Santorini in 4 Days: A Complete Itinerary with Travel Tips

The Story of Santorini, Greece

Before we dive into how I suggest doing Santorini in 4 days, let’s get up to speed on this beautiful island’s back-story. I didn’t do this ahead of my own visit to Greece, and I was quite surprised when I was already there and learned all of this. So go you for doing some research!

To start, Santorini is an island situated on the rim of a volcano. Back in 1600 B.C. Santorini, formerly known as Thera, was the victim of a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed the town of Akrotiri. The eruption was one of the largest known in history, and lasted several days. This eruption completely wiped out historic Thera and it’s Minoan settlers.

Interestingly, the eruption resulted in the formation of a new neighboring island called Nea Kameni. To this day Nea Kameni remains, and is now a volcano you can boat to and climb up while you’re visiting Santorini.

Santorini in Present Day

Nea Kameni is located at the center of the caldera. The last eruption occurred on Santorini’s island of Nea Kameni 1950 with a stream of lava pouring out for a few days. Nothing catastrophic, but certainly raises eyebrows.

Although Santorini hasn’t seen an eruption since 1950, the volcano is still considered active. You can even take walking tours of active Nea Kameni, but more on that later.

Day 1 – Hiking, Wine, and Fira

Hike to Skaros Rock in Imerovigli

If you live an active lifestyle, hiking Skaros Rock is a great way to get some exercise in. The hike starts in Fira and ends in Imerovigli taking 2.5 hours to complete roundtrip. Along the way you’ll stumble past insane views of the caldera from north to south, beautiful white-washed buildings, and of course, blue-domed churches. We went on a cloudy day and at one point we found ourselves among the clouds! It was totally magical.

Once you reach Skaros Rock, you’ll be warned about proceeding “beyond X point”. If you choose to hike beyond the warning sign (most everyone does), you’ll be able to see the blue-domed church hidden behind the rock. What’s cool is that this tiny church is only visible from this vantage point or by boat. Snap a picture with it, best proof you did the hike!

The optimal time to start this hike is either at 6:30am (sunrise) or at 4:30pm (before sunset). Basically the least hottest times of the day where there is still sunlight available. If you are closely following this itinerary, then I recommend you start your hike at 6:30am. That way you can conquer the rest of Day 1 on schedule.

Taste Santorini Wines: Assyrtiko and Vinsanto

Santorini wines are a must stop and sip. Because of the volcanic soil, the wine grapes are infused with tons of minerals that alter the acidity of the wine produced here. While conquering Santorini in 4 days, you are sure to pass by multiple vineyards along the way. At most, the grape vines stand up to 6 ft tall. Instead of having tall vines (more space for grapes right?), Santorini winemakers grow their grapes very close to the soil to protect the vines from the strong winds on the island.

The 2 wines you MUST try are the Assyrtiko and the Vinsanto.

Assyrtiko is a crisp, dry white wine with a light fruit flavor. Santorini produces it in its highest quality because of the volcanic soil, although it is produced in other islands of the cyclades as well.

Vinsanto is often mistaken for a red wine, but it is produced with 51% Assyrtiko grape – which makes it officially a white wine. That for me was mind-blowing. The taste is much more like a dessert wine, it’s sweet and is most certainly a slow sipping wine. Vinsanto is also hard to come by. There are about 20 wineries on the island, and only a handful of wineries produce it. Excluuuuusive!

The most popular wineries to visit on the island that also make Vinsanto are:

I highly recommend joining a tour to have someone shuttle you around to the different wineries on the island. That way you don’t worry about getting behind the wheel, and you kind of get to kick back while you knock ’em back. I really enjoyed my tour, but since the format of the tours change so much I can no longer link the one I attended here.

HOT TIP: When searching for a tour for you, make sure at least one of the wineries in the tour’s itinerary has Vinsanto.

Dine with a Sunset View in Fira

For the first of your sunset views, I recommend settling down after a long day in Fira for dinner. Fira has some incredible restaurants with panoramic views of the sunset. Make sure you reserve this (and really any restaurant in Santorini) in advance because they book quickly, especially during summer months.

Also some restaurants have indoor seating so when you reserve make it clear you are seeking a table with a sunset view.

Explore Nightlife in Fira

Now that you’re in the most popping part of the island, walk around and explore the shops (open late during the summer months). This would be a nice time to get those souvenirs for friends and family out of the way. Fira is 100% geared toward tourism so you’ll find many folks pushing their gift shop items on you.

While walking around Fira after dinner, you will find clubs, bars, dessert shops, and street food for the night owls. Just be careful navigating around on foot with all of the 2 and 4-wheelers zooming through the narrow streets. There were lots of reckless drivers while I was there.

Day 2 – Explore the Southern Side of Santorini

Perissa (Black Sand) Beach

Perissa Beach is located on the southeastern side of Santorini. It is famous for its unique black sand that resulted from the islands volcanic activity. Spend your day basking in one of the beach day beds or bring your own towel and lay on the sand. The sand, being it’s black and all, can get very hot so bring some water shoes or sandals to protect your feet.

The beach is also lined with Greek waterfront restaurants that aren’t bank-breaking to lunch at. I didn’t have to make any reservations to eat at Fratzeskos Fish Tavern, but it’s a good idea to try to if you go in the summer high season.

Explore the Ancient Ruins in Akrotiri

Akrotiri is one of the oldest villages on the island. This unlucky village suffered devastation 2x within approximately 100 years. The first time, around 4500 B.C., the original town of Akrotiri was destroyed by an earthquake. After rebuilding on top of ruins, Akrotiri was destroyed a second time by a volcanic eruption 100 years later. This little town just couldn’t catch a break!

If you’re into history, visit Akrotiri’s ancient ruins to explore a multitude of intact artifacts from this former trade port. You’ll get to see lots of ancient painted pottery, paintings, and clothing!

Watch the Sunset at the Lighthouse in Akrotiri

Now aside from my hotel room, THIS was my favorite place to watch the sunset in Santorini. Since you’re already in Akrotiri at this point, try to stay in the area for sundown. It’s so serene and beautiful from this vantage point.

Does this spot get crowded? It is busy here, but there are significantly fewer people here than there are in Oia. Oia is the iconic white-washed, and blue-domed church village on the opposite side of the island. Although, if you stick with this itinerary you’ll watch the sunset in Oia tomorrow, but you may enjoy the tranquility of this spot more.

Day 3 – Volcanos, Sunsets, Food, oh my!

Volcano Boat Tour (Nea Kameni, Hot Springs, and Therasia)

A tour for the risk takers and the curious cats! Since you’re in the land of historic volcano eruptions, why not climb one? So one good reason would be that this volcano… is ACTIVE. Although, there are volcanologists constantly measuring its seismic activity, so you should be forewarned about the risk of an eruption.

If you’re still onboard (pun intended) then take a Volcano Boat Tour! There are many, and prices range based on the amount of people in the tour, season of the year, and itinerary, but here is the one I did!

My 6-hour tour was about €33 per person with stops at the volcanic island of Nea Kameni, the hot springs at Palia Kameni, and Therasia. It was a large group tour (hence the lower price) but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. It was great for the value we received.

The volcano is HOT, but mostly because the sun beams are strong, and there is zero shade. It takes about 45 minutes to hike to the top and back. I highly recommend wearing close-toed shoes for the hike because you are walking on gravel the entire time.

Next, try to make a stop at the Hot Springs at Palia Kameni. The thermal waters are rich in sulfur, iron, and manganese. Casually known as the holy grail of health, the hot springs are therapeutic for those suffering from musculoskeletal and skin disorders. While swimming around I noticed a lot of people rubbing the island’s reddish sand all over their bodies, so I joined in on the fun. I’ll admit my hands were velvety soft after that!

Finally, on my tour we stopped for a wonderful lunch at the island of Therasia. There is this LOVELY little restaurant at the top of the island called Panorama Resto open from April-November. It is sincerely a HIKE to get to, but the food is so delicious and fresh, and and beautifully plated. I guess you can say they really make you earn this meal!

Watch the Sunset in Oia

So this may or may not be THE thing you came to Santorini for. To watch the island’s beautiful view of the sunset among the picturesque white-washed buildings in Oia. Which is why I decided to include it in the itinerary. Although honestly, this isn’t THE prime spot to watch the sunset because of the crowds of people trying to do the exact same thing. But, I admit and can understand that it is a total vibe to have this experience and to be able to say you did.

If Oia sunsets are your cup of tea, totally go for it! Otherwise, try to find an off-road lookout spot with fewer people around and watch the sunset from there.

Dine at Petra Restaurant in Oia

Petra Restaurant is a high-end multi-course restaurant in Santorini. The portions are small and each dish is explained by your waiter in express detail upon delivery to your table. When I think of Petra Restaurant I start wanting to use words like “exquisite” to accurately describe the caliber of food offered. I’m really not sure why this place hasn’t been Michelin-rated yet, but I digress.

Make a reservation in advance to secure your spot to dine like royalty with a stunning view of Oia.

Day 4 – Get Lost before you Depart

Get Lost in the villages: Imerovigli and Megalochori

Santorini consists of many small villages, some of which can be overlooked when you’re trying to hit all “the spots” during your trip.

Don’t forget to save time to get a little lost roaming around in some of the quieter villages. Sometimes you happen upon the best gems this way!

A couple of great villages to do that in are Imerovigli and Megalochori.

Imerovigli is a caldera town located ~2 miles northwest of Fira and sits at a higher elevation. In fact, it is where you end up when you hike Skaros Rock! Take some time to explore the village a bit more and discover awesome photo opportunities along the way.

Megalochori is further inland and is located ~3.5 miles south of Fira. It is home to some wonderful wineries like the Gavalas Winery, and has lots of little paths of white-washed buildings to get lost in.

Restaurant Recommendations

How to Get to Santorini from Athens

Plane – You can get to Santorini by plane if you depart from Athens International Airport (ATH). Your destination airport will be Santorini Airport (JTR). A direct flight takes only around 45-55 minutes. This is a great option for you if you are short on vacation time and don’t want to spend too much time commuting.

Ferry – Taking a ferry between the Greek islands is a great alternative if you want the unique experience of boating through the Mediterranean. There are 2 kinds of ferries — Ferryboats and High-Speed Ferries. Both depart from the Athens Port of Piraeus and drop you off at Athinios, also known as Thira, port in Santorini. Ferryboats take about 8 hours to travel from Piraeus to Athinios. High-Speed Ferries take about 5 hours and come with a larger ticket price.

Where to Stay in Santorini

If you are doing Santorini in 4 days on a budget, then I recommend staying at a lower-end hotel the first 2 nights. You will most likely be exploring the island, and not spending much time at your hotel. This will give you more opportunity to spend a little extra for a Santorini-esque view for your final 2 nights.

Seeking a classic Santorini stay with a beautiful sunset view? We stayed here and would return over and over if we could:

Oia – classic, white-washed walls

Most people stay in Oia (northern side of the island). Staying in Oia will give you the classic white-washed picturesque view. It is the location most people search for when they go to Santorini, however its popularity comes with high prices, large crowds, and noise. Therefore, if you’re looking for something a little slower and quieter, then I suggest you look to Fira or Akrotiri as your hub.

Fira – young, fun and vibrant

Fira is also a great village to stay at if you’re looking to party or stay out late. There are lots of hostels, clubs, bars, and street food in the village. You’ll find there tends to be a younger crowd here, and shops stay open late to accommodate them.

Fira is centrally located between Oia and Akrotiri which makes exploring the entire island easier. Staying in Fira also gives you walkable access to the Fira port if you plan to take boat tours that depart from there.

Also, a drive from Fira to Oia tends to take about 25 minutes.

Alternatively, Fira is the starting point of a beautiful 3-5 hour hike to Oia. If you go by foot, you’ll pass through numerous villages and stunning views of the Mediterranean on your path.

Akrotiri – calm, peaceful, authentic

Akrotiri (southern-most Santorini village) is the furthest village from Oia, but the area is quieter, way more private, and the sunset views are equally as stunning from this vantage point.

Staying in Akrotiri gives you 5-minute access to the Akrotiri lighthouse, which is a popular sunset viewing point. You are also only a 15-minute drive from Perissa (Black Sand) Beach, Red Beach, and White Beach.

Lastly, you can access the Akrotiri excavations within minutes by car.