How To Get From Santorini to Mykonos

If you are looking for the best way from Santorini to Mykonos (or vice versa), search no more, as this is the Ultimate Guide. Chances are, you are probably thinking of visiting Santorini or Mykonos this year. Still, you are probably overwhelmed by the lack of proper, reliable information on how to get from one Greek island to another, or what people call “Greek island hopping”.

Everything I explain in this post applies to the opposite route from Mykonos to Santorini (but with different times). You can always search directly from here for the available ferries from Santorini to Mykonos and vice versa:

So, here are a few things you should know about the trip from Mykonos to Santorini (and vice versa):

• How Long is the Ferry From Mykonos to Santorini? It takes about 2 to 2.5 hours, and there are several ferries you can take throughout the day.
• Where to book a ferry from Mykonos to Santorini: Ferryhopper Website
• Hydrofoil from Mykonos to Santorini: There is no hydrofoil from Mykonos to Santorini. There are only closed-type ferry boats that you can book on the Ferryhopper website
• Between April and October, there are more than four ferries a day from Santorini to Mykonos; there are far fewer ferry options in the winter (November-March) 
• In general, it doesn’t take more than 3 hours by ferry to travel between all the Cyclades islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Ios, and Milos.
• You must book your ferry online, and you can then enter the ferry with the barcode in the email sent to you. This will be written in the email you will receive from Ferryhopper, and it is now the system that most ferry companies use. Still, some smaller companies may ask you to get a printout from a kiosk outside the ferry, and this printout will allow you to enter the ferry. As a rule of thumb, if your ticket, which you got through Ferryhopper‘s email, has a barcode, you can enter the ferry directly.
• Travelling to the West Greek islands (like Corfu, Zante, Kefalonia, or Lefkada) is a whole different story. These are on the other side of Greece, and you must go through Athens and take a one-hour flight to visit them.
• Flights from Santorini to Mykonos: There have been no flights between these two islands for the last few years, but this may change in the future, so if you want to fly, check Booking.com Flights for the most up-to-date flight schedule
• Strikes in Greece: Strikes can happen anytime in Greece and for any means of public transportation on short notice. They usually occur on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. Yes, they may mess up your trip, but they are necessary for the hard-working people of Greece so that they can have decent salaries and benefits. So, get over it and find alternatives for your trip (a taxi is usually the best option).
• Strong Winds – Ferries Cancellations: in case there are strong winds (which can be pretty standard in August in Greece), then the Greek Port Authorities may stop all ferries from departing, so bear in mind this is also a possibility that can mess up your trip; as an average there might be 4-5 days during the summer months that this can happen so get prepared
• Business Seats on Ferries in Greece: In my opinion, they are not worth the extra money, as you only get a bit more space and a slightly quieter area to sit, but even the standard seats are very spacious
• The Ferry Schedule for all Greek islands is announced only 2-3 months before the actual trips, so if you cannot find any scheduled ferries for your trip 3 years from now, please check again 2 months before your actual trip.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES FOR GREECE:

🛏️ Booking.comis the website with the most available rooms and Private Villas in Athens, Santorini , Mykonos & Crete (more than Airbnb!)

⛴️ Ferryhopper is the best website to book your ferry tickets or check the timetables for Santorini, Mykonos , Crete & all Greek islands

🎫 Get Your Guide has the best and largest variety of Tours in Athens and the Greek islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Crete etc)

🚗 Rentalcarsis the easiest way to rent a car or a quad for Greece with thousands of available options

✈️ Booking.com Flights has all the available flights to and from the Greek islands

🚕 Book Your Driver (Taxi) directly with booking.com’s large and safe platform of available certified drivers

So let’s see all the available options from Santorini to Mykonos, shall we? You have two options from Santorini to Mykonos: by ferry or by plane

SANTORINI TO MYKONOS FERRY (always check Ferryhopper)

I always advise people to take the ferry from Santorini to Mykonos.

It’s pretty convenient and reliable.

The ferry takes about 2.5 hrs to arrive in Mykonos, and there are about four ferries per day from Santorini to Mykonos, especially in the summer/high season from May to September.

The ferry companies between Mykonos and Santorini are Seajet and Hellenic Seaways.

You can check all the timetables on the Ferryhopper website and book the more convenient one.

Here is an example of timetables from Santorini to Mykonos:

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

If your ticket from Ferryhopper (that you received through email) has a barcode, you can enter the ferry immediately with that. But some smaller ferry companies don’t have a barcode ticketing system yet, so you just have to go to the kiosk opposite the ferry (it’s in every port) to get the printout.

These are closed-type ferries with airplane-type seats.

That means you cannot sit outside (like you do at the bigger Bluestar Ferries), as there is very limited outdoor space.

It’s like sitting in an airplane or a bus in a way.

You will be given a numbered seat with your ticket.

However, I do believe that the ferries are pretty expensive in Greece, but these companies have almost a monopoly, and unfortunately, these are the market rules that we all have to play with…

So, the cheapest ferry ticket from Santorini to Mykonos is: 66 euros per person, one-way (check updated prices here)

Obviously, suppose you want to spend a couple of days in Mykonos while you are staying in Santorini. In that case, it will cost you 123.60 euros per person (to go and return), which is a considerable amount of money (OK…money is a relative thing, but if you are a family of 4, we are talking about 534,4 euros in total, which is close to the minimum monthly wage in Greece…).

Check the updated Ferry prices & Timetables from Santorini to Mykonos on the Ferryhopper website.

OPTION 2: FLIGHT FROM SANTORINI TO MYKONOS (Booking.com Flights always has all the options)

Taking a flight from Santorini to Mykonos is also an available option, but not ideal in my opinion. Chances are that there won’t be any flights between these islands, but do check Booking.com Flights.

The schedules of flights between these islands can be bizarre.

A few years ago, there was only one flight per week from Santorini to Mykonos, every Friday evening, 6:35 pm—7:05 pm, from Condor (it was only available between May and October). This was the only flight from Santorini to Mykonos recently.

As you can see, it’s only 30 minutes on the air, which is fine.

However, in 2019, there were only flights from Mykonos to Santorini (Booking.com Flights has all the options)!

Here are the flights from Mykonos to Santorini now:

I think it’s not worth taking a plane from Santorini to Mykonos or vice versa.

You will finally spend more time on the check-in process at the airports than you would spend on the sea with a ferry (and trust me…the tiny airports of Mykonos and Santorini can be super crowded and chaotic between May and October…).

CONCLUSION

The Best Way to get from Santorini to Mykonos and back is by taking a ferry. Hands Down!

It’s only a 2.5-hour trip, with four ferries daily (in the High Seas from May to October). You can book your ferry ticket from Ferryhopper, but you must pick up the printed ticket from the ferry company kiosk at your departure port.

The ferry companiesoperating between these islands are Seajet and Hellenic Seaways, which are closed-type ferries with airplane-type seats. You can always take a plane between the two islands, but it’s not worth it, and there will be no benefit in time or money.

I always remember visiting the Greek islands with my family on a ferry as a kid. I still get butterflies in my stomach and excitement when I see the ferry slowly departing from the port while I am sitting in it. It’s probably because my brain has connected a ferry boat with awesome holidays…

The thing is that I do get the opposite (sad) feeling when I am leaving my place of holidays. Whatever… For some weird reason, I cannot get the same feelings when I board a plane…

You will take planes for the rest of your life, but how often do you get to take a ferry on the blue sea waters between the amazing Greek islands?

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!