Santorini, 5 days Itinerary

The best way to explore Santorini. A guide to what this beautiful island has to offer and tips on how to avoid the busy summer periods.

If you are wondering about where to stay in Santorini I will soon be writing a blog post dedicated to it. However, just for some heads up, for my trip to Santorini I chose to stay in Thira as it is located right in the center of the Island. Prices are also a little cheaper than Oia for example. On the other hand, if you are backpacking and are on a limited budget, then I would suggest staying in the south of the island around Perissa which is much more affordable, and travel to Thira and Oia by bus.

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Day 1 - Arrival, Thira, Skaros Rock and Theoskepasti Holy Orthodox Church

Spend the day in Thira and hike to Skaros Rock and the little church right on the side of the rock, the Theoskepasti Holy Orthodox Church. If you take your time around Skaros rock and the Orthodox Church, allow yourself at least 1-2 hours for the hike. There are lots of stairs coming back up but the scenery is truly beautiful as you are able to see the whole of Santorini, from Oia all the way to the other side of the coast. After a good first day of exploring, enjoy your first Santorini sunsets in Thira.

Day 2 - Boat tour to volcano and hot springs, Thira Port

Book a boat tour to the volcano and caldera hot springs. I booked mine through Viator here. The tour usually starts from the port of Thira. There are two ways to reach it, walking down the 250 steps and meeting some friendly Santorini Donkeys along the way, or using the cable car for €6.00 per way. Personally, we went down by foot and came back up with the cable car. Please do not 'use' the donkeys to come up by stairs just for fun. They get tired and suffer the heat as much as you do and there have also been some discussion regarding the conditions of the donkeys! Personally, I thought they did actually look a bit sad. I know that it's a way to support the local community as well but maybe just leave a tip if you take a picture with the donkey instead to help out the donkeys and their owners too. The tour will take you to the volcano where you have some free time to explore, before heading back on board towards the natural hot springs of Nea Kameni, which to be honest were not so hot after all, but maybe that’s because it was the end of October when I visited. During the tour, we also stopped by the island of Thirasia where we had an amazing and cheap lunch. The fish tasted great and you eat right by the sea! After lunch you will then be able to admire Oia, Skaros Rock and Thira from sea before returning to your initial starting point. Once back at the port, take some time to explore the area and maybe have a nice dinner at one of the restaurants.

The three blue and white bells of the Orthodox church at skaros rock in santorini

Thira Port with a man sitting by te harbour fishing

Sunset from Oia Castel in Satorini with golden coloured little white houses and the sea in the bakcground

Day 3 - Thira to Oia trek and sunset at Oia Castle

Remember to pack comfortable shoes for this day!Go on the trek from Thira to Oia and enjoy the amazing views along it. Google Maps will tell you that it will take about 2 hours, yet it took over half a day for us. You will keep stopping to take pictures, explore the surrounding areas and to rest. The last part of the hike, up to the highest point of the trek, right before descending towards Oia, is a little steep so you will find yourself stopping quite a few times if you are not trained. Also if you will be travelling during the summer, make sure you live nice and early in the morning to avoid the heat.In the afternoon, spend the day wandering through Oia. Stop at the iconic blue domes for some nice photos and about 1 hour or 30 minutes before sunset, start making your way to Oia Castle to find a good spot for one of the best sunset spots in the Santorini. Seeing the little white houses of Oia during golden hour is definitely something you will be remembering for a very long time!

Day 4 - Akrotiri Lighthouse, Red sand beach, Perissa, Church and Heart of Santorini

If you can, rent a car or a scooter and make your way towards the southernmost point of the island, the Akrotiri Lighthouse. From there, spend the day beach hopping all the way from White Beach to Red Beach to Perissa. I would say have a quick tour of the first two and spend some more time in Perissa, there are plenty of little restaurants and shops by the beach and a sanctuary with blue domes by the end of the road. Before going back to Thira for the evening, stop by the Heart of Santorini. A rock formation shaped as a heart overlooking Oia. The heart has faded a little now due to erosion, (more like a circle I would say) but it’s still beautiful to see. Further down the path there is also a little church with 3 bells looking over the caldera.

Link to full Google Maps route here covering locations on the below map

If you are not planning to rent a car or scooter, busses are operating all over the island but keep in mind travel times between places will be longer of course due to bus timings.