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How to Visit Santorini on a Budget – The Ultimate Santorini Budget Guide

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Santorini is one of the top bucket list destinations in the world and it’s no surprise why. It’s the kind of romantic destination that people dream about visiting all their lives. It’s also the kind of destination you’d think you have to save up a pretty penny to make it happen.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Flying into Athens is much cheaper. Spend a day here before heading to Santorini

But does Santorini really have to be a lavishly expensive trip or can you visit Santorini on a budget?

Before my trip to Santorini I thought visiting it on budget was impossible. Turns out I was completely wrong and if you follow this guide you can visit Santorini on a budget too!

Heading to Greece soon? Don’t forget to check out these posts:

All of the photos on this page were edited using my Greek Vibes Preset Collection. You can check out the collection here

Now let’s move on to the good stuff and help you plan how to visit Santorini on a budget!

Getting to Santorini on a Budget

There are a few things to keep in mind to keep costs as low as possible when traveling to Santorini. From the time of year you book your tickets, to the time of year you visit & even where you plan to fly in. Here are the top tips for getting to Santorini on a budget.

When should you visit Santorini? – Visit Santorini during the shoulder or off seasons

It’s no surprise that visiting anywhere during off-season is one of the best ways to save money and keep your trip low-budget. Booking in the off season can cut both your accommodations and flight by up to half!

By the way, I always check out the cheapest rates on flights with Skyscanner

Here is what to expect when booking Santorini in the shoulder & off seasons:

  • Shoulder Season is May-June and September-October
  • Off Season is November – April
  • Although June and September are technically considered shoulder season, traffic and tourism are quickly ramping up in June and slowly slowing down in September so prices haven’t quite dropped yet. I recommend not booking in here if you want to save money on your Santorini trip.
  • March/April/May/October/November have reduced hotel prices. This is a great time to book.
  • If you care about weather on top of keeping your trip low cost your best bet for good weather and great prices is May or October.
  • December/January/February have extremely reduced hotel rates IF the hotel is open. The deeper you get into the off season the more things will be closed as the island basically shuts down in winter. I would not personally would not recommend it.

Book your tickets in advance (flights and ferries)

Prices will rise the closer you get to the date you’re wanting to travel so it is important to book in advance if you want to travel to Santorini on a budget.

We made the mistake of putting off booking our hotel and even though we got a great rate the price, it was more expensive than when we first looked.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Flying into Athens is much cheaper. Spend a day here before heading to Santorini
Flying into Athens rather than Santorini is so much cheaper

Fly to Athens rather than directly to Santorini

It is much cheaper to fly into Athens than directly to Santorini. Book your flight to Athens and in advance in order to save money, and then book a flight or ferry from Athens to Santorini.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Flying into Athens is much cheaper. Spend a day here before heading to Santorini

You may not actually have plans to visit Athens, but honestly I recommend spending a day or two there before heading to Santorini. When else will you get the chance to see the Acropolis in person?

Check the current prices for flights to Athens here on Skyscanner!

A flight from Athens to Santorini

Flights from Athens to Santorini vary in price, but you can find them for as low as $40 up to around $150 depending on the time of year and time of day you fly. On average you will probably be looking at around $100 though. The flight is usually around 55 mins and is a nice quick trip.

A ferry from Athens to Santorini

Another option if you don’t want to fly is to book a ferry to Athens. These come in at very affordable prices ($33-$70) and are a very budget friendly way to get to Santorini. Keep in mind though the ferries take anywhere from 5 hours to 7 hours to get from Athens to Santorini. Although the price is around double the flight, you will be travelling for 4-6 hours more. Possibly not the best place to pinch pennies!

However, if you are traveling to multiple islands the ferries can be a great money saving way to hop around. We took the ferry from Mykonos to Santorini and it was only 3 hours and very cheap!

I used Ferry Hopper to book my ferry. Check the latest prices here!

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Fira is just as beautiful as Oia but much less expensive

Fira is just as beautiful as Oia but much more less expensive

Staying in Santorini on a budget

The second big expense you’re going to want to consider when planning your trip to Santorini is where you’re going to stay. Here’s my top recommendations for staying in Santorini on a budget.

Stay in Fira instead of Oia – Top tip for Santorini on a Budget

Oia is the most famous part of Santorini. It is where most people stay and it sees the highest volume of tourists.

But what if I told you that you could save a hell of a lot of money by staying elsewhere on the island and instead take day trips to Oia? The amount of money you can save not staying in Oia is INSANE.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Fira is just as beautiful as Oia but much less expensive

We opted to stay in Fira, which is the second most popular village in Santorini and in my opinion, is just as beautiful.

We got an incredibly large hotel suite at Valery Suites with 2 bedrooms, a massive kitchen and living room, and a private outdoor pool and backyard space for $300 a night. Split between the 3 of us it was $100 a night each. And did I mention private pool? A hotel suite that large with a private pool in Oia would like ring up at more than $1000 a night.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: You can find incredible hotels for way less in Fira
Our private pool at Villa Valery Suites

If you want to stay in Santorini on a budget I definitely recommend staying in Fira not Oia, and I highly recommend booking with Villa Valery Suites!

Book your accommodations in advance

Just like with flights, booking your hotel in advance will save you money because prices rise the closer you get to the dates of your travel. We made the mistake of putting off our hotel booking and we saw the price rise in just a few weeks. If you want to visit Santorini on a budget make sure you are booking well in advance of your trip to take advantage of best prices.

  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: You can find incredible hotels for way less in Fira
    Our suite at Valery Suites had it’s own private pool

Affordable hotel Recommendation:

  • Villa Valery Suites: Affordable luxury suites with very high ratings. Extremely spacious suites with their own private pool. This is where we stayed!

Affordable hostel Recommendation:

  • Bedspot Hostel: Very highly rated hostel in the city centre of Fira. Features air conditioning, free wifi, a shared kitchen and lounge room plus a terrace.

Book an Airbnb

Rather than staying in a hotel you can book yourself a great airbnb in Santorini and likely save yourself a lot of money.

If you’ve never used Airbnb before sign up here to get up to a $95 off discount on your first rental!

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Take day trips to Oia rather than staying there
Wandering at our own pace we really got to take in all the beauty of Oia

Getting around Santorini on a budget

If you’re going to be like me and stay in Fira instead of Oia to save money, you’re definitely going to need a way to get around the island. Here are some of the best budget options for getting around while visiting Santorini.

Rent a car

We rented a car while staying in Santorini and it definitely helped us save money. Plus when you have a car you can not only visit Oia and Fira, but also explore other parts of the island like Akrotiri.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Fira is just as beautiful as Oia but much less expensive

Take the bus between Fira and Oia

A great option if you’re looking to keep your costs really low in Santorini is to take the public bus between Fira and Oia. From the bus terminal in Fira you can take a bus for 1.60 euros all the way to Oia and it takes about 30 minutes. The bus will drop you off fairly close to the city centre of Oia and the ride is honestly not much longer than driving.

You can check the bus schedule here!

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Take day trips to Oia rather than staying there

Eating and Drinking in Santorini on a budget

Food and alcohol costs can quickly add up, especially in Santorini where the restaurants in Oia have astronomical prices. Eating out in Santorini doesn’t have to be expensive though, but you definitely need to be smart about. Here are my top tips for eating and drinking in Santorini on a budget!

Avoid restaurants and bars in Oia

Restaurants in Oia (especially those with a caldera view) are insanely expensive. We popped into one once for a drink and I think it was around 20 Euros just for a small glass of wine. Emphasis on the small. Meals at restaurants in Oia can easily ring up hundreds of dollars and it’s just not worth it. Personally I would rather save that money for future travel wouldn’t you?

If you’re going to eat out at restaurants definitely stick to the restaurants in Fira and you will save yourself a lot of money.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Staying in Fira is much less expensive

Purchase food & alcohol at the grocery store

You can save massive costs by opting to make meals in. Villa Valery Suites, the hotel we stayed in had a large kitchen so we bought everything we needed to have breakfast before we left and we made some dinners as well.

Bottles of wine at the grocery store are cheaper than the price of a glass in a restaurant, so make sure you are well stocked at the hotel!

Stick to Gyros and “fast” food for lunches

There are gyro stands and small fast food shops all over Santorini and you can get one for just a few euros. These will honestly be your saviour!

Between gyros, falafels, and dolmades I spent next to nothing on my lunches and I was always satisfied. You’ll likely spend around 4 euros on your lunch if you stick to Gyros.

Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Catching the sunset in Oia at Byzantine Castle Ruins
Watching the sunset from Byzantine Castle Ruins is truly spectacular

Things to do in Santorini on a budget

Here is a list of free & low cost things you can do in Santorini!

Free things to do in Santorini

We spent next to no money on activities and opted to explore the villages ourselves by foot rather than booking tours. Here are some of the top free things to do in Santorini!

  • Wander around Santorini at your own pace: Rather than booking a guided tour why don’t you try just getting lost, wandering around, and enjoying the beautiful architecture in Oia and Fira? I could have spent hours just walking around!
  • Hike the trail from Fira to Oia: If you really want to save costs and see more of the island do the walk from Fira to Oia. The walk will take several hours and you’ll get to see tons of the island.
  • Visit some of Santorini’s famous beaches: Santorini has tons of neat beaches you can visit and they are completely free. Check out the famous red beach and white beach. More on those in this post!
  • Watch the sunset at Byzantine Castle Ruins: One of the most magical sunsets you’ll ever see is at the Byzantine Castle Ruins in Oia. Make sure you get there extra early (1-2 hours) to get yourself a good spot. This is one of the most popular things to do in Oia and it gets BUSY.
  • Do the walk from Fira to Imerovigli and Skaros rock: Another easy and popular walk is the one from Fira to Imerovigli and then to the end of Skaros rock. I have more on these in this post!
Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Visiting the famous beaches of Santorini is completely free

Low cost activities to do in Santorini

Here are a few more activities that are low cost to help keep your Santorini trip budget friendly!

  • Visit some Santorini wineries and to some tastings: Although if you want to go all out you can book a wine tour (those ring in at about $100+) if you’ve got a vehicle or quad why not stop at a couple on your own? Wineries have small tasting fees and it’s a great experience. Just make sure to taste responsibly if you are driving.
  • Visit the ancient city of Akrotiri: Akrotiri is an ancient city with was buried under volcanic ash during the explosion in 17BC. It’s been really well preserved and the cost to enter is only about 5 euros. Akrotiri is also very easy to get to by car or bus.
  • Watch an outdoor movie at Cine Kamari: Cine Kamari is a neat outdoor theatre and bar near the village of Kamari. They show all sorts of modern Hollywood movies with greek subtitles. Doors open at 8:50 and it is recommended to arrive on time so you can get a spot.
  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Catching the sunset in Santorini
  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Fira is just as beautiful as Oia but much less expensive

I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to visit Santorini on a budget! I definitely hope this makes you realize that it is 100% possible to visit Santorini without breaking the bank. All it takes is a little planning ahead, some thinking outside the box, and of course avoiding spending money in touristy Oia!

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  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget
  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Flying into Athens is much cheaper. Spend a day here before heading to Santorini
  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget
  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Flying into Athens is much cheaper. Spend a day here before heading to Santorini
  • Dying to visit Santorini but think it's the kind of trip that's lavishly expensive? Visiting Santorini on a budget is completely possible and I'm here to tell you how! From flight and hotel bookings to dining and activity recommendations, read this guide to find out exactly how you can visit Santorini on a budget. Pictured here: Flying into Athens is much cheaper. Spend a day here before heading to Santorini

Michael Baker

Tuesday 1st of September 2020

Wow! It looks amazing! The photos is just super! Thanks for sharing! Seeing it all on a tight budget would be cool!

Shafinah Neville

Sunday 30th of August 2020

This is right up my alley! Been mulling over a trip to Greece for the longest time but kept putting it off because I just couldn't get the budgeting right - this is definitely gonna help for miles!! ???

kirsten.wendlandt@gmail.com

Sunday 30th of August 2020

I feel you girl! It can be pretty intimidating and you'd think Greece has to be expensive but it really doesn't! Just takes a little planning :)

Kelsey

Saturday 29th of August 2020

Really really lovely photos and great post. Would love to know what camera or phone you are using to take these! Thanks so much!

kirsten.wendlandt@gmail.com

Sunday 30th of August 2020

Thank you so much Kelsey! I use the Olympus Pen Epl7 and most of my photos are taken on a 9-18mm wide angle lens.

Krista

Saturday 29th of August 2020

I've never visited Santorini so this will come in handy when I do!

kirsten.wendlandt@gmail.com

Sunday 30th of August 2020

I hope you get the chance to go one day it's truly amazing!

Margarita Ibbott - DownshiftingPRO

Saturday 29th of August 2020

You have some great suggestions on how to budget. I have not been to Santorini but I heard it was EXPENSIVE. Always nice to have access to a kitchen. Beautiful pictures #BPS

kirsten.wendlandt@gmail.com

Sunday 30th of August 2020

Oia is very very expensive so as long as you avoid staying there and don't eat/drink there you will save a boat load of money. Santorini really doesn't have to be expensive at all!