Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.03 Days in Santorini: Honeymoon Itinerary
Three unhurried days in Santorini at a romantic pace: caldera-rim mornings in Fira, the blue-domed lanes and sunset viewpoints of Oia, Assyrtiko tastings at Santo Wines, the buried Minoan city of Akrotiri, and a lighthouse sunset away from the crowds. Answer a few questions and the plan re-plans itself around how you travel: your pace, your budget, your style.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
6 stops · 6 meals · 3 hotelsThis is the editor’s pick.
3 days
Each day takes one part of Santorini, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
A rooftop Greek restaurant with caldera views and traditional dishes at reasonable prices. Try the braised beef, moussaka and Naoussa potato salad.
A pulsed gondola lift linking Fira with the old port below, a 3-minute ride over the caldera cliffs.
- Expect long queues on cruise-ship days, so ride early.
The blue-domed Catholic church from the postcards, sitting right on the caldera path between Fira and Oia. Free to view from outside.
- Time your photo stop into the caldera walk; it sits right on it.
Coffee and brunch by day, dinner and innovative cocktails at sunset, an outdoor cinema at night, on a promontory with sweeping caldera views.
A caldera-edge cocktail bar in Fira, famous for sunset views and inventive cocktails. Book ahead; tables go fast.
- Perched on the caldera edge with sweeping sunset views toward Oia.
A 4-star luxury boutique hotel on the Fira caldera cliff: 16 suites with private balconies overlooking the caldera and volcano, an outdoor pool with a swim-up bar, a spa, and the Esperisma restaurant.
A Mediterranean restaurant with caldera views and a creative menu of modern Greek dishes at moderate prices. The shrimp bolognese and lamb ragu stand out.
- Call early to reserve an outside table for sunset.
The remains of a 15th-century Venetian fortress and the island's most famous sunset viewpoint. The view is free; the crowds are not.
- Arrive at least an hour before sunset for a viewing spot in peak season.
A hilltop lounge pool bar on Oia's caldera edge: cocktails, light food and a pool with unobstructed sunset views. Buy a drink at the bar and use the pool for a small entry fee.
- A hidden gem away from the Oia crowds, with reasonable drinks by Oia standards.
A tiny fishing port at the foot of about 300 steps below Oia, with colorful boats, waterfront fish tavernas and red-cliff views.
- The seafood tavernas are excellent but pricey; go for one long lunch.
- Claim your castle-ruin viewpoint at least an hour before sunset, then descend the steps to Ammoudi Bay for a waterfront seafood dinner.
A romantic garden restaurant in a centennial Santorini house, serving brunch through dinner with local produce and house-infused cocktails. A quieter alternative to the caldera-front spots.
- Happy hour runs 16:00 to 18:00 with a 3-course Greek set menu for 25 euros.
Switch bases tonight. A five-star hotel on the Oia clifftop with 34 cave-style suites with caldera views, three outdoor infinity pools, and adults-only for ages 13 and up.
A cliffside restaurant in Oia for modern Greek cuisine at sunset, listed as romantic and good for special occasions. Fava, oven lamb and Assyrtiko wines.
A cliffside cooperative winery in Pyrgos with caldera-view terraces and tastings of Assyrtiko and Vinsanto, plus a restaurant.
- Book the terrace at sunset; tastings pair with local cheeses and snacks.
A Venetian hilltop fortress crowning the former island capital, with maze-like lanes and views over the whole island.
A Mediterranean restaurant inside a restored century-old winery in the Pyrgos alleyways, with a shaded rooftop terrace overlooking the sea.
- Rooftop tables have sweeping views from the Pyrgos hillside.
Switch bases tonight. A Relais and Chateaux hotel in an 1870s captain's mansion at the top of Pyrgos: 11 rooms, outdoor pool, spa with Jacuzzi, cellar wine tastings, vineyard visits and a gourmet restaurant.
Where to stay in Santorini
Ranked for romantic travelers on a splurge budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Athina Luxury Suites
A 4-star luxury boutique hotel on the Fira caldera cliff: 16 suites with private balconies overlooking the caldera and volcano, an outdoor pool with a swim-up bar, a spa, and the Esperisma restaurant.
Katikies Santorini
A five-star hotel on the Oia clifftop with 34 cave-style suites with caldera views, three outdoor infinity pools, and adults-only for ages 13 and up.
Zannos Melathron
A Relais and Chateaux hotel in an 1870s captain's mansion at the top of Pyrgos: 11 rooms, outdoor pool, spa with Jacuzzi, cellar wine tastings, vineyard visits and a gourmet restaurant.
Flights to Santorini
Fly into JTR (JTR)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Getting around Santorini
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
KTEL Santorini runs the island's public bus network from the central station in Fira, with routes to Oia, Kamari, Perissa, Akrotiri, the airport (JTR) and Athinios ferry port. Buses run roughly every 20-30 minutes on the busy routes in summer (June-September), less often off-season; plan around the timetable as late-evening service is thin.
- KTEL Santorini buses
Public buses from Fira to Oia, Kamari, Perissa, Akrotiri, the airport and Athinios port; the budget way around the island.
Tip: Buy the ticket on board in cash (carry coins). Most routes cost EUR 2.20; Perissa, Perivolos and Athinios port are EUR 2.70, Vlychada EUR 2.80, with a 25% night surcharge between 00:30 and 05:00.
Rideshare
There is no UberX on Santorini. Uber operates only as Uber Taxi, hailing one of the island's licensed taxis at standard taxi rates with card payment in the app. Bolt does not serve the island and FreeNow's Greek coverage stops at the mainland. Expect long waits in peak season.
- Uber Taxi
The Uber app on Santorini hails licensed local taxis rather than private cars, with upfront pricing and card payment.
Tip: Drivers are scarce in summer; if no car accepts, ask your hotel to arrange a private transfer instead.
Bikes
Santorini has no city bikeshare or e-scooter sharing. The standard two-wheel rental is an ATV/quad or scooter from one of the many rental shops, useful for reaching beaches and villages the buses serve poorly. A driving licence is required and helmets are provided; book ahead in summer.
- Mark's Bikes Santorini ATV, moto and buggy rental
Family-run rental shop in Perissa renting ATVs, motorbikes and buggies with hotel drop-off and pick-up.
Tip: ATVs are the easiest way to reach Red Beach, Vlychada and the Akrotiri area on your own schedule; drive defensively on the narrow caldera roads.
Taxis
Santorini has only about 40 licensed taxis and no central fleet site or official taxi app, so no bookable operator is listed here. Hail one at the ranks in Fira and Oia, have your hotel call one, or use the Uber app (see Rideshare). Fares are fixed by destination, not metered: agree the price before you get in and expect roughly double after midnight.
