Undoubtedly, the best way to visit Santorini from Malia is to take a two day trip. During the first day you’ll have a guided bus tour and visit the beautiful city of Oia in the far west of the island and the island’s capital Fira in the central part of Santorini. At each stop you will have free time to explore these cities, and at any time in the afternoon you can check-in to one of our hotels and get ready for the main event: meeting the famous sunset. Get ready to enjoy breathtaking sunset views in Oia, Imerovigli or Fira and immerse yourself in the romantic nighttime atmosphere of these small towns!
You will see the following attractions on this tour:
Next day of your two day trip from Malia to Santorini is completely free time: after breakfast at our hotel, you can spend the morning walking through the cities and villages, exploring the island’s volcanic beaches, taking a boat ride to the volcano of Santorini, visiting archaeological sites in Akrotiri or even tasting the famous wines at the local wineries – whatever your heart desires!
This affordable two day trip to Santorini from Malia is almost identical to the one-day itinerary and also includes transfers by bus from the hotel in Malia to the sea port in Heraklion and back, two-way tickets for the high speed ferry, a sightseeing bus tour of the island with a guide on the first day – and as an addition – hotel accommodation with breakfast and free time on the second day of the trip (see “Schedule”).
The price of this two day cruise to Santorini from Malia is not far from the one day trip or buying just the two-way tickets for the same high speed ferry at the seaport (if you wish, you can check it). In 2026 the price is only 230 euro for an adult and 150 euro for a child and it includes everything. This is a great way to get to Santorini cheaper and for two days at once, especially for groups of friends and large families with kids.
It is important to note that this cruise operates on high-speed ferries from SeaJets. Depending on the season and day of the week, Seajets may run several high-speed ferries on this route, including the Power Jet, Eurochampion Jet and Express Jet, to name a few. The biggest of these vessels can take up to 1200 passengers, and the journey time from Heraklion to Santorini is about two hours. It sometimes takes a little longer, but in any case, there are no faster ships this year.
Let’s recap: sightseeing of Santorini, Oia, Fira, a guided bus tour of the island, free time in the evening and on the second day, transfer on the route – the trip includes everything and is available from Malia and some other resorts in that area. Do you want to get to Santorini from Malia for a cheap price and spend two days on the island? In 2026, it’s the most cost-effective option!
If you’re going on a two day cruise to Santorini from Malia and want to save money, the price of a two day trip in 2026 is:
This tour is sometimes included in special promotions and sold cheaper for our followers – keep an eye out for discounts on Instagram!
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.
And that’s great! Sure, contact us in advance and we will explain our hotel options on the Caldera side or even accomodations with private jacuzzi and stunning sea and sunset views right from your room.
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 two day cruise to Santorini from Malia online in advance (see “How to book excursions in Crete”).
In 2026, a two day cruise to Santorini from Malia takes place from 13/04 to 25/10. Available days – daily.
Please note that trip schedules are subject to change, including cancellation. This is extremely rare and may be due to weather conditions. 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 and a hotel for accommodation in Santorini. The high speed ferry does not take many passengers and the usual capacity of hotels in Santorini is 7-10 rooms, especially on the Caldera side. Therefore, during the season, available seats on the ship and rooms in hotels 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 and hotel accommodations 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!
There are three main roads in Malia. Two of these run alongside the sea at different distances: the first is closer to the coast, while the second, which is wider, runs further inland. The third road begins at the beach and runs perpendicular to the other two. Most hotels and apartments are located along this street, closer to the intersection where the town centre is located. There is a small square and a famous church here too, so it’s easy to find. We can pick you up from a number of collection points located on the main streets and roads in Malia, specifically near large and medium-sized hotels, as well as the main church in the town centre.
You can take this tour if you are staying at one of the following hotels or apartment complexes (just to name a few popular options): Aegean Sky Hotel & Suites, Aeolos Beach, Akrogiali Beach Hotel Apartments, Alexander Beach Hotel & Village Resort, Ammos Boutique Beach Hotel, Ariane Hotel, Blue Sea Village, Carolina Mare, Cleopatra Apartments, Cretan Malia Park Hotel, Dedalos Hotel, Dessole Malia Beach, Dionysos Hotel, Drossia Palms Hotel & Studios, Enorme Ammos Beach Hotel, Erodios Apartments, Frixos Hotel, Galini Apartments, Galeana Hotel, Golden Shine Hotel, Hermes Hotel, Hesperides Hotel, High Beach Resort Hotel, Ibiscus Hotel, Ikaros Beach Luxury Resort & Spa, Kastro Beach Apartments, Kernos Beach Hotel & Bungalows, King Village, Kristalli Hotel Apartments, Kyknos Beach Hotel & Bungalows, Malia Bay Beach Hotel & Bungalows, Malia Central, Malia Dreams, Malia Holidays, Malia Mare Hotel, Malia Star Apartments, Manos Studios, Meropi Hotel & Apartments, Mistral Hotel, Phaea Cretan Malia, Parthenis Hotel & Suites, Royal Heights Resort & Spa, Scorpis Hotel, Silver Sun Apartments, Sirens Hotels Beach & Village, Socrates Hotel, Solimar Ruby, Solis Apartments, Stelios Gardens, Stella Family Apartments, Meramaglia Hotel, Summer Dreams, Sunlight Hotel, Sunshine Village Hotel, Theoni Apartments, Triton Hotel, Triton Garden Apartments, Windmill Apartments and many others.
Pickup locations vary depending on where you’re staying in Malia. Common meeting points include hotel receptions, neighbouring big hotels, main streets and squares, car parks and so on. We work with accommodation of all types and sizes across the area, so there’s always a nearby option. If you’re unsure about your exact address or accommodation name, get in touch via WhatsApp or email – we’ll recommend the most convenient pickup point and provide you with the precise location and time.
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, Gournes, Gouves, Heraklion (city), Heraklion area (other cities), Hersonissos, Karteros, Kokkini Hani, Sissi, Stalida.
It will be one of the high-speed ferries operated by Seajets. There are no special “sightseeing” ferries between Crete and Santorini – only the regular ones. Seajets never guarantees a specific ferry in advance, as they may change the vessels operating on this route during the season (sometimes even on the same day!). However, they print the name of the ship on the ticket.
Unfortunately, neither we nor anyone else has any influence over Seajets decisions regarding their schedules, timetables or vessels.
We kindly ask for your understanding regarding Seajets operating policies.
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). Seajets does not offer the option of choosing individual seats. However, we always try to ensure that everyone in a group sits close to each other on the vessel, so accommodation may be in the same sector or nearby rows.
No, not at all. Just an easy walk around the streets of Fira and Oia. 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 is during the visit to Fira. There are many cafes, tavernas and restaurants in the town (from 10-15 euro per person).
Bring the original, a copy or a photo of your passport (e.g. on your mobile phone). The correct spelling of your full name and document number may be required at ship check-in or hotel check-in.
It’s good to have 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. Also bring your bathing suit and towel if you plan to go to the beach at some moment. A little money for extras and shopping, depending on your plans.
Our primary hotel is located on the main street in the city of Fira, about 5 minutes walk from the Cathedral and promenade with a sea view. It’s a good 2* hotel (bed&breakfast) with a rating of 9,2/10 on Booking.com and a rating of 9,1/10 on Trip.com. We also have several dozen hotels in Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and other cities both inside the cities or on the caldera with sea view, so if you want accommodation on the caldera side with sunset view don’t hesitate to tell us in advance!
The final stop of the excursion bus tour is located 1 minute walk from the hotel. The guides provide the informational part of the trip and do not get involved in checking into hotels. All you have to do is come to the reception desk at any time after the tour and show your passport/ID card. The hotel staff will know in advance of your arrival and will only need to check your names.
Towels, bathroom amenities and bath set, morning breakfast.
Yes, absolutely! However, please note that self-booked hotels cannot be included in the itinerary of an organised bus transfer in Santorini. In other words, if you just want to join the excursion tour at some point, or if you book a hotel yourself, you will need to arrange your own transfer in Santorini to your hotel and back to the meeting point on the next day. Some hotels offer this service to their guests, but we can help you organize transfers around the island if needed.
If you have any questions about non-standard cruises to Santorini (two, three or more days, different hotels, etc.), please contact us in advance.
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.
Only two-way tickets for the high-speed ferry with a number of excursion bus in Santorini. Remember, no hotel vouchers are required – just bring your passport or ID card to check in. Return tickets may have the same date on them (the date of departure from Crete), which is perfectly fine. Ferry staff can print tickets with the same date. Be sure to keep all your tickets until you return to Crete!
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:
On the first day of the tour, your guide will give you the exact meeting place and time for the next day. On the last day of the trip, be there 5-7 minutes early! If you would like to know the transfer bus number in advance, you can contact us during the day (around 12:00 – 13:00), and we will tell you the return bus number – both in Santorini and Crete. 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 | |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | |
| 5:50 - 7:10 | Departure from the hotels |
| 7:20 - 7:40 | Arrival at the port, meeting with the guide and ferry staff, obtaining tickets and necessary information |
| 8:00 - 9:50 | Ferry travel to Santorini island |
| 9:55 - 10:00 | Arrival at the port of Afinios and boarding the excursion bus |
| 10:10 - 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 |
| 12:30 - 20:00 | Check-in (at any time after you arrive at the Fira, but before 20:00) |
| 17:26 | Approximate time of sunset in Santorini this week |
| Day 2 | |
| Morning - 15:00 | Breakfast (included), free time |
| 15:00 - 15:30 | Gathering at the meeting point, transfer by bus to the port of Athinios and boarding of the ferry |
| 17:50 - 18:10 | Arrival at the port of Heraklion and boarding the bus |
| 19:00 - 21:00 | Return to the hotels |
| Duration and travel time | |
|---|---|
| up to 1.5 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 30 hours | In total on the island of Santorini |