Is Santorini Worth Visiting in November? My One-Week Experience

During the first week of November, I traveled to Santorini, Greece alongside my best friend, my sister, and her best friend for an unforgettable international girls trip!

Less Crowds = More Room to Breathe!

From the moment we arrived, everything felt quieter and more spacious. The airport was calm, the roads weren’t rushed, and the island seemed to move at its own pace. It felt less like stepping into a postcard and more like stepping into a real place where people actually live.

I personally can feel quite claustrophobic with large crowds of people smushing up against one another. This was always a fear of mine when considering traveling to Europe in the summertime. Visiting Santorini in November definitely gave us incredible crowd-free exploration each day. If you are also someone who hates crowds, I would suggest traveling to Santorini in October or the first week of November like we did. When we walked into a local bar in Santorini, the bartender explained to us how in the summer months the alleys can become packed with tourists. I couldn’t imagine trying to walk through the town with so many people in the hot summer weather.

Where We Stayed in Santorini

We stayed in Fira, which quickly became our anchor for the week. In November, Fira felt relaxed but not empty—enough cafés and shops were open to make it feel alive, without the constant buzz you hear about during peak season. Most mornings started slowly, with coffee and wandering through the streets without a plan. Being centrally located made it easy to explore the island, but it also meant we could return to something familiar at the end of each day.

Our Favorite City: Oia

We visited Oia a few times during the week, and each visit felt different. Without the crowds, Oia was calmer, almost gentler. The narrow streets were easier to explore, and the famous viewpoints didn’t feel rushed or overwhelming. Watching the sunset there in November was especially memorable—not because it was louder or grander, but because it was quieter. People lingered, took their time, and the moment felt shared rather than staged.

Our days fell into a comfortable rhythm. We walked a lot, stopped when something caught our attention, and didn’t feel pressured to see everything. Some afternoons were spent simply sitting and taking in the views, while others involved wandering into small shops or lingering over long meals. The cooler weather made walking easier!

Flying Dress Photoshoot in Oia

One of the more playful experiences I had in Oia was doing a flying dress photoshoot.  Here is exactly who I booked with for my photoshoot in Oia. I went into it feeling a little unsure—it’s one of those Santorini things you see everywhere online—but in the quieter November setting, it felt surprisingly relaxed.

The experience itself was simple and well-organized: the photographer guided me to a few scenic spots around Oia, and the dress was styled and adjusted to catch the wind and movement of the landscape. Without crowds watching, it felt less performative and more like a creative moment, a way to mark being there and fully present. Take a look at my Instagram Reel to see my Santorini flying dress photoshoot in action.

The result wasn’t just the photos, but the memory of standing still above the caldera, letting the wind and the view do most of the work. It was such a once-in-a-lifetime experience to climb through the towering white buildings right off the coast of beautiful Oia in a long gown. I highly recommend checking into this experience if you are by yourself or want to capture beautiful memories with your significant other!

Off-Season Downsides

November came with trade-offs, of course. Some restaurants and shops were closed, and certain tours weren’t running anymore. While walking toward downtown Santorini from our hotel, we noticed quite a few restaurants and bars with signs up letting us know that they were closed for the season.

But instead of feeling like we were missing out, it felt like the island was offering something different—space, quiet, and room to breathe. Prices were lower, streets were calmer, and the experience felt more personal.

Our Full Santorini Itinerary

Day One: Travel to Athens and then Santorini

• We took a flight from Tampa to New Jersey, then a long haul flight to Athens, and finally a short 45-min flight down to Santorini. Taking a flight to Santorini was a great way to miss out on any issues that a ferry boat may have caused us because we were traveling in November.
• Check into hotel – we stayed at Ira Hotel which is adults only and had a great experience – despite the construction that occurred each morning at around 9 am.

Day Two: Casually Explore By The Hotel

• Coffee at Galini Cafe Santorini – we found a coffee spot in the morning that was an easy walk to from Ira Hotel. This is where we first tried the authentic Greek coffee called  freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino. Be aware: these are STRONG coffees on their own and we quickly realized that we needed to order them different to adhere to our typical American coffees with “medium sugar” as the traditional way does not come with any sweetener. Once we figured this out, our daily morning coffees became delicious!

• Walk through downtown Santorini. After coffee, we took around 20 minutes to walk down to the heart of downtown Santorini. We checked out the local shops, restaurants, and bars. We each took home some souvenirs including matching bracelets to remember our trip by!
• Finish the day with a sunset view. We stayed in Santorini to watch the sun set around 5:00 pm. What a magnificent experience this was! We all truly took in the coastal views and orange sunset.

Day Three: Sunset Cruise

• Yacht Day – we booked a 5-hour yacht sunset cruise in Oia that ended up being the most amazing way to spend a day in Santorini. We also got really lucky with the weather on our boat day because the following day was super windy and cold. It was around $90 per person for unlimited food, unlimited drinks, and time spent swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. The yacht day ended with a breathtaking sunset in Oia. 10/10 recommend booking a day on a yacht because this quickly became a highlight of our trip.

Day Four: Akrotiri Lighthouse + Wine Tour

• Rent a car and drive down to Akrotiri Lighthouse. Since it was the off season, we could easily rent a car to drive up and down the island for a few days. We ended up driving down to check out Akrotiri Lighthouse and the southern part of Santorini.
• Eat lunch at Frati Santorini beach. We had slight difficulty finding a lunch spot in the area surrounding the lighthouse so we drove a bit east until we found an open lunch spot along the coast. This restaurant was located right along the beach with easy parking, tons of cute stray cats, and great seafood options to choose from.
• Visit the Wine Museum & Winery for a tour and wine tasting. This is an iconic spot was a great way for us to relax and spend the afternoon drinking some local wines.

Day Five: Exploring Oia and Fira on Land

• Walk through the city of Oia on land. Since we only spent time in Oia for our yacht day, we chose to drive back to Oia to sightsee on foot. The shops in and around Oia were great to find local goodies to bring back home with us. I brought home a mug, sweatshirt, new pair of earrings, and Greek olive oil.
• Eat at Souvlaki n’ Wrap grill house Oia, gyros, kebab & falafel. We absolutely loved the sausages, pita, and chicken at this restaurant and had it multiple times over throughout our stay in Santorini.
• Head to Spa Nails Del Mar e Sole for a facial, nail service, or massage. We found a local spa to spend an hour having a massage and time hanging out and relaxing at Spa Nails Del Mar e Sole.

Shop My Looks

Day Six: Travel Day

• Wake up and order a taxi to the Santorini Airport. Fly to Athens.
• We had a 5-hour layover so we actually decided to take a cab in the Parthenon in Athens! This was a breathtaking experience that I’d recommend doing if you have enough time in-between flights to do so.