Last Minute Holidays to Santorini

Greece › Santorini › Last Minute Santorini
by Santorini Dave • Updated: December 1, 2021

How To Book a Last Minute Trip to Santorini

• 1. Use Kayak.com to find flights – Super easy and lots of cheap flights
• 2. Use Booking.com to find hotels with available rooms – Best rates and selection for Santorini hotels
• 3. Use GetYourGuide.com to book tours – Good selection for things to do on Santorini
• 4. Reserve a table at the best restaurants in Santorini – Last minute reservations are usually easy to get
• 5. Pack at least one warm set of clothes. Santorini weather is unpredictable and you can get cool windy nights even in summer.

See Also

• Best Luxury Hotels on Santorini
• Where To Stay in Santorini
• Maps of Santorini

Current Last-Minute Rooms in Santorini

Is Santorini a good choice for a last minute holiday?

It’s a great choice. It’s a small island and really easy to get around. The airport is 10 minutes from Fira (the main town) and Kamari (the most popular beach). And it’s 15 minutes from these towns to the ferry port. Some of the other towns (Oia, Imerovigli, Perissa) are a little farther but not by much. So once you land in Santorini you’re usually just a short taxi ride from your hotel.

Is it easy to book a last-minute hotel in Santorini?

Yes and no. It’s easy to get a hotel. Not so easy to get a specific hotel. The goods news is that Santorini is loaded with great hotels with incredible views and wonderful suites. So you’ll likely be able to find something when booking last minute. The bad news is that the best hotels on the island are usually booked months in advance so the chances of finding a suite at the most talked about places are slim to none.

Should I book a package holiday to Santorini?

No! The best rates will be found by booking your hotel and flight separately. Find flights through Kayak.com.

Last Minute Santorini Hotels

What’s the best website for booking hotels on Santorini?

• Booking.com – Great pictures, verified user reviews, and handy calendar for keeping track of hotels. Better rates than what you’ll get by booking directly with a hotel. Hotelscombined.com is also good.

The Best Luxury Hotels in Santorini for Last Minute Bookings

You can check availability at my favorite Santorini hotels – but be prepared to be disappointed. The best hotels are booked months (sometimes years) in advance. (Of course, cancellations are always a possibility.) The following boutique and luxury hotels are the most likely to have something available at the last minute. These hotels tend to have more last minute openings than other top hotels. (Big name hotels like Katikies, Grace, Canaves, and Perivolas get lots of press and are usually fully booked far in advance.)

• Esperas – Oia
• Santorini Secret – Oia
• Andronis Boutique Hotel – Oia
• Rocabella – Imerovigli
• Santorini Princess – Imerovigli
• Dana Villas – Firostefani
• Keti Hotel – Fira

What are good last-minute hotels in Santorini

Here is a list of hotels that for a variety of reasons (4-star hotels instead of 5-star, larger hotels that have more rooms but aren’t quite as intimate, and back from the cliff without a view of the caldera) often have rooms available in July and August (high season on Santorini).

The 10 Best Last-Minute Hotels on Santorini

• Callia Retreat Suites – Fira, adults only
• Kavalari Hotel – Fira
• El Greco Resort & Spa – Fira
• Volcano View Hotel – 15 minute walk outside Fira
• Damigos Caldera World – Firostefani
• Villa Ilias – Firostefani
• Kasimatis by La Perla – Imerovigli, adults only
• Prekas Apartments – Imerovigli
• Merovigliosso – Imerovigli
• Anemomilos Hotel – Oia

How do I get to Santorini on a Last Minute Holiday?

There are essentially 3 ways of getting to Santorini. Flying is obviously the fastest. Arriving by ferry – with stunning views of the surrounding cliffs – is the most magical.

1. Fly directly to Santorini from Northern or Western Europe. More info: Flights to Santorini
2. Fly to Athens and then fly to Santorini with Olympic or Aegean Airlines.
3. Fly to Athens and then take the ferry to Santorini. More info: Athens to Santorini by Ferry

What are the best websites for finding cheap airfares to Santorini?

Kayak is the best website for searching flights to Santorini.

How do I book a last minute villa on Santorini?

Santorini Airbnb has the most listings of Santorini villas, apartments, and homes. But in all honesty, you’ll have a very hard time finding something on short notice. The most coveted rentals are reserved 6 months in advance. It never hurts looking though.

I don’t have a hotel booked, what towns should I focus my search on?

Fira and Kamari will likely have the most selection for last minute visitors. Towns such as Oia and Imerovigli are more likely to be fully booked – especially if arriving during July, August, or early September. They have fewer hotels and more luxury hotels that are often booked months in advance. But anything is possible and even the best hotels will have the occasional last minute opening.

Finding last minute hotels by town:
• Hotels in Fira
• Hotels in Oia
• Hotels in Imerovigli
• Hotels in Firostefani
• Hotels in Kamari

What if I’m arriving tonight and still haven’t booked a hotel?

Hotel owners meet (almost) every ferry and offer rooms and a free ride to their hotel. It’s a great option for travelers but not without its shortcomings. These are not luxury hotels with great views of the volcano. They usually won’t be located in the main towns of Fira, Oia, Imerovigli, or Kamari but in smaller towns like Pyrgos or Megalochori a bit off the beaten path. Hotel owners will give you a free ride to their hotel but if you choose not to stay there after taking a look they probably won’t drive you to another hotel. So you could be in a bit of a bind with your bags, not in a central town, and with no specific place to go. There’s also a booking office at the port that will call hotels with available rooms for you – there’s a booking fee for the service.

If there’s no one at the pier when you arrive (this can happen in the height of summer) or no rooms available from the booking service then your best bet is to take the bus to Fira. Walk the streets checking in at any hotel you walk past. You might as well skip the hotels along the caldera as they’ll be fully booked. Instead head for the town square and begin your search from there.

Of course, you can always book a hotel online even at short notice. Even if it’s only a few hours before your arrival it’s still better than searching on foot.

What towns have the best views of the caldera?

When most people think of Santorini they think of the stunning views of the caldera and volcano from a village perched on the island’s cliffs. For these views you’ll want to stay in Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, and Oia.

All of these towns have incredible views that look out over the water.

What town has the best nightlife?

Fira is by far the center of the island’s nightlife. It has dance clubs, Irish bars, wine bars, funky alternative bars – and everything in between. The other towns along the caldera have a handful of places to drink into the late hours but for any serious partying you’ll need to head to Fira.

Along the beach Kamari has the most nightlife. Once again, for dance clubs and partying that goes until the early morning you’ll want to get to Fira but Kamari has many good quality bars (some with live music) that will keep most people happy. Perissa, the second largest beach town also has some nightlife.

The beach towns are pretty slow outside of the late June to early September period. In Fira you’ll find a busy nightclub scene from early May until mid-October but the peak months are definitely July and August.

What town has the best sunsets?

For hotels, Imerovigli has the best sunsets. It has the highest elevation of any town and provides the best view of the setting sun – unimpeded by any neighboring islands. But for the social atmosphere, nothing beats joining the crowds of people on the lanes and steps of Oia to watch the sunset. It’s busy but a lot of fun. (Only a few Oia hotels however, have sunset views.)

What is the best beach on Santorini?

Kamari is the best beach town. It has the most restaurants, hotels, and shops. Nearby Perissa and Perivolos (essentially one long beach with no clear divide) have nice sand and more laid-back vibe – but not quite as much to do. Both are great places to hang out though.

Surprisingly, the best swimming spot on Santorini is a little rock platform near Amoudi Bay (below Oia). Take the path off to the left of Amoudi port and follow it until you find the platform. It’s a beautiful spot to jump into the stunningly clear water with the cliffs at your back.

How long should I stay on Santorini?

Three nights minimum, which will give you enough time to have a few meals overlooking the caldera, explore several of the islands’ villages, watch a sunset or two, and hit a couple of beaches.

On the other hand, it’s easy to fill a week or more on the island. There are many wonderful hikes, a couple interesting historical museums, and ancient sites, boat tours, wine tours, swimming coves, and boutique shops to explore.

When is the best time to visit Santorini?

Anytime between late May and early October is great for the beach. The weather is beautiful, the sea is warm (it gets warmer throughout the summer and is at its most comfortable from late July to late September), and everything is open. Late March, April, early May, late October, and early November can be good times to visit if you’re more interested in sightseeing than hitting the beach. In these months it’s often warm and sunny through the day but coolish at night. Rain is rare during the summer and becomes more frequent from early November to late April.

What is the best way to get around Santorini?

Santorini buses are cheap (€2 to go anywhere), reliable, air-conditioned, and enjoyable. It’s great for getting to and from Fira as that’s the hub of the bus network. If, for example, you’re going from Oia to Kamari then you’ll have to switch buses in Fira – and that can get a little tiring. So for longer trips a taxi (or rental car) can be a lot easier. Taxi rides around the island cost between €10 and €30 depending on the distance.

Read More

• Best Hotels in Santorini
• Maps of Santorini
• Videos of Santorini
• Best Hotels in Kamari Beach
• Santorini Jet Ski Tour (Perissa)
• Best Restaurants in Santorini
• Best Beaches in Santorini
• Best Tours & Things To Do in Santorini