Planning a quick visit to Mykonos and wondering what the best way to plan for 2 days in Mykonos is, so you can be sure not to miss the highlights of this marvelous island? This Mykonos itinerary will help you plan to see the must-sees in a quick and logical manner, so you can spend more time planning other aspects of your Greece vacation!
Since most people only spend 2 or 3 days in Mykonos on a Greek island hopping trip, we’ve outlined an easy-to-follow itinerary for Mykonos that maximizes your time so you see the best of what the so-called “Windy Island” has to offer.
Day 1 of Your Mykonos Itinerary
Start with a half-day offbeat island tour
If you only have 2 days in Mykonos, you’ll want to use them wisely… and a half-day tour which covers a wide swath of the island is the perfect way to start your Mykonos itinerary!
During my visit to Mykonos, I did a half-day tour with Mykonian Spiti and had a fantastic time exploring the island this way!
In just about 4 hours, we visited Agios Ioannis (St. John’s), Ano Mera and its gorgeous monastery, two beautiful beaches — Kalo Livadi and Kalafatis — and a traditional Mykonian farm, where we got to sample some strong tsipouro (a strong Greek homemade alcohol made from grapes) and a plate of local and organic meze.
It was a fantastic way to spend the day. Our guide Gibson was fantastic and Anastasia, who was leading another group that we met up with at the farm, was also a lot of fun.
It’s a fantastic value for how much of the island you get to see (without the headache of figuring out local buses or ATV or car rental…) so I strongly recommend getting your bearings with this half-day tour to see a different side to Mykonos than the touristy town and star-studded beaches!
The tour lasts from 10 AM to 2 PM, so you’ll have plenty of time afterward to eat a delicious lunch, check out Mykonos Town, enjoy some beaches, or whatever you choose to do! Check tour itinerary and more details here.
Explore Mykonos Town
Once you arrive back in Mykonos Town, I suggest stopping for lunch somewhere. I had a phenomenal lunch at Captain’s right on the harbor.
As it’s on the harbor, prices are a little on the high side, but the food quality was amazing. In fact, I’m drooling over and dreaming of that shrimp with cream and ouzo sauce I had right now… ah, to go back to Mykonos!
After refueling – preferably with a delicious glass of wine – be sure to walk around Mykonos Town and take in the highlights.
A few places you can’t miss are as follows: Little Venice (with its picturesque alleyways and balconies looking onto the sea), the windmills on the hill (which is a stunning place any time of day, but has a great sunset view), and the whitewashed Panachra Church and Panagia Paraportiani Church.
Honestly, though, Mykonos Town is quite small and easy to wander through, so I suggest putting away Google Maps for a few hours and just letting yourself get lost in its beautiful maze of the Old Town.
Want to see some of the most Instagrammable highlights of Mykonos Town? We have all our Mykonos Instagram spots suggested here!
Have dinner with a view
There are a number of restaurants in Mykonos where you can have an excellent meal overlooking the sea as the sky does its nightly colorful dance and the sun meets the horizon.
Spoiled for choice, I ended up at Salparo on the other side of the harbor close to Mykonos Old Port. My meal was admittedly delicious, though definitely rather on the expensive side. Still, for those sunset views and the friendly service, I could hardly complain!
Enjoy the nightlife scene
Mykonos nightlife is the stuff of legends!
Alas, I visited at the end of October, when the season had already wound down significantly and was about to come to a grinding halt when the first of November hit. Though let’s be honest – I’m 30 going on 67 and the sound of going to a nightclub is about as appealing to me as going to the dentist.
Still, for many people, this is what Mykonos is all about! A few places that have been recommended to me are as follows: 180º Sunset Bar for a phenomenal place to take in the sunset over cocktails, Astra for drinks and dancing in Mykonos Town, and Galleraki for cocktails in Little Venice.
Day 2 of Your Mykonos Itinerary
Spend the morning in Delos
Assuming you didn’t hit the bottle too hard last night enjoying all the crazy nightlife Mykonos has to offer… scrape yourself out of bed bright and early to make the 10 AM boat to Delos!
I go into way more detail on my Delos day trip post, but here’s the essential information you need.
Going to Delos couldn’t be simpler: just buy your tickets online in advance and turn them in with a mobile voucher at their tour departure point. You’ll board a boat departing Mykonos, which takes about 30 minutes to get to Delos – with stunning views everywhere you look!
Once you arrive in Delos, you’ll meet your guide and have a tour. While you could visit Delos without a guide, I really don’t recommend it: there are a lot of important features of this archaeological site that don’t have much information written about them, signage is limited outside of the museum, and it’s a little unclear about the best order to see all the sights in because it’s all so spread out.
Your guide will show you around some of Delos’ most interesting features while explaining the archaeological significance of buildings and showing you the function of rooms and artifacts you’d probably never be able to guess on your own.
Afterwards, you’ll have free time to explore Delos freely, and check out cool places like the Naxian lion replicas (and their originals, found in the museum), the sacred lake, the Temple of Artemis, and more. The return boat leaves at 1:30 PM, bringing you back to Mykonos by 2… just in time to grab lunch and visit one of Mykonos’ best beaches!
Relax in the afternoon at one of Mykonos’ best beaches
There are several gorgeous beaches all throughout Mykonos… it’s truly hard to go wrong! It honestly depends on what kind of experience you want to have… and when you’re visiting Mykonos!
I was visiting in late October, so it was quiet basically everywhere (but still warm enough to swim, once you got used to the water). The normally thriving Kalo Livadi (literal home to Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club…) was absolutely sedate when I was there. However, in the summer, supposedly that’s one of the most expensive and exclusive beaches in Mykonos!
For a summer party beach, check out Super Paradise or Paradise Beach. While nearly all of Mykonos is gay-friendly, if you want a gay beach, think Elia (Super Paradise also has a reputation for being loved by gay travelers to Mykonos). For a more low-key beach that still has loads of beachside amenities, choose Psarou Beach or Kalafatis Beach.
All of the above beaches are easily reached with public transportation, or you can rent a car if you want to do even more beach-hopping!
Have a fantastic meal in Agios Stefanos
For your last meal in Mykonos, make sure to make it special! I stayed in Agios Stefanos and I ended up eating at Limnios Tavern every one of the 3 nights I spent in Mykonos because it was just that good.
And I’m no stranger to Greek food – this was my fourth visit to Greece and my seventh Greek island, so it means something when I say that I had some of the best meals of my many weeks in Greece all at Limnios Tavern.
Over the course of my three meals there, I had the moussaka, grilled octopus on a bed of fava puree, and lamb shank over the most delicious mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten. All three were absolutely phenomenal and the best example of each dish I had ever tried. But if I had to choose, I’d tell you to get the lamb shank. It’s one of the best meals I’ve had in my life, no joke.
Best of all, it’s really rather affordable by Mykonos standards. Every time I ate there, I spent under 25 euros for a meal and wine.
Where to Stay in Mykonos
Budget: If you’re looking for the best place to stay on a budget in Mykonos, I strongly suggest Mama’s Pension in Agios Stefanos (it’s also right next to Limnios Tavern, the best taverna on the island…). The owner, Christina, is so friendly and lovely. She picked me up at the port, sat and had coffee and a chat with me each morning, and was a wonderful resource about Mykonos.
My room was also stunning, well-equipped with everything you’d need and super spacious with a gorgeous sunset view over the sea! It’s a 5 minute walk from the chilled out Agios Stefanos beach, you can walk to Mykonos Town in about 40 minutes, or there’s a bus a few blocks away that’ll take you to the Old Port in about 10 minutes flat. Because of their stellar reputation, they’re often booked up, so reserve your spot well in advance in the high season. Check prices, availability, and guest reviews here.
Mid-Range: For chilled-out bliss overlooking Mykonos Town and harbor with a phenomenal view, check out Bellou Suites. They have minimalist decor utilizing plenty of bright white, natural light, wood tones, and stone elements, giving everything a desert-chic vibe.
They have a variety of room types – from doubles with a balcony overlooking to sea to apartments with a kitchenette – perfect for every type of traveler. With sunset views, lovely design, and an affordable price, Bellou Suites is a great option for the stylish traveler with a mid-range budget. Check prices, availability, and guest reviews here.
Luxury: Cavo Tagoo is easily Mykonos’ most Instagrammable and stylish hotel, with every feature seemingly thought out for both comfort and photogenicity.
The insane infinity pool overlooking the Mediterranean is one of its best features, but the truly dedicated Instagrammers amongst us won’t settle for less than its cave pool suite, pictured above. Whether you get a more standard room or splurge on the cave pool suite, you won’t be disappointed with the 5* service and infinite photographability. Check prices, availability, and guest reviews here.
Want to Rent a Car for Mykonos?
While this Mykonos itinerary doesn’t require a car, if you’re staying far from Mykonos Town (Chora) or you want to tour the island independently without going on a guided tour, a rental car may come in handy!
We’ve rented cars dozens of times in the Balkans through various search engines and have settled on Discover Cars as the best car rental search engine – it searches over 500 trusted rental companies to find the cheapest price for your rental! Compare prices for car rental in Mykonos here.
What to Bring to Mykonos
If you’re planning a trip to Greece, you’ll want to pack all the normal essentials, but here are a few things we strongly recommend bringing that may not have crossed your mind. For more packing tips, check out our complete Greece packing list.
– A physical guidebook, in paper or on Kindle. We love Lonely Planet Greece for this region and strongly recommend it to supplement blogs. Blogs are great, but a combination of a blog and a guidebook is key to having the best access to information easily at your fingertips.
– A water bottle with a filter. While often, the tap water in Greece is drinkable, there are places where it isn’t, including some popular tourist destinations like Santorini and Mykonos.
We generally recommend using a water bottle with a purifying filter to reduce your plastic consumption and ensure you won’t drink any funny-tasting water on your stomach that could make your trip unpleasant!
We recommend the GRAYL water bottle – it filters water perfectly in an instant so that you can even drink from lakes, bad taps, etc.
– Motion sickness pills. Very necessary if you’ll be taking a ferry! The ferries in the Mediterranean can be quite choppy. If you have a weak stomach as we do, save yourself and bring some non-drowsy motion sickness pills.
– Travel safety items. We think Greece is very safe to travel, but at the same time, it never hurts to be prepared! Mykonos is rather safe, but is not immune from pickpockets, so be cautious (this goes double if you plan to go to Athens – the metro is notorious for its pickpockets, and a travel blogger friend of ours got his phone stolen on it!). Some people like to carry money belts, but neither Stephanie or I use these. Instead, we both carry the same PacSafe anti-theft backpack.
It has locking zippers, slash-proof construction with metal mesh hidden in the fabric, and tons of other smart security features — all while being cute and stylish enough to be our everyday bag. We recommend it highly for both male and female travelers, as it’s neutral enough to be unisex. We also strongly recommend travel insurance! Our recommendation is at the bottom of the post.
More Mykonos & Greece Travel Resources
Headed to Greece? We have some great travel resources to help you with your trip. First read our guide to planning a trip to Greece, which covers visas, budgets, vaccines, and much more. Next, you’ll want to read our all-season Greece packing list.
Since you’ll be on Mykonos, you’ll likely also want to visit Delos. Here’s our guide on how to do a Delos day trip easily and hassle-free! We also have our Mykonos Instagram guide (and some Mykonos quotes you can use as captions!)
If you are still trying to figure out your Greece itinerary, check out our guides on where to go in Greece, the best places for island hopping in Greece, and when is the best time to visit.
Many people combine a trip to Athens with a trip to Mykonos. Check out our Athens Instagram guide, the best Athens day trips, and our complete Athens hotel guide. We also have Athens safety tips so your trip can be hassle-free. We are currently working on our mega-post of things to do in Athens as well as our itineraries, so stay tuned!
We publish new content about the Balkans almost every day! For more information about traveling to Greece and the Balkans, bookmark our Greece and Balkan travel pages so you can find out what’s new before your trip.
Finally, Make Sure You Come to Greece with Travel Insurance!
I’m sure you’re aware that it’s a good idea to have travel insurance for traveling in Greece, the Balkans, or anywhere in the world!
Stephanie and I have both been paying customers of World Nomads for the last three years. We love the peace of mind it gives us in case of emergencies, accidents, illnesses, theft, or trip cancellation or disruption. While Greece is safe, there’s always a risk inherent in everyday travel like theft or injury, so it’s better to play it safe.
>> Get a travel insurance quote for your trip here <<
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Originally from California, Allison has been living in Bulgaria for the last two years and is obsessed with traveling around the Balkans. She has been published in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, Matador Network, and the Huffington Post. She loves befriending dogs, drinking coffee, geeking out about wine, and cooking food from around the world.
