Greece › Santorini › Fira-Oia Walk Route
By Santorini Dave • dave@santorinidave.com
Updated: January 15, 2026
See Also
- Best Hotels in Santorini
- Best Places to Stay in Santorini
- Best Things to Do in Santorini
- Santorini Walking Tours
My wife and I on our way from Fira to Oia.
Hike Details at-a-Glance
- Distance: Approximately 10.5 km (6.5 miles).
- Time: 2.5 to 5 hours. This depends on your pace and how often you stop for photos. Adding a side trip to Skaros Rock in Imerovigli adds at least one hour.
- Difficulty: Moderate. While not technically difficult, there are several steep sections and the terrain is uneven. A reasonable level of fitness is required.
- Terrain: A mix of paved pedestrian walkways, cobblestone paths, and natural dirt trails.
The Route & What to Expect
- Fira to Imerovigli: This section is the most populated. The path winds through the villages of Fira, Firostefani, and Imerovigli. It is mostly paved or cobblestone and lined with hotels, shops, and cafes. The climb from Fira up to Imerovigli, the highest point on the caldera, is short but steep.
- Imerovigli to Oia: After Imerovigli, the path becomes more rugged and remote. You leave the villages behind for a stretch of scenic, natural trail. This part of the hike offers the most dramatic, wide-open views. There is a small section where you must walk along the main road before rejoining the trail. As you approach Oia, you encounter a final climb into the village.
Fira-Oia Hike & Walking Tours
- Hikers frequently tell me this is not just the best hike on Santorini, but the best hike of their lives. The views are consistently spectacular.
- The Fira-Oia Guided Hike is the best walking tour from Fira to Oia. It includes hotel pick up and drop off. Highly recommended.
- The walk between Fira and Oia is tricky in parts but manageable for anyone in decent shape.
- Buy water before starting the walk. There are a few places to buy snacks and drinks along the way but they are easy to miss and not always open early in the morning.
- Avocado Restaurant is the best mid-point stop along the route. It is open for lunch, very casual, and delicious. Reservations for lunch are usually not necessary.
The Best Tours Along The Santorini Caldera
The hike between Fira and Oia follows the rim of the caldera. The views are stunning. It’s easy to do the hike without a guide but a walking tour can make it more interesting.
- Fira-Oia Walking Tour – The hike from Fira to Oia is incredible and this tour makes it even better. (3 to 5 hours)
- Fira: Guided Foodie Walking Tour with Tastings – Start in Firostefani and walk downhill to Fira with at least 7 stops for street food, local beer, wine, raki, Santorini cheeses, cold cuts, olive oil, bakery treats and traditional sweets. (4 hours)
The Fira to Oia Hike
- Best Activity: The Fira-Oia Hike is the single best thing to do in Santorini. It takes you along the caldera cliff and through the villages of Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, and Oia.
- Duration: Plan for 2.5 to 5 hours depending on your speed and photo stops. A side trip to Skaros Rock adds at least one hour.
- Distance: The trail is just under 10.5km (6.5 miles). Surfaces vary between pavement, cobblestone, and dirt paths. There is a good climb in both directions.
- Elevation: Oia is at 130 meters; Fira is at 270 meters; Imerovigli is the high point at 350 meters. The climb from Oia to Imerovigli is long and gradual. The climb from Fira to Imerovigli is short and steep.
- Timing: In summer, start early. It gets very hot by 11am.
- Supplies: Buy water the day before. Markets may not be open if you start early. While there are some shops along the way, it is safer to begin the trip fully stocked.
- Kids: The path is manageable for active children aged seven and up, but the distance is taxing for anyone under 10. Prepare for frequent breaks.
- Strollers: Do not take a baby stroller. The path involves hundreds of stairs and long stretches of uneven, rocky terrain.
- Bikes: Do not attempt this trail on a bike. It is dangerous, disruptive to hikers, and involves endless stairs.
- Navigation: It is easy to get slightly lost, but hard to get truly lost. Keep the caldera on your left (walking north) and head toward the next town you see on the cliff.
- Shops: There are small shops for water and snacks in Firostefani and Imerovigli. Between Imerovigli and Oia there are two cafes, but they have irregular hours.
There are signs along the path with arrows and distances but they’re infrequent and not always helpful.
Snacks and water are sometimes for sale along the route, but I wouldn’t depend upon it.
My wife and I having a rest in Imerovigli.
- Transportation: From June to September, afternoon buses from Oia to Fira are packed and taxis are scarce. I recommend taking a taxi or bus to your starting point in the morning, then hiking back to your hotel.
- Google Maps: If you enter “Fira to Oia” into Google Maps, it will likely give you a direct route along the main road that misses the views. You should be on the pedestrian footpath for 95% of the journey. If you are walking next to traffic, you missed a turn. The only exception is a short stretch between Oia and Imerovigli.
- Cruise Passengers: If you are on a Santorini cruise, you will tender to the old port below Fira. Take the cable car or walk up to Fira to join the path. From Oia, take a bus or taxi back to Fira, then descend to the port. You need at least 5 hours onshore to complete this hike safely.
- Food Stops: Good restaurants along the route include Avocado in Imerovigli (lunch and dinner) and Cafe Galini in Firostefani (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Map of Fira-Oia Hike
Fira to Oia Walk – Tips
The “start” of the path begins in the square beside Hotel Atlantis in Fira.
Then start walking north. You might make a few wrong turns as you try to get out of Fira. But there are a couple of signs and you’ll figure it out. (In general, go up, not down, as you’re starting out from Fira.) Keep moving north towards Skaros Rock (the big hump of rock you see there to the left).
This is the main square/main street of Fira. If you use Google Maps it might start you from this spot and send you walking north along the main road. But you don’t want to be here. You want to be on the caldera footpath 100 meters to the west.
The path out of Fira starts with a steep climb before you reach the next village (Firostefani), then it levels out for a bit.
As you turn the corner that marks the divide between Fira and Firostefani, you can now see Skaros Rock clearly, and Oia in the far distance.
There are often a few fruit sellers along the way. This one is in Firostefani.
If you want to see the famous Three Bells Church in Firostefani, turn off from the path just north of Mama Thira Restaurant. Then follow the signs from there. The church is “above” the path (i.e. to the east of the path).
The views from the Three Bells lookout are amazing. Sometimes it’s peaceful and idyllic, and somethimes it’s packed with tours from those awful cruise ships.
Direction posts in Firostefani showing the distances south to Fira (10 minutes) and north to Imerovigli (15 minutes) and Oia (2 hours, 45 minutes).
The hike continues on an upward incline north of Firostefani, all the way to Imerovigli. (Some parts of this section are a gravel path.)
There is a fork in the path at Santorini Mansion, stay to the left to take the most scenic route.
In Imerovigli there is a fork in the path at Blue Note restaurant. The signs will encourage you to go to the right, which is a less scenic route that goes through town. Go through town if you need water or snacks from a market. But go left for caldera views, 5 star hotels, and an (optional) visit to Skaros Rock.
When you turn left (at Blue Note) you’ll see the Church of Anastasi. The patio area around the church is currently closed and I’m not sure about any plans to reopen it. When the patio is open, the views from it are awesome.
Skaros Rock. It’s a beautiful walk out to Skaros Rock but this will add at least an hour to your hike (and lots of steps up and down). Getting out there and back to the path is farther than it looks. You’ll pass the gorgeous pool at Grace Hotel on the steps down.
If you decide to go to Skaros Rock this is where you turn off (down to the left). Stay to the right to continue to Oia. This is the only access path for Skaros Rock so you’d take this turn-off even if walking Oia to Fira.
The walk out to Skaros Rock.
The view of Imerovigli looking back towards the village from Skaros Rock.
The view of Oia from Skaros Rock (looking north).
The view of Fira from Skaros Rock (looking south).
The path as you continue north through Imerovigli (after the turn-off for Skaros Rock). Here you’ll pass some of the top hotels on the island: Grace, Astra, and Sophia Suites.
If you’re walking from Oia to Fira this is the more-scenic route that takes you to Skaros Rock (as you enter Imerovigli from the north). This is the Avaton Hotel.
This is the same fork in the path at the Avaton Hotel as the photo above. When walking from Oia, go left to enter Imerovigli and find a market or restaurant. Go right to get the best views and/or visit Skaros Rock.
The path as you leave Imerovigli heading north towards Oia.
Oia is visible in the distance but it’s still a good hour’s walk away.
The path passes a handful of hotels as it leaves Imerovigli. This is West East Hotel.
The bus stop beside (the fantastic) Cavo Tagoo Hotel (about 15 minutes walk north of Imerovigli). Get off here if you want to do a shorter walk. This is roughly half-way between Oia and Fira and you can walk south towards Fira (1 hour or more), or north towards Oia (90 minutes or more).
The path in this section is actually a small road as you pass the hotels (West-East, Rocabella, Cavo Tagoo, Santorini Princess) of northern Imerovigli.
Looking back (south) towards Imerovigli and Skaros Rock as we’re moving north.
And a little farther as the road turns to gravel and then to a path.
Cafe Monopati beside Pantheon Villas. Usually open but I wouldn’t count on it.
The route keeps going to Oia. To the left, there is a detour to the small Church of San Antonio down the cliff.
As you approach the church of Ekklisia Profitis Ilias there is a fork in the path. The left side sticks close to the caldera. The path along the caldera is a little trickier while the right side is a better quality path but less scenic. If you have young kids do the less scenic route. There is an unmarked washroom at the church but it’s often locked so don’t count on it.
The route to Oia when you take the caldera-side of the fork.
The caldera side of the fork is much more scenic but the path is tricky with lots of loose gravel.
The view as you descend on the caldera side above San Antonio Hotel and Aenaon Villas. Both excellent if you’re looking for hotels with peace, quiet, and solitude.
If you’re walking Oia to Fira: This is the fork (in front of San Antonio hotel) between the two paths as you approach from Oia. To the left is the easier, better quality path. To the right is the trickier more-scenic path along the caldera.
There is a 5 minute stretch from San Antonio hotel to the snack shop (below) where there is no path and you’ll need to walk on the road. It feels a little risky but locals know to look out for walkers. Just be quick and watch for cars. In the morning it’s usually very quiet.
There is a snack shop (not always open) as you rejoin the path and leave the road-portion of the walk behind. Oia is up that winding path to the left.
The path goes up again as you get closer to Oia.
To the left of Oia is the island of Thirassia.
Then back down as Oia comes into view. Almost there!
Entering Oia and heading towards town.
If you’re walking from Oia to Fira this is where the path really begins – take the footpath to the right of the market and walk along the caldera. If you’re walking from Fira to Oia this is the first market you’ll come upon as you enter Oia.
There is a small stretch as you enter Oia where there is no path and you’ll need to walk on the road for a minute or two. Traffic moves slowly here, so not a big concern.
Lioyerma pool in Oia. A good place to finish the walk. You can use the pool as long as you buy a drink or some food. Also has great sunset views.
The view of Imerovigli from Oia, with Fira the clump of white buildings to the far right. It’s a good feeling knowing you just walked that entire way.
Lotza Cafe in Oia is a good stop for drinks and snacks. Sit here and look out on the caldera. You’ll have a pretty good view of your entire route along the caldera’s edge. (And the baklava is great.)
Keep walking through Oia and descend to Ammoudi Bay where you’ll find 4 or 5 really good seafood restaurants. After you eat, restaurant staff will call a taxi for you that will take you all the way back to Fira.
If you turn to the left (from the Ammoudi Bay restaurants) and walk along the sea path for 5 minutes you’ll arrive at a great swimming spot where you can jump from the ledges. Super refreshing after a long walk. Imerovigli is visible in the distance.
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