Top 14 Things to do in Santorini (Greece)

What are the top things to do in Santorini? Read more to find out!

If you’re looking for an unforgettable vacation, Santorini is the perfect destination. This beautiful Greek island offers breathtaking views and plenty of activities to keep you entertained. From its stunning white-washed buildings to its crystal-clear waters, Santorini is truly a sight to behold.

Take a moment to relax in the warm Mediterranean sun on one of the island’s many beaches or take a leisurely stroll through Fira, the bustling capital city perched atop cliffs overlooking the caldera below. A cable car ride can take you down to the picturesque harbor, where you can sample some scrumptious seafood dishes or sip ouzo while taking in views of the Aegean Sea.

Venturing away from town will reveal more scenic beauty and historical sites like Akrotiri, an ancient Minoan settlement buried beneath volcanic ash thousands of years ago. You’ll also find gorgeous vineyards and wineries offering delicious local wines like Vinsanto and Nykteri that pair perfectly with traditional dishes like moussaka and spanakopita.

Santorini is a paradise for outdoor activities, including hiking, diving, sailing around its many small islands or just lounging by the pool or beach. After sunset, explore charming villages such as Oia, where you can watch a spectacular sunset over the caldera before settling into a cozy taverna for dinner with new friends. No matter what your passions are, Santorini has something special for everyone to enjoy!

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

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Experiences and top things to do in Santorini

Hike from Fira to Oia

What to see in Santorini? If you want to see some of the iconic Santorini points of interest, you should hike from Fira to Oia. This hiking route is one of the best ways to go sightseeing in Santorini. Covering 10 kilometers of the pathway, this hiking route usually takes 3 to 4 hours to finish.

The journey usually starts from Fira, the capital city of Rhodes. On your journey, you will pass some famous places to see in Santorini, such as the Orthodox Metropolitan Church, The Catholic Cathedral, and the Monastery of Saint Nikolas. After you pass the Church of Agios Antonios and the Church of Prophet Elias, you will soon reach the village of Oia.

This rusticvillage has its own charm by highlighting its beautiful white houses, churches with blue domes, and some traditional windmills. Your journey will end at the Castle of Oia. This old fortress has been renovated and turned into one of the most luxurious hotels in Santorini, Oia Castle Luxury Suites.

This hike between the two main towns on the island is an absolute must. It takes around four hours, depending on how fast you walk and where you’d like to stop. As long as you’re reasonably fit, you’ll be fine, but be aware there are uphill and downhill walking involved and steps.

There are plenty of villages and shops along the way, so there are many opportunities for a rest. You’ll want to bring a camera for all the picture-perfect views along the way. Try and start as early as possible, especially in the summer, when temperatures get hot by 11 am.

TIP: Don’t follow your Google Maps if you want a scenic walk. It will send you on the most direct route instead. Take the time to savor and truly take in all the memorable sights by following this route provided by Santorini Dave.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Volcanic Islands Cruise with Hot Springs Visit

Read also: Best Day Trips from Santorini

Enjoy a boat trip around Santorini Islands

By renting a boat and exploring the coastlines, islands, caves, and volcanoes, you get a different view of the island. If you rent a boat, snorkel in the blue water and refresh yourself at the volcano’s hot springs and mud baths.

As for cost, boat tours in Santorini can vary greatly in price depending on the duration of the tour, the type of boat, and the included activities.

A half-day boat tour (around 4 hours) can cost anywhere from 30-50 EUR per person, while a full-day tour (around 8 hours) can cost between 50-80 EUR per person.

Remember that these prices are just estimates, and it’s always best to check with the tour operator for the most accurate pricing.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Luxury Small Group Catamaran w/ Meal & Open Bar

Read also: Islands in Europe: Top 10 Best Island Holidays in Europe to Visit

Get lost in a local market

Who doesn’t like going to markets when they are abroad? You don’t necessarily have to buy anything. Just enjoy the colors, the smells, and the sounds. The markets of Santorini that wind through the narrow streets is a pure delight! Expect to find souvenirs and gifts, jewelry and candles, clothes, art, and more.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Horseback Riding Experience at Sunset

Read also: Top 9 Best Wine Countries in Europe

Enjoy the sunset in Oia

You can enjoy sunsets from all over the island, but this is the famous and one of the most popular Santorini activities – the one that you probably have seen all over Instagram and other travel blogs. Pretty much every tourist will flock to Oia for the perfect sunset spot, so get there early!

TIP: Explore alcoves, rooftops, and ruins for secret spots – or even better, rent a villa that faces west, and you’ll have your own private sunset view, perhaps even by your own pool!

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: All-Inclusive Luxury Catamaran Small Group Cruise

Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!

I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!

Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.

Read also: Architecture in Europe: Top 16 Cities You Must Visit for Design

Stay in a traditional whitewashed home

The iconic whitewashed homes of Santorini are often carved directly out of the volcanic rock. Their arched ceilings and spectacular views mean that this is the accommodation you won’t forget in a hurry. There are many villas to suit a wide range of budgets – you shouldn’t stay in Santorini without staying in one of these uniquely carved homes.

TIP: If you go in the colder – but still nicely warm enough with temperatures around 15°C and not too much rain – months of October to March, you’ll find that prices can drop by half!

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Traditional Sightseeing Bus Tour with Oia Sunset

Read also: Secret Destinations: Top 13 Natural Wonders of Europe You Must Visit

Enjoy the local food and wine

The best part about traveling is that you get to taste local food to broaden your culinary experience. The best way to taste the local Greek food in Greece is by dining in their classic tavernas. A taverna is a small restaurant selling traditional food.

According to several Santorini travel guides, one of the best tavernas or restaurants in Santorini is To Psaraki. Established in the Vlihada Harbour, one of the most scenic Santorini points of interest on the southern coast, To Psaraki has made locals and tourists fall in love with its dish without much time.

The highlight of this Santorini taverna menu is its fresh seafood. When you decide to eat in Psaraki, you can choose to sit on the balcony where you can enjoy the mesmerizing blue Aegean Sea. Psaraki is a wonderful place to eat and a fantastic spot to go sightseeing in Santorini.

Great local ingredients mean great local food. Try Fava, a puree of yellow split peas, garlic, and onions; it’s a Santorini specialty. The local white eggplant and cherry tomatoes are amazing, as well.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Guided Wine Tasting Tour with Pickup

Read also: The 15 Culinary Destinations in Europe That Will Make You Hungry! (Foodie Vacations)

Enjoy a movie at the open-air cinema

One of the most famous places to visit Santorini is the city’s open-air cinema. Kamari open-air cinema (the cutest outdoor cinema ever)is located on the main road of the village of Kamari. Here, you get to watch a movie in an outdoor setting while enjoying Santorini nightlife.

If you reserve a seat before your visit, you can enter the theater before the walk-in visitors and choose your seats first. Once you choose your seat, you can head to the bar located inside the theater. Yes, you are not reading it wrong, a bar inside a theater. Not only selling popular movie snacks like popcorn and candy bars, but you can also order almost any alcoholic beverage here, including beer, wine, and cocktails.

While waiting for the movie to start, you can try to make friends with other visitors. But if you are not in the mood to be chatty, you can enjoy the fast and free wifi facility here. If the movie is about to start, you will hear a bell ringing, telling you to get to your seats. You can return to the bars to order more if you run out of drinks or snacks during the movie.

Tip: In high season, reserve your seats by phone and make your life easier.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Photo Shoot with a Private Vacation Photographer

Read also: Summer in Europe: Top 14 Best Summer Destinations in Europe

Step back in time and visit the Akrotiri Archaeological site

If you want to go sightseeing in Santorini and see a unique ancient site, go to Akrotiri. You will be amazed by dwellings dating back to the Minoan Bronze Age. Based on the evidence found in this Santorini archeological site, it is concluded that the earliest settlement in this area was built in the fifth millennium BC.

The people relied on fishing and farming to support their lives. Unfortunately, the Theran Eruption in 1627 BC wiped out the entire civilization. Luckily enough, the volcanic ash covering this site had become a great preserving agent for this ancient site and all its objects until an early excavation was done in 1867. However, it was not until 100 years later that a massive modern excavation project was conducted, revealing the full site.

For those who are intrigued to know more about Akrotiri and the history behind this astonishing site, you can join a guided tour available in this Santorini point of interest.

The ruins of the Minoan settlement date back to around 1600 BC and plays a role in ancient Greek history. As one of the most important prehistoric settlements, this archaeological site shouldn’t be missed on your trip to Santorini.

TIP: The entrance fee is €12, but it’s worth spending an extra €10 and getting a guide – you’ll understand what you are looking at so much better and better appreciate its historical significance.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Premium Catamaran Cruise with Fresh BBQ & Drinks

Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?

Remember this: anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!

The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with SafetyWing was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.

I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.

Read my post about why you should get travel insurance for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from SafetyWing – they’re the best, in my opinion.

Get a FREE quote from SafetyWing

Read also: Best Road Trips in Europe: Top 15 European Road Trip Ideas

Hike to Profitis Ilias

At 567 meters above sea level, Profitis Ilias (Propet Elijah) – a beautiful monastery, is located at the highest point on the island. From here, you get the absolute best views of the island. You can go to the top on a tour bus, but if you hike, you can avoid the crowds and have this amazing place all to yourself.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Sunset Cruise with Swim Stops, Dinner, and Drinks

Read also: Top 20 Cheap European Holiday Destinations and Countries to Visit

Go To A Sleeping Volcano

Nea Kameni, or Santorini Volcano, is a small island located very close to Santorini island. This is undoubtedly one of the fascinating things to see in Santorini. This volcano is not a dead one, and it is only asleep. However, it is quite safe to go there as it is not active now. You can explore the mountain and sit on the caldera, waiting for the sun to set.

There are several natural warm water pools on this island. The water is believed to have therapeutic effects. Although the water is not hot compared to other famous hot springs, it is enjoyable to swim there.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Thirassia Islands and Volcano Guided Cruise

Read also: Top Tourist Attractions and Things to do in Rhodes

Have Fun with The Sand And The Water

As an island in the Mediterranean, Santorini is blessed with beautiful beaches and a pristine sea. There are quite a lot of fascinating beaches that you can visit during your trip to Santorini.

Some of the beaches are black and red sand beaches. Perivolos Beach is Santorini beach with the longest stretch of black sand. This beach is perfect for lazy summer days, as it has plenty of umbrellas and sunbeds. Finding food and drink is also an easy matter here. Kamari Beach is also an impressive black sand beach. Here, there is more than just getting the perfect tan.

If you are looking for something more unique that Santorini tourism can offer, you must go to Red Beach. It is named that way because a red cliff formation surrounds the beach. It surely is a unique place to go sightseeing in Santorini.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Catamaran Cruise with Meal and Open Bar

Read also: Best Cities in Europe to Visit: Top Weekend Getaways in Europe!

Raise Your Glass and explore Santorini’s wine culture

One of the best Santorini things to do will be the wine tasting at Santo Winery. This winery will offer you an extensive wine tasting with 18 different kinds of wine available and the best cheese to pair with the wine. Santo Winery is also a great spot to see the sunset. There is a beautiful patio dedicated to sunset watching here. Can you imagine that? Wine, cheese, and sunset. Life cannot be more perfect than that.

You can also learn about winemaking at the Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum. This underground Santorini museum provides interesting information about the winemaking and the history of winemaking in Santorini and wine-tasting sessions to its visitors.

There are also other exciting wine tours in Santorini that you can take while you are on your trip to Santorini.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Three Wineries and One Brewery Tour with Tastings

What are my favorite travel must-haves?

As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!

Warm packable jacket – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
Transparent toiletry bag – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
Kindle Paperwhite – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
Powerbank – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
Travel Adapter – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.

Read also: Top 9 Best Wine Countries in Europe

Have A View from Above

There are several ways to travel in Santorini, from conservative ways like walking and riding a donkey to modern ways like renting ATVs and going in a cable car. The cable car is one of the favorite things to do in Santorini. The Santorini cable car will take you from the Old Port to Fira and vice versa.

It only takes 3 minutes to go that way, making it the fastest way to travel in Santorini. And it does not cost you a lot of money. You only need to spend around 5 euros to go one way. The cable car leaves every 20 minutes. Enjoy a breathtaking view of Santorini while you are inside the cable car.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Luxury Catamaran Cruise with Meal & Open Bar

Read also: Top 8 Best City Breaks in Europe (That are Worth Visiting)

Appreciate the Work of Artists

Not only heaven for history enthusiasts, but Santorini is also a paradise for art lovers. One of the most interesting things to do in Santorini is to visit the art galleries. There are a few amazing art galleries to see on this island.

One of those art galleries is MATI Art Gallery, situated in Fira. Here you will see artwork mostly made of metal and glass covered in brilliant colors.

Another Santorini art gallery worth visiting is Tzamia-Krystalla Art Gallery, also located in Fira. In this Santorini tourist attraction, you will find contemporary paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and jewelry. After browsing the gallery’s collection, you can sit on the patio, enjoying the majestic sea view.

Where to stay in Santorini? Find great deals and book your hotel here!

Book this unique experience: Santorini: Catamaran Cruise with Meals and Drinks