This 24-hour Santorini itinerary starts with the airport bus to Fira, includes a stay at Theoxenia Caldera Hotel, and takes in the sunset crowds in Oia. Along the way, there are cliffside walks, gyros, tzatziki, and views down into the caldera.
Santorini has the scenery you expect from the photos. What surprises me most is the hospitality. The host at Theoxenia offers everything from detailed sightseeing recommendations to help making sure I reach the airport the following morning.
For a one-day visit, Fira gives the trip a practical center. I can check in, explore the lanes, find food, and catch the bus to Oia without adding a rental car.
The One-Day Itinerary
• Arrive at Santorini Airport.
• Take the public bus to Fira.
• Check in at Theoxenia Caldera Hotel.
• Explore Fira’s lanes and caldera viewpoints.
• Take the bus to Oia for sunset.
• Make time for Greek food at the stops featured in the episode.
• Arrange breakfast before an early departure the following morning.
Getting From Santorini Airport to Fira
The airport connection is straightforward on this trip. I walk out to the sidewalk, catch the bus, and reach Fira in about 20 minutes. The fare quoted in the episode is €2.
For this itinerary, the bus gets me where I need to go without renting a car. Fira is also the starting point for the bus journey to Oia.
Check the operator’s timetable and fares for your travel dates, particularly if you arrive late or leave early. The prices and frequency discussed in the video describe this trip.
Santorini Buses
Official routes, timetables, and fare information.
https://ktel-santorini.gr/
Where I Stay: Theoxenia Caldera Hotel
Theoxenia Caldera Hotel is tucked between shops in Fira. The entrance is easy to overlook: a glass door followed by stairs leading up to check-in.
The room price quoted in the episode is $187 per night. What makes the stay memorable is the welcome.
The host brings out a detailed map, circles places, and writes down recommendations. He offers to do a load of my laundry even though it is already the afternoon and I am leaving early the following morning.
He also offers to take me to the airport himself if something goes wrong with the bus or taxis, and gives me a card with his personal number.
These are the details behind my enthusiasm for the hotel. The views are a reason to visit Santorini, but being treated this well is a reason to remember a particular stay.
Theoxenia Caldera Hotel
The hotel featured in this episode.
https://www.theoxenia.net/
Exploring Fira
Fira feels tight, small, and confusing when you walk through it. The buildings seem to fit together in their own irregular way, with shops, restaurants, small bars, and hotels packed along the lanes.
Then you look out toward the caldera.
Below are cruise ships, terraces, little swimming pools, and buildings stepping down the cliffs. The contrast between the narrow streets and that huge open view is a large part of what makes the town worth exploring.
For this section of the day, walking is the activity. You don’t need a complicated sightseeing checklist to appreciate what is around you.
Sunset in Oia
Oia is the sunset stop at the northern end of the island. In the episode, I describe taking the bus from Fira and finding what feels like everyone else on Santorini already there.
The sunset is popular enough to create traffic jams on the little walkways. Finding a place at a lookout is part of the experience, so allow time to get there and settle in.
The video mentions an hourly bus service. Check the timetable for your own dates, including the return journey, rather than assuming that frequency applies to every season.
Oia belongs in this itinerary, but so do the crowds. Knowing what to expect makes the visit easier to plan.
Food Stops: Obelix and Karvounaki
Greek food is another reason I enjoy this stop. Gyros make an easy meal between walking around Fira and heading out to explore.
At Obelix, the gyro price quoted in the episode is €6.
At Karvounaki, I describe a chicken gyro for €4.50, tzatziki for €4, and a Heineken for €5. These are the prices discussed during the trip, rather than current menu guarantees.
Both stops fit the straightforward approach of this visit: get something good to eat and keep exploring.
Obelix, Fira
Google Maps search for the featured food stop.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Obelix+Fira+Santorini
Karvounaki, Fira
Google Maps search for the other featured food stop.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Karvounaki+Fira+Santorini
Breakfast Before an Early Departure
Theoxenia’s hospitality continues into the departure arrangements.
Because I am leaving early, the hosts arrange to make and deliver breakfast the night before. It is a small detail that makes the following morning easier.
If your own departure is before breakfast service, ask your accommodation about the options in advance. This is what the hosts arrange for my stay, rather than something to assume every hotel provides.
Is One Day in Santorini Enough?
This trip shows what you can fit into a focused overnight visit: Fira, a caldera hotel, sunset in Oia, and Greek food along the way.
It doesn’t cover the whole island. Beaches, archaeological sites, and boat excursions would require different choices or more time.
For this visit, the combination of food, hospitality, and scenery is enough to make a strong impression. If you are choosing somewhere to begin exploring the Greek islands, Santorini makes a compelling first stop.
Santorini gets five stars.
Quick Tips
• Check the airport bus schedule before arriving.
• Use Fira as the base for this route.
• Allow time for walking through narrow lanes and steps.
• Expect crowds around sunset in Oia.
• Check your return bus before heading out.
• Treat the episode’s prices as examples from this trip.
• Ask about breakfast ahead of time if you leave early.
Useful Links
Santorini Buses
Official transportation information.
https://ktel-santorini.gr/
Theoxenia Caldera Hotel
Accommodation featured in the episode.
https://www.theoxenia.net/
Visit Greece: Santorini
Official visitor information about the island.
https://www.visitgreece.gr/en/islands/cyclades/santorini
More Greece Travel Guides
24 Hours in Mykonos
Explore Mykonos Town, Little Venice, the windmills, and a one-day island route.
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/24-hours-in-mykonos-greece
24 Hours in Skiathos
Another Greek island guide covering beaches, transportation, and food stops.
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/skiathos-travel-guide
About This Episode
This episode is part of the Maxwell’s Kitchen Euro Trip series, hosted and produced by Cody Maxwell.
Watch the video above for Santorini’s island background, the airport connection, my stay in Fira, sunset in Oia, and the food stops along the way. The practical itinerary begins at 02:23.
