Your full route report in a few minutes, free. If you want a personal read on it, there is the Expert Review.
A few questions about islands, timing, and budget, then your finished route opens in your browser.
Duncan checks your route personally, resolves the open points, and talks it through with you.
| What you get | Route ReportReportFree | Expert Review & 1:1 CallExpert59 € |
|---|---|---|
| Route with 2026 ferry connections | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nights per island and order | ✓ | ✓ |
| Area and restaurant recommendations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instant result | ✓ | |
| Personal review by Duncan | ✓ | |
| 20-minute 1:1 call | ✓ | |
| Money-back guarantee | ✓ |
A calm first night before the islands.
Too crowded, too expensive, and you need a reservation for everything.
Your strongest base for four nights or more.
Excellent food scene, real island life, still lively in October.
Sample Route Check. See the full sample report.
Island hopping gets overwhelming fast. Santorini sounds dreamy, and it is, just with a lot of company. And it's hard to tell whether the islands on your list even have workable ferry connections. On top of that, on many routes, ferry schedules thin out after mid-September and the first tavernas start to close. In the end, most people book and hope for the best.
That's where we come in. Not with more options, but with clarity and experience, so you can book the right trip faster.
A few questions about islands, timing, and budget. Three minutes, free.
Right in the browser, no payment and no email. If you want to keep the link, you email it to yourself from inside the report.
Expert Review: Duncan checks your route personally, usually within 24 hours, no later than 48 hours.
Duncan knows the Cyclades from childhood summers with his grandparents. Oli spends as much time there as remote work allows.
Over the past few years, we've helped more and more friends before they booked. The questions were always similar: Mykonos or not? Paros or Naxos? When is Santorini too much, and when is it wonderful? And are lesser-known islands like Koufonisia, Anafi, or Irakleia worth it? That became the Phāros Route Check.
Duncan writes the Route Checks, built on years of travel, plenty of route debates, and a desire to make island planning easier. Duncan reviews and finalizes every Expert Review himself.
We know which combinations make sense, which regions fit which traveler, which month is worth it, and which beaches still work in August. Not from a guidebook, but from real time on the islands.
Your report opens in the browser as soon as you have answered the questions, and it costs nothing. If you want to keep the link, you email it to yourself from inside the report. The Expert Review usually arrives within 24 hours and no later than 48 hours after successful payment and receipt of all required information. The 48-hour period runs in actual hours, including weekends.
Both build on your answers and the same 2026 ferry data. The free report is generated automatically and opens right in your browser. It holds the complete route: which islands, in which order, the areas to base yourself in, and the plan for your days. With the Expert Review, Duncan checks that route personally and talks the result through with you in a 20-minute call. You can book it right inside your report.
Very much. The sea stays warm into October and the islands get much quieter. But islands differ a lot in how much stays open in the fall and how often the ferries run. That's exactly what we check for your route.
Yes. You can book the Expert Review straight from your free report at any time, at the regular price of 59 €. The offer sits right inside your report.
The Expert Review includes one optional 20-minute online consultation after delivery. We offer at least five available time slots within 14 calendar days. The consultation covers the same report, route, travel window, travelers, and original question.
Not at all for the report. It costs nothing and never asks for payment details. You only pay for the Expert Review & 1:1 Call at 59 €, through the secure Stripe checkout inside your report.
The report is free, so there is nothing to refund for it. The Expert Review & 1:1 Call comes with a money-back guarantee. Email hallo@pharos.guide up to 14 days after delivery and we refund the price you paid. No questions asked. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
No. The Phāros Route Check is a decision-support service. We don't book or sell anything. The check gives you recommendations for island areas and restaurants, but no hotel bookings, table reservations, or availability checks. You book everything yourself.
Even better. Start with a blank slate and we'll help you get to an island combination that works.
Then the check only helps if you can still change something. Tell us what's locked in.
