Boat Tours Santorini

Choosing a boat tour Santorini offers is mostly a choice between five-hour catamaran or sailing trips on the caldera, a few shorter volcano cruises and a handful of kayak and self-drive options. I compared all 16 trips that you can book on GetYourGuide right now, from a $34 three-hour cruise to a $1,122 private catamaran. Everything below comes from the operators’ own listings: prices, ratings, durations, meeting points and what is included. I haven’t been on board any of them, so my picks rest on the data and on the review snippets, not on a personal sailing.

Here is my short answer on which boat tour Santorini visitors should book. If I only had one afternoon, I’d book the Vista Yachting Gold Catamaran at $95: it has 4.8 from 3,554 reviews, a guide, snorkeling gear and an open white wine bar, and it starts from Vlychada Marina on the quiet south coast. If I wanted the biggest crowd of happy reviewers, I’d choose Sunset Oia at $67 (4.6 from 7,367 reviews). Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.

Boat Tours in Santorini

Boat tours in Santorini nearly all follow the same shape: you are collected from your hotel, sail around the south coast or into the flooded caldera, swim at the hot springs and the colorful beaches, eat on board and come back. The caldera is the sea-filled crater left by a huge volcanic eruption roughly 3,600 years ago, according to Wikipedia’s Santorini article, and the Greek National Tourism Organisation describes Santorini as an island with an active volcano that visitors can stay inside, on Visit Greece. That is why even a cheap boat tour Santorini sells feels dramatic.

The two trips I’d start with differ in style. Sunset Oia runs a red catamaran from Ammoudi Port with a barbecue dinner, drinks and music on board, and its itinerary lists the hot springs, Red Beach and White Beach, five hours in total. The guest notes call the crew friendly and the food excellent. The second is a private option from SantoriniYachtingClub, listed at $129, which starts from Ammoudi Bay, visits Thirassia and the hot springs and includes a BBQ with an open bar, snorkeling gear and a stand-up paddleboard.

Sunset Oia

Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music

• ★ 4.6 (7,367 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The most reviewed trip in this guide: $67, five hours, barbecue dinner and drinks, 4.6 from 7,367 reviews.

from

$67

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SantoriniYachtingClub

Private Catamaran Cruise with BBQ Meal and Drinks

• ★ 4.9 (181 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Private catamaran from Ammoudi Bay with a BBQ and open bar, 4.9 from 181 reviews; I'd check what the $129 covers before I book.

from

$129

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Santorini Boat Trips

Santorini boat trips differ most in what time of day they run and how long you spend in the water. The Sunset Oia luxury catamaran day trip is sold as a morning or sunset departure and lasts five to six hours. It costs $123, which is more than the standard Sunset Oia ticket, and for that you get a Greek meal with vegetarian options, an open bar with wine, beer, soft drinks and a cocktail, snorkel gear, towels, wind jackets and a shower on board. Its 4.8 rating from 4,425 reviews is the strongest score of any trip with that many reviews.

The Santorini Sailing Deluxe tour from Blue Lagoon Cruises costs $180 and is the one to look at if you want a real sailboat. It starts from Vlihada Marina, sails past the ancient city of Akrotiri, Red Beach, White Beach, the Venetian lighthouse and Aspronisi, and includes a meal and drinks. It has fewer reviews (176, rated 4.8), so I’d read a few before booking. For more on sail-powered trips, see my page on sailing in Santorini.

Sunset Oia

Luxury Catamaran Day Trip with Meal and Open Bar

• ★ 4.8 (4,425 reviews)
• 5 - 6 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Morning or sunset departure, a full Greek meal and an open bar: 4.8 from 4,425 reviews at $123.

from

$123

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SANTORINI SAILING Blue Lagoon Cruises

Santorini Sailing Deluxe Tour

• ★ 4.8 (176 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A proper sailboat past Akrotiri and the volcanic islets, $180, 4.8 from 176 reviews.

from

$180

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Santorini Boat Cruises

Santorini boat cruises of the gold-standard kind sit between $95 and $140. The Vista Yachting Gold Catamaran at $95 is the one I’d call best value: it lists Vlychada Marina as the start and end, then Red Beach, White Beach, the Venetian lighthouse, the volcano hot springs, the caldera cliffs and Mesa Pigadia beach. A guide comes on board, there are Greek mezedes first and a lunch or dinner depending on the start time, and you get unlimited soft drinks and water. Restrooms and life jackets are on board, and wheelchair access is not available.

Barca Sailing’s sunset cruise with a meal is the other boat tour Santorini offers in this section. It costs $140 for five hours, has 4.8 from 91 reviews and is described as a small group. The listing includes round-trip hotel transfers, a seafood barbecue, local white wine and Greek beer. The pickup is by coach for about an hour, so the day is longer than the cruise itself.

Vista Yachting

Santorini Gold Catamaran Cruise with Snorkel, BBQ & Open Bar

• ★ 4.8 (3,554 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My value pick: $95, 4.8 from 3,554 reviews, snorkeling and an open white wine bar.

from

$95

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Night tour

Barca Sailing

Santorini Caldera: Sunset Sailing Cruise with Meal

• ★ 4.8 (91 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Small-group sailing cruise with a seafood barbecue, $140, 4.8 from 91 reviews.

from

$140

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Best Boat Tours in Santorini

The best boat tour Santorini has, on my numbers, is one that combines a rating of 4.8 or more with hundreds of reviews. That narrows the list of Santorini boat tours to Vista Yachting, Spiridakos, Sunset Oia’s luxury trip and Volcano Yachting. Spiridakos Pleasure Yachts runs a small-group sailing catamaran for $85 with 4.8 from 1,793 reviews. Its stops include Red Beach for 30 minutes of swimming, White Beach, the Akrotiri lighthouse, Palea Kameni and the volcano, and lunch is a barbecue buffet with chicken fillet, pasta and Greek salad. Hotel transfers depend on the option you choose.

If you want the top of the price range, Caldera Yachting offers an all-inclusive private catamaran for $1,122, rated 4.9 from only 33 reviews. It includes van transfers, a welcome drink, lunch or dinner, an open bar, snorkeling gear and towels, and you can choose a day or a sunset cruise. I’d only choose it for a celebration where privacy matters. The private boat tour page compares it with the other two private boats.

SPIRIDAKOS PLEASURE YACHTS P.Y.M.C.

Sailing Catamaran Cruise with BBQ and Drinks

• ★ 4.8 (1,793 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Best all-round sailing catamaran: $85, a barbecue buffet, 4.8 from 1,793 reviews.

from

$85

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CALDERA YACHTING

All-Inclusive Private Catamaran Experience

• ★ 4.9 (33 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The splurge: a fully private catamaran with an open bar, $1,122, 4.9 from 33 reviews.

from

$1,122

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Boat Tour Santorini Greece

A boat tour Santorini Greece style does not have to be a catamaran with a buffet. Volcano Yachting’s sunset sailboat tour starts at Vlychada beach and lists the hot springs, Red Beach, White Beach, Black Mountain beach and the Venetian lighthouse. It costs $118 for five hours, includes dinner with a BBQ, an open bar with local drinks, snorkeling gear, jackets and towels, and has 4.8 from 555 reviews. It is the sunset sail I’d pick when I want fewer people on deck. My page on sunset cruises in Santorini gives sunset times for every month.

The other end of the spectrum is the boat you drive yourself. The Santorini Water Sports rental costs $281 for five hours, needs no licence, includes snorkeling gear, a cooler, a chart plotter, a depth meter and lifejackets, and adds ten minutes on a jet ski. It has just two reviews so far, both five stars, which is too few to rely on. If you are tempted, read my guide to boat rental in Santorini first.

Night tour

VOLCANO YACHTING

Sunset Cruise with Swim Stops, Dinner, and Drinks

• ★ 4.8 (555 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A sunset sailboat with dinner and swim stops, $118, 4.8 from 555 reviews.

from

$118

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SANTORINI WATER SPORTS

Boat rental without a license+10minutes of jet ski

• ★ 5.0 (2 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Licence-free boat plus ten minutes of jet ski, $281, but only two reviews so far.

from

$281

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Boat Trips in Santorini Greece

Boat trips in Santorini Greece also include trips that mix sea and land. MTM Experiences’ Sunset Dinner Cruise costs $84 for four hours, sails across the caldera past the underwater craters to Thirasia, and leaves free time on the island before dinner. It is rated 4.3 from 1,302 reviews, lower than the catamarans, and the listing doesn’t give a meeting point, so I’d check where the pickup is. Drinks beyond the included dinner cost extra.

The other option here is the Serenity Kayak sea caves trip at $151, which has a perfect 5.0 from 353 reviews. It lasts seven hours, includes hotel transport, a local guide, kayak and snorkeling equipment, dry bags and a picnic of local organic products. The route follows the south coast past Akrotiri, Black Mountain and White Beach, with cliff jumping at White Beach. The listing excludes children under 14, non-swimmers and anyone over 127 kg, so it is not for everyone.

SERENITY KAYAK - SANTORINI OUDOORS

Sea Caves Kayak Trip with Snorkeling and Picnic

• ★ 5.0 (353 reviews)
• 7 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Seven hours of kayaking, snorkeling and a beach picnic: $151, 5.0 from 353 reviews.

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$151

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MTM Experiences

Sunset Dinner Cruise

• ★ 4.3 (1,302 reviews)
• 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A four-hour dinner cruise to Thirasia with time on the island, $84, 4.3 from 1,302 reviews.

from

$84

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Boat Tour Santorini Volcano

A boat tour Santorini volcano trip is the cheapest way onto the water. MTM’s Volcano and Sunset Caldera Cruise costs $34 for three hours, which is the lowest price in my list, and it has 4.3 from 819 reviews. It leaves from Athinios Port at gate 5, at the blue tents; the listing names the boat Aegean Soul, asks you to be there at 16:15 and departs at 16:30. You stop at Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, swim at the hot springs and can hike the volcano. Nea Kameni is the youngest island in the caldera, formed from 1707 and last erupting in 1950, according to Wikipedia.

There are costs the price doesn’t cover. Food is not included, the 5 euro volcano entry fee is paid separately in cash, and pickup and drop-off are not included. Athinios is a harbor on the caldera wall, so build in time to get there from your hotel. If you want the hot springs plus a meal, one of the catamaran boat tours in Santorini above does both.

MTM Experiences

Santorini Volcano & Sunset Caldera Cruise

• ★ 4.3 (819 reviews)
• 3 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The cheapest way to the volcano and hot springs: $34 for three hours, food and entry fee extra.

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$34

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Boat Tour Santorini Caldera

A boat tour Santorini caldera trip is also possible without an engine. Santorini Sea Kayak’s introduction to sea kayaking costs $140, runs three to three and a half hours and has a perfect 5.0 from 266 reviews. It starts at the company’s base on Akrotiri Beach, so you park in front of Hotel Akrotiri and walk onto the beach. The guide is BCU-certified, and the listing includes snorkeling gear, dry bags, a picnic and liability insurance. It paddles the south coast, not the inside of the caldera, and passes Red Beach, Kampia beach and White Beach.

I’d choose this boat tour Santorini kayak trip over a catamaran only if you like activity more than a buffet. You get less time on the water than on a five-hour cruise, but you are closer to the cliffs and sea caves. For more water-based options, see my guide to snorkeling in Santorini.

SANTORINI SEA KAYAK

Santorini Sea Kayak: Red Beach, Caves, Snorkeling & Picnic

• ★ 5.0 (266 reviews)
• 3 - 3.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Three hours of guided sea kayaking from Akrotiri Beach, $140, 5.0 from 266 reviews.

from

$140

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Boat Ride Santorini

A boat ride Santorini visitors can book on their own terms is the half-day rental from Extreme Water Sports. It costs $337 for four hours, requires no licence, and lists a stern ladder, a GPS tracking device, a USB charger, snorkeling gear, dry bags, towels and water. The listing has only two reviews, both five stars, so I’d treat it as promising, not proven. A rental also puts the planning on you: where to swim, how far to go and when to come back.

If you would rather have a crew, the private catamaran from Sail Away is the other end of the choice. At $943 for five hours, with 5.0 from 212 reviews, it starts from Vlychada Marina and the itinerary runs past Red Beach, White Beach, the Akrotiri lighthouse, Aspronisi, Palea Kameni and the Nea Kameni hot springs. A captain and a crew member are included, as are fuel, taxes, port fees and insurance. Look at the page on catamaran tours in Santorini if you are still deciding between shared and private boats.

Sail Away - Santorini Catamaran Sailing

Private Catamaran Cruise with Food & Drinks

• ★ 5.0 (212 reviews)
• 5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A crewed private catamaran with a meal and local wine, $943, 5.0 from 212 reviews.

from

$943

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Extreme Water Sports Santorini

Half-Day Boat Rental, No License Required

• ★ 5.0 (2 reviews)
• 4 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Drive it yourself for four hours with no licence; $337 and only two reviews, so read them first.

from

$337

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What You See on a Santorini Boat Trip

The route most catamarans share runs along the south and west coast. From Vlychada Marina it is about 3.3 km in a straight line to Akrotiri, 4.9 km to White Beach and 7.4 km to the Akrotiri lighthouse, using the coordinates in my place data. The caldera and Ammoudi are further north, about 15 km from Vlychada in a straight line. That is why boat tours in Santorini that start in the south spend the first hour at the beaches, and the ones that start below Oia sail into the caldera and visit Thirassia.

Wind is the thing to check before any boat tour Santorini offers. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service publishes forecasts at hnms.gr, and the review snippets on Sunset Oia mention a windy day where the crew still made the trip enjoyable. I wouldn’t plan the one day you have for a wind-sensitive kayak trip, because a strong meltemi can cancel Santorini boat tours at short notice.

Where the Boats Leave From

Santorini is an island, so every boat tour Santorini runs starts at a marina or port, not a pier on a river. Boat tours in Santorini cluster at three harbors. Vlychada Marina in the south is the base for Vista Yachting, Spiridakos, Barca Sailing, Sail Away and the Blue Lagoon sailboat. Ammoudi Bay below Oia is where Sunset Oia and SantoriniYachtingClub start, and Athinios is the port used by MTM’s volcano cruise. In a straight line, Vlychada is about 9 km from the Old Port of Fira, and the Old Port is about 7 km from Ammoudi. Athinios is about 3.5 km from the Old Port. Wikipedia notes that access to the Old Port was restricted after the 2025 earthquakes because of tsunami risk, so check that your operator is still using it before you travel.

Which Santorini Boat Trip Type Fits You

My data splits the 16 Santorini boat tours into six types, and each has its own page. Prices are the lowest listed for that type, and durations come from the listings.

Trip type	Price from	Typical duration	Best for
Sunset cruise	$34	3 to 5 hours	Evening light, dinner on board
Catamaran tour	$67	5 to 6 hours	Swimming, food and drinks in a group
Boat rental	$281	4 to 5 hours	Driving yourself, no licence needed
Sailing trip	$85	5 hours	Sailboat feel, small groups
Snorkeling tour	$95	3 to 7 hours	Sea caves, beaches, snorkel gear
Private boat tour	$129	5 hours	Couples and groups who want a private boat

If you are looking for a yacht, the private and rental pages are where the yacht listings live, so I haven’t added a separate yacht section to this guide to boat tours in Santorini.

How I’d Choose a Boat Tour in Santorini

Here is how I’d pick a boat tour Santorini trip in four questions.

1. What is your budget? Under $40, the $34 MTM volcano cruise. Around $70 to $100, Sunset Oia or Vista Yachting. Above $120, the luxury catamaran or a sailboat.
2. Do you want food on board? Every crewed catamaran and sailing trip includes a meal; the MTM volcano cruise does not.
3. Do you want the boat to yourself? Private catamarans are listed at $129, $943 and $1,122; check on the booking page what the price covers.
4. Are you active? The two kayak trips, at $140 and $151, both have a 5.0 rating.

All 16 offer free cancellation 24 hours ahead, so you can book early and move your date if the wind forecast looks bad. Whichever boat tour Santorini route you pick, confirm the meeting point and the pickup time in your confirmation email.