How to spend 2 days in Santorini, Greece!
The Island of Santorini
Santorini is unarguably one of the most sought after vacations spots in the world. The whitewashed houses paired with the infamous blue domes make it such an aesthetic getaway.
Getting to the Island
Whether you're coming from Athens or a different location you will arrive at the National Airport of Santorini.
The flight from Athens is a quick 40 minute route. I flew on Ryanair and purchased my tickets about 2 weeks ahead of time. You can also get to Santorini by ferry which takes about 8 hours.
Once you arrive at the airport you will be greeted with taxis 24/7 waiting to take you to your destination. Our taxi ride was $30 for about a 15 minute ride across the island to Fira.
Where to Stay? Fira or Oia?
I would say these are the two most popular locations to stay within the island. When researching airbnb's to stay at we were met with tons of options from both areas.
As you can see Fira is located in the middle of the island whereas Oia is at the top. Oia is the location that is known for all of the famous blue domes. However, we ultimately decided to stay in Fira as it was a bit cheaper. We stayed in a cute cave house located in the heart of Fira.
Santorini Accommodation in Fira
Christina's Cave House
I was in a group of 6 people and we found this airbnb that was perfect for us. We paid a total of $576 which came out to about $90 per person for two nights. This was during the month of October in 2022 so the prices will fluctuate.
The host was super accommodating as we were able to check in at 8am. They had plenty of bottled waters ready for us which was nice and we didn't have to worry about buying any during our time on the island. The host also made sure to give us recommendations and answered all of our questions about navigating the island.
Check out Christina's Cave House HERE
Activities- Day 1
Volcano and Hot Springs Combo
We wanted a fun water activity for our first day in Santorini and this tour was perfect. We were taken by boat to the active volcano which you can see from the island. From there we were given 1.5 hours to explore and we decided to hike to the top. The hike was fairly easy but there was no wind so it got a little hot!
From there we were taken to the island of Palea Kameni where the hot springs are located. We were given foam noodles to swim over to the orange colored hot spring. I would say we spent about 20 minutes there and were able to see goats on the side of the mountain!
This Santorini Volcano & Hot Springs Tour cost about $30 per person for 3 hours. You do have to pay a $5 entrance fee upon arrival to the volcano site as well. It is a group tour with a large boat that fits up to 150 people max. This was a perfect tour for some fun activities during our first day on the island. I loved that it wasn't a full day excursion as I was only in Santorini for 2 short days. After the tour we were able to get ready and head out around the town of Fira for dinner.
You will meet up for this tour at the Old Port of Fira which is only accessible two ways. You can take the cable car down which is 6 euros per way or you can walk down the Karavolades stairs which has 588 stairs.
The stairs are pretty long and slick and takes about 20-30 minutes to get down. The views are great but if you are in a rush or have someone with a physical disability... I would recommend the cable car.
Explore Fira- Theotokopoulou Square
After our excursions during the day we headed out to the main area of Fira to explore and get dinner. This area has lots of shops and restaurants that will keep you busy. This area also has amazing views of the water and cliffs that make for a great sunset.
Three Bells of Fira
While you're in Fira be sure to make a quick stop at this well known site.
Activities- Day 2
Visit the Akrotiri Archaeological Site
Akrotiri is a prehistoric city that was destroyed in the 16th century. It is known as the "Greek Pompei" as the town was covered in ash following the Theran volcanic eruption.
We had an hour guided tour here and it was very interesting. The entrance fee is 12 euro per person but we were able to get in for 6 euro with a student discount!
Explore the Emporio Village
Emporio is the largest village in Santorini located in the southern part of the island. The pathways are super narrow throughout the village with steep staircases.
This village is easy and fun to explore as it has so much history with lots of churches, traditional houses, and the castle.
Perissa Black Sand Beach
We stopped at the famous black sand beach on the island known as Perissa beach. The black beach is a result of the volcanic activity that created the island. For lunch we ate at the Aquarius restaurant situated with a view of the beach.
We spent about an hour and a half here which was just the right amount of time. If you want to spend more time here there are chairs and umbrellas to make for a relaxing time.
Monastery of Profitis Ilias
Our next stop was to visit the highest point on the island of Santorini.
We were here for only a few minutes to see the view. As you can see it was very windy!
Local Winery
We were able to go to one of Santorini's local winery's on the island. We had little appetizers and were given a white, red, and the wine of Santorini to taste.
Sunset in Oia
To end our second and final day in Santorini we visited the famous village of Oia. This is most definitely the most touristy destination on the island. We visited in October and there was tons of crowds.
There are tons of picture taking spots... we pretty much just walked around and came upon these spots. Be prepared to wait in a line! The sunset was gorgeous to witness here.
Santorini Full Island Tour
Now I know this seems like a lot of activities for one day but we were able to do all of this through the Santorini Day Tour with Sunset in Oia. This was another group tour but for the price of $50 you cannot beat everything you get to see throughout the island on this tour.
Hotel pickup and drop-off is included as well as a driver and tour guide for the entire day. Our guide was knowledgeable and gave us lots of recommendations throughout the day! If you have a short amount of time to visit Santorini I would highly recommend this tour that gives you a bit of everything.
And there you have it. Your two day itinerary for Santorini. I have a vlog up on my YouTube channel that takes you through my entire time in Greece here.
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