How to plan a Crete to Santorini Day Trip (2020) – Options + Tips + Photos

Is a day trip from Crete to Santorini worth it? 

The first question everybody has: Is the day trip from Crete to Santorini worth it. Well it depends... Below are some pros and cons for you to take an informed decision.

Shortcuts to organized tours

If you don't want to read the whole article and just want to look at options where everything is organized for you, check out:

• a Santorini day trip from Chania - includes hotel pick and drop off, ferry to Santorini, guided bus tour (with air conditioning) to Oia, Fira and a beach stop
  Check out program and Book
• a Santorini day trip from Rethymno - includes ferry and guided bus tour (with air conditioning) to Oia, Fira and a beach stop - no hotel pick up as it departs from the easily accessible Rethymno port
  Check out program and Book
• a Santorini day trip from Heraklion (or extra bus pick up in Elounda or Agios Nikolaos) - includes ferry to Santorini, guided bus tour (with air conditioning) to Oia, Fira and a beach stop
  Check out program and Book
• a Santorini overnight tour - includes way more time to discover this gorgeous island and the opportunity to see the famous Oia sunset - with hotel pick up and drop off in Crete
  Check out program and Book

Crete to Santorini Trip - your questions answered

• How to get to Santorini from Crete?
  The main option is by ferry. But there is also the option of flying.
• How long is the ferry ride from Crete to Santorini?
  Different ferry services run between Crete and Santorini. The high speed catamarans are the fastest. They will take you from Heraklion to Santorini island in approximately 2h30 or from Rethymno to Santorini in 2h50. The ferries are more frequent in Summer with usually 2 per day from Heraklion (April to Mid October).
• Can you fly from Crete to Santorini?
  There is a possibility to fly from Crete to Santorini from the Heraklion airport. Sky Express is the company. However there are limited seats and considering how short the ferry ride is, I think the boat is the best option.
• What is the cheapest way from Crete to Santorini?
  Swimming 🙂 Kidding... but it is the truth. The ferries are the cheapest options compare to flights.
• How many days do you need in Santorini ?
  Ideally I think 3 days is a good time to visit the island of Santorini in order to enjoy the white villages on the rim and the center of the island off the beaten path plus explore the various beaches and admire it by boat. But seeing Santorini is a unique experience, so even with just one day you can already appreciate the impressive cliffs of the caldera and the unique look of the villages.
• Crete to Santorini day trip price / cost
  If you are booking one of the organized tours (listed above) it will cost you around 170 euros per person. Any self organized tour will be more expensive.

Travel from Crete to Santorini - ferry ride

If you organized yourself or book an tour, you will have to take a ferry from Crete to Santorini. So here is what it looks like.

There are 2 main companies operating high speed catamaran ferries from Crete to Santorini (book Greek ferries here):

• Seajets - with Champion Jet boats
  Classic operating hours April to October (but check your ticket) are:
  Heraklion to Santorini ferry - departure at 7:50  (arriving at 10:15) or departure from 8:40 (arriving at 10:35)
  and return at 4:50pm from Santorini (arriving at 6:35pm) or return at 5:15pm from Santorini (arriving at 7:15pm)
  Or Rethymno to Santorini ferry: departure at 7:45  (arriving at 10:35) and return at 4:50pm from Santorini (arriving at 7:50pm)
• Minoan Lines
  Classic operating hours April to October (but check your ticket) are: 
  Departure from Heraklion at 9:40 (arriving at 11:40) and return from Santorini at 5:45pm (arriving at 7:30)
• There are also larger ferry boats but they take longer (3h45 from Rethymno), so there is no point for a day trip

Inside the ferry from Crete to Santorini

You don't have to be 1h early for boarding. It all goes very fast and access does not open early. If you don't have an hotel pick up, come to the port 30 to 45min before.
Pay attention, the boarding goes very fast.
And watch out where you walk. The access on the boat is via the metal hatch and it is uneven flooring.
People will leave their luggages and all passengers make their way to the seating areas.

All tickets have a seat number and reserved seat. Find the map to locate your section and then find you number.

All the ferries have some kind of food service.

If authorized (depending on weather conditions), make sure to go outside as you get closer to Santorini. This way, without doing the small boat tour, you still get to enjoy the caldera with the layers of red and dark rocks and the white villages covering the rim of the volcano.

You can see the crazy steep cliffs and the white villages atop on the rim of the volcano. Impressive!

I must admit that getting on and off the ferries were some fo the worst experiences I had while traveling in Greece. They are crowded and there is very little time to get off and for the next travelers to get in. There is only limited space at the port but lots of boats (cruise, ferries, products...) waiting.
The good news is that on a day trip you don't have to carry your luggage around. It will be a lot easier for you.

From there buses, taxis and pick ups are on the left. If you don't have any transportation organized, go fast to catch a taxi! 

Option A - Crete to Santorini Day Tour (organized)

If you only have one day, the easiest option for you is really to book an organized tour. You won't have a choice of where to go, but you won't have to worry about timing and finding things.
Tours to Santorini leave from the ports of Heraklion and Rethymno. If you’re staying in Chania or Agios Nikolaos you’ll get hotel pickup by bus to take you to the port.

Organized tour from Crete to Santorini - Programs

All tours from Crete to Santorini have the same program.

• The day starts with a hotel pick up if you are in Chania or Agios Nikolaos / Elounda
• Your ferry departs either from Rethymno or Heraklion
• You enjoy the 2h30/2h50 on the ferry - food can be purchased
• Once you arrive in Santorini, you find the bus matching the information you were given
• The first stop will be the famous village of Oia in the North of the island where you will walk and see the famous view
• Then you can enjoy Thira, the capital of Santorini - you have free time to explore, shop and eat
• In the afternoon most offer different options: stay in Thira, head to one of the black sand beaches on the East coast (Perissa or Perivolos) or take a boat tour to the caldera (extra price)
• And then back to the port, on the ferry and back to the hotel.

Book your tours

• Santorini day trip from Chania - Check out program and Book
• Santorini day trip from Rethymno - Check out program and Book
• Santorini day trip from Heraklion (or extra bus pick up in Elounda or Agios Nikolaos) - Check out program and Book

Bus tour to Oia & Perissa beach

If you are wondering what you will see on a bus tour where you don't have a choice, here are a few pictures:

Visiting Oia in Santorini

You will walk the narrow alleys of the white village where you will only see restaurants, hotels and shops. 
Even though it is extremely touristic, you can enjoy the local architecture and maze-like experience.

Don't miss the many churches and bells

From several spots in the village you can have impressive views of the volcanic cliffs with the white constructions above.
The whole geography is very impressive.

You can get to the ruins of the castle to see the most photographed place in Greece: Amoudi Bay

Bus stop at Perissa Beach

Santorini Caldera boat tour

My favorite activity in Santorini is the sailing tour. However it takes all day so it is not compatible with your day trip from Crete.
But you can still enjoy a shorter tour that goes to the center of the Caldera and its hot waters. This is a extra you can choose on the day trips.
For those interesting in geology, this might be a great option.

Option B - Self-organized Crete to Santorini Day Trip 

Step 1 - Book your ferry 

Book your ticket departing Rethymno or Heraklion.
If leaving from Heraklion you can take the earliest one in and book the latest one back, to have to most time available possible in Santorini.
Those ferries can get full in Summer so make sure you prebook on the Internet.
And at the port get your final ticket from the booths (they open 1h30 to 1h before departure)
Book your ferry rides

Step 1b alternative - Crete to Santorini flight

You can also opt for a flight - very limited seats. The company is Sky Express

Step 2 - Book your transportation 

You can either:

• Book a bus tour (but then it is as limiting as the organized tour)
• Book a private tour - Check out some options here
• Rent a car (know that renting from the port is more expensive, but considering you only have one day that's your best option) - compare on rentalcars.com
• Use public transportation - considering you have only one day, I would not recommend it - unless you just want to go to one place and back to the port. Connecting bus in the main town Thira.

If you are organizing your own visit, consider my favorite places in a section below. And plan enough time for driving and getting back down to the port. There is a lot of traffic on the island!

Option C - Overnight tour to Santorini from Crete

Self organized

As for the day tour, you can also organize things yourself, renting a car. I recommend staying in Oia if you want to enjoy the famous sunset, or staying in Emporio if you want something different and less touristic or staying in Kamari for a beach stay.

Check out the best rated accommodations in Santorini and use the map function

One day in Santorini - My self-organized alternative

I showed you earlier how to plan your own day trip from Crete to Santorini.
It you choose this option and rent a car, below are 3 stops I would include on top of Oia.

Those black beaches are for people who want to swim and sunbath.
But if you love geology or just amazing scenery, head to the red beach. The cliffs are made of red volcanic rocks and the contrast with the small white church is gorgeous.

Vlichada beach is not famous at all (except for naturist who go at the far end). But for those like me who are fascinated by crazy rock formations, this is  a wonderful place. The cliffs are twisted and wave-like sculpted by erosion. I walked for a really long time, mesmerized by the shapes.

Everybody runs to Oia and Thira. And I understand. They are built on stop of steep cliff with beautiful sea views and white walls contrasting with the dark volcanic rocks.
However Emporio was the village that stole my heart in Santorini, in the South center of the island.
I was almost alone as I explore the narrow alleys. The geometrical shapes and colors were fascinating. And it felt like traveling back in time.

Are you also planning a road trip in Crete? Check out my eBook to help you plan it: 

And if you are also exploring Santorini over several days, check out this travel guide too: