Published: July 22, 2025
Santorini is one of the most breathtaking stops on any Mediterranean cruise–but with limited time, planning your day carefully is so important. Whether you’re dreaming of those iconic caldera views (whitewashed buildings with blue domes perched on the cliff), hoping to relax on Santorini’s colorful beaches or just trying to avoid the crowds and long lines, this guide will help you make the most of your one unforgettable day on the island.
From understanding cruise ship arrival logistics to choosing the right itinerary for your travel style, here’s everything you need to know about arriving to Santorini by cruise ship.
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Arriving in Santorini by Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know
First things first: cruise ships do not dock at a pier in Santorini. Instead, they anchor offshore and tender passengers to land using small boats.
Which Port Will You Arrive At?
There are two ports in Santorini, the Old Port and Athinios Port.
Most cruise passengers are tendered to the Old Port— located directly below the cliffside town of Fira. There is no access to roads from the Old Port.
Athinios Port is the main ferry terminal. All travelers arriving in Santorini by ferry arrive at this port. Some cruise excursions or private tours will tender to Athinios Port. Athinios is located farther from the main towns but has direct road access, unlike the Old Port.
If you’re on your own (not part of a cruise excursion), you’ll likely arrive at the Old Port below Fira, and you’ll need to get up the cliff to reach the town.
How to Get Up The Cliff From The Old Port
The Old Port is located at the bottom of a steep cliff with no roads to get up to the town above. If your cruise ship tenders you to the Old Port, you will have to make your way up the cliff to Fira.
There are four main options for ascending the cliff:
Cable Car
The fastest and easiest way up is to take the cable car ride to the top. The ride takes about 3 minutes and costs €6 each way. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance. The lines for the cable car can be extremely long— up to 1–2 hours! The return lines from Fira can be just as long in the evening.
Donkey Ride
At the Old Port, you will find locals offering donkey rides up the cliff for €10 (cash only) each way, per person. The donkey ride takes about 20-30 minutes depending on the amount of foot traffic on the path. This is a very steep path and the ride is very bumpy and not overly comfortable. The ride is on an exposed path with no shade, so bring plenty of water and sun protection.
This is a traditional option that many travelers now skip due to animal welfare concerns.
Walk the 600 Steps
If the cable car line is too long and you don’t want to ride a donkey up, you can opt to walk up the hill. The path up is 1.3 km (.08 miles) long, contains over 600 stairs with an elevation gain of about 220 meters (720 feet). It’s a moderate to strenuous hike up depending on your fitness level and how hot it is outside. The cobblestone steps are wide and uneven, and you’ll be walking right up (or down) alongside the donkeys. There is a lot of donkey waste along the steps, which makes it not only stinky but also pretty slippery. The walk up usually takes about 30 minutes depending on your fitness level.
Tender to Athinios Port
You can avoid the cliff altogether by tendering from your cruise ship to Athinios Port instead of the Old Port. This is an option for certain cruise ship excursions and private tours. (More information on these later on!) Once you arrive at Athinios Port, your tour will have a bus or taxi service waiting that will drive you up the steep road that goes up from Athinios Port.
You can book a water taxi to Athinios Port here, but once you get there you will need to arrange transportation on your own if you haven’t booked a tour. You can’t walk up from Athinios Port-transportation is required.
Water Taxi To Ammoudi Bay
If you plan to visit Oia- Santorini’s most famous town–you can take a water taxi from the Old Port to Ammoudi Bay, which is a charming harbor directly below the famous town of Oia. The water taxi is a small shared speedboat transport service that offers a direct coastal shortcut–and a scenic one at that! It costs around €20-25 (cash) per person, prices vary slightly depending on the season and operator. It operates between May-October in good weather conditions. It usually runs from around 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, but there’s no fixed timetable. Boats leave when there are enough passengers, (usually 10-20 people) however long that takes.
Once you arrive at the Old Port’s dock from your cruise ship, stay at sea level–do not go up the cable car or stairs. Walk along the waterfront where tour boats and small speedboats are docked. You’ll see signs for boat tours and operators calling out destinations like “Ammoudi Bay!” or “Oia by boat!” The water taxi operators often gather near the middle to far end of the Old Port walkway. You can also ask the boat operators if they go to Ammoudi Bay.
You can book your water taxi in advance here.
Once you reach the Ammoudi Bay harbor, you will still have to make it up the cliff to Oia. There are no roads or cable cars at Ammoudi Bay. You have two choices for getting up to Oia:
- Walk Up There are 300 steep stone steps that take you up the hill (still half the distance than the steps from Old Port to Fira) It will take about 15-20 minutes to walk up and you will likely be sharing the path with donkeys and donkey waste.
- Donkey Rides Just like the Old Port, donkey rides are available from Ammoudi Bay, although there aren’t nearly as many donkeys at this harbor. Donkey rides are about €10-12 per person, cash only.
How To Get Around In Santorini
Choose Your Perfect One Day Santorini Itinerary
OPTION 1: Classic Santorini Caldera Views – Fira to Imerovigli to Oia
Perfect for: first-time visitors who want the iconic whitewashed villages with blue dome buildings perched on the cliffside and stunning panoramic views of the Aegean Sea. This itinerary takes you through the 4 main Caldera towns of Santorini, showing you exactly what you think of when seeing a postcard of Santorini.
Option 1 Itinerary:
Take the cable car from the Old Port to Fira.
Walk from Fira to Imerovigli A 1.2 mile stroll that will take about about 1–1.5 hours, along mostly paved pathways. This is one of the most beautiful walks in Greece, taking you along the Caldera, passing by many blue dome photo hotspots.
Enjoy a lunch with a view in Imerovigli at Le Moustache, The Wine Bar or the Athenian House. .
Take a taxi from Imerovigli to Oia (about 15–20 minutes).
Explore Oia: wander through shops, take photos at the famous blue domes, and grab a gelato.
Head back to Fira by taxi, giving yourself plenty of buffer time to get in line for the cable car to return to the port.
📝 Important Notes:
This itinerary will be the most crowded of the three options. Fira and Oia are the two most crowded parts of Santorini. Oia will be extremely crowded–you will be walking shoulder to shoulder with other people down the narrow alleys. There will likely be very long lines at many of the photo hotspots in Oia, some up to an hour long!
- It is essential to book a taxi in advance with this itinerary. With a limited amount of time, you won’t want to waste any of it waiting in long lines for transportation. You will need to book a taxi from Imerovigli to Oia and then from Oia back to Fira.
- Don’t wait too late to return to Fira-– cable car lines build fast after 3:00 PM.
- If you choose to spend your only day in Santorini visiting the island’s most famous sights along the caldera, prepare yourself for huge crowds, long lines, and a bit of chaos. There are quieter, more peaceful parts of the island — but they don’t offer those iconic caldera views.
OPTION 2: Beach Hopping On The Water Taxi
Perfect for: beach lovers or repeat visitors who want to skip the tourist crowds and soak in Santorini’s coastal beauty. You won’t see any blue domes, but you will see some unique and beautiful beaches. The hop-on, hop-off water taxi takes you from Akrotiri to the Red Beach, White Beach and Black Beach. It costs €15 per person, round trip. The boats come to each beach every 30 minutes, so you can stay as long as you would like at each beach.
Option 2 Itinerary:
- Take the cable car from the port to Fira
- Arrange a taxi in advance to take you to Hotel Akrotiri. The small dock for the water taxi is located near the parking for Hotel Akrotiri.
- Board the hop-on hop-off water taxi that connects the Red Beach, White Beach, and Black Beach.
- Swim, explore, snorkel and relax at each beach.
- Enjoy a seaside lunch at the taverna on the Black Beach.
- Return via water taxi to Akrotiri. Arrange a Taxi in advance to take you back to Fira.
- Take the cable car back to the port.
📝 Important Notes:
This itinerary is great for avoiding the crowds, but you won’t get the postcard Santorini Caldera views. Instead you will experience a unique side of Santorini that many cruise passengers miss.
Be sure to to bring water shoes, as the beaches are rocky.
- Check out my detailed blog post for Santorini’s hop-on, hop-off water taxi for everything you need to know.
OPTION 3: Hassle-Free Cruise Excursion Or Tour
Perfect for: travelers who want everything handled, are nervous about timing or want to see both the Caldera and the beaches. Several of these excursions will skip the cable car entirely by using Athinios Port and taking you by van or bus from Athinios. Many of these tours include a guaranteed return to ship, which gives you peace of mind throughout the day. Whichever you choose, be sure to confirm with the tour company that you will be back to your ship in time.
Recommended Cruise Ship Excursions:
Skip The Cable Car 5 Hour Guided Tour of Fira, Oia, Megalochori & Perivolos Beach
Skip The Cable Car 5 Hour Guided Tour of Firostefani, Oia, Megalochori & Perivolos Beach
Boat Tour To Volcano & Hot Springs (Note that this is only a 3 hour tour, the boat picks you up and drops you off at the Old Port. You won’t have to take the cable car up once you arrive at the port, but you will arrive back at the port after 3 hours, so you will likely have to take the cable car up once you get back if you don’t want to go back to the ship early.
Private Full Day Tour Guide With Custom Itinerary The other tours listed will be large or small group tours, where this tour is fully private! You have a private driver and tour guide at your disposal all day. They will give you a list of options to see and you can customize your own itinerary.
Small Group Skip The Cable Car Tour to Firostefani, Oia, Megalochori & Perivlos Beach
Small Group Guided Tour of Oia, Wine Tasting & Red Beach
Private Instagram Tour For those wanting to take photos at all of the Instagram-worthy hotspots, your private guide will take photos for you, too!
Other Tours & Excursions
Small Group 4 Hour Guided Tour of Caldera villages, cable car required
Santorini Flying Dress Photoshoot
Half-Day Catamaran Cruise Take a catamaran to the volcano, hot springs and Thirassia. This tour picks up from Fira so you will still have to take the cable car from the port. This is not a cruise ship specific tour so be sure to communicate your cruise departure times when booking to be sure you have time to make it back to the po
Santorini Blue Dome 3 Hour Tour, cable car required
Small Group Santorini Caldera Tour, cable car required
📝 Important Notes:
Be sure to communicate your ship return times effectively with the tour operator, and ask if they are confident you will make your return time.
Book early — the best small-group or private tours fill up fast.
Be sure to double check your arrival port and times prior to booking and allow yourself plenty of time to get through the cable cars if needed.
Timing + Strategy: Avoid the Cruise Day Crowds
To make the most of your day and avoid the biggest frustrations, timing is everything:
Cruise ships typically anchor from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM – confirm your exact schedule.
The last tender to the ship is usually 30–60 minutes before departure.
Return lines for the cable car get very long between 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM — wait times can exceed an hour.
Oia is busiest between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. If you go, go early.
Always plan to be back in Fira by 2:30 PM if you’re using the cable car down.
Final Tips for a Smooth Visit
Wear sturdy shoes & bring water shoes– cobblestones and hills are everywhere.
Bring euros – many taxis and small businesses are cash only.
Sunscreen and water – Santorini’s sun is strong, even on cloudy days.
Keep your cruise pass and ID on you – you’ll need them to board tenders.
Download WhatsApp – many taxi and tour companies use these to communicate to avoid international roaming rates..
Conclusion: Yes, You Can Experience Santorini in a Day
While one day might not be enough to explore every hidden corner of Santorini, you can absolutely soak in its magic with a little advance planning. Whether you choose a caldera-side stroll, a relaxing beach escape, or a guided tour, this gorgeous island will leave an impression long after your ship sets sail.
What Would I Do?
As much as I hate crowds, if I had never been to Santorini before, I would 100% want to see the caldera. A visit to Santorini wouldn’t be complete without those iconic blue domes. If I had only one day to explore the island, I’d absolutely book a tour that included both the beaches and the caldera. It’s the best way to see as much of the island as possible without the hassle of figuring out transportation on your own. Ideally, I’d book a private tour that lets me customize the itinerary and not have to wait on any other passengers. And if that private tour didn’t include a water transfer to Athinios Port, I’d just book the water transfer separately and meet my guide there.
Don’t forget your camera — and don’t cut it close on your return. Santorini waits for no one (especially the cable car line)!
Looking for even more ideas for your one day in Santorini? Check out my post on the Top Things To Do in Santorini for more hidden gems and must-do activities!
Island hopping? Explore my Milos guides and itineraries.
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@postcardsfromcarrie Replying to @Dottiegigi Part 2 If you are coming by cruise and only have one day to spend in Santorini, I highly recommend doing a tour! 🇬🇷You will want to check out the Caldera and the blue domed churches 🇬🇷 The Caldera is crowded so a tour will make the most of your time without having to wait for taxis and buses. 🔗 Link in my bio has tour recommendations #Santorini #cruises #santorinigreece #santoriniisland #greecetiktok #greece #greektiktok #greekislands #greekislandhopping ♬ original sound - Postcards From Carrie | Travel
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