The Santorini volcano and hot springs boat tour is the island's classic day on the water: a short crossing of the flooded caldera to the black volcanic islet of Nea Kameni, a walk up to its steaming crater, and a swim in the warm sulphur springs off Palea Kameni. The one thing every Perissa guest needs to know first: these boats do not leave from Perissa's beach. Perissa sits on the island's calm black-sand southeast coast, while the volcano cruises depart from the caldera ports on the far side of the island — mainly Fira's Old Port, plus Athinios, Ammoudi (Oia) and Vlychada. This guide covers how the tour works, what it costs in 2026, and exactly how to reach the boat from Perissa.
TL;DR — the volcano tour from Perissa at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What you see | Nea Kameni volcano crater walk + a swim in the Palea Kameni hot springs; many tours add Thirassia and/or sunset |
| Where boats leave | Fira Old Port (most short tours), Athinios, Ammoudi, Vlychada — not Perissa |
| Nearest port to Perissa | Vlychada, on the southwest coast; otherwise Fira Old Port |
| Getting there from Perissa | KTEL bus to Fira (~25 min, ~€2.70) then down to the Old Port, or book a cruise with hotel pickup |
| Typical price (2026) | ~€30–55 for a short boat tour; ~€130–150+ for an all-inclusive catamaran day |
| Best for | Half a day of volcanic scenery and a warm-spring swim; a full day if you want the catamaran, BBQ and sunset |
What the tour actually is
Santorini is a collapsed volcano. The great cliff-lined bay you see from Fira and Oia is the caldera — a crater flooded by the sea after a colossal Bronze-Age eruption, roughly 12 km by 7 km, ringed by 300 m cliffs and up to about 400 m deep. It's the largest caldera in Europe, and the only one people live on the rim of. At its centre sit two younger volcanic islets that are still growing: Nea Kameni ("new burnt island") and Palea Kameni ("old burnt island"). Nea Kameni has been built up entirely by eruptions over the last few centuries, the most recent in 1950; the volcano has been quiet since, but it is still classed as active and is continuously monitored, and the steam and sulphur you meet at the crater are its ongoing fumarolic breath. The classic boat tour takes you out to both.
On Nea Kameni you land at a small jetty and follow a marked gravel path up through a raw, Mars-like landscape of black and rust-red lava to the rim of the main crater, where you can often smell sulphur and see steam rising from vents. The walk is not long — plan on roughly an hour to an hour and a half round trip — but it is uphill, fully exposed and on loose volcanic rock, so wear proper trainers, a hat and sunscreen and carry water. There is a park entrance fee for the volcanic islet — a flat €5 (children under 5 free; about €2.50 for kids 5–12, over-65s and students), which some tours include and some collect separately, so check when you book. It's cash only on the island — there are no card facilities on Nea Kameni, so bring a few euros in coins or notes, or pre-buy the ticket online from the park operator (GEOTHIRA) to skip the scramble for change.
Back on the boat you sail across to Palea Kameni, where the boat anchors offshore and you can swim into a small cove fed by warm, iron-rich sulphur springs. The water is a cloudy greenish-ochre and noticeably warmer than the open sea, though not hot-tub hot — and the iron can stain light swimwear, so wear something you don't mind discolouring. You swim the short distance from the boat to the springs, so it helps to be a confident swimmer.
Many longer cruises then continue to the little island of Thirassia — the sliver of the old caldera rim that broke away — for lunch or a swim, and the full-day catamaran trips usually finish by watching the sun set from the water off Oia.
The three kinds of volcano tour
Not all "volcano tours" are the same trip. Broadly they fall into three types, and which one suits you depends on how much of a day you want to give it and your budget.
| Tour type | Typical length | Usually departs | Roughly includes | Indicative 2026 price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic volcano + hot springs boat | ~3 hours | Fira Old Port | Nea Kameni crater walk, Palea Kameni springs swim | ~€30–55 pp |
| Volcano + hot springs + Thirassia | ~5–7 hours | Fira Old Port / Athinios | The above plus Thirassia island stop, often lunch | ~€45–90 pp |
| All-inclusive catamaran day / sunset | ~5 hours | Athinios, Vlychada, Ammoudi | Springs swim, snorkelling, BBQ, open bar, sunset | ~€130–150+ pp |
Prices are indicative and move with the season, the boat and whether transfers, lunch and the volcano fee are bundled in — always confirm the exact inclusions on the booking page before you pay. The short traditional boat tours from Fira Old Port are the cheapest and busiest; the catamaran cruises carry fewer people, include food and drink, and are the ones worth paying up for if you want the full-day experience. You can compare current sailings and prices on booking platforms such as GetYourGuide's Santorini page and on the boats' own sites — just match the departure port to how you plan to travel.
Getting to the boat from Perissa
This is where a bit of planning saves your day. There are two sensible approaches.
Option 1 — book a cruise with hotel pickup
The simplest option, and the reason most Perissa guests choose the catamaran cruises: many include hotel or nearest-point pickup by minibus. You book, you get an email with your pickup time and place, and the transfer drives you across to the departure port (usually Athinios or Vlychada) and back. You never have to solve the "how do I get to Fira's Old Port" puzzle yourself. If you're staying in Perissa or Perivolos and want a stress-free day, this is the one to look for — check that "hotel pickup" or "transfer" is listed in the inclusions.
Option 2 — make your own way to Fira Old Port
The cheaper short boat tours leave from the Old Port of Fira (Skala), at the bottom of the caldera cliff below Fira town, and expect you to get there yourself. From Perissa that means:
- Take the KTEL bus from Perissa to Fira (roughly 25 minutes, about €2.70; buses run through the day — see our getting-to-Perissa guide and the /getting-here page for the routes).
- From Fira town, get down to the Old Port, about 220 metres below. You can ride the cable car (around €10 one way, cabins every 15 minutes or so), walk the roughly 588 steps down the cliff (about 30 minutes, and shared with donkeys — we'd skip the donkey ride on animal-welfare grounds), or take a donkey. Allow plenty of time: the cable-car queue can be long, and you should be at the meeting point 30 minutes before departure.
Short tours from Fira Old Port typically sail around 11:00 and 14:30, but confirm your exact time when booking. Note that Vlychada, on the southwest coast, is the closest departure port to Perissa if you rent a car or take a taxi — a handful of catamarans leave from there.
What to bring and when to go
Bring swimwear you don't mind staining, a towel, water shoes or sturdy trainers for the sharp lava on Nea Kameni, sunscreen and a hat (there's no shade on the volcano), water, and a little cash for the volcano fee or drinks. The volcano tour runs May to October; spring and autumn are cooler for the crater climb and the boats are less crowded, while July and August are hottest on the exposed rock. If you're prone to seasickness the caldera is usually calm, but the crossing to Thirassia can be breezier.
The volcano cruise pairs naturally with the island's other caldera outings — see our best day trips from Perissa for Oia, Fira and Akrotiri, and the /day-trips and /activities pages for the full list. Back on the quiet side of the island, Perissa's own black-sand beaches and the /landmarks along the shore are the easy alternative on a day you'd rather not travel. For where to base yourself for all of this, see where to stay in Perissa, and for buses, cash and practicalities the /practical-info page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the volcano boat tours leave from Perissa?
No. The volcano and hot springs cruises leave from Santorini's caldera ports — mainly Fira's Old Port, plus Athinios, Ammoudi and Vlychada — not from Perissa's beach on the far side of the island. Perissa guests either book a cruise with hotel pickup or take the bus to Fira and go down to the Old Port.
How much does the Santorini volcano tour cost in 2026?
Expect roughly €30–55 per person for a short 3-hour boat tour to the volcano and hot springs, and around €130–150 or more for an all-inclusive catamaran day with food, drinks and sunset. A flat park entrance fee of €5 (children under 5 free; about €2.50 for kids 5–12, over-65s and students) is usually charged separately — collected in cash by rangers at the trailhead on Nea Kameni (there are no card readers on the lava), so carry a few euros, or pre-buy it online from the park operator (GEOTHIRA) — and check what your tour includes before booking.
Can you swim in the Santorini hot springs?
Yes. The boat anchors off Palea Kameni and you swim from it into a cove fed by warm sulphur-and-iron springs. The water is warm and cloudy rather than hot, and the iron can stain light swimwear, so wear something old and be a confident enough swimmer for the short distance from the boat.
How long does the volcano and hot springs tour take?
The short classic tour takes about 3 hours door to boat and back. Tours that add Thirassia run 5–7 hours, and the full-day catamaran cruises with lunch and sunset take around 5 hours or more on the water — plus the travel time to and from Perissa.
Is the Santorini volcano still active?
Yes — Santorini is an active volcano, but it has been quiet since its last (small) eruption on Nea Kameni in 1950. It's continuously monitored by the Institute for the Study and Monitoring of the Santorini Volcano (ISMOSAV), and the steam and sulphur smell at the Nea Kameni crater are normal fumarolic activity, not signs of an imminent eruption. Walking to the crater on a tour is entirely safe.
Is the Nea Kameni volcano hike hard?
It's short but exposed. You climb a marked gravel path to the crater rim over roughly an hour to 90 minutes round trip, on loose volcanic rock with no shade. It's manageable for most people in decent shoes, but wear trainers, bring water and a hat, and take it slowly in the midday heat.
