2 Days in Santorini: Epic Views and More with Limited Time!

Spend one day visiting the capital of Santorini and one of my favorite areas then spend your second day visiting THE Oia and then get epic views of Santorini from the water!

• Day 1: Fira & Imerovigili
• Day 2: Oia & Catamaran Tour

With this itinerary, you can travel between coastline villages via bus, taxi, foot or car.

Bus: The main parts of Santorini are well-connected by bus.

• Pro-By far the cheapest mode of transportation to get around the island.
• Con- Have to be dependent on the bus schedule and the bus often fills up

Taxi: Taxis are available on the island as well.

• Pro- You can get from point A to point B quicker without stopping
• Cons- There aren’t a LOT of taxis on the island and they are rather expensive (~30-50 euros for a one way trip from Fira to Oia, depending on time of year, time of day and how busy it is.)

Foot: You certainly can’t walk the whole island on foot. But if you wish to stay ONLY in the Fira/Oia area you can make it work on foot.

• Pro- FREE
• Con- The hike from Fira to Oia is about 6.5 miles (10.5km) one-way

Car: You can rent a car, ATV or vespa to get around the island.

• Pro- Freedom to go when you want
• Cons- Parking is limited, so you better beat the crowds.

Rent a car to explore when you want

Since you may be flying into Santorini either the afternoon before or morning of this 2 day Santorini itinerary, I recommend starting with Fira due to its central location.

Morning: Fira

Fira is the capital of Santorini and the hub of public transportation. Though a bit bigger than some of the other areas of Santorini, it doesn’t lack in charm and is definitely worth exploring.

Fira is a cliffside village full of great views, lots of shopping and plenty of restaurants to choose from.

From either the bus stop or parking lot, you will take the short walk (slightly uphill!) toward the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral (aka Church of Ypapanti Thira.)

To the right of this church is where you may get your VERY FIRST view of the iconic Santorini cliffside!

Some of the first views of the coastline in Fira!

Before you get too excited and start down the coastal path, stop by the Saint Mina’s Orthodox Church. Not only is it a quieter, beautiful church, but you can also get a good view of the Fira buildings along the coast to the right of it.

From the church, you can head down the main path of Fira!

Must-See Sights in Fira

Afternoon: Imerovigli

Honestly, again, Imerovigli was one of my favorite areas of Santorini. It has the epic coastline views of Fira and Oia, but WAY less crowds.

It is also home to a blue-domed church, several restaurants and some of the best views of the caldera and Skaros Rock.

From Fira, one of the first things you will run into (aside from continued coastal views) is the main “Imerovigli viewpoint.” Here will be a great view of Skaros rock and the caldera.

Just behind this is also the Saint Nikolaos Holy Convent, which was once a woman’s monastery but now is a museum. I opted to just admire from the outside, but if this is something you would like to visit you can arrange it directly with the monastery.

One of the highlights of Imerovigili is the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord. This is a beautiful white-washed church with a blue dome and (when we visited) MINIMAL crowds.

This area is also one of the closest to Skaros Rock, so here you can get some of the best views of it. You can also walk to both Skaros Rock and the Skaros Venetian Fortress, which is only about a 15 minute walk from the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord.

Evening: Wine Tasting

After a day of exploring the beauty of Fira and Imerovigili, end your day with some great wine and INCREDIBLE views from Imerovigili (Imerovigili has some of the best views of the caldera!)

The tasting is provided by the White Pearl Cavalieri, a 5 star hotel located in Imerovigli. BUT you can enjoy its INCREDIBLE coastal view from its infinity pool while trying amazing wine without being a guest!

The wine tasting tour begins around 4:45pm and lasts about 2 hours. You will take a guided tour through the vineyards and wine cellar and then have the opportunity to try 7 wines! Following the tour, you have the option to stay for sunset and/or dinner.

Whether you opt to do the wine tasting or not, restaurants in Imerovigili are MUCH less crowded than Fira and Oia, so I do recommend staying here for your dinner!

KNOW: If you are planning to stay off the coast of Santorini (not Oia, Fira or Imerovigili) and plan to take the bus, keep an eye on the bus schedule to make sure you don’t miss the last bus out!

Morning: oia

To have the best experience in Oia, I really suggest going early. If you aren’t a morning person, you probably should dive down deep and find it. Or at least arrive to Oia by about 9am.

Either way, just pack your patience and know that the views will be worth it.

Continue to, arguably, the most popular photo spot in Santorini, The Blue Dome Church Santorini.

There are few viewpoints, one being to the right of the church where you will get the most iconic photo spot. The second being to the left of the church where you will get more of a frontal view of both the Blue Dome Church and its bells.

We visited at the beginning of May, which is typically a bit before peak season and still had to wait in line at the main photo spot for the church. So, if you are going in summer you either need to get to the spot EARLY or be prepared for a wait if you want a photo here.

Other Iconic Spots in Oia

1. Oia Castle: A highlight of Oia and arguably one of the best viewpoints in Oia since you can see both sides of the coastline!
2. White Church with red doors and blue dome– Literally CANNOT find the name of this church, but it is located between the 3 Blue Domes and Oia Castle. Keep your eyes peeled!
3. Kastro Oia Houses– The famous orange/tan-colored building that stands out amongst the white-wash buildings. It located just to the left of the Oia Castle.
4. Church of Saint Catherine– Located between Oia Castle and the famous windmills. I love the Greece flag flying by the church bells!
5. Windmills of Oia– Once working windmills, it is actually a place to be rented out now, but make for great photos!

Afternoon: Ammoudi Bay & Catamaran Tour

Once you get your feel of the white-washed beauty that is Oia, make your way down to Ammoudi Bay. Though the walk is QUITE steep, it isn’t a very lengthy trek.

Ammoudi Bay is nestled into the cliffside of Oia and is home to restaurants that overlook incredibly clear, blue water. Here you can see the incredible red color of the volcanic rock that makes up the island of Santorini. It with the stark contrast of the white buildings and the blue water below makes the trek worth it!

If you are going to take the time to make the climb up and down the infamous stairs of Ammoudi Bay, you should at least reward yourself with a treat at the bottom! You can find restaurants to enjoy a drink or grab an ice cream at the Cool Cave!

Sunset Catamaran Tour

With only 2 days in Santorini, the best way to see some of the other iconic sites of Santorini such as the Red Beach is via catamaran!

Additionally, the view FROM the coast is breathtaking, BUT it is also incredible to see the jutted coast and pockets of white-washed villages FROM the water also! Totally different perspective, but equally as impressive!

Sail with Vista Yachting on a 5 hour tour that takes you to the Red Beach, the lighthouse of Akitori, close to the caldera for swimming in the heated caldera waters and ending at Mesa Pigadia where you will have a nice barbecue dinner cooked for you while the sun sets! All, I might add, with unlimited white wine!

This is the best use of time to see other parts of the island (especially if you don’t have a car.) With the pickup offer and multiple stops along several of the other iconic spots in Santorini, you get the most bang for your time PLUS you get dinner included as well.

Catamaran Logistics

Since you will be coming from Oia, you have a few options for getting to the catamaran tour. They offer pick up from 39 different locations around the island! When you you book your tickets, you can choose where you would like to be picked up.

If you plan to use all of your morning and early afternoon in Oia, you can choose a pick up spot there. Or, if you would rather to picked up from your hotel, you can certainly do that. Just make sure you allot enough time to get from Oia to your hotel in time for pickup.

What to Bring with You? Vista Yachting provides snorkeling equipment, towels, pool noodles and blankets. So, all you need are swimming essentials! I recommend:

• Sunscreen– Preferably reef-safe!
• Waterproof phone case or GoPro- You will be swimming in INCREDIBLY clear water; you’ll want to capture it!
• Over shirt– 5 hours in the sun can be brutal. I recommend having something to cover up with if you begin to burn!
• Sun hat– Keeping the sun off your face is a game changer.

Suggestions for a third day in Santorini:

Pyrgos- This is an inland town that sits atop a hill and gives great views of the rest of the island. It is near many wineries so has several wine bars as well as great shops, restaurants and galleries!

Kamari– This is a coastal town on the east side of the island. It is known for its black sand beach and dramatic mountain backdrop.

Perissa– Another coastal town on the east side of Santorini with black sand beaches. You can easily fit Kamari and Perissa into one day! If you don’t want too much beach time, you could even visit Pyrgos with Kamari and Perissa!

Santorini is truly a beautiful island! Though it can be chaotic to get around the island and can have crowds, it is definitely worth seeing at least once in a lifetime!

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