Santorini Cruise Port: Tenders, Fira and Boat Trips on a Port Day

Santorini has no cruise pier. Ships anchor in the caldera, and tender boats carry you to the Old Port of Fira, at the foot of the cliff. From there it is a €10 cable car ride, or about 600 steps, up to Fira. A 3-hour volcano boat leaves from the Old Port itself. A 5-hour catamaran only fits a long port day.

Where the tenders land

Most passengers come ashore at the Old Port of Fira, also called Skala or Gialos, directly below the town. The rest go to Athinios, the ferry port south of Fira. Athinios is 20 to 25 minutes from Fira by bus or taxi.

The split is set by rule. On 13 June 2026 Cruise Industry News reported a ruling by the Municipal Port Fund of Thira: at most 30% of tendered passengers may land at Athinios, down from 40%. The rest go to the Old Port. The Fund based it on civil-protection measures after the 2025 earthquakes.

That split has already changed once. On 27 July 2026 a private wall next to the Karavolades Stairs collapsed, and all organised shore excursions moved to Athinios. The path reopened on 3 August 2026 and the 30% cap returned. Your cruise line’s tender notice is the final word on where you land.

Getting up to Fira

Cable car. €10 one way for an adult and €5 for a child, according to the 2025 fares listed on Wikipedia. Boat listings in our data quote the same €10 per way. The ride takes 3 to 5 minutes and climbs about 220 m. Each gondola holds six people, and the line moves about 600 passengers an hour in each direction. When several ships are in, that is where the queue forms. One shore-tour listing warns that it is “not responsible for the long queues at the cable car”.

The steps. About 600 steps zig-zag up the cliff; one operator counts 587. Operators at the Old Port put the walk at 25 to 30 minutes. It is steep, exposed and shared with mules.

Donkeys and mules. Rides use the same stepped path. Since 2018 a Greek agriculture ministry circular has barred riders over 100 kg. Welfare groups campaign against the rides, and Wikipedia calls this option “less recommended”. We could not find a published fare.

The cruise fee. Greece charges cruise passengers a per-person fee for each Santorini call. Under a July 2025 circular it is €20 from June to September, €12 in April, May and October, and €4 in low season. Your cruise line collects it.

Which boat trips fit a port day

The question is not which cruise is best. It is which one starts close to where you land and ends in time for the last tender.

Leaving from the Old Port itself. Several volcano and hot-springs boats have offices next to the cable car’s bottom station. You walk off the tender and onto the boat.

• A 3-hour Nea Kameni volcano and hot-springs boat from the Old Port, from $34. It is rated 4.5 on 295 reviews of that tour on GetYourGuide. The volcano entrance fee of €5, cash, is extra.
• A 3-hour volcano and hot-springs boat at 10:30 or 14:00 from the Old Port, from $50.
• A 5-hour morning caldera cruise from the Old Port at 10:00, from $102.

Starting in Fira. The sailing catamaran speaks to cruise guests directly. Its listing says tenders drop you at the Old Port and the operator cannot pick you up there, because there is no road. You take the cable car and reach its office in Fira at least an hour before the cruise. It also asks you to tell it when the first tender arrives and the last one leaves. The cruise lasts 5 hours, costs from $85, and is rated 4.76 on 1,803 reviews.

Starting at Athinios. The volcano and hot springs tour leaves from Athinios, with bus transfers from hotel areas. Its morning cruise returns to Athinios at about 16:30. It fits only if your tender lands you at Athinios early and you can be at its counter at the B5 gate on time.

Private boats. A private charter waits for you, not the other way round. One listing advises cruise travellers to book only the private version, for its flexible times. Some private boats for cruise passengers meet you at the tender dock. In our data they start at $531. Our private catamaran leaves from Ammoudi Bay below Oia, which is a long way from the Old Port.

Keep a margin

Work backwards from the last tender, not the all-aboard time. A 5-hour catamaran that starts in Fira needs:

• the tender ride and the cable car queue up;
• an hour at the office before departure, which the sailing catamaran asks for;
• the 5 hours on the water;
• the transfer back to Fira, the cable car queue down, and the tender.

That comes to seven hours or more before you add any slack. One cruise-port guide advises being back at the port 60 to 90 minutes before departure. On a port call shorter than about nine hours, a 3-hour boat from the Old Port is the safer choice.

If your ship’s plans change

The ten cruises this site sells all show free cancellation up to 24 hours before on their listings. That protects you if you know a day ahead. A tender cancelled on the morning itself is a different matter. Check the listing’s terms before you book, or choose a boat at the Old Port that you can book close to the day.

For a side-by-side of the two kinds of boat, see catamaran or volcano boat. For trip lengths, see how long a cruise takes.