Mykonos Shore Excursions Review: What to Know Before You Book
On our recent sailing of the Sun Princess in the Mediterranean, I was most excited about visiting Mykonos. I woke up that morning full of excitement. I had booked a tour on the Shore Excursion Group, which had great reviews. I was ready to take on the day! The tour we did was Exclusive Mykonos Old and New.
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This is me so excited I couldn’t stand it! Let’s do this!
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I’ll start this when you buy a tour from Get Your Guide, Viator, Shore Excursion Group, or other similar companies. These companies are not facilitating the tours. They are marketing the tours. I like to buy from them so I can see reviews. Especially if it is somewhere I have never been. I have had a lot of success using them and will continue to use them.
Top Mykonos Shore Excursions for Cruise Travelers
Small‑Group Mykonos Highlights Tour
Delos Island Archaeological Tour
Mykonos Beach Transfer + Free Time
Mykonos Town Walking Tour
Mykonos Catamaran Cruise
You can find these and more on Viator Top 20 Mykonos Tours
Tips for Visiting Mykonos Beaches on a Cruise Stop
We arrived in Mykonos around 12 and our tour started at 1. We ate a quick bite at Alfredo’s on the ship before we headed to our tour. I was happy and full. We quickly found where our tour group was meeting. The first thing I noticed there were quite a few people. I was surprised there were so many people on one tour with only one guide. I wasn’t the only one. People were commenting, “I hope they are going to split us up,” and ”There are too many of us.” I am not sure how many were on this tour, but we filled up a big bus. We asked the tour guide about earpieces to hear her since there were so many of us. She insisted we would be able to hear. (She was wrong).
We loaded up on a bus and headed to a beautiful beach, where our guide gave no direction on how long we would be there. She just kept calling it a photo-op. I will say it was gorgeous. If I had been by myself, I would have booked a beach day in Mykonos, but my husband is not a beach person, so I booked this tour of exploring Mykonos.
Packing Essentials for Mykonos
Comfortable walking sandals
Cooling towel
Electrolyte packets
Portable fan
Crossbody anti‑theft bag
Reef‑safe sunscreen
Travel water bottle
Find this and more on my Amazon Essentials List for Mykonos
It is a lovely beach - wish we could have stayed here all day!
We stayed at the beach for approximately 15 minutes, then we loaded back up on the bus to head to the town of Ano Mera.
Exploring Ano Mera Village & Panagia Tourliani Monastery
Ano Mera is a charming village on the island of Mykonos. Our tour included a visit to the Panagia Tourliani monastery, a snack, and about 10 minutes of free time. After a very long introduction to the monastery, we were allowed to explore on our own for a few minutes. We love visiting cathedrals, monasteries, and churches in Europe.
After a short visit to the monastery, we headed to a local cafe for a snack of Greek doughnuts and coffee. We had maybe 10 minutes left to explore the cute village and then head back to the bus to head to the new part of Mykonos.
How to Get Back to the Cruise Port from Mykonos Town
When we got off the bus, our tour guide bought tickets for the water taxi back to the ship. That’s when I looked at my husband and whispered, “We should leave this tour.” If I had known the water taxi was only 2 euros per person, I would have bailed right then. Hindsight is 20/20.
Our group of 40+ people wandered through the narrow streets of Mykonos, stopping every few minutes so our guide could share information we could barely hear — and honestly, most of it was stuff I already knew. As someone with ADHD who likes to keep moving, this part was agonizing. We weren’t learning anything, and the constant stopping made the tour feel even longer.
By the time we reached the famous Mykonos windmills, I was completely over it — and I wasn’t alone. Everyone I talked to was ready for the tour to end. When someone asked if they could get their return ticket early so they could explore on their own, I sent my husband straight over to grab ours too.
Freedom! We had no idea how to get back to the ship, but we didn’t care. We were finally on our own and ready to enjoy Mykonos at our own pace.
I want to point out that I have never written a negative review before; I usually find the good in every experience. However, during this tour, I spoke with a fellow passenger about her thoughts on it, and by the end of our conversation, we both felt like we were hostages on this tour. It was truly a disappointing experience!
I will add that Mykonos was charming. I really wish we had done something different this day. I did enjoy exploring the streets. I wish we had been able to explore them at our own pace.
What I Recommend Doing Instead of This Tour
Option 1: DIY Mykonos Town + Windmills
Option 2: Beach Day
Option 3: Mykonos Highlights Tour (Small Group)
Option 4: Delos Archaeological Site Tour - I think my history-loving husband would have loved this tour
This Mykonos tour wasn’t my favorite, but I’ve reviewed dozens of cruise ports with detailed tips, honest insights, and the best things to do in each destination. Explore them all in my Cruise Port Guide.
My Verdict
As a Mykonos shore excursion, this tour fell short. The group size was too large, the commentary was hard to hear, and the experience didn’t justify the time. For cruise passengers, I recommend skipping this tour and choosing a small‑group Mykonos highlights tour, a beach transfer, or exploring Mykonos Town independently. You’ll get more value and a much better experience.
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