Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
This page is about the other half of the problem: getting there, and getting the day right. It is the single excursion from Mykonos that people most often do badly.
The boats decide your day
Nobody stays on Delos. It is a protected site with no accommodation, so every visit is a return trip on a scheduled boat, and the timetable is the itinerary:
- Boats leave from the old port in Mykonos Town, not from the new port.
- The crossing takes roughly half an hour each way.
- You choose your return sailing when you buy, and the gap between arrival and departure is your visit, typically a few hours.
- Sailings run in the morning with returns through the early afternoon, and they are cancelled in strong wind, which on this island is not unusual.
Two costs, not one: the boat, and a separate site admission at the jetty. Book the boat early in your stay so a windy day does not take the trip away entirely.
Take the earliest boat
The site is open ground with almost no shade, on a low island with nothing between you and the sun. The earliest sailing gives you the coolest ground and the emptiest paths, and it matters more here than at most sites.
What to bring, without negotiation: water, a hat, sunscreen and proper shoes. There is very little cover at the jetty and the ground is uneven marble, gravel and cut stone.
Guided or not
Both work, and they suit different people. A guided tour turns foundations into a city and covers the mythology and the trade history in the time you have. Going alone with the site map lets you spend forty minutes in the Terrace of the Lions area if that is what you want, and skip what you do not.
If you take only one decision from this page: whichever you choose, do not arrive without either a guide or something to read. Delos rewards knowing what you are looking at more than almost any site in Greece.
What it costs you in the trip
A Delos day is effectively a half day, and on a short Mykonos stay that is a real trade against a beach day. It is worth it if ancient history is part of why you came, and it is a poor fit if you are here for two nights and the beaches.
If you would rather stay on the island, things to do in Mykonos has what the town and the coast hold instead.
Last checked August 2026. Sailings, fees and site hours change every season - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
How long is the boat from Mykonos to Delos?
About half an hour each way, from the old port in Mykonos Town.
Can you stay overnight on Delos?
No. The island is an archaeological site with no accommodation, so every visit is a return boat trip.
How long do you get on Delos?
Usually a few hours, decided by the return sailing you choose when you buy your ticket.
Do you need a guide for Delos?
No, but the site is largely foundations, and it makes far more sense with a guide or a good site map than without either.
When do Delos boats get cancelled?
In strong wind, which is common in high summer. Book early in your stay so a cancelled day is not the end of the plan.
Next
Read day trips from Mykonos, the Delos guide, or things to do in Mykonos.