Season guide · Santorini · Greece
Santorini in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Hartmut Inerle, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cool, wet and windy with dramatic caldera views but most hotels, restaurants and boat trips closed. Expect highs up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 27 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 9°C (48°F) to 16°C (61°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 27
- Sea
- 15°C (59°F) to 17°C (63°F)
- Crowds
- Very quiet
- Hotel prices
- Lowest
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14°C (57°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 10 | 9.9 h | 1/5 |
| February | 14°C (57°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 8 | 10.8 h | 1/5 |
| December | 16°C (61°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 9 | 9.7 h | 1/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 15°C (59°F) against a yearly 21°C (70°F), and 27 of the year's roughly 52 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 1/5 and hotel prices 1/5 on average.
Good choices for winter
Historic site · Akrotiri
Akrotiri archaeological site
Hire a guide at the entrance or read up first; the site makes much more sense with context. Combine it with Red Beach and the lighthouse.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Fira
Museum of Prehistoric Thera
This museum in Fira displays the finest finds from Akrotiri, including colourful wall paintings, painted pottery and a small gold ibex figurine.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Mykonos (About 2–2.5 hours each way by high-speed ferry) — Mykonos Town's Little Venice, windmills and maze of lanes make a lively contrast to Santorini.
- Ios (About 40–60 minutes by high-speed ferry) — Ios has a hilltop Chora of white houses and windmills above the port and the long sandy beach of Mylopotas.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Santorini?
It is a trade-off: Cool, wet and windy with dramatic caldera views but most hotels, restaurants and boat trips closed. The best months overall are May–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Santorini in winter?
Highs of up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 27 rainy days over the season.