Santorini when you can't manage stairs
Facts checked on October 11, 2026
For people who can walk, but not up long flights of steps. Santorini’s main town, Fira, sits on top of the caldera cliffs above the Old Port. This page lists what the operators themselves say: how to get up the cliff without the staircase, where you can get into the sea, and what to ask before you go.
Timetables and services change with the season, so confirm the details before your trip.
Not covered yet
The lanes of Fira and Oia, the island’s buses and taxis, the port of Athinios and the airport. We found no official page describing their access, and we only write what we have read on an operator’s own pages.
Up the cliff without the stairs
The Santorini Cable Car links the Old Port with Fira in about three minutes. Its operator, the Loula & Evangelos Nomikos Foundation, describes it as the alternative to the long, winding staircases and the donkey rides.
- Reduced fare: people with disabilities pay €5 one way; the general fare is €10. Tickets are one-way and non-refundable.
- Hours change with the season. In September and October it runs every 20 minutes from 7am to 10pm, with the last trip down at 9.40pm. In November and March it runs from 7.30am to 10.30am and from 2.30pm to 6pm, every 30 minutes. From December to February it runs only from 7.30am to 9am and from 3pm to 4pm. From June to August it runs until 11pm.
- Ask about wheelchair access before you go. The operator’s website doesn’t describe it. Contact info@santorinicablecar.gr or +30 22860 22977.
Santorini Cable Car: Timetable
Santorini Cable Car: 2026 price list (PDF)
Into the sea: Seatrac at Kamari and Perissa
A Seatrac is a ramp with a chair that runs into the sea, so you can get in and out of the water without help. Santorini has two, at Kamari and Perissa. Both list parking, a walkway, a chemical toilet, a changing room, shade and a shower.
They are seasonal. When we checked on 11 October 2026, the Seatrac directory listed both as uninstalled for the season. Check their status before you go: the directory shows it live, and with a free account it can alert you when it changes.
Seatrac.gr: Perissa (in Greek)
Akrotiri
The Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, which runs the prehistoric site, gives opening hours but no access details. Ask before you go: +30 22860 81969 or +30 22860 81939. Until 31 March it is open from 8.30am to 3.30pm (last entry 3.10pm) every day except Tuesday, and it is closed on 25 and 26 December, 1 January and 25 March. A ticket costs €20, or €10 reduced. Summer hours start on 1 April.
Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades: Akrotiri of Thera (in Greek)
Free entry at state sites and museums. In Greece, visitors with disabilities get in free at state archaeological sites and museums, whatever their country. One escort also goes in free where the disability is 67% or more. Bring your disability card, or your ID or passport with a disability certificate from your own country’s authority.
Ministry of Culture: Free admission
Finding help
Greece’s official tourism site points to the Seatrac directory for accessible beaches, to the Hellenic Coast Guard for port accessibility, and to Pantou.org, the European Network for Accessible Tourism’s directory, for accessible taxis and private transfers.
Visit Greece: Travelling beyond barriers
Before you go
- Check the cable car’s timetable for your dates: in winter it runs only a few hours a day.
- Email the cable car about wheelchair access if you need it.
- Check the Seatrac status at Kamari and Perissa: they are only there in season.
- Ask Akrotiri about access before you go, and bring your disability documents for free entry.
- Look up accessible taxis and transfers on Pantou.org.
Check Santorini against your own needs
This guide is general. Step-Free can check a trip against how you get around: how far you can walk, how many steps you can manage, and what must be in place.