What it's like
The Santorini cable car carries visitors up the caldera cliff from the island's Old Port to Fira, the capital. It is the quick way up from the water, an alternative to the long winding staircase or the donkey rides that many people once used between port and town.
The ride takes about three minutes. The car gives views of the Aegean and the white houses above as it climbs, and at the top in Fira you can see a good part of the island.
Good to know
- The steps from the Old Port to Fira are winding and narrow in parts, with low walls, and are not clean underfoot. The cable car avoids them.
- A fee applies each way on the cable car, as it does for the steps by donkey.
- Dusk crowds gather in Oia at sunset, so plan the return early.
Santorini Cable Car
A three-minute cable car ride up the caldera cliffs from the Old Port to Fira, the island's capital. The car gives wide views of the sea and the whitewashed houses above.
Tours that go here
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Santorini Oia and Fira Highlights with Boat Transfer from Old Port
Fira
Fira is the capital of Santorini, a white town of cobblestone streets stacked on the caldera rim. Shops, tavernas, hotels and cafes line the lanes, and most visitors come up from the old port.
Oia
Oia is a cliffside village at the north end of Santorini, known for its iconic streets and its sunset over the caldera. Visitors come for the views and the evening light.
Ancient Thera
Ancient Thera is a Classical-era hilltop site on Mesa Vouno, between Kamari and Perissa. Visitors come for the ruins, the history and wide views over the island.
Fira to Oia caldera trail
A walking route along the caldera rim from Fira to Oia, mixing cobbled village alleys with gravel and cliff paths. It takes in the caldera views the island is known for.
The same kind of day, elsewhere
Sightseeing and scenic rides
