accommodation suggestions depending on your budget.

So, what’s the best Cyclades island hopping itinerary?

Let’s find out!

Best hotels in Oia

Best hotels in fira, other best places to stay in santorini island, best hotels in katapola, best hotels in aegiali, where to stay in naxos, best hotels in parikia, best hotels in naoussa, where to stay in ios, 6) return to santorini (1 day), greece tours, renting a boat in the cyclades, cyclades (greek islands), 1) santorini (3 days).

For the 1st stage of your Greek island hopping itinerary, you will visit the world-famous Santorini island.

First things first: How to go to Santorini ?

That’s simple, to get to Santorini,  you will have 3 options:

• The best is to land directly in Santorini. Mykonos and Santorini are the only islands in the Cyclades with an international airport.
• If you plan to visit Greece before doing Greek island hopping , there are domestic flights to Santorini from several cities, including Athens and Thessaloniki . Very convenient!
• The last option is to take the ferry from Athens . The journey takes between 5 and 8 hours.

If you want to visit Santorini in 3 days, the best is to rent a car.

Sure, you can also use the public buses , but they are very crowded , they often don’t stop (as they are full!) and they don’t go everywhere . So renting a car is definitely the best solution if you want to be completely free!

What’s great is that all the parking lots are free on the island.

When booking your rental car in Greece, you should use Rentalcars.com website. It’s the best way to compare all  car rental companies prices and customer reviews.

They also offer a Full Protection Insurance, to get refunded in case of accident or theft. Tested and approved! They have already refunded me more than 1200 euros to date.

If you already know your travel dates for your 2 weeks Greek island hopping itinerary, you can book your car right now to get the best prices. It won’t commit you to anything, as cancelling or modifying your booking is very often free.

Simply click the button below to compare rental car prices for 3 days in Santorini:

On your 1st day in Santorini, you will visit the 2 most famous villages of the island, Fira and Oia . You’ve probably already seen some pictures, with their typical white and blue houses and their luxury hotels with infinity pools located on the edge of the Caldera.

Here is the program of the day:

• To start your day, you will visit Fira : wander in the alleys, have a look at the luxury shops and enjoy the views over the caldera
• Then, follow the main street along the sea and head to Firostefani and Imerovigli , the 2 adjacent villages.
• If you feel like hiking a bit , you can continue on the walking trail that goes from Imerovigli to Oia town . This 2 hours hike is clearly the most beautiful in Santorini.
• If you don’t want to walk , you can simply take back your car and drive to Oia.
• Once in Oia, you can visit the village and enjoy its numerous small shops, bars and restaurant.
• At the end of the day, you should go to Oia Byzantine Castle ruins to admire the sunset. It’s the best sunset spot in Santorini!

Not bad for the 1st day of your 2 weeks Greek island hopping route, right?

Spend a night in Santorini.

The next day, it’s time to do one of Santorini’s most popular activity: a boat trip.

During this cruise, you will walk on Nea Kameni still active volcano , swim in Palea Kameni hot springs and visit Therasia , the island located in front of Santorini.

As this is a very popular activity, you have to book your cruise in advance. Just click the button below for more details.

There is also a luxury version of this cruise : you will sail on a catamaran and even watch the sunset from the boat! You can book it right there:

For your last day in Santorini, you should do a road trip around the island.

Here are the best places to visit:

• Visit the other villages like Pyrgos, Megalochori and Emporio.
• If you like archaeological sites, you can go to Akrotiri and the Ancient Thera.
• If you’re a wine enthusiast, you can book an oenology tour (in a small group) to visit the Santorini’s vineyards. You will also taste a dozen of the best wines.  Book it right here!
• Then, you can end your day at the beach. Don’t miss the Red Beach, and its ochre cliffs, or Kamari and Perissa beaches with volcanic black sand. If you are travelling with children, the shallow waters of Monolithos beach will be perfect for you!

Spend a last night in Santorini.

You will find more details about Santorini in my article: Visit Santorini: the definitive guide.

When you rent a car for 3 days in Santorini, the best is to drop off your car at the port, and not at the airport. As you will take the ferry boat to reach the next island of your 2 weeks Greek island itinerary, it will be a lot more convenient.

By the way: you will have to rent a different car on each island, as you can’t take the ferry with a rental car.

Where to stay in Santorini

You must know that staying in Santorini, especially in the villages of the caldera like Oia and Fira , is quite expensive.

If you want a less expensive accommodation , it’s better to choose a hotel outside these 2 cities .

And of course, even more in Santorini than in any other place, book your hotels as early as possible!

To help you choose, I have made a selection of the best hotels in Santorini , depending on where you want to stay and your budget.

• Aethrio Hotel: Located in Oia, only a few steps away from the main square. You can rent double rooms, studio flats or apartments with balcony for most of them. The price starts from 160€ per night, breakfast included. Strong points: the swimming pool, the large rooms, the rooftop to admire the sunset. It’s one of the cheapest places in Oia, and it offers a great value for money!
• Caldera Premium Villas: Located in the centre of Oia. You will love the troglodyte suites with a breathtaking view of the sea and the caldera, starting from 290€ per night, breakfast included. Strong points: the pool, the design of the rooms, and the location.
• Theodora Suites Apartment: Located in the heart of the city. Studio flats with small kitchen, fridge, private terrace and hot tub, starting from 350€, breakfast included. What I loved: the hot tubs, the breathtaking view, the kind staff.
• Andronis Boutique Hotel: 5-star hotel located in Oia. You’ll enjoy large suites with a view of the caldera, private balcony and private hot tub or pool, starting from 800€ with breakfast included. Strong points: the idyllic scenery and the calm. It’s my recommendation for a one-week romantic stay in Greece!
• Katikies Hotel – The Leading Hotels of the World: This luxurious hotel offers rooms and suites with a great view, bathtub and spa. The price starts from 1000€ with breakfast included. What I loved: the pools, the spas, the splendid views and the food! It’s my recommendation for a luxury stay in Santorini!

• Galatia Villas: Located 10 minutes away from Fira’s city centre. The double rooms are quite basic but nice, and the price starts from only 80€ per night. Strong points: the hot tub on the roof, the kind staff, the great value for money for Santorini.
• Lilium Santorini Villa: Located on the edge of the caldera. These elegant and modern double rooms with sea view are available starting from 315€, breakfast included. What I loved: the pool, the exceptionnal location, the warm and welcoming staff.
• Cosmopolitan Suites – Small Luxury Hotels of the World: Located in the heart of Fira. You will enjoy lovely rooms with private balcony, decorated in the purest Cycladian style, starting from 550€ per night, breakfast included. Strong points: the infinity pool over the cliff, and the luxury hotel services. This is the perfect place to stay with your lover in Santorini!
• Aria Suites: Located in Fira, this high standard hotel offers only 6 suites and luxury villas, fully equipped (you even get a laptop), starting from 700€ per night. What I loved: the magnificent place, the pool and the staff availability. This is a great choice for a luxurious and romantic stay in Fira!

• Memories Beach Hotel: Located just accross Monolithos beach. These comfortable modern rooms starts from 65€ per night, with breakfast included. Strong points: the pool, the calm and the adorable staff.
• Rose Suites: Located in Vourvoulos, only 4 kilometers away from Fira. Those studio flats and apartments are well equiped and decorated, with a small kitchen and a private terrace. The prices are starting from 75€ per night. What I loved: the pool, the calm, the decoration. The fridge is also full with everything you need for breakfast. This is the best choice in Santorini for its exceptional value for money!
• Hippocampus Hotel: Located in Kamari, only 50 meters away from the beach. The rooms, with a view on the swimming pool or the garden, are starting from 85€ per night, breakfast included. Strong points: the pool, the ideal location close to the beach, and the really kind staff.
• Meltemi Village Hotel: Located in Perissa, only 5 minutes away from the Black beach. The rooms and suites with hot tubs are starting from 100€ per night, with the breakfast included. What I loved: the pools, the spa, and the great breakfast. A great choice for a stay on Santorini’s shore!

2) Amorgos (3 days)

Let’s now go to Amorgos, another island of the Cyclades archipelago.

From Santorini, you have to take the ferry to reach Amorgos. It takes around 1 hour.

If you need more information about the ferries rates and schedules, just click the button below. (You will need this website to plan the ferrys for rest of your trip, so don’t forget to bookmark the page!)

In Amorgos, you will need rent a car for the next 3 days. As there are no car rental agencies affiliated to  Rentalcars.com in Amorgos , just rent your car when you will arrive at the port. There are many rental companies just next to the ferry pier and the prices are very similar.

For your 1st day in Amorgos, you should take your car and drive around the island:

• Take a walk in Katapola, where the ferries from Santorini arrives.
• Visit the lovely village of Hora (Amorgos’ capital), with its old mills!
• Have lunch in one of Hora’s taverns, and enjoy a typical atmosphere.
• Drive to the Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa. You can also visit the inside.
• Make a stop at Agia Ana cove , just below the monastery
• End your day at Kalotaritissa Beach to go swimming. Don’t forget to go see the ship wreck of “The Big Blue” movie located nearby!

Spend a night in Amorgos.

For the next 2 days of your Greek island hopping itinerary , let’s go hiking a bit! With many walking trails all around the island, Amorgos is one of the best place in the Cyclades to hike.

You can have more information about the walking trails to plan your hikes on  Amorgos’ official website.

During your hikes, you will also find many nice beaches and coves to rest a bit.

If you want more information about Amorgos, you should read my article:  The 8 best things to do in Amorgos.

When your book your ferry tickets to Amorgos, you will notice that the island has 2 ports: Katapola and Aegiali.

You can arrive in one and leave from the other. Don’t go to the wrong port on your day of departure! Also, remember to tell your departure port name to the rental company when you will rent your car.

Where to stay in Amorgos

When you visit Amorgos, you can stay in one of the 2 main cities:  Katapola and Aegiali.  Choose between the 2  according to your port of departure! 

Here is a  selection of the best places to stay in Amorgos,  to help you choose.

• Amorgion Hotel: Located 1km from the port of Katapola, and at only 8-minute walk from the beach. The double rooms with private balcony, and a view of the Aegean Sea for some of them, are starting from 50€ per night, with an 8€ breakfast. Strong points: the pool, the private free parking, the warm welcome. It’s the only hotel with a swimming pool in Katapola!
• Barbara Pension: Located 5 minutes away from the beach, right next to the port of Katapola. The studio flats are equipped with a sink , a fridge and also have a balcony. The prices are starting from 55€per night. Strong points: the cleanliness, the quietness, the very kind owner!
• Diasino Studios: Located close to the port. The studio flats and apartments are modern, with terrace or balcony. The prices are starting from 60€ with a 5€ breakfast. What I loved: the calm, the location close to all the restaurants. It’s the best value for money in Katapola!
• Landeris Hotel: Located 3 minutes away from the beach, and close to the port. The rooms, studio flats and apartments are decorated in a rustic style, with wooden furniture. The prices are starting from 60€ per night with breakfast included. Strong points: the kindness of the owners, the delicious breakfast, the great advice!
• Minoa Hotel: Located 100m from the beach, close to the port. The bright and large double rooms, with balcony are starting from 80€ per night including breakfast. Strong points: the kind staff, the great breakfast.
• Pelagos: Located only 3 minutes from the beach and 100m from the port of Aegiali. The double rooms with balcony and sea view are starting from 35€ per night, with a 5€ breakfast. Strong points: the view, the welcome directly at your boat, the copious breakfast.
• Aelia Studios: Located on the sea side. The modern and cosy studio flats, equipped with a small kitchen with an oven and hotplates are starting from 60€ per night. What I loved: the design and the charm of the apartments, the location. It’s the best value for money in Aegiali!
• Vigla Hotel: Located 10 minutes away from the beach, in Tholaria, above Aegiali. The modern and bright large rooms are starting from 110€per night, with breakfast included. Strong points: the pool, the copious breakfast, the comfort, the quietness, the great restaurant. If you’re looking for a nice hotel with a swimming pool in Amorgos, you should definitely try the Vigla!
• Aegialis Hotel & Spa: Located above Aegiali, this 5-star hotel (the only one in Amorgos) offers comfortable rooms with balcony starting from 140€ per night. Strong points: the big pool, the magnificient view of Aegiali and the sea, the spa, the quietness. It’s simply the best hotel in Amorgos!

3) Naxos (3 days)

After 3 days in Santorini and 3 days in Amorgos, it’s time to take the ferry again to continue your 2 weeks Greek islands hopping itinerary.

You’re about to discover Naxos, the largest Cyclades island, located only 1h15 away from Amorgos.

When you will arrive, as you did in Santorini, get your  rental car for 3 days.

Once you’ve got your car, visit Naxos’ main town: Hora. There, you will see the island most iconic landmark: the Portara. It’s the only remain of a former temple dedicated to Apollo. The view of the island and the mountains is beautiful!

In Hora, don’t miss the Kastro district, with its typical alleys and many shops. Along the seaside, you will also find a lot of restaurants and cafés.

Spend the afternoon in one of the West Coast beaches.

Spend the night in Naxos.

The next morning, you will visit the 3 most famous mountain villages in Naxos:

• Halki , located in the centre of the island. There, you will enjoy many shops and the only distillery making a local liquor named “Kitron”. You should take a short stroll to Agios Giorgios Diasorites church, located a 10-minute walk from the village.
• Filoti, with its many typical taverns and restaurants as well as a church entirely made of marble. If you go to “Aria Spring”, located not far from the village, you can hike to the summit of Mount Zeus, the highest point of the Cyclades. It takes around 1h30 to reach the top.
• Apiranthos, a really small village. The road to get there offers gorgeous views of the sea and mountains.

End your day around Moutsouma to enjoy one of the East Coast beaches.

Spend a 2nd night in Naxos.

For your last day in Naxos, how about a boat trip?

During this cruise, you will go swimming in very beautiful places you can’t reach by foot or by car, like Rina Cave or Kalados Beach. You will also discover the Small Cyclades and Antiparos from the sea.

Soft drinks and snorkeling equipment are included in this 80€ per person tour.

If you don’t want to go on a cruise, you can also spend your day at the beach, take a short stroll, or go see the famous Kouros of Naxos, 2 big unfinished marble statues.

They are located in Apollonas (on the road before the village) and in Flerio.

Spend a last night in Naxos.

You will find all the details you need to visit Naxos in my free travel guide: The 10 best things to do in Naxos.

If you’re going to visit Naxos, the best is to stay in Hora (the capital city) or its surroundings.

• Anatoli Hotel: Located a 10-minute walk from Naxos centre and the beach. The modern rooms with balcony and a view of the pool or the garden are starting from 45€ with breakfast included. Strong points: the pool, the sauna, the hot tub, and the free transfer from the port and the airport.
• The Saint Vlassis: Located only 700m from the city centre and 500m from the Agios Georgios beach. This hotel offers comfortable and large double rooms, with an outdoor hot tub for some of them! The prices are starting from 60€ per night including breakfast. Strong points: the warm welcome, the good breakfast, the free parking. It’s simply the best value for money in Naxos!
• Xenia Hotel: Located in the centre of Naxos. The modern and well equipped double rooms are starting from 70€ with an 8€ breakfast. Strong points: the location in the city centre (really convenient to take the ferry), the kind staff, the comfortable beds.
• Hotel Grotta: Located only 700m from the Portara and 15 minutes from the beach. Those nice and bright double rooms with balcony are starting from 90€ with breakfast included. A great place for a romantic gateway in Naxos!
• Nissaki Beach Hotel: Located on Agios Georgios beach, the closest to Naxos. The double rooms are very well decorated, and with a balcony. The prices are starting from 220€ per night, with breakfast included. What I loved: The pool, the location next to the beach, the amazing breakfast, the staff. It’s the best hotel for a luxury stay in Naxos!

4) Paros (3 days)

You Cyclades island hopping itinerary will now take you to Paros , only 40 minutes away from Naxos by ferry boat.

You will also have to rent a car to discover the island.

On your 1st day in Paros, you will visit the Northern part of the island.

Take a stroll in Parikia, the capital, to discover its old town and Panagia Ekatontapyliani church. If you’re an history lover, you can also visit the Byzantine Museum and the Archaeological Museum.

Then, drive North to Paros Park. There, you can walk around the park for about 2 hours on the 3 marked trails. You can also go swimming at the beach located in the park.

Take back your car and go to Naoussa, a chic and trendy seaside resort with many shops and restaurants.

End your day and relax at one of the beach nearby: Siparos Beach, Stefano Beach, Lageri Beach, Santa Maria Beach or Kolymbithres, it’s up to you!

Spend the night in Paros.

For your 2nd day in Paros, explore the Southern part of the island.

First, visit the 3 lovely villages of Lefkes, Prodromos and Marpissa. You can get there by car or walk on the Byzantine trail that connects the 3.

Get back in your car and drive to the port of Piso Livadi to have a nice lunch in one of the many restaurants. You’ll love the fresh grilled fishes and the seafood.

To end your day, relax at the Golden Beach, Logaras Beach or Faragas.

Spend a 2nd night in Paros.

The next day, for your last day in Paros, you can go on a cruise around Paros and Antiparos. Many stops to go swimming are included in this tour.

If you don’t want to do a boat trip, you can also drive to Pounda village . From there, you will be able to take a Ferry boat to Antiparos (with your car). In Antiparos, you can visit the main village and enjoy the beaches.

You will find  all information you need to organize your 3 days in Paros in my article: The 10 best things do in Paros .

Where to stay in Paros

In Paros, you will find most of the accommodations around Parikia (that’s convenient, because its where the ferries arrive), or in Naoussa, the island’s main seaside resort.

You will find here a selection of the best places to stay in Parikia and Naoussa.

• Margarita: Located only 300m from the church of Parikia, and 400m from the beach. The double rooms with balcony are starting from 37€ per night. Strong points: the kindness and the advice of the owners, the warm welcome.
• Nostos Studios: Located only a minute walk from the beach and 1km from the port. The studios for 2 to 4 people, with a beautiful sea view, are starting from 70€ per night. Strong points: the terrace to admire the sunset, the warm welcome.
• Sunset View Hotel : Located only 10 minutes away from the port. The confortable rooms with balcony are starting from 80€ including breakfast. What I loved: the pool, the free shuttle from the port, the private parking. It’s the best value for money in Paros!
• Akrotiri Hotel: Located 2km from the port of Parikia. The clean and comfortable double rooms with sea view are starting from 100€ per night, with breakfast included. Strong points: the pool, the view, the great breakfast, the kind staff.
• Surfing Beach Village Paros: Located directly on Santa Maria’s beach, a 5-minute drive from Naoussa. The nice bungalows, decorated in Cycladian style are starting from 30€ per night including breakfast. Strong points: the pool, the free transfer to the port, the location, the free deckchairs on the beach.
• Hotel Senia: Located 200m away from the centre of Naoussa, on the seaside. The rooms and suites with private balconies and amazing view are starting from 105€, with breakfast included. What I loved: the 2 pools, the free parking, the great breakfast. It’s the best value for money in Naoussa!
• Paliomylos Spa Hotel: Located 800m away from Naoussa. The bright and large double rooms are starting from 110€ per night, including breakfast. Strong points: the pool, the spa with massages, the decoration, the complete and varied breakfast.
• Villa Bellonia: Located 12 minutes away from the beach and 1km from Naoussa. The lovely rooms with balcony or private terrace are starting from 120€ per night, with breakfast included. What I loved: The pool, the comfort, the amazing breakfast. It’s the best choice for a romantic gateway in Paros!
• Saint Andrea Resort Hotel: Located 1.5km away from Naoussa, this hotel offers luxurious accomodation with private terrace and view of the garden and the sea, starting from 200€ per night. Strong points: the location in front of the sea, the kind staff, the big pool. It’s my recommendation for a luxury stay in Paros!

5) Ios (2 days)

For the last stage of your Greek island hopping itinerary , you’ll go to Ios.

It takes around 1h to get to Ios from Paros by ferry boat.

During your 2 days in Ios, you just have to relax and enjoy the beaches of Mylopotas, Kalamos and Manganari.

Ios is also well-known for its nightlife, especially during summer (from June to August), where the island is quite busy.

Starting from September, Ios becomes a really quiet place, and you will (mostly) have the beaches just for yourself. If you like quiet places, it will be amazing!

It only depends on what you’re looking for during your holidays.

• Avra Pension: Located close to the port and a 10-minute walk from the beach. The bright double rooms with balcony are starting from 40€, with a 5€ breakfast. Strong points: the home made delicious breakfast, the location, the warm and welcoming staff.
• Petradi Hotel: Located close to Mylopotas Beach. The double rooms with a sea view are starting from 80€, with a 9€ breakfast. What I loved: the pool, the free transfer from the port, the location, the view, the kind staff. It’s the best value for Money in Ios!
• Dionysos Seaside Resort Ios: Located on Mylopotas Beach. The modern and spacious double rooms are starting from 150€ per night, with breakfast included. Strong points: the pools, the free access to the private beach, the location on the seaside, the really kind staff. It’s my recommendation for a romantic gateway in Ios!
• Liostasi Hotel & Suites: This 5-star hotel welcomes you only 2km away from the port. You will love the elegant and comfortable suites, with a private terrace and sea view. The prices are starting from 320€ per night, with breakfast included. What I loved: the pool, the wellness center, the free shuttle, the amazing restaurant, the breathtaking view. It’s the best choice for a luxury stay in Ios!

Your 2 weeks trip to the Greek islands is already over and you’ll have to fly back home.

From Ios, take the ferry (only 35 to 50 minutes) to get back to Santorini and take your return flight.

For 14 days Greek islands itinerary, just remove a day on one of the islands. I would advise you to spend only 2 days in Paros: as you’ve already done a boat-trip on the other islands, it’s alright if you don’t do this one.

For a 16 days itinerary, it’s also quite simple. Just add a day on one of the islands, depending on what you enjoy the most! And of course, if you need any help to plan your stay, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments.

On Voyagetips.com , I give you all my best tips and itineraries to plan your trip to Greece by yourself. (Click here to read all my articles about Greece)

However, if you prefer to book a Greece tour with a travel agency , I recommend you to check the 10 best Greece tours by clicking the button below:

If you want to rent a boat for a nice day at sea during your itinerary in the Greek islands, you should book it with Samboat.

Motorboats, sailboats, yachts, small boats without a license, with or without a skipper: they simply have the most complete offer for boat rental.

So, what are you waiting for to book your boat trip in Greece? 😊

Now you know how to do Cyclades island hopping! If you have any questions about your Greek island hopping itinerary, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments section.

Greece travel guides

• Buy the Lonely Planet Greece guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk
• Buy the DK Eyewitness Greece guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk

You’re traveling to Greece ? These articles will help you !

Discover all my articles about Greece : All my articles to help you plan your trip to Greece are listed there.

• The 20 Best Things to do in Greece – The Ultimate Bucket list!
• The 15 Best Things to do in Peloponnese – All the must-see attractions
• Itinerary: 4-5 days in Greece – The perfect itinerary for a short stay in Greece
• Itinerary: 1 week in Greece – The best Itinerary to visit Athens + Santorini!
• Itinerary: 6, 7 or 8 days in Greece – The definitive guide to visit Athens + Peloponnese in a week
• Itinerary: 10 days in Greece – The definitive guide to visit Central Greece in 9-10 days
• Itinerary: 2 weeks in Greece – The best Itinerary to visit Athens + Central Greece + Cyclades (Santorini)
• Itinerary: 3 weeks in Greece – The best Itinerary to visit Athens + Central Greece + even more Cyclades islands!
• Itinerary: 1 month in Greece – The definitive guide to visit Greece in a month!
• Road trip in Greece – The best itineraries for 5, 7, 10, 15, 21 and 30 days.
• Athens: The 20 Best Things to do and see
• Thessaloniki: The 12 best places to visit
• The 15 Best Cyclades Islands to visit – With all the must-see attractions
• Amorgos: The 8 best places to see
• Andros: The 7 must-see attractions and activities
• Naxos: Top 10 things to do
• Paros: The 10 best places to visit
• Santorini: The definitive guide
• Tinos: The 10 best things to do
• Rhodes: Top 12 best places to visit

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Creator of the Voyage Tips blog, travel and photography lover. I give you all my best tips to plan your next trip.

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Discussion 23 comments.

Hi, Planning a trip to the Cyclades during the 2 last weeks of October… Do you think of anything different from your posted itinerary (island hopping- 5 islands) ? Maybe the ferries schedules might be different from summer months?

Also, one more question: What do you think will be the best way to get to Athens from the last island?

What do you think? Tks Serge

Hello Serge,

For your 2 weeks Greek islands hopping itinerary in October, you can do all the things I recommend for Santorini, Amorgos, Naxos and Paros. You will be in Greece just before the end of the season, so it should be ok.

For Ios, I think it will not be possible to get there. There is only one ferry per week in October from Paros, and no ferry to get back to Santorini.

For the ferries schedules, the best is to check and book them in advance on this website: Ferriesingreece .

In addition to the schedules, you can see the journey time and organize your itineray easily! Just be careful, after 31th of October, there is a lot less ferries.

About your other question: to get to Athens from Paros (As it will not really be possible to go to Ios):

– You can take the ferry to get back to Santorini (3 hours) and then a domestic flight to Athens. – Take the ferry to Santorini and then another ferry to Athens.

Be careful, the ferry linking Santorini to Athens Piraeus harbor also stops on the 31th of October.

Enjoy your trip to the Greek islands, and if you have other questions, don’t hesitate!

Tks a lot Vincent for your reply and your advises. Very appreciated. I spent a lot of time trying to find a way to do the hopping as I wanted, but I had to make some changes as I couldn’t get to stay on the Islands the number of nights I wanted… I had to skip Ios and Amorgos as I could not get in and out from/to different islands in 2 or 3 days So my plan as it is now (as per ferry schedules that fit) : -Santorini 3 nights (from 17/oct) -Naxos 2 nights -Paros 3 nights Then I have 2 options from Paros: (Preferred one) -Tinos 3 nights -Andros 2 nights -Athens 2 nights (leaving 01/nov)

(Or) -Mykonos 3 nights (Already been on a previous cruise) -Tinos 2 nights -Athens 2 nights (leaving 01/nov)

What Is your impression of that plan? Do you suggest to book the ferry tickets now (or as soon as possible) ?? Do you think we should book a car on every island?

Tks very much for your useful advise. Regards Serge

Good thing you checked for the ferries, as you can see outside of high season, it can become a bit complicated, and you really have to plan your trip according to the few ferries available.

Yes, you can definitely go to Tinos, andros and Athens for the 2nd part of your itinerary.

Tinos, and even more Andros are a bit out of the beaten tracks, you won’t meet many tourists there. These islands are still very authentic and quiet, I really enjoyed my stay there!

About the car, yes, you will need one on each island, else you will not be able to explore. Hopefully, the car rental companies are located right next to the ports, so it’s always very convenient.

For the ferries tickets, personally i would book them, so everything will be ready and you won’t have to think about organisation anymore.

Enjoy your trip to the greek islands!

Tks very much Vincent for your reply, and the useful infos. Really appreciate. Now looking forward for my great trip to the Greek islands. Tks a lot for your help. Best regards

You’re welcome! Maybe see you soon on the blog for another destination!

hi love your island hopping page , im new to this but would love o do your 2 week greek island Santorini to Ios , is there anyway of fitting Mykonos in ?

I am glad my island hopping guide is helping you to plan your trip!

Yes sure, you cab fit Mykonos just after Amorgos, it’s the most convenient for the ferries.

You should plan 2 or 3 nights in Mykonos, so you can:

-Add 2-3 more days to this itinerary Or -Remove the last leg of the itinerary, in Ios.

They both are “party islands”: Ios is a bit cheaper, so it attracts younger travelers while Mykonos offers a more upscale experience. It depends the ambiance you’re looking for!

Enjoy your trip to the Greek islands, and if you have other questions don’t hesitate!

Love your plan. Due to time, I need to skip iOS at the end and will fly out of Paros back to Athens.

I am planning 3 nights in Santorini, Amorgos, Naxos, and Paros. We have one extra night. Which island deserves an extra night?

For your 2-weeks itinerary in Greece, I would add an extra night in Santorini.

If you don’t have the time to see everything in 3 days, it will allow you to have one more day to explore the island.

You can also add one or more activities such as (click on the links for details):

– A wine tour with wine tasting – A Greek cooking class + wine tasting – A quad bike tour – Water sports: jet ski , kayak , paddle , parasailing .

And there are many more options available. If you click on any of these links, you will have access to the whole list.

Enjoy your trip to Greece!

Hello, We have been planning 2 1/2 weeks in a Greece, delayed to summer 22. Planning 2 days in Athens, just want to show my kids the Acropolis. Then to Milos for 5 days. For the remainder we want to rent a house and tuck in for family time with fun day trips. Traveling with our teenagers who are great travelers. Originally planned for Crete but it’s logistically a bit much. Now I’m thinking about Andros with day trips to other islands. Please, can you tell me if this realistic. We have loved Mallorca and Sicily, as both afforded interesting destinations balanced with relaxing and living like a local. Thanks, Andrea

Hello Andrea,

Unfortunately, it’s not really possible to do day trips to other islands from Andros.

The nearest island is Tinos, but it’s at least 1h30 by ferry to get there, so 3 hours of travel over 1 day + the waiting time to embark or disembark on the boat + The time to get a rental car etc.. (can’t visit without a car). So that’s 4 hours wasted when being optimistic on timings!

In fact, it’s the same problem for all the Greek islands in the Cyclades archipelago.

They look close on the map but in reality by boat it takes a long time to travel between them.

The only 2 islands in the Cyclades that you can visit as a day trip are Naxos and Paros (only 30 minutes by boat between the 2, so you can stay in Paros and go to Naxos for the day or the contrary – And even for these 2, that’s not recommended, because these islands are quite big and you should spend a few days there to visit them).

If you want to visit more than one island during your stay, it is best to plan to spend at least one night on each, or ideally at least 2 nights.

Enjoy your stay in the Greek islands and don’t hesitate if you have any other questions to plan your Greek island hopping itinerary!

Good morning Vincent, Thank you so much for clearing that up! So then after 5 days in Milos would you suggest a week in western Crete, Naxos or Paros? For easy day touring and exceptional beaches/beauty. Would we want to journey up to Skopelos? Thank you ! Andrea

Naxos and Paros are quite similar so it’s really up to you. Both have beautiful beaches and traditional Greek villages. To decide, you can read my detailed articles about these 2 islands here:

– The 10 best Things to do in Naxos – The 10 best Things to do in Paros.

Unfortunately I haven’t been to Crete yet so I can’t tell you if it’s better than Paros/Naxos in terms of beaches.

As for Skopelos, it’s a bit more complicated to reach: you first have to go Athens, and then to Agios Konstantinos (2h by car from Athens) and take the boat (5h crossing).

Personally, I would stay in the Cyclades as it’s the most convenient!

Enjoy your trip to Greece,

Thank you so much ! You’re very kind. Best, Andrea.

Hi Vincent This is a very informative website with so much information, thank you! I’m just trying to decide what to go/where to go for next year’s summer holiday. I’m a teacher so unfortunately I’m tied to going away in July and August (the most expensive time!). I’m still debating about which group of islands to explore. I have read your Cyclades itinerary, which sounds amazing but wondered if you have any itineraries for the Sporades or Ionian islands?? I will be travelling with a husband and 2 children of 23 and 21. They like exploring and doing things, as well as having a bit of relaxation on the beach. I just want to make sure that I’m picking the right group of islands to suit my families needs, if that’s possible!! Any advice would be very gratefully received! Thank you so much for your help. Becca

Hello Becca,

Thank you! I’m glad that my itinerary in the Greek islands is helping you to prepare your stay.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been to the Sporades or the Ionian Islands so I can’t tell you if it’s worth it or not.

For the Cyclades, to see if it’s right for you, you can read my detailed articles about each island by clicking here: Destination Greece and the Cyclades .

Don’t hesitate if you have any questions, and enjoy your trip to the Greek islands!

Hi Vincent, love your 14 day greek island itinerary!! We are travelling in the 3rd week of May 2023. I was thinking of booking a catamaran day cruise in Naxos and a few days later a speedboat tour in Paros/Anti paros. You have mentioned that Naxos and Paros are very similar, but i was hoping that the speedboat tour has the opportunity to get to places that a catamaran can’t get to… am i on the right train of thought or would these trips be too similar?

Kind Regards, Mel

Hello Melody,

With the catamaran day cruise from Naxos, you will go to the small cyclades. With the speedboat tour, you can go to Paros and Antiparos. They are not the same places but it is true that it is very similar since in the 2 boat trips, you will stop for swimming in the turquoise water. The aim is more to swim in places only accessible by boat than to visit.

Hi Vincent,

I am hoping to do a greek island hop this summer. I was thinking Santorini, Mykonos, Paros and Ios. Where would be best to fit in Mykonos? After reading some of the replies, I’m thinking to do it in-between Santorini and Paros (instead of doing Naxos and amorgos. Would this be recommended with ferry times ext?

I haven’t had the chance to visit Mykonos yet so I couldn’t tell you the best place to stay on the island.

Yes you can take the ferry from Santorini to Mykonos. Depending on the ferry company the crossing takes between 2h30 and 3h30. You can check the timetable and fares by clicking on the green button in the article: “I check the ferry schedules now”.

Enjoy your stay in Greece!

Hi Vincent, We are a party of 4 adults in our 50s We are starting our Greek island experience in Santorini for 3 nights in September and then have 12 nights to explore other islands. We need to either finish in Paros or Naxos on the 20th September in order to fly back to Athens. We aren’t interested in Mykonos (been there done that in our 20s) Do you have any suggestions re islands to visit? We were thinking keeping it to 4 or 5 islands in total.

Kind Regards Melissa

Hello Melissa,

I generally recommend staying at least 3 days on a Cycladic island so I think 4 islands will be enough. 5 will be too much, especially if you take into account the ferry journey time.

For your itinerary, you can for example do Santorini, Amorgos, Naxos, Paros, as I recommend in this tour. (If you want to add Ios, you can integrate it between Santorini and Amorgos).

The most important thing is to look at the travel time and ferries timetables, as there may not be ferry trips everyday. I usually check on this website: Ferries in Greece .

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The Ultimate Galápagos Islands Travel Guide

Discover the islands that inspired Charles Darwin.

The Galápagos Islands, located roughly 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, remained a closely guarded natural secret for millions of years. Over that time, the archipelago evolved into a home for an all-star cast of plants and animals. Sometime in the 1800s, some swashbuckling pirates and intrepid explorers started arriving in the Galápagos Islands. The most famous early visitor was Charles Darwin, a young naturalist who spent 19 days studying the islands' flora and fauna in 1835. In 1859, Darwin published On the Origin of Species , which introduced his theory of evolution — and the Galápagos Islands — to the world.

Since then, word of these islands and their magnificent beauty has steadily grown. In 1959, the Galápagos became Ecuador's first national park, and in 1978, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site . Today, more than 275,000 people visit the Galápagos every year to see those incredible animals and landscapes for themselves.

As amazing as you think the Galápagos Islands will be, they routinely exceed expectations. It's a place where lizards swim, birds walk, and humans — for once — don't take center stage.

Reasons to Visit

Biodiversity brings over 100,000 visitors each year to these remote islands that were totally unknown to the world until 1535. Without the influence of a human presence, the island's flora and fauna, and the surrounding marine life, thrived for thousands of years by evolving into unique species you won't find anywhere else in the world, such as the charismatic giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies. Beyond seeing the main stars of the island, many visitors also enjoy the beautiful beaches and choose the Galápagos Islands as their honeymoon destination .

This is also one of the world's top scuba diving destinations, so spending time on or in the water is a must, whether that means you're ready to jump in with your snorkel for a sea lion swim or are happy to enjoy the views from the deck of your adventure cruise . Brimming with natural beauty, the Galápagos is for many a once-in-a-lifetime destination where the marvels of the natural world are waiting to astound you.

Best Time to Visit

There's no bad time to visit the Galápagos Islands. No matter what time of year you go, the adventure is sure to be unique and wonderful. June through December are the cooler and drier months. Even though this is the dry season, a garúa (or light, misty rain) is still possible, particularly in December, and skies can be cloudy and gray.

January through May are the warmer and wetter months, but the rain creates brilliantly clear blue skies between showers — great for photography. March and April tend to be the hottest and wettest months, while August tends to be the coolest time.

Water temperatures vary throughout the year because of the powerful ocean currents in the archipelago. Between June and December, the colder currents dominate and the water temperature dips low. A wet suit (likely provided by your boat or hotel) may be required while snorkeling during these months. However, the upside is that the cold current brings in huge quantities of plankton, which attract hungry marine life.

If you're set on seeing a particular species in the Galápagos, talk to the tour operator and pick the month and itinerary that will give you the best chance for a sighting. Some species are seasonal, and many exist only on specific islands. For example, the waved albatross, also called the Galápagos albatross, is not a full-time resident. These birds just show up for mating in the spring and summer.

How to Get There

Getty Images/Mauricio Handler

Flights to the Galápagos Islands depart multiple times each day from Quito or Guayaquil on mainland Ecuador. Flights from the U.S. are plentiful to both cities. Hotel options are better in Quito and, in general, this city is more compelling with a stunning colonial center, which was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. It's also home to ample museums, shopping, and restaurants to easily fill a few days. However, Quito is over 9,000 feet above sea level, so altitude can be a problem for travelers arriving from lower elevations. Steamy Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, is at sea level, so altitude is not an issue. However, the hotel and restaurant selection is much more limited in Guayaquil.

If you're booking your own flights from mainland Ecuador to the Galápagos Islands, remember that there are two airports on two different islands in the archipelago. San Cristóbal Airport is on the island of the same name. Seymour Airport, which runs entirely on sun and wind power, can be found on tiny Baltra Island, which is separated from Santa Cruz Island by a narrow channel. Be sure to book your flights to the same island you'll be based on, or where your boat departs and returns.

By Land or By Sea

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The first decision you have to make when visiting the Galápagos Islands is also the most difficult. Do you want to stay in a hotel on one of the three inhabited islands, exploring other islands and areas via day-trip boat rides? Or do you want to be based on a live-aboard boat, which provides accommodations and transportation from island to island? There are three main factors to consider when choosing between land and sea: cost, time management, and access.

A trip to the Galápagos Islands can be pricey. However, it's easier to craft a less expensive experience if you choose to be land based. These days, there are hotels and restaurants at many price points on San Cristóbal Island, Santa Cruz Island, and, to a much lesser extent, Isabela and Floreana Islands. Live-aboard boats come in a range of price points, too. However, all but the most bare-bones boats still add up to more than a land-based vacation.

If you choose a land-based vacation, expect to spend a lot of time getting from your hotel onto a boat, out to the day's destination, then back to your property. On the other hand, live-aboard boats do most of their navigating during the night when travelers are asleep in cabins on board. This means passengers wake up in a new destination ready for a full day of exploration. Because land-based explorations are limited to the five islands that can be reached in one day, travelers won't be able to visit the more distant islands that boat-based itineraries include.

Unless you're terrified of sailing, suffer from seasickness , or hate the idea of being on a boat for a week, book a cruise. You'll waste less time running back and forth, plus you'll see as many distinct areas of the Galápagos Islands as possible.

Most live-aboard boats offer five- to eight-day itineraries, with set departure dates and routes. Routes are dictated by Galápagos National Park officials to mitigate crowding and environmental stress. Your boat will provide a northern or southern itinerary (sometimes called eastern and western itineraries), alternating weekly. Both include wonderful land excursions, plenty of time in the water, and ample opportunities to see the famous flora and fauna of the Galápagos.

Boats in the Galápagos Islands are limited to a maximum of 100 passengers, but most carry fewer than that. The benefit of traveling on a smaller-capacity vessel is a more intimate onboard experience and faster transfer times between your main vessel and the rubber dinghies. Smaller boats also tend to have more character and history. And if you're traveling with a big group, don't worry, as larger-capacity boats tend to have more onboard services, like guest lectures and medical facilities.

Ecoventura , which has several vessels that allow for up to 20 passengers at a time, is another excellent operator. In addition, two naturalists take guests onshore and explain every animal and plant in great detail.

Scuba divers who want to focus on underwater adventures have a few options in the Galápagos Islands as well. The Galapagos Sky , Galapagos Aggressor III , and Galapagos Master are live-aboard boats that were designed specifically for scuba divers. They ply the waters all the way to the little-visited northernmost islands in the archipelago, where deep, cold, current-filled diving yields time with manta rays, whale sharks, sunfish, and hammerhead sharks. Note that these are for experienced divers only.

Best Hotels and Resorts

A wide range of hotels can be found on Santa Cruz Island and San Cristóbal Island, and several boats operate out of harbors on those islands as well. Be sure to book a hotel that's located near the harbor (not in the highlands), so you can be close to the boat's boarding spot for day trips.

For example, the 19-room Golden Bay Galapagos is situated right on the harbor of San Cristóbal Island. You can watch sea lions cavort on a small beach directly in front of the property, and day-trip boats leave from a dock that's no more than a three-minute stroll away. Book the corner suite, which features a living-room bathtub and glass walls that slide open to eliminate all barriers between you and the nature outside. Meanwhile, the Angermeyer Waterfront Inn is right on Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. The hotel's newest room has been cleverly fashioned inside a beached wooden boat.

Or, book a hotel that owns and operates its own boats to ensure a seamless standard of service and the most practical and convenient itineraries. For example, the unparalleled Pikaia Lodge , located in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, has its own boat that is used exclusively for guests on packages that include land and sea adventures.

The Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel , set in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, also has its own yacht, dubbed the Sea Lion . This vessel can hold up to 20 passengers plus two guides (many other day-trip boats carry 16 passengers and have just one guide). Sea Lion itineraries also encompass all five islands that day-trip boats are allowed to visit.

Last-minute deals are sometimes available for travelers who can afford to spend a few days searching for sales after arriving. However, the Galápagos Islands are a major tourist destination, so it's advisable to book well in advance. Dive boats, in particular, tend to fill up fast because there are so few of them.

If you are spending the night in Quito or Guayaquil, there are a few nice hotels that we also recommend checking out. In Quito, Casa Gangotena , on Plaza San Francisco in the heart of the capital's colonial center, is the best hotel in Ecuador, combining history, style, and service. Another top option is Illa Experience Hotel , a 10-room boutique hotel in the city's central San Marcos neighborhood. The property sits in a renovated mansion, and each floor presents different decor, including colonial, republic, and contemporary styles. In Guayaquil, Hotel del Parque , located in the city's leafy Parque Histórico, is a sophisticated boutique property with 44 rooms. The restored building dates back to 1891, and houses a spa where you can book a massage in a repurposed church bell tower.

Best Restaurants

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As you can imagine, the seafood in the Galápagos Islands is extremely fresh and the islands have many fine dining establishments to cater to hungry visitors. You'll find a range of dining options across all the islands' main hubs, many of which are associated with hotels, such as the Finch Bay Restaurant in Santa Cruz, which blends local Ecuadorian cuisine with international style. Another popular restaurant is the FraFre GastroBar , where the fish is served with a regional flair that's popular among locals and tourists. You'll also find more casual eateries like the humorously named Booby Trap that serves up fish tacos and pizza on Isabela Island alongside wonderful oceanfront views.

If you are looking for a memorable meal in Quito, Zazu is the only Relais & Châteaux restaurant in Ecuador. For a more casual experience, head to sibling restaurant Zfood , where a Hamptons-style fish-shack vibe is replicated perfectly and seafood reigns supreme. At Urko , chef/owner Daniel Maldonado stays focused on showcasing Ecuadorian ingredients and flavors. Go for the tasting menu to get a full sense of what he calls cocina local .

Things to Do

Getty Images/Layne Kennedy

Aside from observing the fabulous animals above and below the water, you can incorporate many other striking landscapes into your adventures. If you want to island-hop, you can coordinate visits to these sites yourself, but if you're on a cruise you may have to follow the pre-planned itinerary.

Throughout the islands you can enjoy the white sands of beaches like Tortuga Bay and Puerto Villamil, or take the adventurous route for a hike to the top of the Sierra Negra Volcano, an active shield volcano that last erupted in 2018, providing a dazzling show for offshore boaters. For something more tame, you can pay your respects at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, which has been used as a scientific base since 1964. Visitors can access the exhibition hall, gardens, and public library.

Best Islands to Visit

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There are 127 islands that make up this tropical archipelago, but only about 20 are frequently visited by tourists, and only four have major populations. Isabela Island is the largest of these, but despite its size, it has fewer people than Santa Cruz, which is the most populated island with approximately 12,000 inhabitants between the towns of Puerto Ayora and Santa Rosa. When you fly into the Galápagos, you will most likely arrive through Baltra Island, which is separated from Santa Cruz by a short ferry ride. Meanwhile, the province's capital is located on San Cristobal Island.

Booking a live-aboard boat trip will give you more opportunities to see the many different islands that make up these enchanted isles. However, if a particular attraction or animal captures your attention, you may want to seek out specific sites like Bartolomé Island, known for its volcanic rock formations like Pinnacle Rock, and Española Island, where you'll find the nesting sites of the waved albatross at Punta Suarez. If you're interested in the history of human discovery, Floreana Island was the first to be visited by people. Here, you can hear the stories of the many seamen who rolled into these waters and learn about the fascinating postal system they set up using a simple wooden barrel. Bird-watchers are especially fond of Genovesa Island, where frigatebirds and red-footed boobies are frequently spotted. For Galápagos penguins and flightless cormorants, the sparsely vegetated Fernandina Island is another popular spot.

Packing Tips

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A trip to the Galápagos is a big adventure, so you should come prepared with the right clothes and tools to face the elements. It may be tough to find what you need once you arrive on the islands — especially if you are spending most of your time at sea — so we've broken it down into essential categories and created a packing list to get you started.

Basic supplies are available at small shops on both San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz islands, but prices are high and the selection is limited. It's best to have the essentials with you. These include sturdy closed-toe walking shoes with durable soles. Although land excursions are generally short and trails tame, you may be walking over jagged volcanic rock and other obstacles from time to time. However, you will also want sandals or flip-flops to wear in towns and on boats. Leave the heels at home, especially if you've booked a boat-based itinerary. Even the most luxurious boats have narrow, steep stairways that are nearly impossible to navigate safely (or gracefully) in heels.

You'll also be glad to have rain gear and good weather protection for your camera. You will be traveling on boats and in dinghies, and rain showers can occur at any time. If you're exploring an island when wet weather rolls in, there will be no place to shelter out of the rain.

Health and Comfort

Stock up on lots of insect repellant and water-resistant, high-SPF sunscreen. As you might have guessed Ecuador is on the equator, which magnifies the strength of the rays, and most Galápagos excursions are completely exposed to the sun. We also recommend purchasing reef-safe sunscreen to help protect the coral, animals, and waters around the islands. A hat with a brim for sun protection during land excursions is also recommended. If you're planning to participate in kayaking and snorkeling excursions, a rash guard is also useful for sun protection. When water temperatures are colder, a wet suit will be provided. If you have fins, a mask, and a snorkel that you love, bring them with you. Snorkeling gear is provided, but the quality and cleanliness vary.

Seas are generally calm, and boat captains take great care in choosing protected anchoring spots. However, if you're prone to motion sickness, bring some Dramamine with you. Prescription preventions like scopolamine patches work well, too. Note that scopolamine is generally not available for sale in Latin America. Bring a reusable water bottle , so you can fill it up for day-long excursions and reduce your plastic waste.

There are ATMs on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal islands, but they can run out of cash, so bring some with you to cover tips. Credit cards are also often accepted at shops and restaurants. The official currency of Ecuador is the U.S. dollar.

What Not to Bring

The introduction of non-native plant species is considered a top environmental threat to the Galápagos Islands, so do not bring any fruits, vegetables, or plants of any kind with you. Anything that might have seeds or spores clinging to it, such as the soles of your shoes and any outdoor gear or camping equipment, should be washed and inspected thoroughly before being brought to the islands. The threat of invasive plant species is so great that visitors arriving in the Galápagos have to sign an affidavit swearing that they're not bringing in any food, animals, seeds, or dirty camping gear.

In 2012, Ecuador's then-president Rafael Correa abolished fees at national parks and reserves in the country. However, Galápagos National Park was not part of that exemption and still requires a $100 entrance fee per person, which is payable only in cash upon arrival at either airport in the Galápagos Islands. In addition, each visitor must buy a $20 transit card, which is also payable only in cash at the airport. The transit card is a measure of immigration control, so all visitors must purchase one at the airport when they arrive and return it when they leave. If you are booked on a tour, your tour operator might take care of this for you, but it's better to ask ahead of time.

Before Visiting the Galápagos Islands

With the anticipation building for your trip, you may be looking for books and movies to get into the spirit of an adventuring naturalist. Here are some of our recommendations of what to read and watch to prepare for your trip.

• My Father's Island by Johanna Angermeyer: Published in 1998, this book provides an account of the author's German ancestors, who were among the first to settle on Santa Cruz Island. Their challenges and triumphs are humbling, offering valuable perspectives on the Galápagos. Members of the Angermeyer family still live on Santa Cruz Island, where they run the Angermeyer Waterfront Inn.
• The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden: Released in 2013, this documentary cleverly splices video footage, letters, and other archival material to recount a real-life murder mystery involving a self-proclaimed baroness, her lovers, and other settlers on Floreana Island in the 1930s. Cate Blanchett narrates one of the main characters.
• On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: This classic and its author will be referenced repeatedly during your time in the Galápagos. Read up on Darwin's seminal theory of evolution, which was inspired, in part, by observations he made in the archipelago.

The Ultimate Hawai’i Big Island Travel Guide (2024)

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Volcanoes, stargazing, whale watching, and waterfalls galore will greet you on the Island of Hawai’i . Welcome to the ultimate Big Island travel guide!

The Island of Hawai’i is larger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined and then some. The Big Island has die-hard fans, and I am one of them. The Big Island is for coffee connoisseurs, astronomers, whale watchers, volcanologists, manta ray snorkelers, and travelers who crave a white-sand beach.

Everything you need to know about planning your trip is in the Big Island travel guide .

Here are some quick links to essential planning resources: – Check out the best (and worst) times to visit the Big Island – Pick what part of the island is the best fit for your group – Find the best beaches around the island – We’ve got you covered with 21 Incredible Things to Do on the Big Island

Want to hop around? Use our handy table of contents below to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Big Island Wayfinder Itinerary

Get the big island itinerary.

The step-by-step itinerary takes you to all the best beaches, snorkeling spots, restaurants, and sights. You’ll get six carefully planned excursion days to help you see the can’t miss stops no matter how limited your time is.

Get all the details on our itinerary and download it for a memorable and easily planned trip to Hawai’i (Big Island).

Big Island Travel Guide: Facts

Impress your seatmate on the plane or win trivia night with these facts about the Island of Hawai’i: 

• The Island of Hawai’i has 4 out of the 5 major climate zones in the world and 8 out of 13 sub-zones, following the  Köppen climate  classification scheme. That means the Big Island has deserts to polar tundra to rainforests and in-between. 
• Two of the five shield volcanoes that formed the island are still active. Kilauea and Mauna Loa are active but may not be erupting. Kilauea is the most active, see if it is  erupting here for your trip .  Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park is worth a visit.
• The next Hawaiian island is forming fifteen miles off the island’s southeast coast. Loʻihi, is erupting 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean. While it will still be several thousand years before this volcano breaks the sea’s surface, it has already risen more than 10,000 feet from the seafloor and has a crater that measures three miles across.
• Kamehameha the Great , who unified the Hawaiian Islands as one kingdom in 1810, is believed to have been born in the Big Island’s North Kohala area, Waipio Valley. 

• Captain James Cook , who is widely considered to be the first European to set foot on the Hawaiian Islands, was killed at Kona’s Kealakekua Bay in 1779.
• Measured from its seafloor base to its highest peak,  Mauna Kea  is the world’s tallest mountain, taller than Mount Everest, since the base of Mount Everest is above sea level.
• The island is often referred to as the Island of Hawaiʻi, the Big Island, or Hawaiʻi Island to distinguish it from the state.

Big Island Geography

The Big Island is aptly named:  it has 63% of Hawaii’s combined land mass . That means it’s larger than all of the other islands, combined. And, with new volcanic eruptions, the island is getting bigger.  

There are five major volcanoes on the Big Island and six main regions: Kona, Kohala, Hamakua Coast, Hilo, Puna, and Kau. 

Like all of the Hawaiian islands, there are two sides: a leeward side and a windward side. The leeward side of the island is drier and the windward side is wetter. 

Welcome to sunny Kona. The Kona district stretches for most of the leeward side of the island and includes beaches, snorkeling spots, coffee farms , and cultural sights. Here you’ll also find one of the two airports, Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA). It’s one of the most popular areas on the island to stay thanks to airport proximity, activities, and weather. 

Shielded from the winds, you’ll find warm weather, mostly clear skies, and calm, swimmable beaches (here are the  5 Best Kona Beaches ). Into the cooler hillside you can explore the coffee farms that are so prevalent in the area. And enjoy an incredible historic site,  Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park .

Plus, you will find the best snorkeling spot on the island here (in our opinion). 

Check out even more to love about Kona: The 21 Best Things to do in Kona (+ tips to know before you go) Where to Stay in Kona: the 7 Best Hotels and Vacation Rentals Tried & Tested: The 5 Best Manta Ray Night Snorkel (& Dives) in Kona

Kohala 

Just north of Kona on the leeward side of the island is the Kohala Coast, also sometimes referred to as the Gold Coast thanks to the number of five star resorts in this area. It’s also home to some of the best beaches on the island, like Hapuna Beach, with it’s white sand and beautiful blue water. Just note that in the winter, some of these beaches get hit with large currents and waves, making them dangerous for swimming.

Venture further inland and you’ll leave the resorts behind and find another side to the Kohala district, with the cowboy (paniolo) town of Waimea, the charming town of Hawi, and the sacred Pololu Valley. 

Related reads: The 15 Best Things To Do In Waikoloa Kona vs Waikoloa: What’s the Best Place to Stay on the Big Island

Hamakua Coast

Here, you’re off the leeward side of the island and you’re now on the lush, tropical windward side. The Hamakua Coast is famous for its jagged coastline, waterfalls , and stunning scenery. Waipio Valley is also located here, which is known for being the boyhood home of King Kamehameha I. 

The largest town of the windward side, here you’ll find another airport, Hilo International Airport (ITO), serving inter-island airports and some west coast airports. This small city has a great downtown and is also a launching point for many of the spectacular sights in the area, including Volcanoes National Park. Explore our  1-Day Hilo Itinerary for Things to Do and the Best Things to Do in Hilo (+nearby) .

South of Hilo you have the Puna district, an area known for its fertile soil. You’ll find plenty of farms here growing flowers, macadamia nuts, and papayas. You can also visit the lava viewing area of Kalapana, once a historic town before it was partially destroyed by lava. 

This southern region is quiet, but is home to two major attractions: Punalu’u Black Sand Beach and the majority of Volcanoes National Park (including Kilauea Volcano). You’ll also find coffee farms, mac nut farms, and hiking trails. What you won’t find are large hotels, golf courses, or a bustling town. 

What’s the Best Time of Year to Visit the Big Island?

While you may be visiting from a place that has four seasons each year, in Hawaii there are just two: summer (kau) and winter (hooilo). Summer runs from May to October and winter lasts from November to April. 

Luckily, the weather on the Big Island is warm and pleasant year-round, so there’s truly no bad time to visit.  But our favorite months to visit are May and October, because there are fewer visitors, the weather is great, and it’s a little less expensive to travel in this off-peak season period.  

You can find all the details for the best time to visit the Big Island (and the worst), plus our advice on when to visit for whale watching, snorkeling, and the cheapest costs!

While the winter months get a little more rain and might be a little cooler, the weather in Kona stays pretty sunny and warm year-round. It’s a  perfect spot to plan a winter vacation . On the Kohala Coast you’ll find even drier conditions but be prepared for some rough surf in the winter. 

That said, if you plan to visit the windward side in the winter, you are in for cooler temperatures and more rainfall. But that’s what makes that side of the island so lush and beautiful. 

Getting to the Big Island

There are two (two!) airport options for you to choose from on the Big Island. The main airport that serves the most visitors is  Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport  (KOA). The airport is located seven miles northwest of Kailua-Kona and serves inter-island, domestic, and international locations. 

Located on the other side of the island is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located two miles east of Hilo. This airport serves inter-island locations as well as some domestic airports on the west coast.

Renting a Car and Getting Around the Big Island

If you’re hoping to see all that the Big Island has to offer, having a car is going to be pretty important. Our favorite recommendation is  Discount Hawaii Rental Car . We use them  any time we island hop  and we’ve saved thousands of dollars by using them over the years. 

While the island is big, you can drive around the island in one day, either using the northern route, the southern route, or by taking the saddle road through the middle of the island. When driving from Kona to Hilo, the northern route will take approximately 2 hours. You can shorten your journey to 1.5 hours by taking the saddle road, however you’ll miss some of the sights on the  Hamakua Heritage corridor .

For the most part, the roads on the Big Island are well paved and easy to navigate with any type of car — no 4 wheel drive required! There are a few spots where having a 4WD car is preferred or required, but you can visit most sights just cruising around with regular wheels. 

If you don’t want to rent a car but you still want to get out and see the sights, a guided tour is a great option. Our favorite tour that will pick you up from your hotel and take you around is the  Big Island Circle Tour .

Where to Stay on the Big Island

Ready to book your stay on the Big Island? There are so many different options: a quaint vacation rental in coffee country, a tiny home on a bed of lava, a five-star resort, or a small boutique hotel. Whatever you’re looking for, the Big Island has something for you.

Should you stay in a hotel or vacation rental?

There’s something for everyone on the island. The Big Island has plenty of five-star resorts, quaint hotels, and unique vacation rentals. But what’s the right spot for you? 

The first choice you’ll need to make is whether you’re looking for a hotel or a vacation rental. There’s no bad choice. Go for a hotel if you’re looking for the traditional resort experience with big pools, nearby beaches, and restaurants within walking distance. Opt for a vacation rental if you want access to a kitchen, are looking for space, or are looking to save money. 

If you’re still not sure what you want to do, we  break down the difference between choosing a hotel and a vacation rental in Hawaii .  

Should you stay in Hilo, Kona, Kohala, or…?

Because you read our geography section (above) you know that the island has a leeward side and a windward side. The leeward side is the drier side and includes Kailua-Kona and the Kohala Coast. These are the most popular places for visitors to stay, but are they the right spots for you? 

Check out our where to stay guide, which walks you through the accommodation options for different areas of the island: from the luxury resorts on the Kohala Coast to the unique options on the windward side. 

Related Articles:

• Where to Stay on the Big Island: an area by area guide
• Hilo vs Kona: picking the right place for you

Where to Stay in Kona: the 7 Best Hotels and Vacation Rentals

• Where to Stay Directory: Big Island

How Many Days Should You Stay on the Big Island

When you’re planning a trip to the Big Island, your list of things to see will be long. And the more you read about this beautiful island, the more you’ll add to your list of things to do and see. That’s why we recommend spending at least a week on the Big Island. This will give you time to check off some of your top experiences while also enjoying some downtime to relax. 

Most visitors seem to agree with our advice to stay for at least a week: the average number of days a traveler spends on the island is eight. 

Read more about  how many days you should spend on the Big Island .  And don’t miss our  Hawaii packing list   as you’re getting ready to go.

Beaches and Snorkeling Spots on the Big Island

Who doesn’t love a good beach when they’re on vacation? If you’re headed to the Big Island, you’re in luck. There are plenty of beautiful beaches for you to discover. Our favorite beaches include:

1.  Hapuna Beach : If you’re looking for white-sand beaches, this is the spot. One of the best beaches on the island (if not the best), Hapuna Beach offers plenty of soft sand, good swimming conditions in the summer, and plenty of parking. It is what beach vacation dreams are made of.

2.  Kikaua Point Park : This is the best spot for kids (though truthfully we love it as adults as well). This park has a protected cove that makes swimming here easy pretty much year-round. And it’s also surprisingly good for snorkeling. But the limited parking makes it a tough beach to get to.

3.  Punalu’u Black Sand Beach : A must-see beach on your trip to the Big Island, it’s the best black sand beach in the state (in our opinion). But swimming here isn’t so easy, so plan to spend your time on the shore marveling at your beautiful surroundings.

Check out this  list of our favorite Big Island beaches , complete with directions, parking information, and must-know tips.

If you’re coming to snorkel, we’ve got you covered. These are our  favorite snorkeling spots on the island .

The top one, Kealakekua Bay isn’t easily accessible from land so we recommend a  boat tour  or a  kayak trip  out to enjoy it. It’s one of our most memorable experiences in Hawai’i to date.

Remember that while the beaches in Hawaii are beautiful, they are not without risk. Currents, dangerous shore break, and changing ocean conditions make swimming in any ocean dangerous. Practice beach safety by swimming on beaches with lifeguards, obeying lifeguard flags, and when in doubt, don’t go out. This website has more excellent information to help keep you safe. 

Things To Do on the Big Island

The Big Island is full of amazing adventures, stunning natural beauty, and important heritage sites. There’s more to do and see than you can fit into one trip, so prioritizing what you want to experience is important. 

Ready to craft your list of things you can’t miss? Here are a few of our favorite experiences, but you can read the  full list of things you can do activities on the Big Island. 

• For an up-close experience with the ocean’s gentle giants, head out for  night snorkeling or diving with Manta Rays
• Hike in Volcanoes National Park , drive the crater rim, walk through a lava tube, and look into Halema’uma’u Crater
• Dip your toes in the water at a stunning  black sand beach
• Explore  underwater at Kealakekua Bay  — you may get lucky and be greeted by a pod of spinner dolphins
• Visit a coffee farm and sample fresh coffee in Kona’s famed coffee country (these are out favorite coffee farm tours! )

That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the amazing experiences the Big Island offers. To plan your trip, check out our  five  can’t miss experiences on the Big Island .  It’s also home to a ton more farm tours (not just coffee farms) and you can go whale watching in the winter !

And if you’re traveling with kids, don’t miss our  12 things to do in Kona with kids . It has some great ideas that your kids will love.

Want help seeing how to fit all of the best sights into your vacation?  Our Big Island itinerary  was created just for that. The step-by-step itinerary takes you to all the best beaches, snorkeling spots, restaurants, and sights. With the download, you’ll get six carefully planned excursion days to help you see the can’t miss stops no matter how limited your time is.

Get all the details on our itinerary  and download it for a memorable and easily planned trip to the Big Island.

Best Tours and Activities on the Big Island

While we embrace DIY travel, there’s something to be said for a  great  tour on the big island. Not only are you supporting a local business, but you’re getting time with a guide who truly knows the island. Whether they’re teaching you the history of the islands during a canoe tour or they’re educating you on the marine life during a snorkeling trip, a good tour experience can stick with you for years. 

We’ve done the hard work for you by finding the best of the best tours on the island. Here’s a sampling of our favorites to get started,  but don’t forget to check out our full list . 

If you’re visiting the Big Island on a cruise ship, don’t miss the best Big Island shore excursions and our Cruise Travel Guide .

Popular Big Island Videos

Get to know the Big Island and see some of our best recommendations with our most popular Big Island videos.

Or, explore our full library of videos on Hawaii .

Full Library of Big Island Articles

Want to binge-read everything we’ve written on visiting the Big Island? Pour yourself a Mai Tai and browse all Hawai’i Big Island articles here .

The Best Big Island Itinerary

If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, we’ve got you covered.  Our island itineraries  help you navigate the planning process and make your trip smooth once you’re on-island. Thousands of customers have loved them, whether they were planning for a trip that was a year away or a trip that was a day away.

Thousands of customers have loved them, whether they were planning for a trip that was a year away or a trip that was a day away.

We hope you have an amazing trip!

~Jordan & Erica

Love this guide? Pin it!

I'm the co-founder, with my husband Jordan, of The Hawaii Vacation Guide. We have lived on Maui and Oahu and continue to travel, experience, and learn about the Hawaiian Islands. We travel with our kids, Henry and Edith. I am a planner! I love to plan trips from the mainland and island-hopping adventures, excursion days, and everything in-between. I spend a lot of my time in Hawai'i on a SUP and my favorite time of year in Hawai'i is whale season!

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Hawaii Whale Watching Guide: The Best Hawaiian Island For Whale Watching 

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The Best Hawaiian Island to Visit: Don’t Get It Wrong

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Island günstig bereisen: Route, Reisekosten & Tipps für Deinen Roadtrip

• 18. Juni 2023
• Polargebiete

In diesem Island-Guide findest Du alles für die Planung einer Island-Rundreise, die  Reiseroute  für einen Roadtrip um die Ringstraße, Unterkünfte, Hotels sowie eine Aufstellung über die Kosten  einer Island Rundreise , außerdem Tipps zu weiteren Themen, zum Beispiel den Kosten einer Island-Kurzreise  (und ob das wirklich so unterschiedlich ist) und zu meinem Lieblingsunterkünften  für einen Island-Roadtrip und zum Polarlichter sehen . Neben Tipps von mir verraten Euch andere ReisebloggerInnen ihre Lieblingsspots auf Island.

Island-Guide: Tipps für Deine Island-Rundreise

1. Reise-Routen: Ringstraße oder doch nur „Golden Circle“? 2. Wann ist die beste Reisezeit für Island? 3. Reiseführer für Island 4. Wie teuer ist Island? 5. Mietwagen & Versicherungen 6. Empfehlenswerte Unterkünfte in Island 7. Hotpots / heiße Quellen in Island 8. Spartipps für Island 9. Kleine Packliste 10. Tipps von Reisebloggern

Kartenübersicht über meinen ersten 13-Tage-Roadtrip durch Island: Übernachtungen und sehenswerte Orte

Orange: Unterkünfte Grün: Interessante Stationen auf dem Weg.

Planung ist alles für Deinen Island-Urlaub! Naja, oder besser fast alles. Vorfreude sollte es auch sein, und ein bisschen Flexibilität. Island aber ist anders, denn Island ist

• chronisch ausgebucht
• vollgestopft mit sehenswerten Orten

Aber nicht nur das: Island ist das Land der Wasserfälle, Geysire und Vulkane, was man an den rußschwarz-verfärbten Gletschern und dem dunklen Vulkangestein überall merkt. Noch vielen ist der unaussprechliche Eyjafjallajökull ein Begriff, als dieser 2009 ausbrach und einen Großteil des Europäischen Flugverkehrs lahmlegte. Vor allem aber ist Island wunderschön.

Die meistgestellte Frage ist immer noch: Wie hoch sind die Kosten für einen Island-Roadtrip? Und wie organisiere ich das alles? In diesem Artikel beantworte ich diese Fragen und gebe Dir Tipps, wie Du Dein Reisebudget etwas entlastest.

Meinen Islandurlaub organisiere ich immer selbst, denn ich reise gerne individuell. Vor meiner ersten Rundreise nach Island habe ich mir von anderen Tipps eingeholt und überall hieß es: Buche früh, es wird sonst super teuer und im schlimmsten Fall ist im kleinen Ort, wo Du unbedingt hinwolltest, alles ausgebucht. Inzwischen hat der Touristenboom eingesetzt und es ist sogar noch voller geworden. Daher gilt umso mehr: Plane und buche Deine Unterkünfte in Island möglichst früh!  Das heißt übrigens nicht, dass ganz Island voller Touristen ist. Ganz im Gegenteil ist es meistens immer noch sehr leer. Nur an den berühmten Hotspots, dem Golden Circle im Süden und den beliebten Wasserfällen und noch einigen Instagram-Locations ist es knackevoll, sonst verteilt sich das extrem. Du kannst in Island immer noch angenehme stille Weite erleben.

1. Die Reiseroute: Ringstraße oder doch „nur“ Golden Circle?

Viele Island-Urlauber entscheiden sich bei ihrer ersten Island-Reise entweder für den Golden Circle, also den Süden nahe Reykjavik, oder für eine Rundreise um die Ringstraße . Es gibt wirklich viele Möglichkeiten und letztlich solltest Du Deine Entscheidung von diesen Dingen abhängig machen:

• Finanzielle Möglichkeiten

Die Reisedauer ist natürlich das erste Kriterium: Hast Du nur drei Tage Zeit, zum Beispiel bei einem Island-Stopover , ist klar, dass Du im Bereich des Golden Circle oder ganz in Reykjavik bleiben wirst. Bei 12 Tagen kannst Du über eine Rundreise nachdenken. Bei vier Wochen willst Du sicher die ganze Insel sehen, also Reykjavik, Golden Circle, Ringstraße Ost- und Westfjorde.

Die Reisezeit spielt hier mit hinein: Reist Du 12 Tage im Winter, rate ich Dir dringend von einer Rundreise ab, obwohl das viele machen. Allzu häufig sind Straßen wegen Schneestürmen gesperrt und Du musst abwarten, bis Du weiterfahren kannst. Da man in der Regel alle Unterkünfte wegen Knappheit vorbuchen muss, hat man dann den Ärger und schafft die Strecken eventuell auch gar nicht und sitzt die meiste Zeit entweder im Sturm fest oder im Auto, weil man langsam vorankommt.

Ich hatte auf meiner ersten Reise für die Ringstraße im Mai 13 Tage Zeit (und das fand ich übrigens zu kurz). Die Westfjorde habe ich ausgelassen, denn dann wäre es doch arg stressig gewesen. Wir sind entgegen des Uhrzeigersinns  gefahren, so hatten wir die Sehenswürdigkeiten des Golden Circle gleich am Anfang. Auf die bekannten Sehenswürdigkeiten freut man sich einerseits am meisten, andererseits sind diese eben auch am meisten überlaufen. Wenn diese dann hinter einem liegen, kann man schön entspannen und sich auf „den Rest“ freuen, der noch nicht in Instagram totfotografiert worden ist. Das ist übrigens meine bevorzugte Vorgehensweise auf jeder Reise.

Weil wir einen intensiven und möglichst wenig hektischen Island-Roadtrip machen wollten, haben wir immer 2-3 Tage in einer Unterkunft gebucht. Durch meine Backpacker-Reisen weiß ich, dass kaum etwas stressiger ist als das Packen jeden Tag. Wir haben daher insgesamt lediglich fünf Stationen eingeplant.

Und da sind wir auch schon bei den finanziellen Möglichkeiten: Es wird eindeutig günstiger, wenn Du mehrere Tage in einer Unterkunft bleibst und eine Ferienwohnung nimmst, denn Ferienwohnungen sind günstiger, dort kannst Du kochen, aber Du musst eine einmalige Reinigungs- und manchmal Buchungspauschale zahlen. Wechselst Du jeden Abend Deine Unterkunft, wird die Reise nicht nur stressig, sondern durch die Pauschalen auch teurer. Eine 7-Tage-Reise rund um die Ringstraße kann somit genauso teuer sein wie 14 Tage im Süden. Und Du wirst weniger sehen, weil Du weniger Stops einlegst. Meine Empfehlung ist ganz klar für Island:

Reise langsam und entdecke die kleinen Nebenwege mit Islands Ruhe, kaum Touristen, viel Natur. Die Natur ist überall spektakulär, nicht nur an den Sehenswürdigkeiten.

Mögliche Routen für Island-Reisen

• Stopover für ein paar Stunden: Ja, selbst dann kannst Du einen Eindruck bekommen. Nimm Dir vom Flughafen einen Mietwagen und erkunde die Halbinsel Reykjanes ganz im Süden mit Gunnuhver – Islands größter heißen Quelle.
• 3-4 Tage: Reykjavik & Golden Circle: Unterschätze Reykjavik nicht, das ist eine tolle Stadt!
• 5-7 Tage im Sommer: Golden Circle &  Eislagune Jökulsárlon  ODER die Westfjorde
• 5-7 Tage im Winter: Golden Circle & Eislagune Jökulsárlon; die Westfjorde würde ich im Winter ohne Island-Erfahrung nicht befahren. Da ist häufig alles dicht und ggf. Straßen gesperrt.
• 8-12 Tage im Sommer: Golden Circle & Eislagune Jökulsárlon & Snaefellsness, die großartige Halbinsel, über die ich noch dringend berichten muss und die quasi „Island in klein“ ist ODER Golden Circle, Eislagune Jökulsarlon und eine schöne Tour ins Inland, z.B. Landmannalaugar.
• 8-12 Tage im Winter: Reykjavik, Golden Circle & Snaefellsness
• 12-18 Tage im Sommer: Ringstraße und ggf. einen Abstecher ins Inland oder auf die Westfjorde
• 12-18 Tage im Winter: Ringstraße ohne Westfjorde, aber immer schön Puffer einbauen und damit rechnen, dass der ein oder andere Weg einfach nicht klappen wird; nicht zu empfehlen für Island-Anfänger

Natürlich kannst Du auch innerhalb Islands in den Norden fliegen. Ich würde das allerdings nicht empfehlen, denn erstens lohnt sich die Fahrt, zweitens, nunja, Ihr wisst schon, Fliegen ist ökologisch blöd und so, es reicht ja schon der Flug nach Keflavik. :)

Einmal Roadtrip um Islands Ringstraße bitte. Hier: Islands sanfter Süden nahe dem Golden Circle.

2. Wann ist die beste Reisezeit für Island?

Von Deiner Wunsch-Route hängt auch die Reisezeit ab: Willst Du die Ringstraße fahren oder ins Hochland, mach das nicht im Winter. Das Wetter ist zu unberechenbar, aufgrund von Winterstürmen können Straßen schon mal tagelang gesperrt werden. Isn Hochland kommt man ohnehin nur im Sommer.

Hauptsaison: Juni – September

Die Hauptsaison in Island war ursprünglich der Juli und August, jetzt beginnt diese bereits im Juni, dann wird es überall teurer. Der Vorteil: Das Wetter ist stabiler. Außerdem ist im Juli und August die Chance hoch, das Hochland zu erreichen. Wir waren Anfang Juni vor Ort und haben es nicht durch die Flüsse ins Hochland geschafft, das ist häufig bis Ende Juni der Fall, wenn die Flüsse noch durch die Schneeschmelze Hochwasser haben. Nachteil: Es ist teurer und vor allem sehr viel voller, es fahren immer noch die meisten Menschen im Sommer nach Island. Für die Hauptsaison musst Du Dich wirklich früh um Unterkünfte kümmern.

ABER ich muss hier gleich sagen: Ja, es ist voll an den Hotspots und das ist nervig, zugegeben. Du kannst aber auch einfach nur zwei Hotspots besuchen und Dich ansonsten im Rest des Landes umschauen, Island ist überall spannend! In Ausnahmefällen und in höheren Lagen musst Du auch im Juni und September mit Schneefällen rechnen.

Nebensaison 1: Mai und Oktober

Bist Du mit knappem Budget unterwegs und willst die Ringstraße fahren, fahr im Mai oder Oktober. Vorteil ist, dass es ein bisschen leerer ist. Nachteil: Die Straßen ins Hochland sind mit ziemlicher Sicherheit gesperrt.

Wir sind beim ersten Besuch Ende Mai gefahren und haben noch den Pfingstmontag mitgenommen. Die hübscheste Unterkunft, unser Ferienhaus, haben wir deshalb noch in der günstigeren Mai-Zeit buchen können. Vom Inland haben wir leider rein gar nichts gesehen und sind nicht einmal bis Landmannalaugar gekommen, weil einfach alles noch gesperrt war bzw. die Straßen zu hoch überflutet waren. In den letzten Jahren hat sich der Winter in Island häufig in die Länge gezogen, so dass manche Straßen sogar bis Anfang Juli gesperrt waren. Ansonsten war das Wetter Ende Mai wirklich schön.

In beiden Monaten muss man bereits mit Schnee, in Ausnahmefällen mit Schneestürmen rechnen, es kann aber auch sehr sommerlich sein. Im Oktober erleben die Isländer:innen bei Sonne einen goldenen Herbst, den ich wunderschön fand (einen Eindruck vom goldenen Herbst in Island gibt es in meinem Stopover-Artikel ). Ein weiterer Pluspunkt für den Oktober: die Polarlichter-Saison!

Nebensaison 2: November bis März/April

Von November bis März herrscht tiefer Winter. Wie oben erwähnt, können Schneestürme auch bis Mai oder ab September der Fall sein, wenn auch eher in Ausnahmefällen. Von einem Roadtrip rund um die Ringstraße sollte man absehen, denn Straßen, insbesondere im Osten und Norden, können schon mal mehrere Tage gesperrt sein.

Im Süden rund um den Golden Circle und die Ringstraße bis Vik werden die Straßen bei Schneestürmen gesperrt bzw. sollten dann ohnehin nicht befahren werden, an „normalen“ Tagen sind sie jedoch alle geräumt und dann ist Island wirklich sehr zauberhaft. Vorteil ist außerdem, dass es nicht so voll ist.

Meine Empfehlung für diese Saison aufgrund der unvorhersehbaren Wetterbedingungen: Nimm Dir eine hübsche kleine Hütte im Süden und mach von dort aus Tagesausflüge, oder erkunde ausschließlich die Westfjorde. Aber nimm Dir nicht vor, große Strecken fahren zu müssen, bei üblem Wetter macht das einfach keinen Spaß und Du stehst dann die ganze Zeit unter Druck, Deine nächste Unterkunft erreichen zu müssen.

Polarlichtsaison in Island

Wer Polarlichter sehen möchte, sollte in den Wintermonaten fahren, die beste Zeit für Polarlichter ist im Oktober und Februar/März .

Ich habe sowohl im März wie Oktober  Polarlichter  gesehen. Welcher Monat besser ist, könnte ich nicht entscheiden: Im März ist der Schnee überall sehr hübsch, Anfang Oktober hatten wir herrliche Herbstfarben. Für einen Kurztrip eignen sich beide Monate, außer man hat das Pech mit vielen Stürmen, das war bei uns jedoch nicht der Fall.

3. Vorbereitung: Reiseführer für Island

Wir sind keine megagroßen Planer und haben nur das Nötigste vorher recherchiert. Jeder durfte in einer Excel-Tabelle eintragen, was ihm besonders wichtig war oder wenn uns irgendwelche Tipps gegeben wurden.

Mittlerweile ist so dermaßen viel über Island in Reiseblogs erschienen, dass man sicher auch alles irgendwo online findet, vor allem eben auch persönliche Eindrücke und viele Tipps für Regionen und Orte, die sich abseits der üblichen Routen lohnen, anzusteuern (siehe Abschnitt Die besten Tipps von Reisebloggern ).

Tatsächlich bekomme ich so viele Anfragen, dass ich überlege, diesen Artikel zu einer downloadbaren PDF umzubauen, denn er wird immer länger und länger und auch in den Kommentaren finden sich mittlerweile viele weitere Infos.

4. Wie teuer ist Island und was kostet eine Reise?

Island ist teuer und gilt sogar immer wieder als teuerstes Land der Welt. Ich selbst bin wahrlich nicht reich und sage Dir: Mit der richtigen Planung halten sich die Kosten in Grenzen, aber ein wirklich günstiger Urlaub wird es nicht.

Ich war nun mittlerweile vier Mal in Island. Diese Kosten sind meiner Ansicht nach realistisch, wenn Du nicht im Zelt aber auch nicht luxuriös wohnen willst.

Tipp: Die Kosten gelten ebenso für einen Kurztrip nach Island. Lies hier meinen Artikel ►  Stopover: Wieviel kostet eine Island-Kurzreise?

Unterkünfte, Flüge und Mietwagen haben wir ca. vier Monate vor Reiseantritt gebucht, und damit waren wir nicht einmal besonders früh dran: Erfahrene Islandreisende sagen, dass Unterkünfte besser noch sechs bis acht Monate im Voraus gebucht werden sollten!

Kostentabelle bei einem Island Roadtrip 12 Tage mit 4 Personen:

Hinweis: Die Kosten habe ich aktualisiert, da z.B. Unterkünfte teurer geworden sind.

Wenn Du mit einem statt drei Freunden fährst, ist die Reise natürlich teurer, weil Du etwas mehr für die Zimmer berappen musst, wenn Du nicht im Dorm schlafen willst. Außerdem wird das Auto und Benzin dann eben nur durch zwei geteilt. Achte beim Auto in dem Fall auf ein kleineres Auto, zum Beispiel den Suzuki Jimny. In der Nebensaison gibt es diesen auch schon mal für 50 Euro pro Tag – es sei denn, Du nimmst keinen Allradwagen, dann wird es noch günstiger. Beachte dazu aber unbedingt meine Hinweise im Abschnitt „Mietwagen“!

Ja, Island ist leider teuer. Wer es günstiger haben will, sollte in den Sommermonaten reisen und z.B. im Zelt übernachten (was auch eine wirklich coole Sache ist!).

Wenn Du ganz grob rechnen willst und keine hohen Ansprüche hast, rechne im Schnitt mit 150 Euro pro Reisetag pro Person für Unterkunft, Mietwagen, Sprit und Essen. Im Folgenden habe ich die Kostenpunkte aufgeschlüsselt und gebe Dir noch eine Tipps mit.

Günstige Flüge nach Island

Ich bin mit Air Berlin , Germanwings und WOW Air geflogen und habe mal knapp 200 und mal 250 Euro gezahlt. Die Germania fliegt ebenfalls häufig günstig, z.B. von Dresden oder Nürnberg. Da Air Berlin und Wow Air ja nun leider pleite sind, könnten Flüge künftig etwas teurer werden. Tipp : Wer zu zweit fährt und einen Mietwagen zur Verfügung hat, ist nicht auf einen Rucksack angewiesen und kann daher für beide zusammen lediglich ein Aufgabegepäck buchen. Wir haben das beim letzten Mal so gemacht.

Wer früher bucht fliegt meistens günstiger. Spätere Schnäppchen oder Last-Minute-Deals gibt es in der Regel nicht. Gesucht haben wir wie üblich mit diversen Meta-Suchmaschinen und haben immer wieder mit den Airlines verglichen. Im Sommer bietet IcelandAir auch recht gute Preise. Patrick von 101 Places hat gute Tipps zum Suchen günstiger Flüge zusammengefasst.

Wir sind zweimal sehr spät am Abend geflogen und das ist sehr praktisch: Das Mietauto ist auch dann noch direkt am Flughafen abholbar, denn die Isländer sind auf die späten Flüge eingestellt. Sinnvoll ist es dann natürlich, nicht sehr weit fahren zu müssen, die erste Unterkunft bietet sich also in Reykjavik oder etwas weiter im Golden Circle an. Viele Hütten-Unterkünfte befinden sich im Umkreis vom Golden Circle ca. eineinhalb Stunden vom Flughafen weg. Viele der Unterkünfte haben einen kleinen Safe für den Schlüssel, an den man mit einem Code rankommt, der Dir vorher zugeschickt wird. Das ist sehr praktisch, wir fallen um 2 Uhr morgens ins Bett und wachen am nächsten Morgen frisch für unseren ersten Tag mitten in der isländischen Pampa auf. Bei der Rückreise haben wir die letzte Unterkunft durch einen späten 23 Uhr-Flug gespart.

Solltest Du aber einen Flug mitten am Tag haben, buche – wenn möglich – einen Fensterplatz auf der rechten Flugzeugseite. Mit etwas Wetterglück fliegst du dann nämlich über die Südküste, kannst die Eislagune Jökulsárlon und vor allem das Eis und die Gletscher bei so einem grandiosen Anblick bestaunen:

Island-Ansicht aus dem Flugzeug – wow. Hinten rechts im Bild sieht man ein bisschen die Eislagune Jökulsárlon.

Essen in Island: Von günstig bis mega teuer

Restaurants sind in Island unglaublich teuer, hier musst Du mit Preisen ab 50 Euro aufwärts rechnen. Selbstversorgerunterkünfte sind daher sehr sinnvoll, weil man sich selbst das Essen zubereiten kann. An Tankstellen gibt es häufig günstigere Imbisse, das ist üblicherweise der eher unterdurchschnittliche Burger mit Pommes. Mein Leibgericht ist das nicht gerade. In Reykjavik gibt es allerdings Angebote einiger Restaurants für Touristen, die etwas günstiger sind – schwer zu übersehen mit all den jüngeren Backpackern.

Durch unsere Ferienwohnungen und Hostels konnten wir mit Selbstkochen sehr viel sparen. Die drei bekanntesten Supermarkt -Ketten in Island sind Bonus, Kronan und Netto. Bonus soll mit Abstand günstiger sein, deshalb haben wir ausschließlich dort eingekauft. Wir fanden die Preise nun nicht sonderlich dramatisch wie überall angekündigt. Klar, möchtest Du nur frisches Obst und Salat kaufen wird es sehr teuer. Wir haben uns eher an Reis und Nudeln mit Dosengemüse gehalten, das war preislich dann nur wenig teurer als in Deutschland. Eine tolle Idee waren auch Sandwiches für die Verpflegung unterwegs. Nicht vergessen: Unbedingt Skyr probieren – lecker!

Auf beiden Reisen haben wir uns am letzten Tag die leckersten Burger von Welt gegönnt in den Hamborgarafabrikkan . Yummi!

Trinkgeld ist in Island nicht üblich und wird nicht erwartet, aber natürlich freuen sich Angestellte über einen kleinen Bonus. A propos: Koch Dir morgens lieber eine schöne Kanne Kaffee oder Tee und nimm diese mit, statt ständig einen Stop am Café einzulegen. Ein Käffchen hier und einen Cappucino da, das kann sich schnell summieren. Es sei denn natürlich, man möchte genau hier einen wunderbaren Kaffee trinken, es gibt viele wirklich süße Cafés in Island.

TIPP: Immer auf Vorrat einkaufen, wenn Du eine Rundtour machst, im Osten und Norden sind Supermärkte wirklich rar gesät.

Eintrittspreise

Eintrittspreise gibt es, werden aber unterschiedlich von Jahr zu Jahr verlangt. Heiße Quellen sind mal kostenlos, mal werden umgerechnet ein paar mehr Euro verlangt, mal weniger. Ich fand es nie teuer und habe das in etwa mit Deutschland vergleichen können. Die Bootstour in der Eislagune Jökulsarlon z.B. hat etwa 26 Euro p.P. gekostet (unbedingt zu empfehlen!). Bei einer heißen Quelle haben wir 3 Euro gezahlt. Das Myvatn Nature Bath kostet mittlerweile immerhin 40 Euro, ist aber wirklich zu empfehlen. Bei der Blue Lagoon musst Du mal eben mehr als doppelt so viel berappen, das würde ich weniger empfehlen.

5. Mietwagen & Versicherungen: Was muss ich beachten?

Was für ein Auto sollte ich mieten?

In Island solltest Du sicherheitshalber einen Allradantrieb (4×4) mieten. Zu zweit ist der Suzuki Jimny perfekt oder der Fiat 500. Zu dritt oder viert ist es darin zu eng, dann passt z.B. ein Suzuki Grand Vitara. Ein passendes Angebot findest Du am einfachsten über den Mietwagenvergleich billiger-mietwagen.de *. Wir buchen immer über dieses Portal. Beachtet unbedingt die einzelnen Bedingungen des jeweiligen Anbieters, zum Beispiel Extraversicherungen wegen Steinschlag, Teilkasko etc.

Wenn es für Dich wichtig ist, ein sehr günstiges Auto zu nehmen, kannst Du Dich auf die Ringstraße im Sommer beschränken, dann brauchst Du auch keinen 4×4. Wenn Du aber außerhalb der Sommermonate fährst und auch abseits gelegene Straßen fahren möchtest, rate ich Dir unbedingt zu einem 4×4. Um das nochmal zu betonen: Viele „F-Straßen“, also unbefestigte Straßen, darfst Du ohne 4×4 gar nicht befahren! Du riskierst teure Strafen und die Versicherung wird für Schäden nicht zahlen. Nicht jede Gravelroad ist eine F-Straße, aber viele Straßen sind F-Straßen. Geh dieses Risiko also auf keinen Fall ein! Im Herbst oder Frühling kann ein 4×4 auch die bessere Wahl sein, denn bei Schneefall werden zunächst mal die Hauptstraßen geräumt – doof, wenn man es mit seinem Polo dann die 2 km von der Nebenstraße bis zur Abzweigung nicht mehr schafft.

Oder Du machst es anders und mietest einen Camper und sparst damit gleichzeitig die Unterkünfte. Auf ihrem Blog berichtet Julia ausführlich über ihren 14-Tage-Camper-Roadtrip durch Island , inklusive vielen Tipps auch zum Geld sparen.

Unser Fiat 500 – und jetzt bitte auf’s Kennzeichen achten – ey, yo!

Welche Auto-Versicherungen brauche ich in Island?

Island ist besonders, was Auto-Versicherungen angeht: Eine Versicherung gegen Asche-, Wind- und Sand-Schäden ist in den meisten Fällen sinnvoll und wird manchmal sogar obligatorisch automatisch mitgebucht. Christine von  Lilies Diary  hat am eigenen Leib bitter erfahren müssen, wie wichtig eine gute Versicherung ist. Im Winter ist laut Einheimischer wohl eine Sandversicherung nicht nötig, dieser Hinweis ist aber bitte ohne Gewähr zu verstehen. Ich bin persönlich lieber über- statt unterversichert.

Sei Dir aber bewusst, dass in Island einiges nicht abgedeckt wird, Reifenschäden zum Beispiel oder vom Wind abgerissene Türen. Das sollte Dir aber die Vermietung vor Ort auch nochmal alles sagen. Übrigens: Autos, auch SUVs, sind sehr unterschiedlich hoch – wer ins Inland und durch Furten muss, sollte darauf achten.

Wieviel kostet ein Mietwagen in Island?

Rechne bei einem 4×4 mit Versicherungen (inkl. Vollkasko) mal ganz grob mit 100 Euro Mietgebühren pro Tag bei einem Fahrer . Günstiger wäre der kleine Suzuki Jimny, der für zwei reicht. Für drei oder vier Leute müsste es schon was Größeres sein. Das ist ein ganz guter Richtwert, darunter geht es nur ohne 4×4.

Welche Tipps gibt es zum Sparen?

• Nutz eine Metasuchmaschine für Mietwagen, z.B. billiger-mietwagen.de *, die zeigen Dir gleich den günstigsten Preis bei vielen Anbietern. Du kannst hier auch gleich „Typ SUV“ auswählen oder vergleichen, welche Versicherung dabei ist.
• Die Kreditkarte „Miles & More Credit Card Gold plus“ von Lufthansa ! Mit dieser haben wir teure Extraversicherungen bei der Mietwagenbuchung gespart, denn die sind bereits inklusive (Auskunft der Kreditkartenfirma). Achtung: Asche soll hier allerdings inzwischen nicht mehr mitversichert sein. Bitte selbst die genauen Konditionen erfragen! Wir hätten für einen größeren 4×4 Mietwagen für 12 Tage inklusive Versicherungen rund 1000 Euro ausgegeben. Durch die erwähnte Kreditkarte haben wir nur knapp 700 Euro gezahlt.

Noch ein paar weitere Tipps zu Mietwagen:

Achte darauf, ob der Anbieter des Mietwagens direkt im Terminal in Keflavik sitzt oder „am Flughafen“. Letzteres bedeutet nämlich, dass der Verleih mehrere Kilometer weg ist. Die Anbieter haben dann in der Regel einen Shuttle. Beim letzten Mal ist der aber nicht aufgetaucht und wir mussten erstmal telefonieren. Blöd, denn das ist umständlich und ggf. teuer. Ob das außerdem funktioniert, wenn der Flieger in der Nacht kommt oder geht, ist fraglich.

Sei vorsichtig bei Islandpferden ! Wir haben einmal ein nachhaltiges Erlebnis mit einigen gehabt, die an unserem Wagen geknabbert haben (vermutlich wollten sie das Salz auf der Haube ablecken) – das kann unschöne und teure Kratzer geben!

Achtung! Mietwagenunternehmen geben das Auto natürlich nicht einfach so her, meist wird, wie überall, ein bestimmter Betrag auf dem Konto geblockt. Beim letzten Mal waren das immerhin 2500 Euro. Ist der Betrag nicht durch Guthaben oder Kreditrahmen gedeckt, muss eine Extraversicherung abgeschlossen werden. Daher: Unbedingt darauf achten, dass inklusive Kreditrahmen 2500 Euro theoretisch zur Verfügung stehen.

Tanken  kostet grundsätzlich nicht die Welt, ist aber vor allem teuer, weil man sich wahnsinnig verschätzt bei den Kilometern durch ständige Extra-Ausflüge mit dem Auto. Insgesamt sind wir bei unserem ersten Urlaub tatsächlich 4000 Kilometer gefahren (Ringstraße mit ein paar Extraausflügen) und haben fürs Tanken 500 Euro gebraucht.

Parkgebühren werden mittlerweile häufig genommen und sind in Reykjavik mit ca. 3 Euro die Stunde (je nach Parkzone) relativ hoch.

6. Empfehlenswerte Unterkünfte in Island

Hostels sind natürlich eine günstigste Variante (und dennoch nicht wirklich günstig). Allerdings sollte man wissen, dass der Standard der Hostels in Island teils wirklich gruselig ist. Unbedingt daher auf die Bewertungen achten, z.B. bei Booking.com oder Tripadvisor! Doppelzimmer fangen meist bei 80 Euro an, für ein Dorm-Bett musst Du meist schon 20-30 Euro berappen.

• Das superbegehrte Osar-Hostel * im Norden ist sehr zu empfehlen, da haben wir zwei Einzelzimmer und ein Doppelzimmer gebucht und im Endeffekt ein geniales Holzhäuschen bekommen – mit Blick auf den Strand mit den Seehunden, wahnsinn! 

Das Osar-Hostel im Nordwesten bietet auch supertolle Holzhütten an – meine absolute Lieblingsunterkunft!

• Das Kex-Hostel * in Reykjavik ist bekanntlich sehr stylisch und für einen Kaffee super gemütlich, zum Übernachten aber sehr teuer. Von uns hat es nur eine gebucht und fand es sehr laut, generell ist das Publikum eher U25.

Hostels buche ich entweder über booking.com *,  Hostelbookers *, hihostels.com oder auch – speziell für Island – hostel.is . TIPP:  Wer bei den Hihostels mehr als einmal bucht, sollte sich für eine Mitgliedschaft entscheiden. Wer nicht Mitglied ist, zahlt im Hostel noch einmal eine Extragebühr für jede Nacht und jede Person. Die Mitgliedschaft kann aber auch spontan vor Ort gekauft werden. Mit viel Glück wird selbst bei der Mitgliedschaft von nur einer Person keine Gebühr mehr von den anderen Mitreisenden verlangt.

Ferienwohnungen  sind natürlich eine tolle Alternative, die sich besonders in und um Reykjavik anbieten und wenn man mindestens zu zweit reist. Im Rest des Landes sind sie allerdings rar gesät, dass man schon etwas flexibel sein muss. Wir hatten hier Glück und wurden für unsere ersten Tage fündig: Ein schnuckeliges Häuschen mitten im Nirgendwo, aber sehr zentral zum Golden Circle und zur Landmannalaugar gelegen, wo wir unbedingt hinwollen. Ich selber schaue dafür auf FeWo-direkt ,  booking.com * und  Airbnb .

Camping kam dieses Mal nicht in Frage, weil meine Mitreisenden nicht ganz so camping-begeistert sind wie ich, zudem ist es auch im Sommer in Island wirklich sehr frisch. Du solltest schon ganz gutes Equipment haben und ein bisschen Camping-erfahren sein, denn sonst kann es bei knappen über Bodenfrost-Temperaturen schonmal unangenehm werden. Ansonsten ist Camping eine günstige und flexible Alternative, Vorbuchen nicht erforderlich und z.B. bei mehrtägigen Wanderungen bei Landmannalaugar sicher zu empfehlen.

Hotels sind schlicht: teuer. Wir hatten in Reykjavik ein bezahlbares Zimmer gefunden, was dann aber auch der totale Reinfall war. Das winzige Zimmer mit eindeutigem Einzelbett wurde uns als Doppelzimmer verkauft – bei Schnäppchenpreisen also vorsichtig sein und auf Bewertungen bei Buchungsportalen achten!

7. Hotpots / Heiße Quellen in Island

Es sollte sich schon herumgesprochen haben: Die Blaue Lagune ist irre teuer und mega touristisch. Wir haben sie uns nicht gegönnt und haben die günstige Alternative in Myvatn besucht: Das Myvatn Nature Bath . Zur blauen Lagune lohnt übrigens dennoch ein Abstecher, weil man einfach ein bisschen drum herum laufen kann. Die hübschen blauen Wasserbecken sind nämlich auch außen, sie sind allerdings nicht so warm. Zugegeben: Das Wasser im Myvatn Nature Bath sieht nicht ganz so fantastisch aus und es ist kleiner. Dafür spart man aber eine Menge Geld und ein tolles Erlebnis ist es dennoch. TIPP: Mit langen Haaren das Wasser vermeiden, meine haben noch ewig gestunken und waren hinterher unfassbar trocken.

Außerdem gibt es natürlich auch eine Menge völlig kostenloser Pools, eine Liste vieler Hotpots auf Island findest Du auf The Outdoor Swimming Society .

Angeblich sind viele Hotpots einigermaßen bakterienverseucht – ob das stimmt, oder nur die Touristen von den Hotpots fernhalten soll, weil die Isländer so genervt sind, kann ich nicht sagen. Im letzten Oktober habe ich mich aber sicherheitshalber im warmen Fluss niedergelassen – da schwimmen die Bakterien hoffentlich sehr schnell wieder weg. ;) Extrem zu empfehlen und mit einer wunderschönen Wanderung verbunden: der heiße Fluss im Reykjadalur-Tal, nördlich von Hveragerði.

Eine Mütze ist sinnvoll, schließlich war’s im Oktober schon ordentlich kalt. :)

Am heißen Fluss im Reykjadalur-Tal wurden nun Stege gebaut, um den Boden zu schützen. Manche finden das furchtbar – mal wieder. Ich habe nix dagegen, wenn die Natur geschützt wird.

8. Spartipps für Island

Die besten Spartipps für Island sind:

• Fortbewegung: Fahr nicht alleine, sondern zu zweit, zu dritt oder zu viert. Du kannst Dir dann Mietwagen, Sprit und Unterkunft teilen.
• Schau, ob Du mit einer bestimmten Kreditkarte Geld sparen kannst, zum Beispiel wenn Versicherungen inklusive sind.
• Unterkünfte: Buche Hütten und Ferienwohnungen, wenn Du zu zweit oder mehreren unterwegs bist. Das ist unendlich viel günstiger als Hotels, zudem kannst Du selber kochen.
• Essen: Koche selber. Essen gehen ist in Island unglaublich teuer, während die Lebensmittel sich teils kaum vom Preis unterscheiden. Wenn Du essen gehst, kannst Du z.B. einfach Leitungswasser bestellen statt einem teuren Getränk. Im Gegensatz zu Deutschland schaut da auch niemand komisch. An Tankstellen gibt es häufig günstiges Essen, z.B. einfache Burger und Pommes.

Immer wieder werde ich gefragt, ob man sich nicht den 4-Rad-Antrieb sparen kann. Ich möchte das nicht empfehlen. Zum einen muss man in den Monaten von Oktober bis April mit jedem Wetter rechnen, zum anderen ist man dann in seiner Freiheit wirklich eingeschränkt und kann nicht mal eben auf Entdeckungsreise abseits der üblichen Pfade gehen. Wenn ich schon nach Island reise, möchte ich diese Option auch haben.

9. Kleine Packliste für Island

Für grundsätzliche Packlisten schaut gerne mal auf meiner Packlisten-Seite vorbei. Dass es in Island kalt ist und warme Klamotten in den Rucksack/Koffer gehören, ist auch klar. Ich möchte hier nur ein paar Empfehlungen loswerden, die ich hier nach der Reise nun ergänze:

• Essen/Trinken : Wenn Ihr wie wir in privaten Unterkünften wohnt, vergesst nicht solche Kleinigkeiten wie Gewürze und evtl. Milchpulver. Das nimmt nicht viel Platz weg und Ihr spart Geld. Wir haben sogar ein paar Suppen, Soße in Trockenform und Nudeln mitgenommen und das war auch gut so, denn manchmal sind wir so spät angekommen, dass wir nirgendwo mehr einkaufen konnten. Auch einen Whisky haben wir am Flughafen gekauft. Alkohol ist teuer auf Island.
• Einen Polfilter für Euer Lieblingsobjektiv, mit dem Ihr gerne draußen die Natur fotografiert. Auf Island gibt es so viele Möglichkeiten, Wasser zu fotografieren, dass die Entspiegelung eines Polfilters hier wahre Wunder bewirken kann. Und bitte keinen Billigkram, meinen ersten habe ich schnell in die Tonne getreten. Mit den Polfiltern von Hama * habe ich gute Erfahrungen gemacht und sie sind gut bezahlbar.
• Wenn Stativ dann bitte ein stabileres. Auf Island ist viel Wind, ein kleines wackliges Stativ bringt es da nicht. Als wirklich geniales Preis-Leistungsverhältnis hat sich da mein Manfrotto BeFree Advanced * bewiesen. Es ist nur 1,5 Kilo schwer, aber doch gut standfest, leicht zu bedienen und gut auszutarieren. Falls Du Dir ein Stativ anschaffen möchtest, empfehle ich Dir meinen ausfürlichen Artikel über Stative und worauf es ankommt .
• Meine Buff- Halstücher * leisten mir seit Jahren gute Dienste und ich nutze seitdem auch keinen (umständlichen und großen) Schal mehr. Mir gibt das mehr Bewegungsfreiheit und weniger Gepäck, sehr angenehm.
• Wunderstoff an Wärmeleistung und kleines Gepäck ist Merinowolle . Ich besitze mehrere Merinoteile, unter anderem eine Icebreaker Merino Jacke *, die ich heiß und innig liebe und mir schon zweimal gekauft habe, weil die Erste gestohlen wurde, und zwei Merino Unterhemden *. Die Dinger sind unheimlich leicht und klein und ich kombiniere sie übereinander für größtmögliche Wärmeleistung. Merinowoll-Unterwäsche * ist dann natürlich ebenfalls unschlagbar. Auf jeden Fall auf die Gramm pro m² achten, unter 160 ist das eher arg dünn. Meine Unterhemden haben 200 g/m², meine Merinojacken ab 260 g/m², für die lange Unterhose reicht mir aber wenigre. Mütze nicht vergessen!
• Möglichst wasserdichte, warme Schuhe ! Die Nässe in Island ist nicht zu unterschätzen. Das können Stiefel sein, ich bevorzuge aber meine Wanderstiefel, die ich dann mit Wachs * ordentlich imprägniere. Spikes können im Winter sehr hilfreich sein.
• Wirklich, wirklich die Regenklamotten mitnehmen! Ich habe meine Regenhose tatsächlich mehrfach genutzt, praktisch war sie außerdem, weil sie zusätzlich den kalten Wind abhält. Das muss übrigens keine teure sein, ich habe mit der Regatta Regenhose * gute Erfahrungen gemacht (bis ich sie leider in den ligurischen Bergen irgendwo verloren habe).
• Sonnencreme ! Ja, Sonnencreme *! Ich hatte meine selbstverständlich vergessen und habe mir in Reykjavik einen hübschen Sonnenbrand eingefangen, weil die Sonne doch sehr intensiv ist.

10. Die besten Tipps von Reisebloggern

Überragende Aussicht: Manuela, ich spring gleich mal zu Dir rein! :) Bildquelle: Manuela

Manuela von Seiltanz (leider nicht mehr aktuell) begleite ich virtuell, seitdem ich blogge, weil sie ein grandioses Händchen für tolle Reisen und eine schöne, unaufgeregte Art hat, darüber zu schreiben.

Jutta von 6 Grad Ost macht zauberhafte Fotos und ist schon zweimal auf Island gewesen.

Sóley von Cotton Candy Stories pickt ganz bestimmte Aspekte auf ihren Reisen heraus, die sie dann toll beleuchtet.

Was darf ich auf keinen Fall verpassen?

Seiltanz: Auch auf die Gefahr hin, nicht sonderlich kreativ zu sein: Die Gletscherlagune Jökulsárlón – mich als ‚Eisneuling‘ hat sie wirklich umgehauen. Und dazu als Ausgleich zwei nicht ganz so bekannte Orte: der kleine Wasserfall Brúárfoss und der Canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur.

6 Grad Ost: Auch wenn sie ohnehin die Hitlisten anführen: Die Eisberglagunen im Osten sind für mich das „must see“. Bizarre Eisskulpturen am Strand von Jökulsárlón, blau leuchtende Eisberge und verspielte Robben in der Lagune. Außerdem: Búðir auf der Halbinsel Snæfellsnes. Im gleichnamigen Hotel eine Nacht verbringen oder zum High Tea einkehren, die kleine Kirche auf dem Hügel besuchen und am Strand spazieren gehen, der hier ausnahmsweise einmal nicht schwarz, sondern goldgelb ist. 

Cotton Candy Stories: Reykjavík, das ist nämlich eine tolle Stadt! Das KEX Hostel hat einen super Charme und auch meinem Lieblingscafé dem Stofan solltest du unbedingt einen Besuch abstatten, denn dort sieht es aus wie in einem gemütlichen Wohnzimmer. Und zu guter Letzt sollte man unbedingt eins der berühmten SS-Pylsur Hotdogs unten am Hafen gegessen haben. Zwar schmecken die überhaupt nicht so besonders, aber wie ein Freund von mir immer zu sagen pflegte: „Wer nicht so einen Hotdog gegessen hat, war nicht in Reykjavík.“ ;)

Eis – darauf freue ich mich wohl am meisten. Fjallsárlón. Bildquelle: Jutta Ingala

Was kann ich bei der Reiseplanung oder vor Ort total falsch machen / was sollte ich vermeiden oder woran sollte ich unbedingt denken?

• Nicht vergessen: Mützen oder Haarbänder, Handschuhe und Windbreaker. Es gibt ja bekanntlich kein schlechtes Wetter, aber wem erzähle ich das…
• Tabus? Danach nicht genug Fotos hier zu zeigen. Spaß beiseite, ich war wohl nicht genug lange vor Ort um welche zu brechen :)
• Es gibt keinen McDonald’s oder Burger King in Island, soviel zur Essensplanung ;-)

6 Grad Ost:

• Einen neuen, komfortablen Mietwagen mit Allradantrieb buchen. Selbst wer nicht ins Hochland fährt, landet früher oder später auf einer Schotterpiste. Unbedingt eine SCDW-Versicherung abschließen, um sich gegen Folgekosten bei Schäden durch Steinschlag & Co. abzusichern.
• Das Wetter im Auge behalten: In Island kann man alle vier Jahreszeiten an einem einzigen Tag erleben. Auf vedur.is gibt es zuverlässige Wettervorhersagen. Mehrmals täglich aktualisiert. Über www.safetravel.is die „112 Iceland App“ herunterladen. Vor Wanderungen einchecken und Standort hinterlassen. Für den Fall der Fälle.

Cotton Candy Stories:

• Falls du in Hostels übernachten möchtest, würde ich auf jeden Fall schon einige Monate vorher buchen. Generell gibt es nämlich nicht allzu viele und meist sind sie auch eher klein, sodass die Zimmer schnell ausgebucht sind. 
• Ich würde beim Auto auf jeden Fall nicht bei der Versicherung sparen, Islands Wetter ist unberechenbar ;)

Welcher Ort ist Dir am Besten in Erinnerung geblieben?

Seiltanz: Was für eine gemeine Frage – der Gedanke an ganz Island löst bei mir immer ein Lächeln aus. Die Rentiersichtung im Osten und der genial angelegte HotPot im Westen stehen aber zusätzlich weit oben.

Wunderschön! Manuelas Rentiere im Osten. Bild: Manuela Eicher

6 Grad Ost: Der schwarze Strand am Vestrahorn. Schön breit, einsam, hier wirft sich der Ozean gewaltig gegen die Küste. Auf der feuchten, feinkörnigen Lava läuft es sich wunderbar. 

Cotton Candy Stories: Besonders gefallen hat mir Þórsmörk bzw. Goðaland im Süden Islands. Wir sind damals mit dem Bus ins Landesinnere gefahren, die Straße war total holprig und wir saßen alleine mit zwei schweigsamen Isländern (den Busfahrern) im Bus und sind auf unseren Sitzen auf und ab gehüpft. Als wir dann ankamen, war außer uns fast niemand dort. Innerhalb von 30 Minuten waren wir auf einer Bergspitze angekommen und hatten nicht nur eine atemberaubende Aussicht, sondern haben uns auch wie die einzigen Menschen auf der Welt gefühlt, weil wir dort ganz alleine waren.

Aaaw, Rentiere, was für ein Glück! Ich danke Euch ganz herzlich für die wunderbaren Tipps, die mir jetzt schon bei der Routenplanung geholfen haben.

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Die Abwicklung erfolgt über Paypal. Du hast kein Paypal? Macht nix, vielleicht kaufst Du ja mal eines meiner Bücher . :)

FAQs zum Island-Urlaub

Was sind die kosten pro tag in island.

Island ist leider nicht ganz günstig, aber es gibt einige Sparmöglichkeiten. sehr grob kann man sagen: Mit 140 Euro pro Tag für Unterkunft, Mietwagen, Sprit, Essen und Extras muss man rechnen, solange man sich zu zweit Mietwagen und Unterkunft teilt. Hier geht es zur Kostentabelle und Spartipps .

Was kostet Essen in Island?

Restaurants sind in Island unglaublich teuer. Selbstversorger-Unterkünfte sind daher sehr praktisch. Die Supermarktkette Bonus ist am günstigsten, dort bekommt man viele Lebensmittel nur wenig teurer als in Deutschland. Obst, Gemüse und Käse ist allerdings circa dreimal so teuer wie in Deutschland.

Was sind Spartipps für Island?

Man kann viel sparen, wenn man einen Island-Urlaub zu zweit oder sogar zu viert unternimmt. Der Mietwagen, Ferienwohnungen und Hütten-Unterkünfte sind dann gleich viel günstiger. Restaurants sind sehr teuer in Island, also heißt es hier: Besser selber kochen. Mehr Tipps zum Sparen in Island.

Wann ist Polarlichtsaison in Island?

Die beste Zeit für Polarlichter ist im Oktober und Februar/März.

Wann ist die beste Reisezeit für Island?

Island ist zu jeder Jahreszeit bezaubernd. Wer die so genannten Highlights sehen will, sollte jedoch von der Hochsaison im Juli/August absehen. Sehr schön ist der Mai, wobei man dann nicht ins Hochland kommt. Der Oktober kann sonnig oder schon schneereich sein, hier hat man bereits Chancen auf Polarlichter. Im Winter können Schneestürme auftreten, allerdings ist das verschneite Island wunderschön. Lies hier genauer über die einzelnen Jahreszeiten , um Dich für eine Saison zu entscheiden.

Wie organisiere ich einen individuellen Island-Urlaub?

Einen Island Urlaub individuell zu organisieren ist einfacher, als man denkt. Mietwagen und Unterkünfte sollten allerdings früh vorgebucht werden. Mehr Informationen zur individuellen Island-Rundreise .

Seit 15 Jahren ist Inka Redakteurin, Reisebloggerin und Autorin in Berlin und Brandenburg. Sie hat mehrere Reiseführer über die Region geschrieben und veröffentlicht ihre Tipps und Geschichten im Spiegel, Tagesspiegel und verschiedenen Magazinen. Außerdem Möchtegernentdeckerin, Liebhaberin der polaren Gebiete unserer Erde und abschweifend in der Welt. Hier Chefin vom Dienst.

Dieser Beitrag wurde im Juni 2023 aktualisiert. * Affiliate-Partnerlink: Wenn Ihr über diesen Link bestellt, bekomme ich ein bisschen Provision, der Preis ist für Euch der Gleiche. Die Partner können jeweils tracken, dass Ihr von meiner Seite gekommen seid.

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Island Ringstraße

Informationen, tipps & tricks für deine reise entlang der ringstraße, island rundreise: die besten tipps, routen & alles was du für deine islandreise wissen musst.

Eine Rundreise durch Island , ich gehe davon aus dass du darüber mehr erfahren willst denn so bist du wahrscheinlich hier gelandet? Super: Ohne lange Umschweife will ich dir hier alles an die Hand geben um deine perfekte Islandrundreise zu planen!

Einmal Rund um Island, dass ist immer eine gute Idee. Es gibt wenig, aber doch einige wichtige Dinge zu beachten. Insbesondere wenn du eine individuelle Rundreise machen willst, also deine Route , deine Übernachtungen und auch die Sehenswürdigkeiten selbst und ganz nach deinen Wünschen festlegen möchtest. Auch das Budget ist ein wichtiger Faktor, den Island ist ein teures Reiseland: Wir zeigen dir wo und wie du günstig reisen kannst. Wir zeigen dir die beste Reisezeit für eine Islandrundreise und geben Tipps für verschieden lange Aufenthalte, egal ob 5 Tage , 10 Tage , 14 Tage oder mehrere Wochen .

Klingt gut? Dann lass’ uns loslegen!

Island Rundreise: Generelle Informationen & Tipps

Bevor du deine Islandreise im Detail planst, möchten wir einen generellen Überblick zum Land geben und von diesen Informationen ausgehend die Planung in verschiedene Aspekte aufteilen.

Island ist relativ kalt , relativ teuer und hat ziemlich beeindruckende Natur zu bieten: Wenn dir Kälte nichts ausmacht, dein Budget es hergibt und du Natur liebst bist du hier goldrichtig. Auf alle Punkte gehen wir auch noch im Detail ein, sollte bei einem davon deine innere Alarmglocke angehen: Lies dir die Informationen dazu genau durch, ich hoffe unsere Infos helfen dir weiter.

Geplante oder individuelle Rundreise durch Island?

Die Gretchenfrage: Buche ich eine Pauschalreise nach Island, stelle ich mir mein Abenteuer individuell zusammen oder gibt es vielleicht eine Kompromisslösung ?

Das muss jeder für sich selbst beantworten, aber wir möchten natürlich versuchen euch die Entscheidung leichter zu machen. Die Vorzüge einer Pauschalreise sind relativ offensichtlich: Die ganze Arbeit liegt beim Reiseveranstalter. Logistik, Planung und Betreuung kommt aus einer Hand und du musst dich in der Regel um wenig bis nichts kümmern. Wer voll berufstätig ist und im Urlaub in Island einfach nur abschalten will, ist hier also gut beraten. Die Nachteile sind ein relativ enges Jacket: Mal eine Nacht länger an einem Ort bleiben geht nicht, den Tagesausflug verlängern/verkürzen geht auch nicht. Für einen ersten Eindruck sind diese Reisen daher ebenfalls gut geeignet und man kann ggf. mit Hunger auf Erkundung zurückkehren.

Als krasses Gegenteil steht die Individualreise gegenüber: Vom Flug über den Mietwagen bis hin zu den Unterkünften musst du alles selber recherchieren, buchen und planen. Route, Aufenthaltsdauer und vieles mehr kannst du dafür komplett selbst bestimmen. Ich reise in Island bisher immer auf diese Art und das liegt an meinem persönlichen Freiheitsbedürfnis. Ich habe aber auch schon das ein oder andere Mal geflucht wenn ich vor der zweiten oder gar dritten Unterkunft stand und weiterziehen musste weil diese ausgebucht war. Wer zum wiederholten Male nach Island kommt, sich vielleicht schon ausgiebig mit dem Land beschäftigt hat und / oder einfach ein erfahrener Reisender ist hat hier gute Chancen glücklich zu werden.

Ein Kompromiss wurde mir neulich von einem Leser genannt: Mietwagen-Rundreisen in Island . Hierbei bekommt man ein Paket aus Flügen, Mietwagen und Unterkünften (die man teilweise auch frei zusammenfügen kann) und ist somit in der Wahl der Bausteine etwas freier: Man kann zum Beispiel tagsüber so lange am Wasserfall verbringen wie man möchte und die Route von Unterkunft zu Unterkunft kann man ebenfalls frei wählen. Ein großer Vorteil bei diesen Reisen kann der Preis sein: Reiseveranstalter bekommen meist markant bessere Konditionen bei Hotels und Mietwagenverleihern die sie an ihre Kunden weitergeben können. Hierbei sollte man auch Recherche und Planungszeit einbeziehen und mit diesem Aspekt könnte eine solche Form das Islandrundreise auch für langjährige Islandfans eine tolle Option sein.

Island Rundreise: Wie hier in den Westfjorden ist man am schönsten mit dem eigenen Auto unterwegs…

Die beste Jahreszeit für eine Rundreise in Island

Wann soll ich nun am besten nach Island reisen: Im Winter, für Nordlichter und Eishöhlen? Oder doch im Sommer um die Mitternachtssonne und die wundervollen Farben im Hochland zu sehen?

Und wie sieht es eigentlich mit der Nebensaison für eine Rundreise in Island aus?

Island Rundreise im Winter: Ein No-Go?

Viele wollen die Nordlichter sehen. Verständlich! Dafür muss man im Winter nach Island kommen, daran gibt es nichts zu rütteln. Aber sollte es dann auch gleiche eine Rundreise sein?

Wir möchten hier vorsichtig sein und sagen: Muss es nicht, bitte überlege genau ob du im Winter eine Rundreise durch Island wagen möchtest oder nicht. Die Winterverhältnisse auf der Atlantikinsel sind mit denen in Deutschland kaum vergleichbar. Wetterumbrüche in wenigen Stunden sind keine Seltenheit, meterhohe Schneeverwehungen ebensowenig wie starke Stürme. Selbst wenn du gut auf Schnee Auto fahren kannst könnte Island dir hier schnell deine Grenzen aufzeigen. Das kann unangenehm und teuer werden.

Ist eine Island Rundreise im Winter also ein No-Go? Nicht unbedingt: Wer viel Erfahrung, Zeit und das nötige Gefährt mitbringt kann auch (oder vielleicht besonders) im Winter fantastische Reisen in Island unternehmen. Du solltest dich mit verschneiten Fahrbahnen auskennen und dich auf ihnen wohlfühlen: Ich meinte nicht drei Schneeflocken auf der Kölner Ringen sondern 30cm Neuschnee im Harz. Du solltest dir genug Zeit lassen, Puffer einbauen und ein ruhiger Mensch sein: Hektik führt am Ende immer zu Problemen und ist unbedingt zu vermeiden. Ein Allradfahrzeug für eine Umrundung der Insel ist im Winter absolute Pflicht. Ausreichend Bodenfreiheit hilft und ebenso der geübte Umgang mit einem solchen Gefährt.

Alles was oben beschrieben ist, gilt für den Fall eines normalen Winter in Island , der mit relativ viel Schnee und Stürmen verbunden ist: Man kann auch mal 1–2 Wochen am Stück strahlenden Sonnenschein im Winter haben, aber das ist eine Ausnahme und nicht die Regel. Besonders der Süden wird oft von schweren Stürmen heimgesucht um in Norden / Nordwesten fallen oft riesige Mengen an Schnee. Das Hochland ist im Winter abgesperrt.

Island Rundreise im Winter am Golden Circle: Erschwerte Bedingungen

Island Rundreise im Sommer: Tipps für den Roadtrip

Der Sommer ist für eine Island Rundreise in den meisten Fällen die beste Option: Die Straßen sind frei von Schnee, die Tage sind lang und der Himmel oft Blau. Man ist nicht ganz so einsam, wie in der kalten Jahreszeit und weil es eine Insel im Atlantik ist, regnet es in Island naturgemäß ab und zu. Doch besonders für Erstbesucher sind die Monate Juni , Juli und August trotzdem der ideale Reisezeitraum um Island kennen zu lernen.

Es gibt also auch wirklich nicht viel zu beachten: Einen Allradwagen brauchst du nur, wenn du das Hochland oder abgelegene Ecken besuchen möchtest: Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk und große Teile des Hochlands in Island sind ausschließlich über F-Straßen erreichbar. Auf diesen sind normale PKW nicht zu gebrauchen und daher verbieten Mietwagenverleiher die Nutzung hier. Aus Komfortgründen würde ich auch dann zu einem Allradfahrzeug (bzw. einem mit viel Bodenfreiheit) raten, wenn du in abgelegene Teile Islands fahren möchtest, wie zum Beispiel die Westfjorde. Es geht hierbei nicht um den Allradantrieb, den braucht man nur selten, sondern um ein gutes Fahrwerk und möglichst große Reifen . Hiermit kannst du auch auf Schotterpisten mit einem gewissen Komfort reisen während man in einem Kleinwagen dauernd Angst hat in einem Schlagloch zu enden weil irgendwas kaputt geht.

Eine Sonnenbrille würden wir noch als Geheimtipp einstufen: Die Sonne steht auch in Island oft suboptimal und bevor man die Sonnenblende auf und zu klappt, kann man sich das Leben hier etwas leichter machen.

Island Rundreise im Sommer: Freiluftpools und Wölkchenhimmel

Die Nebensaison: Geheimtipp für deine Islandrundreise?

Es gibt auch noch Zeiten außerhalb der beiden Hauptsaisons, Sommer und Winter: Die Monate April / Mai und September / Oktober sind in Island die Nebensaison und eignen sich hervorragend für Rundreisen. Es ist weniger los, in den meisten Fällen hat man einigermaßen gutes Wetter und die Preise gehen ein wenig runter. Das Reisen in der Nebensaison empfand ich immer als sehr entspannt und versuche es seit einiger Zeit zu meiner Hauptreisezeit zu machen. Das Wetter kann einem natürlich einen Strich durch die Rechnung machen: Bei der letzten Reise durch die Westfjorde hatte ich Dauerwolken vor den dahinter wild tanzenden Nordlichtern, die ich nicht ein einziges Mal auf der Reise zu Gesicht bekam. C’est la vie, darüber darf man sich dann nur begrenzt ärgern 😉

In beiden Zeiträumen hat man normalerweise noch keinen Schneefall, aber “Normal” ist ein schwieriges Wort in diesem Kontext. Wer auf keinen Fall mit Schnee im Berührung kommen möchte, reist im Sommer. Wer auf keinen Fall darauf verzichten kann muss im Winter hier sein. So einfach ist das.

Die besten Sehenswürdigkeiten bei einer Islandrundreise

Du hast dich entschieden und willst eine Rundreise durch Island machen? Super! Dabei willst du vermutlich nichts verpassen und die tollsten Sehenswürdigkeiten anschauen: Vulkane, Gletscher, Geysire, heiße Quellen, Wasserfälle und vieles mehr!

Im folgenden zeigen wir dir die berühmtesten Orte, die schönsten Sehenswürdigkeiten und ein paar Geheimtipps für deine Islandrundreise.

Golden Circle

Fangen wir mit der berühmtesten Sehenswürdigkeit bzw. Gruppen von Sehenswürdigkeiten an: Der Golden Circle in Island.

Diese Tagestour ab Reykjavík führt dich zu drei besonderen Orten: Zuerst geht es in den Þingvellir Nationalpark . Hier formte sich 930 das erste Parlament in dem die Vikinger zusammenkamen um Gesetze zu beschließen und auch zu vollstrecken. Direkt an der Bruchkante zwischen dem nordamerikanischen und der eurasischen Kontinentalplatten wurde getagt. Hier kann man z.B. im wohl klarsten Wasser der Welt Tauchen und Schnorcheln gehen.

Weiter geht es zum Geothermalgebiet Haukadalur . Die meisten werden diesen Ort vor allem mit dem Geysir Strokkur verbinden: Diese heiße Quelle bricht regelmäßig aus und schleudert dabei alle 5–15 Minuten kochend heißes Wasser mehrere Dutzend Meter in die Höhe.

Der letzte Halt ist dann einer der größten Wasserfälle in Island: Der goldene Wasserfall Gullfoss . Dieser fällt auf einer Höhe von etwas über 30m über zwei Stufen in die Tiefe und bietet dabei eine tolle Fotokulisse. Bitte unbedingt an die Absperrungen halten!

Wasserfälle in Island

Es gibt dutzende, wenn nicht Hunderte Wasserfälle in Island. Die wohl bekanntesten möchte ich hier nur kurz auflisten. Für eine komplette Übersicht haben wir einen ausführlichen Artikel über Wasserfälle in Island geschrieben.

Gullfoss hast du bereits kennen gelernt. Im gleichen Satz werden oft die Wasserfälle Seljalandsfoss und Skógafoss genannt, die sich an der Südküste befinden. Hier kommst du an der Ringstraße automatisch vorbei. Etwas weiter im Süd-Osten befindet sich der Svartifoss , ein besonders schön anzusehender Wasserfall in einem Basaltberg. Im Norden finden sich Dettifoss , zu dem man etwas wandern muss, und Góðafoss der sich wiederum direkt an der Ringstraße befindet. Auf der Snæfelsness Halbinsel findest du dann noch den pittoresken Kirkjufellsfoss und etwas abgelegen in den Westfjorden den Wasserfall Dynjandi .

Wasserfälle wie der Kirkjufellsfoss sind bei jeder Island Rundreise ein Highlight, egal ob Sommer oder Winter

Heiße Quellen in Island

Die heißen Quellen in Island sind eine Sensation für sich und keine Rundreise in Island ist komplett ohne ein Bad in einem Hotpot. Neben den vielen natürlichen heißen Quellen gibt es in Island auch wunderschöne Pools und Schwimmbäder , auf die ich an dieser Stelle aus einem bestimmten Grund hinweisen möchte: Die natürlichen heißen Quellen waren nie für die Massen an Besuchern ausgelegt, wie es sie heute in Island gibt und daher möchten wir dich bitten diese als etwas Besonderes zu betrachten. Es gibt so tolle Schwimmbäder die ebenfalls mitten in der Natur stehen, dass man auch hier baden gehen kann.

Neben der Blauen Lagune, der Mutter aller heißen Quellen in Island gibt es zum Beispiel noch die Secret Lagoon und die Fontana. Beide sind tolle Alternativen und gut für größere Mengen an Besuchern ausgestattet.

Wenn du auf die Suche nach den besten heißen Quellen in Island gehen möchtest, sei dir unsere Island App hiermit an’s Herz gelegt. Neben einer Tour mit den besten heißen Quellen und deren genauen Koordinaten findest du hier übrigens auch Touren durch Reykjavík, entlang des Golden Circle und viele mehr mit Audiokommentaren für Selbstfahrer!

Weitere Informationen findest du in unserem ausführlichen Artikel zu heißen Quellen in Island .

Andere Sehenswürdigkeiten: Ein Flugzeugwrack, eine Gletscherlagune und vieles mehr…

Neben Wasserfällen und heißen Quellen hat Island natürlich noch unendlich viel mehr zu bieten. Alleine im Süden findet sich ein Flugzeugwrack, das Fotografen aus aller Welt einlädt und inspiriert sowie die Gletscherlagune Jökulsárlón .

Die Halbinsel Snæfellsnes hält auf kleinstem Raum viele der Sehenswürdigkeiten Islands für dich bereit. Die Westfjorde laden zum Entdecken ein und Heimaey auf Vestmannaeyjar ist ein kleiner Ort mit einer großen und abenteuerlichen Geschichte. Im Hochland gibt es Landmannalaugar und viele weitere tolle Orte. Wer mit seiner Taucherbrille nach Island kommt wird überrascht sein, dass es neben Silfra noch viele weitere tolle Orte zum Tauchen in Island gibt.

Wie du siehst ist die Liste sehr lang und ich überlasse es an dieser Stelle dir, deine Lieblinge auszuwählen. Im Menü und mit der Suchfunktion dieser Seite findest du sicher ausreichend viele Orte.

Selbst unter der Erde hört eine Island Rundreise nicht auf: Wie hier in der Lavahöhle auf Snæfelsness

Rundreise in Island: Die besten Routen

Was ist also nun die beste Route für eine Rundreise durch Island? Muss es immer die Ringstraße sein? Lohnt sich ein Abstecher in die Ost- oder Westfjorde und wie viel Zeit sollte ich mitbringen?

Wir möchten dir hier ein paar Routen aufzeigen, die wir selbst gefahren sind und auch von anderen Empfohlen bekamen.

5 Tage: Ungeeignet für eine Rundreise?

Kurz und schmerzlos: Wir finden fünf Tage sind zu wenig für eine Rundreise. Bei einer Länge von 1339km musst du jeden Tag über 250km fahren und dann hast du keine einzige Sehenswürdigkeit gesehen. Damit kommt man schnell auf zusätzliche 50km pro Tag und dann bist du alleine 3–4 Stunden am Tag nur mit Fahren beschäftigt: Kann man machen, aber wir raten davon ab.

In Fünf tagen würden wir eine 2-tägige Fahrt entlang der Südküste vorschlagen: Fahre zur Gletscherlagune Jökulsárlón , verbringe eine Nacht dort bzw. Irgendwo unterwegs und fahre am nächsten Tag zurück. Auf dem Weg kannst du Wasserfälle und heiße Quellen sehen und hast entspannt Zeit dir alles in Ruhe anzusehen. Einen Tag kann man in Reykjavík verbringen, einen Tag auf dem Golden Circle und einen auf der Halbinsel Snæfellsnes (Ggf. den Tag in Reykjavík streichen und eine Übernachtung in z.B. Borganes einbauen)

Das ist ein gutes Programm um Island kennen zu lernen und man bekommt wirklich viel zu sehen, muss also keine Angst haben etwas zu verpassen!

7 Tage: Island Rundreise in einer Woche?

Sieben Tage sind das Minimum für eine Rundreise und selbst da würden uns wohl viele widersprechen: Man sitzt bei so einer Rundreise schon viel im Auto und wer gerne regelmäßig Pausen macht, anhält und auch mal die Gegend erkunden will wird dabei nicht glücklich.

Um einen Überblick zu bekommen, die Insel kennen zu lernen und einen Gesamteindruck zu gewinnen können 7 Tage aber ausreichen.

Ob man nun mit oder entgegen dem Uhrzeigersinn fährt ist eigentlich egal. Große Teile des Ostens kann man bei dieser Tour auslassen bzw. hier lieber längere Fahrtzeiten einplanen um so mehr Zeit im Süden und Norden verbringen zu können. Irgendwo muss man eben sparen und der Osten ist eine Region die man sich lieber mit etwas Zeit anschauen sollte.

Ein Tagesausflug wie der Golden Circle oder ein Spaziergang durch den alten Hafen von Reykjavík  sollte man ebenfalls für einen späteren Besuch aufsparen und dafür lieber Dinge unternehmen, die eben ideal in den entlegeneren Gebieten funktionieren. Whale Watching in Husavík zum Beispiel oder Tauchen an den geothermalen Schloten von Strytan .

10 Tage in Island: Rundreise mit Abstechern

Wer 10 Tage hat, kann sich die Insel in aller Ruhe anschauen, noch einen Halt in Reykjavík einplanen und auch den ein oder anderen Abstecher in die Ost- oder sogar Westfjorde machen.

Ob du die Ringstraße im oder entgegen des Uhrzeigersinn befährst bleibt dir überlassen: Wir empfehlen an dieser Stelle einmal entgegen, denn so kannst du anfangs die eher touristisch erschlossenen Teile Islands sehen und später die Teile genießen die vom Tourismus noch etwas verschont geblieben sind. Namentlich der Nordosten und -westen. Hier würden wird Abstecher zu kleineren Orten empfehlen, oder auch zu Sehenswürdigkeiten wie Wasserfällen oder Sonstigem.

Island Rundflug mit dem Hubschrauber: Landung im Geothermalgebiet Hengill

14 Tage in Island: Rundreise mit allem drum und dran

Bei 14 Tagen hat man ausreichend Zeit für eine große, ausgedehnte Rundreise um die gesamte Insel, mit Abstechern und kurzen Aufenthalten und im Zweifel auch noch mini-Touren.

Wer zum Beispiel gerne reiten möchte, könnte eine Tour entlang der Ringstraße unternehmen und dabei 2–3 Tage auf einer Pferdefarm buchen, mit täglichen Ausritten und Erkundungstouren in der jeweiligen Region.

Wandertouren sind ebenfalls beliebt und sollten mit entsprechend viel Zeit eingeplant werden. Den Wanderweg Laugavegur kann man bspw. Am Anfang oder Ende einer Reise einbauen, ggf. sogar die Fahrt des Mietwagens dem Reisepartner überlassen und so die Reise ein wenig aufteilen. In zwei Wochen wirst du Island nicht komplett erkunden und vermutlich mit einer längeren Bucket List heimkehren als die mit der du angereist bist. Trotzdem ist diese Zeitspanne wirklich ideal um das Land ausgiebig kennen zu lernen und mehr als nur einen groben Überblick zu bekommen. Wer sich unsicher ist, ob er oder sie mehr als einmal in Island sein wird sollte mindestens zwei Wochen kommen um einen ausreichend vielseitigen Eindruck gewinnen zu können.

Mehrere Wochen Rundreise in Island: Voll eintauchen

Wer gleich mehrere Wochen oder gar Monate in Island verbringen kann und will, sollte sich vor allem über die Unterbringung Gedanken machen: Hotels sind sehr teuer und bei einem solchen Aufenthalt werden die Unterbringungskosten definitiv der größte Poste auf der Ausgabenliste darstellen. Ein Wohnmobil oder Campervan für Island kann hier eine tolle Option sein, Zelten wird wohl auf Dauer sehr ungemütlich.

Wer so lange hier ist, sollte keinen Plan machen und einfach drauf los fahren. Für jede Region sollte man sich vorher gut informieren und vor allem versuchen mit Locals in’s Gespräch zu kommen. Keine Webseite dieser Welt hat so gute Tipps wie ein Einheimischer.

Solche Reisen werden auch oft mit dem Fahrrad oder dem Bus unternommen. Das ist eine tolle Option Geld zu sparen im Vergleich zum teuren Mietwagen. Außerdem kann man eine Art Work & Travel machen und zum Beispiel auf Pferdefarmen, in Hotels und Gästehäusern oder bei wohltätigen Organisationen arbeiten. Hierfür bekommt man oft die Unterkunft gestellt und ggf. auch ein Gehalt. Besser kann man ein Land nicht kennen lernen.

Nicht ganz rund: Nur im Westen oder Osten Islands reisen

Ein schöner Tipp kam noch über Facebook von unserer Leserin Steffi: Wer nur den Osten oder Westen von Island bereist, kann sich einige Kilometer sparen. Mit einem Inlandsflug kann man direkt von Reykjavík nach Akureyri fliegen, dort einen Mietwagen nehmen und dann von dort aus z.B. den Norden des Landes bereisen. So spart man sich die lange Anfahrt (5+ Stunden). Selbiges gilt auch für Islands Westfjorde , die man mit einem Inlandsflug nach  Ísafjörður erreichen kann. Wer Islands Osten sehen möchte, kann einen Flug nach  Egilsstaðir buchen und von dort aus z.B. in die Nord-östlichen Fjorde aufbrechen.

All diese Destinationen kann man auch mit dem Auto erreichen, aber wer die Süd- und Westküste schon gesehen hat wird sich vielleicht die Zeit sparen und lieber an der eigentlichen Destination verbringen wollen.

Fazit: Rundreise in Island

Eine Rundreise durch Island ist für viele ein einmaliges Erlebnis und die Eindrücke währen ein Leben lang. Daher sollte man die Reise einigermaßen gut planen, aber auch nicht zu sehr überdenken. Wer wenig Zeit mitbringt, sollte einen möglichst guten Plan haben und wer mit vielen Tagen Urlaub gesegnet ist kann sich ein wenig treiben lassen.

Ob Wasserfälle , heiße Quellen, Gletscher oder Vulkane: Sehenswürdigkeiten gibt es beinahe unendlich und jeder sollte für sich herausfinden was er unbedingt sehen möchte. Wenn man dies weiß, sollte man Touren und Ausflüge rechtzeitig buchen denn durch den Ansturm sind viele Anbieter in Island auf Wochen und Monate im Voraus ausgebucht.

Hotels und andere Unterkünfte sollte man in der Hauptsaison ebenfalls frühzeitig buchen. In der Nebensaison ist dies nicht ganz so wichtig. Den Mietwagen in Island immer vorher suchen und buchen, vor Ort wird es um einiges teurer.

Und dann muss man einfach losfahren und genießen.

Viel Spaß in Island!

9 Kommentare

• 16. Februar 2023

[…] bin gerade zurück von meiner Rundreise in Island, knappe Zwei Wochen Kreuz und Quer auf der Insel unterwegs und nun wieder zurück in […]

• 20. Dezember 2020

[…] Am Sonntag erscheint ein neuer Artikel mit allen Infos rund um Rundreisen in Island! […]

• 14. Oktober 2018

[…] Empfehlung, auf eine Rundreise zu verzichten und eher in der Umgebung von Reykjavík zu bleiben halte ich für sinnvoll: […]

• 29. Juli 2018

[…] alle die entlang der Ringstraße eine Rundreise durch Island machen, möchte ich an dieser Stelle die Top Sehenswürdigkeiten aufschreiben die man bei […]

• 21. Juli 2018

[…] befinden sich an der Südküste Islands bzw. im Hochland, sind also für eine typische Rundreise in Island gut gelegen und […]

• 21. Januar 2018

[…] meiner ersten Island Rundreise hatte ich ohne eine Meta-Suchmaschine einfach 2–3 Anbieter verglichen und landete bei Sixt. […]

• 20. Januar 2018

[…] Island! Ja, ein Allradfahrzeug ist teuer und kann schnell den größten Posten einer Rundreise durch Island ausmachen. So dachte ich auch, als ich im Dezember 2013 das erste Mal den Golden Circle in Island […]

• 16. Januar 2018

[…] nach Vík. Aus zeitlichen Gründen konnte ich diese Recherche nicht mit einer richtigen Rundreise verbinden – das ist aber nach wie vor fest geplant und ich hoffe, dass ich bald nochmals mit […]

• 6. Dezember 2017

[…] mit seinem eigenen Hubschrauber angereist ist möchte ich hier auf alle Aspekte für eine Rundreise mit dem Mietwagen […]

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One Week Big Island Itinerary: Guide to MY Favorite Hawaiian Road Trip

By: Author Rob Taylor

Posted on Published: January 20, 2023  - Last updated: January 20, 2024

I’ve never been anywhere else on earth quite like the Big Island of Hawaii. After several visits we’ve got a great Big Island itinerary that includes lots of snorkeling, Kona coffee, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , waterfalls and more. Our plan for a Big Island of Hawaii road trip is best with six or 7 days, but you can trim it for however long you need.

Are you ready for an amazing trip experiencing a totally different side of Hawaii? The Big Island has some of the most unusual landscapes in the Hawaiian Islands. Also, we’ve been able to visit more Hawaiian cultural sites on the Big Island than Oahu or Kauai , which I think is so important to both understanding and respecting the Islands and their people. As you plan your Big Island itinerary, it’s important to leave no trace in your activities, and as you bring your tourism dollars to Hawaii, that you make thoughtful decisions that go back into the communities you visit.

Check out our Hawaii podcast episodes!

If you have suggestions to make this Big Island itinerary easier or to get in additional sights and activities to incorporate into the road trip around Hawaii Island, please leave a comment or send us a note . We’re always happy to share more!

Planning a Visit to the Big Island of Hawaii

Planning a trip to Hawaii is a big feat to begin with, so once you’ve decided which island or islands you’re visiting, that’s when the fun of creating your travel plan starts. Our Big Island itinerary is ideal for somebody who’s either never been to Hawaii or has just never done the Big Island. There are so many things to do on the Big Island that the road trip to explore it can take any shape.

As you plan your visit to the Island of Hawaii, you’ll see that it’s much larger than Kauai, Maui or Oahu. A vacation here can cover a lot of ground, including several distinctly different regions: the Kona Coast, the Hilo / Hawaii Volcanoes area, and the north shore. Where you spend most of your time depends on what you’re most interested in.

The Kona Coast is where you’ll find the bulk of Hawaiian cultural sites on the Big Island, and also where you’ll have the most snorkeling opportunities. This is also where Kona Coffee culture is the most prevalent.

On the Eastern Shore, around Hilo and down into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park you’ll find tons of hiking, waterfalls and the more city-like part of the Big Island.

Heading to the North Shore, you get into the lush, green valleys and away from the massive lava flows. Agriculture, waterfalls and surfing are the way on the North Shore, making it much less visited than much of the Big Island.

Getting to the Big Island

When it comes to actually getting to the Big Island of Hawaii, you have two airports you can fly into: Kailua-Kona (KOA) and Hilo (ITO). From West Coast cities, either is an option, but there are many more direct flights into Kona than Hilo.

Flying into Kona (KOA)

If you choose to start your Big Island itinerary by flying into Kona, you’ll really have a treat as you approach the destination. I was stunned the first time I landed in Kailua-Kona as the whole area is just pure lava. The runway is surrounded by lava beds and the beaches match it. Flying into Kona is a great taste of the volcano-filled adventures that await you.

Flying into Hilo (ITO)

Hilo is a much less busy airport than Kona and if you’re coming from the mainland, your views will be nothing but ocean until you are on the ground. If the wind is right, you may get a view of Kilauea or Mauna Loa, but for the most part it’s a steady and un-thrilling approach.

The Hilo airport is where you’ll find a majority of the scenic flights and helicopter tours on the Big Island though, so don’t let me sell the scenery of the eastern side of Hawaii as lame, because it is far from it!

Where to Stay on the Big Island

If you’re following our Big Island itinerary, you’ll get to stay on both the Kona Coast and the Hilo side. I really like having the time split between the two sides as it allows you more time to relax or explore since you’re not having to drive great distances every day. Our advice for where to stay on the Big Island is tried and true after multiple trips, but you do you. And if you want to do a circle, a Big Island road trip, you can mix up our plan a bit to stay in three or four different areas, depending on your time.

Staying on the Kona Coast

The easiest place to find a hotel on the Kona Coast is in the town of Kailua-Kona. Here you’ll find a few national travel brand properties, like the Courtyard Marriott or Holiday Inn Express , but most other properties are either independently owned or Hawaiian owned. For example, the Kona Royal Hawaiian also owns the Kauai Shores Hotel on Kauai. And then there are properties like the Club Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort (where we’ve stayed before) that are a timeshare property.

Other accommodations on the Kona Coast include bed and breakfasts (lots of those!) and short term rentals, aka AirBNBs. You’ll find more small inns and B&Bs in the Captain Cook area of the Kona Coast than directly in Kailua-Kona.

We’ve also stayed at the Ka’awa Loa Plantation just south of Kailua-Kona. This bed and breakfast was wonderful, far from the busy waterfront of town and close to historic sites like Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park and the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. I loved the setting and the hosts were wonderfully welcoming. And the breakfast was OMG.

Staying on the East Shore of the Big Island

Since the Hilo side of the Big Island is much less touristy than the Kona Coast, hotel and accommodation options are much more limited. There are very few hotels in Hilo, and what you’re more likely to book with ease are vacation rentals up and down the east shore, which can be conducive to planning a road trip instead of having home bases.

We’ve stayed at the SCP Hilo Hotel twice and really love it. This wonderful hotel is eco-conscious, is all about beautiful community spaces, and the staff is the perfect example of Aloha. We’ve taken advantage of borrowing both their bikes and stand up paddle boards, and each time it really does just put the icing on the cake of a visit to Hilo. Can you tell it’s our favorite?

If you’re looking for something quite different, we actually have a friend that works at the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls and we got to visit her. Wow. What an astounding property. This large bed and breakfast is located on a beautiful, lush stream and has direct access to the privately owned Kulaniapia Falls. Garden paths lead you through bamboo groves and tropical flowers, and then finally along the stream and series of smaller falls until you get to Kulaniapia Falls. More on how to visit below, but if you want to book it for your stay on the Hilo side, DO IT !

How Many Days Do You Need on the Big Island of Hawaii?

When you’re planning your Big Island itinerary, committing to a certain number of days will be your guide. If you’re island hopping and visiting Kauai or Oahu , you may only want to have four days on the Big Island, but if you’re only doing this one island (my top recommendation), 6 or 7 days is perfect, and then add two more if you’re doing a road trip around the whole island. The Big Island of Hawaii is my favorite, so heck, spend 10 days and you still won’t see everything that this magical place has to offer.

When it comes to budgeting though, that’s where you’ll find a longer trip to be limited. Accommodations on the Big Island tend to be more expensive than you might expect. There are some exceptional deals you can find if you are staying in a small inn or bed and breakfast for several nights, but in general you should expect to pay no less than $220 USD per night. Besides airfare, lodging is the biggest cost for a Hawaii trip.

Big Island Itinerary: 6 Days of Coffee, Nature and History

Yay! Time to actually go through our Big Island itinerary. We’ve set this up as a 6 day plan because you’ll most likely need a day to chill and rest, or if you have late or early flights, you may need to take that into consideration. This trip schedule can easily be stretched to 9 days or trimmed to 5 day if needed, but I think 6 days is great. If you have any questions or need help figuring out logistics, please leave a comment or send us a note !

Tip : we have several options for activities noted for each day of the itinerary. You DO NOT need to do each one, because you’ll be stressed trying to fit it all in each day, but choose three or four of the activities and then gauge how the day flows if you need to cut one off or add another.

Day 1: Kona Coast Snorkeling and Hawaiian History

There is no shortage of beaches on the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The west side of the island is absolutely loaded with coves and lava shorelines that are absolutely teeming with life. From the Maui Strait at the northern end of the coast to the Captain Cook area, you’ll have lots of snorkeling opportunities.

For our first day of our Big Island itinerary, the plan is simply to go for a drive up the coast stopping wherever you like along the way back down to Kailua-Kona. Between gorgeously clear water for snorkeling and historic sites to learn about Hawaiian culture and history, you’ve got an amazing day ahead of you.

Kapa’a or Mahukona Beach Park

Heading to the northwest corner of the Big Island, start your day with a beautiful snorkel at either Kapa’a Beach Park or Mahukona Beach Park. Both are open to the public and each has some amazing wildlife and clear water. If the tide is rough, because Mahukona is a tight bay, the waves can fill the water with air bubbles, lessening visibility for snorkeling, but if it’s calm, it’s amazing. There is even a ladder into the water here.

The water at Kapa’a Beach Park is so beautiful. Entry into the cove is from the rocks, so again, if it’s a crazy swell or windy day, the experience will be impacted. If nothing else, this spot is gorgeous of a morning picnic or to just get your bearings and commune with the island.

Lapakahi State Historic Park or Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

Something I really appreciate about the Big Island of Hawaii is how accessible historic and culture sites are. From points of interest explaining cultural significance to preserved or reconstructed communities, there is a wide range to visit. My two favorite places to learn about Hawaiian culture on the northern Kona Coast are Lapakahi State Historic Park or Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site . Both are free to visit and both offer insights into the unique practices of the Hawaiian people before colonization.

Tip : Spencer Beach Park is right next to Pu’ukohola Heiau NHS. There are picnic tables and one of the largest sandy beaches on the western side of the Big Island.

At Lapakahi State Historic Park you can follow the path through the historic structures and down to the cove where you can snorkel. The waves can be strong, but following the path to the water entrance point and only swimming when it’s calm enough makes for a great experience.

Plan to stop at Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site to see one of the largest reconstructed historic sites on the Big Island. Here you can see where Kamehameha I ruled and the Hawaiian people built some incredible structures. There’s even an underwater temple site if you go all the way down into the cove.

Hapuna State Recreation Area

Before your next stop, be sure to grab lunch, either dine-in or take away at the Kawaihae Marketplace. Both Kohala Burger & Taco and the fish counter within the Marketplace are awesome. Kohala Burger has the best fish tacos we’ve had on the Big Island and the Kawaihae Marketplace has some of the best poke options. So good!

Now for the beach. OMG, this is such a beautiful area. With several different beach access points and parking areas, Hapuna State Recreation Area is an easy and perfect spot to stop for snorkeling and even some hiking. Pick a beach for your snorkeling and enjoy, then pack up your gear and head to another beach without driving. Beaches 67 and 69 are two of the best, on Waialea Bay.

You’ll find that the snorkeling is really exceptional at Beach 69, as the lava flow extends into the water and the clarity is just remarkable. There is also a heavy concentration of tropic fish all through these waters, so you don’t even have to swim far out for a great experience. PS, there is also actual sand here.

Kiholo Bay – Jeep or Truck Required

Kiholo Bay is ALWAYS good, but it’s quite the adventure to get to from the highway. It’s not paved the whole way and the potholes and gullies in the road are NOT passable without a Jeep or high suspension vehicle. Amazing spot, but crazy road.

Once at the parking area, you’ll come to the beach which is such a wonder. A combination of chunky coral and lava rocks, this polka dot beach is very unique and offers some of the best snorkeling we’ve done on the Big Island. Kiholo State Park Reserve is great if you have time in your Big Island itinerary.

Sunset Snorkeling with Manta Rays

There aren’t a ton of tours that we’ve done multiple times when traveling, but we’ve done a sunset snorkel with manta rays twice, and it’s a must for your Big Island itinerary. When you see pictures of the manta rays, if you’re not familiar you might think that it’s just too adventurous of an activity for you or your kids, but I assure you, it’s one of the most amazing and peaceful experiences you can have.

Please check out our complete article on snorkeling with manta rays , as it’s such a phenomenal time and something to be on any wildlife lover’s bucket list! Book the exact tour we’ve done twice here!

Day 2: Kona Coffee and Historic Sites

I think it’s important to have a mix of time on the water and time on land when you’re planning your Big Island itinerary. For you second day on the Kona Coast, spend equal part in and out of the sun to make sure you don’t get burned at the start of your trip. And one great way to do that is to dig into Kona Coffee Culture. Add to that some more historic sites and you’ve got an awesome day ahead.

Kealakekua Bay Snorkeling

Start your day with a morning snorkeling trip to Kealakekua Bay and the Captain Cook Monument. There are a few ways to do this: cliff hiking to the bay or guided tour. If you want to hike to the Captain Cook Monument and then snorkel is these amazing water, it’s a 4 mile round trip hike and will take half the day. It’s a tough hike but worth it if your knees can handle it.

The other option is to do a guided tour via boat to Kealakekua Bay. There are lots of options for this going out of Kailua-Kona, but our top pick is the zodiac tour with Kona Coastline Tours. They are such great guides and the experience of skimming across the water on a zodiac is so fun. This specific tour is a small group vs a giant catamaran so it’s much more mellow and more personal. Such a fun and beautiful experience.

Book this tour here! ( or the two stop tour here with Kona Coastline Tours)

Kona Coffee Culture

It’s kind of wild how many coffee farms and shops you’ll find up and down the Kona Coast. Some of them are open to the public both to wander through and to purchase coffee, and some are only available to visit with a scheduled tour. As you head south on the Mamalahoa Highway you’ll pass lots of coffee stops, but you don’t need to hit each one.

Top Picks for experiencing the many facets of Kona Coffee culture directly around Kailua-Kona include:

• Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation – here you can try a variety of coffees and actually see the whole process of Kona Coffee production from the tree to the sorter to the roaster. And it’s up in the cloud forest of Kona, which makes it extra cool.
• Buddha’s Cup – up and away from the Mamalahoa Highway, this holistic coffee farm has gardens, coffee groves, animals and a beautiful, eclectic tasting room. They also incorporate sound and light into their growing techniques.
• Heavenly Hawaiian Coffee Farm – if you’re looking for a coffee bar or Kona Coffee cupping in the sky, Heavenly Coffee is the place. Tours are recommended and need to be booked in advance.
• Kona Coffee Living History Farm – this is such a fun and interesting spot to learn about Kona Coffee and its history, including people who actually grew up in the Kona Coffee culture since childhood. It’s the perfect learning experience.

Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

There are very few places where you can see Hawaiian ki’i, or tiki carvings, and Pu’uhonua O Honaunau is one of them. This National Park site is incredible, both because of the collection of carvings and the remarkable setting. Huts and palm trees give way to the Place of Refuge structures, similar to what you saw up at Pu’ukohola Heiau NHS.

In addition to the historic elements of Pu’uhonua O Honaunau there is also an incredible expanse of tide pools full of tropical fish. While you cannot swim here out of respect to the historical and religious significance of the site, you can still explore the rocks and pools. It’s beautiful, and when you put the whole place together it’s one of my favorite places to visit on the Big Island.

Kaloko-Honokōhau NPS for Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles

You last stop of the day (or you can start here) is Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Site. This beach area is just north of the main town are of Kailua-Kona and is easy to get to and get the whole experience. Park your vehicle at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor and walk through the gate to the beach where you’ll find countless honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles) in the tidepools and on the beach.

Spend time watching the turtles or you can even swim here, as long as you keep your distance. 20 feet is how far you need to stay from the honu. If you’re watching a turtle for too long or get too close, they’ll get anxious, which is dangerous for them. Enjoy your visit, but remember that safety for yourself and the animals is paramount.

Day 3: Big Island South Shore

This is the day of the Big Island itinerary that you can trim up as needed depending on what you really feel is important to do. As I said before, Hawaii Island is worth 10 days of a trip, so know that you will need to pick and choose what you fill your time with. For this day as you transition from the Kona Coast to the Hilo side of the island, make the stops that you really are into and save the rest for another trip.

Start at Kamakahonu National Historic Landmark

If you’re staying directly in Kailua-Kona and haven’t been to the cove at Kamakahonu National Historic Landmark yet, start your day here. This is directly in the heart of the main waterfront area and is beautiful. You’ll find a perfect beach and cove for a morning swim, and then a reconstructed cultural site. Here, you’ll see the Ahu’ena Heiau, the restored personal temple of Kamehameha I. It’s surrounded by ki’i (tiki carvings) and is a beautiful setting. You cannot approach the heiau on land, but can swim up to it and observe from the water. The perfect start to a Big Island day!

Hiking at Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes NP

When most people plan their time in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park they just intend on visiting Kilauea, especially if there’s an active volcanic eruption and lava flow. On your drive from the Kona Coast to the Hilo side, your road trip will take you past the entrance to the Kahuku Unit of the park. Only open Thursday through Sunday, if you’re driving past on one of those days, stop in for a short and jawdroppingly beautiful hike.

Hiking to the red cinder cone crater in the Kahuku unit isn’t only about an hour’s stop, so it’s easy to add to your Big Island itinerary. The hills have the most lush, juicy green grass I’ve ever seen and the contrast with the brilliant red crater you can hike into is amazing. It’s absolutely worth stopping into!

Tip: lay in the grass. I’ve never felt grass like this and I’m pretty sure this is what heaven feels like.

Papakōlea Green Sand Beach

What if I told you that one of the most fun experiences you can have on the Big Island is riding in the back of an old truck through five foot deep ruts in the bluffs of the South Shore. It’s true, and it’s an awesome thing to do. Add a visit to the Green Sand Beach to your Big Island road trip, but let somebody else do the driving. The 2.5 miles from the parking area to the beach is the roughest road I’ve ever been on, so it was totally worth paying the $20/person for a local to taxi us to the Papakolea cliffs.

Note: you can also hike to the Green Sand Beach, but if you’re pressed for time, do the local 4×4 shuttle. If you do hike, you’ll be amazing at the views, and you will probably see humpback whales or spinner dolphins off-shore.

Once at the Green Sand Beach, you’ll need to traverse the cliff path down to the sand. Made up of olivine crystals, the green sand beach is really beautiful and unique. The dark sandstone all around is very unusual and the rock formations are just the coolest. The cove is perfect for swimming and relaxing. Plan two hours at least if you’re doing the shuttle to the beach, and four hours if you’re hiking to Papakolea Beach.

Punalu’u Bakery for Malasadas

Whether you stop here at the Punalu’u Bake Shop or you stop at a roadside stand, no Big Island road trip is complete without Hawaiian malasadas. They’re basically fluffy donut balls, either rolled in sugar or glazed or stuffed. Punalu’u Bake Shop makes the BEST lilikoi malasada with the most delicious frosting on earth. They also may a mean taro and guava malasada. Grab a few for the road or even a loaf of fluffy pink or purple bread for snacking. You’ll be glad you did.

Tip for Kauai : if you’re also planning a trip to Kauai , the Passion Bakery in Kapa’a makes an even better lilikoi malasada that you MUST try.

Punalu’u Black Sand Beach

Wow. I didn’t know what to expect of the famous Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, but I can say it was better than I imagined. I’ve been several times and each time it’s a different experience. The black sand is HOT on your feet if you visit in the heat of the day, but then when the waves wash over is, the sand becomes strangely cold. It’s the magic of Hawaii.

Besides the beautiful black sand and extraordinary lava rock tidepools, the big attraction to visiting Punalu’u Beach is the number of honu (green sea turtles) that haul out here. Whether you’re observing then sleeping on the black sand or if you’re watching them struggle to get into the protected tidepool area, watching the sea turtles here is one of the most peaceful experiences you’ll have on your Big Island itinerary. And don’t forget to keep 20 feet back!

Agritourism on the South Shore

I know there’s already been a lot on today’s part of the Big Island road trip, but if you have the time and energy, there are quite a few agritourism stops you can make on your drive to Hilo. Our top picks for farm stops between Punalu’u Black Sand Beach and Hilo are:

• Ka’u Coffee Mill – I love their tasting room and the surrounding coffee tree orchard/grove.
• Volcano Winery – yes, it’s very unique to grow wine grapes in Hawaii, but they do. The flavor profiles may not be what you’re used to, but give it a try!
• Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm – stop into the visitor center to learn about the macadamia nut industry, to samples all sorts of products and then to purchase nearly any flavor of nut. There is also a nice mixed fruit orchard that you’re welcome to explore and pick from.

There are lots of agritourism opportunities when you do your Big Island road trip, so add as many stops as you can to your itinerary. Supporting the smaller, local farmers is always something we aim to do when we travel anywhere, and getting to do so in Hawaii is special.

Day 4: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

I love talking about and writing about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park . It’s one of my favorite places on earth and getting to explore it in depth has been such a privilege. Whether you’re hardcore into geology or just love to see nature at work, Hawaii Volcanoes is wonderfully unique and a good portion of your Big Island road trip itinerary needs to include time in the park. We’ve dedicated an entire day to hiking and sightseeing in the park, ending with lava glow (when there’s an active eruption). This just may be your favorite day in the Big Island itinerary.

Get my E-Book for Kindle: Guide to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The Kilauea Crater Rim Road

Head into the park early to start your day by getting a feel for the Halemaumau Crater within Kilauea (the actual volcano). You’ll be able to see just how active it is, see lava fountains if they’re going and get a bit picture of what’s in store within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Go to the very end of Crater Rim Drive and stop at each viewpoint, or split up your Big Island road trip crew and have some of you hike the whole Rim Trail while the others drive the cars back to the start by the Visitor Center.

Besides the viewpoints, on Crater Rim Drive you’ll also find the Steaming Bluffs, steam vents and the Sulfur Banks trail. Stop at them all, because they don’t take much time and each is unique. I love the flowers and other vegetation that grows in this part of the park. So pretty!

Hiking at the Thurston Lava Tube

Visiting the Thurston Lava Tube is a very easy and beautiful stop to make. Located about ten minutes from the Visitor Center, this trail is paved and leads through one of the most lush, Jurassic Park type areas of the Big Island. Giant ferns and dripping rock walls lead the way to the 700 foot long lava tube. It is dimly lit in the tube, so you can see enough to make it to the staircase at the other end. While it’s not as thrilling as rappelling into one of the lava fissures, it’s pretty cool.

Holei Sea Arch

At the end of Chain of Craters Road is the Holei Sea Arch hike. Here is where the lava flows meet the Pacific Ocean. Park your car and walk down the old road, exploring the many lava mounds and side trails. The Holei Sea Arch comes into view a few minutes down the trail, and if you catch it in the afternoon light, the sun streams through it with waves crashing all around… Gorgeous.

As you hike at the Holei Sea Arch, pay attention to the colorful pahoehoe lava. This is the swirly lava that looks like burned marshmallow fluff. From shiny black billows to rainbow shaped multicolor flows, you’ll see it all here. The collection of lava flows really showcases the volcanic activity over the years.

Notable Stops on Chain of Craters Road

As if the views as you drive along Chain of Craters Road weren’t enough, there are some great stops to make along the way as well. There are lots of hikes to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park but since our Big Island itinerary only has one full day dedicated to the park, we’re taking the approach of sightseeing. So, on Chain of Craters Road, make all the awesome viewpoint stops you want, and if you’ve brought lunch supplies, have a picnic at Kealakomo Lookout.

Notable stops to make besides all the viewpoints include:

• Alanui Kahiko – where the lava flowed across the road, cool photo spot
• Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs – 1.5 mile walk across the lava to carvings in the lava
• Pu’u Huluhulu Trail – can be as long of a walk as you like, going be craters and cones
• Devil’s Throat Crater – deep and cool to see from above
• Puhimau Crater – easy pull off from the road and pretty cool for an extinct crater

Mauna Loa Hiking

Driving up Mauna Loa is kind of a bonus if you have the time. Currently (2023) the trail to the lookout and down into the most recently active areas is closed, but there are still some beautiful views on the drive up Mauna Loa Lookout Road. The big highlight of this part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the wildlife. If you’re into bird THIS is the spot to go. Pheasants, francolins and colorful songbirds are everywhere. For the best birding experience, do the “Bird Trail” near the start of Mauna Loa Lookout Road, called Kipuka Puaulu Trail.

ERUPTION TIME: Lava Glow and Night in HVNP

OMG, my favorite part! I love Hawaii Volcanoes at night , and since this is something that happens after most of the tourist activities everywhere shut down, it’s easy to make sure this is a part of your Big Island itinerary. What I prefer to do is to have dinner at the Rim Restaurant at Volcano House (the National Park lodge) and then visit the various viewpoints around the Halemaumau Crater of Kilauea.

The best view of the lava lake and its fountains is from the Byron’s Ledge Trail or the Keanakako’i Overlook. The overlook is actually just off the closed portion of Crater Rim Drive, so you park at the Devastation Trail and then walk on the old road. It’s incredible! The lava glow lights up the steamy clouds and the flowing lava below is breathtaking.

If there isn’t an active lava flow during your visit, this is still an amazing hike in the dark for seeing the stars. Dark sky photography here at Kilauea is epic!

Check out our complete guide to Lava Glow and Photography in Hawaii Volcanoes!

Day 5: Exploring Hilo

After spending so much time in nature over the last few days, it might be nice to have some time in the small city of Hilo. I love Hilo. It doesn’t feel like a tourist destination, but an actual live-in city. It’s full of restaurants and parks, regular city things and it’s so mellow. There are some wonderful things to do Hilo and it’ll be a nice mix-up to the rest of your Big Island itinerary.

Liliuokalani Gardens

Located on Hilo Bay, the Liliuokalani Gardens make for a great morning walk. With the Japanese garden area, incredible banyan trees and a path along the waterfront, it’s a great view of Hilo life. Also just off of the Liliuokalani Gardens is Coconut Island. Here you’ll find beach access, a reconstructed cultural site and picnic areas.

Hilo Farmers Market

I love love love the Hilo Farmers Market. Even if you miss stopping into the market on this day of the Big Island itinerary, you can stop here before you depart Hilo for some of the best road trip snack you’ll find in Hawaii. What makes the Hilo Farmers Market so great is the amount of beautiful, fresh produce. It’s loud and fun and delicious. Right next to the main market area are more shops and stalls, as well as the best Hawaiian shave ice in Hilo, from Kula Shave Ice .

Visiting Mauna Kea, the Tallest Mountain on Earth

Yes, I know, you’re thinking that Mt Everest is the tallest mountain on earth, and you’re right if you’re measuring what’s above sea level, but Mauna Kea goes to the seafloor. Anyways, Mauna Kea is tall enough that sometimes it even has snow on it. If you want to visit Mauna Kea, it’s totally doable and shows you a very different side of Hawaii.

To visit Mauna Kea, you’ll need to drive up a 17% grade to the visitor center. Here you can learn about the many observatories on the mountain, as well as see the silversword plants up on the mountainside. If you want to go to the summit trail or any of the observatory trails you’ll need 4 wheel drive. The rangers don’t let you past on the road if your car can’t handle it.

If you are planning on driving the Saddle Road back to Kailua-Kona from Hilo, you can add your visit to Mauna Kea to that part of the Big Island road trip. If you’re flying out of Hilo at the end of your trip though, day 5 is the perfect spot in the itinerary to add Mauna Kea.

Tour: because this is such an unusual place, we do recommend a guided tour , especially if you’re interested in stargazing atop Mauna Kea.

SUP on Reeds Bay

We’ve paddled on Reeds Bay in Hilo a few times and it’s always beautiful. Rent boards from Hilo Ocean Adventures or if you’ve picked the SCP Hilo Hotel for your stay, you can just borrow them from the hotel. Because there is a big jetty in the bay the waves come into the area as soft rollers which is so easy to paddle with. There are small coves and even a brackish pond full of tropical fish and honus. It’s delightful.

Tip: bring your waterproof phone case or GoPro, or bring your snorkel for exploring below the surface of Reeds Bay. There is some amazing wildlife and the snorkeling is great. If you’re snorkeling in the fresh water ponds, be prepared for some heavy distortion in the water though, as the salt water and fresh water don’t mix well and you can outright see the salt swirling before your eyes.

Biking Around Hilo

Hilo is a very bikeable city. There are bike lanes, bike paths and lots of wonderful things to see. From the rainbow bridge over the Wailuku River to the spring fed lagoon beach at Leleiwi Beach Park, you’ll have lots to see. You can ride down Banyan Way and through downtown. You can make stops wherever you want, and even just ride to a wonderful beach afternoon at Hilo Bayfront Beach Park.

Day 6: Eastern Shore of the Big Island

Today is the last day of fully scheduled fun. As with any day in our Big Island itinerary you can add beach time or lounging around your accommodations whenever you need, but this last big day has some wonderful things to do that really are the icing on the Big Island road trip cake. The eastern shore of Hawaii is where you’ll find cacao and waterfalls!

Our activities for this day stretch from Hilo to the North Shore. Lavaloha Farms and Kulaniapia Falls are right next to each other, then Akaka Falls a bit furth north, and the Waipio Valley is the furtest away, so keep location in mind as you schedule your activities.

As you’re planning your time, consider the farthest reaches of the east and north shores of the Big Island as a bonus. If you have extra days, add the adventures noted for this day across two days, as the drive to Waipio Valley and hiking and beaches there could easily be their own day.

Cacao Farms and Agritourism

The Big Island of Hawaii is such a diverse place when you consider what is grown here. From wine grapes to coffee and cacao, there are so many opportunities for agritourism. Oh the Hilo side you’ll find quite a few “chocolate farms” that you can visit. Because education is something we strive to include with every trip we take, plan a tour at a cacao farm to gain a new appreciation for the work and love that goes into growing the source of the chocolate you love.

We really enjoyed our visit to Lavaloaha Farm. Here they have thousands of cacao trees, coffee trees, other fruits and some of the best views in Hilo. Book the Tree-to-Chocolate tour to get an in-depth experience around the farm. You get to pick cacao from the tree, eat the raw cacao flesh and beans, see the drying process, sample chocolate throughout the process and try lost of samples in the Chocolate Lounge. It’s actually way more fun and fascinating than I expected.

There are more chocolate farms on the Big Island, especially as you continue your road trip up the coast, bute Lavaloha was really incredible. More cacao farm options include:

• Lavaloha Farms – Book it here!
• Hamakua Chocolate Farm
• Puna Chocolate Co

Akaka Falls State Park

You cannot visit Hawaii without having some sort of waterfall experience. While the waterfalls on Kauai’s Na Pali Coast are famous for their epic drops and mystical setting, the Big Island of Hawaii has some gorgeous falls too. At the top of that list is Akaka Falls, located just north of Hilo. For our Big Island road trip plan, Akaka Falls fits perfectly into the morning, whether you plan to continue all the way to the Waipio Valley or not.

The hike at Akaka Falls is pretty easy, being a half mile loop through some of the most beautiful Hawaiian jungle you’ve ever seen. The tropical flowers and wild growing fruits spill onto the path as you approach the waterfall. At 442 feet tall, it’s impressive and absolutely dreamy. This is the perfect start to your day of exploring.

Swimming at Kulaniapia Falls

One of my favorite things to do in Hawaii, no matter what island I’m on, is to swim in the splash pool of a waterfall. It’s not an easy thing to plan in every Hawaiian destination, but if you’re on the east shore of the Big Island, you can make a whole day of it. Kulaniapia Falls is located on private property just outside of downtown Hilo.

You either need to be staying at the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls as a guest (it’s beautiful!) or you can book a day pass ( go to their website and choose DAY PAS S). If you do the day pass option, plan to bring a picnic and spend a half day there. The gardens leading down to the stream and splash pool are dreamy, and the area all around the falls is perfect for relaxing. You can swim to the base of the waterfall, you can SUP in the pond, or you can bring a yoga mat and just zen out. It’s a wonderful way to chill out and have the perfect Hawaii moment.

BONUS DAY: Exploring the Lesser Visited North Shore

While it’s not terribly far from Hilo, getting to the North Shore of the Big Island isn’t something many visitors make time for. It takes a little over an hour to get from Hilo to the Waipio Valley (the farthest you’ll be traveling). The

Waipio Valley

And now, if you have additional days or find that you have a half day extra in your Big Island travel plan, add a visit to the North Shore and the Waipio Valley to your itinerary. This is one of those places that is gorgeous and rarely visited. If you’re planning a trip here, BE RESPECTFUL of private property and do not go making your own trails. There are designated hiking areas, public beach access points, and several guided tours that will help you experience the Waipio Valley and its beauty.

North Shore Sightseeing

Another stop to add to your North Shore day is Kalopa State Recreation Area . Here you can hike through dense rainforest and breathe deeply to take in the tropical wildflowers. Make stops at the vanilla farm, Hawaiian Vanilla Co , more cacao farms, the Hamakua Farmers Market (Sundays), and beaches. A highlight if you’re into all the agritourism on the Big Island will be stopping into Big Island Farms . A farm tour here includes coffee, tea, tropical fruits, spices and more.

As you drive back towards Hilo, watch for the Scenic Drive sign on the highway. This will bring you back into town via the Old Mamalahoa Highways. This winding road will take you past fruit stands, over one lane bridges and to the trail for Onomea Bay, which is rugged and so pretty. You’ll love this drive!

Wow! So that’s an amazing Big Island itinerary to experience the best of Hawaii Island. You’ll love doing this road trip so much, and once you’ve seen this side of Hawaii, the Big Island will, no doubt, become your favorite.

If you have any questions about planning a trip to the Big Island or need help finding the right accommodations, please let us know. Leave a comment or send us a note . We’re happy to help others create unforgettable experiences!

World Wild Schooling

The 12 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Planning a Caribbean Island Vacation

Posted: April 24, 2024 | Last updated: April 24, 2024

Just thinking of the word “Caribbean” conjures up images of crystal clear turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and rum. Famous for its tropical islands, picturesque scenery, luxurious resorts, and relaxed atmosphere, the Caribbean is an enchanting region that draws in millions of travelers annually. 

If you’re planning a vacation to this tropical paradise, you’re in for the time of your life. However, before you jet off to the Caribbean to destress, relax, and rejuvenate yourself, there are some common mistakes you need to avoid. To ensure your trip is as carefree as possible, we’ve compiled a list of the 12 biggest mistakes people make when planning a Caribbean island vacation.

Not Booking a Long Enough Trip

While the Caribbean is a popular place to kick back at the beach, relax by the pool, and generally just take on life at a slower pace, there is still a lot to do, so make sure you book a long enough vacation. Allow enough time to visit different islands, try new activities, and see the main attractions.

You should also consider any potential flight delays, especially if you plan to island hop during your trip. Due to bad weather, plane delays are common, so make sure you don’t leave yourself with too little time at your destination if your flight gets delayed.

Read also:  Untouched Caribbean Islands

Planning To Do Too Much

On the flip side, other travelers plan to do too much during their Caribbean adventure, missing the point of visiting. As much as there is to do in the region, the primary purpose of a trip to the Caribbean is relaxation. Don’t be afraid to slow down; you’re on island time, after all. 

The laid-back approach is part of the appeal, so going against that will leave you feeling rushed, stressed, and tired, which defeats your trip’s purpose. Instead, plan to do a few things and enjoy the rest of your time enjoying the escape from the daily hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Read also:  Caribbean Attractions Other Than Beaches

Only Considering a Cruise

Cruises might be a relaxing and luxurious way to travel around the Caribbean, and we aren’t dead set against them. However, if you’ve only ever visited the island nation by ship, you’re missing out. Avoiding a cruise is an excellent idea if you want a more relaxed vacation. You won’t have to fight through congested tourist bars and boring, overpriced souvenir shops designed to appeal to the masses.

Instead, you can enjoy a more authentic experience, live more relaxed, and stretch your money further. One of the best ways to explore the Caribbean is via plane. There are ample flights in the Caribbean daily, so you’ll have no problem island hopping between the most popular destinations.

Read also:  Must-Visit Beaches in the Caribbean

Visiting at the Wrong Time of the Year

A big mistake travelers make when planning a Caribbean island vacation is planning a visit at the wrong time of the year. Generally, the Caribbean experiences good weather and plenty of sunshine. However, it also experiences a hurricane season.

During hurricane season, flights and ferry services are more likely to be delayed, and good weather for exploring the region isn’t guaranteed. Therefore, avoiding peak hurricane season (August to October) is essential. Flight and hotel prices are much cheaper this time of year, but with good reason. Instead, plan your trip around early spring or the beginning of summer, when the weather is more reliable.

Read also:  Visa-Free Caribbean Destinations

Not Planning To Take Cash

We live in an age when carrying cash is becoming less common. Why would we when we can just swipe our credit cards and pay for everything we need in a flash? While it’s perfectly acceptable to pay for things in the Caribbean using a credit card, carrying some cash is also a smart move.

If you don’t have access to cash, you might miss out when visiting some of the more secluded islands . Some roadside vendors and small bars aren’t exactly set up for taking card payments, so you’ll need cash. Of course, you’ll also need some money to leave a tip. Luckily, most Caribbean islands accept American dollars. 

Read also:  Incredible Hidden Beaches in the Caribbean

Not Planning Any Water Activities

Sparkling, crystal-clear turquoise waters are one of the biggest draws to the Caribbean, so it would be a travesty not to plan any activities that include them. However, some tourists don’t think ahead when planning their trip and neglect to think about what they want to do when they finally reach their resort.

With this in mind, carefully consider the water-based activities you want to try before flying to the Caribbean. That way, you can plan your adventures, find potential locations, and include them in your budget.

Some of the most popular water activities in the Caribbean include scuba diving, snorkeling , boating, parasailing, and jet skiing. You’ll likely be able to book most of these experiences at your resort or hotel.

Read also:  Spectacular Hiking Trails in the Caribbean

Only Staying in the Resort

Similarly, it’s easy to fall into the trap of spending your entire vacation poolside with a cocktail in hand or floating in the sea, especially if you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort. However, you’d be doing yourself a massive injustice if you didn’t venture away from the resort and explore.

Making a conscious effort to spend time away from the resort will give you a more authentic and enriching experience. By simply chatting with locals, visiting local stores, and eating in small roadside restaurants, you can get to know the authentic Caribbean. 

Read also:  Insta-Worthy Spots in the Caribbean

Planning To Hire a Car

It’s not impossible to rent a car in the Caribbean, and we’re not telling you to avoid it altogether. However, we are advising you to think twice. You’ll likely hate driving in the Caribbean if you’re not an experienced/confident driver. For starters, many Caribbean islands were once British colonies, so people drive on the left. This includes Jamaica, Dominica, and Barbados. 

Furthermore, not every road in the Caribbean is well-maintained or signposted, and you could find yourself sharing it with big tour buses, cyclists, motorcycles, and pedestrians. Our advice is to consider taking shuttle buses or taxis instead.

Read also:  Amazing Sunset Viewing Spots in the Caribbean

Thinking All the Islands in the Caribbean Are the Same

It can be tempting for first-time visitors to the Caribbean to lump all the different islands into one destination. However, in reality, every island is different. What you’ll experience in the luxurious Saint Lucia is very different from what you’ll experience in the lively city of Kingston, Jamaica. Every island has a distinctive atmosphere and culture.

Therefore, never assume you’ve experienced everything the Caribbean has to offer after only visiting one or two islands because, in truth, you’ve not even scratched the surface. This is a valuable thing to consider when planning your trip, especially if there’s something in particular you want to get out of the region. 

Read also:  Family Vacation Destinations in the Caribbean

Assuming Everywhere Has Cell Service and WiFi

As much as we all rely on our smartphones, planning to rely solely on 5G and high-speed WiFi during your Caribbean vacation is a big mistake. Unfortunately, you won’t have cell service and WiFi everywhere you go. You can rely on bigger islands, resorts, and hotels for service, but don’t expect it in more remote or smaller destinations.

Signing up for an international data plan is a good idea if you know you can’t go without cell service. However, ideally, you’ll leave everyday life back at the office and enjoy a few weeks without having your phone attached to your hand.

Read also:  Hidden Gems in the Caribbean

Choosing Not To Eat Local Food

Even if you decide to stay at an all-inclusive resort, the experience of indulging in local cuisine and interacting with the locals isn’t guaranteed. Taking some time in the planning process to seek out the best local restaurants can introduce you to some of the best smells and tastes in the Caribbean .

Don’t be afraid to talk to locals, either. They can give you insider knowledge regarding the best places to grab something to eat and drink. Often, the resort staff will also be happy to help you find somewhere to enjoy Caribbean flavors.

Read also: Most Popular Caribbean Dishes

Packing Too Much

One of the biggest mistakes people make when planning a trip to the Caribbean is packing too much. While this isn’t necessarily bad if you’re taking one direct flight to the Caribbean, it’s a logistical nightmare if you want to island hop. Aside from making it a struggle to carry everything through multiple airports, there’s a good chance some of your luggage might get delayed.

Smaller Caribbean airlines have yet to master the art of logistics like other major airlines. Therefore, it isn’t uncommon for you to arrive at your destination a day or two ahead of your luggage. You can avoid this situation by packing a carry-on instead of taking checked-in luggage.

Read also: Best Caribbean Islands To Retire

Caribbean Destinations Where No Visa Is Needed for Americans

Discover passport-free paradise with our guide to Caribbean destinations for US citizens .

• Read more: Caribbean Destinations Without Visa

Tropical Destinations To Add to Your Bucket List

Dreaming of paradise? Discover tropical destinations to add to your bucket list.

• Read more: Tropical Destinations To Visit in Your Lifetime

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Discover paradise with our list of underrated tropical vacation destinations .

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Cheap, Sunny February Destinations

Fall in love with cheap and sunny February destinations .

• Read also: Affordable Sunny February Getaways

Hidden Beaches in the World

Escape the crowds and explore these  hidden beaches  worldwide.

• Read more: Secret Beaches

Best Greek Islands for Beaches, Ranked

Escape to Greece’s top-ranked beach destinations for sun, sand, and sea.

• Read more: Best Greek Island Beaches

Read the original thread on The 12 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Planning a Caribbean Island Vacation .

This article was produced and syndicated by World Wild Schooling .

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How to plan your dream vacation

Sometimes you crave a vacation — but actually taking one feels out of reach. Maybe you're struggling to find the time or save up the money. Or maybe you just can't seem to launch those plans out of the group chat. Overcome that planning inertia and take the big trip of your dreams. Here's where to start your search, organize your logistics and enjoy yourself.

MARIELLE SEGARRA, HOST:

You're listening to LIFE KIT...

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SEGARRA: ...From NPR.

Hey, everybody. It's Marielle. You remember the early part of the pandemic when the days of isolation stretched into months? At night, I would lay on the floor of my apartment with my eyes closed and listen to guided meditations, to try to take myself to a happier place. One time the prompt was something like, picture yourself doing something that brings you great joy. The first thing that popped into my head was an image of me wandering the cobblestone streets of some small European village, probably in France. The sun was shining, and every step I took was a feast for the eyes. Medieval houses, colorful flowers resting in vases on outdoor tables, patisseries with gorgeous pastries in the window, just waiting to be eaten.

I didn't realize until that moment just how much I missed traveling and how badly I wanted to look at something outside of my four walls or the blocks of my neighborhood. The next year, I took a three-week trip to the U.K. and France, and I ate those pastries and wandered until my feet hurt and filled a hole that had been growing inside of me.

Big trips can do that. Lale Arikoglu knows what I'm talking about. She's the articles director at Conde Nast Traveler.

LALE ARIKOGLU: On a really basic level, I think it's just being able to have a break from the crush of regular life, whether that's work or childcare or school, wherever it may be, you know, the opportunity to just take yourself out of your routine and be somewhere else and get to immerse yourself in that place to me is, like, the main draw of it.

SEGARRA: Now, when we talk about a big trip, that could mean different things depending on your travel style and your budget. You know, it might be a long road trip or an extended stay at a cottage in the woods or a multi-city tour on another continent. But it's typically something you save up for and plan months in advance. Lale has a big trip coming up. She's going to Peru.

ARIKOGLU: I've been waiting to do it for a long time. The reason to go there is for a friend's wedding. And now I'm building a trip around it, and it's going to be about ten days long with multi-stops, you know, having to choose multiple places to stay. And logistically, you know, it's actually taking some thought and some planning. One of the things that we're going to do when we're there is hike Machu Picchu. There's a group of us going. And Machu Picchu - it's a dream to see and experience.

SEGARRA: Now, it's easy to get bogged down in trip planning. And it might stop you from booking the thing entirely, but Lale says, do it. It's worth it.

On this episode of LIFE KIT, Lale shares her best tips on planning the big trip of your dreams. We'll talk about where to start your search, what logistical questions you should ask yourself and how to actually relax and enjoy yourself once you're there.

SEGARRA: Let's say I do want to take a big trip, right? I'm feeling that itch to travel, but...

ARIKOGLU: Right.

SEGARRA: ...I don't have a destination in mind yet or a duration. I'm really starting from scratch. Where does the planning start?

ARIKOGLU: When you start the planning, you've really got to think what you want to get out of the trip. You know, If you really just want to decompress and relax and rest, then you probably don't want to do some like multi-stop European city trip, right? You probably don't want to hike Machu Picchu. Perhaps it is that you're incredibly bored of your surroundings, and you need adventure and you need excitement. And therefore, you're going to be thinking of some really different destinations. It might be that you're traveling alone for the first time. You've decided to do a solo trip. You know, where is a place that might feel comfortable for you as a solo traveler, but still feels like it's taking you out of your comfort zone? So I think it's sitting with yourself and thinking, OK, what is, like, the goal here? That's takeaway one. Ask yourself what do you want to get from this? Set the mission of your trip.

It feels like another really important detail at the beginning is budget, right? Like, how much money do you realistically want to spend on this trip or can you afford to spend?

ARIKOGLU: And, you know, that's going to look different for everyone. If we're talking big trips, rarely are they spontaneous, right? You're planning for a long time. So that also allows you to save and finance for it. No, there's lots of great savings apps that can just, you know, that take a little bit of money out of your paycheck every few weeks, and you can kind of start, like, a travel fund that way. I think that's quite a nice way to do it. But I think, you know, you can do a big trip on a budget. It doesn't have to be, I think, a lavish, international trip. I mean, you know, we're going into spring and summer, there are so many incredible national parks to see, there are so many amazing, very diverse, different cities. There's, like, so much on your doorstep, so I think you can really argue, you don't have to cross continents to have a big trip. And so if that feels a more affordable way to get away for a couple of weeks, then, you know, look in your backyard.

SEGARRA: Right. I wonder, too, like, part of budget, besides money, is also time. Like, how much vacation time do you have? Do you have any tips for people who don't have that much vacation time?

ARIKOGLU: So I think if you look at the calendar and you look at where the holiday weekends fall, There are some tricks to being able to kind of, like, turn your limited number of vacation days into - kind of you can stretch it out if you bookend it with a holiday weekend or something like that. But on the flip side, it's also most expensive time to travel, right? There is an argument for choosing shoulder season, so that's not traveling to a destination when it's at its peak. And this is great for your own personal experience, but it's also in terms of helping that destination deal with overtourism, overcrowding. If we're talking about Europe, for example, the summers are getting hotter. So avoiding those really intense, hot, summer seasons can actually be really advantageous for your own travel plans.

SEGARRA: Yeah. That seems like maybe the next thing to consider as you're planning a big trip before you start looking at destinations is what time of year are you looking to travel?

ARIKOGLU: Definitely. And that's more of a luxury for some people because If you're having to navigate school holidays, then you're a little bit more limited. But again, it's sort of when you're thinking about carving out those goals and what you want to get out of the trip. Maybe it's the seasonality that's really important. Maybe it's all you want is hot weather and a beach. You know, if you're planning some summer travel, you could totally flip things on its head and go experience winter somewhere. I went to Patagonia when it was entering into their fall in Chile, and it was a really magnificent time to be there, and it was when New York City was going into spring. It felt like upside-down land to be choosing to do that, and it was so wonderful. It was great.

SEGARRA: Yeah. I think there's a lot of room for creativity there. And also, as you said, like, it opens up more possibilities if you consider going places during the shoulder season.

ARIKOGLU: And you get to be in a place and actually be in the place with the people who live there. One thing in August, if you go to Europe, everyone who lives there has, you know, gone off somewhere else on vacation to escape the heat and the tourists, and so, you know, you're in Rome with just all the other tourists and none of the Romans.

SEGARRA: All right, so takeaway two. Before you land on a destination, think about your constraints. What time of year do you plan to travel? For how long? What budget are you working with? If you're short on time, you can make use of holidays or pick a destination closer to home. If you're short on money, think creatively. You know, maybe you do a road trip through some parks or cities nearby.

SEGARRA: It seems like another thing to consider here is, how much do you like crowds? Because for me, it kind of ruins a trip or an experience if everywhere I go is super crowded. I get very overwhelmed by that and overstimulated.

ARIKOGLU: And it's also, you know, who are the crowds? Because there's been times when I've gone somewhere and I've gone and done the same bucket list site that everyone else is, and you're sort of standing there and you're thinking, What am I actually here for? Well, what is the purpose of this? What am I getting out of it? What am I giving to this destination other than just being another member of the crowd?

SEGARRA: Yeah. I think that's an important question, right? 'Cause, like, we have been talking about what are you looking to get out of it, for the most part. But there's another side to this - right? - and it's what am I giving? And also, what am I taking? Like, am I taking too much from this place?

ARIKOGLU: I think about that a lot. When you're planning, be really thoughtful about where you're spending your money. When you're choosing a hotel, is it a hotel that is locally owned? What restaurants are you booking? Where are you shopping? Where are you buying your souvenirs? You know, I think there's lots of ways to be really thoughtful about, you know, how you spend your money, and that can go into your budgeting, as well.

SEGARRA: I know there are certain places that at a certain time, at least, they said, please, tourists, like, please stop coming or stop coming during this time.

ARIKOGLU: Yeah. When a destination says that, I mean, it's something to be taken so seriously because they're usually destinations that have an infrastructure or an economy that really relies on tourism. So things have to have gotten pretty bad for a destination to say, take a beat, not right now, and listen to that, and, you know, the place will be better for it when you do go see it.

SEGARRA: I picture it as if you were, like, going to - going over, like, a friend's house uninvited, or, like, if they were like, please, today's not good. Like, our whole family's sick, like, we're all throwing up, and then you were still banging on the door, like, hey, what are you doing? Can I come stay over?

ARIKOGLU: I think that is a perfect analogy. Perfect. And no one wants to be that person.

SEGARRA: No.

ARIKOGLU: I'd hate to be that person.

SEGARRA: That'd be weird behavior.

ARIKOGLU: Yeah.

SEGARRA: Takeaway three, travel responsibly. Research the places you're interested in, and make sure they want tourists at the time you're looking to visit. When you're booking, consider putting your money toward the local economy rather than international chains. Also, learn about whatever destination you choose. Be open to the cultural practices and languages there. And be a respectful visitor.

Anything else that people would want to figure out before they start narrowing down or looking at destinations?

ARIKOGLU: I think it's also thinking about who you want to travel with. Someone can be your best friend, but they can be your worst roommate. I think travel's kind of the same, so kind of finding someone to travel with or a group of people to travel with who you're aligned with in the planning stage, rather than when you get there and then you suddenly discover you all want to do different things. So I think communicating right off the back what you all want out of the trip and what you're excited about and also being really honest with each other about finances.

If you're on a group trip, I mean, it's like splitting the bill, but a thousand times worse. And so I think if you can kind of, like, set some parameters at the start and be really honest about what you feel comfortable spending money on because inevitably, there is going to be some people on the trip who want to spend more money on some things than others.

SEGARRA: Yeah. And it seems like that conversation, there should be some form of that before you book anything.

ARIKOGLU: Yes, 100%. And, you know, I think even if you don't feel comfortable doing it, speaking up if something just feels too expensive.

SEGARRA: All right. So takeaway four, figure out who you're traveling with. You might prefer to travel alone, or if you're going with friends, partners, or family, just make sure you're on the same page about what you want from the trip - the pace, the activities and how much money you can spend.

SEGARRA: OK. So it sounds like we've given people a lot of things to consider before they choose a destination. Once they've done this soul searching, how can they start to find destinations that fit those desires and limitations?

ARIKOGLU: For me, part of the fun of travel planning is doing the research, whether it is a trusted travel publication or reading some books you love or going on to - you know, there's, like, a ton of just, like, online communities of people who love swapping travel tips and actually, I think, can be really helpful.

SEGARRA: Yeah. I think it can be helpful maybe to in the brainstorming stage to just, like, not go in too deep but just make a list of places that seem exciting to you and that might fit your parameters. Like, I have a Google Doc, and it's just, like, places that I would be really excited to go.

SEGARRA: When you are considering a destination, how helpful is social media - is - like, seeing where your friends are going or where influencers are going? Is it a good idea to follow those trends?

ARIKOGLU: I think it can be useful in picking things you want to do once you're there, particularly if it's, like, based around, like, big events or openings. You know, we have our best places to go list that runs every year. It could be, like, new train routes, new hiking routes, new museums that have opened, things that are happening in destinations centered around an anniversary. So, you know, kind of consulting those sorts of lists and rounds up as well can be very helpful. But I think, you know, going back to what we were talking about in terms of over tourism or overcrowding - you know, on social media, you will see people at the same spots time and time again. And they're usually spots where just around the corner, there's also something equally beautiful to see.

SEGARRA: Yeah. Like, I remember when Santorini was really popular. And it's like, whew - like, if you could actually see what was going on behind that photo, like, you would hate being there because it's so - it's just way too many people...

ARIKOGLU: Right. Right.

SEGARRA: ...All lining up to take a picture in - against that beautiful backdrop.

ARIKOGLU: Exactly. And, you know, it's Santorini. It's all beautiful. It's all amazing.

SEGARRA: OK. So takeaway five is to choose a destination. And cast a wide net when you're brainstorming 'cause you never know what's going to catch your eye. Also, Lale says, do your best to think outside of the current travel trends. Though you can use them for inspiration.

So once you've got a destination in mind, how can you start to sketch out the details of the trip? And I guess I should say, how much detail do you really need to figure out?

ARIKOGLU: So I was going to say, don't overschedule yourself, and don't overbook yourself. I think I've been guilty of doing that before, and then you realize that you have no downtime. It might seem like you're being really efficient, but you need a little bit of spontaneity on your trip. Don't overschedule. If there are a few key things you really want to do that you feel you will be crushed if you don't get to do it, then book it. Make sure that's arranged all in advance. So maybe it's finding one thing on each day of your trip. That's what you center your day around and you can frame your itinerary around that, but I wouldn't overschedule.

SEGARRA: Yeah. And then I think when you look at these things potentially sketched out on different days, then you say like, you know, that seems too busy. What's the most important to me here? Like, which of these activities do I want to book ahead?

ARIKOGLU: Right. You know, if you're suddenly realizing - you're like, I am cramming a lot in if I try to go to these three places, then choosing which one to let go.

SEGARRA: Yeah. 'Cause that's always a consideration, too. Like, if you're flying somewhere far, you might think, well, I'm already going to Poland, should I also do Germany?

SEGARRA: There's that impulse, you know? Or I'm going to Poland, so I want to see all of Poland. But that can make for a very frenetic kind of trip.

ARIKOGLU: And you wouldn't tell someone who was visiting America to be like, well, you've come all the way to America, so if you're going to New York, then you also need to go to New Orleans.

SEGARRA: Right, right. Exactly. That's Takeaway 6 - keep your schedule light and malleable. Lally recommends picking only one activity to do for each day of your trip and then building a flexible itinerary around those.

You know, it occurs to me that another element of a big trip when I'm going into them - I know that something's going to go awry during it.

ARIKOGLU: Always (laughter).

SEGARRA: Yeah.

SEGARRA: I remember being in Barcelona when I was in college. I went by myself for, like, a week. And I speak Spanish, but it wasn't fluent at the time. And I just got - I just missed being able to easily say what I wanted to say, and I went into, like, a Wendy's or something because I just wanted something kind of American. And I got some chicken nuggets. I couldn't think how to say nuggets in Spanish. Like, I was like, is that even a word, like, in Spanish, or did they just say nuggets? And I just broke and started speaking in English because I was trying to only speak Spanish. And I was like, I give up. Like, can I get some chicken nuggets, please?

ARIKOGLU: The true American in you comes out screaming at chicken nuggets in a foreign McDonald's.

SEGARRA: Yeah, yeah, give me my nuggies.

ARIKOGLU: (Laughter).

SEGARRA: Yeah, I just - like, sometimes you just need to go roll up into a ball and eat your chicken nuggies and be by yourself for a minute and then come back out, you know?

ARIKOGLU: Yeah. I mean, like, travel so much of the time is sort of, like, infantilizing because you're so powerless. But it's, like, the same in an airport. You're just sort of powerless at a certain extent when things go wrong. And I think my approach to it - to sort of very taxing and challenging air travel schedules, with connections and potential miss flights and lost luggage and all the things that come with that - is to sort of just give myself up to the airport gods, and just as soon as I'm, like, through TSA, just be like, what will be will be. I'll get there eventually and just, like, I'm powerless. And that's been, like, for me, quite liberating. And it also means that I'm not the person screaming at some poor gate agent when things go wrong.

SEGARRA: Yeah, it's a moment of - it's actually an opportunity for mindfulness. Like, I think that could even be helpful going into a big trip, to tell yourself, like, something is going to go wrong. Yeah, just keep that in mind.

ARIKOGLU: Oh, my God, so much of travel is about being tired and hungry.

SEGARRA: We're really selling this.

ARIKOGLU: I know.

SEGARRA: (Laughter).

ARIKOGLU: I'm like, my whole job is to travel. It's great.

SEGARRA: Isn't it terrible? Yeah.

SEGARRA: I try to remind myself, like - what is the point? - like, go back to those goals. What is the point of this? It's to have a good experience, to meet those needs, to give myself what I've been craving.

ARIKOGLU: Exactly. And I don't know. This sounds a little cheesy and a little trite, but anyone who gets to travel is really lucky. Ultimately, it's a real privilege that you get to do it. And it's such a freedom and it's such a special thing.Don't make it stressful.

SEGARRA: That's our final takeaway. Something on your trip is bound to go wrong. So once you're there, sit back and try to surrender. After all, traveling in the first place is a treat.

SEGARRA: OK, jet-setters, time for a recap. First, figure out what you want from this vacation. Decide your budget and time constraints. Commit to traveling ethically. Make sure you're aligned with the people you're traveling with. When you choose a destination, cast a wide net and have fun with the research. Don't overschedule yourself, and once you're there, relax and roll with the punches. For more LIFE KIT, check out our other episodes. We've got one on how to find cheap flights and another on how to pack your suitcase like a pro. You can find those at np.org/lifekit. And if you love LIFE KIT and you just cannot get enough, subscribe to our newsletter at np.org/lifekitnewsletter. Also, we love hearing from you, so if you have episode ideas or feedback you want to share, e-mail us at [email protected].

This episode of LIFE KIT was produced by Margaret Cirino. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan and our digital editor is Malaka Gharib. Meghan Keane is our supervising editor and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andee Tagle, Clare Marie Schneider and Sylvie Douglis. Engineering support comes from Robert Rodriguez. I'm Marielle Segarra. Thanks for listening.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Cruising in the Galapagos in 2024 - Galapagos Islands Forum

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How is it to cruise over there ? Is it safe ?

3 replies to this topic

but you will want to do your due diligence on this and see whats offered.

i did an 8 day cruise to most of the western islands and there were daily hikes/snorkels. Again, not sure what you expect or want. But thats what i wanted and received.

again, im not sure what you expect or fear? My fear was going into the water after seeing JAWS back in 1975. But i decided to try snorkeling my 1st time there and loved it. agian, not sure what fears you have.

Dear Jaqueline,

Be sure you know what you're getting into - and if that's your thing, you will have a trip of a lifetime.

Warmest regards,

Heather Blenkiron

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Galapagos Islands Hotels and Places to Stay

• Why are the Galápagos Islands so special?
• How do I start planning my trip?
• Which should I do--a cruise or a land-based trip?
• How do I know what wildlife I'll see at different times of year?
• Which tour operators should I avoid?
• What class of boat should I choose?
• Which itinerary is better?
• What's the best length of time for a cruise?
• Can I take a cruise if I get seasick?
• Any tips for photography ?
• Where are the boat reviews?
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7 of the best all-inclusive experiences to book this year, from a travel planner

• As a travel planner, my clients seem to be increasingly interested in all-inclusive trips .
• Some of my favorite luxury resorts are in Costa Rica, the Maldives, and Isla Mujeres.
• Cruises, group tours, and adults-only lodgings can also come with all-inclusive options. 

As a travel planner at Marvelous Mouse Travels , I know vacations are expensive — especially if you're looking to go somewhere this summer . But all-inclusive travel is often a great way to get the most value out of a luxury experience.

I've been on several all-inclusive vacations with my family, friends, and work, and I've helped other people book them in destinations around the world .

Here are some of the best all-inclusive experiences I'm recommending to my clients this year.

Try a split-stay vacation to see the best of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is one of the most sought-after vacations , and for good reason. It's great for both relaxation and adventure.

I recommend booking a split stay, starting at an all-inclusive resort in Guanacaste near the beach for some fun in the sun and moving to a resort near the famous Arenal Volcano for a jungle adventure.

Some of my favorite resorts in Costa Rica are the Westin Reserva Conchal and the Dreams Las Mareas. And if you're looking for an even more unique experience, check out the glorious swim-out suites with private pools at Dreams.

Baglioni Maldives is one of my favorite all-inclusive resorts.

The Maldives, a remote set of islands in the Indian Ocean, offers a plethora of resort options for couples and families, but Baglioni Maldives is my favorite.

For many in the US, getting to the islands can be daunting — there are very few direct commercial flights, and it can take almost an entire day. But it's hard to beat the country's luxury accommodations and gorgeous landscape.

The Maldives also has some of the most beautiful marine life and coveted spots for snorkeling and scuba diving.

No matter where you go, overwater bungalows are the ultimate all-inclusive splurge.

Overwater bungalows — villas standing on poles over open ocean water — are prevalent at all-inclusive resorts in destinations like the Maldives, Fiji, and Bali.

But I've also come across the luxurious accommodations at select adults-only Sandals Resorts throughout the Caribbean.

I think having a private villa on the water is the perfect way to unwind and relax.

Adults-only vacations are on the rise.

Traveling with kids can be a blast, but I also think it's important for adults to take a much-needed break on their own.

Adults-only resorts have been a total respite for me and my husband after hectic months of juggling work with our kids' school and sports schedules.

If you're looking to unwind with a partner, relax on a girls' trip, or even connect with your adult children, there are countless adults-only, all-inclusive resorts to choose from, depending on where you're looking to visit.

Some properties, including Sandals and Beaches Resorts, also offer butler service. Designated staff members can help with anything from room requests and dining reservations to cabana rentals and transportation coordination.

I upgraded to the service at my favorite adults-only spot, Le Blanc Los Cabos, and I felt totally pampered.

Isla Mujeres is pure luxury.

Isla Mujeres, a small island off the coast of Cancún, is known for its crystal-clear, turquoise water and peaceful vibe. It's also home to Playa Norte, one of the best beaches in Mexico .

Impressions Isla Mujeres by Secrets is a gorgeous all-inclusive resort on the island. It offers luxury at its finest, but with only 125 rooms, it has a boutique feel.

One of my favorite features of the resort is the waterslide that leads right into the beautiful ocean.

There are plenty of all-inclusive packages at sea.

Cruising is one of the most popular vacations , whether it's an epic adventure on a Royal Caribbean Cruise, a couples-only journey on Virgin Voyages, or a regal tour of Europe on Viking River Cruises.

Although cruises aren't traditionally considered all-inclusive, with the right booking, they can have the same feel as a luxury resort.

Most cruise bookings include food, nonalcoholic drinks, and live entertainment. If you add beverage packages and excursions in advance, your trip should be fully paid for before you depart.

Book a small-group or private tour if you're looking for adventure.

Group travel is a great way to explore new places while soaking up culture and history.

Popular destinations include Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, and Alaska, and many travel companies take care of everything for you, essentially making it all-inclusive.

I like Adventures by Disney , which offers small-group travel all over the world facilitated by seasoned guides. All the trip details are taken care of, including experiences, food, lodging, and transportation.

Additionally, Kensington Tours offers luxury private travel where every facet of the trip is meticulously planned for you.

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