Greece Yacht Charter Guide 2027: Where, When, Which Yacht and What It Costs

Last updated: November 2026

A crewed yacht charter in Greece means you rent the whole yacht with its crew for a week, with a captain who plans the route and a crew who cook and run the boat. This guide covers the decisions in order: where to go, when, which yacht, what it costs, and how booking works. Each section links to the longer article on that topic. When you are ready to see yachts, our luxury yacht charter in Greece page lists every crewed yacht we can offer, with rates.

1. Where to go: the five charter areas

Greece is not one charter ground. The areas behave very differently, mostly because of the wind.

• Saronic Gulf: the easiest start from Athens. Hydra, Poros, Spetses and Aegina are short hops, and the Saronic feels far less of the summer wind than the Cyclades.
• Cyclades: the iconic islands, including Mykonos and Santorini. They are also the most weather-sensitive area in July and August.
• Ionian: calmer, greener cruising on the west coast. It sits outside the Meltemi wind system, which makes it the easy pick for a fixed route in midsummer.
• Dodecanese: historic islands near Rhodes and Kos, with longer routes. A good pick for history and a less obvious route, though the summer northerlies still reach it.
• Sporades: the quiet northern Aegean: Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and the marine park.

For a side-by-side comparison, read Cyclades vs Ionian vs Saronic. The month-by-month view is on our Greece yacht charter areas page, and the 10 best Greek islands by yacht compares the regions island by island.

2. When to go: May to October, best in June and September

The charter season runs from May to October, and sometimes from late April to early November. For most groups the best months are the shoulder seasons, May to June and September to October: warm weather, fewer crowds, better value and easier yacht choice than July and August. The sea is warmest in August, around 25°C to 26°C, and still about 24°C to 25°C in September. Month by month detail is in the best time to charter a yacht in Greece.

The Meltemi is the dry northerly wind that blows across the Aegean from June to September, strongest from mid-July to mid-August. It is not a storm: the sky stays clear and the wind blows, sometimes for days. Crews plan around it with morning cruising windows, sheltered anchorages and flexible middle days. Read how the Meltemi changes a Greek charter and, if you are prone to it, our honest answer on seasickness.

3. Which yacht: catamaran, motor yacht or superyacht

Your budget decides most of this.

• Under €60,000 per week: a crewed catamaran, usually with a captain, chef and one or two more crew.
• From €60,000 to €100,000 per week: a real choice. A catamaran gives you the most deck space per euro; a motor yacht gives you range and covers in an afternoon what a catamaran spends a full day on.
• From €100,000 per week: motor yachts with a full crew. Most motor yacht weeks land from €100,000 to €250,000 per week. For the largest yachts, see the superyachts, from 40 m to 60 m and over.

Route matters too. Athens to Mykonos and Santorini and back is a lot of open-sea mileage in the windiest part of Greece in summer, so that week suits a motor yacht better than a sailing catamaran, with a fallback route agreed before you go. The full comparison is in motor yachts vs catamarans in Greece, and speed is covered in 9 knots vs 16 knots.

4. What it costs: rate, APA, VAT and tip

A private crewed yacht in Greece costs from about €30,000 per week for a catamaran and from about €60,000 per week for a motor yacht. Most motor yacht weeks land from €100,000 to €250,000 per week. That is the base rate for the whole yacht. Three things come on top:

• APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance: usually 25% to 40% of the charter fee, about 30% on a typical yacht. The captain spends it on fuel, food, drinks and port fees, keeps the receipts and hands back what is left. See all-inclusive vs APA.
• VAT on the charter fee, not the APA: 13% for a charter that starts and ends in Greece, and lower on yachts with a qualifying certificate. Your contract states the rate. Details in VAT, APA and extra costs.
• Crew tip: usually 10% to 15% of the base charter fee, paid at the end of the week. See how much to tip yacht crew in Greece.

Worked example: a €100,000 per week motor yacht with 30% APA (€30,000), 13% VAT on the fee (€13,000) and a 10% to 15% tip (€10,000 to €15,000) comes to €153,000 to €158,000 for the week, with any unspent APA returned.

Rates by budget band are on our Greece yacht charter cost page. To see what each budget buys, browse yachts under €30,000 per week, under €60,000 per week, under €100,000 per week and under €250,000 per week, or read what €150,000 per week gets you.

5. How booking works

For July or August, start 6 to 12 months ahead, and 9 to 12 months if you want one specific yacht. June and September stay open much longer. See how far ahead to book a Greek yacht charter.

The steps:

1. You send an enquiry with your dates, group size and must-haves.
2. We match you with the broker best suited to your request, who sends a shortlist of yachts that fit.
3. You compare the yachts on the shortlist (here is how to choose between them), and we can ask the manager to hold your favorite on option while you decide.
4. You sign the contract and pay. Six weeks before you board, you fill in the preference sheet so the crew can plan your food and days.

The full walk-through is booking a crewed yacht charter in Greece, from enquiry to boarding. Booking through a broker does not cost extra: the broker is paid from the yacht’s published charter rate, not as a separate fee (how broker fees work). Before you book, read the 10 most common booking mistakes.

6. Routes and itineraries

Start with the Greece yacht charter itineraries guide. Each route below is a real 7-day plan with daily legs, which the captain adjusts to the wind.

• 7 days from Athens through the Cyclades
• Athens to Mykonos, one way
• 7 days in the Saronic Gulf
• 7 days in the Ionian from Corfu
• The Dodecanese from Rhodes
• 7 days in the Sporades

Less than a week? See 3 days from Athens and 5 days from Athens. Deciding between one way and a loop: round trip vs one way.

7. Life on board

The crew cook, clean, drive the tender and run the water toys; you decide the pace. Read What a day on a Greek yacht charter looks like, what sharing a yacht with the crew is like, allergies and dietary requirements, chartering with kids, what to pack and the water toys on board.

Quick answers

How much does a yacht charter in Greece cost? From about €30,000 per week for a crewed catamaran and from about €60,000 per week for a motor yacht, plus about 30% APA, VAT on the fee and a 10% to 15% crew tip.

When is the best time to charter a yacht in Greece? June and September for most groups. July and August are peak season and windiest in the Cyclades.

Which area is calmest? The Ionian, which sits outside the Meltemi. The Saronic Gulf is the easiest start from Athens.

How far ahead should I book? 6 to 12 months for July and August, 9 to 12 months for one specific yacht.

Catamaran or motor yacht? Under €60,000 per week, a catamaran. From €60,000 to €100,000 per week, either: more deck space on a catamaran, more range on a motor yacht. From €100,000 per week, a motor yacht with a full crew.

Tell us your dates and group size on our Greece yacht charter page, and a broker sends you a shortlist of crewed yachts that fit.