When to go · Santorini, Greece
Best time to visit Santorini
The sweet spot is May, October and September — averages 20°C, only 2 rainy days, peak-season crowds and peak prices.
May - June, September - October
Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers. May-June is the ideal window: the island is in full bloom, the sea is warm enough to swim (21 degrees C), and the hordes of July-August have not yet arrived. The light in June is the finest in Greece - long evenings, golden sunsets over the caldera. July-August is peak season: temperatures of 30-35 degrees C, extreme crowds in Oia (the village famous for its sunsets, which becomes dangerously overcrowded), and prices at a 100-200% premium. September-October is the finest time: the summer tourists thin, the sea remains warm (24-25 degrees C from the summer heat stored in the water), and the vineyards are being harvested. The Assyrtiko grape harvest in September is when the island's best wine gets made. November-April is mostly quiet - many hotels and restaurants close, but the island in winter is genuinely beautiful and uncrowded.
The short answer
20°C · 2 rainy days · high season
20°C · 6 rainy days · mid season
23°C · 2 rainy days · high season
Hardest months: December and January. averages 13°C, 11 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C | 11d | low | Chilly |
| February | 12°C | 9d | low | Chilly |
| March | 13°C | 7d | mid | Mild |
| April | 16°C | 4d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| May | 20°C | 2d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| June | 24°C | 1d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| July | 26°C | 0d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| August | 26°C | 0d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| September | 23°C | 2d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| October | 20°C | 6d | mid | Comfortable |
| November | 16°C | 9d | low | Comfortable but damp |
| December | 13°C | 11d | low | Mild |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
January, February, November and December are low season in Santorini — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $60–90 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.