Santorini in 3 Days: Your Ultimate Backpacking Itinerary

3 Days Backpacking Santorini Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Fira and Oia

Our itinerary begins in Fira, also known as Thera, the capital city of Santorini, and the best place to begin our journey on this picturesque island. Fira is my favorite town of all. It is a proper town with plenty of things to do, spacious streets that can actually accommodate tourists, and restaurants and cafes of all budget ranges. Something that can't be said for other towns in Santorini.

On your first day in Fira, we are going to spend the day exploring all the tourist attractions around the capital city starting with Candlemas Holy Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, a large Greek Orthodox cathedral known for its beautiful Byzantine architecture, stunning frescoes, and intricate mosaics.

The cathedral is completely painted white from the outside, fitting in perfectly with all the whitewashed houses and structures of Santorini. It is located right in the pedestrian area which makes it a great place to begin our journey in the city.

While there, be sure to check the interior of the church which is also covered in colorful frescoes depicting stories from the bible which are typically found in most Eastern Orthodox churches and it is worth checking out while you are in Fira.

After you are done, make your way up the caldera heading north and visit one of the most iconic places in Fira, the Three Bells of Fira.

The history behind the bells is linked to the devastating earthquake of 1956 that destroyed much of Santorini. These bells are the only remaining parts of the Evangelistria Church that were destroyed in the quake.

This is the place where people get that iconic photos of three blue-domed bell towers set against the beautiful blue Aegean Sea and a volcano looming behind. The place is so popular for photos, it has turned into the symbol of Fira and is a great place to start your exploration of this city.

While you make your way to the Three Bells of Fira, you will be walking on the caldera walkway that hugs along the cliffside, passing through all the beautiful whitewashed houses of Santorini as the walkway climbs up and over the caldera.

Be sure to turn back and admire the view of Fira and all the cliffside houses you will see from the walkway as you ascend up to the Three Bells of Fira.

From here, you can see all the domed churches and whitewashed houses of Fira as well as all the other towns and the surroundings of the southern part of Santorini in its entirety. It really is quite a sight to behold so don't forget to snap some photos from here.

On your way back down to the city center, you will be passing the Catholic Church of Saint Stylianos which is one of the most iconic structures in Fira that you can see across town with its striking dome-shaped roof towering over most of Fira.

The church, as well as its clock tower, are painted in a mix of yellow, white, and greyish blue, which make for an incredibly eye-catching exterior. The interior is also beautifully decorated with frescoes that are unique to Santorini. Spend a few minutes here to escape from the heat of Santorini before continuing on our journey to explore Fira.

While you are exploring Fira, be sure to check out some of the souvenir shops along Ipapantis Street which is a pedestrian street lined with shops selling all kinds of unique souvenirs you can only get here.

From handmade trinkets and handicrafts to paintings by local artists and figurines of locals wearing traditional dresses, there are a ton of awesome-looking items you can buy here.

For lunch, you can check out Fira Main Square, a bustling town square surrounded by all kinds of restaurants and cafes you can indulge yourself in.

It is probably one of the liveliest and most vibrant spots in the city, with a variety of street performers and artists giving their all as people gather around the square to socialize and hang out with one another. If you are looking for a nice place to hang out for lunch or dinner, be sure to check out Fira Main Square.

After you are done, you can spend a few hours and relax in Fira before we take the bus to Oia from the main bus station that runs between 6:50 AM to 9:20 PM every day, essentially running every 30 minutes to 1 hour. You should be in Oia in about 25 minutes. Be sure to arrive there well in advance to save a great spot to watch the incredible sunset of Santorini.

Oia is probably the most famous town in Santorini. This is where you will see the highest concentration of white-washed houses, windmills, and domed churches built along the cliffside that Santorini is famous for.

This is why Oia is so extremely crowded all the time and there is just no way to avoid it unless you are willing to visit early in the morning. For the best viewpoint for sunset, I highly recommend you power through the crowd and get yourself Oia Lookout Viewpoint on the tip of the peninsula.

This is where you will have the best view over the whitewashed houses as well as the Oia coastline. There are also fewer people here, outside of sunset time, as most of them are still stuck in the crowded streets of Oia.

You can also hike from Fira to Oia which can take more than 3 hours to get to. Only do it if you know what you are getting yourself into. There are many hiking guides you can follow if you wish to hike from Fira to Oia. Be sure to pack enough water for the hike!

After you are done with the sunset, head back to Fira and retreat for the night or spend the rest of the night, strolling around town, and indulging yourself in wine and fine dining before heading back to your accommodation and calling it a day.

Day 2: Explore Imerovigli and Hike Skaros Rock

On our second day, we are going to hike from Fira to Imerovigli, another beautiful cliffside town just north of Fira that can easily be reached on foot along the caldera walkway.

Along the caldera walkway that we walked the day before, you can continue along the walkway and you will reach Imerovigli in about 30 minutes. The walk shouldn't be too difficult if you start the day early to avoid the hottest time of the day. There are no shades along the way so be sure to cover yourself in sunscreens and pack water before the walk.

Once you are in Imerovigli, you can check out some of its most interesting attractions like the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord where you will be able to get a better view of Santorini coastline, Skaros Venetian Fortress, a fortress built by the Venetians in the 13th Century on a cliffside, or you can hike to the top of Skaros Rock for an even more incredible view of Santorini.

Visiting Imerovigli should occupy half of your day at least as there is a lot of walking involved. Once you are done, you can hike another 30 minutes back to Fira or you can take the bus from the Imerovigli bus stop which will take you back to Fira in 5 minutes.

Once you are back in Fira, you can spend the rest of the day and relax at your accommodation or one of the fine restaurants in Fira that offer an incredible view over the Aegean Sea and the volcano of Santorini.

Day 3: Visit the Red and White Beaches and Explore the Coastline

On our last day in Santorini, we are going to go on a catamaran and visit some of the beautiful natural wonders of Santorini along its picturesque coastline.

With the catamaran tour, you can choose whether you want to explore the coastline in the morning or at sunset. Feel free to choose one or the other and spend the rest of the day, resting and enjoying all the amenities your accommodation provides.

The catamaran tour should take you along the coastline of Santorini and visit some of the prettiest beaches on the island like the Black and White Beaches of Santorini. You will have around 2 hours of snorkel time as you snorkel along the coast of Red Beach and the sea caves of White Beach.

At lunch/dinner time, you will be able to enjoy local Santorini delicacies aboard the boat as you sit back, unwind, and enjoy the meal as you are surrounded by beautiful natural wonders.

You will also be visiting other hard-to-reach places like the volcano islands of Palia Kameni and Nea Kameni before heading back to Fira or if you choose the sunset cruise, enjoy the sunset on the boat at Oia before you head back to Fira and complete our backpacking itinerary of Santorini. Congratulations!

Where to Stay in Santorini?

Budget

Bedspot Hostel

$ | Dorm

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👍 Top Pick

Mid-Range

Villa Roussa

$$ | Double Room

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High-End

Villa Bordeaux

$$$ | Double Room

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When to Visit Santorini?

The best time to visit Santorini is between late April to early September when the weather is nice and warm, perfect for outdoor activities while also increasing the chance of clear days which is a must for Santorini as it is one of the best places to watch the sunset in the world.

If you can't handle the European summer heat, you can stick to the shoulder seasons in April or September when the weather is a little milder, crowds a little thinner, and things get a little cheaper as they settle for the low season. Either way, if you stick to the recommended period, you should be fine.

How Long to Spend in Santorini?

Three days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Santorini as you will have plenty of time to explore the 2 highlight cities of the island, Fira and Oia as well as have enough time to rest, relax, and enjoy all the amenities the island has.

If you are a little short on time, you can squeeze this itinerary into 2 days and skip the second day and stick to exploring Oia, Fira, and the coastline. Feel free to modify the itinerary to fit your needs.

How to Get to Santorini?

There are 2 ways to reach Santorini. The easiest and most convenient way is to fly into Santorini from Athens. You can easily reach Athens by flying into Athens Airport (ATH) via airlines like Wizz and Ryanair and then flying directly to Santorini Airport.

From the airport, you should be able to catch a shuttle bus service that will take you to Fira in 20 minutes. You can also go by private transfer if you have a lot of luggage. This is the most efficient way to get to Santorini and I highly recommend you go with this if you do not want to deal with the hassle of traveling by ferry.

Taking the ferry to Santorini is another option. From Athens Airport, you can catch the direct bus numbered X96 straight to the Port of Pireas where most of the ferries to the Cyclades leaves from.

From the Port of Pireas, you can catch the ferry operated by Blue Star Ferries, Seajets, and other operators that run between 7 AM to 5:30 PM every day.

Seajets ferries are speed ferries that are faster and more expensive with the price of around 80 EUR per person and it will only take about 5 hours to reach Santorini.

Blue Star Ferries, on the other hand, is a slow ferry service that offers a cheaper ticket option costing around 58 EUR but the journey can take almost 7.5 hours and can often be delayed. If you want to go with this route, you will be asked if you want to book a seat for an additional cost.

Here's a tip for you, when you book a ticket on the Blue Star Ferries, you will have the option to reserve a seat. For a 7.5 hours journey like this, I highly recommend you do it or you will be scrambling, trying to find a place to sit which is definitely not fun for such a long trip. I ended up sitting on the stairway as the airplane-style seats were all occupied. Don't cheap out like me and get a reserved seat with your ticket!

You can book the ferry ticket here for your trip from Athens to Santorini and vice versa. If you are traveling during the summer months, I highly recommend you book the ferry in advance to get the best seats.

Once you arrive in Santorini Port, you should be able to catch a bus at 3:15 PM that will take you to Fira in 20 minutes. There are 3 buses per day at 12 PM, 12:30 PM, and 3:15 PM every day, all aligned to the ferry schedule, so you should have no trouble getting to Fira from the port. The bus ticket should cost about 2.5 EUR.

For the best things to do in Athens, check out:13 Best Things to Do in Athens

How to Get Around Santorini?

By Bus: Basing out of Fira, you should be able to catch a bus from Fira Bus Station to get to any town on the island for around 2.5 EUR per trip. The bus often runs every 30 minutes to 1 hour in the summer months starting from 6:50 AM to 9:20 PM, so you should be able to rely on buses to get around Santorini.

By tours: If you do not want to deal with the logistics, you can also visit places like Oia on a guided tour. For the coastline, since they are only accessible via boats, you are going to have to rely on an organized tour for this one.

By Walking: You can also hike along the cliffside to towns from Fira like Imerovigli or even Oia if you don't mind hiking for 3 hours one way. With the limited time, except for Imerovigli, I highly recommend you stick to other modes of transportation to get around the island.

By Rental Cars: You can also rent a car straight from the airport in Santorini and drive around the island but for this itinerary, you won't need it. If you insist, you can rent the car with the link below:

Rent a Car in Greece

How Much Money Do I Need for 3 days in Santorini?

From this 3 days itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:

Accommodation: For 4 nights in Santorini, you can expect to pay around 144 EUR for accommodation minimum considering you are staying in hostels.

Food: For 3 days, 3 meals a day in Santorini, you can expect to pay around 81 EUR for food considering you eat out every meal. It will be cheaper if you cook it yourself.

Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay approximately 7.5 EUR for transportation from town to town on local buses.

Activities: Depending on how much you want to follow my itinerary, you can expect to pay approximately 110 EUR for the day trip on a boat to explore the coast.

Total Budget for 3 days in Santorini: 342.5 EUR

Is it Safe in Greece?

In most places outside of big cities in Greece, it's pretty safe but it's always a good idea to exercise precautions by not leaving your belongings unattended, especially when in crowded places, and ALWAYS keep an eye out on your belongings at all times. Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places to secure your phone and wallet.

Other than that, you should be fine traveling around Santorini. I didn't have any problems in Greece when I was there for about 2 weeks. Keep your wits with you and you will be fine.

Which tourist SIM card is best for Greece?

There are 3 major carriers in Greece, Cosmote, Vodafone, and Wind, that offer prepaid sim cards tourists can buy while they are traveling in Greece. Unfortunately, with the rise of esims, having to be in the country to buy a sim card at a store is quite inconvenient and not ideal.

If you have a smartphone that supports esims, I highly recommend you take a look at these esims. They have a variety of data packages, price points, and durations for you to choose from.

The setup is fast and instant and you can buy it prior to your trip so you don't have to scramble your way to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is also equivalent to what you get with a local sim card with 4G speed across the entire country.

Or if you are traveling to Greece as part of a bigger Europe trip, I highly recommend you get the regional Eurolink esim which will give you access to data from over 39 countries across Europe. I have personally used this esim on my 3-months trip around Europe and it has worked wonders.

For more information on esims in Greece, click here: Check Greece's Available eSim.

What to Pack for Santorini?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Santorini, Greece:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Santorini, Greece in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: For buses, I always go with Omio when traveling in Santorini, Greece while for trains, Omio is my go-to place to book all my train travels in advance.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for trips and tours to join.

Tickets & Deals: Tiqets is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.

Further Reading for Greece

I hope you found this Greece travel guide useful. If you want to read more about Greece, here is a selection of articles you might like:

• For a complete itinerary of Greece, check out: 2 Weeks Backpacking Greece Itinerary.
• Most journeys in Greece begin in Athens. For a complete travel guide to the capital city of Greece, check out: 13 Best Things to Do in Athens.
• Here is a complete 3 days itinerary for Athens: 3 Days In Athens: An Itinerary For First Timers.
• One of the best day trips you can make from Athens is to visit Delphi, an ancient Greek sanctuary that was considered to be the center of the world by the ancient Greeks. To visit this historical site, check out our Complete Guide to Backpacking Delphi.
• Have 3 days but want to see the Greek Islands? Check out this itinerary: 3 Days Backpacking Greek Islands Itinerary.
• Looking for things to do in Thessaloniki? Check out: 16 Best Things To Do In Thessaloniki.
• My favorite place out of all of Greece is Meteora with its incredible towering rock formations and stunning monasteries perched atop. If you plan to visit Meteora, be sure to check out: A Complete Guide to Backpacking Meteora.
• Want to explore the Greek Islands but not sure where to base yourself? Naxos is the best island for that. Here are the 10 Best Things To Do In Naxos.
• Santorini, despite the crowd, is a place you have to see once in your life. If you plan to visit Santorini, the best place to base yourself is Fira, the capital of the island. For a complete travel guide, check out 10 Best Things To Do In Fira, Santorini.
• Renowned for its picturesque streets and crystal-clear water, Mykonos is another great island to visit in Greece. Here are the 8 Best Things to do in Mykonos.
• One of the most interesting islands in the Cyclades that you shouldn't miss is Delos, home to stunning ruins of an ancient Greek city of Commerce. Want to visit Delos? Check out the Ultimate Guide to Backpacking Delos.
• Not convinced by my words? Here are 125 photos that will inspire you to visit Europe.
• To see all the articles about Greece, visit the Greece Travel Guide page.
• Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
• Looking for more travel guides for Europe? You can find more on my Europe Travel Guide page.
• Or, if you want something more specific to the region, visit our Southern Europe Travel Guide, Western Europe Travel Guide, or Central Europe Travel Guide pages.
• For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.