Oia on your own excursion

[Nebr.cruiser]

I"d like to book the Oia on your own excursion which takes us to Oia, we spend time on our own there, then bus back to Fira and cable car ticket.  But nowhere in the very undetailed description does it say how we get to Oia.  I assume we go by boat to Oia and are bused to the top, but it just doesn't say anything about it.

 

Does anyone know if this is the case?  That's really the only reason we'd take this excursion, so that we don't have to stand in line for the cable car up to Fira. We are definitely not climbing or riding donkeys.  Also, we plan on doing a private excursion once we get to Fira as we have a specific town we want to see since my sister lived there back in the (very long ago) day.  Amari, I think.

[Homestyle]

It's easy to book yourself either online or at the counter in the old port.  You will tender into the Old port of Thira. There are lots of small vendor selling boat trip tickets. We pre booked online and collected tickets from the counter. It included the speed boat to Oia and the bus ticket back to Thira.  Of our group of eight, five of us did the beautiful Caldera walk back along the coastal path, about 10K, it will bring you back into the Old Town by the cable car. The grandparents got the bus. We walked down the 350 steps to the old port, as there was an estimated wait for the cable car of 90 mins. The walk down is not recommended for anyone infirm, you via with donkeys passing and it's in full sun and cobbked steps. Five people missed the ship and had to be flown to Athens to catch up, so don't delay getting the cable car down.

The following year, we got tickets at the counter for the three islands trip, it was an excellent option. First trip was about 20 euros each and the 2nd 30 euros. 

[ladylemondrop]

2 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

I"d like to book the Oia on your own excursion which takes us to Oia, we spend time on our own there, then bus back to Fira and cable car ticket.  But nowhere in the very undetailed description does it say how we get to Oia.  I assume we go by boat to Oia and are bused to the top, but it just doesn't say anything about it.

 

Does anyone know if this is the case?  That's really the only reason we'd take this excursion, so that we don't have to stand in line for the cable car up to Fira. We are definitely not climbing or riding donkeys.  Also, we plan on doing a private excursion once we get to Fira as we have a specific town we want to see since my sister lived there back in the (very long ago) day.  Amari, I think.

Hi, we did this excursion last year, we bused to Oia, no cable car required we went direct from the ship to the bus, I think the town may be Kamari? 
Famous for the black beach! Its not too far from Thira/fira. 
And definitely take the cable car back, its easy and as previous poster said, the donkey path down is treacherous - uneven, slippery, and long! 
Have a wonderful time, Santorini is really special. 

[si_boy]

We did it all on our own when on Constellation in June.
Took the ships tender to the shore, avoided the queue (and cost) for the cable car and made it to the top walking up the steps.

About a 10 minute walk to the bus transportation hub where the buses stop and caught a local bus to Oia for less than €2 each.  
Takes about 20 minutes each way and stops right in the centre of Oia.

Repeated to get back to the ship, including a bottle of water, we did the trip to Oia for less than €10 for the 2 of us.

 

[kwokpot]

I did this in July albeit with Royal but it's all the same route, so this is how it goes. You will take a tender from the ship that goes in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION of Oia to the Port of Athinos, where once you disembark you will board a bus which will then drive to Oia. The tender ride was about 20-25 minutes and the bus ride about 45 minutes. The tour guide will escort you from the bus parking lot right outside Oia town into the main town square and drop you off there. You will meet  back at the BUS PARKING LOT. You will be given a ticket to take the cable car.  The bus ride from Oia to Fira is about 25 minutes. The tour guide will take you from the bus parking lot in Fira to the main town and drop you there, and also showing you the general walking directions to the cable car. 

Unfortunately the port where you pickup the bus to Oia is in the opposite direction which adds another 20 minutes. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

Thank you.  I was sure the ship 'on your on tour' took us by boat to Oia, then up the hill, but why in the world can't they say that in the description!!!

 

We have been to Santorini before, took cable car up and down, had a very nice independent tour that hit the main sights.  But this time my sisters are with us and one especially wants to see Karmari (you are right on that) since she lived there way back in 72 or so.

 

Even though it is showing that we will be the only ship in port, still wanting to avoid the cable car lines.  I don't think the steps are an option for us due to age/fitness level of several of us.

[zitsky]

Just a warning.  I was sure I had booked an excursion with tender transfer both ways. But at the end we were handed cable car tickets and a 45 minute wait.  So check and double check.

[kwokpot]

10 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Just a warning.  I was sure I had booked an excursion with tender transfer both ways. But at the end we were handed cable car tickets and a 45 minute wait.  So check and double check.

I don't think they have an Oia with tender transfers both ways. It wouldn't make any sense. 

[zitsky]

4 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I don't think they have an Oia with tender transfers both ways. It wouldn't make any sense. 

The tour was Santorini and Oia village.  You may be right but when I booked it, there was no mention of Fira cable car.  It may have mentioned Fira but every other excursion mentioned the cable car.

 

If you can tender to Oia, why can’t you tender from Oia back to the ship?  I don’t remember it well.

[kwokpot]

37 minutes ago, zitsky said:

The tour was Santorini and Oia village.  You may be right but when I booked it, there was no mention of Fira cable car.  It may have mentioned Fira but every other excursion mentioned the cable car.

 

If you can tender to Oia, why can’t you tender from Oia back to the ship?  I don’t remember it well.

The issue is the size of the port that's closest to Oia. It isn't large enough to serve cruiseship tenders, only water taxis. That's why cruiseship tenders don't go directly to Oia port anymore. 

[Hlitner]

I will take a very educated guess.  We have never heard of any cruise line tender or excursion that went to OIA via boat.  So my guess is that you will be tendered into Athinios where you will board a bus that takes you to Oia.  You might want to consider a DIY day.  Just take the tender into Skala (the tender port located under Fira) and buy passage on one of the boats (on the same pier as the tender) that will take you to a small pier under Oia from where you are provided with transportation up the hill to Oia.  These boat deals also include a bus back to Fira.  Not knowing the cost of your Oia excursion it is impossible to do any kind of cost comparison.  Either way will get you to Oia, which unfortunately, has joined many other places in suffering from over tourism.

 

Hank

[kwokpot]

7 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I will take a very educated guess.  We have never heard of any cruise line tender or excursion that went to OIA via boat.  So my guess is that you will be tendered into Athinios where you will board a bus that takes you to Oia.  You might want to consider a DIY day.  Just take the tender into Skala (the tender port located under Fira) and buy passage on one of the boats (on the same pier as the tender) that will take you to a small pier under Oia from where you are provided with transportation up the hill to Oia.  These boat deals also include a bus back to Fira.  Not knowing the cost of your Oia excursion it is impossible to do any kind of cost comparison.  Either way will get you to Oia, which unfortunately, has joined many other places in suffering from over tourism.

 

Hank

It was madness when I was there in July; we had taken an afternoon ship tour of Oia on your own. The streets of Oia looked liked a queue line into a stadium for a concert. Luckily I've been there before several times, but other members of my party hadn't, and they were really turned off with the crowds. With Fira having larger streets, it was marginally better, and the only thing that salvaged the afternoon was watching the sunset from Fira. We decided to walk down the path and using our cellphone flashlight lighting the pathway the entire way down, we were able to make it to the tender boat with not one iota of donkey poop on our shoes!

Our time in Mykonos was vastly better and my family members whom haven't been to either town remarked that the winding streets of Mykonos town was what they envisioned Santorini to be. It's a real shame what Santorini has become. 

[zitsky]

No one goes to Santorini anymore.  It’s too crowded.

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

The issue is the size of the port that's closest to Oia. It isn't large enough to serve cruiseship tenders, only water taxis. That's why cruiseship tenders don't go directly to Oia port anymore. 

Well my knowledge of Greek geography may be lacking but my point is the same.  There were excursions that clearly mentioned the cable car and some that did not.  

[Fly and Sail]

You can buy this for 25-30 euros at the pier when you get off the tender. Ship to Oia Pier, Bus up the hill, bus to Fira. The way down is up to you. When I did this the line at the cable car was super long, and i took the stairs by walking. Seeing these poor donkeys once again broke my heart but the pathway was also quite slippery and soiled with their droppings and urine so beware.

[ladylemondrop]

When we took the cable car down last year we waited five to ten minutes at most, and it was fine, nothing to overly worry about… 

[Bobal]

6 hours ago, zitsky said:

Well my knowledge of Greek geography may be lacking but my point is the same.  There were excursions that clearly mentioned the cable car and some that did not.  

 

They may not have mentioned it but the only way back to the ship after a visit to Oia or Fira is via the cable car or walking down.  Have visited many times on several different cruise lines and none of the excusions go directly back to the ship.

 

I have done Oia several times by getting the boat from the pier as described by Hlitner above. It's much cheaper than a ship excursion and doesn't involve a long bus journey from the excursion pier at Athinios. 

 

Another option for those who've seen Oia before and/or can't face the cable car back is to pick up an excursion at the tender pier which takes you in the opposite direction to the caldera, with a stop to swim in the hot springs. The ships sometimes offer this as an excursion but will be much more expensive than doing it on your own. We used this company https://www.santorini-excursions.com/excursions

Edited September 3, 2023 by Bobal

[Miaminice]

Here is all you need to know about navigating Santorini!

 

How to navigate Santorini 
Santorini was one of the stops of our cruise last week. We have been there many times before and every visit it is still always a joy. However, on our last cruise I was surprised to learn how little guests on board know about the logistics of Santorini. And then complain - even to the Al Bacio staff 🙈
Here’s what you need to know:
Santorini is a tender port. There is no dock for any cruise ship. No matter how small. So excursion or not, you’ll have to tender. The excursions involving bus tours, and only they, tender to the new port of Fira. That’s where the ferries dock and it’s the only port accessible to busses. 
All other tenders will bring you to the Old Port of Fira. It’s actually only a small pier. From there you’ll have multiple options to reach Fira on top of the cliff.

#1 Cable Car
Undeniably it is the most convenient option. However, the lines can be, and most probably will be, long. On last week‘s visit there were three ships in the Caldera. Not unusual for Santorini. People experienced lines taking 2-3 hours. That’s NOT the cruise line’s fault and there’s absolutely nothing they can do about it. So please don’t blame them or even staff! And do remember, there will also be a line to go down! So plan accordingly.

 

#2 Stairs
You can take the 588 steps up to Fira. We did it in a little over 20 minutes. BUT… it’s most likely hot and there’s no shade. The stairs are slippery in parts and you will be surround by or better immersed in the stench of the donkey droppings. So yes, you can do the stairs but be sure you are up to it. It’s not an easy task.

 

#3 Donkey 
For the sake of completeness I will mention the donkeys. However, I would also ask you not to use them. Some consider it fun. Maybe… for anyone but the donkeys!

 

Before I mention option #4 I will continue by recommending what to do once you reached the top. There are two major towns on Santorini - Fira and Oia. Oia is the one with the views known from the postcards. You can easily visit both towns and I would recommend starting with Oia. So once you are up in Fira, keep right until you reach the big white Metropolitan Cathedral. Turn left and go downhill. You will get to the bus station after 2 or 3 minutes. From There you can take a bus to Oia for just a few Euro. The tickets are sold on the bus during the trip.
In Oia follow the people walking up a few stairs from the bus stop into Oia. Explore Oia by turning right on the little square until you reach the ruins of a small castle. From here you’ll have fantastic views.
Then return to Fira and spend time there. The options of getting down to the port are the same. Going down the stairs is not as strenuous as going up, but beware - they are incredibly slippery. A few people, including Birgit, slipped on our last visit. 

Now I will give you option #4 - actually my recommendation for first time visitors.

 

#4 Speed boat to Oia
When you disembark from the tender boat (and the line for the cable car is too long) turn left on the pier. You will inevitably reach a ticket booth for the Speed Boat to Oia or Fast Line to Oia. The price of the ticket (around €25) includes the boat to Oia, a shuttle bus up the hill to Oia and a shuttle bus back to Fira. If you don’t feel like waiting for the shuttle, take the public bus back to Fira. 

Of course, once back in Fira you’ll have to get down to the pier as well. However, I think it’s a good and convenient way to manage the day on Santorini.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Miaminice

[Hlitner]

10 hours ago, kwokpot said:

It was madness when I was there in July; we had taken an afternoon ship tour of Oia on your own. The streets of Oia looked liked a queue line into a stadium for a concert. Luckily I've been there before several times, but other members of my party hadn't, and they were really turned off with the crowds. With Fira having larger streets, it was marginally better, and the only thing that salvaged the afternoon was watching the sunset from Fira. We decided to walk down the path and using our cellphone flashlight lighting the pathway the entire way down, we were able to make it to the tender boat with not one iota of donkey poop on our shoes!

Our time in Mykonos was vastly better and my family members whom haven't been to either town remarked that the winding streets of Mykonos town was what they envisioned Santorini to be. It's a real shame what Santorini has become. 

I am going to take a wild guess that you were there on a large cruise ship along with several other ships.  So you, are part of the reason why the island was too crowded.  As long as folks insist on booking cruises, on larger ships, to Santorini, the island is going to be overcrowded.  Keep in mind that the island's hotels, inns, and B&Bs are also generally full during the main part of the season.  The island can handle the folks in the island's facilities, but when you add another 8,000+ cruisers the place is overwhelmed.  And nearly all cruisers head to Oia (this used to not be the case) whiich is a delightful relatively small town.  This is caused "over tourism" and folks on Santorini have noticed and are not all happy.  There have been some plans to limit cruisers, but it is obvious that the limits are not enough!

 

So what can they do?  We can only think of two possible solutions.  #1.  Either ban or put a severe limit on the daily number of cruisers (i.e. 4000).  or #2.  Raise the port fees taxes to such an outrageous level (we are talking hundreds of Euros per person) that the cost of visiting on a ship becomes price prohibitive (to most cruisers).

 

When we started cruising to Santorini (back in the 1970s) most ships had fewer than 1200 passengers and there were only 1 or 2 ships a day.  Now, a single ship can bring 4000+ souls.  Just consider that the cable car at Fira can only move 600 person per hour (in each direction) which means it can theoretically take over 6 hours just to get everyone down to tenders (assuming that was the only means used to get folks back to their ship).

 

Hank

[gfkcruiser]

As we have only been to Santorini in the off season on a cruise, there were only two ships.  We were on a large one this past early May and during daytime hours.  Lines to go up to Fira weren’t that long but as both ships were departing the same time, the line to go down to tender was a bit long.  We waited to exit ship around 10:30 am.  Walked along the caldera to the next town and then back.  Meandered in town and had lunch.
 

I don’t understand how the government allows so many ships at a time to visit Santorini as people have been reporting during the summer months. 

[Miaminice]

59 minutes ago, gfkcruiser said:
 

I don’t understand how the government allows so many ships at a time to visit Santorini as people have been reporting during the summer months. 

$$$ 😁

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, gfkcruiser said:

As we have only been to Santorini in the off season on a cruise, there were only two ships.  We were on a large one this past early May and during daytime hours.  Lines to go up to Fira weren’t that long but as both ships were departing the same time, the line to go down to tender was a bit long.  We waited to exit ship around 10:30 am.  Walked along the caldera to the next town and then back.  Meandered in town and had lunch.
 

I don’t understand how the government allows so many ships at a time to visit Santorini as people have been reporting during the summer months. 

Wow.  We marketed our town and people actually came here?!  How do we make them go away?

[Eloise4Ever]

6 hours ago, Bobal said:

 

They may not have mentioned it but the only way back to the ship after a visit to Oia or Fira is via the cable car or walking down.  Have visited many times on several different cruise lines and none of the excusions go directly back to the ship.

 

 

We'll be visiting Santorini in a couple of weeks on Reflection and are trying to figure out what, if any, excursion to book. I am considering "Destination Highlight: Island Drive and Village Oia". The description of that makes it sound as though guests will be bussed back to the port from Fira - see below:

 

 

 

Would love to hear whether those with experience think this description is correct or not?

[kwokpot]

20 minutes ago, Eloise4Ever said:

 

We'll be visiting Santorini in a couple of weeks on Reflection and are trying to figure out what, if any, excursion to book. I am considering "Destination Highlight: Island Drive and Village Oia". The description of that makes it sound as though guests will be bussed back to the port from Fira - see below:

 

 

 

Would love to hear whether those with experience think this description is correct or not?

It's entirely possible that you will be bussed back to Athinios Port where you will be tendered back to the ship which would probably add over an hour. It's definitely not clear though. This seems to be a long tour, with alot of riding around in buses. Just be aware you'll spend more time getting around than actually seeing anything, especially if you ultimately end up being bussed back to Athinios port.

[zitsky]

Island of Santorini and Oia Village

Does anyone have a description of this excursion or is there a way to look up a past excursion?  I have order summary but that is it.  I’m curious if I just misunderstood what we were doing.