If you’re looking for things to do in Santorini, Greece, let me first say I’m jealous because I’m not going with you. Santorini is one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever been, and was a bucket list destination for me for years. While I’m jealous, I’ll get over it, I promise. In the meantime, I’m so excited to help you plan your trip!
Santorini is one of the most romantic travel destinations in the world and ideal for a honeymoon or anniversary trip. But despite the romance vibes, you can also be like me and decide you don’t want to wait for a man to take you and just go yourself. /shrug
- If going by yourself doesn’t exactly appeal to you, my first trip to Santorini was with EF Ultimate Break, and I loved it! Read my full EF trip review here.
Santorini is known for its whitewashed buildings, blue-domed churches, and sunset views. It’s part of the Cycladic Islands, a group of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea that also includes Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, and Milos. In this blog post, I’ll help you to experience the best of what this volcanic island has to offer.
Wait…what?! Yes…Santorini is a volcanic island. Santorini’s dramatic landscape was shaped by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, leaving behind the stunning caldera that defines the island today. The Santorini volcano remains active, with its most famous volcanic sites—Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni—offering visitors a chance to explore rugged lava fields and soak in natural hot springs.
Okay, enough of the intro. Grab your bathing suits, sun hats, and white dresses, and let’s explore things to do in Santorini!
9 Things To Do in Santorini, Greece
1. Watch the Sunset in Oia
Oia (pronounced Eee-Uhh) is the most famous town in Santorini to watch the sunset. It’s also one of the best places to see the island’s iconic whitewashed buildings cascading down the cliffs. Combine both together, and it’s an image that will live in your head rent-free.
As you can imagine, it can get verrry crowded here, especially during high tourist season. This means you need to know the best places to watch the sunset and get there early. One of the most famous spots is the Castle of Oia, but if that’s too crowded, put Oia Mare Villas into your GPS, which is near where this photo was taken. That will get you into this general area, and you’ll be able to walk along the narrow cobblestone streets and find your perfect sunset photo spot.
Now, here’s where I’m going to slightly disappoint you. When I first arrived in Santorini, I was expecting the entire island to look like this. It’s what you see in pictures, after all! While it’s true that there are whitewashed buildings all over Santorini, there are actually only a few places where you can get this type of view with the buildings overlooking the edge of the island. In other words, prepare to spend a good part of your day in Oia to soak it all in, but especially come for sunset!
- If you’re a solo traveler, this is the tripod I always bring with me to take photos!
2. Soak in the Views at Fira
Fira is the capital of Santorini and the other place where you can get stunning sunset views besides Oia. I will never forget looking out over the Aegean Sea and taking the photo below. I remember thinking it was one of the most beautiful ocean views I’ve ever seen, and to this day, I don’t think I’ve seen anything that has topped it. There is truly nothing like a sunset in Greece.
Take your time and walk around Fira’s cobblestone streets, pop in and out of the little shops, and just immerse yourself in the views. It’s a gorgeous part of the island. Fira is one of the best places to see the caldera in Santorini, which is the large, water-filled crater that formed after the volcano erupted many years ago.
3. Hike the Trail from Fira to Oia
As if you haven’t already gotten enough of these 2 parts of the island, there’s a 6-mile hiking trail that connects the two cities that happens to be one of the best things to do in Santorini.
Now, here’s where I’m going to disappoint you (again): I didn’t get to do this hike while I was there. However, I do know people that have done it and have told me they loved it. Guess that means I have to go back!
Doing this hike will take you along the rim of the caldera and allow you to see the towns of Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani, and Fira. Make sure to bring good walking shoes; my friends who have done this have advised me there are dirt paths and a few hills. But despite this, I have been told this is an easy hike. If you decide to hike from Fira to Oia, feel free to make me jealous in the comments!
4. Do A Wine Tasting
Santorini has fabulous wine, and is known more for their Assyrtiko whites than their reds. But if you do a wine tasting, you don’t have to discriminate. You can just try them all!
When I went to Santorini, I did a wine tasting at Venetsanos Winery, which had absolutely stunning views of the caldera and Aegean Sea. Oh, and really, really good wine. Another top-rated winery you can check out with panoramic island views is Santo Winery…or, explore this top-rated Santorini Lunch and Wine Tasting activity from Get Your Guide for a guided tour.
5. Take a Volcanic Island & Hot Springs Boat Tour
Getting on a boat and cruising around the island was one of my favorite things I did in Santorini. The island is famous for its hot springs, which have an orange color to them thanks to the sulphur, iron, and other minerals in the water. I LOVED when our boat stopped and let us swim here!
Swimming aside, if you are taking vacation on an island, you have to do a boat tour. It’s the rules. Don’t forget your Dramamine and your sunscreen (this face sunscreen from Supergoop is my favorite). Jumping off the boat and swimming in the Aegean Sea is something I will never forget. The waters are crystal clear, and – assuming it’s warm – it’s one of the best ways to spend your time in this romantic country.
Check out this Volcanic Island Cruise with Hot Springs tour from Get Your Guide, and get ready for your day on the water!
6. Hike Around the (Active!) Volcano
Wait…you can hike an active volcano here? YES.
Remember when I said to bring good walking shoes when I talked about the hike from Fira to Oia earlier? You’ll definitely need them if you decide to trek up the volcanic ash too. One of the most popular volcanic hikes is to Nea Kameni. The tour I linked in the previous section with Get Your Guide advertises a “stop at the volcano with an optional hike,” so if you do that tour, you’ll likely get to knock this out as well. If you opt to find your own way to Nea Kameni, know that you will have to take some sort of ferry or boat, since it’s an island all its own.
I hiked this volcano when I went to Greece, and I thought it was indeed an interesting experience. How many people can say they’ve walked around an active volcano before?! It’s really cool to see the ash and think about what happened all those years ago when it erupted.
7. Visit Santorini’s Museums
TBH, I am not much of a museum person, but if you are, Santorini has some options for you. The Archaeological Museum of Thera and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera are two places that allow you to step back in time and get a glimpse of Santorini’s history. You’ll be able to see fossils, pottery, sculptures, and numerous artifacts that date wayyyy back to ancient Greece.
8. Explore the Akrotiri Ruins
Akrotiri is an archaeological site in Santorini that has been called the Pompeii of the Aegean. It was once a city of the Minoan people until it got buried under a volcanic eruption in the 1600s BC. Whew. That’s pretty intense!
As if this wasn’t interesting enough, some people have claimed that Akrotiri is actually the Lost City of Atlantis. Is it REALLY the Lost City? Well, we don’t know…and we probably won’t ever know. But regardless, you can visit, and then tell all your friends what a legend you are.
Similar to the museums, you’ll be able to see ancient artifacts and fossils here from the city’s past. Check out this private guided tour here to get the most out of this part of the island.
9. Walk Around Pyrgos Village
Pyrgos Village is about 4.5 miles south of Fira and is quite the hidden gem. It’s the largest preserved village on the island, allowing you to get a glimpse into actual life on Santorini as opposed to tourist-life. While it doesn’t offer the stunning ocean views over the caldera like Oia and Fira, it makes up for it in terms of less crowds and a slower pace.
Despite the lack of ocean views in Pyrgos, you’ll still be able to see the whitewashed buildings, pop in and out of shops, and get that “I’m in Greece!” feeling. If you want panoramic views of the island from here, you can get them from the Pyrgos Castle. While you’re in this part of the island, walk through the narrow alleyways, take in the views, and snap your picture in front of the blue doors.
Speaking of homes and villages, you will notice a lot of blue doors on the homes in Santorini. This is partially due to fishermen painting their doors and shutters with whatever paint was left over from painting their boats. Normally, they would use blue to match the sea. The blue doors here make for some great photo ops because they offer that “pop of color” that contrasts against the white.
Getting to Santorini From Athens
If you are arriving into Santorini, it’s likely you’re flying into Athens first and taking a ferry. The ferry to Santorini was about 4 hours, so make sure you bring some Dramamine or get a prescription for a Transderm Scop patch from your doctor. You don’t want to be on the ferry and discover that you get seasick like I did.
- For things to do in Athens, check out my post, 8 Things To Do in Athens, Greece
Santorini also has an airport located in Fira that you can fly into, which may be a good option if you’re coming from elsewhere in Europe. The airport code is JTR. Check out flights on Skyscanner, my favorite search engine, to see your flight options.
To get around the island itself, you can check out the Santorini bus schedule here.
Where To Stay in Santorini
Santorini is famous for its cave hotels that have stunning views of the Aegean Sea. This is an occasion where I would say “treat yo’self” to a stay with an incredible view. I included some cave hotels and some regular hotels below, so you can explore your options and see what works best for you.
Some top-rated accommodations in Santorini include:
