Things to do in Santorini On a Budget: A 3 Day Itinerary

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Looking for things to do in Santorini on a budget? You’ve come to the right place! Use this Santorini guide to help you plan budget-friendly activities when visiting one of Greece’s most beautiful islands!

Yay! You’re visiting one of the best Greek Islands, so we now need to work out the best things to do in Santorini on a budget.

Santorini is one of the most beautiful Greek Cycladic islands, with its white-washed stone buildings, blue dome churches, and rugged cliff-edge views you’ve probably seen all over Instagram.

The entire island can be explored in under 2 days, and staying for any longer may cause you to become restless (especially if you’re not a sunbather like me). 

I’ve planned the best things to do in Santorini if you’re there for 3 days, and if you’re on a bit of a budget. So, let’s get started!

Visiting Greece? Check out my other Europe blog posts:

• How To Get Around Santorini: A Beginner’s Guide
• Where to Stay in Santorini (Detailed Area Guide)
• Best Time To Go Interrailing (Europe) 2022 Guide: MUST-READ!
• How to Interrail on a Budget: Interrail Europe CHEAP! (2022)

Things to do in Santorini on a Budget 🇬🇷

A Santorini 3 Day Itinerary – Quick View

Day 1 in Santorini

• Oia (pronounced ‘ee-a’) castle and explore
• Oia-Thira hike
• Explore the island by ATV
• Spend the evening in Fira watching the sunset (and drinking a few cocktails)

Day 2 in Santorini

• A morning on the beach in Kamari
• Sunset cruise with a BBQ and drinks around the beaches
• An early night or continue the party in Thira/Oia

Day 3 in Santorini

• Breakfast in Megalochori
• Ruins in Akrotiri
• Enjoy your final Santorini sunset

🦉 TOP TIP: For this itinerary, it doesn’t matter where you are staying in Santorini, as all the destinations are accessible by car, bus or taxi! Swap places around if needs be! You do you.

Day 1: Head to Oia early

As you’re heading to Oia first, you can get your coffee and crepe fix at Hungry Donkey. It’s a small independent brunch spot that won’t cost your entire bank balance. And it’s bloody delicious.

If you head into Oia early, you will avoid the chaos of peak tourist time (which I’d highly recommend).

Trust me, Oia is pretty chaotic. People will quite literally push you out the way to get a ‘candid’ blue dome pic.

☀️ Head to one of the most famous spots in Oia to catch early morning 360 views of the horizon.

On the edge of an Oia cliffside, you’ll find a small surviving watchtower of a Renaissance-era castle that was built in order to protect the island from incoming pirates. It’s also a great photo spot!

Spend time in Thira

When you’ve enjoyed Oia viewpoint, you can do the popular coastal walk to Thira.

Not for everyone, but anyone who appreciates good views and likes to rack up steps on their Apple Watch will enjoy it! 

I recommend doing this walk early, to avoid the midday sun and possible dehydration.

As you’re probably aware, Santorini can get hot, and a 10km hike in 30-degree heat is undesirable!

🚶 A 3ish hour walk will take you through the towns of Imerovigli, Firostefani, and eventually, Thira itself.

If you enjoy a bit of a scramble, take a detour to Skaros Rock, although it’s quite a narrow path and isn’t for the faint-hearted. The detour will also add around 60 minutes to your hike.

If you haven’t already eaten, choose from one of the tons of restaurants and cafes in Thira (which can be as cheap as 3 EUR per gyros!) Thira is great for budget food that’s still really tasty and fills you up.

🦉 TOP TIP: We found most of the cafes and restaurants in Thira to be way cheaper than Oia, and most even had better views!

Rent an ATV

By this point, you’ll probably be exhausted (I mean, you’ve hiked 10km in Greece today).

You can either head back to your hotel and sit around the pool, or do one of my favourite activities…rent an ATV!

You can rent them any time, and choose when til. You’re free to roam the entire island at your own pace! (I mean, they do go pretty slow, but still!)

It’s also a great way to see the sunset from somewhere that’s completely free.

We found the best sunset views were when we found little off-road exits and cliff edges. Having the ATV will give you the freedom to find these little nooks and crannies!

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: A wheelie backpack! Check out my favourite, the Osprey 65L wheeled backpack. It’s dreamy for long-term trips and when you need more than a carry-on!

Catch the sunset

If you’re not hiring an ATV, you can stay in Thira to watch the sunset.

Be sure to check the timings online beforehand, and just spend the day shopping and drinking cocktails.

If you have a western-facing hotel (which I highly recommend having), you’ll be able to enjoy the sunset from your own pool or balcony. 

Your first Santorini sunset will be a magical one! You’ve probably seen it on Instagram, but it really is quite something IRL.

🗺️ My worldwide must-have:  I use my Insta Mini 11 to take photos on all of my trips. As they print instantly, they’re perfect for making a scrapbook and writing in all your favourite and funniest memories. I’ve even got my boyfriend joining in on it now too!

Day 2: Head to Kamari black sand beach

Day 2 on the island is going to be just as action-packed as the first, and you’re going to want to wake up early to make the most of it!

Hopefully, you’ve pre-booked your sunset cruise (it will be hard finding one available the same day), and you have the morning to yourself.

The cruises begin around 2-3pm, so you can head down to Kamari beach beforehand to enjoy the sunshine. 

Kamari is a black sand and pebble beach, overlooked by the epic Meso Vuono mountain.

You’ll find heaps of scuba diving centres, jet ski rentals, late-night bars, traditional Greek restaurants, seafood tavernas, Gyros kiosks, Irish pubs, and everything in between.

It’s a real vacay spot!

After a morning of topping up your tan and eating authentic Greek food, head back to your hotel for your sunset cruise!

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: Solo travelling but still want to take photos?  📸 I’ve found the most perfect adjustable tripod that’s lightweight and easy to set up (you don’t want any awkward moments alone, I know how it feels!) 

Take a sunset cruise

The sunset cruise was my favourite part of our Santorini trip. It really is one of the best things to do in Santorini. You’ll jump on a catamaran and sail around different locations on the island.

Most will include a visit to the Red, White, and Black beach, a quick stop at the volcanic hot springs. You’ll then pause somewhere to watch the sunset.

Our tour included unlimited alcohol and a BBQ (with veggie options) and lots of top-ups of water, ice cream and fruit. It really is total bliss being on the ocean with good music, good weather, and meeting new people!

Depending on your cruise, you’ll leave the catamaran around 8.30/9pm.

We were dropped off in Oia, and then transferred back to our hotel. 

🦉 TOP TIP: We found this was way more than enough for us (and we were exhausted from all of the swimming!) and had an early night! If not, you can continue the party in your closest town and get sipping those margaritas. 

Bit of an over-packer? I have the answer! I use these handy packing cubes for every trip, meaning I can pack nearly 2 times as much as I could without! They are so worth investing in!

Day 3: Megalochori Old Town

Start the morning off right with some of the best pancakes you will ever eat in Megalochori.

Alisachni, a small, authentic Greek cafe was one of our favourite places when we visited, and we ended up returning 3 times!

Eating at Alisachni is also a perfect excuse to explore this gem of a village, as it’s one of the only untouched, traditional Greek villages on the island. 

Walk through the cobbled streets to find independent cafes and bars, ice cream parlours, hand-made jewellery stands, art galleries and everything in between. 

Megalochori is quieter than the other Santorini villages, but it’s just as beautiful.

And it has hundreds of uncrowded photo ops!

🌎 Backpacking for the first time? You’re in the right place! Check out my essential travel kit for EVERY type of trip, big or small!

Akrotiri

Just a mere 6km down the road is the sleepy village of Akrotiri.

I say sleepy because Akrotiri isn’t highly sought after by tourists, but it has so much history and culture to it.

As it is less popular, it is quieter and of course, cheaper!

You can learn about Santorini’s prehistoric culture, and why it looks the way it does today.

Akrotiri is full of restaurants (our favourite was Theofanis), and independent shops run by locals. 

If you want to delve deeper into the history, check out the Lost Atlantis museum, or the 9D cinema (yes, 9D) where you can experience Santorini with every one of your senses!

End the day with another famous Santorini sunset

After a long day of exploring, enjoy your final sunset in Megalochori or Akrotiri.

There are hundreds of spots along the coastline for you to grab a seat and watch the sunset (all completely free). 

The final late afternoon/evening is a perfect time to chill, relax, and enjoy the island!

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: Well, it’s a little more advanced, but if you want to take high-quality photos, make sure you invest in a good camera. This doesn’t have to be thousands of pounds, and our favourite is the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

How to visit Santorini on a budget

If you’re only visiting Santorini for a short amount of time, here are some of my best tips to make your trip as successful as possible.

1. Hire a car or ATV to get around Santorini

This is by far the quickest and easiest way to get around the island!

Santorini is only 17km in length and 5km wide, so technically you could explore most of the island in a single morning if you wanted to.

I’d recommend hiring a car or ATV to get around Santorini.

• Taxis are expensive, buses are slow and infrequent, so treat yourself and be your own ride.

• 🚗 Cars cost between 50-70 EUR per day, but you can get discount if you pre-book, or book for a longer amount of time (ie. book for the entirety of your trip at the beginning). 

• 🛵 ATV’s cost between 20-50 EUR per day, and again are cheaper if you pre book.

Check out my detailed getting around Santorini guide here.

2. Eat authentic Greek food at smaller self-serve restaurants

Buy souvlaki from smaller, authentic family-run restaurants or venues.

Gyros and souvlaki here can cost as little as £2, and you’re supporting them over the larger companies (and it usually tastes better!)

Take your food to the cliff edge, buy a beer en route, and set up for the night watching the sunset.

Your view will be exactly the same as those in the £300+ restaurants!

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: Don’t forget an additional memory card and hard drive for saving your photos on the road!

3. Pre-book, pre-book, pre-book

We wasted a lot of time by not being prepared in Santorini.

I know sometimes planning everything can ruin the spontaneity of a trip, but as Santorini is one of the busiest places in Europe, it really pays to be prepared!

Pre-book food, excursions, trips, tours, and everything else you might want to do.

Especially if you want good deals and good views!

🗺️ Booking hostels? I always use Hostelworld as their deals are usually the cheapest. They also have reviews from other backpackers, and explain the vibe of the hostel (party, chill, social…) so you know exactly what you’re booking.

4. Wake up early!

I know, I know, you’re on holiday. But seriously, waking up early in Santorini is a game-changer!

If you’ve read any of my other Santorini posts, you’ll have learned how chaotic and busy the island can get.

There’s a really simple way to avoid the crowds, and it’s to explore early!

• We found the island to be quieter even up until around lunchtime.

• Most people in Santorini want to sleep in, so if you set your alarm and head out early, you’ll have most places to yourself. 

• If you’re looking for professional-looking photos and empty streets, wake up early and explore before 9am.  

5. Avoid taxis

Avoid taxis, they are REALLY pricy. There are plenty of other options!

Check out my getting around Santorini guide here.

🌎 Looking for a carry-on bag to hold everything you need for your flight? I spent YEARS looking for a good carry-on that’s accepted by all airlines, and I finally found it. I couldn’t fault this Aerolite backpack!

6. Book your car rental in chunks, rather than days

If you pre-book for a longer amount of time, you usually get a cheaper deal.

The best, cheapest and safest car rental in Santorini is Rentalcar.com.

If you’re still booking flights, I recommend checking lastminute.com for the latest deals. Recently, we were able to save £50 on our flights just by booking through Last Minute!

7. Don’t stay in Oia!

Controversial, but massively money saving!

Book a hotel outside of Oia to save money in Santorini.

Oia is exceptionally high in price and personally, I think it is overrated.

If you don’t mind busy crowds of people fighting over a viewpoint, Oia may be the place for you, but in my opinion, it isn’t worth it. The surrounding towns are so much cheaper and still offer faultless views of the sunset!

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: A portable power bank. Don’t get caught short and lose your phone battery whilst travelling! If you’re solo travelling, you’re going to rely on it to get you from A to B.

8. Take your own toiletries (especially suncream!)

Suncream in Santorini is pricey. Like, upwards of 20 EUR a bottle.

Take your own toiletries and stock up on sun cream from home.

You’ll thank me for it later!

🗺️ My worldwide must-have: If you’re travelling Europe, make sure you pack a Microfibre towel (and this one linked is super pretty too). They make life easier when getting in and out of the water, they’re portable and easy to carry on any kind of day trip. I’ve had mine for years and use it on every beach trip!

What to do in Santorini on a Budget: In a nutshell

You’ve made it! I am so excited for you to experience all the things to do in Santorini on a budget.

It’s an amazing Greek Island, and will be so worth the trip!

Have a question about the things to do in Santorini on a budget? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy travelling!

Jennie 🙂 x

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Other posts you may be interested in:

• Where to Stay in Santorini (Detailed Area Guide)
• Things to do in Santorini On a Budget: A 3 Day Itinerary
• How To Get Around Santorini: A Beginner’s Guide

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