Getting from Crete to Santorini: stress-free routes, key pit stops, and the very best travel times

Planning to island-hop in Greece? Crete is Greece’s largest island located in the Sea of Crete and has a fascinating mix of mountains and beaches. It’s home to Europe’s first civilization—the Minoan. Santorini or Thira is part of the Cyclades islands located 91 miles north of Crete and world famous for its volcanic caldera, with whitewashed buildings cascading down its steep slopes.

We’ve compared the best ways to get from Crete to Santorini to help you plan your Greek island-hopping adventure.

The ferry is the most common way to get around the islands of Greece. The ferry journey from Crete to Santorini can take anywhere from 2-5 hours depending on the type of ferry you take. Most ferries depart from Heraklion in Crete—Rethymno is another option in high season—to the ferry port in Santorini. Some ferries can also transport cars if you plan to do a driving trip.

The frequency of ferries is highest in the summer peak months from April to October with up to four ferry trips in a day, while there are fewer ferries in the off-season months. Ferry service and trip duration can be affected by bad weather conditions and high winds. Sites like Direct Ferries and Ferryhopper are useful to compare available timings and prices. You’ll want to book your tickets early, especially in summer to secure your tickets during peak tourist season.

High-speed ferries like Minoan Lines (Santorini Palace) and Seajets (Power Jet) are your fastest options, taking around 2 hours to get from Crete to Santorini. A ferry ticket usually costs around $80. If you plan to visit more than one island, some of these ferry services also offer tickets that allow for island hopping. Ferries usually go from Crete to Santorini in the morning, and from Santorini to Crete in the afternoon.

If you’re on a tight budget, there are slower ferry services that take around six hours and cost about $30 by Anek Lines (F/B Prevelis) and SeaSpeed Ferries (Olympus), but these ferries operate quite infrequently and overnight, leaving Crete at about 8 p.m. and arriving in Santorini at around 2.30 a.m.

If you’d rather not deal with the hassle of ferry schedules, consider taking a private tour or day trip to see Crete and Santorini. You’ll still be taking the high-speed ferries to get between the islands, but you won’t have to worry about transfers to your hotel or missing out on the main sights of the island.

There are no direct commercial flights from Crete to Santorini—you’ll need to transit in Athens. The flight from Crete to Santorini takes about 2.5-3 hours even with the stopover, with prices ranging from $150-$200 on average.

Crete has two airports that connect daily with Athens, other Greek islands and receives charter flights from other European cities—Heraklion in the center and Chania on the west side, while Sitia in the east has a smaller airport that mostly operates in the summer peak season.

Given the shorter time and cheaper prices that high-speed ferries offer, flights aren’t the most practical option to travel between Crete and Santorini.

If you’re strapped for time and have the cash to spare, you can charter a helicopter to fly you from Crete to Santorini. Not only can you enjoy stunning views, but this private flight is a speedy 45 minutes and offers the most flexibility as you can pick the time you fly. It’s also the most costly—prices start from $3,000.

For most travelers: the high-speed ferries offer the most timings, reasonable prices, and take about 2 hours to get from Crete to Santorini.

For time-strapped travelers with cash to spare: A private helicopter charter is the fastest way to get from Crete to Santorini in just 45 minutes, but be prepared to shell out big bucks as it’s also the most expensive option.

For travelers who don’t want the hassle: a day trip via ferry is the best way to let someone else deal with the logistics of planning schedules and coordinating transfers.

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