Santorini is one of the most iconic and well-known destinations in Greece, in Europe, and around the world – and one of the most expensive. But it doesn’t need to be. Any good budget traveler can manage a visit to Santorini without breaking the bank. So if you’re after a thrifty trip to Santorini, this is the guide for you: how to visit Santorini on a budget!

What to See and Do in Santorini on a Budget

There’s plenty of free things to see and do on Santorini. And it’s definitely possible to keep costs down throughout your trip! Here’s my picks for what to do in Santorini on a budget.

Hike from Fira to Oia

Hiking along the caldera from Fira to Oia is one of the most popular activities on Santorini – and for good reason. The views are amazing! Plus, you get the chance to pass through some swanky hotels without paying anything. The hike is about 6 miles (10km) and took me about 3.5 hours. This included walking out to Skaros Rock. The trail starts at Hotel Atlantis in Fira and doesn’t really have a set finish point in Oia.

Bring plenty of water and snacks, as there aren’t many places to buy any on the route. And don’t forget sunscreen! There is absolutely no shade or protection from the sun on the majority of the route. If you’re visiting in summer, make sure to start early to avoid hiking in the heat of the day. The trail is a mixture of sidewalk tarmac, cobblestone, and dirt path. I wore my trainers and managed, but would have preferred my hiking boots if I’d had them with me. Please wear appropriate footwear – do not try to do this hike in flipflops.

Watch the sunset

You should make a point to watch the sunset every night of your trip to Santorini – I made an effort to see the sunset just about every night I was in Greece! Watching the sunset is one of the best things to do in Santorini, and it’s completely free.

Of course, you have to catch at least one sunset in Oia. There are about a million viewing spots, but the most popular is at the castle. If you are wanting a good spot, be there 1-2 hours before sunset. Buy a couple beers or a bottle of wine from a shop if you want a treat! (I paid €1.40 for a can of Mythos in Oia.)

If you’re wanting dinner and/or drinks in Santorini at sunset, you definitely need to book a table in advance. Any restaurant, bar, or café with a caldera view will be busiest at sunset! I found a place in Fira just after the sun went down and it was €8 for a glass of house wine – prices in Oia were anywhere from €10-20 for a drink! If you’re wanting dinner/drinks with your sunset, I’d recommend doing that in Fira, and catching the sunset from the castle in Oia.

Hit the beach

The beaches on Santorini aren’t the main attraction for visitors to the island – it’s the caldera villages. But Santorini has some beautiful beaches! As long as you don’t use a sunbed/lounger, the beaches are free to visit. If you do want a sunbed, they tend to be free as long as you buy a drink from the attached café/bar.

I loved Perivolos Beach, the same stretch of sand as Perissa Beach but the slightly quieter end. This is the famous black sand beach! If I’d had more time on Santorini, I’d have loved to visit Akrotiri Beach (Kokkini Beach), which is the famous red beach. Kamari Beach is another popular black sand beach.

Photograph those classic Greek shots

One of the best free things to do on Santorini? Just wander around and take photos. There’s a reason Santorini is one of the most visited and most popular Greek islands – it’s those stunning caldera villages, with the whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches. It costs nothing to walk around town and snap pics!

Oia and Fira are the two obvious choices, of course. But I also loved the few hours I spent in Pyrgos, a village between Fira and Perissa. There are some stunning views from up high (I watched the sunset here one night!). And you won’t find the huge crowds and masses of people you encounter in Oia and Fira.

Tours in Santorini on a Budget

Nea Kameni Tour

I took the 3-hour tour to Nea Kameni, which is the most popular tour/day excursion on the island. It was relatively affordable (€25 for the tour, and €5 for entrance to the national park), but I wouldn’t say it was spectacular. We sailed from Fira port to the volcanic island, with time to hike to the top of the crater. We also stopped to swim in the hot springs at Palea Kameni. I’m glad I went, as it was great to see Santorini and the caldera villages from the water! If you’re interested, you can book a similar tour below.

There are many longer tours available on a catamaran. These are much more expensive (about €100/person) but are longer, some have food/drinks included, and some sail up to Oia for sunset. If I’d have had a bit more money, I would have rather done a catamaran tour, rather than the Nea Kameni tour! I think I would have had more fun and a more enjoyable experience.

Winery Tour

There are a number of wineries on Santorini. To avoid drinking and driving, a lot of people opt for a tour. Santo Winery is one of the most popular wineries on the island (although there are others) and you can do a tasting for €10-15/per person there. It’s also accessible by bus – buses from Fira to Perissa stop at a designated stop for the winery. So if you’re just looking for one nice wine tasting, I don’t think you’d need to book a tour. I wish I’d have had more time to do this! Otherwise, you can book a winery tour below.

Food in Santorini on the Cheap

You can always find food on the cheap – if you know where to look. The most expensive places will be the caldera-view restaurants in Oia and Fira. From there, anything further away decreases in price. I had a huge gyro just outside Fira for less than €4. Pitogyros in Oia is very affordable (I got a HUGE Greek salad for €8.80) and you can get your food to-go. Bakeries and grocery stores will always be the cheapest places for food, in Santorini and everywhere!

One thing to know is that tap water isn’t drinkable on Santorini. Many hotels will have filtered water available – my hostel did. But make sure you fill up before you leave for the day, otherwise you’ll need to buy bottled water as you go. And while it’s harmful for the environment to buy single-use plastic, it’s also an additional cost that will add up over time.

Budget Transportation in Santorini

I got around Santorini by bus. All bus journeys start/end in Fira, and cost anywhere from €1.60-2.30 per journey (cash only!). Note that if you connect in Fira, you’ll need to buy a separate ticket for each journey. For example, if you want to go from Oia to Perissa, you’ll need to get a bus from Oia to Fira (€2) and then a bus from Fira to Perissa (€2.20). The bus from the airport to Fira costs €1.80. If you’re staying at a fancy hotel, see if a transfer from the airport is included in your stay (but if you can afford that, you probably wouldn’t be reading this post haha!). If you’re flying into Santorini airport, I use Skyscanner to book flights.

If you’re short on time in Santorini, I’d actually recommend renting a car or an ATV to get around. If you have two days or less on the island, you just won’t be able to see that much using the buses to get around – you’ll have a better time and more enjoyable visit if you cough up and rent transportation. This is especially true if you’re traveling with someone else and are able to split rental costs in half!

If you are renting transportation, shop around and don’t take the first quote you get. There are a LOT of places that can rent to you, especially if you’re after an ATV, and you can save money by asking around. Most quotes I saw were about €40-50/day for ATV rental.

For my super cheap budget travelers, be prepared to walk up from the water in Oia or Fira. The Fira cable car costs €6, and there can often be insanely long lines, depending on what time cruise ships arrive. There is no other way to get up, and it is a very steep and strenuous hike up to the village. There are donkeys at both Ammoudi Bay in Oia and the old port in Fira, but please don’t pay for this. The donkeys do not look like they are treated well.

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Budget Accommodation in Santorini

Santorini is home to some of the most luxurious, and most expensive, hotels in Greece. If you’re wanting a caldera view, be prepared to splash out. But even budget accommodation like hostels will be pricey! Accommodation will probably be your biggest expense when visiting Santorini. The overall cheapest area to stay in (when I was looking) was Perissa. But keep in mind you’ll need to spend a lot more money on transportation to get anywhere (either by bus or renting a car/ATV).

Booking.com

Where I Stayed: Caveland Hostel

I really liked this hostel, in the small village of Karterados, just outside of Fira. It’s about a 10-minute walk to a bus stop, or about 25 minutes to get to Fira. My 6-bed dorm was pretty basic, with a shared bathroom. It cost about €45/night, which is expensive for a hostel dorm!! But it’s Santorini and it was a good place to stay. The hostel includes a delicious breakfast in the morning (fresh fruit, yogurt with honey, toast, cake, tea/coffee) which I took full advantage of. They also have a kitchen, a huge outdoor terrace with tables and chairs, a big pool with plenty of sunbeds, and they have regular events like yoga and movie nights. Book Caveland Hostel here!

Santorini is one of the most popular and expensive destinations in Greece. But of the three Greek destinations I visited – Athens, Santorini, and Paros – my cheapest day of the trip was when I visited Oia in Santorini! I spent just €15.90 / £13.90 on the day I hiked from Fira to Oia and stayed for the sunset. It just goes to show that with the right money-saving tricks, no destination has to be expensive if you don’t want it to be! I do wish I had had another half-day on the island. But besides that, I still saw and did everything I wanted to in Santorini, on a fairly tight budget!

I hope this budget guide helps you in planning a thrifty trip to Santorini. It might be assumed to be one of the most expensive destinations in Europe, but you can still visit this beautiful island on a budget!

Have you visited Santorini before? What are your budget-friendly tips?

You might also like my posts:

A Budget Guide for Visiting Athens

A Quick Guide to Paros, Greece: How to Spend 36 Hours on Paros

Hiking the Byzantine Trail on Paros: Lefkes to Prodromos

How Much Does it Cost to Travel the Balkans for 2.5 Weeks?

All of my budgeting & money posts!

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