Should you visit Santorini or Olympos?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Olympos, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Santorini or Olympos?
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island that is part of the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands. It has some spectacular views, beautiful sunsets, and excellent beaches. As one of the most popular of the Greek Islands to visit, Santorini sees many tourists every year. However, it's for a good reason, as the famous white-washed buildings that spill down the hill, some with blue domes that match the gorgeous color of the water, are set against the beautiful mountainous backdrop of one of the most scenic areas of the Mediterranean. Home to several of these small and scenic towns such as Oia, Kamari, Perissa, and Fira, visitors can explore the large island, enjoy delicious food, swim at the beaches, hike the hills, and sail the blue waters.
Olympos
Olympos was an ancient city in Lycia, situated in a river valley near the coast. Its ruins are located south of the modern town Cirali in the Kumluca district of Antalya Province, Turkey. An important Lycian city in the 2nd century BC, Olympos is more famous these days for being the beach resort of choice for backpackers. Staying in an Olympos 'tree house' at one of the dozen-or-so camps that line the path to the ruins and beach has long been the stuff of travel legend. The former hippy-trail hot-spot has been considerably renovated in past years and during summer can be pretty overcrowded. Olympos offers good value and an up-for-it party atmosphere in a lovely setting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Turkey, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey.
Which place is cheaper, Olympos or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €250, while the average daily cost in Olympos is €78. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Santorini and Olympos in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Santorini or Olympos? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here:
Santorini Hotel Prices and
Olympos Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Helicopter Transfer between Mykonos & Santorini:
$6,138
-
Luxury Small-Group Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, Open bar & Transfer:
$167
-
Santorini Small-Group Catamaran Sailing Trip(BBQ,drinks, transfer):
$155
-
Santorini Luxury Catamaran Sunset Cruise with BBQ, Drink and Transfer:
$155
-
Premium Small-Group Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, Open Bar, Transfer:
$143
-
Santorini Catamaran Day Cruise: Lunch, BBQ, Open Bar, Transfers:
$131
-
Santorini Private transfer up to 8 persons:
$131
-
Santorini Sunset Luxury Sailing Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, drinks, transfer:
$131
-
Private Arrival Transfer From Santorini Port To All Destinations:
$119
-
Santorini transfer from/to port or airport, up to 7 customers, :
$114
-
Santorini Airport Departure Transfer (Santorini Hotels to Santorini Airport):
$111
-
Private Transfers from/to Santorini Port (Athinios) to/from Oia:
$108
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Olympos
Also for Olympos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Two Days Tour to Cappadocia with HB Hotel & Transfer from Kemer:
$111
-
Antalya Airport AYT Transfers to Kemer Hotels:
$107
-
Antalya Kemer Hotels to Antalya Airport AYT Transfers:
$89
-
Antalya Kiris Hotels to Antalya Airport AYT Transfers:
$89
-
Antalya Airport AYT Transfers to Beldibi Hotels:
$84
-
Antalya Beldibi Hotels to Antalya Airport AYT Transfers:
$72
-
Scuba Diving Tour with Lunch & Roundtrip Transfer from Belek:
$63
-
Departure Private Transfer from Kiris, Camyuva, Tekirova to Antalya Airport:
$62
-
Gonster Pirate Boat Tour with BBQ Lunch and Transfer from Kemer:
$52
-
Kemer Dinopark Tour with hotel transfer :
$49
-
Suluada Island Boat Trip incl. Lunch and Transfer f/Kemer:
$42
-
Scuba Diving Tour in Kemer with Lunch and Transfer:
$40
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Olympos?
Prices for flights to both Olympos and Santorini change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food
Meals for one day
Santorini €96
Olympos €34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Traditional Greek Night live Music & Dinner Show in Santorini:
$60
-
Santorini Cooking Class with Wine Tasting:
$94
-
The Aegean Cooking Class:
$119
-
Santorini Flavors, a Cooking Class in a Dreamy Setting:
$131
-
Cooking Class in Traditional cave house in Santorini!:
$131
-
Santorini Sunset Sailing Cruise: Dinner, BBQ, Open Bar, Transfers:
$143
-
Santorini Food Tour: Fira Half-Day Small-Group Tour with Tastings:
$149
-
Luxury Santorini Sunset Cruise: Dinner, BBQ, Open Bar, Transfers:
$155
-
Authentic Santorini Cooking Class Experience:
$179
-
Santorini : Cooking Class & Easy Hike:
$185
-
Traditional Kouzina Santorini Cooking Experience:
$185
-
Santorini Private Wine Tasting with Dinner at Venetsanos Winery :
$203
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Olympos
For Olympos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Sunset Party Boat GONSTER : with Dinner, Wine ,Beer & Soft Drinks:
$48
-
Fire of Anatolia Dance Show Dinner and Transfer from Kemer:
$103
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
-
Santorini 6 Hour Private Custom Tour :
$167
-
Santorini Private HIGHLIGHTS TOUR:
$48
-
Stress-Free Santorini Shore Excursion: Private Highlights Tour:
$215
-
Top Santorini Attractions Private Custom Tour:
$188
-
2-hour Private Wooden E-Bike Tour in Emporio Castle, Santorini:
$84
-
4 Hour Private Tour Experience in Santorini:
$227
-
4 Hours Private Sightseeing Tour in Santorini:
$143
-
4 hrs PRIVATE island tour and photos, Oia and Blue domes :
$149
-
4h private tour of Santorini's sights:
$239
-
5 Hour Mini-Group Santorini Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers:
$87
-
5 Hour Santorini Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers:
$82
-
5 Hour Semi Private Catamaran Tour in Santorini with Lunch:
$161
Tours and Activities in Olympos
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Olympos.
-
Day Tour to Suluada by Boat :
$18
-
2-Day Guided Cappadocia Tour with Cave Hotel Option From Kemer:
$60
-
9 Hours Rafting, Buggy Safari and Zipline Adventure from Kemer:
$38
-
Antalya All Inclusive Kekova Sunken City Demre and Lycia Day Tour:
$79
-
Antalya City and Duden Waterfalls Tour with BBQ Lunch from Kemer:
$78
-
Apollo Temple, Perge Ancient City, and Waterfalls Tour with Lunch:
$45
-
Buggy Safari and Rafting Adventure from Kemer:
$42
-
From Antalya: 2-Day Cappadocia, Cave Hotel, & Balloon Tour:
$60
-
Full Day Phaselis and Tahtali Mountain Tour from Kemer:
$107
-
Full Day Rafting Experience From Kemer:
$20
-
Gonster Party Cruise with Foam Party Swim Stops and Lunch:
$43
-
Goynuk Canyon Party Bus Tour with optional Water Adventure:
$20
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Half Day Simply Santorini Tour with Wine Tasting:
$73
-
Santorini Highlights Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting option:
$90
-
Wine tasting and Carving lesson in Santorini:
$90
-
Visit to a Wine Museum and Wine Tasting in Santorini :
$92
-
Art and Wine Tour in a Historic Santorini Winery:
$96
-
Premium Wine Tasting with Caldera Views:
$106
-
Santorini Wine Tour with sunset in Oia:
$131
-
Santorini Private Tailor Made Island Tour with Wine Tasting:
$155
-
Santorini Private Wine Tasting Tour in two or three Wineries :
$161
-
Santorini 3-Winery Tour with 12 Wine Tastings and Oia Sunset:
$179
-
Half-Day Virtual Reality Tour and Wine Tasting:
$179
-
Small Group Local Wine Tasting Tour In Santorini :
$179
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santorini and Olympos, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Olympos much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Olympos would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Olympos and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Santorini would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santorini than you might in Olympos.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santorini Expensive? and Is Olympos Expensive?.
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