Santorini 2-Day Trip from Heraklion: Oia, Fira & Volcano Option

Two days to wander Santorini's villages and choose the volcano on your own terms

A 2-day guided tour of Santorini departing from Heraklion with round-trip SEAJETS boat tickets, guided exploration of Oia and Fira, one night in a 4-star hotel, and private transfers between the port and hotel. The volcano excursion and hot springs swim are optional add-ons. Guides speak English, French and German, and the itinerary leaves the morning of day two free before the afternoon return ferry.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Santorini villages and optional volcano cruise

• Meet SEAJETS staff and board bus
• Visit Oia village and explore
• Travel to Fira and free time
• Optional volcano excursion and hot springs
• Overnight at 4-star hotel in Pyrgos

Day 2 — Free morning and return to Heraklion

• Free morning at hotel
• Private minivan transfer to Santorini port
• Board ferry to Heraklion

The Experience

The boat leaves Heraklion and arrives in Oia, where you get roughly 1.5 hours to walk the white-washed streets and stand at the caldera edge—the view is the reason people come. The guide meets you there and moves the group to Fira, Santorini's main town, where the schedule opens up: you can shop the local shops, eat where you want, or simply sit and watch the light change on the water. If you book the volcano excursion, the timing in Fira shifts so you can fit both the volcanic landscape and a swim in the hot springs into the same afternoon.

You spend the night in a 4-star hotel in the Pyrgos area, with a private minivan handling the transfer from Fira. The second morning is yours to use—no scheduled activity, no guide waiting. Around 2 p.m., the minivan picks you up and takes you back to the port for the return ferry to Heraklion. The whole trip is built so someone arriving in Crete without a rental car can still reach Santorini, stay overnight, and see both villages without arranging any of it separately.

What’s included

• Round-trip SEAJETS boat tickets from Heraklion to Santorini.
• guided tours of Oia and Fira in English, French or German.
• one night at a 4-star hotel in the Pyrgos area.
• private minivan transfers between Fira and the hotel, and between the hotel and the port.
• luggage storage on transport vehicles.
• liability insurance.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by PLATANOS TOURS

Is this one for you?Book this trip if you're staying in Heraklion or arriving by plane without a rental car—the boat and hotel transfers mean you don't need to drive, and the overnight stay lets you see both villages without rushing back the same day. The volcano excursion is optional, so you can add it or skip it depending on what appeals to you when you arrive.

Top questions

What is there to do in Oia during the 1.5 hours the tour gives you?

Oia is a village built into the caldera cliffs with narrow pedestrian streets, shops, cafés and viewpoints. The 1.5 hours lets you walk the main streets, photograph the blue-domed churches and white-washed buildings, and stand at the edge to see the caldera and the sea.

Can I skip the volcano excursion and just see Oia and Fira?

Yes. The volcano and hot springs swim are optional add-ons you choose at checkout. If you don't book them, you spend the afternoon in Fira with free time to explore on your own pace.

What languages do the guides speak?

The guided tours of Oia and Fira are offered in English, French, and German.

Is breakfast or lunch included in the 2-day trip?

Meals are not included. You choose where and what to eat in Fira on day one, and the morning of day two is free, so you can eat at the hotel or in town before the afternoon transfer to the port.

Do I need to arrange my own transport from Heraklion to the ferry port?

No. SEAJETS staff meet you with identifiable badges and bus signs, then transport you to the boat. On the return, a private minivan picks you up from the hotel and takes you back to the Santorini port for the ferry home.