2-day Santorini Greece itinerary | Santorini best activities and attractions

If you're planning to visit Santorini soon and you are still torn about which activities and attractions are the best to make the most of your time on the island, then this Santorini Greece itinerary is for you. In September of 2025 I stayed on Santorini for 2 nights, which gave me 2 days (and one short extra morning) on the island to see all the best spots. After figuring out all the options and considering which ones would provide me with a perfect idea of Santorini's views, attractions and culture, I can now provide you with this 2-day Santorini itinerary.

For the second afternoon, there are multiple options which you can choose depending on the weather and your mood. I have also included breakfast, lunch and dining restaurants and cafés recommendations for even more convenience during your visit to Santorini!

This itinerary is based on a stay in the town of Fira, since I recommend this place the most for a central and affordable base on the island.

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Day 1

Morning

Always try to find a ferry or a flight that arrives on Santorini early in the morning. This of course gives you the most time on the island. Drop your stuff off at your accommodation (in Fira) and start exploring Fira. The town of Fira has a couple of main streets, a main square, but also great views over the sea.

Must-see sights:

Walk into the Metropolitan Church and the Holy Cathedral of Saint John The Baptist.

Don't forget to see the Three Bells of Fira and walk into Mati Fira art gallery.

Afterwards, it is time for lunch. Fira has an abundance of restaurants to choose from. If you are travelling on a budget I recommend walking away from the sea-side restaurants since you pay a lot just for the view. For lunch, I definitely recommmend Santorini Falafeland for the best falafel for a fair price and CAYO Santorini for great and cheap sandwiches.

The Metropolitan Church (left and middle) and the view towards the sea in Fira (right)

Afternoon

After lunch, it is time to learn more about Santorini at the Prehistoric Thera Museum, which is located in the centre of Fira. Entrance is €10,- for an adult and €5,- for a child. Check the website of the museum beforehand to see if you can have free admission during your visit. On every first Sunday of the month during the months of november up until the end of March and on several holidays, entrance is free!

Afterwards, when the mid-day heat has died down, walk down the steps to the Old Port of Fira. There are 589 steps to go down, but luckily these are small and the view is great. Have a drink while taking in the view of the Old Port before going back up via Cable Car (which costs €10,-) or again via the steps.

Since the sun sets pretty late in Santorini (Around 8-8:30 PM) have a good late-afternoon snack before taking the bus from the Fira Bus Station to Oia. A bus ticket for both ways is around €3,- and can be bought from the bus driver, only in cash. The bus takes around 30 minutes to get to Oia, so arriving at around 19:00 is perfect for sunset. The sun sets pretty slowly and with this timing you will have enough time for pictures.

The bus station can be a bit confusing, since you cannot see where the bus you want to take will be waiting. So take a picture of the bus schedule and be there at least 10 minutes early so you can ask what the right bus number is. During the high season these buses also fill up fast, so being early is important.

Inside the Prehistoric Thera Museum (left), Fira Old Port (middle) and the steps towards the port (right)

Evening

Arriving at 19:00 in Oia gives you enough time to visit all of the photo spots you would like. Many of the popular photo spots you will find easily by following the crowd or looking them up online (I recommend searching poto spots on Pinterest). When the sun is getting lower, walk towards the tip of Oia. You can navigate to this spot by following the route towards the 'Castle of Oia'. This is the perfect spot where you can directly watch the sun go down into the sea, while enjoying the beautiful views of the typical windmills and white buildings of Santorini. This area does get very busy, but I noticed that there is always a spot available if you walk up to the very top of the 'Castle of Oia'.

Once the sun is fully underwater and the whole crowd has given its applause (yes, people do this because it is so beautiful) find a dinner spot in Oia. Again, if you do not want to spend €40 on a meal, go away from the sea and the pretty views (which are mostly gone due to the darkness outside). I have found that the restaurants close to the bus station are cheap but also great. You will still be able to sit down comfortably in this area before taking the bus back to Fira. I had a gyros plate at Foodini, which I definitely recommend.

The view from 'Castle of Oia' (left), Sunset photo spot in Oia (middle) and Gyros plate at Foodini (right)

Day 2

Morning

Let's start this day bright and early for my favorite activity on Santorini: The hike from Fira to Oia. Having a good breakfast for this activity is important. Fira has many bakeries, which willl be quick or you can go to Corner Restaurant. Their Greek yoghurt bowl is very filling and delicious (picture on the right), but they also have many other options.

As most of the hike has no shade to walk through, make sure to leave early. The hike takes around 4.5 hours and there are 2 possible stops you can take a rest in the shade. The first one is located a bit after you're halfway through. Which is a small shop with a shaded terrace where you can buy many snacks and drinks. The second one is a church with a great photo spot, since it has a spot with a Greek flag in front of a great view of the sea and the island. The hike takes you along many roads and spots which you would otherwise not see while visiting the island. Even though the hike can be long, the view all the way through makes it very worth it.

Once you have arrived in Oia, you can walk around for a bit and then take the bus back to Fira for lunch.

Some of the views during the hike from Fira to Oia

Afternoon

During the afternoon there are a couple of options depending on your mood and the weather.

The following activities I recommend when there is nice and sunny weather:

Taking a boat tour: There are many different boat tours to book on Sanorini, although they can be quite expensive. Most boat tours will take you to the Palea Kameni Hot Springs, the island of Nea Kamani and the island of Thirasia. Often a sunset moment is included too before getting dropped off at the port.

I have found that booking a boat tour at a tour agency on the island is always pretty expensive. Prices start at around €100,-. Here are some boat tours that I have found, which wil sail to the places I have mentioned, that are a lot cheaper.

If you want to enjoy the sun even more and just relax, have an afternoon at one of Santorini's unique beaches. If you want to go to one of the most unique beaches, go to Red Beach of Black Sand Beach. Both are named after the way they look, making them one of a kind in the region. Red Beach can be reached by bus and a short hike. There are no tanning beds or shops around so make sure that you bring all the essentials. Black Sand Beach is a bit more accessible, with tanning beds and a town directly connected.

For less convenient weather i recommend:

Exploring the vineyards of Pyrgos. Something you might not know is that the volcanic ground of Santorini is perfect for growing certain green grapes and thus many vineyards are situated here. In Pyrgos, most of these vineyards can be found. Have a nice walk around the vineyards and try some of the wine to know what real Santorinian wine tastes like.

Another option, if you are not really a wine drinker, is exploring Imerovigli. Imerovigli is a town in between Fira and Oia. It has many winding roads and white buildings just like the other towns, but it also has someting more special. The town has many ruins, for example of a 13th Century Venetian castle and the Church of Panagia Malteza. This makes Imeriovigli very interesting, especially if you like seeing and learning about and Santorini's history.

Evening

For your last evening in Santorini, I recommend having a relaxing sunset at Skaros Rock. Skaros Rock is about a 40-minute walk away from Fira, but you can also take the bus to Imerovigli, which leaves you with a 10-minute walk. On your way there or on your way back, you will pass many restaurants at which you can have a quick dinner. Once at Skaros Rock you can choose to walk all the way down to the rock or find a spot next to the small church, which is just a few steps down from the town. I stayed at the small church and had the best time there with my company.

Another option for sunset and dinner is to go to dinner at Vulkan Outdoor Cinema and watching Mamma Mia the movie afterwards. This is a very popular activity in Fira. Vulkan Outdoor Cinema has a outdoor dining restaurant at which you can eat from 18:30 and afterwards everyone receives headphones for watching the movie while the sun sets. This sounds like a perfect activity for Mamma Mia lovers! The cheapest available ticket is €25,-, which is just for the movie. Dinner has to be paid for seperately. Make sure to book this activity on time before it is sold out.

Imerovigli during sunset (left), Sunset at Skaros Rock (middle) and Mamma Mia showing at Vulkan Cinema (right)

That's it for the Santorini Itinerary. I am sure that with this gudie you will have the best time on the island without regrets! Thank you for reading this post and don't forget to stay open for spontaneity while you travel!