A family boat tour in Santorini, planned around the children
Children are welcome on every cruise we run. The morning boat has the flattest water, the trampolines forward are the best thing on board if you are eight, and lunch includes pasta with tomato sauce.
€1,200 covers 8, then €100 each · 09:30 - 14:30 · The whole boat
A family boat tour in Santorini works best in the morning, when the water is flat and the day ends before anyone melts. Children are welcome on every cruise we run. Tell us their ages when you book, so the right life jackets are aboard and the crew know who is on deck.
A boat day is often the easiest day of a Santorini family holiday. No cliff paths, no queues, shade and swimming in the same place. The question is which boat, and for how long.
Which cruise fits your family
| Your party | The cruise that fits | What it costs | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two adults, children aged six and up | Semi-private day cruise, 10:00 – 15:00 | €100 per person | Fifteen guests in total. Children of this age are usually the easiest people on board. |
| Two adults, a child aged three to six | Semi-private day, or private if the budget stretches | €100 each, or €1,200 for the boat | Five hours is a long time. On a shared boat you cannot decide to go back early. |
| Two adults, a toddler or a baby | Private day cruise, 09:30 – 14:30 | €1,200 for up to 8 | You own the pace, the nap window and the length of each stop. Message us with ages first. |
| Two families travelling together, 8 people | Private day cruise | €1,200, so €150 each | The whole boat and nobody else's schedule to keep. |
| Three generations, 12 people | Private day cruise | €1,200 plus €100 a head above eight, so €133 each | A level deck, shade and seating. Nothing about the day involves steps or steep paths. |
A private boat never costs less per head than a €100 shared seat. What it buys a family is the freedom to change your mind at 12:30.
Five hours, from a six-year-old's point of view
This is the part parents ask about most, so here it is honestly, in the order it happens.
- The first twenty minutesShoes come off, everything is new, and there is a trampoline at the front of the boat made of string. Nobody is bored yet.
- The first swimAbout forty minutes in, under the red cliffs. A ladder off the back, warm water, a parent in it too. This is the part they will describe at home.
- The middle of the dayTwo more stops and some sailing between them. Snorkelling gear comes out of the locker. Attention holds as long as there is something to do with their hands.
- LunchChicken off the grill, pasta with tomato sauce, salad and bread, eaten on deck. The pasta is the one that gets a second helping.
- The last hourFull stomachs, wind and cliffs going past. A lot of small children fall asleep somewhere around here, which is a good outcome, not a failure.
What is on the boat, and what is not
| What parents ask about | On our catamaran |
|---|---|
| Shade | A shaded cockpit and an interior saloon. The deck itself is hot underfoot at midday. |
| The swim platform | Steps down off the stern into the water. Every swim begins and ends there. |
| Trampolines | Forward, between the hulls. The best seat on the boat, and the one children do not leave. |
| Life jackets | Carried on board. Tell us your children's ages when you book so the right sizes are aboard, and message us first if you are bringing a baby. |
| Toilet | A small marine head. Workable, not roomy. |
| Buggy or pram | Cannot come aboard. Leave it at the hotel. |
| Getting off at a beach | You do not. No swimming stop has a jetty, so there is no running about on sand. |
| Walking on the volcano | Not part of any cruise. The boats anchor offshore. |
| Food | BBQ chicken, shrimp, Greek salad, pasta in tomato sauce, vine leaf rolls and the dips. Water and soft drinks for everyone, wine and beer for the adults. |
Parents stay responsible for supervision on deck. The crew are sailing the boat, cooking on it and counting heads in and out of the water.
Take the morning
The meltemi builds through the afternoon in July and August. A 10:00 start on the semi-private day cruise gives you the flattest water of the day, and flat water matters more with children than with anyone else on board.
It also finishes at 15:00. A cruise that ends after sunset means a tired six-year-old in a restaurant at 20:30, and you pay for that the following morning.
This page, or the family charter page
This page is about travelling in Santorini with children: what a day on the water asks of them and which cruise fits your party. If you have already decided you want the boat to yourselves, the family charter page holds the product, the price and the booking form.
If your youngest is under three, read a boat tour with a baby or toddler first. Naps, shade and infant life jackets are a different set of questions, and we answer them there properly.
Sunlight reflects off the sea and catches children in places a beach never does. Bring more sunscreen than you think, put a rash vest on anyone small, and reapply after every swim rather than at lunch.
Send us the ages and the date
Ages, how many of you, and the day you are thinking of. We will tell you which cruise we would put your family on, and what it costs.
Call the harbour office+30 698 977 1888
Common questions
Are Santorini catamaran cruises suitable for families with children?
They are the family-friendliest boats in the caldera: wide flat decks, shade, a toilet on board and swimming straight off the back. A boat we keep uncrowded also means the crew notice your children rather than losing them among fifty other people.
Is the cruise suitable for children?
Yes, and particularly the 10:00 to 15:00 semi-private morning cruise. Five hours is long for very young children, so a private charter is often the better choice, because you control the pace and can turn for home early if the day stops working.
Are life jackets available?
Life jackets are carried on all licensed passenger vessels in Greece and child sizes are standard on family boats. We have not published our own inventory of infant sizes, so if you are bringing a baby or a very small child, confirm sizing with us on WhatsApp before you book.
Can we come back early if it isn't working?
On a private charter, yes. The boat is yours, so a shortened day is a conversation with the captain rather than a problem. On a shared cruise, no. Fourteen other guests bought the same five hours and the boat returns when the route is finished.
Should I take a morning or sunset cruise?
Morning gives calmer water, warmer light for swimming and an earlier finish. Sunset gives the caldera lit from the west and dinner on deck. With small children or anyone prone to motion sickness, take the morning. Save the sunset boat for a trip without a pushchair.
Santorini Boat Tour - Water Taxi is a catamaran cruise and water taxi operator based in Fira, Santorini.
Updated August 2026