Day or Sunset Catamaran Cruise in Santorini?
Updated October 27, 2026
Verdict
Pick the day cruise if the swimming and snorkelling are the point, or if you go in spring or autumn, when the water and the evening air are cooler. Pick the sunset cruise if this is your one evening on the water and you want the sunset from below Oia rather than from the cliff. Both include the same swim stops.
On Santorini, the day cruise and the sunset cruise are usually the same boat on the same route, sold on the same listing with a choice of start time. The sunset, luxury, small-group, sailing and wooden-boat trips on this site all offer a morning or a sunset departure, and the day catamaran serves lunch or dinner depending on the time you pick. So you are not choosing between two products. You are choosing what the last hour looks like, what you eat, and sometimes which port you leave from.
| Criterion | Day catamaran cruise | Sunset catamaran cruise |
|---|---|---|
| The swim stops | Hot springs, Red Beach, White Beach or Mesa Pigadia, in full sun | The same stops, earlier in the trip, before the boat heads for the sunset |
| The meal | Lunch, on the day catamaran's listing | Dinner, on the same listing |
| The last hour | Cruising back past the caldera cliffs in daylight | Holding below Oia while the sun goes down (luxury and small-group listings) |
| The port | Small-group: Ammoudi. Wooden boat: Vlychada, ending at Ammoudi | Small-group: Vlychada. Wooden boat: Ammoudi, ending at Vlychada |
| What to bring | Swimwear, sunscreen, a hat | All of that plus warm clothes, which the sunset listings ask for |
| Start time | Morning; the listing shows the start times for your date | Moves with the sunset: about 20:37 in June, 18:43 in October |
| Price | From $85 to $145 per person, by boat | The same listings; the price for your slot shows when you pick the date |
Do you swim on a sunset cruise?
Yes. The sunset trips make the same stops as the day trips; they just make them earlier, so the boat is free for the sunset at the end. The sunset catamaran's listing runs hot springs, then Red Beach, then White Beach, then the sunset. What changes is the light and the air: a guest on the luxury catamaran in October wrote that the water was cold, and the sunset listings tell you to bring warm clothes for the evening.
Sunset time by month
Sunset cruises start a few hours before sunset, so the departure moves through the season. The wooden boat says so in its listing: the schedule is adjusted to the sunset time. Sunset on the 15th of each month, computed for Santorini:
- April — About 19:51.
- May — About 20:17.
- June — About 20:37.
- July — About 20:36.
- August — About 20:10.
- September — About 19:27.
- October — About 18:43.
The port can change with the time
Several boats run their morning trip from one marina and their sunset trip from the other. The small-group catamaran leaves from Ammoudi in the morning and Vlychada at sunset. The wooden boat sails Vlychada to Ammoudi in the morning and the reverse at sunset. On the sailing catamaran's Luxury option, the morning cruise ends at Vlychada and the sunset cruise ends at Ammoudi. With hotel pickup and drop-off it rarely matters, but it does if you are making your own way.
Which cruise for which slot
All five shared trips below sell both slots. Each has free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- Sunset catamaran, from $88 — The most-reviewed catamaran listing we found: 4.6 on 7,400 reviews of this cruise on GetYourGuide. Up to 50 to 55 guests, BBQ and wine.
- Day catamaran (Gold), from $95 — 4.82 on 3,573 reviews of this cruise. Lunch or dinner by start time, up to 20 guests, from Vlychada.
- Luxury catamaran, from $123 — 4.78 on 4,446 reviews of this cruise. The evening option stops below Oia for the sunset. Up to 20 guests.
- Small-group catamaran, from $145 — 4.83 on 1,564 reviews of this cruise. Up to 14 guests; sunset trips sail below Oia.
- Sailing catamaran, from $85 — 4.76 on 1,803 reviews of this cruise. Morning or afternoon departure, up to 22 guests.
Frequently asked questions
Should I do the day or the sunset catamaran cruise?
Day if swimming is the point; sunset if you want the sunset from the water. Most listings sell both, with the same swim stops.
Do you swim on a sunset cruise?
Yes. Sunset cruises make the same swim stops as day cruises, earlier in the trip, then hold for the sunset at the end.
Is the sunset cruise more expensive?
On this site both slots are sold on the same listing. Pick your date and time on the listing to see the price for that slot.
What should I bring on a sunset cruise?
Swimwear, sunscreen and warm clothes for the evening, which the sunset listings ask for.
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