How Many Days Do You Need In Santorini ?

Let me get this straight to you:

Yes, if you can only afford to spend 1 night in Santorini (because of x,y reasons), then… go for it!

But it’s the equivalent of visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris, finding Mona Lisa, taking a quick selfie with her, and then leaving the museum, going to the airport, and flying back home.

You can then brag to your friends that you visited the Louvre and you saw with your own eyes DaVinci’s masterpiece, right?

You won’t regret it!

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO DO IN SANTORINI!

Santorini is not a typical Greek island

The things you can do in Santorini are not the same things you would be able to do and experience on other Greek islands like Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, and Milos (which are beach life, warm weather, awesome food, and nightlife).

Santorini has so many more different and diverse things to offer and for you to see that you simply need more days (and nights)!

My proposal for the minimum days you need to spend in Santorini, depending on your situation, is as follows:

You won’t be visiting any beaches (ok…you can visit them but it’s not like you are spending a whole day there swimming and sunbathing) as most of the beach bars and restaurants of Perissa, Kamari and Perivolos would be closed and the weather would be pretty cold and windy (like 5-15 Celsius degrees but mostly sunny though).

Read Also: Santorini Weather – What You Should Expect Every Month

Within 4 days in the Low Season, you will be visiting:

• Fira (for walking, shopping, taking photos, admiring the views, coffee, lunch, dinner, drink, etc)
• Oia, (for walking, shopping, taking photos, admiring the views, coffee, lunch, dinner, drink, etc)
• Pyrgos village (for the views, the picturesque old village, and Franco’s cafe at the top)
• Santowines Winery (most of the other wineries would be closed off season, but better to check their website for more info),
• Akrotiri ruins (open all year),
• Red Beach for a walk and to take a few photos, and finally
• You can even have a walk at Kamari or Perissa/Perivolos’ famous black beaches.

Most of the restaurants in Fira and Oia will still be open and significantly less crowded.

If it’s not raining, you will probably get the perfect weather for hiking (sunny, – temp. 5-20C)

High Season (April-October): I suggest you stay at least 6 days (5 nights) in Santorini.

In 5 nights (6 days) you can do the following:

• spend a day in Perissa, Perivolos beach (beach bars, sunbathing, enjoying the sun, reading a book on the beautiful black beach, having lunch on the beach, doing some watersports, having cocktails and fresh fruit on the beach… You get the point!)
• spend a day at Kamari beach and… do the same things as you’d do in Perissa!!
• Dedicate 1 day to a wine tour and visit some of the best wineries on the island
• Spend an afternoon in Oia waiting on a roof to see the sun setting (along with thousands more people, unfortunately or fortunately…)
• Do some shopping in Fira
• Do some proper clubbing in Fira
• Wander in the picturesque Pyrgos village
• Visit the prehistoric Akrotiri ruins and the unique Red Beach next to the ruins
• Hike up to the ruins of Ancient Thera
• Hike from Oia to Fira
• Have a cocktail at any of the best beach bars on the island
• Spend a day or more at your own private plunge or infinity pool

Ideally, you should spend 10 days (9 nights) in Santorini during the high season so you’ll do all the things you’d do above, plus:

• Movie night at the Kamari Open Air Cinema
• Spend 2 days on Perissa/Perivolos beach
• Dive from Ammoudi Bay and then have seafood at the tavernas around the bay (my favourite taverna/restaurant at Ammoudi Bay is “Katina”
• Visit the long desert beach of Kolumbo and go skinny deep!
• Visit Vlychada, the amazing Eros Beach, and the unique Theros Beach Bar
• Have a day sailing  tour to the volcano and the hot sulphuric springs

If I were to give you only one piece of advice for Santorini, that would be: RENT A CAR!!!

(or an ATV or a motorbike…)

Do not rely on or be constrained by the local buses because you are going to spend so much time waiting for the buses and trying to fit your schedule to the buses’ schedules, which could seriously ruin your holidays.

Ok… It’s not the end of the world, but having a means can make a difference on the Greek islands.

I know that it’s not the most environmentally friendly way to travel, but unfortunately, the public transport anywhere outside of big cities is a disaster: unreliable and confusing.

So, forget the local buses and pay 30-40 euros per day for a car, ATV, or motorbike.

You won’t regret it!

How much time should you spend in Santorini if you only have limited time in Greece and you want to visit other Greek islands or mainland Greece too?

I always advise people that a good rule of thumb is to spend at least half of your time in Greece.

So, if you are staying 4 nights in Greece, then make sure you spend 2 nights in Santorini and so on…

How many days in Santorini and how many days in Mykonos?

If you have anything less than 3 nights in Greece (in total), do not visit Mykonos. It’s not worth it, and it’s going to be very tiring with all the ferries or flights included.

If you have 4 nights in Greece, then make them 3 nights in Santorini and 1 night in Mykonos.

As a rule of thumb:

• In Santorini, you need at least 50% of your time in Greece
• In Mykonos, you need at least 25% of your time in Greece

If you are planning a 10-day holiday in Greece, then:

• Spend 5-6 days in Santorini, 2-3 days in Mykonos, and 1-2 days in Athens (if you are flying through Athens)

• Spend 6-7 days in Santorini, 2-3 days in Mykonos (if your flight back is from Santorini or Mykonos directly to your country destination) – do not try to fit Athens if your flight base is a Greek island because you are going to spend too much time and money in internal flights. You can do Athens and mainland Greece another time. However, if you want to see Athens because you feel you’ll never come back to Greece again (what a stupid thing to say though… everybody comes back to Greece one day eventually!), Take a flight to Athens and then back to Santorini. But even if that’s the case, just spend 1 night in Athens (take a morning flight from Santorini, do the very basics in Athens, and then the next day take an afternoon or evening flight back from Athens to Santorini)

CONCLUSION

Santorini is a place with the ultimate “wow” factor. I wish you could be able to visit the island more than once, but if you feel you won’t be returning anytime, then… do not rush it! Santorini will probably be the most extraordinary place you will ever see in your lifetime, so try to enjoy it and dedicate as much time as possible.

You won’t regret it…

I do inform you, though, that there will be a very sad and unpleasant time on your trip to Santorini, no matter how many days you are spending: it’s the time when you have to leave…