Ferry from Santorini to Heraklion

Ferry from Santorini to Heraklion at a glance

Here is what the Santorini to Heraklion ferry looks like: high-speed catamarans run by SeaJets, Minoan Lines, about 1 hour 50 minutes from port to port, 1-3 a day in summer. You board at Athinios port and step off at Heraklion port, Crete. Haqqi Tours checks the sailings for your dates and tells you the cost before anything is booked.

• Route: Santorini to Heraklion (about 130 km by sea)
• Operator: SeaJets, Minoan Lines
• Crossing time: about 1 hour 50 minutes
• Vessels: high-speed catamarans
• Frequency: 1-3 a day in summer
• Departure port: Athinios port
• Arrival port: Heraklion port, Crete
• Vehicles: cars and motorbikes carried on the car ferries
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation on WhatsApp, e-ticket by message

Two hours across the open sea to Crete: the Santorini-Heraklion boat is how island-hoppers finish the Cyclades and fly home from Heraklion airport, which we combine on one booking.

Departure: Athinios port

Your crossing starts at Athinios port. Large ports have several gates and the boarding gate is announced on the boards and on the ticket; we send the gate and the check-in time with your confirmation. Local buses run from Fira to the villages and beaches but not from the airport or the port to hotels, and the roads are narrow and steep; nearly every visitor arrives by pre-booked car, and the desk also arranges the port transfer for ferry days.

• Haqqi Tours can provide a private transfer from your hotel in Santorini to the port on request
• Just ask which gate or terminal your sailing uses - big ports have several
• Foot passengers: at the port 45-60 minutes before departure; vehicles 60-90 minutes
• Keep the e-ticket and the ID or passport used for booking together

Arrival: Heraklion port, Crete

Arrival is at Heraklion port, Crete. Heraklion is Crete's capital, with the palace of Knossos, the Venetian harbour and the beaches and villages of the east. We can have a Haqqi Tours driver at the pier with your name, or tell you the best way to your hotel by bus or taxi. If you brought the car, the road out of the port is signposted for the main routes.

Arriving late? We note your arrival and, if you have booked a transfer, the driver tracks the ferry, so a delay costs you nothing.

On board the Santorini to Heraklion ferry: seats, cabins, cars and luggage

On board, the ferry from Santorini to Heraklion is relaxed: you can walk about, sit inside or on deck, eat at the café and watch the coast. Seat classes differ in space and quiet - economy, airline seats, lounge or business on the fast boats; cabins of two to four berths on overnight ferries. Taking the car means driving on, parking as directed, and coming back down only at the arrival port.

• Café, bar or restaurant on most vessels; open decks on the conventional ferries
• Vehicles on the car deck - give us the car's length and height when booking
• Children's fares by age; infants generally free
• Pets accepted on many ships in carriers or kennels - let us know if one is travelling

Things to do in Heraklion after the ferry

Heraklion is Crete's capital, with the palace of Knossos, the Venetian harbour and the beaches and villages of the east. Start with the Morosini fountain, the Historical Museum of Crete and the church of Agios Titos, then the ruins of Malia palace and the island of Spinalonga. A tip from our desk: Tell us your flight number, hotel name and, for the resorts, the area or street; in summer allow extra time for the coastal road in the late afternoon, and ask your driver for a stop if you are heading to western Crete.

Haqqi Tours arranges guided tours, tickets, transfers and private drivers in Heraklion; ask when you book the ferry and we send the options.

Best time to take the ferry from Santorini to Heraklion

The ferry from Santorini to Heraklion runs all year on most operators, but not equally: summer brings the most sailings and the highest fares, shoulder months the best balance, winter a reduced service. April to June and September to October are warm and less crowded, July and August are the hottest months and the busiest for traffic on the north-coast road, and the sea is comfortable from June to October; winter is mild but wet. Whatever the month, booking early is the single biggest saving, especially with a car or a cabin.

Ferry or flight from Santorini to Heraklion?

Ferry versus plane between Santorini and Heraklion comes down to time, luggage and the view: the ferry has the deck, the luggage and the town-centre arrival; the plane has speed. On this route the ferry is the option Haqqi Tours recommends first for families and anyone with a car.

Return ferry from Heraklion to Santorini

We book the return crossing from Heraklion to Santorini just as easily, normally on the same confirmation. Round-trip fares and open returns are cheaper on many operators, so booking both directions together saves money. Let us know the day you want to come back on the form and we send both directions with the cost.

How much does the ferry from Santorini to Heraklion cost?

Ferry prices from Santorini to Heraklion move with the season and the vessel: the same crossing can cost a fraction on the conventional ferry in April of what the high-speed boat costs on an August weekend. Rather than quote a figure that will be wrong next week, we check the fare for the day you want to sail and send it in the WhatsApp chat before you decide.

Ask us for two or three sailings and we send the cost of each - fast boat and slow boat, morning and afternoon - so you can see the difference before you book the Santorini to Heraklion ferry.

Cheapest ferry ticket from Santorini to Heraklion: how to pay less

A cheap Santorini to Heraklion ferry ticket is not luck - it is the right boat on the right day. Here is how we find it:

• Book the return with the outbound - open returns and round-trip fares are cheaper on many operators
• Ask about children's, student and resident fares, and about vehicle offers outside high season
• Choose the conventional ferry over the high-speed boat when time allows - it is cheaper, steadier and frequently more scenic
• Book early for July, August, Easter and holiday weekends, when sailings sell out and fares rise
• Travel on a weekday - Friday and Sunday sailings carry the highest fares
• Tell us if your dates are flexible; moving by a day frequently changes the fare

Send us the form with your dates and we tell you which sailing is the cheapest ferry from Santorini to Heraklion that day and how much a different day would save.

How to book ferry tickets from Santorini to Heraklion with Haqqi Tours

The easiest way to book a ferry from Santorini to Heraklion is to let a person do it. The form asks for the essentials; the details - a car and its length, a cabin, a pushchair, a pet, a connection on arrival - you let us know through WhatsApp when we message you to confirm. We provide the ticket, explain check-in at Athinios port and stay reachable during the crossing.

• Step 1 - complete the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children
• Step 2 - we message you by WhatsApp with the sailings, vessels, seats or cabins and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the sailing you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the e-ticket and send it; we stay in touch until you land in Heraklion

Because a person books it, we can line the Santorini to Heraklion ferry up with a flight or a train the same day, choose the sailing that leaves a safe margin, and warn you if the weather forecast makes the fast boat a risk.

Timetable and season of the Santorini to Heraklion ferry

The Santorini to Heraklion ferry timetable is seasonal: high summer brings the fullest schedule and the earliest sell-outs; spring and autumn have fewer boats and better fares; winter runs a reduced service on many crossings. The crossing itself takes about 1 hour 50 minutes. Tell us the day and we send the sailings, and we flag the ones most exposed to a cancellation in bad weather.

If a sailing is cancelled by the operator for weather, you are rebooked on the next available or refunded; our WhatsApp desk handles that for you on the day.

Why book your Santorini to Heraklion ferry ticket with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours is a licensed tour operator that books ferry tickets from Santorini to Heraklion all year round. We provide the ticket for every passenger and vehicle, the seats or cabin you want, the cheapest fare for the date you travel, and a human on WhatsApp in Arabic and English before, during and after the crossing. Around the ferry, we offer transfers to the port, tours and hotels at both ends. Fill in the form; we message you with sailings and the price; you decide.