How To Travel Santorini Greece on a Budget & Where to Stay
- by Ari Travels
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Santorini Greece is a bucket list destination for many reasons. Perhaps the most popular reason today would be because Santorini is a mecca for taking picture-perfect Instagram photos. I know you've seen these pics scrolling down your feed. Being a 24-year-old backpacker, I can tell you that I was not spending lots of money in Santorini at all, and you can too!
Where to stay in Santorini, Greece if you're on a budget
Stay in the town of Fira
Fira is the capital of Santorini. There are hostels and low-cost hotels. The public bus is a short walking distance and only costs $1.60 USD to get from Fira to Oia (The famous village). The bus runs every day all day from 6 am-10 pm and is about a 20-minute ride to the village. Stay tuned for my Oia Santorini guide which includes all the things to see/do.
Eat local
Avoid expensive restaurants. My friend and I picked up breakfast at the local supermarket which was Greek yogurt and a granola bar. For lunch and dinner, we ate at the food stands. My favorite place was Pito Gyro which only costs $4 per gyro, and they are DELICIOUS! They have other options rather than gyros too so you won’t get tired of it.
Travel during Shoulder Season
Shoulder season is my favorite time to travel. The weather is still good, and prices are lower. Times during shoulder season are considered a month or two before the peak season and a month or two after peak season (For Santorini you would want to travel either in May, September or October).
Fly into Athens first, then ferry over to Santorini
Direct flights into Santorini can be extremely expensive, so fly into Athens and use Ferry Hopper to book your ferry ticket to Santorini.
Below are my recommendations on where to stay in Santorini for budget travelers
Hotels in Fira (Click for more)
Grande Murano (Where I Stayed)
Hostel Options in Fira (there are no hostels in Oia)
Cheaper Hostel options in Santorini (25 min walk to Fira)
Cheaper Hotel Options in Santorini (25 min walk to Fira)
Hotel Directly in Oia Village if you don’t want to bus or taxi
It’s not a trip to Santorini if you don’t at least splurge one night on a cliffside hotel with a private Jacuzzi. I would highly recommend you consider budgeting for this experience. To do this in the most budget-friendly way possible, Imerovigli is a breathtaking village just south of Oia and private Jacuzzi Suites here are much cheaper than in Oia Village. Here is a list of hotels in Imerovigli.
For Island hopping, make sure to book on Ferry Hopper for the best prices
Taking the ferries is the best way to get from different islands. Flying can be pricy.
I hope this itinerary was helpful! Please feel free to comment or ask me any questions regarding your upcoming trip. For more information about traveling to Greece, you can book a consultation call with me or request a custom itinerary by heading to this page. Happy traveling!
