Santorini 3-Day Itinerary

This plan assumes you're staying in Fira, Firostefani or Imerovigli and visiting between May and October. It keeps the walking in the cool morning hours and saves the sunsets for places with fewer people.

Day 1: the caldera path

Early morning: start walking north from Fira towards Oia along the caldera path. Coffee in Firostefani, then on through Imerovigli. Take the side path down to Skaros Rock if you have the legs for it.

Late morning: the stretch after Imerovigli leaves the villages behind and crosses open hillside. It's the least shaded part of the walk, so this is why you started early.

Lunch: reach Oia around lunchtime. Walk the marble lanes before the evening crowd arrives, then take the steps down to Ammoudi for grilled fish on the water.

Evening: bus back to Fira in the late afternoon, rest, and watch the sunset from Firostefani or Imerovigli with a drink.

Day 2: the south of the island

Morning: Akrotiri as soon as it opens, with tickets booked in advance. Allow about an hour and a half. Afterwards, look at Red Beach from the viewpoint or take a small boat from the nearby harbour to see it from the water, since the land path is closed.

Midday: a swim and a long lunch at Vlychada or Perissa.

Afternoon: two wineries around Megalochori and Pyrgos, then walk up through Pyrgos to the kastro. Our wine tasting guide has the names.

Evening: dinner in Pyrgos or Megalochori, better value than on the caldera.

Day 3: into the caldera

Morning: the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira, to see what came out of Akrotiri.

Afternoon: a boat trip into the caldera, with a walk on Nea Kameni and a swim at the hot springs. A sunset sailing is a lovely final evening.

If you'd rather see the classic Oia sunset, swap it in on this last night and read our Oia sunset guide first. With a car, Ancient Thera above Kamari fits into a spare morning, and a beach day in Kamari makes a gentle fourth day.