On this trip from Stalida, you will visit the following attractions:
Your adventure begins with a comfortable coach ride from your hotel in Stalida to Heraklion port. The sea part of the journey takes place on a large high-speed catamaran. Fast Ferries put a ship called Thunder on this route, and if you’ve ever been to Crete, you’re probably familiar with the Minoan Lines ferries. In a way, the Thunder is a replacement: it’s virtually the same type of vessel – and now it’s the one that will make the trip from Stalida to Santorini both fast and cheap.
The journey from the main port to Santorini takes about two hours. This automatically puts this ferry on a par with the fastest catamarans on the route, but at a much lower cost for the whole trip.
The schedule is slightly different, too. This ferry leaves a little earlier than the other ships in the morning, but still reaches the port of Athinios quickly. It is also the first to return in the evening, giving you about six hours in Santorini to visit the highlights of the island!
This trip from Stalida to Santorini includes a bus tour and visits to the most beautiful places on the island. You will visit the capital Fira in the centre of the island and the village of Oia on the north-western tip of the island. The ship doesn’t leave too early in the morning and the return is scheduled for early evening – all in a rather comfortable mode.
On arrival at the port of Athinios, a sightseeing bus will take you to the enchanting village of Oia. Here you’ll see colourful houses carved into the rocks and enjoy breathtaking views of the caldera. Next we’ll visit Fira, the island’s capital, perched high above the sea. Explore the main pedestrian street, relax in cosy cafes and take in the spectacular sea views for an unforgettable experience.
Santorini has a fascinating history, marked by one of the largest volcanic eruptions, the Minoan eruption, some 3600 years ago. This colossal explosion created a huge caldera that quickly filled with seawater and was surrounded by thick layers of lava and volcanic ash. Today, Santorini consists of a main island and several smaller ones, remnants of the ancient landmass. Each island has its own name, such as Therasia and the uninhabited Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni. However, Santorini remains the most prominent and captivating part of the group.
Modern Santorini is renowned for its stunning scenery and architecture, characterised by whitewashed buildings cascading down dramatic cliffs into the deep blue Aegean Sea. The island is dotted with charming villages, narrow cobbled streets and vibrant bougainvillea. The picturesque scenery includes black volcanic rock and iconic white houses and churches with blue domes. During your visit, you’ll experience these breathtaking sights first-hand and witness the island’s irresistible charm.
Ah, there is one more thing to consider: in 2026 price starts from 155 euro per adult and 80 euro per child. It includes transfers from the hotel to the port and back, two-way fast ferry tickets, a six-hour guided bus tour of Santorini and… The cost is comparable to buying two-way tickets at the port for the same boat, and tickets for other ferries are even more expensive (if you wish, you can check it), so this is the nice way to get to Santorini from the village of Stalida for a day trip, relatively quick and inexpensive, to see this beautigul island.
If you are planning to take a day cruise from Stalidato Santorini, the cost of an organised excursion in the 2026 is:
This tour is sometimes included in special promotions and sold cheaper for our followers – keep an eye out for discounts on Facebook!
Are you traveling as a big family or a group? Contact us in advance or visit our offices and we will try to make you the best offer.
You are welcome! We will run this personalised tour in a suitable car or minivan for you on any day. No large groups, long pick-ups or waiting – just you, your family or friends and the guide! You can ask us in advance – and we will organise everything for you.
ATTENTION: the tour must be paid for in full before the travel date. Payment in cash or by card on the day of the cruise is not possible in 2026.
You can book a full day cruise to Santorini by fast ferry with transfer from Stalida online (see “How to book excursions in Crete”).
In 2026, this high-speed ferry sails to Santorini on a one-day cruise from 15/06 to 30/09. Available tour days – everyday.
Please note that the cruise itinerary is subject to change up to and including replacement of the catamaran or cancellation of the cruise altogether. This is extremely rare and may be due to schedule changes, strikes, weather conditions, etc. For example, heavy rains at the beginning (April and May) or end of the season (September and October) and other force majeure situations. If there are any changes, we will try to let you know as soon as possible.
ATTENTION: this cruise includes ferry tickets. The high speed ferry does not take many passengers. Therefore, during the season, available seats on the ship are very quickly filled.
Please book this tour in advance as it is a very popular cruise. If you are booking close to your desired date, please check with our managers for availability of tickets for the date you choose.
Please make sure that you have correctly identified your vacation area in Crete and read the cancellation and refund policy.
If there is less than 24 hours before the trip, please contact the manager to check availability before you make a booking!
Firstly, you can come to one of our offices where booking for all services is available and payment can be made either by cash or card.
Secondly, in case of online booking you can choose cash payment (which is available for some areas only) or you can pay online by card. In the case of cash, we will arrange a meeting with our courier in advance, who will bring the prepared documents to your hotel or villa and collect the cash. Please note that this option is only available for bookings made well in advance (days or weeks before the trip!). In case of online payment, you will receive the tickets by e-mail or WhatsApp – as you prefer.
Please keep all documents and tickets until the end of your trip!
Stalida is a very small village. In fact, it is essentially a tourist resort with a high concentration of hotels, apartments and villas. Situated along the coast, two roads run parallel to the sea: the coastal road, which is closer to the beach, and the old highway, which is slightly further away. Most of our pick-up points are located on these roads, as all the hotels either face them or are located very close to them.
You can join this trip if you are staying at one of the following hotels or apartments (for example – just to name a few): Abaton Island Resort & Spa, Alexander Beach Hotel & Village Resort, Anastasia Hotel Stalis, Ariadne Beach Hotel, Blue Sea Beach, Cactus Beach Hotel, Cactus Mare, Cactus Royal Spa & Resort, Dionysos Apartments And Studios, Eurohotel Katrin Hotel & Bungalows, Golden Bee Lifestyle Hotel, Grand Hotel Holyday Resort, Heliotrope Apartments, Horizon Beach Hotel, Hotel Triton, I Resort Beach Hotel & Spa, Ikaros Beach Luxury Resort & Spa, IridaChic Boutique Hotel & Spa, Kyknos Beach, Latania Studios & Apartments, Maistrali Sea View Apartments, Mediterraneo Hotel, Nami Hotel & Suites, Nana Golden Beach, Palm Beach Hotel, Paloma Garden & Corina Hotel, Psaras Apartments, Rainbow Apartments, Riviera Boutique Hotel, Semiramis Village, Stalis Hotel and many others.
The meeting point depends on where you are staying in Stalida. To make things as convenient as possible, we have a number of different collection points, including hotel receptions, bus stops, special locations on main roads, etc. If your accommodation is smaller or you’re not entirely sure of its exact location, that’s no problem at all. Simply contact our team via WhatsApp or email before your trip and we’ll confirm the ideal pickup point and time for you.
It depends on the location of your hotel or villa. In some cases a tour bus will literally stop at the front door of the hotel and you just have to be there, in others it may be a short walk to the nearest pick-up point. This is usually a large central street, bus stop, square, car park, etc. – somewhere where there is no risk of the tour bus getting stuck on a narrow one-way street or stuck in traffic.
If your hotel, villa or apartment is located outside of the tourist areas, please contact us in advance to arrange a possible meeting point.
You will receive full details of the time and place of the pick-up with your travel documents when you make your booking. Please read it carefully before the trip.
Information about the bus number for the Santorini sightseeing tour and the return transfer will be given to you at the port on the day of the trip by the ship’s staff or the guide. The bus number is also shown on the ticket.
This excursion is also available from various locations across the island of Crete. The tour itself will follow the same itinerary and programme, with only two differences. Firstly, there may be different transfer options available, which may result in a different price in some locations. Secondly, the departure and return times may be different too.
You can join this activity from any of the following towns: Achlada, Agia Pelagia, Ammoudara, Analipsi, Anissaras, Fodele, Gournes, Gouves, Heraklion (city), Heraklion area (other cities), Hersonissos, Karteros, Kokkini Hani, Malia, Sissi.
Well, most likely not. All of these high-speed ferries are “public ferries” and tickets are sold by tour operators, cruise organisers, port ticket offices and online). Fast Ferries does not offer anyone the option to choose their own seat. However, we always try to ensure that everyone in the group travels close together. As a result, accommodations on the ship may be in the same sector. Alternatively, they may be adjacent rows.
No, not really. Just walking around the streets of Oia and Fira. The steps are sometimes quite steep, but otherwise it’s an easy walk.
It is not advisable to take very young children as it can be uncomfortable to navigate the narrow and sometimes steep streets with a large stroller.
Lunch time will be during your visit to Fira. There are many cafes, taverns and restaurants in the town (from 10-15 euro per person).
1. Save your precious time on the island: it’s better to spend it walking and exploring the city, snacking on fruit or a coffee sandwich along the way.
2. If you do decide to eat out, be sure to check the prices before you order. There are some VERY expensive restaurants in Santorini.
Something to protect you from the midday heat and sun, and some more or less warm clothes to protect you from the air conditioning on the ship.
Bring the original, a copy or a photo of your passport or ID (e.g. on your mobile phone). These documents may be required at port check-in.
Yes, during a bus tour in Santorini you will be accompanied by a tour guide. Our colleagues and ferry staff will also meet you at the port of Heraklion, provide you with the necessary documents and tickets for the ship, and help you board the ship if needed.
Yes, it’s quite informative.
Languages: this tour is available in English, German and French throughout the season, according to the schedule.
On certain days, we can also organise this excursion in Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Romanian or Russian. These languages are usually available from May onwards.
During the low season (September and especially October), these additional languages may also be available if there are enough participants. However, just in case, you can specify a second optional language in the comments section of your booking (for example, Italian – primary, English – secondary).
The weekly language schedule for this trip is as follows:
In the morning our staff at the port will give you the bus numbers and during the day your guide will tell you the exact meeting point and pick up time in Santorini. After your tour of Santorini, come to the pick-up point and our bus will take you to the port in time for the departure of the ship. When you disembark in Crete, go to the bus parking lot (to the right of the pier), board the bus with the correct number and get off at the bus stop near your hotel.
Please note that this is an approximate tour schedule. Times may vary depending on traffic and pick-up and drop-off locations. Exact times will be sent to you along with other information when you make your reservation and specify your hotel.
On 99.99% of our trips, we visit Oia first and then Fira. However, on rare occasions (usually due to heavy traffic and/or a large number of cruise ships in Santorini), we visit Fira first and then Oia. The bus driver and guide assess the situation and decide on the spot.
As it is a scheduled public ferry, there may be delays to the departure times from Santorini, but the coach transfers in Santorini and Crete are always coordinated with the arrival time of the ship.
| Schedule of the excursion program | |
|---|---|
| 5:30 - 6:30 | Departure from the hotels |
| 7:00 - 7:10 | Arrival at the port, meeting with the guide and ferry staff, obtaining tickets and necessary information from the staff (upon presentation of the tourist voucher) |
| 7:50 - 9:50 | Ferry travel to Santorini island |
| 9:50 - 10:00 | Arrival at the port of Athinios and boarding the excursion bus |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | Guided bus tour to the city of Oia, free time in the city |
| 12:30 - 15:00 | Guided bus tour to the city of Fira, free time in the city |
| 15:00 - 15:30 | Gathering at the meeting point, transfer by bus to the port of Afinio and boarding of the ferry |
| 17:50 - 18:20 | Arrival at the port of Heraklion and boarding the bus |
| 19:00 - 21:00 | Return to the hotels |
| Duration and travel time | |
|---|---|
| up to 2 hours | From the hotels by bus to the port of Heraklion |
| about 2 hours | By ferry from Crete to Santorini |
| up to 30 minutes | Bus transfer in Santorini between cities |
| about 1.5 hours | In the city of Oia |
| about 2.5 hours | In the city of Fira |
| about 6 hours | In total on the island of Santorini |