Santorini for 2 days - please suggest an itinerary
 

Hello everyone,

I will be flying into Santorini for a weekend and would like to get some ideas as to what to do (and in what order) in my limited time. Flying in late October. Arriving Friday afternoon - my son meets us there late at night so will putz around Fira (where hotel is) before we go to the airport to meet him. Then, we have a full day Saturday and unfortunately, have a 6:30pm flight on Sunday. We've never been (we are fit and can walk) and want to see the big things in an efficient manner. My wife was saying we should go out on the water somehow (get on a boat - but not sure if there are any short tours).

Some thoughts:
- Santorini Volcano and Hot Springs
- Hike from Fira to Santorini (3-4 hours)
- Sunset (is it fine in Fira (we have a hotel that overlooks the caldera) or must do sunset in Oia? See it on a sunset cruise or better to see it on land?)
- Red beach?
- Amoudi bay

Thanks in advance!

Visit the archaeological site in Akrotiri first thing in the morning to avoid the bus tour crowds. They open at 8:30. Take a look at Red Beach from above, but don't go down there. It's posted with warning signs and the cliff face is very dangerous Have lunch at one of the fish tavernas in Amoudi Bay below Oia. My fave is Katina's but they're all good Watch a sunset with a flight of wine and some snacks at Venetsanos Winery. The shortest volcano tour is 3 or 4 hours and departs from the old port below Fira. Take the cable car or steps down but please don't ride the poor abused donkeys!

I would list Akrotiri first and as the most important site. We returned to Santorini after it reopened just to visit it. It was closed for many years following the tragic roof collapse in 2005.
Have lunch down at Katina’s on pretty Amoudi Bay as suggested in post above.
Before or after Amoudi Bay sit and look at the Caldera View from Oia.
There are several wineries nearby if they are of interest.

Thanks brotherleelove and HappyTrvlr! I hear the walk from Fira to Oia is a must do as well as a boat cruise. Anyone have any thoughts on a boat cruise? It will be late October so won't be going into the water but is it a must do?

Never did a boat trip either time. It is a long haul way down to the water. We did it for Amoudi Bay to have lunch at Katina’s which was worth it,

Hello again. I was trying to figure out how to get from the airport to my hotel in Fira since there is no ride-share services in Santorini. I thought I would arrange a taxi - saw online "Welcome taxis" that will pick up from the airport - but saw a lot of bad reviews. Anyone have a good company they can recommend?

I believe there is Uber in Thessaloniki and Athens, correct? Is Uber the best way to go? Hotel in Athens offering an expensive pickup company...

"sunset in OIA" business is a big ballyhoo, IMHO; during the warmer months it can be a total zoo, with caldera path crammed standing-room only, then they all want to get on the same bus afterwards. Since 1 experience, ever since just booked a table with good view in Fira or Firostephani & enjoyed serene sunsets.

FIra - Oia walk (a long one) it's also highly promoted (mainily IMHO because there aren't many other hikes on the island)... I save my hikes for Sifnos, Naxos, Amorgos, other isles with great trails.

Transportation - Am puzzled. U must be from Car Country USA, where people always pick up people at airports. It is a €€€ ride from Fira to Airport, ditto back. Is your son 10 years old & requires being met? Otherwise, get a car service to meet him. If u don't trust your own choice from internet, why not e-mail your hotel, ask what a usual charge is, & have them choose for you. It won't be cheap, even off-season. Actually, with your v. short stay & desire to "see the big things in an efficient way" -- why r u not discussing car rentals? In the course of 2 days zipping around, taxis & car services could easily be 2x of a rental cost. For advice, THE top expert contributor about Santorini is "brotherleelove", a true treasure. To save him having to post again, I checked Trip Advisor for his most recent rental advice: "Any reputable rental company will gladly deliver a car to you at the airport and allow you to drop it off there when you leave. I recommend (... I'm omitting list of other locales) Spiridakos in Fira. They all have websites with booking functions." His word is LAW - and if anybody reports a bad deal, he drops his recommends, so u can trust that Spiridakos is the best around. BTW, if u r going to rent, u need to stop by y our local AAA office, bring along yr drivers license, and for $20-25 in 15 minutes u get an International Driving Permit. An IDP is Required in order to rent a car or ATM. Final tip: if u need auto shift u need to specify.

Things to Do - Brotherlee says go early to Akrotiri to avoid tours -- but in late October, probably not a problem. I also recommend early AM for seeing OIA... the light is best early in day or late (3pm on in Oct)... With late arrival Fri nite, I don't see son getting early start Saturday. Maybe u could do late aft that day for OIA, and Early Sunday AM for Akrotiri, IF you want to visit that famous Archeological site. Unless u pay for a licensed guide (expensive) u will need advance prep or GOOD guidebook to appreciate this famous subterranean ruin. If u are into landscape instead, drive to E. coast and up to Ancient Thira... ruins atop a high high bluff with stunning views. Maybe AM Saturday could be a walk along caldera wall, and visit Fira-based Museum to see the wonders discovered in the AKrotiri ruin. Fill in the chinks with a visit to a winery -- any time is wine-o-clock. Remember to allow plenty of time to get back to airport, drop car, go thru the Covid-test folderol etc. Nothing is simple in 2021.

Thanks Travelerjan. We have a hotel in Fira with a view of the caldera - so the sunsets are probably good enough without needing to see them in Oia.

Definitely from USA. Son is old enough - could get the hotel to send a car to pick him up. Car rental? I saw the rental cars - Spiridakos - dang don't drive a manual - otherwise, there is a 7 passenger. Have my international permit.

Apparently, the hotel is close to the bus terminal in Fira - so I could take the bus from the airport - heard it only runs once per hour?

No one has said to take a boat tour and I've heard multiple times it is a must do. Visit the volcano and see Santorini from the water must be nice - anyone with direct experience?

I've been to Santorini at least 6x (not totally by choice -- travelling w newcomers -- & it's the handiest "switchboard" to reach other isles) ... and have not yet done a caldera sail & don't miss it. If u want view of cliffs, October isn't a cruise mob-scene, so you can take the cable-car down & back up.Great views from Old pier down there. (PS, a tip: that expression "must-do" sounds like a belt-notcher or list-checker which I am sure u r not, so avoid)..

Rentals: Spiradakos is not only one with automatic shift altho they ARE scarce, and its late for an automatic rental. Keep at it; ave you tried santoriniholdiay cars or Vazeos (also rec. by Brotherlee) or Santorini Rent a car Or Tony's in FIrostefani, or Fira Auto4U. Good luck! (Or hit yourself upside the head for not learning stick-shift when your old Dad said it would e handy).

As bus, yes this far off season only 1 per hour, always check landlord re schedule. You could get out there, but son is coming in late ... there probably won't be a bus back after 10pm. Why not book a car service to meet him. He's a big boy.

We used the hotel service. Picked us up at the airport and took us to the ferry for departure.

Thanks Travelerjan - I was looking for more like a 2 hour boat cruise - not 5, which seems too long, especially if it's too cold to go into the water late October.

I will look into those other car rental companies.

thanks starrs - will get hotel to get a car to pick him up.

Appreciate if we can re-hash (I'm sure for some of you) the difference between watching the sunset in Oia or from Fira - I believe my hotel has a decent view of it (over the Thirasia) but is it that much nicer in Oia (but with crowds)?

One time we arrived in Santorini by ferry and saw the white buildings up on the cliffs. I wouldn’t go out of my way for a boat ride.
Our hotel in Oia had a beautiful view and we could see the mobs of tourists waiting for sunset. Four nights there and no good sunset . Nature is fickle.

Your sunset experience will depend on the weather. If it's overcast you won't see much at all, and there's a good chance that will be the case by late October. Assuming clear skies, the experience will actually be better in Fira than in Oia since by late October the sun has shifted into the southern sky, so if you're in Oia it would set down behind Thirassia then, but will be well-south of Thirassia if you're in Fira, so you can actually watch it "sink" below the horizon. Any reputable car rental company will gladly deliver a car to you at your hotel if it's accessible, and you can also arrange to drop it off at the ferry port or airport when you leave at no extra charge. If Spiridakos doesn't have what you need try Tony's in Firostefani, Vazeos in Oia or Motor Inn in Kamari Beach.

So I'm back from a very nice trip to Greece. Did Santorini, Thessaloniki and Athens for 2 nights each.

Enjoyed a beautiful sunset in Fira the first night where my hotel was. But on the second night, it was cloudy.

On our first full day, we took a minivan to Oia and walked around and saw a lot of the beautiful sights and took a lot of the classic pictures. We walked down to Ammoudi Bay and enjoyed some fresh seafood at one of the restaurants that is right on the water (expensive!). Had some nice gyros at Yogis and a decent dinner at Idol in Fira.

On the second day, we actually found one of those tour shops in Fira - and on a whim asked if there was a shorter boat tour - he found a guy with a small boat at the old pier where the cable cars let you off - and we took a beautiful and relaxing two hour tour to Oia and around the volcano. I would say it was a must do - to see the cliffs and the structures above the cliffs from the water - and it wasn't the 5 hours that I saw advertised everywhere - so it pays to be persistent and ask! Had a nice dinner at Kayla in Fira that night.