Santorini, Greece is renowned as one of the most beautiful places on earth. The remnants of an ancient volcano, with white washed buildings clinging to the edges of the towering cliffs overlooking the remains of the caldera. It’s simply incredible, and a trip to Santorini with kids is one you won’t soon forget.
Celine and I had each visited Santorini separately many years ago, and we always wanted to come back and experience this beautiful destination together and with our kids. When we decided to come to Greece for a family vacation, we knew visiting Santorini with kids was a must!
We spent a day and a half in Santorini with our kids. Here is what we got up to:
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Day 1 on Santorini With Kids
Walking to Fira Town
After arriving at our amazing family-friendly hotel, we decided to do what we enjoy most – getting out on foot and exploring our new environment. We’re walking all the way to Oia tomorrow, so today we walked in-between our hotel and Fira town.
Our hotel is near the famous Three Bells of Fira and the stretch between here and Fira town this afternoon is one of the most beautiful and iconic areas of Santorini. It’s one of those walks where you feel like every few steps deserves a photo because the views just keep getting better.
We had so much fun walking towards Fira town, exploring every little side street we could find. Each pathway held new, fun discoveries such as cozy hotels, cafés, and little whitewashed chapels. The views are nonstop – on one side, the sparkling caldera and rugged coastline, and on the other, classic Cycladic buildings stacked up the hillside.
Three Bells of Fira
We ended our day of exploration at the Three Bells of Fira, officially called the Catholic Church of Koimisi Tis Theotokou, but everyone just knows it by its famous blue dome and those three simple bells. It’s one of the most photographed spots on Santorini, and for good reason – you get an incredible view of the caldera, the layered cliffs, and the endless deep blue of the Aegean Sea all in one frame.
We were there as the sun was starting to set, adding to the ambience. Even if you’ve seen a thousand pictures of it before, seeing it in person still feels magical.
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Traveling to Greece with a picky eater? First, check out our guide to Greek food for picky eaters. Then pick up a copy of our printable Greek Food Scavenger Hunt, to make mealtimes easy & fun!
Day 2 on Santorini With Kids
Hiking from Fira to Oia with Kids (and Back)
On our full day in Santorini with kids, we hiked the stunning trail from the Three Bells of Fira all the way to Oia. Santorini is one of the most beautiful destinations on the planet, so it’s no surprise that this is one of the most beautiful family hikes in the world.
Doing the hike to Oia in April was absolutely perfect with clear blue skies, warm temperatures and thousands of wildflowers everywhere we looked.
The trail runs all the way from Fira to Oia. Given we hiked from our hotel near the famous Three Bells of Fira to Fira yesterday, we hiked the other half of it from our hotel to Oia today.
From our hotel, the trail to Oia winds along the edge of the cliffs, passing through the charming villages of Firostefani and Imerovigli. We wandered past beautiful little churches and whitewashed homes without much of a crowd at all.
The whole way to Oia, we were treated to stunning views of the volcanic caldera and the endless Aegean Sea. Some sections are paved, others turn into rocky dirt paths, and there are a few sections where you’re hiking a little uphill, but nothing too challenging.
We reached Oia after about 3 hours of hiking. As with Fira, it’s an internationally famous destination, known for its iconic white buildings overlooking the sea below. We had worked up quite an appetite, so we devoured some pork gyros before treating ourselves to some ice cream.
Then we hiked all the way back to our hotel! It was noticeably hotter in the afternoon, so we’re glad we refilled our water supply in Oia before hitting the hiking trail back to Fira.
Don’t forget to download the hiking map between Fira and Oia.
How We Got to Santorini With Kids
The high speed catamaran ferry from Crete to Santorini was really good. The ocean was very calm and we arrived with hardly feeling the ocean at all. We liked that we were able to reserve airplane style seats for the trip.
Taxis are in short supply in Santorini and reputedly very expensive, so when our ferry arrived, we took the public bus from the port to Fira. From the main bus terminal, we walked 20 minutes to our awesome family-friendly hotel.
Where We Stayed in Santorini with Kids
Throughout our family holiday to Greece, we’ve stayed in some really nice, affordable family hotels. Given Santorini is one of the most stunning and unique destinations in the world, we decided to splurge a little bit on our hotel.
It was important to us to have a family-friendly Santorini hotel with a view of the caldera. We also wanted to be close to Fira, so we’d have a good selection of restaurants to choose from.
We were really happy to discover the Ellinon Thea Boutique Hotel. It overlooks the caldera and is only a 15 minute walk from Fira. Lucky for us, it’s right on the hiking trail between Fira and Oia!
What really set the Ellinon Thea Boutique Hotel apart from our other Santorini hotel options was the fact it had family rooms, with three beds, plus it has a deck with a private hot tub overlooking the caldera! When we weren’t eating, shopping or hiking, we were found in our awesome hot tub, just soaking in the world-class views. Watching the sunset was incredible!
Hotel Recommendation
Ellinon Thea Hotel
We loved our stay at the Ellinon Thea Boutique Hotel for it’s family rooms and caldera views from a private hot tub!
Follow Along on our Family Trip to Greece
After beginning our family vacation to Greece with three amazing days in Athens with kids, we spent 5 days on Crete enjoying the best family beaches on Crete and family-friendly hiking trails on Crete we could find. After Santorini, we headed back to the mainland for some amazing hiking in Meteora with kids.
Our Travel Journal for Kids
Based on our family travels, our kids helped us design this Travel Journal for Active Kids! This engaging travel journal encourages kids to document their adventures, spark creativity, and stay entertained on the go – grab yours now on Amazon!
Dan Brewer is an intrepid family travel blogger with a passion for exploring the world's most captivating destinations. With 62 countries under his belt and a sense of wanderlust that knows no bounds, he has made it his life's mission to share his travel experiences and insights with fellow families who love to travel.
When Dan isn't traveling with his wife and kids, he's either out enjoying the Canadian Rockies he calls home or working on one of his three travel sites (Family Can Travel, Travel Banff Canada and Ultimate Sports Road Trip).