Santorini is a magnificent island, born from a volcanic eruption around 2000 BC. Now, it marks the edge of an ancient caldera submerged in the sea.
We set off to explore Oia, one of the island's most beautiful and famous villages, renowned for its sunsets and white buildings. It's perfectly perched on the edge of the caldera and has marvellous sea views. However, such a spectacular place comes with higher prices and large crowds.
We list 7 tips on how to visit Oia, Santorini on a budget without giving up too many luxuries, including ways to avoid the crowds and an incredible place to see the sunset for free.
You're in the right place if you’re looking to have a classic Santorini experience without breaking the bank!
7 Tips on How to Do Oia, Santorini on a Budget
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we have used or that we believe will add value to our readers. Thank you for supporting us!1. Travel to Santorini in shoulder season
Hotel prices drop significantly during Santorini's shoulder season. We recommend visiting in October - the weather is pleasant and accommodations are more affordable. In October, we enjoyed sunny skies and warm weather each day.
By avoiding the summer months, you’ll not only save on hotel costs but also steer clear of the island's busiest and most crowded season.
2. Stay in a traditional cave house in Finikia
Finikia is a village of traditional cave houses, located just a 15-20 minute walk from Oia. Surrounded by vineyards, it offers sea views, but unlike Oia, you don't get views of the caldera. This was fine for us as we used some of our savings for restaurants with a fabulous caldera view.
The budget that would have otherwise gotten us a lousy hotel room in Oia, got us a luxurious cave house with our own private hot tub!
Gemini Caves makes our list of top places we've ever stayed at. Rates start at $203 USD per night in shoulder season, but there are other cave houses you can stay at in Finikia for less. The best part of staying in Finikia was escaping the photo-snapping crowds in Oia. 🛁 Browse more cave house stays in Finikia3. Keep breakfast simple to save money for sunset dining with caldera views
Book a stay that includes breakfast, or pick up ingredients from a grocery store to make breakfast in your cave house. This way, you can save money for sunset dining with caldera views.
We dined at 1800-Floga, which had one gorgeous sunset view. It was the perfect romantic evening. Be sure to reserve your table in advance.
4. Get an affordable and authentic lunch at Pitogyros
Restaurants and cafes in Oia can be very expensive, even for a coffee. You’re paying for that caldera view!
We luckily found an authentic and delicious gyro shop, Pitogyros, on the side streets and it was one of our best meals in Santorini. It’s 6.40 € for a gyro and it fills you right up.
5. Get a first-class sunset view without the crowds or cost of an expensive tour
When sunset rolls around there is a mass amount of people all trying to get the perfect sunset shot in Oia. We walked on the path towards Amoudi Bay and noticed a rough unpaved trail off of the main sidewalk. To our surprise, it was the best view we saw in Oia and there was no one around.
Best place to see sunset in Oia
We have no idea why no one else discovered this gem of an area that evening like we did. Lucky us!
6. Enjoy a wine tasting at Domaine Sigalas Winery
The nightlife is pretty much non-existent in Oia and drinks overpriced along the strip. Have a wine tasting at Domaine Sigalas Santorini and bring back your favourite bottle to relax in your hot tub instead!
Domaine Sigalas, an award-winning winery just a 15-minute walk north of Finikia, was named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits magazine in 2021. It offers a beautiful outdoor setting where you can relax and sample a variety of wines.
7. Dine in Finikia some nights
Finikia is home to top-notch restaurants that serve authentic Greek cuisine with a modern twist. Switch up some of your caldera view restaurants in Oia with more affordable taverna-style restaurants in Finikia.
Check out these three well-rated restaurants:
We hope you liked our budget friendly tips, but if waking up to a caldera view is what you're dreaming of, go for it!
Start planning your trip to Santorini
- 🌃 Accommodation: Booking.com is our go-to for finding places to stay. Sort by top reviewed.
- ⛵ Browse tours with local guides: through GetYourGuide .
- ✈️ Compare flights: with Skyscanner
Don't forget about travel insurance
👩⚕️ For affordable travel insurance: go with SafetyWing - it's budget-friendly and you can even buy it while abroad, but note the max medical coverage is $250,000 USD. 🏥 For comprehensive travel insurance: go with World Nomads - it's more expensive, but the max emergency medical coverage is $5-10 million, depending on the plan.See what it was like in our Santorini vlog:
Don't miss our other Greece travel guides:
- Greece 5 Day Itinerary
- Greece 8 Day Itinerary
- How to spend one day in Athens
- 18 Fun things to do on Hydra Island
- 3 Day Hydra Island itinerary
- Agios Nikolaos Beach Hydra guide.
Save and pin these tips on how to do Oia, Santorini on a budget for later:
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