Best time to visit Santorini
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart recolours live for your heat & sea limits 27°C · sea 29°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
Default 29 °C is the Beach Climate Index "bathtub" line (Morgan et al.) — where the sea stops being refreshing and starts feeling like a warm bath.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Santorini
30 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Santorini).
- 1
Santorini Private Instagram Tour - 2
Full-Day Private Tour of Santorini Caldera & The Most Famous Sightseeing - 3
Private Caldera Cruise with Power Catamaran ENJOY incl. Meal & Drinks - 4
Private Tailor-Made Santorini Land Tour with a Local Driver - 5
Private Santorini Tailor Made - Choice of the Guest! - 6
Santorini Must-See Highlights Private Tour - 7
Private Tailor-Made Tour : Explore Santorini with Comfort & Style - 8
Best of Santorini Customized Private Tour - 9
6-Hour Private Best of Santorini Experience - 10
Santorini Private Tour: Custom Itinerary with Hotel & Port Pickup - 11
Santorini Highlights Private Tour - 12
Cooking Class and Wine Tasting in Santorini - 13
Santorini Private Customizable Land Tour – with Local Guide - 14
Best Of Santorini Private Tailor Made Tour - 15
Santorini Classic Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, Drinks and Transfers - 16
Half-Day Exclusive Catamaran Cruise in Santorini with Meal and Open Bar - 17
Santorini Wine Adventure with 12 Wine Tastings, Tapas and Sunset - 18
Premium Small-Group Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, Open Bar, Transfer - 19
Santorini Sunset Luxury Sailing Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, drinks, transfer - 20
Santorini Platinum Catamaran Cruise with Meal, BBQ and Open Bar - 21
Santorini Wine Stories: Sunset Tour with Tasting & Dinner - 22
Santorini Catamaran Cruise with Swim-Stops, Greek Meal and Sunset - 23
10 Years Santorini ATV/Quad Experience Tour- FREE Transportation - 24
Santorini Horse Riding to Black Sandy Beach - 25
Luxury Small-Group Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, Open bar & Transfer - 26
Exclusive Cooking Experience in our Cave Home by Petra Kouzina - 27
Greek Cuisine Cooking Class in Santorini with Recipes and Wine - 28
Half Day Premium Catamaran Cruise in Santorini including Oia - 29
Santorini Highlights Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting option - 30
Santorini for Cruise Ships: Avoid Cable Car Lines and Crowds!
Last refreshed 2026-05-25.
Similar climatesMykonos97% · Athens90% · Marseille90%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Santorini (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Santorini's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10–14 | 9 | 8 | 100 | 12.5 | 62% | 35 | 182 | 2 | Quiet | 7 |
| Feb | 10–14 | 9 | 7 | 76 | 10.9 | 61% | 34 | 193 | 3 | Quiet | 8 |
| Mar | 11–15 | 10 | 7 | 85 | 12.1 | 58% | 34 | 231 | 5 | Quiet | 8 |
| Apr | 13–18 | 14 | 4 | 35 | 8.8 | 55% | 31 | 253 | 6 | Moderate | 9 |
| May | 16–22 | 19 | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 53% | 25 | 292 | 7 | Moderate | 10 |
| Jun | 20–26 | 25 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 52% | 25 | 309 | 9 | Busy | 10 |
| Jul | 23–29 | 27 | 0 | 3 | — | 48% | 29 | 315 | 10 | Busy | 10 |
| Aug | 23–28 | 28 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 52% | 26 | 300 | 9 | Peak | 10 |
| Sep | 22–26 | 25 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 54% | 27 | 265 | 7 | Moderate | 10 |
| Oct | 18–22 | 20 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 58% | 26 | 235 | 5 | Quiet | 10 |
| Nov | 15–19 | 16 | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 61% | 29 | 205 | 3 | Quiet | 9 |
| Dec | 12–16 | 12 | 9 | 92 | 10.2 | 66% | 29 | 191 | 2 | Quiet | 8 |
UV Index in Santorini by Month
UV index in Santorini peaks at 10 (very high) in July, dropping to 2 (low) in December. June, July, August reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.
Best months in detail
June
10/1020–26°C (feels 25°C) · 1 rain days (17h) · 309 sun hours · 52% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 9 (very high)
May
10/1016–22°C (feels 19°C) · 3 rain days (36h) · 292 sun hours · 53% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)
July
10/1023–29°C (feels 27°C) · 0 rain days (3h) · 315 sun hours · 48% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 10 (very high)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
7/1010–14°C (feels 9°C) · 8 rain days (100h) · 182 sun hours · 62% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
February
8/1010–14°C (feels 9°C) · 7 rain days (76h) · 193 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
March
8/1011–15°C (feels 10°C) · 7 rain days (85h) · 231 sun hours · 58% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate)
April
9/1013–18°C (feels 14°C) · 4 rain days (35h) · 253 sun hours · 55% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 6 (high)
August
10/1023–28°C · 1 rain days (9h) · 300 sun hours · 52% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 9 (very high)
September
10/1022–26°C (feels 25°C) · 1 rain days (15h) · 265 sun hours · 54% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 7 (high)
October
10/1018–22°C (feels 20°C) · 2 rain days (27h) · 235 sun hours · 58% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
November
9/1015–19°C (feels 16°C) · 3 rain days (38h) · 205 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
December
8/1012–16°C (feels 12°C) · 9 rain days (92h) · 191 sun hours · 66% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
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Frequently asked questions about visiting Santorini
When is the best time to visit Santorini?
June is the highest-scoring month (10/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 20–26°C (1 rainy day). The top three months by score are June, May, July.
What is the worst time to visit Santorini?
January is the lowest-scoring month (7/10). Typical conditions: 10–14°C (8 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Santorini?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in December and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Santorini have good weather but fewer tourists?
September (climate 10/10, crowd index 45) and October (climate 10/10, crowd index 5) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Santorini by month?
UV peaks at 10 (very high) in July and is lowest in December at 2 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 2, Feb 3, Mar 5, Apr 6, May 7, Jun 9, Jul 10, Aug 9, Sep 7, Oct 5, Nov 3, Dec 2. June, July, August reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.
What is the UV index in Santorini in July?
July is the peak UV month in Santorini, with a daily-peak UV index of 10 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).
How high can UV get in Santorini on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. May is the worst case: typical days average UV 7 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 8 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: May, October, November. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in Santorini bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 2 months: June, July. The worst month is June with a typical-day mean of 11 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 17 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.