Caldera Cruise & Volcano Visit, Santorini

4.7 (18 reviews)
Take a family sailing trip along Santorini's caldera on a brigantine, learning about volcanoes and bathing in hot springs
Show all photos
Sharon
Sharon C.
Oct 10, 2024
The cruise was wonderful. We did not get off the ship at the volcano due to my husband's mobility issues. This left quite a bit of... Read more
Sandra
Sandra D.
Jul 18, 2024
Fun day. Not everyone went but those of us that did had a great time.
Previous Next
See all reviews

Overview

Today, join a half-day guided cruise to enjoy the best of Santorini as you sail around the island's famed caldera, finishing with a traditional Greek-style BBQ dinner to savor as the sun sets over the Aegean Sea.

Your adventure starts at the port of Athinios. Here, you'll board an authentic Brigantine, a traditional wooden boat of the sort made in the Mediterranean for centuries, of almost 100 feet (28-m) long. You will then begin your trip around the coastline of Santorini's stunning caldera. 

You will get to take a break at a natural hot spring, dock near Thirassia, the second-largest island within the caldera, where you will get to go swimming in the sea while your crew prepares a traditional Greek BBQ buffet. 

The cruise stops as well on the northern tip of Santorini, near the charming village of Oia. Savor the town's two ports, Ammoudi and Armeni and see these picturesque harbors from the unique vantage point of your vessel. As you return towards Athinios port, gaze at the beautiful sunset over the Aegean Sea.

Please bear in mind that the water in the Hot Springs contains sulfur and iron that leaves stains. It is recommended to avoid wearing light-colored bathing suits. 

To participate in all activities of this tour, swimming knowledge is required.

In case of any dietary intolerances and allergies, please inform your travel specialist accordingly.

This tour starts in the afternoon and finishes around sunset time.
Read more about unique and interesting activities in Santorini and sailing excursions in Greece.

Know before you go

Duration
6h
Recommended for
All ages
Group
Group tour
Food & Drink
Dinner Included

Start times

  • Daily
    2:00 pm

What's included

6-hour boat tour, roundtrip transfers, dinner (drinks and refreshments available at extra cost), guided volcano tour, snorkeling equipment, swimming noodles.

Like what you see?

Chat with our local specialists and let us help you customize your trip with experiences like this.

Get started

Traveler photos
See all photos
Travelers often mention

Summarized by AI based on kimkim traveler reviews

Delicious Food

Reviewers consistently praised the food served on the boat, noting it exceeded expectations, with some even going for seconds. (7 mentions)

April
“The amazing dinner and drinks”  — April H.
L
“The dinner prepared was AMAZING! So delicious!”  — Lori V.
K
“I expected the food to be mediocre, but it was absolutely amazing and I even went up for seconds!”  — Kristina r.
Volcano Hike

The hike up the volcano was noted as a challenging but rewarding experience with spectacular views and historical significance. (5 mentions)

Erica
“The trip included 1 hour at the volcano crater (which is just enough time to walk to the top and back down)”  — Erica S.
K
“The guide did a great job explaining the history of the volcano as well.”  — Kristina r.
L
“Beautiful experience to see the volcano.”  — Lori V.
Amazing Views

The views, especially of the volcano, sea, and sunset, were frequently highlighted as breathtaking and a must-see experience. (4 mentions)

Cheryl
“the beautiful sunset cruise to Oui”  — Cheryl L.
Ari
“The sights were nice”  — Ari S.
Sharon
“the views are spectacular”  — Sharon H.
Swimming Spots

Many reviewers enjoyed the swimming spots, including the hot springs, describing them as fun and refreshing. (4 mentions)

Cheryl
“the swim out to the hot springs”  — Cheryl L.
Erica
“we sailed to an area where we could swim to hot springs.”  — Erica S.
April
“swimming in the beautiful sea to cool off”  — April H.

Traveler reviews

18 total ratings, 16 with reviews
4.7
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
4.6
Food
4.8
Guides, Drivers and Staff
4.8
Transport
4.8
Sharon
Sharon C.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Oct 10, 2024
The cruise was wonderful. We did not get off the ship at the volcano due to my husband's mobility issues. This left quite a bit of time in the boat docked while others hiked around the volcano rim. Had we known that this hike would be over an hour, we would have taken a book to read. But just enjoying the relaxation in the sun was nice too. Read more

The cruise was wonderful. We did not get off the ship at the volcano due to my husband's mobility issues. This left quite a bit of time in the boat docked while others hiked around the volcano rim. Had we known that this hike would be over an hour, we would have taken a book to read. But just enjoying the relaxation in the sun was nice too.

Quality of Experience
Food
The dinner served on board was very delicious!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Gayle
Gayle Z.
North Olmsted, OH | Reviewed on Aug 17, 2024
This was a lot of fun, though long - advertised as 6 hours, and it was 8 hours if not more. Also, as advertised as a traditional wooden boat, but the diesel fumes got old really quick. Read more

This was a lot of fun, though long - advertised as 6 hours, and it was 8 hours if not more. Also, as advertised as a traditional wooden boat, but the diesel fumes got old really quick.

Tips for future travelers

Plan for a long day - bring sunscreen and snacks.

Quality of Experience
It was beautiful to be on the water, and having the opportunity to swim in the ocean was great
Food
When you're hungry, food tastes good - the chicken was overcooked
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Picked us up and dropped us off a 10 minute walk from the hotel
Sandra
Sandra D.
Golden Gate, FL | Reviewed on Jul 18, 2024
Fun day. Not everyone went but those of us that did had a great time. Read more

Fun day. Not everyone went but those of us that did had a great time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Diane
Diane S.
Shaw, DC | Reviewed on Jul 17, 2024
I wasn't really sure about spending 6 hours on a boat cruising around in the caldera - but it was a wonderful experience. Very much worth doing. Especially liked hiking on the heart of the ancient volcano. Read more

I wasn't really sure about spending 6 hours on a boat cruising around in the caldera - but it was a wonderful experience. Very much worth doing. Especially liked hiking on the heart of the ancient volcano.

Quality of Experience
Food
Erica
Erica S.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Jun 24, 2024
We were picked up by the Santos transfer on time and had a nice trip to the port where we waited for our boat to arrive. The group on our boat was mostly couples and one other family with young children. The trip included 1 hour at the volcano crater (which is just enough time to walk to the top and back down), then we sailed to an area where we could swim to hot springs. After that, we sailed to a second area for swimming followed by a delicious dinner, then back around to the port near Oia... Read more

We were picked up by the Santos transfer on time and had a nice trip to the port where we waited for our boat to arrive. The group on our boat was mostly couples and one other family with young children. The trip included 1 hour at the volcano crater (which is just enough time to walk to the top and back down), then we sailed to an area where we could swim to hot springs. After that, we sailed to a second area for swimming followed by a delicious dinner, then back around to the port near Oia to watch the sunset. Overall it was a lovely day!

Tips for future travelers

Since we didn't book the trip, we didn't have details on when the boat would sail and that was a little nerve-wracking but okay. More confirmation information would be helpful. Some information on the hike to the crater would have been helpful. We are avid hikers but we were all wearing open-toed sandals and that made the climb more difficult than we were expecting. I would recommend telling travelers to wear sturdy shoes and then keep sandals on board for later. Suggest bringing snacks to travelers - there are some limited snack options on board for purchase, but dinner was on the later side after hiking and two swims, so we got pretty hungry. Finally, the trip description described snorkel equipment (and so does the Santos line description of the excursion) however, snorkel equipment was not offered to us, so our kids were a bit disappointed.

Quality of Experience
Food
They provide a really good dinner of chicken kebabs, bread, rice, meatballs, greek salad, and a glass of local wine (or juice). The snack options for purchase were pretty limited (pringles and pretzels) so I'd tell the travelers to bring snacks.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
K
Kristina r.
Algonquin, IL | Reviewed on Sep 21, 2023
Our guide was great! We stopped at 3 different locations and we had plenty of time at each spot. The guide did a great job explaining the history of the volcano as well. The men who worked on the boat, especially the main guy were a hoot and he even helped me with my wound after I tripped on the top of the volcano, ha! I expected the food to be mediocre, but it was absolutely amazing and I even went up for seconds! We apparently went on a very windy day which we didn’t realize because the... Read more

Our guide was great! We stopped at 3 different locations and we had plenty of time at each spot. The guide did a great job explaining the history of the volcano as well. The men who worked on the boat, especially the main guy were a hoot and he even helped me with my wound after I tripped on the top of the volcano, ha! I expected the food to be mediocre, but it was absolutely amazing and I even went up for seconds! We apparently went on a very windy day which we didn’t realize because the crew did such a great job, it was only rough for about 20ish minutes and even then it wasn’t bad. The crew did a great job safety wise and even provided us with blankets as it got a bit chilly after the sunset.

Tips for future travelers

We had considered not going since we had done a boat cruise a few days prior to this one, but we went and were soooo happy we did. The experience was very different as this one had a lot more on land activities (like the volcano). Bring a sweater even if you think you won’t need it!!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Michelle
Michelle G.
Maple Grove, MN | Reviewed on Sep 21, 2023
This was a great experience. Despite being a large group tour, we all had fun dancing on the boat. Read more

This was a great experience. Despite being a large group tour, we all had fun dancing on the boat.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
April
April H.
Phoenixville, PA | Reviewed on Aug 06, 2023
Great fun. The boat, the hike up the volcano, the views, swimming in the beautiful sea to cool off. The amazing dinner and drinks, all capped off with an amazing sunset! Read more

Great fun. The boat, the hike up the volcano, the views, swimming in the beautiful sea to cool off. The amazing dinner and drinks, all capped off with an amazing sunset!

Tips for future travelers

If you plan to hike the volcano make sure you wear comfortable clothes and shoes and bring water.

Quality of Experience
Sites, boat, staff
Food
Delicious!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
All so friendly!
Transport
S
Stephen W.
Canada | Reviewed on Jul 05, 2023
Very cool day, nice swimming spots on a nice boat with delicious food. Read more

Very cool day, nice swimming spots on a nice boat with delicious food.

Tips for future travelers

This boat can hold up to 120 people, on our trip there was 70. Had plenty of room. We had a seat in the very back on the side. Turn around and let your legs hang over the edge👌

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
C
Cathy B.
Camarillo, CA | Reviewed on Jun 22, 2023
Parts of this were really fun, but the boat smelled like exhaust from the full almost the whole trip. Read more

Parts of this were really fun, but the boat smelled like exhaust from the full almost the whole trip.

Tips for future travelers

The boat takes you to 3 or 4 different stops. The walk uphill to see the craters of the Volcano is optional. The swimming off the boat to the "hot springs is really fun.

Quality of Experience
The smell of exhaust from the engine everywhere on the boat
Food
The food was prepared on board and the wine was flowing. It was very good.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The stff was great. They cooked a great meal for us and watching them handle the sails and the anchors was real teamwork.

Like what you see?

Chat with our local specialists and let us help you customize your trip with experiences like this.

Get started

Itineraries with Caldera Cruise & Volcano Visit

Previous Next

Santorini Experiences

Show more Santorini experiences
Previous Next

Greece Experiences

Show more Greece experiences
Previous Next

Best of Santorini

Best of Santorini
Previous Next

Trip Planning Essentials

Previous Next