Santorini: Information for Cruise Travelers
Let us show you your options as an independent cruise traveler visiting Santorini.
Have you booked or are you looking to book an organized trip or a private Santorini tour to maximize your valuable time on the island?
General Information:
You can choose between taking a private shore(land) tour of Santorini in one of our private a/c Mercedes-Benz vans with a private driver-guide leading the way(the same person drives and narrates) OR a 4-hour boat/catamaran tour of Santorini on the water, or doing both—if you have all day to spend in Santorini / your cruise timetable allows you to do so.
For the Santorini Private Shore Tour, you must use the Santorini cable car (in Santorini, you will be tendered to the port, not docked), as the port is not accessible by car for independent travelers.
All Independent Cruise Travelers are tendered to the Cruise Port of Santorini (often called Scala Pier, Scala Port, Old Port of Fira Town, or Cable Car Port).
All Organized Cruise Travelers are tendered to the Athinios Ferry Port of Santorini. Organized travelers are considered travelers who purchased an organized excursion sold on the cruise ship or by the company.
Heads Up: Once tendered from your ship to the Santorini cruise port, you must use/take the Santorini cable car to reach Fira town/get on the main island/town.
The cruise port of Santorini is car-inaccessible, so all cruise travelers get on top using the cable car.
Depending on how many cruise ships are in the Santorini Port that date, you may or may not experience long lines in the Santorini Cable Car—this is unpredictable.
You cannot pre-purchase cable car tickets or skip the lines.
Cable car tickets cost EUR 6-7 per person per way.
Tickets cannot be pre-purchased, and there is no skip-the-lines option with a “higher cost.”
From the top of the cable car, you will walk 4min downhill(easy walk), and you will meet your private van/bus and driver or guide of Santorini Day Tours in front of the Santorini Mc’Donalds > Google Maps Mc’Donalds of Santorini.
That’s the meeting point location for your private Santorini shore tour.
Private Water Taxi:
If the Cable Car line is long or if you already know that multiple cruise ships will be in the port of Santorini on the date of your arrival, you may consider purchasing or pre-purchasing (Booking Link) a Private Water Taxi—which can be “costly,” though.
The private water taxi costs EUR 400 per way/ride(fixed cost per water taxi; the boat can accommodate multiple people) and will water-transfer you from the Cruise Port(often referred to as Scala Port, Old Port of Fira Town, or Cable Car Port) to the Athinios Ferry Port.
Athinios Ferry Port is car-accessible, meaning your driver-guide for Santorini Day Tours can pick you up directly from that port (Athinios Ferry Port).
In this way, you will avoid taking the Santorini cable car and waiting in possible long lines(depending on how many ships there are in port that day). The drawback of this option is the high cost.
You can wait, and once you arrive at the Santorini cruise port, judge/see on your own whether “it is worth it” to take a private water taxi, or you can wait in the cable car line along with the other cruise passengers. A private water taxi might also be available for hire on the spot or after a few minutes.
F.A.Q:
Question: What about the Public Water Taxi that gets to Oia? Can I take this service and meet my guide/bus at Oia instead to avoid taking/waiting for the cable car?
Answer: There is indeed a “water bus” service operated by Dakoutros Travel that takes independent travelers from the cruise port(Scala Port / Old Port of Fira Town) to Oia’s town Port, “Pier Ammoudi.”
The disadvantage of this option, despite the extremely low cost(approx. EUR 20 per passenger), is that the “Water Bus to Oia” start times are unpredictable. You may wait for a long time on the boat until the boat is “full enough,” subject to the operator’s decision, and then it starts its 20- 30 min journey from the cruise port to Oia Town.
In addition, once you get off at Oia’s Port Ammoudi Pier, please note that this port is almost car-inaccessible (it is jammed). Therefore, the driver-guide of Santorini Day Tours cannot pick you up from there. However, the “Water Bus” ticket includes a free bus transfer from “Pier Ammoudi” to Oia town > Approx. Ten minutes – free of charge.
You will get on this bus, which the water bus company offers for free, and eventually be dropped off in Oia town.
In general, you should expect this “whole process” to take at least 1 hour – in a good scenario, it is a “trip” on its own!
If you decide to take this water bus/taxi service instead(it is up to you), you will meet the driver-guide of Santorini Day Tours in Oia town and continue your tour from there.
The meeting point location for guests taking the public water taxi/bus from the cruise port to Oia town is the “Hungry Donkey” street café in Oia town.
Google Maps Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6KS6EWdtTHTUxSWi6
Private Shore Tours of Santorini rates start from EUR 80 per person depending on tour option/duration and group size (pricing varies, depending on the number of travelers).
Please see all options and rates online here: https://santorini-privatetour.com/tours/santorini-cruise-travelers-tours/
Santorini Catamaran Trips for Cruise Travelers:
For the 4-Hour Catamaran/Boat Tour for Cruise Travelers starting from the Cruise Port you do not have to use the cable car, the boat/catamaran will start and return to the cruise port, the tour has a fixed duration of 4 hours.
This tour is operated as public/shared daily from 10 am to 2 pm and as Private daily, both 10 am to 2 pm and 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
That’s the “easiest” option for a cruise traveler; there is no need to take cable cars, water buses, or taxis.
The disadvantage of this option is that you will only see/experience Santorini by the water, you will not be getting off in the shore/land to walk and experience the towns of Santorini and its activities/restaurants etc.
Please see the Santorini Catamaran Tours pricing/rates and book online here: https://santorini-privatetour.com/tours/santorini-cruise-travelers-tours/
Payment and Cancellation Policy:
Full payment must be made upfront via our website, credit/debit card, or PayPal to confirm a tour or activity.
As soon as you purchase your tour/experience from our website, your credit card or PayPal account will instantly be charged the total amount.
However, the amount is 100% refundable if you decide to cancel your tour for any reason up to 3 days before your departure.
You may book your tours whenever is more convenient (subject to our availability); most of our guests, though, prefer to book their tours ahead of time as availability might be limited or zero closer to the travel date.
For more information regarding our terms and conditions, please see our full cancellation policy: https://santorinidaytours.rezdy.com/terms
We will happily answer your questions via phone or WhatsApp(Text).
Our WhatsApp Business Chat is here: WhatsApp (Click Here)
Please do not hesitate to contact us during business hours at (+30) 22860-34123 (9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday).