CreteSantorini
Twin-centre holiday

Crete & Santorini

Crete 6n Santorini 4n
◷10 nights ✈Flights included £From £1,599pp
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Trip overview

Two very different Greek islands, a short ferry ride apart. Start with six nights all-inclusive on Crete's north coast, with time for the Minoan palace at Knossos, Heraklion's old harbour and mountain villages. Then sail north to Santorini for four nights in Fira, on the rim of the volcanic caldera, with whitewashed lanes and sunsets over the sea. It suits couples and families who want both beach time and sightseeing.

High-speed ferries link Heraklion and Santorini in about two hours, mainly from spring to autumn. You fly into Heraklion and home from Santorini, so there is no backtracking. Crete gives you the long beach days; Santorini is for walking, wine tasting, boat trips round the caldera and the sunset at Oia.

Trip highlights

  • Six nights all-inclusive on Crete's north coast
  • Minoan palace of Knossos
  • High-speed ferry across the Aegean
  • Caldera views from Fira
  • Sunset at Oia
  • Caldera boat trip and volcanic beaches

Your route

2 stops · 10 nights

Route map: Crete & Santorini⤢ Enlarge map
✈ Fly from the UK
1

Crete Nights 1–6

Beaches, Knossos, mountain villages

⛴ About 2-hour high-speed ferry from Heraklion to Santorini
2

Santorini Nights 7–10

Caldera views, Oia sunsets, wine

✈ Fly home to the UK

Where you stay

Priced with these hotels or similar. Want a different hotel? Your Travel Designer will re-price it for you.

Crete
Stop 1 · Crete · 6 nights

Lyttos Beach or similar

★★★★★

Greece's largest island has long beaches, Minoan history and a strong food culture. From the north coast near Hersonissos you can visit Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, the Lasithi Plateau and the harbour towns of Agios Nikolaos and Elounda.

  • All inclusive
  • Beachfront in Anissaras, near Hersonissos
  • Water park, kids' club and several pools
  • About 25 minutes from Heraklion airport
Upgrade ideas: St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas · Blue Palace, Elounda
Santorini
Stop 2 · Santorini · 4 nights

Kalisti Hotel & Suites or similar

★★★★

Santorini's towns cling to the rim of a flooded volcanic caldera. Walk the clifftop path from Fira to Oia, take a boat to the volcano and hot springs, visit the Bronze Age site at Akrotiri and taste Assyrtiko at the island's wineries.

  • Bed & breakfast
  • Central Fira, a short walk from the caldera edge
  • Large pool, one of the biggest in Fira
Upgrade ideas: 9 Muses Santorini Resort · Canaves Oia Suites

Prices & seasons

Guide prices per person, two sharing, with flights from London.

Guide price
Selected dates
from£1,599

Prices checked October 2026. Prices change daily; your Travel Designer confirms today's live price before you book. Business class and regional airports on request.

Best time to go: May, June and September to early October are the best months: warm seas, sunshine and fewer crowds than July and August. The high-speed ferries between Crete and Santorini run mainly from April to October.

Day-by-day itinerary

A suggested plan. Change anything.

1
Day 1 · Crete

Fly to Crete

Fly from London to Heraklion, about 4 hours, and transfer to your beachfront hotel on the north coast.

2–6
Days 2–6 · Crete

Beach days and Minoan Crete

Relax on the beach, visit the palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, or drive up to the Lasithi Plateau and across to Agios Nikolaos.

7
Day 7 · Santorini

Ferry to Santorini

Transfer to Heraklion port for the high-speed ferry north to Santorini, about two hours, then on to your hotel in Fira.

8–10
Days 8–10 · Santorini

Caldera, volcano and wine

Walk the caldera path to Oia, take a boat trip to the volcano and hot springs, visit Akrotiri and the red and black beaches, and end with a wine tasting at sunset.

11
Day 11 · Santorini

Fly home

Transfer to Santorini airport for your flight back to the UK.

What's included

  • Return flights from London (into Heraklion, home from Santorini)
  • 6 nights on Crete, all inclusive
  • 4 nights on Santorini with breakfast
  • High-speed ferry from Heraklion to Santorini
  • Transfers between airports, port and hotels
  • Checked baggage and taxes
  • Travel insurance
  • Greek climate resilience fee, payable at each hotel
  • Meals on Santorini other than breakfast
  • Excursions, boat trips and site entry

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Good to know

How do you get from Crete to Santorini?

High-speed ferries sail from Heraklion to Santorini in about two hours, with daily sailings in the main season. Outside April to October there are fewer crossings, so we may route you via Athens.

Can I fly home from Santorini?

Yes. There are direct flights from Santorini to London and several regional UK airports between spring and autumn. Out of season you would usually connect through Athens.

Should I visit Santorini first?

Either order works. Ending on Crete gives you a slower finish on the beach; ending on Santorini saves the most dramatic scenery for last. Ferry timings can decide it.

Is Santorini good for beaches?

Santorini's beaches are volcanic, with dark sand and pebbles at Perissa, Kamari and the Red Beach. For long sandy beaches and all-inclusive days, Crete is the better half of the trip.

Make it yours

Change the hotels, the nights or the order, or add a third stop. A Travel Designer replies within a few hours.

Start planning

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