One of the best activities you can do in Santorini is the boat tour. The images that you will see from the sea level looking upwards, on the cliffs of Santorini, will remain unforgettable! Concerning the boat tours, plenty of options are offered, while the prices vary according to your requirements. You can choose between trips in a big boat (in reasonable prices), private and semi-private tours that are executed with luxury boats (which are divided into classic and catamarans).

From Fira

The most economically reasonable trips, are those visiting the volcano, which start from Fira, with large boats. Prices start from 15 € and increase depending on whether you only want to visit the volcano and hot springs along with Thirasia, or if you want to do an all-day tour, until the sunset. Do not be fooled by the fact that these trips do not cost much. The boats are in fact very impressive and made entirely of wood. The boat trips from Fira, starting from the old port, which you can reach by using the stairs or the lift. If you prefer a luxury boat trip and you’re staying in Fira, you will not be disappointed in any way! First you have to choose whether you prefer a private or semi-private tour and whether you want to admire the sunset at sea or the morning sun, combined with a visit to the volcano and the hot springs. The next step is to choose whether to live the experience of a yacht or a speedboat. After these two decisions, the rest is easy. You can request transfers to Fira if you reside outside the capital of Santorini or the port of Vlychada (depending on where is the starting point of the tour). There is also no need of having any food or drink with you. While you are on board, you will be provided with everything you need, including dinner during the trip, lasting 4 to 5 hours. You can also choose to experience more distant day trips by boat, to Anafi or Ios.

From Oia

If you’re staying in Oia, you will also have many options for day trips by boat. The starting points of those trips is “Amoudi”, a well-known picturesque harbor in the northern part of Oia, which you can reach by car and the port “Armeni” on the caldera side, which you can reach by going down some stairs and admire the cliffs of Santorini. The economically reasonable daily excursion by boat in Oia, costs round 65 €, lasts 4-5 hours and is performed by large sailboats. However, if you prefer more personal and luxury rides, Oia is the right place to start. So you can begin by choosing the type of boat that you prefer and if your trip will be private or semi-private. Prices of semi-private tours vary and depend on the type of boat and whether it is a day tour or a sunset tour. Drinks and dinner on board are included in the tour price. The cost ranges between 130 € and 170 € per person for a semi-private tour. In private tours though, the prices depend on the boat type and usually start from € 900.

Daily bus tours are organized every day in Santorini, which include visits to villages and museums, photographic tours, visits to several beaches and the round tour of the island. Participation in the daily tours is something that we would definitely recommend you. Specifically, tours that are focused on visits to the villages, give you the opportunity to visit many places in just one day. Most of them include a visit to the villages of Megalochori, Pyrgos, Emborio and Perissa. The famous villages of Santorini, as Imerovigli, Oia or Firostefani are very easy to reach and you can visit them on your own if you want to, using the local bus services.

Moreover, the day trips that focus in visits to archaeological and historical sites generally in Santorini, are quite interesting. These kinds of tours usually include visits to the world famous “Akrotiri”; a village that was destroyed by the volcano, 3500 years ago, and “Ancient Thira”, which is an impressively beautiful village, built on a hilltop, between Perissa and Kamari. Visits to Panagia Episkopi, in the village of Exo Gonia and museums in Fira, are also included in those tours.

Tours which include visits to a lot of Santorini beaches are the best way to explore and enjoy the most famous beaches of the island in a single day. Santorini’s beaches are different from those of the rest of the Cyclades: The scenery that you will encounter in most beaches, is rocky and ultimately impressive. You can take advantage of the organized day trip and see several beaches and choose the ones that you like best, so that you can have the chance to visit them again, whenever you feel like it and stay as much as you like!

Hotels in Santorini cooperate with travel agencies that organize day trips by private bus or mini-bus. The mini-bus option is considered, in most cases, as semi-private. So all you have to do is to choose which organized trip you want to join and let the hotel deal with the reservation process.

Santorini is famous for its unique vineyards and wine worldwide. The Santorini wineries share the secrets and the art of winemaking with every visitor. Most of them are located in central and southern Santorini, scattered in several picturesque villages. Guided tours to wineries in Santorini, are an activity of a classical value. You will have the chance to visit three wineries, if you choose to join the organized trips and during the visit, you will have the opportunity to try wine tasting, learn how wine used to be produced in the past and try several local delicacies. The winemakers will also explain why Santorini’s vineyards are unique and why their wine has a special taste.

The types of day trips vary and you can choose among the classic trip during the morning, the afternoon trip which includes a stop for enjoying the sunset, or the more “sophisticated” trip which includes tasting the local cuisine and wine tasting or the one for the lovers of history, which focuses on the ancient tradition of winemaking in Santorini.

The most famous destinations for wine tourism in Santorini, are the villages of Pyrgos, Megalochori, Exo Gonia, Episkopi Gonia and Messaria that preserve their own wineries. Most hotels in Santorini cooperate with travel agencies that organize tours to several wineries. The duration of the trips is not more than 5 hours and the prices start from 75 € per person.

Horse riding in Santorini is, in any case, a special activity. It’s a nice way to wander and discover different parts of the island, in a calm and relaxed way. To join an excursion that includes horse-riding, you do not need to have any experience in riding. Before each tour, the trainers will teach you the essentials and when you feel ready, the planned trip will start. You will have the chance to choose one of the many interesting excursions. Some of them include walks in villages of Santorini, like “Megalochori”. The narrow, picturesque village streets are very beautiful and the photos you can take from the height of the horse’s back will be more special and intriguing. Other tours offer the exploration of Santorini beaches where you can ride the horse beside or inside the sea! Finally, you can choose to ride by the cliffs of Santorini, overlooking the caldera, where the words are unnecessary because the photos will speak from themselves!

Whichever tour you choose, it is good to know that the tours include quick stops at picturesque churches where you can light a candle, the Santorini vineyards that have the characteristic form of a basket that does not encounter anywhere else in the world and in any other sight that is located along the route. The tour guide, who will accompany you, will share information with you about everything you see.

Even if you haven’t ridden a horse before, it is worth considering taking part in horse-riding tours, as riding in Santorini is definitely one of the activities that will offer you countless memories for a lifetime.

Cycling in Santorini is a pleasant way of experiencing the beauty of the island and the coastline. The day trip with this means of transport requires good physical condition. The hills are numerous, but as we know, everything that goes up, goes down too. If you fancy using the bike, you can visit the most famous villages of Santorini, Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia; all in the same day. But you must keep in mind that if you want to roam the streets of these villages, you will have to leave your bike, because the steps that you will encounter in your way through the villages, will be many.

Naturally, you can organize your excursions according to where you live. If you arrive at your destination and you feel that do not have any strength left to return by bike, you can always count on the bus.

We would suggest you to start your journey from Fira and then head north, choosing where to stop. In any case though, you must include Imerovigli and Oia to your journey plan, as they are considered to be two of the most beautiful villages in the island. It would be best to have food and drink supplies with you. Water is essential, especially during summer months, also some snacks and a hat will definitely be necessary.

Cycling centers in Santorini organize day trips by bicycle, as the “Round Tour of the island”, the “Sunset tours” and more. The prices (per person) start at € 90; for a trip that lasts from 4-6 hours.

However, you can rent a bike and organize your own program as well, according to your likings and endurance.

Hiking in Santorini is an activity for everyone. The volcanic landscape, the picturesque villages and vineyards, everything is making Santorini one of the best destinations for hiking in the Aegean. Especially those who love nature, are always happy with what the island has to offer. Paths are in a “high quality level”, spread with lots of things for the visitor to “discover”.

If you have nothing to do with walking, but are inspired from Santorini and want to participate in an organized tour, it is worth knowing that you will have several options in terms of entertainment. The duration of the walking tour is between 4 and 5 hours. All you have to do is decide if your “level of fitness” and your strength permit you to engage in the activity. Naturally, during the organized walking tour, you will have the chance to stop and rest for a little while. Depending on what attracts you most, you can choose from hiking in the villages of Santorini, hiking on the west coast, which is dominated by cliffs, excursion to the south side of the island, where the main attractions of the route are the beautiful beaches, and hiking to explore the ancient culture of Thira.

Given that you will find yourself in one of the most exquisite places in the world, walking along the cliffs is the most special of all the tours. There, you will be able to take many beautiful photographs, but most importantly, you will gain a lot of unforgettable memories of the landscapes that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The walking tour starts from Fira and is completed in Oia, going through the famous villages of Firostefani and Imerovigli. The duration of the tour is about 4.5 hours and costs 65 € per person. As in all organized hiking tours, the price includes the tour and a light lunch. For history and ancient Greece lovers, there is also a guided tour offered, which includes Ancient Thira in its path. This walking your starts from Kamari, heading to Perissa and follows the ancient paths of the first inhabitants of the island. The durations of the tour is 4 hours and costs 65 € per person.

Another walking tour, which focuses on the traditional villages of Santorini (built not on the cliffs on the west coast, but “inside” the inland), is also very interesting. These villages are: Exo Gonia Episkopi Gonia, Pyrgos, Emporio, Messaria. Such settlements have a long tradition in wine production. Regarding the walking tour though, the picturesque streets of these villages, the small and the large churches, are only some of the amazing things that you will see. These villages are built among areas that olive trees are planted and during the walk, you will also have the chance to discover why the fruit of Santorini raisin is so unique. This trip takes 4 hours and costs 65 €. Another recommendation is a tour called “walking by the sea”, which is about the southern part of Santorini. The impressive rock formations that you will see on the beaches “Vlychada” and “White Beach”, the extraordinary color of “Red Beach”, are some things that you will never forget. The stop at the famous lighthouse will not go unnoticed as well. If you also want to dive in the sea, feel free to do it! The organized walking excursion on the southern coast of Santorini lasts 4.5 hours and costs 70 € per person. If the idea of an organized walking tour does not thrill you, all you have to do is to get plenty of water, wear a hat and appropriate footwear, (sunscreen is also recommended) and start exploring the island in your own pace!