See Also
- Best Experiences and Activities in Santorini
- Top-Rated Lodgings in Santorini
- Where to Lodge in Santorini
- Guide to the Port of Santorini
Table of Contents
Day Trip to Santorini from Crete, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, & Athens
- Day journeys to Santorini from Athens and Mykonos require flying. Try scheduling the earliest and latest flights. Lease a motor vehicle from the Santorini airport and explore the island. Based upon the flights obtainable you might have as much as 12 hours to see the sights.
- Day trips to Santorini from Crete, Naxos, Paros, and other Greek islands usually do not justify the time and effort required. Remaining on Santorini for multiple nights is superb. Visiting for just a few hours in the middle of the day is busy – nonetheless absolutely worth it for many visitors.
- Virtually all of the highest rated tours and activities in Santorini necessitate an overnight stay. There isn`t enough time to experience the top attractions when visiting as a day trip from another island.
- Ferry schedules are not always consistent and ferries may frequently be late, cancelled, or delayed. Even under perfect conditions, a day trip to Santorini will rarely allow more than 4 to 5 hours on the island. It`s difficult to experience any of the best activities to do on a day visit.
Is a day trip to Santorini worth it?
In general, spending that time exploring the island you are currently visiting is better. But can you still have a great day by taking a day trip to Santorini? Absolutely. I would suggest adjusting your expectations to a lower level though. If you think you will be able to join a tour of the volcanic caldera, tour some of the top wineries on Santorini, or hike between Fira and Oia along the caldera, you may end up disappointed. However, if you see it as taking the ferry over, walking around for a few hours to see the caldera views and scenery, and being back to your home base by early evening, then yes a day trip could work well. Simply don`t plan too much ambitious activity for just one day there.
Why is a day trip to Santorini so difficult? It looks easy enough.
Conveying visitors to and from the island of Santorini within the allotted time for touring presents challenges. Ferry schedules frequently do not allow sufficient hours on Santorini to make the travel worthwhile. The timing varies for each island and across months and years, but commonly an early morning ferry arrives around 11am. Then one needs to take a bus or taxi to destinations like Fira, Oia, or Imerovigli, consuming 30+ minutes so that it is likely noon before reaching viewpoints across the caldera. The last ferry back could be anywhere from 4pm to 8pm, supposing 6pm. The bus to the port would depart around 4:30pm necessitating a return to the station by 4:00pm. In this scenario, only four hours are available to explore Santorini. While not an extensive period, it could still offer an enjoyable glimpse of the island despite the substantial efforts involved in the short visit
My Recommendation: An Overnight Day Trip
Instead of making a day trip consider spending a night on Santorini. Don`t check out of your hotel on your home base island as this could be inconvenient. Pack lightly for an overnight stay at an economical Santorini hotel. This expands your time on Santorini from around 5 or 6 hours to nearly 30 hours for just an extra €50 to €100 (the hotel cost). While “wasting” the hotel night spent on your home base island, it provides more ease, comfort and time to experience Santorini. Naturally, including Santorini as part of extended plans for 3 to 7 nights provides even more opportunity to appreciate this destination. But if that`s not possible, an “overnight day trip” is far better than just the couple hours of a standard Santorini day trip.
Day Trip from Santorini to Nearby Islands
Similar considerations apply for day trips departing from Santorini as for day trips arriving in Santorini. It’s difficult to make a worthwhile day trip from Santorini to other Greek islands. If interested in visiting other islands, try spending at least one or two nights there instead of a day trip.
Santorini Day Tours in 2022
For travelers who feel a day trip to Santorini is completely necessary, an organized excursion is your best choice. These frequently rely on private watercraft, with no must adhere to an inconvenient ferry schedule. Many tours also include hotel pick-up and drop off.
Day Tours from Crete to Santorini in 2022
- Santorini Day Tour – From Heraklion & Agios Nikolaos – Hotel pick-up and drop-off provided. Tour includes transport by bus and boat to Santorini.
- Day Trip to Santorini from Chania – Hotel pickup and drop-off provided. Bus and boat tour to Santorini.
- Day Trip to Santorini – From Rethymnon – Departs from Rethymnon port, which is walking distance from most Rethymnon hotels.
Day Tours from Naxos to Santorini in 2022
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Day Tours from Paros to Santorini in 2022
- Full-Day Boat Tour from Paros to Santorini – Airport transfer available. Scheduled bus and boat excursion to Santorini.
Read More
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