A Santorini packing list is not the same as a Greek islands packing list, and the difference is what this page is about. This island is a volcano with three hundred metres of cliff on one side, black grit instead of sand on the other, several thousand steps in between and a wind that arrives every afternoon from June onward. Half the things that matter here would not appear on a list written for Corfu. We drive guests around this island every day of the season and we watch what they wish they had brought, and our Santorini Tours carry spare water and sun cream for exactly that reason.
The honest framing. You can buy almost anything here at a markup, so nothing on this Santorini packing list is a disaster to forget. Two things are worth getting right before you fly: your shoes, and something warm for the wind.
The Short Answer
Shoes with grip lead the Santorini packing list. Polished marble on a slope is the hazard, not the distance.
Water shoes, second on the Santorini packing list. Black sand reaches painful temperatures by ten in the morning and the pebble beaches are sharp.
A windproof layer, even in July. The meltemi on the rim after dark surprises people every summer.
Soft luggage rather than a hard shell, because wheels do not work on stepped alleys.
Serious sun protection. No Santorini packing list should skip it, because there is no natural shade anywhere on the caldera.
A European two-pin adapter, not a UK one. Everything else on this Santorini packing list can be bought in Fira.
The Island You Are Packing For
Santorini Packing List at a Glance
| Item | Why it matters here | The reason | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoes with grip | The single most important item | Polished marble, cobbles and several hundred steps | Heels are unwearable on the caldera |
| Water shoes | Nearly as important | Black sand is scorching, Red Beach is pebble, urchins are everywhere | Cheap to buy here if you forget |
| A windproof layer | Underestimated by almost everyone | The meltemi blows hard from June to September | Evenings on the rim are genuinely cold in it |
| Soft luggage | Wheels are useless on stepped alleys | Cave hotels can sit 100 steps below the road | A duffel beats a hard shell here |
| Sun protection | No shade anywhere on the rim | Whitewash reflects as much as it shades | High factor, a hat that stays on, sunglasses |
| Refillable bottle | Tap water is not for drinking | It is brackish and used for washing | Bottled water is sold everywhere |
| Modest cover-up | For churches and monasteries | Shoulders and knees covered | Profitis Ilias and the village churches enforce it |
| Type C or F adapter | Greece runs 230V on European two-pin | Not the UK three-pin | Buy before you fly, not here |
| Cash | Cards are widely taken and not universally | Small tavernas and beach bars can be cash only | ATMs in Fira and Oia, few elsewhere |
| Motion sickness tablets | For the ferries and the volcano boat | Catamarans move sharply in a swell | Take them before boarding, not after |
Everything in that table is on this Santorini packing list because of something specific to this island rather than to Greece in general. The rest of the page explains each one and adds the seasonal variations.
Footwear: The Part That Matters Most
If you read one section of this Santorini packing list, read this one. More holidays are spoiled here by the wrong shoes than by anything else.
The problem. The caldera villages are built on stepped lanes of marble and stone that two centuries of feet have polished smooth. Add dust and a slope and you have a genuinely slippery surface.
Trainers or walking sandals with a real sole. The default footwear for anybody walking Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli or Oia.
Heels are unwearable. Not inadvisable, unwearable. Every summer we drive women who brought them and are carrying them.
Wedges are the compromise for an evening out, and even those are hard work on the stepped alleys.
Flip flops for the beach only. Not for the steps to a cave hotel and not for Ancient Thira.
Closed shoes for the volcano. Nea Kameni is loose sharp lava and open sandals are turned away by some operators. Our volcano tour says the same.
Proper shoes for Ancient Thira and the rim walk. Both are on uneven rock; see our Ancient Thira guide and hiking guide.
Water shoes. Kamari and Perissa are coarse black grit that reaches painful temperatures; Red Beach and Vlychada are pebble; sea urchins live on every rocky entry. This is the item most often bought here on day two.
How many pairs. Three covers everything: walking shoes, something for the evening, and water shoes. A fourth pair is luggage you will carry up a hundred steps.
Clothing: What to Wear
The what to wear question here is decided by wind and steps rather than by temperature, which is why this section reads differently from a mainland Greek one.
Light layers, not one heavy thing. The clothing half of a Santorini packing list is about layers rather than volume.
The clothing half of a Santorini packing list is about layers rather than volume.
Days are hot, evenings on the rim are not, and the wind decides which.
A windproof or light jacket. The most under-packed item on any Santorini packing list. The meltemi runs from June to September and an evening at Imerovigli or the Akrotiri lighthouse in it is cold.
Think about skirts and dresses. The caldera edge is windy and every terrace is above somebody. Weighted hems, longer cuts or shorts underneath save a lot of grabbing.
Something modest for churches. Shoulders and knees covered for the monastery at Profitis Ilias and most village churches. A scarf or light shirt in the day bag covers it.
Smart casual for dinner. The caldera restaurants are not formal but they are not beachwear either. No jacket required anywhere on the island.
Swimwear, two sets. Nothing dries fast in a cave room.
White is a genuinely good idea here, both for the heat and for how it photographs against blue doors and whitewash.
A hat that stays on. Wide brims are lovely and airborne. A cap, a chin cord or something structured is the practical answer.
Long sleeves for the boats. Sun on open water is stronger than on land and the volcano trip has no shade.
Laundry. Services exist in Fira and most hotels arrange it, so a week’s clothing covers a fortnight if you would rather carry less up the steps.
Sun, Sea and Health
A note on the word. Sunscreen and sun cream are the same thing and both are sold here; whichever you call it, bring more than you would for a mainland beach holiday, because sunscreen runs out fast on an island with no shade.
High factor sun cream, top of the Santorini packing list for health. There is no natural shade on the caldera rim, the whitewash reflects, and the sea reflects again. Bring more than you think and reapply after swimming.
Reef-safe if you can. You will be swimming in a caldera and off volcanic reefs; it costs nothing to choose the better bottle.
Sunglasses that stay on. Wind plus glare is the daily condition here.
After-sun. Cheap insurance for the first two days.
A refillable bottle. Tap water on Santorini is desalinated or brackish and is used for washing rather than drinking. Everyone buys bottled water; a refillable bottle plus the large bottles from a supermarket costs a fraction of buying small ones on the rim.
Motion sickness tablets. The volcano boat, the Thirassia crossing and every fast ferry move sharply in a swell. Take them before boarding. Our ferry guide and Thirassia guide explain the crossings.
Basic first aid. Plasters for blisters, which the steps produce, and antiseptic for scraped shins on volcanic rock.
Any prescription medication in its original packaging, with enough for the trip. There are pharmacies in Fira and Oia and a smaller choice elsewhere.
Insect repellent. Rarely needed. Santorini has few mosquitoes compared with the mainland, and a small bottle is enough.
Vinegar is the local answer to a sea urchin spine, and every taverna near a rocky beach has some. Worth knowing rather than packing.
Electricals, Documents and Money
A Type C or F adapter. Greece uses the European two-round-pin socket at 230 volts. UK, US and Australian plugs all need one, and every Santorini packing list should have this at the top of the electricals.
Buy the adapter before you fly. They are sold here at tourist prices and the choice is poor.
A power bank. Long days out with the camera and the map running.
A small torch or head torch. The stepped paths between the rim villages are lit unevenly and the walk back from dinner is dark in places.
Camera and a spare card. This is the island where people fill a phone by day three.
Cash. Cards are taken almost everywhere and not quite everywhere. Small tavernas, beach bars, the odd taxi and the Ancient Thira ticket booth are all easier with notes.
ATMs are plentiful in Fira and Oia, scarcer in the villages and absent at the sites.
Passport or ID for hotel check-in, ferry boarding and car hire.
Driving licence. An International Driving Permit is required alongside non-EU licences for car and ATV hire, and it is checked. See our car hire guide and ATV guide.
Travel insurance details saved offline, and the European health card if you hold one.
Screenshots of your bookings. Signal is patchy in a cave room and at the back of the caldera villages.
Luggage: Pack for the Steps
This is the section that separates a Santorini packing list from a generic one. On this island your suitcase has to get from a road to a door, and on the caldera those are frequently a hundred steps apart.
Soft bags beat hard shells. Wheels do not work on steps, cobbles or the dust of a rim path, and a duffel or soft case can be carried on a shoulder.
One bag each, not two. Whoever carries it will thank you, and that is often you.
Ask your hotel about porters before you arrive, and give them your arrival time. Most cave hotels have someone; none of them can guess when you are landing. Our cave hotels guide covers this in detail.
Weigh the return. Departure is uphill with the same bags, usually early, and it is the harder direction.
A day bag. The last item on the Santorini packing list and the one you use most. Small, comfortable and big enough for water, sun cream, a layer and a camera. You will use it every day.
A dry bag or plastic sleeve for boat trips, because the caldera boats take spray.
Leave room. Wine, capers, fava and volcanic-rock jewellery all come home with people. See our shopping guide.
Hand luggage only? Entirely doable here for a week, and the single kindest thing you can do to yourself on a stepped island.
Season by Season
April and early May. Add a proper jacket and something for rain. The sea is too cold for most people and evenings are genuinely cool.
Late May and June. The easiest packing of the year. Summer clothes plus one warm layer.
July and August. Maximum sun protection, minimum clothing, and still the windproof layer for the rim at night. The meltemi is at its strongest and a Santorini packing list that leaves it out is wrong.
September. Warmest sea of the year, softer sun, same layers as June.
October. Add long sleeves and something for a shower. Swimming is comfortable in the first half of the month.
November to March. A different trip. Waterproof, warm layers, proper shoes and an acceptance that most of the island is closed. Our winter guide sets out what runs.
The wind is the constant. It is stronger here than most Aegean islands and it shapes what you wear far more than the temperature does. Our weather guide and the month by month guide have the numbers.
What to Leave at Home
Heels. Covered above and worth repeating.
Hard-shell wheeled cases, if you are staying on the caldera.
A hair dryer. Every hotel has one.
Beach towels. Hotels provide them and the organised beaches rent sunbeds with them.
A snorkel set, unless you are attached to it. The good snorkelling is on boat trips that supply gear; see our diving guide.
Formal wear. Nowhere on this island requires a jacket and tie.
Large volumes of toiletries. There are supermarkets and pharmacies in Fira, Oia, Kamari and Perissa.
An inflatable anything. The wind will take it, and it will take it out to sea.
A drone, unless you have checked the current Greek rules and the restrictions around the archaeological sites and the airport. This is the item most often confiscated.
Too many outfits. The best-dressed people here are wearing three things in rotation and carrying nothing up the steps.
What to Carry Each Day
Water. More than you expect, especially for Ancient Thira, the rim walk or the volcano.
Sun cream, because you will reapply.
The windproof layer, even if the morning is still.
A cover-up if a church or monastery is on the day’s route.
Cash, for the site tickets and the small tavernas.
Water shoes on any day with a beach in it.
A hat. The item most often left in the room and most often missed.
Your phone charged and a power bank, because navigation and photographs drain it fast.
Nothing else. A heavy day bag on a stepped island is its own punishment, and a short Santorini packing list for the day beats a thorough one.
Santorini Packing List: Common Questions
What should the Santorini packing list definitely include?
Shoes with grip and a windproof layer. Everything else can be bought here.
Does a Santorini packing list need water shoes?
Yes if you plan to swim. The black sand gets painfully hot, the pebble beaches are sharp and sea urchins are common on rocky entries.
Should heels be on a Santorini packing list?
Not on the caldera. The lanes are polished marble and stone on a slope, with steps throughout. Wedges are the practical compromise for an evening.
What plug adapter belongs on a Santorini packing list?
A European Type C or F two-round-pin adapter, at 230 volts. Buy it before you fly.
Is the tap water drinkable?
No. It is desalinated or brackish and used for washing. Bring a refillable bottle and buy large bottles of drinking water.
How much cash should be on your Santorini packing list?
Cards work almost everywhere, but small tavernas, beach bars and site ticket booths are easier with notes. ATMs are common in Fira and Oia and scarce elsewhere.
Does a July Santorini packing list need a jacket?
A light windproof one, yes. The meltemi makes evenings on the caldera rim genuinely cool.
What luggage suits a Santorini packing list?
Soft bags. Wheels are useless on the stepped alleys of the rim villages, and cave hotels can sit a hundred steps below the road.
Is there a dress code?
Smart casual for the caldera restaurants and covered shoulders and knees for churches and monasteries. Nowhere requires formal wear.
What does the Santorini packing list say about the volcano?
Closed shoes, a hat and water. Nea Kameni is loose sharp lava with no shade at all.
Should a beach towel be on the Santorini packing list?
No. Hotels provide them and the organised beaches rent sunbeds.
Can I bring a drone?
Check the current Greek rules first, along with the restrictions around the archaeological sites and the airport. Drones are the item most often confiscated here.
What can you buy if you forget it off the Santorini packing list?
Almost anything, at a markup. Water shoes, sun cream, hats and adapters are all sold in Fira, Oia, Kamari and Perissa.
How big should a Santorini packing list be for a week?
Less than you think. Laundry is available and everything you bring has to go up the steps.
Does the Santorini packing list change by season?
Yes. April, October and winter need warm and waterproof layers; July and August need maximum sun protection and still a windproof layer for the evenings.
Adjusting the List for Your Trip
Honeymoon. Add one good outfit each for a caldera dinner and nothing more. The wedges and the windproof layer still apply. See our honeymoon guide.
Families with young children. Water shoes for everyone, a proper sun suit, and a carrier rather than a pushchair for the rim villages. Our family tours page explains why wheels struggle here.
Older travellers. Walking poles are not eccentric on this island, and shoes with real grip matter more than for anyone else. Our seniors guide covers the terrain.
Photographers. A wide lens, a lens cloth for the dust and the salt, and a spare battery. Blue hour on the rim is the shot and it drains a camera fast. See our photogenic spots guide.
Walkers. Two litres of water capacity, closed shoes and a hat with a cord. The Fira to Oia rim path and Ancient Thira are both exposed; our hiking guide has the routes.
Cruise passengers. Shoes and water, and nothing else you have to carry back down to a tender. Our cruise port guide and cable car guide explain the day.
Beach holidays on the east coast. Water shoes stop being optional and the windproof layer matters less. Our Kamari guide and Perissa guide cover that side.
Island hopping. Add motion sickness tablets and pack lighter still, because you will be moving the bags. Our Milos guide and Folegandros guide have the crossings.
Winter visits. A different Santorini packing list altogether: waterproof, warm layers and low expectations of what is open.
Where the Generic Advice Goes Wrong
“Pack light, breezy dresses.” Fine advice for a flat island. On a caldera rim in a meltemi it produces a lot of grabbing. Any Santorini packing list written elsewhere misses this because no other Cycladic island funnels wind the way this one does.
“Sandals are all you need.” Not on polished marble steps, not at Ancient Thira, and not on Nea Kameni, where some operators refuse open shoes outright.
“Bring flip flops for the beach.” True, and incomplete. On black volcanic grit at eleven in the morning you want something you can also swim in, which is why water shoes lead every Santorini packing list we would write.
“A wheeled suitcase is fine.” It is fine at the airport and useless from the moment you reach the village. Stepped alleys are the norm on the rim.
“You will not need warm clothes in summer.” The single most repeated mistake. Evenings at Imerovigli and the Akrotiri lighthouse in August are cold in the wind.
“Tap water is fine in Greece.” On most islands, broadly yes. Here it is desalinated or brackish and everybody drinks bottled, which is why a refillable bottle sits on this Santorini packing list rather than a filter.
“Bring everything, there are no shops.” There are supermarkets and pharmacies in Fira, Oia, Kamari and Perissa. Forgetting something costs money, not the holiday.
“Pack for the beach.” Half of this island is archaeology, cliff paths and villages. A Santorini packing list built only around swimming leaves you in the wrong shoes for the better half of the trip.
The Order to Pack In
1. Shoes first. Choose them before anything else and build the rest of the Santorini packing list around what they weigh.
2. The windproof layer. Second item in the bag, not an afterthought at the door.
3. Swimwear and water shoes. Two sets of the first, one pair of the second.
4. Sun protection. Cream, hat, sunglasses, and a long-sleeved layer for boats.
5. Clothing. Light layers in a small palette so everything works together and you carry less.
6. One good evening outfit each. No more, unless you are getting married.
7. Electricals. Adapter, power bank, chargers, torch.
8. Documents and cash. Passport, licence and IDP if you are driving, insurance saved offline.
9. Health. Prescriptions, plasters, motion sickness tablets.
10. Then stop. If the bag is heavy enough to be a problem on a hundred steps, the Santorini packing list has gone too far and the last two items should come out.
Our Verdict
Almost every Santorini packing list on the internet is a Greek islands list with the word Santorini pasted on top. The items that actually matter here come from the geology and the weather: a cliff full of polished steps, black sand that burns, no shade anywhere, and a wind that arrives every afternoon for four months of the year.
Get the shoes right and bring something windproof. Pack soft bags rather than hard shells because your luggage has a staircase ahead of it. Bring a refillable bottle, an adapter and enough cash for the small places. Then stop, because the rest is sold in Fira at a markup and everything you pack you carry.
The best-packed guests we drive arrive with one soft bag each, three pairs of shoes between them, and a jacket somebody laughed at in the airport and everybody wanted by the second evening.
Santorini Packing List: Key Points
- Shoes with grip are the most important item on any Santorini packing list; the lanes are polished marble on a slope.
- Heels are unwearable on the caldera and wedges are the practical compromise.
- Water shoes matter because the black sand burns, the pebble beaches are sharp and sea urchins are common.
- A windproof layer is needed even in July, because of the meltemi.
- Soft luggage beats hard shells; wheels do not work on stepped alleys.
- Cave hotels can sit a hundred steps below the road, so pack what you can carry.
- There is no natural shade on the caldera; bring high factor sun cream and a hat that stays on.
- Tap water is not for drinking, so bring a refillable bottle and buy large bottles.
- Greece uses European Type C or F plugs at 230 volts; buy the adapter before flying.
- Carry some cash for small tavernas, beach bars and site ticket booths.
- Cover shoulders and knees for churches and the monastery at Profitis Ilias.
- Almost everything on this Santorini packing list can be bought here at a markup, so forgetting something is not a crisis.
Booking With Us
The one thing you cannot pack for is the gap between the road and your door. We meet guests at the point where a vehicle can actually stop, carry what we can, and know which hotels have a hundred steps behind them. Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, there is no deposit and cancellation is free.
Our vehicles carry water and spare sun cream, which covers the two items people most often leave in the room.
Tours
- full day tour
- half day tour
- north part and Oia tour
- south part and Akrotiri tour
- sightseeing tour
- historical tour
- wine tour
- food experience
- sunset tour
- shore excursion
- small group tour
- black sand beach tour
- horse riding tour
- custom tour
- coach tours
Transfers
- island transfers
- VIP chauffeur service
- transfer to Oia and Finikia
- transfer to Fira and the villages
- choosing a private transfer
Book directly
- Full Day Tour
- Half Day Tour
- North Part and Oia Tour
- South Part and Akrotiri Tour
- Sightseeing Tour
- Small Group Tour
- Wine Tour
- Food Experience
- Historical Tour
- Sunset Tour
- Shore Excursion
- Black Sand Beach Tour
- Horse Riding Tour
- Personalised Tour
Further reading
- Santorini cave hotels
- Where to stay in Santorini
- Villas on the island
- Santorini weather
- The best time to visit
- Santorini in winter
- How many days do you need?
- A three day itinerary
- Things to do in Santorini
- Santorini on a budget
- The best beaches
- Red Beach
- Amoudi Bay
- Oia Santorini
- Fira Santorini
- Imerovigli Santorini
- Pyrgos Santorini
- Megalochori Santorini
- The cliffside villages
- Akrotiri
- The Akrotiri lighthouse
- Santorini museums
- The hot springs
- Santorini airport
- The public bus explained
- Taxis on Santorini
- Day trips from Santorini
- Santorini to Ios
- Santorini to Naxos
- Santorini to Paros
- Santorini to Mykonos
- Santorini or Rhodes?
- Santorini or Mykonos?
- Crete to Santorini
- Athens to Santorini
- Santorini nightlife
- Travelling solo
- Santorini for large families
- Travelling with a dog
- Wheelchair accessible Santorini
- Photography tours
- Cultural experiences
- Greek food on the island
- The full travel guide
- Our ten best tours
- How to choose a tour
- Private sunset tours
- Sunset spots
- Weddings on Santorini
- Over-tourism on the island
- The donkey weight limit
- Choosing a private transfer
More from this site
- All tours and prices
- About Santorini Impressive Tours
- Photo gallery
- Pictures from our private tours
- Useful links for travellers
- Full site map
- All our Santorini articles
- Terms of use
- Privacy policy
Send us your hotel and flight and we will tell you how many steps to pack for.
The Short Version to Screenshot
Non-negotiable: shoes with grip, water shoes, a windproof layer, high factor sun cream, a hat that stays on, a European two-pin adapter, a refillable bottle, some cash. That is the Santorini packing list in one line.
Strongly advised: soft luggage, two sets of swimwear, a modest cover-up for churches, motion sickness tablets, a power bank, a small torch, plasters.
Leave behind: heels, hard-shell cases, beach towels, hair dryer, formal wear, inflatables, and most of the outfits. Every item on the Santorini packing list has a staircase in its future.
Buy here if forgotten: water shoes, sun cream, hats, adapters, toiletries. Fira, Oia, Kamari and Perissa all have supermarkets and pharmacies, so no Santorini packing list needs to be perfect.
The one-sentence version. Bring shoes you can walk on marble in and a jacket you can feel silly carrying, and the rest of the Santorini packing list sorts itself out.
