There’s no way to do an excursion in Santorini without using the cable car, is there?

[cruisestitch]

There’s no way to do an excursion in Santorini without using the cable car, is there?  Don’t want to do cable car or donkeys, but there’s no way of avoiding them, is there?

Edited January 28, 2023 by cruisestitch

[Hlitner]

That depends on your cruise line.  All the cruise lines have excursions that will tender folks into the small ferry port of Athinios, where folks can access tour buses.  Some cruise lines have now started selling excursions that includes busing folks back to Athinios where they catch a shore-based tender back to their ship.  But, as far as we know, not all cruise lines offer this kind of excursion.  So, you need to see what is offered by your cruise and if any includes the bus and tender from Athinios.  Otherwise, all other excursions will end at Fira where folks need to make their way down to the tender pier via cable car, donkey, or walking.

 

Keep in mind that if you want to avoid the donkeys and cable car, you do always have the option of walking down to the tender.  That walk involves a lot of steps and dodging donkey poo, but it is an option.

 

Hank

[bebe08]

Our Celebrity cruise in 2019 we booked an excursion thru Celebrity in order to avoid the donkey and cable car options.  We were bussed both ways from the smaller dock.  Our tour ended in Fira and we had the option to stay longer and expore on our own, but would have had to make our own way back to the ship.  We chose to take the bus back.  

[Wishing on a star]

If you are cruising soon, then check the cruise ship excursions very carefully to make sure they return to Althinios.    Many of them might say something like "Tour ends at Fira,  and guest will take the cable car on their own"    These kinds of excursions should include the ticket for the return cable car.

 

Look at cruisemapper to look at the ships in port the day you will be there.

Santorini was trying to limit cruise ship tourists, with fewer ships booked per day, but now I am seeing some days with a LOT of cruise ships.  On a small Island like Santorini, that would be shoulder to shoulder crazy!

 

The problem for cruise ship guests is especially apparent when thousands of people want to cable-car back down to their ships at the end of the day.  And the cable-cars only handle so many hundred people per hour.

 

Santorini is faced with having to address this problem.  Maybe by allowing more ships to tender to and from Althinios Port.    It used to be unheard of to return to your ship from there.  But I am hearing comments, like the one above, that show that this is possible.

 

From my own research:  

From what I have been reading.  If you don't take a cruise ship excursion, then you might really have no other option for returning to your ship except for the cable-cars.  When arriving, there is a boat that you can board at the dock there, over to Ammoudi.  If there are a lot of people wanting to do that, then it is an option.  But if the boat is half full, it could sit there for quite a while waiting to fill up.

Edited January 28, 2023 by Wishing on a star

[ISLABONITA]

Husband and I booked our own way to the top via the boats that 2 brothers have stands as you arrive.  It was not an easy way to do it since they dropped us off at the bottom of a very steep road to get to the bus that took us to the top towns Fira and Oia.

We did come back on the cable car, it was quick and easy.

 

Here is more info with a quick Google search

 https://santorinidave.com/santorini-port#:~:text=The best way to get to Oia from the Santorini,port with a welcome sign.

Santorini Port to Oia

There is no direct bus from Athinios Port to Oia. Getting to Oia by bus requires a transfer at the somewhat chaotic bus station in Fira; the Fira-Oia route is the most heavily-used on the island. The fare from Athinios port to Fira is €2.30/person, and the trip takes about 20 minutes; the fare from Fira to Oia is €1.80/person, and the trip takes about half an hour. Bus fares are cash only. (Santorini Bus Timetable)

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by ISLABONITA

[ISLABONITA]

https://thetravelhack.com/blog/santorini-cruise-port-to-oia/

[Over from NZ]

Assuming it's only coming back down the cable-car that's your worry? Book the excursion and walk down at the end of it. You'll need to catch it up to meet your driver most likely.. but if worried abut the queue's coming down.. just walk down. It's only about 15-min walk. 

[Labanos]

I think there are 3 options when you don't want to use the cable car (we'll go this summer so i'll find out):

 

• walk the steps upwards from the cruise port to Fira (or by donkey)

 

• go to the commercial port, Athinios Ferry Port (with an excursion for example) and then move by taxi or bus

 

• there are boat transfers from the cruise port to ammoudi, then up by bus

Edited January 29, 2023 by Labanos

[cruisestitch]

So to be specific. I am looking for any option that does not end in Fira at the top, necessitating either cable car or donkey or walk. That’s what we want to avoid

 

So it looks like I’m trying to find some thing that goes in and out of Athinios OR in and out of the port of Fira, OR ????

 

I have looked at all of the options that Celebrity

offers for my cruise. Only one says it ends in Athinios but the details also say that the price includes a cable car tickets so that doesn’t make sense.

 

hoping to find a private tour that will not require the cable car, donkey or walk down that hill.

Edited January 29, 2023 by cruisestitch

[Alakegirl]

In many ports, when you get off the tender at the dock area, there are tour operators waiting there who will sell tours you on the spot. Is the same thing True in Santorini?

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, Alakegirl said:

In many ports, when you get off the tender at the dock area, there are tour operators waiting there who will sell tours you on the spot. Is the same thing True in Santorini?

 

Ship tours are tendered off first to a separate port. Private sightseers are not allowed off there, so no private tours would be available.

 

After this, individuals going ashore without a ship tour are tendered to a separate area at the base of a cliff. There is not much room there. It's my recollection that there will be a boat or two offering to take folks to Oia (e.g., around the island) via their service, which also includes a bus ticket back to Fira, the town above the tendering point.  I do not recall seeing any other private tour operators there or at the top of the cliff where the steps/lift end. Private operators booked in advance usually provide a place in Fira to meet.

 

[marazul]

2 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

In many ports, when you get off the tender at the dock area, there are tour operators waiting there who will sell tours you on the spot. Is the same thing True in Santorini?

This is not the done in European ports.  You might find some taxi drivers in some who are willing to drive you around, but they are not guides and may have very limited English.  Besides, cost could be a problem since you would have to agree to some price set by the driver.  It is much better to book with a tour company.

 

In Santorini, there are no taxis at all for casual tourists.  The only taxis are at the ferry port where only ship tours are tendered to.  So, you could not get to those taxis because you cannot get to that port without a ship's tour.  There is no road to the cable car port, only the cable car, donkeys and your feet.  As previously said, from that port you can get a boat to take you to Oia or maybe a boat tour to take you to the volcano islands in the caldera.  

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

In many ports, when you get off the tender at the dock area, there are tour operators waiting there who will sell tours you on the spot. Is the same thing True in Santorini?

 

Bars & cafes in Fira sell tickets for transfer vans (to Oia and back), we haven't seen any pukka "tours" on offer on-spec like in the Caribbean.

And to stress - the only offerings on the tender pier are ferry to Oia  and boat(s?) to the island(s?) in the caldera. For tours on the main island you need to go up to Fira by cable-car or donkey or (for the very fit) walking.

 

JB 🙂

[John Bull]

5 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

So to be specific. I am looking for any option that does not end in Fira at the top, necessitating either cable car or donkey or walk. That’s what we want to avoid

 

So it looks like I’m trying to find some thing that goes in and out of Athinios OR in and out of the port of Fira, OR ????

 

I have looked at all of the options that Celebrity

offers for my cruise. Only one says it ends in Athinios but the details also say that the price includes a cable car tickets so that doesn’t make sense.

 

hoping to find a private tour that will not require the cable car, donkey or walk down that hill.

 

To go to Santorini independently or on a private tour your only options are cable-car or up the zig-zag path by donkey or for the very fit by Shanks's -  or the ferry from tender pier to the little harbour below Oia & bus (included) up to Oia.

To get back to the ship independently or on a private tour you need the cable-car or down the zig-zag path by donkey (not recommended for going down) or Shanks's (not difficult for the tolerably mobile). The ferry to Oia doesn't run in the reverse direction

 

As per Cruisemom's post, tenders to (and possibly back from) the harbour at Athinios are only for ship's excursions.

No, it doesn't make sense that Celebrity's tour which ends at Athinios includes a cable-car ticket - that's very definitely an error.🙄

 

JB 🙂

Edited January 29, 2023 by John Bull

[marazul]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

 

No, it doesn't make sense that Celebrity's tour which ends at Athinios includes a cable-car ticket - that's very definitely an error.🙄

 

JB 🙂

Make sure the description is very specific that the excursion returns to Athinios or that the bus returns you to the tender port. If it mentions "includes cable car tickets" that's not it.

[MeHeartCruising]

It could be that Celebrity’s excursion gives a cable car ticket to those people who wish to return to the ship on their own after spending additional time in Fira.  For those that don’t wish to do this, they take them back to Athinios to board the ship via a tender.  That would seem quite possible, especially if the excursion ends a few hours before the ship is scheduled to depart. 

[Wishing on a star]

I looked at a cruise on the new Sun Princess.

Yes, there is a transfers to and from Santorini, that can return from Althinios. 

It is confusing, though.  It says guests can either go down the cable car, or return from Althiios.  I am not sure if there is some specific time that the tender from Althinios to the ship is available.  Or if it is pretty much running on some time schedule thru the day?  And, I don't know if I could depend on anybody at Princess to know the details.

 

Because of the limits on the cable cars,  and now no limit on the number of cruise ship passengers.  It is simple logistics that other options have to be made available.

[soniam]

On 1/28/2023 at 11:19 AM, bebe08 said:

Our Celebrity cruise in 2019 we booked an excursion thru Celebrity in order to avoid the donkey and cable car options.  We were bussed both ways from the smaller dock.  Our tour ended in Fira and we had the option to stay longer and expore on our own, but would have had to make our own way back to the ship.  We chose to take the bus back.  

 

Old thread, I know. I was curious what the excursion was. I am hoping it's the same one we are taking next month. Our seems to do Athenios both ways, but it's hard to always tell from the descriptions. Thanks

[bebe08]

10 hours ago, soniam said:

 

Old thread, I know. I was curious what the excursion was. I am hoping it's the same one we are taking next month. Our seems to do Athenios both ways, but it's hard to always tell from the descriptions. Thanks

Here are the details of the excursion we did.  As mentioned, we chose to take the bus back vs staying on and having to take the cable car.  We found our time in Oia was very rushed...half an hour at most.  The winery was lovely.  

 

Hope this helps!  Enjoy your cruise 🙂 

 

Island Of Santorini And Village Of Oia

Overview

Immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Santorini’s volcanic landscape, visiting the charming town of Oia and a local winery. Begin your journey with a scenic drive to the top of the caldera. See the active volcanic islet in Santorini Bay and learn about the geological upheavals that have shaped the island. Arrive at the beautiful village of Oia perched atop a craggy cliff, with incredible views of the deep blue sea and surrounding islands. Explore the village’s narrow, winding cobblestone streets, that form a maze through the town’s iconic Cycladic architecture. Browse local shops, cafés, art galleries, and visit the town’s domed churches. Then, you’ll travel to a local winery where you’ll taste Santorini mezes and sample local wines. Visit the bodega where the wine is aged. Finally, journey to the village of Fira. Explore the cliff-top village’s narrow streets, and ride a cable car back to the ship. SO01

 

 

[soniam]

6 hours ago, bebe08 said:

Here are the details of the excursion we did.  As mentioned, we chose to take the bus back vs staying on and having to take the cable car.  We found our time in Oia was very rushed...half an hour at most.  The winery was lovely.  

 

Hope this helps!  Enjoy your cruise 🙂 

 

Island Of Santorini And Village Of Oia

Overview

Immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Santorini’s volcanic landscape, visiting the charming town of Oia and a local winery. Begin your journey with a scenic drive to the top of the caldera. See the active volcanic islet in Santorini Bay and learn about the geological upheavals that have shaped the island. Arrive at the beautiful village of Oia perched atop a craggy cliff, with incredible views of the deep blue sea and surrounding islands. Explore the village’s narrow, winding cobblestone streets, that form a maze through the town’s iconic Cycladic architecture. Browse local shops, cafés, art galleries, and visit the town’s domed churches. Then, you’ll travel to a local winery where you’ll taste Santorini mezes and sample local wines. Visit the bodega where the wine is aged. Finally, journey to the village of Fira. Explore the cliff-top village’s narrow streets, and ride a cable car back to the ship. SO01

 

 

 

That sounds like what we booked. Not spending much time in Oia is disappointing. We have a morning excursion and don't leave until late. If we don't get enough time in Oia, we can see how bad lines are for transportation. There are 5 ships in port that day. Of course, we can use it as an excuse to go back, stay in hotels, and ferry between the islands😃 Thanks

[TKATeacher]

We were in Santorini last week on a Royal cruise. We did a ship excursion - Oia on Your Own. It had us off the ship early (7:30), which we thought an advantage with heat and crowds.  We tendered to  Athinos and boarded a bus to Oia.  Wow, do those bus drivers earn their pay - crazy roads in a manual bus!!! Yes, views from Oia were gorgeous, but the crowds pouring in behind us were insane. We had like an hour in the town, and as we made our way out the entire hill down was packed with arrivals. We were transported by bus to Fira, where we explored for a short while (again, crowds were fierce) before we took the cable car down. It was 11 am and there was no line to go down. 

 

There were 3 ships when we were in Santorini. The impact of crowds in these beautiful little towns should not be underestimated, and not just for the cable car waits.  The towns have narrow walkways that quickly become jammed by the numbers pouring in.  

[Milhouse]

8 hours ago, TKATeacher said:

There were 3 ships when we were in Santorini. The impact of crowds in these beautiful little towns should not be underestimated, and not just for the cable car waits.  The towns have narrow walkways that quickly become jammed by the numbers pouring in.  

There's not a lot of nice shaded areas either in both Oia and Fira so the sun can get pretty draining, especially in the afternoon.  So everyone is competing for little patches of shade.

[kwokpot]

15 hours ago, TKATeacher said:

We were in Santorini last week on a Royal cruise. We did a ship excursion - Oia on Your Own. It had us off the ship early (7:30), which we thought an advantage with heat and crowds.  We tendered to  Athinos and boarded a bus to Oia.  Wow, do those bus drivers earn their pay - crazy roads in a manual bus!!! Yes, views from Oia were gorgeous, but the crowds pouring in behind us were insane. We had like an hour in the town, and as we made our way out the entire hill down was packed with arrivals. We were transported by bus to Fira, where we explored for a short while (again, crowds were fierce) before we took the cable car down. It was 11 am and there was no line to go down. 

 

There were 3 ships when we were in Santorini. The impact of crowds in these beautiful little towns should not be underestimated, and not just for the cable car waits.  The towns have narrow walkways that quickly become jammed by the numbers pouring in.  

We are also on Royal next month and but we don't dock in Santorini until 1pm. I was going to buy Oia on Your own but it's sold out! I wonder will they have more? I wondering if the private boats companies to Oia will have availability around 1:30pm? 

[mapleleaves]

13 hours ago, kwokpot said:

We are also on Royal next month and but we don't dock in Santorini until 1pm. I was going to buy Oia on Your own but it's sold out! I wonder will they have more? I wondering if the private boats companies to Oia will have availability around 1:30pm? 

 

When I was on NCL last yr, the OIA excursion was sold out and wasn't offered again. (The Spanish version was available and I'm sorry I didn't buy it. At least it would have gotten me to Oia.)  

 

Our ship arrived at 1:30pm and the boat was running, but it sat at the dock for an hour waiting for more pax . Tthe only other ship in port was a Costa 7a-4p.  The cable car line was so long that we didn't get to Fira until 4pm!  

[kwokpot]

1 minute ago, mapleleaves said:

 

When I was on NCL last yr, the OIA excursion was sold out and wasn't offered again. (The Spanish version was available and I'm sorry I didn't buy it. At least it would have gotten me to Oia.)  

 

Our ship arrived at 1:30pm and the boat was running, but it sat at the dock for an hour waiting for more pax . Tthe only other ship in port was a Costa 7a-4p.  The cable car line was so long that we didn't get to Fira until 4pm!  

Oh boy! We have 4!!!ships in port that day. At least those will all have come on at the morning. I regret now not buying the Oia on your own earlier. We will have to make do with whatever comes our way. Thank you for the insight.