Santorini itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Santorini, day by day: the Bronze Age town of Akrotiri, Ancient Thera and the caldera first, then the volcano of Nea Kameni, Therasia and the museums in Fira, and the cliff-top village of Imerovigli as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Santorini in 1 day
Day 1
Akrotiri
A Bronze Age town buried by the great eruption of the 2nd millennium BC, its streets and houses preserved under a protective roof.
Ancient Thera
The ruins of the island's ancient city on the Mesa Vouno ridge, high above the beaches of Kamari and Perissa.
Santorini caldera
The flooded volcanic crater ringed by high cliffs, best seen from the cliff-top villages or on a boat trip.
Santorini in 2 days
Day 1
Akrotiri
A Bronze Age town buried by the great eruption of the 2nd millennium BC, its streets and houses preserved under a protective roof.
Ancient Thera
The ruins of the island's ancient city on the Mesa Vouno ridge, high above the beaches of Kamari and Perissa.
Santorini caldera
The flooded volcanic crater ringed by high cliffs, best seen from the cliff-top villages or on a boat trip.
Day 2
Museum of Prehistoric Thera
A museum in Fira with finds from Akrotiri, including its painted pottery and wall paintings.
Nea Kameni
The young volcanic island in the middle of the caldera; boats land for a walk up to its craters.
Therasia
A small, quiet island on the western rim of the caldera, reached by boat, with a few villages.
Santorini in 3 days
Day 1
Akrotiri
A Bronze Age town buried by the great eruption of the 2nd millennium BC, its streets and houses preserved under a protective roof.
Archaeological Museum of Thera
A museum in Fira with finds from Ancient Thera and other sites, from the Archaic to the Roman period.
Oia
The whitewashed village on the northern tip of the island, known for its blue domes and sunset views.
Day 2
Ancient Thera
The ruins of the island's ancient city on the Mesa Vouno ridge, high above the beaches of Kamari and Perissa.
Santorini caldera
The flooded volcanic crater ringed by high cliffs, best seen from the cliff-top villages or on a boat trip.
Nea Kameni
The young volcanic island in the middle of the caldera; boats land for a walk up to its craters.
Day 3
Imerovigli
A cliff-top village north of Fira at the highest point of the caldera rim, facing the Skaros rock.
Watch: Santorini
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Santorini
May, June, September and October are the best months for Santorini, with warm weather and fewer crowds than midsummer. July and August are hot and very busy, with several cruise ships a day crowding Fira and Oia. From November to March the weather is cool and windy and many hotels, restaurants and boat trips close.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Santorini on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Santorini on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Santorini on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Santorini with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Greece from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Santorini with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
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Tips for Santorini
- Sunset crowds on the caldera rim are heavy, especially in Oia; arrive well before sunset or watch from Imerovigli.
- Caldera boat trips usually combine Nea Kameni with the hot springs and Therasia; book ahead in high season.
- Buses link Fira with most villages, Akrotiri and the beaches; most routes start and end in Fira.
- Ancient Thera and the Nea Kameni crater path are rocky and unshaded; go early and bring water and good shoes.
- Akrotiri is under a protective roof, so it is a good choice for the hottest part of the day.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Akrotiri: Stamatis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ancient Thera: Hartmut Inerle, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Archaeological Museum of Thera: Stamatis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Imerovigli: Stamatis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Museum of Prehistoric Thera: Stamatis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nea Kameni: Stamatis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oia: Meersan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santorini caldera: Stamatis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Therasia: Stamatis, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
