Santorini Island Travel Forum

I have 4 hours in Santorini off of a cruise ship. What should I not miss? What's the best thing to do in that amount of time?

4 hours is not a lot of time, I suggest you go to Oia and just walk around and enjoy the town maybe find a restaurant or a cafe and do some people watching. You could also go to Kamari or Perissa and relax on the black sand beach, if thats your thing...

Id have to agree with the other VT'er!!!!

either Perissa Beach (black sand beach) - take a taxi there - seeing you only have 4hrs (there are beach bars playing music if you are into that)

OR: go into Thira (main town) & take photos of the spectacular buildings on the cliff face & enjoy the shops... some beautiful shops in Thira on the cliff face... truley amazing view

Four hours is a CRUELLY short time to stop at Santorini, I don't know why the ships even bother to stop with that schedule!! Be very careful to allow enough time. You will dock off the Old Port, and will have to wait in line to get into a launch to reach the pier. Be WARNED... and hustle to be first in line... because it can take an HOUR to shuttle all the passengers to the pier.

You then have to reach the top of the cliff and there are only 3 ways. Ride a donkey (which is scary and cruel), walk up the donkey path (which is exhausting, and the path is covered with donkey-doo) OR take the cable car (like a ski lift) -- much the best, but long lines form for it--- so hustle to beat the crowds!.

With all that, you'll only have 3 hours left and you'll be in Fira Town ... if you want to see and phtograph the famous (cliche?) views from Oia at the top of the island, best to grab 2-3 friends and share a taxi up there. After an hour, get something to eat there, or go back to Fira Town for a bite, or a drink... taxi or (if you're lucky and there's a bus pulling up) bus back to Fira Town. Try to find a cafe with a view for your repast -- it will be pricey, but u are paying for the vists.

You now will have an hour before you must be back on board. I hate to tell you but u had better not wait that long... because a huge line forms in the hot sun to get on the cable car. I have seen groups of cruise people being HERDED at a trot toward the cable car; some had canes. One woman, with a walker, moaned, "They didn't tell us about this in the brochure!"

If you keep a better eye on the time, and have good luck with transport, you will have a bit of time to souvenir-shop. OR -- if you forego the trip up to Oia (and the caldera view is lovely All along the cliff=edge) -- you may have time to go to the splendid Mueum of prehistoric thera (but it closes at about 3pm). One note: these forums have had complaints by people who bought expensive jewelry at the shops that cater to cruisers, and later found out they didn't get what was represented. Just sayin'.

I'm afraid you will miss just about everything except the view from the cliff top in Fira. It will take sometime to be tendered to the old port and then a long queue for the cable car. By the time you are in Fira you will only have time for a vastly expensive drink before making your way back to the ship. You may have to wait an hour or more for the cable car depending on how many cruise ships dock at the same time.

It is very cruel indeed, such a short time, be careful not to blink you may miss something.

what is a cable car? (excuse my ignorance) - but do you mean a cable car that goes up the cliff???

cant they just get a taxi & beat this line?

It's a car on a cable. Like an elevator that goes from the port up the cliff to Thira. There are literally hundreds of people arriving at the same time and just not enough taxis to go around.
We went there in the middle of August and the port was completely packed. Luckily I had arranged a transfer to town so I didn't have to wait and saved a lot of time.
@Oceanclimb: this could be your best option to enjoy the most of your precious time there. Maybe the travel agency which arranged your cruise can arrange a transfer.

Taxis can't get down to the old port anyway, so it's not worth even thinking about it! Cable car, walk or donkey, the choice is yours. Just stick to Fira and have a wander around, it's a gorgeous place and you won't have time to see much more, or you risk missing your boarding time! I noticed that you also have only 4 hours in Mykonos - I think I would hate your cruise. How on earth is that Itinerary planned - the Cyclades are so close together you should be able to have almost a whole day on each island.