- Updated on: 2025-01-26
Hop-on hop-off buses are sightseeing vehicles designed for tourists to explore a city or region in comfort. These buses follow a predetermined route with multiple stops at popular attractions, allowing passengers to disembark and explore areas of interest. Passengers can re-board the bus at any designated stop along the route, making it easy to visit multiple attractions in one day. Sounds good, right? But not in Santorini!
So how about a hop-on hop-off bus in Santorini?
To answer the question about the availability of this type of buses in Santorini, we can say… “no, we do not have such buses” and “yes, we have 23 of them!” 🙂 Why? Simple!
The main thing is the size of the island of Santorini – it’s tiny! We have very few roads, most of our towns and villages are one-way or even pedestrian streets! Santorini’s small size and topography make it unsuitable for such services. Our island, known for its volcanic cliffs and narrow, winding roads, doesn’t have the infrastructure needed for large buses to navigate effectively. There is literally nowhere for a large buses to stop and turn around.
Santorini’s main attractions, such as Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia and the caldera views, are concentrated in specific areas, often within walking distance of each other. These attractions are typically reached by narrow paths and stairs that are inaccessible to buses.
So strictly speaking…
No, there are no hop-on hop-off buses in Santorini
However, we do have KTEL buses that follow pre-determined routes with multiple stops at almost all of Santorini’s tourist attractions! Traditional villages, beaches, archaeological sites – you can literally travel around our island by public bus. Like these, for example:
Don’t forget that there are only 23 KTEL buses in Santorini, but there are plenty of bus stops right next to the most interesting places on the island. As for the flexibility of hop-on, hop-off bus tickets being their key feature…. Yeah. There is no such option in this case. The biggest inconvenience is that you have to buy tickets for each route, but the good news is that tickets are quite inexpensive. There are no daily, 72-hour, weekly or monthly bus passes in Santorini: you have to buy a ticket for each subsequent journey, and you can’t do this in advance – tickets are sold at the central bus station or on the bus itself! Read more about bus tickets here.
What are we supposed to do now?
Tourists often seek a personalized and intimate experience, enjoying the island’s hospitality, small-group tours, and direct interactions with locals, which a hop-on hop-off service might not provide. The island’s architecture and urban layout are designed for pedestrian enjoyment, not for bus access. But don’t worry! If you really like travelling by bus, you have the opportunity to do so. To get started, read our comprehensive guide to the Santorini bus system and KTEL company. After reading this material you will have a good idea of what is happening on our island in terms of transport and buses in particular. You will be prepared in advance!
If you already have an idea of what your travel plan will be, you can go straight to the specific bus itineraries. Bookmark this page and the route page you want, so you’ll always have them at hand:
- Bus from Fira to the airport of Santorini
- Bus from Fira to the sea port of Athinios
- Bus from Fira to Akrotiri
- Bus from Fira to Baxedes
- Bus from Fira to Exo Gonia
- Bus from Fira to Imerovigli
- Bus from Fira to Kamari
- Bus from Fira to Monolithos
- Bus from Fira to Oia
- Bus from Fira to Perissa
- Bus from Fira to Vlychada
- Bus from Fira to Vourvoulos
It’s also a good idea to consider the possibility of hiring a car. Here we explain all the nuances of this process on our island.
Santorini sightseeing by bus
If you prefer to travel by bus, don’t forget that we have several bus tours around the island. You can visit almost all the villages and even watch the sunset in Oia. Take a look at some of our tours:
Santorini sightseeing bus tour with wine tasting and sunset in Oia
The most detailed bus sightseeing tour: volcanic beaches, traditional villages, the peak of Mount Ilias the Prophet, wine tasting and sunset meeting Oia.
Schedule: everyday.
Bus trip
Group tour
Sunset
Oia bus tour: meet the sunset in West Santorini
Evening bus trip: south coast, Red Beach, Akrotiri Lighthouse, highest peak of Santorini near the monastery of Prophet Ilias and Oia village at sunset time!
Schedule: everyday.
Bus trip
Group tour
Sunset
Visit all the traditional villages of Santorini in one day
A trip to Santorini's most famous villages: Megalochori, Emporio, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia, where a sunset meeting is planned.
Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Bus trip
Group tour
Sunset
What can be useful for holidays in Santorini
Are you planning a holiday in Santorini? Or are you already on the island? We are happy to help you organise your vacation! Check out tips, services and offers:
