The Ultimate Budget Guide To Santorini
When I first began planning what I like to call my big fat Greek adventure, I knew one thing…I simply had to visit Santorini. The stunning white buildings and blue church domes set against the incredible backdrop of the Aegean were pretty much what I imagined when I pictured Greece. The only issue was that I’m a girl on a budget, and all I had ever heard about Santorini was what a “luxury” destination it was.
After spending the past month on the island of Skopelos nearly for free (more about that here), I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the prospect of going over my budget in Santorini. However, once I arrived on the island, I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable this seemingly expensive destination ended up being!
Read on for my best tips on how to visit Santorini without breaking the bank and discover how to get there, where to stay, how to get around, what to eat, and the best free things to do! (These tips even helped me end up $250.00 under budget!)
Getting to Santorini
While it is possible to find a cheap flight to Santorini, prices can be high during high season and when booking last minute. After struggling to find a reasonable flight in early September, I started looking into ferries. My round-trip ferry tickets only cost me around $60, saving me a ton of money.
Ferries are an excellent way to cut costs, however, the ferry from Athens to Santorini is about 7.5 hours, meaning you loose a lot of time. While this worked out well for me as I wasn’t in a time crunch, for people visiting from outside Europe or with limited vacation, I recommend searching for flight deals months in advance.
Pro tip: to save a little extra money while on the ferry, bring snacks! The food on my Ferry wasn’t that great and was pretty expensive.
Accommodations
I have a confession: I had been fantasizing about staying in gorgeous cave homes on Santorini for months. Traditional white houses built right into the cliffs with pools overlooking the ocean-they sounded too good to be true! And for me, they were. Some of these accommodations cost €700-€1,000 per night.
Fortunately, Santorini has a variety of affordable accommodations available from hostels to Airbnbs to budget hotels.
The view from my Airbnb was simply stunning!
Even though I originally imagined staying in the whitewashed towns of Fira or Oia, I wound up staying in Kamari (a black sand beach) and loved it! The restaurant prices, shops, and grocery stores in the area were more affordable, and I really enjoyed avoiding all of the crowds in Oia and Fira and the overall vibe of Kamari.
Pro tip: Make sure your accommodation has breakfast included! This may seem like a small expense, but being able to start the day off with a full stomach of (free!) food will save you a lot of time and money.
Getting Around
Busses
Good news! Because Santorini is such a touristy island, you can get to Santorini’s most touristy destinations by public bus. Tickets cost €1.60 each, and I never had to wait more than 20 minutes to catch a bus. Kamari, Oia, Fira, Perissa… there is a bus that stops at them all.
The only thing I found to be slightly inconvenient was that the main bus hub is in Fira. As I was staying in Kamari, it was somewhat annoying having to bus to Fira first, then where I was actually going to. If you plan on taking busses your whole trip, perhaps consider staying in Fira to avoid all of the transferring!
ATV Rental
The next best (and most fun) way to get around the island is by renting an ATV. Rental prices go down the longer you rent for, and I ended up spending about €50 to rent an ATV for 2 days, plus another €20 in gas. My boyfriend and I shared an ATV, so for me the cost was thankfully split in two! I used the rental days to go to places on the island more difficult (or impossible) to reach by bus, such as Ammoudi Bay.
Pro tip: To cut down your rental days, simply plan an itinerary that groups your ATV rental days together, and take the bus on the remaining days.
Taxis
Though taxis are readily available on the island, it is far less expensive to take the bus. There are public busses that run to the airport and the port, making it easy to use public transit instead. If you don’t want to deal with the bus, you can save by asking your accommodation to pre-book a transfer for you. I ended up spending about €9 to get to Kamari from the port by bus, as opposed to €25 by transfer.
What to Eat
There is quite a bit of tasty (and low cost!) street food to be found around the island. From traditional Greek Gyros and Souvlaki to not so traditional Chinese take out.
Another great way to save is by grocery shopping. There are plenty of markets and grocery stores to be found in Santorini.
Dinner and a view! Argo is a great place to splurge!
That being said, save some money in your budget to treat yourself! I highly recommend Argo in Fira as a great splurge! While the food isn’t at budget prices, it isn’t outrageous and everything is delicious. I loved it so much I even went twice! Just be sure to reserve a table in advance, as the restaurant is quite popular.
Pro tip: Avoid eating in Oia at all costs! Oia is the most expensive town, and even the mini mart there was more expensive than in other places on the island! Instead, try eating in Fira or the even less expensive towns like Kamari.
5 Free Things to Do In Santorini
There are quite a lot of unforgettable things to do on Santorini (see my top 10 here), and much of them are free! Here are some of my favorite options that won’t cost you a dime:
Cliff Jumping In Ammoudi Bay
Just beneath Oia lies Ammoudi Beach, a small, lesser known beach with a rock you can swim to perfect for cliff jumping. We took our ATV down and spent a few hours swimming (with a pretty incredible view of Santorini) and jumping off rocks into the sea below (à la Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
Hit The Beach
Red sand, black sand, and even a white sand beach can be found on Santorini. Spend some time exploring one (or all!) of these different types of beaches. While you may want to spend money and rent a sun bed and umbrella, many places offer lunch deals with a free sun bed. My personal favorite beach? Kamari-but maybe I’m biased because I stayed there!
Catch a Stunning Sunset
The Santorini sunsets are world famous, and for good reason. Watching the sun fade into the horizon while coloring the sky and iconic white houses is truly unforgettable. I tried to watch the sun set in a different place each night. The best places to watch the sun set are Oia, Fira, Imerovigli, and Firostafari.
Enjoy the View
They say the best things in life are free, and the views on Santorini are a perfect example of that. Spend some time wandering around Oia and Fira and taking it all in. From the volcano and caldera views to the stunning architecture surrounding you, there is much beauty to behold.
Why not try hiking between Santorini’s most beautiful (and scenic!) cities? The hike lasts about 2.5 hours and features some pretty stunning views. Go early in the morning to escape the heat, and be sure to bring some water along!
You don’t have to have a large budget to have an amazing time in Santorini! I hope these tips help you plan the trip of your dreams!
Read more on visiting Santorini and Greece here:
- Top 10 Unforgettable Experiences To Have In Santorini
- How I Spent 1 Month In Greece (Almost) For Free!
- 8 Great Tips For Visiting The Acropolis
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