Best Santorini shore excursions
The top-rated independent excursion in Santorini is "Santorini: Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music" (4.6★ from 7,406 reviews, from $88). The biggest saving against the ship is city / island tour: $161 per person less than NCL. Prices and ratings checked November 2026.
Ranked from real traveller ratings: each tour's star rating weighted by how many reviews it has, so a 4.9 with 3,000 reviews beats a 5.0 with 25. Only tours we matched to a tour type in Santorini are included.
Top-rated independent excursions
Best value against the ship
| Tour type | Line | Ship | Independent | Saving for 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City / island tour | NCL | $217 | $56 | $645 |
| Catamaran / sail & snorkel | Carnival | $232 | $95 | $551 |
| ATV / buggy / jeep | Carnival | $260 | $134 | $504 |
| Nature / waterfall / park | Carnival | $130 | $50 | $319 |
| Food & tasting | NCL | $158 | $112 | $185 |
| Nature / waterfall / park | NCL | $89 | $50 | $154 |
Where the ship is cheaper
- Beach break / beach club on NCL: $59 on the ship vs $84 independent.
Without a tour: near the pier
- Fira (cable car): ~5 min walk (291 m).
- Oia: ~20 min by road (6.7 km).
- Akrotiri: ~20 min by road (7.8 km).
Santorini is a tender port and the cable car back down from Fira is the bottleneck. Tours that drop you at the old port avoid it.
Questions
What is the best excursion in Santorini?
On ratings, "Santorini: Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music" leads with 4.6 stars from 7,406 reviews. On value, city / island tour saves the most against the ship ($161 per person).
What is the cheapest well-rated excursion in Santorini?
"Santorini Port: Cruise to Volcano, Hot Springs & Thirassia" from $28 per person (4.5★, 1,884 reviews).
What can you do in Santorini without booking an excursion?
Within about 20 minutes of the pier: Fira (cable car) (~5 min walk), Oia (~20 min by road), Akrotiri (~20 min by road).
All Santorini prices and pier guide · Carnival in Santorini · NCL in Santorini