50m²
Honeymoon Suite
Cave suite with caldera-facing veranda — designed for couples and milestone trips.
View roomThe Athens to Santorini ferry leaves from Piraeus all year and from Rafina in summer, takes anywhere from about five hours to more than eleven, and lands every passenger at the same place: Athinios, a small port at the foot of Santorini's cliffs. We run a small cave hotel in Fira, up the hill from that port, so this guide covers both halves of the trip. First the boat, then the part most ferry sites stop before: getting off at Athinios and up to where you're sleeping. For the rest of your planning, our Santorini travel guide has the bigger picture.
Prices and timetables below were checked in September 2026. They change with the season and the date, so treat them as a starting point and confirm on the booking page before you pay.
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Athens to Santorini ferry at a glance
If you only read one section, read this one. According to Ferryhopper's route data, ferries from Piraeus to Santorini run all year, with up to 8 daily crossings in summer, and tickets start at €46.50.
| What you want to know | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ports in Athens | Piraeus (all year), Rafina (seasonal) | Ferryhopper route data |
| Port in Santorini | Athinios, 8 km from Fira | Ferryhopper route data |
| Journey time from Piraeus | 4 hr 50 min to 11 hr 30 min | Ferryhopper route data |
| Cheapest seat | Economy deck from €46.50 | Ferryhopper route data |
| Distance by sea | 127 nautical miles (about 236 km) | Ferryhopper route data |
| Bus from Athinios to Fira | €2.70 one way | KTEL Santorini fare data |
Piraeus or Rafina: which port should you use?
Use Piraeus unless you're landing at Athens airport and heading straight to the boat in summer. Piraeus has sailings every day of the year and is easy to reach from central Athens. Rafina is closer to the airport, but its Santorini route is seasonal and mostly in the hands of one company.
The Piraeus to Santorini ferry
Per Ferryhopper's Piraeus route page, Piraeus sits about 15 km south of central Athens and 45 km from Athens International Airport. The metro gets you there in about 25 min from Monastiraki station, according to the same Ferryhopper page. Santorini ferries usually leave from gates E6, E7, E9 and E10, according to Ferryhopper, but gates change, so check your ticket and the boards at the port.
Flying in and going straight to Piraeus? The X96 airport express bus runs to the port around the clock. According to OASA, the Athens transport authority, the X96 takes approximately 90 minutes and a full fare costs €5.50.
The main companies on the Piraeus route are Blue Star Ferries, Seajets and Fast Ferries. Seajets is the fast one. Blue Star and Fast Ferries run the big conventional ships (source: Ferryhopper route data).
The Rafina to Santorini ferry
Rafina is the smaller port on Attica's east coast. According to Ferryhopper's Rafina route page, it sits about 33 km east of central Athens and 26 km from the airport. The same page says the route is seasonal, usually April to October, and served by Golden Star Ferries with high-speed boats taking 5 hours 20 minutes to 6 hours (source: Ferryhopper Rafina data). The indicative fare for one adult on that page was €60 (source: Ferryhopper Rafina data).
Rafina suits one kind of traveler: you land in Athens in summer and want to be on the water the same day without crossing the city. Everyone else, go to Piraeus.
High-speed vs conventional ferries: which one to book?
Book the high-speed boat if time matters more than money. Book a conventional ferry if you'd like a cheaper ticket, an outside deck and the slow arrival under the cliffs. Here's how the two compare on the Piraeus route, with every figure taken from Ferryhopper's route data (checked September 2026).
| High-speed ferry | Conventional ferry | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companies | Seajets | Blue Star Ferries, Fast Ferries | Ferryhopper route data |
| Journey time | 5 hr to 6 hr 10 min | Blue Star 6 hr 10 to 9 hr 10 min, Fast Ferries about 10-11.5 hr | Ferryhopper route data |
| Tickets from | €59.70 on some sailings, €89.70 on most | €46.50 economy deck | Ferryhopper route data |
| Cabins | No cabins | Cabins from around €90 | Ferryhopper route data |
| Open-air decks | Not listed | Yes | Ferryhopper route data |
| Cars | Most boats, except some smaller Seajets catamarans | Yes, all | Ferryhopper route data |
Photo: Norbert Nagel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Our take: first time here and not in a hurry? Take the big ferry at least one way. Even Ferryhopper, which sells both, calls the arrival on a conventional ferry a highlight, because the ship comes in below the caldera cliffs. No plane window gives you that. And Ferryhopper only lists open-air decks on the conventional ships, so on a fast boat you may be watching it through glass.
How long is the ferry from Athens to Santorini?
The ferry from Athens to Santorini takes between 4 hr 50 min and 11 hr 30 min, according to Ferryhopper. The spread depends mainly on the type of boat and the company. The fastest boat on the route is Seajets' Eurochampion Jet, which takes roughly five hours.
There are also overnight sailings. According to Ferryhopper's route data, the latest boats leave Piraeus between 23:00 and 00:00 and reach Santorini between 05:20 and 10:45 in the morning. The first ferry of the day usually leaves Piraeus at 00:01, a Fast Ferries sailing, according to Ferryhopper. Landing at dawn sounds romantic. It also means you land hours before most check-in times, so tell your hotel when you're arriving.
How much does the Athens to Santorini ferry cost?
A one-way economy deck seat starts at around €46.50, per Ferryhopper's fare data (checked September 2026). Here's what the other ticket types cost on the same page:
- Airplane-style numbered seats: from around €50
- Business or VIP seats: from €82
- Cabins on the conventional ferries: from around €90
- A car: from around €108
- A motorcycle: from around €32 (all figures: Ferryhopper ticket data)
Children up to four travel free, and ferry companies discount up to 50% for children from 5 to 10, according to Ferryhopper. Pets travel free if you add them to the booking. Bringing the kids? Our guide to Santorini with kids covers where to stay once you land.
Remember these are "from" prices, the lowest fare Ferryhopper shows for the route, not what every sailing costs. Ferryhopper also warns that tickets can sell out fast in high season, so book summer crossings early.
Is it better to take the ferry or fly from Athens to Santorini?
Fly if you're short on days. Take the ferry if you have a spare morning and want the arrival. The flight is the quicker way across, and our Santorini airport guide covers what happens when you land. The ferry is slower, but it drops you in the middle of the view you came for. On a big ferry you can stand on deck for the whole approach into the Santorini caldera.
One plan we like is ferry in, fly out. The slow, scenic leg happens when you're excited to arrive, and the quick leg happens when you'd rather keep your last morning on the island.
One thing we'd rule out is Santorini as a day trip from Athens. Ferryhopper's own advice is that it isn't feasible by ferry, since the crossing alone takes five to eleven hours each way, and it suggests at least three nights on the island.
Booking tips before you sail
- Book July and August early. Ferryhopper says this route sells out in high season and suggests sorting your accommodation early too. We'd agree.
- Get to Piraeus 1-1.5 hr before departure, or at least 90 min before if you're bringing a car, according to Ferryhopper. Piraeus is big and busy.
- Go paperless. You can check in online and board with the e-ticket on your phone.
- Keep an eye on the wind. The crossing can get choppy, even in summer, and our Santorini weather guide shows which months blow hardest. Blue Star Ferries posts weather changes to its sailings on its news page, and Ferryhopper runs a travel alerts page for strikes and cancellations.
- Pack what you can carry. Ferryhopper notes there's no luggage check-in on this route, so you wheel your bags on board and keep an eye on them yourself.
Arriving at Athinios port
Every Athens to Santorini ferry docks at Athinios, the port on Santorini's west coast. It's the island's only port for passenger ferries. The Old Port below Fira is for cruise ships and small boats, which is a different arrival covered in our Santorini cruise port guide.
Athinios isn't a town. It's a strip of quay squeezed under a cliff, with a road that zigzags up the rock face to the rest of the island. Ferryhopper's Athinios guide describes it as a small port that gets crowded and hot from June to August. You'll find cafés, banks, car rental desks and a parking lot there, and not much else.
What happens when your ferry docks is simple and a little chaotic. The ramp drops, cars roll off, and foot passengers walk out into a crowd of buses, taxis, drivers holding name signs, and people waiting to board the same boat for the next island. Don't linger on the quay. Know which of the options below you're taking before the ship ties up.
Photo: Moonik, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to get from Athinios port to Fira
You have four ways up: the public bus, a taxi, a pre-booked transfer, or a rental car. Fira is 8 km from Athinios, according to Ferryhopper's route data.
By public bus. The KTEL bus is the cheapest option. The fare from Athinios to Fira is €2.70, per the KTEL Santorini fare data (updated May 2026). Late-night buses between 00:30 and 05:00 cost 25% more, which makes the same trip €3.40 (source: KTEL fare data). You pay the driver on board. According to Ferryhopper's port guide, the ride typically takes around 25 minutes and buses are timed to ferry arrivals. They fill up fast in summer, so if you have big suitcases, move quickly.
By taxi. Taxis wait outside the port gates. The average fare to Fira is around €35 for a ride of about 20 minutes, according to Welcome Pickups' port-to-Fira guide. According to the same Welcome Pickups page, there's a €0.40 charge per bag heavier than 10 kg. The catch is supply. Ferryhopper warns taxis can be scarce in peak season and recommends booking a transfer ahead, and when a full ferry empties onto the quay, you can see why.
By pre-booked transfer. This is what we'd pick after a long crossing. A driver meets you at the port with your name on a sign, takes the bags, and you skip both the bus scrum and the taxi hunt.
By rental car. There are rental desks at the port, and the drive up to Fira takes around 20 minutes, according to Ferryhopper's port guide. Heading to Oia instead? There's no direct bus from the port, so you change in Fira. By car, the drive to Oia takes approximately 40 minutes (source: Ferryhopper port guide).
For buses, taxis and the rest of the island once you're settled, see our guide to getting around Santorini.
Where to stay when you arrive by ferry
Stay somewhere the port bus goes. For most people that means Fira. Every KTEL route on the KTEL Santorini website is listed as leaving from and returning to Fira, and the port bus ends there too. From Fira you can reach Oia, the beaches and the airport without a car. If you're choosing between villages, our where to stay in Santorini guide and our guide to Fira lay out the trade-offs.
That's why we push Fira for ferry travelers, and yes, we're biased. Still: you get off a long crossing, ride one bus or one taxi up the cliff, and you're done. No second connection, no dragging bags across the island at midnight.
Aroma Suites is our small hotel on Agiou Mina, on the caldera side of Fira. Our rooms range from simple doubles to a cave suite with an indoor heated jacuzzi and a honeymoon suite, set on the cliff above the same caldera your ferry sails into. If you book direct for 4 nights or more, our offers page includes a free one-way airport transfer. That transfer covers the airport only, so if you arrive by ferry, take the bus or a taxi up from Athinios as described above. We're open from March to October.
The same owner also runs Uma Ray Suites, modern suites in Fira, and Casa di Terra Villa, a private villa, if you're traveling as a group or want more space.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a ferry from Athens airport to Santorini?
No. Ferries leave from the ports of Piraeus and Rafina, not from the airport. Rafina is the closer of the two, at 26 km from the airport per Ferryhopper's Rafina data, but its Santorini sailings run only in season. The rest of the year, take the X96 express bus from the airport to Piraeus.
Which port does the Santorini ferry arrive at?
All ferries from Athens arrive at Athinios, on Santorini's west coast. Fira is 8 km away and Oia 20 km, according to Ferryhopper's route data. Don't confuse it with the Old Port under Fira, which handles cruise ship tenders and the cable car crowd.
Can I take a car on the ferry from Athens to Santorini?
Yes. All conventional ferries on the route carry cars, and so do most high-speed boats except some smaller Seajets catamarans. Car tickets start at around €108, according to Ferryhopper's route data. Arrive at least 90 min before departure to board with a vehicle, as Ferryhopper advises.
Is the ferry ride from Athens to Santorini scenic?
Yes, especially on the slower, larger ferries where you can sit out on deck. The route passes other Cycladic islands such as Paros and Naxos, and the big ships sail in under the caldera cliffs at the end. Worried about seasickness? The Aegean can get choppy when the wind is up, even in summer, though Ferryhopper notes the ferries on this route are usually fitted with stabilizers.
Is the ferry cheaper than flying from Athens to Santorini?
It can be, on the conventional ferry. Economy deck seats start at around €46.50, per Ferryhopper's fare data. Flight prices move too much by date for us to quote one we can stand behind, so price both for your exact day before you decide.
What should I do first after getting off the ferry?
Walk off the quay and straight to your ride: the bus, a taxi, or the driver holding your name. Then head up the cliff and check in. If you're staying with us in Fira, the rest of the island is a bus ride away, and our first-time Santorini tips cover the practical things worth knowing on day one.
Ready to plan the other end of your crossing? Check availability and book direct at Aroma Suites for the best rate we offer.
