Day trip from Athens Saronic Islands
Three islands in the Saronic Gulf, seen together on an 11-hour cruise or singly by ferry from Piraeus, 1 h 10 to 1 h 55 away.
Is Saronic Islands worth a day trip from Athens?
Full day. One island beats three.
Go, but think before booking the three-island cruise. It sails at 07:45 from Marina Delta in Kallithea, lasts 11 hours and gives you roughly 1 hour on Poros, 1.5 on Hydra and 1.5 to 2 on Aegina, with a buffet lunch on board. From € 99 it needs no planning. Its 7.4 rating suggests the stops feel rushed. If you want to swim or eat a proper lunch ashore, take a ferry from Piraeus to a single island instead: Hydra in about 1 h 30 for € 35-42 each way, or Aegina in 1 h 10 for € 12.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 1 h 30to Hydra; Aegina is 1 h 10 · one way · Ferryscanner, Piraeus-Hydra
- Transport
- High-speed ferry
- Self-guided cost
- € 24–84Return ferry from Piraeus, from Aegina by conventional ferry (2 x € 12) to Hydra by high-speed ferry (2 x € 42); no entry fee · Saronic Ferries (Aegina fare)
- Tour price
- From € 99Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 5–8 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- None
- Best time
- May-Oct; fewer sailings in winterDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Saronic Islands
- 01
Poros
The first stop, after 2 hours at sea. In about an hour you can climb the lanes to the clock tower above the harbour, 10 minutes up, and walk back along the quay.
- 02
Hydra harbour
No cars, only mules and handcarts. With 1.5 hours ashore, walk the west side of the port to the cannons and the swimming rocks at Spilia.
- 03
Aegina
The last and longest stop, 1.5 to 2 hours. Stay around the port for the fish market and pistachio stalls, or pay for the optional coach to the Temple of Aphaia.
- 04
Time on deck
About 6 of the 11 hours are spent sailing. The upper deck is open, so take a seat there early. The buffet lunch is served between Hydra and Aegina.
How to spend the day
Cruise: boarding opens at 07:00 at Marina Delta Kallitheas and the boat leaves at 07:45. Poros comes first after 2 hours at sea, then Hydra, lunch on board, and Aegina last. You are back about 11 hours after departure. On your own: the first ferry to Hydra leaves Piraeus at 08:00. Book the return sailing before you go, and buy both legs early for summer weekends.
Saronic Islands in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustThis is the season the cruise is built for. Seas are usually calm, you can swim for 20 minutes off the rocks on Hydra, and the deck is pleasant once the boat moves. It is also the busiest period: the boat sails full and every harbour is crowded. Shade on deck goes first, so board at 07:00.
Winter
December to FebruaryThe cruise sails with fewer passengers and you may spend most of it indoors. Wind can shorten or cancel a stop, and many harbour shops on Poros and Hydra are shut. Swimming is out. A single island by ferry, on a day you choose for the weather, is the better winter plan.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Jun-Sep, daily; Hydra harbour 11:30-14:00 when the cruise boats dock
- Quietest
- November to March, and weekdays in April and October
Several cruise boats follow the same route and unload on Hydra within the same hour. Walk five minutes away from the quay in either direction and the crowd drops off, because most passengers stay within sight of the boat.
How do you get to Saronic Islands from Athens?
Ferry to one island
- Travel time
- 1 h 10 to 1 h 55
- Frequency
- Several a day in summer, far fewer from October
- Cost
- € 12 (Aegina) to € 35-42 (Hydra) each way
- Departs from
- Piraeus port
Hydra is served by high-speed passenger boats of Alpha Lines and Magic Sea Ferries, first departure 08:00, last 19:30. Aegina has car ferries of Saronic Ferries taking 1 h 10. On Aegina the Temple of Aphaia costs € 10 and is 17 minutes by car from the port.
Three-island cruise
- Travel time
- 11 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost
- From € 99
- Departs from
- Marina Delta Kallitheas (hotel pickup optional)
The € 99 fare is without hotel pickup, so make your own way to the marina by 07:25. Buffet lunch is included, drinks are not. There is no guide: the crew speak English but give no commentary. Time ashore varies with sea conditions.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Light clothes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for the deck, plus a windproof layer, because it is cool at speed even in July. Flat shoes for Hydra's cobbles. Carry swimwear and a small towel in summer.
What to eat
The buffet lunch on board is included and plain; drinks cost extra. Save your appetite for the stops: pistachios, pistachio ice cream and grilled octopus at Aegina's port, and almond sweets called amygdalota on Hydra. A coffee on a harbour is usually all the time allows.
What you will spend
The cruise from € 99 covers the boat and lunch. Drinks on board, the optional coach to the Temple of Aphaia and hotel pickup are extras. Going to one island by ferry costs from € 12 each way to Aegina or € 35-42 each way to Hydra.
How to get the most out of the day
- Take a seasickness tablet before boarding if you are prone. The stretch between Poros and Hydra is the most exposed.
- Set a phone alarm for 15 minutes before each departure. The boat does not wait and the next ferry is your own expense.
- Bring a refillable bottle and some cash. Card machines in small harbour shops sometimes fail.
- The order of the islands can change with the weather. Listen for the announcement before you plan a stop.
How long do you need in Saronic Islands?
Plan 5–8 h on site, plus 1 h 30 of travel each way from Athens.
When is Saronic Islands closed?
None. Best time: May-Oct; fewer sailings in winter.