48 Hours in Santorini: Trip Itinerary

Its no secret that I’m obsessed with Mamma Mia. Classic musical movie set in the Greek islands whats not to love! I was determined to go to Greece and live my best Mamma Mia life, maybe fall in love with three handsome men while I was there, who knows! As soon as I stepped off the boat on Santorini I felt like there was magic in the air! I was going to explore every inch of that island known for its donkeys, wine and blue domed buildings! I was only on the island for about 48 hours so I thought I would let you know all the top things you can do in Santorini in 48 hours!

What To Do

Akrotiri

While the majority of the group I was with wanted to go hiking, I decided to go with a friend to the ancient village of Akrotiri! Its known for its red sand beach. We hiked up the trail, picking up fresh fruit from vendors on the way before climbing down another set of rocks to the beach. The colour was something I hadn’t seen before and it was lovely watching the boats come in and out. Its definitely a trek to get here and the beach was busy! Nearby there is also a black sand beach if you feel like switching up sand colours! You can also check out the archaeological site from the Bronze age. Tanning and history all in one day!

Ammoudi Bay

One of my bucket list items for the island was to visit Ammoudi Bay. Its on the western side of the island right at the bottom of the town of Oia. I took a taxi as it was way too far to walk and too confusing to get to by bus. It had Mamma Mia vibes all over it! Actually, it was where the shot lots of scenes in Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants! I will say it was smaller than I thought it would be. Its mostly one little street hanging off the edge of the side of the cliff. Regardless, it is absolutely a spot worth visiting. We sat in a little restaurant watching fishermen drag todays catch out of the sea. I was hypnotized by the strings of octopus baking in the sun, and the mixture of greek music and waves filling the air. I inhaled an order of tzatziki and tried some of the local octopus (turns out its not my thing…)

Ride a Donkey

I feel like this should go without saying! Being at the bottom of Oia there are a lot of stairs to climb to the top. Its easily done, but I’d been walking all day so I decided to take a local mode of transportation - a donkey! This was so much fun! A little hard on the butt, sure, but its one of those once in a lifetime experiences and it was such a cool way to see views of the town! At only 3 euros for a ride it is well worth doing! Of course its popular with tourists, but when you venture out into more residential areas of the island I saw lots of locals riding and tending to their donkeys, so its also an authentic way to experience the island.

Oia + Sunset

Finally I was in Oia! This is where everyone comes to take their photos with the blue domes! Heres the truth though, there really aren’t very many! I was so surprised I thought I was going to look out on a sea of blue and white buildings, but they are really scattered. I also found out that most of best places to take photos are actually private property. Often times when you see your favourite bloggers or pictures people post with blue domes in the background, its because its on the property of their hotel. Or, like some of my friends did, people just hop fences and quickly take a shot! It was also crazy crowded! There were 100’s of tourists trying to take photos at the same time, I actually got really stressed out and gave up. I was there just before sunset, so I think in retrospect it would have been better to go out first thing in the morning. Its not like a tourist attraction where there is lots of room to move, no these are little tiny alley ways and streets. Its still beautiful to see, but for me it was underwhelming. What wasn’t underwhelming was the sunset! The sunset in Oia is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Being so famous, its pretty much going to be crowded no matter where you are, the best bet is to book into a restaurant or bar that looks out over the sunset! You’ll have a guaranteed table and wine to go with it! The sunset itself was intense! It was one of the most vibrant bursts of orange I’d ever seen and was completely worth it! It was the perfect way to finish my time in Santorini.

Wine Tasting

Santorini is famous for its wine. If you've ever been to a vineyard before and you’re picturing the rows and rows of beautiful grape vines, that’s not what it looks like on the island! Santorini is a volcanic island, the ash and dirt are highly acidic and vines don’t grow like normal here. Instead they are very low to the ground. I mistook them for bushes and shrubs when I first saw them. We decided to check out Santo Wines, as it has one of the most amazing views on the island. If you go I recommend getting their 10 wine flight so you can try everything! Wine in Santorini was the best I had in all of Greece.

Where to stay

Santorini has pockets of busy towns like Fira and Oia, but in between there isn’t a whole lot. My hotel was kind of in the middle of nowhere, I mean like there was literally nothing I could see but landscapes, donkeys and shrubs, and taxi’s are not plentiful on the island. Like, literally, there are only 25 that service the whole island. So I would do some research and figure out what area you want to spend the majority of your time in. I would absolutely recommend planning your days out well in advance if you need to figure out how to get places.

okeanis beach hotel

This is a great budget option for travellers. It is a little bit out of the way so taking a bus or taxi is a must. It’s right on the beach with a beautiful waterfront restaurant, a great pool and comfortable rooms. $$

perivolas

They describe themselves as luxury lifestyle houses and they are seriously picturesque! Its set on top of a cliff looking over the Aegean and it has everything; terraced gardens, infinity pools, pristine white washed walls. The rooms are minimalist with sanded arched doorways, pops of pink and purple and fresh cut flowers. This hotel will set you back some for sure, but its extremely romantic and special. $$$

Lava Caves

These are the hotels you always see on Instagram, the ones with the pools that stretch into the rooms of the hotel. The rooms themselves take their cue from the cave theme. They are smooth and whitewashed, but with earthy accents like a giant rock in the glass table, black marble sinks and arched ceilings. Being a cave, it is actually a little small so if you are tall this probably isn’t the hotel for you. $$$

Stelios Place

Stelio’s Place is constantly on the top of the lists on Booking.com and Lonely Planet as one of the best budget hotels on Santorini. Its located right on Perissa Beach and its really close to Akrotiri! It has more of a private condo feel but is great value for money. $$

Andronis Boutique Hotel

If you’re looking to splurge on an instagram worthy, luxury hotel this is it. Its actually a really big property for a Santorini hotel. The suites are pure perfection, still very simple but with more of a stylized design flair than some of the others on this list. Seriously, the bathrooms are truly spectacular. Most suites have their own pool and you can access the beach below and the romantic town of Oia above! Its so ideal, but also the most expensive hotel on this list. $$$$

Where to eat + drink

Rastoni

I ate here on my first night in Fira. Its located up on top of the caldera and the views are insane! The food is delicious and they make amazing cocktails! The restaurant has three different levels and you can go for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Its a Mediterranean menu with everything from local Greek dishes to pastas and amazing seafood. Its worth a visit! $$

Gyros on the Street

Because I was so busy exploring I didn’t always have time for a sit down lunch, but in the markets you can find lots of food vendors. One of the greatest Greek foods of all time - Gyros! Restaurants will also serve them, but the best ones I had were whipped up fast and cheap on the street! They only set me back a few euros and were stuffed to the brim. I’m daydreaming about one right now. $

Ammoudi Fish Tavern

As I said up top, I made a special trip to Ammoudi Bay because I had heard how stunning it was. Once we were down there I was mezmerized by all of the orange octopus drying in the sun, we asked and it was a specialty in this area! So we tried some at the Ammoudi Fish Tavern along with calimari, fresh tomatoes (Santorini is known for them) and olives. The view is the best one on the whole list in my opinion and the staff were lovely! $$

PK Cocktail Bar

Palia Kameni, shortened to PK is an island staple. Its been run by the same family for 43 years and you can clearly see how much love and effort goes into the place. Open from 8am - 3am, i’ts multi terraced with both indoor and outdoor rooms depending on what you feel. Their cocktails are out of this world, they taste so fresh and natural, and fun fact, they produce their own mint! You can also grab a specialty coffee or a cigar if you’re so inclined. I had a great night here. $$—$$$

Theros Wave Bar

I always feel if you’re on an island you always need to hit up at least one beach bar! I love Theros, located on Vlychada beach. Its one of those best of both world places with a very chill energy during the day and takes on that iconic Greek Island party vibe after sunset! It has stunning decks and verandas, wicker hammocks to lounge in and amazing cocktails. They had this one called Three Dots and a Dash that I particularly enjoyed! $$

I was only on this amazing island for about 48 hours, and honestly wish I’d stayed longer. Time felt like it slowed down and there was so much to see and do! I can’t wait to go back! Hopefully this will help you make the most of your time on Santorini!