1 Perfect One Day in Mykonos Itinerary

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Greetings Internet Stranger, and welcome to a one day in Mykonos itinerary! Mykonos is one of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Unfortunately everyone and his cousin knows about this, so Mykonos is invariably stuffed to its adorable blue-and-white gills with tourists every summer.

But that’s why you came to this blog! I can show you where to avoid the crowds as much as humanly possible in Mykonos and still get some adorbs photos.

I personally spent my one day in Mykonos itinerary as a shore excursion from a Royal Caribbean ship. I recommend booking a guided tour, like I did, so getting around Mykonos will be easier and more enjoyable.

You can find the best guided tour by going here.

However, even if you’re spending the night on Mykonos or visiting with a different cruise ship company, this itinerary should be able to introduce you to the best places to go and most fun things to do during your one day in Mykonos itinerary. Let’s go!

One Day in Mykonos Itinerary

Where to Stay?

Mykonos is an entire island, so you can stay pretty much anywhere. However, if you want to explore, I suggest staying in Mykonos Town. You’ll be centrally located, and if you want to take a tour around this island, this is going to be the best starting point.

That’s why I recommend staying at the Sunset Paraportiani Rooms. It has a perfect location right in Mykonos Town, so it’s a great base for exploring all of this stunning island.

If you want a great deal on the Sunset Paraportiani Rooms, click here.

And if you’re looking for great deals on thousands of other hotels in Mykonos, click here. This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay for your one day in Mykonos itinerary. With hundreds of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.

One Day in Mykonos Itinerary

Morning: Visit Delos

If you want to get away from the crowds in Mykonos, the best way to do it is by visiting the sacred island of Delos, just off the coast. It’s an easy trip by ferry.

It was even easier for me to get there because I was visiting Mykonos on a cruise, so I went on a shore excursion from my Royal Caribbean cruise ship. There will be plenty of tourists here, but Delos is so large and flat that you’ll feel like you’re all by yourself at times.

I think arranging to get to Delos on your own would be complicated and the ferry can be very rocky for people who get motion sickness. So if you’re booking your trip on your own, I suggest taking this tour, which includes a guided tour of Delos.

Check rates and availability by clicking here.

I don’t want to spoil all of Delos’s mystical secrets, but I do want to spoil…

Approximately Top 5: Delos

1) The Ferry Ride

The fun-filled one day in Mykonos itinerary starts with a ferry ride from Mykonos to Delos. The views are gorgeous, but keep in mind that it’s rocky as all get out. If you are seasick, bring some medicine. I was fine, but one poor gentlemen I knew from the the cruise ship turned so pea green from the motion, I thought he was going to hwarf his breakfast buffet all over the ship.

If you book your own guided tour, they’ll take care of buying the ticket for you.

Check rates and availability by clicking here.

If you decided to do the trip entirely independently, you’ll have to get tickets on your own and the lines can get long so beware!

2) The First National Bank of Greece

Of course you can see the ruins of Delos on your own, but it’s more fun to explore them with a guide. She’ll teach you tons of fun facts you wouldn’t be able to learn on your own.

Our guide, whom I shall call Helen, told us that Delos is sacred because it’s supposedly the place where the twin gods Apollo and Artemis were born. I know that Apollo is the god of things like the sun, music, and medicine, and Artemis is the goddess of the moon, the hunt, and turning dudes into wild animals if they accidentally stumble on you while you are naked.

This alone should tell you what a special and important place Delos is. How many places in Greece can claim to be a place where even one Major Olympian God was born, let alone two? I’m thinking 12, max.

Helen told us that Delos was famous as a trading city in the ancient world, and it even became the first banking center in Greece. WOW! Efficient and competent banking is truly Greece’s original gift to civilization. (Pro Tip: Do not make jokes about how the Greek economy was all downhill from there, unless you happen to be Greek yourself. Literally no one will appreciate it.)

3) House of Dionysus

There are so many famous intact mosaics on the island of Delos, but the most famous is probably the mosaic in the House of Dionysus, the god of wine. Here he is depicted with giant wings, riding a tiger, holding a massive spear, and surrounded by grapes and wine cups. Dionysus knew how to live, let me tell you! I wish this were a typical Saturday night for me.

Some of you might be wondering why there would be a wine and tiger fest happening on a sacred island, but keep in mind that the Greeks didn’t think there was anything strange about combining sacred places with physical pleasure.

Our guide even showed us where a brothel used to be on the island, but I can’t show you a picture of what the sign looked like because this is a family blog. Just imagine a large stone penis, and you’ll be on the right track…or perhaps a very, very wrong track.

4) Lion Statues

You can’t have a one day in Mykonos itinerary without getting to know these famous lion statues. Aside from the photogenic blue and white Mykonos houses that you see all over Instagram, I think our feline friends here are the most notable sight you’ll see during your Mykonos excursion.

These lions were created to guard the shrine of Apollo. (Not sure why they didn’t also guard the Shrine of Artemis. Are they sexist lions?)

Now, I hate to disappoint my Internet Strangers, but in fact, these aren’t the original lions because the water and wind on Delos was damaging them too much. So they put the real ones in the Archaeological Museum and just left these fakies on display outside. Don’t be too concerned because we’re going to visit the Archaeological Museum very shortly.

However, just because these aren’t the Highly Authentic and Original Lions, that shouldn’t stop you from taking their picture! I mean, the Statue of Liberty in Las Vegas is a replica too, but that doesn’t stop people from photographing it.

5) Archaelogical Museum

After your outdoor tour is over, if you chose to take one, you’ll get some free time to explore the island of Delos. Don’t miss the Archaeological Museum on Delos, where you can see the real, weather-beaten, sexist lions.

Admission to the museum is very reasonable, so there’s no excuse not to stop in. Where else are you going to be able to see the Famous Original Lions of Delos That Guarded Apollo But Not Artemis, Possibly Because of Lion Sexism.

Oddly enough, many of the signs are in Greek and French only, not English. Fortunately yours truly is fluent in French, so I got to learn all the bizarre archaeological secrets the museum is attempting to hide from the English-speaking world.

I wish someone would explain to me why the signs were in French because France is pretty far away from Delos, but I couldn’t get any straight answers.

Unfortunately, the lions threatened to eat me if I shared the secrets with you! Maybe I’ll be able to escape their wrath next time!

24 Hour Tip

Those are all the mysteries of Delos that I am able to inform you about at the moment. You’ll have to book this tour for yourself if you want to explore all of this ancient island’s wonders for yourself!

Check rates and availability right here!

One Day in Mykonos Itinerary

Afternoon: Explore Mykonos!

Now that we’ve got the serious historical stuff about flying men riding tigers and brothels out of the way, it’s time for the fun and games part of our tour! Make sure you leave a few hours after you get off the ferry from Delos to explore the gorgeous blue and white town by the Mykonos port.

Yes, it’s overphotographed and Instagrammed and Tiktoked to death, or whatever the kids are doing these days. And yes, it’s more full of tourists than a man-eating lion let loose in Times Square. But you’ll be able to avoid at least some of them with…

Three Fun Facts: One Day in Mykonos Itinerary

1) How Do I Avoid the Crowds?

Of course, you will want to take a photo of the famous Mykonos windmills while you are enjoying your day on this beautiful island. But aren’t they surrounded by a school of deranged tourists with selfie sticks at all time?

Well, you might be looking at the photo above, which is a real photo that I actually took of the windmills, and thinking…those crowds don’t look so bad. Well, wait til you get a load of this!

Yikes, right? This is a real photo that I took myself at the peak of day, right when the crowds are at their most frenzied. Well, the best trick I have to get away from crowds is to walk. It’s well known that crowds are lazy and don’t like to use their legs. That’s why they always have to stick together, so that if they fall, they’ll get caught by the unsuspecting body of another member of the crowd.

That’s why if you use your legs and walk closer to the windmills, you’ll be further away from the folks who simple couldn’t be bothered. Similarly, walk around into little side streets and you’ll be almost by yourself.

Well, except for the cats. Mykonos is as full of cats as my apartment will be when I am a crazy old spinster. I assume this is out of respect to the lions of Delos–maybe the presence of the cats stops the lions from attacking Mykonos.

I like to think that on some level, lions know that they aren’t really very different from adorable tabby cats.

2) Why is Mykonos So Popular?

Well, just look at this photo! Mykonos has spectacular beaches and adorable blue and white houses that make the whole island look like something out of a fairy tale.

During your one day in Mykonos itinerary, you’ll be astounded by the omnipresent blue and white. It’s like having an entire island covered with the Greek flag. OPA!

You’ll know you’re getting away from the crowds when you find blue and white houses with absolutely no people in front of them. That’s when you can start snapping away. Get ready for a world class Instagram account, ladies and germs!

See! Still no people! We win at Mykonos! Opa!

3) What is There to Do in Mykonos?

Shopping, for one thing! The restaurants in Mykonos were way too crowded for lunch, but since it was a hot day, I decided to indulge in my favorite thing for summertime lunch: ice cream! I suggest stopping at I Scream (not a typo) for some amazing gelato.

Do as the Italians do and get two different flavors. Unless there’s a house specialty, I always get my favorite order: hazelnut and strawberry. Having a go-to ice cream order is just as important as having a go-to cocktail order if you want to be a sophisticated world traveler.

Mykonos also impressed me when it came to shopping because most touristy places are full of chain stores with mass-produced junk. But Mykonos has a lot of stores with handmade goods by locals. Just wander about until you find the perfect souvenir.

One Day in Mykonos Itinerary

Evening: Relax on the Cruise Ship

Ordinarily, this is the point in the one day in Mykonos itinerary when I would tell you all about the best restaurants in town for dinner or where to catch an amazing concert of Greek music. Opa!

But since I visited Mykonos on a Royal Caribbean shore excursion, instead I will have to suggest that you have an amazing evening relaxing on board the ship.

Kick back with a mystery novel and a cocktail, enjoy a free magic show, and feast on freshly made sushi at Izumi, the Japanese restaurant on board Royal Caribbean ships. At night, go to sleep and dream of the cats of Mykonos, both big and small.

One Day in Mykonos Itinerary

Tools For Travel

• A portable cell charger so that your phone won’t die a miserable death during your one day in Mykonos itinerary
• The best international travel adapter because if you’re American like I am, you’ll need one to be able to plug in electronics
• I always get good advice from Lonely Planet’s guide to Greece, including Mykonos. They divide the guide into sections by neighborhood, which is very helpful.
• The most reliable travel umbrella that is small enough to fit in my purse, but strong enough to stand up to powerful winds.
• These great TSA approved clear toiletries bags, so I can always keep spare toothpaste and travel sized toiletries in any carry-on.
• My travel guide Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. If you think this blog is even a little funny, you’ll get a kick out of reading the full length book.

That’s a Perfect One Day in Mykonos Itinerary!

What would you do on a perfect one day in Mykonos? Are you ready to start booking your hotel in Mykonos right now? Why are there so many cats in Mykonos? And is now an appropriate time to make jokes about Greek banks, or is it still too soon? Email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com!

Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY have one day in Mykonos.

You can also try a one day in Corfu itinerary. On top of that, there are the best things to do on Kefalonia. Why not experience the best Corfu shore excursion?