Santorini day trip from Heraklion: Oia, Fira & volcano

Two hours at sea, two villages on the rim of the Caldera

A day trip from Heraklion to Santorini by high-speed catamaran, with a guided tour of Oia and Fira and ferry tickets included. You ride the fastest vessel in the Aegean, spend free time exploring the whitewashed villages and their Caldera views, and return by sunset. An optional boat tour to the volcano hot springs runs during summer months for an extra charge.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day trip from Heraklion to Santorini

• Arrive at Heraklion port at 8 am
• Receive ferry tickets and board catamaran
• Enjoy 2-hour ferry ride to Santorini
• Find bus with tour escort at Santorini port
• Bus ride to Oia with island information
• Free time to explore Oia village
• Bus ride to Fira with island geology info
• Explore Fira and walk to Imerovigli
• Optional volcano hot springs boat tour
• Return bus to Santorini port
• Board catamaran for 2-hour return to Heraklion

The experience

The tour starts at 8 am at Heraklion port, where your escort meets you outside the vessel to hand over ferry tickets. A two-hour catamaran ride carries you across the Aegean to Santorini. Once you dock, a bus takes you first to Oia, the village famous for its views of the Caldera and neighboring islands. You have free time to walk its narrow streets, find a vantage point, and absorb the landscape at your own pace.

After Oia, a 30-minute bus ride brings you to Fira, Santorini's main town. Here you explore whitewashed houses, blue-domed churches, and the volcanic views along the Caldera edge. Your tour escort provides information about the island's geology and history during both bus rides. If you want to add the volcano boat tour, available mid-July through September, your escort can arrange it. Otherwise, you have more time in Fira for lunch, shopping, or the local ice cream. The buses return you to the port for the two-hour catamaran journey back to Heraklion, timed so you can watch the sunset from the deck.

The tour runs 10 hours total. Your guide speaks English, French, or German. Ferry tickets, the land excursion, all fees and taxes, and the tour escort are included. Snacks and the hotel-to-port transfer (10–15€ each way) are separate.

What’s included

• Ferry tickets by high-speed catamaran.
• guided land excursion in Oia and Fira.
• tour escort in English, French or German.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 May 2027

Book up to16h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 600

Live guideEnglish, French and German

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Island Spy

Is this one for you?Choose this if you're based in Heraklion or elsewhere on Crete without a car. The ferry departs from your port and a guide meets you in Santorini to lead the walking portions, so you move straight from arrival into exploration.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the ferry ride from Heraklion to Santorini?

The catamaran takes two hours each way across the Aegean Sea. It is one of the fastest vessels operating the route, so the crossing is quicker than slower ferries.

What is Oia known for?

Oia is famous for its views of the Caldera (the volcanic crater that forms Santorini's distinctive landscape), and the nearby islands. The village sits on the rim with whitewashed buildings and narrow streets designed to frame those views.

Is there time to see the Santorini volcano?

A boat tour to the volcano hot springs is available as an optional add-on during summer months (mid-July through September) for an extra charge. If you skip it, you have more free time in Fira instead. Ask your tour escort on the day to check if it is running.

What do I see in Fira?

Fira is Santorini's main town, built on the Caldera edge. You walk its narrow streets lined with whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches, and follow paths along the rim with views of the volcano and the sea. There is time for lunch, shopping, or simply sitting with the view.

Does the tour include a guide the whole time?

A tour escort travels with your group and provides information about the island, its geology and history during the bus rides between stops. You have free time to explore Oia and Fira on your own, without a guide walking with you through the villages.

What happens if I don't have a car in Heraklion?

The tour departs from Heraklion port at 8 am, and your escort meets you outside the vessel. Public transportation options are available near the port. If you are staying at a hotel, the transfer to and from the port costs 10–15€ each way and is booked separately.