Fira Old Port taxi and transfers
A taxi from Fira Old Port costs from €35 to Oia, a ride of about 15 minutes, and €30 to the airport, for the whole car, VAT included. No road reaches the old port, so you ride the cable car up from the quay and the driver waits at the top station with your name on a sign. Old-port rides are booked by request and paid to the driver on the day.
- From €30 to the airport, about 10 min
- From €30 to Athinios Port, about 15 min
Updated 10 September 2026 by the Santorini Taxi team.
Getting around Fira Old Port by car
Fira Old Port is the tender landing under the town, a small quay with a few shops and no road. Cruise passengers come ashore here by tender boat and everyone goes up the cliff the same way, by cable car, on foot up the zigzag path or on a donkey. Because of that, no taxi can collect you at the water. Our meeting point for the cruise port is the cable-car top station in Fira, and the driver stands at its exit with your name.
The walk from the station exit to the car is short, on the streets a car can reach at the edge of the pedestrian centre. Tell us the ship's name and the time you expect to be ashore, and the driver keeps an eye on the tenders. Ships anchor in the bay from early morning; the first tenders bring the biggest queue at the cable car, and the crowd at the top station thins once the tour buses have left.
From the top station Oia is 11 km, about 15 minutes along the caldera road, the drive most cruise passengers book. Imerovigli is 5 minutes, Akrotiri and Red Beach 15 minutes to the south, Kamari's beach 15 minutes. An hourly driver, 3 hours minimum, covers Oia, a winery and a beach in one loop with the car waiting at each stop and the shopping in the boot.
Going back, the ride ends where it started, at the top station. The cable car down is the slow part on a busy afternoon, with the queue stretching along the street in the last hour before the final tender. Book the return so you reach the station with that queue in mind, not just the drive. When your ship docks at Athinios instead, the meeting point is different; book the Athinios port pickup.
Where the driver meets you above the old port
- 1
Tender boats land you on the quay at the old port, which has no road. Take the cable car up to Fira; the steps and the donkey path reach the same place, only slower.
- 2
The driver waits at the exit of the cable-car top station with a sign showing the name on your booking. Look for the sign before you walk on into the town.
- 3
The car is parked on the nearest street a car can use, a short walk from the station. Tell us your ship's name and the time you plan to come ashore, and the driver is there ahead of you.
- 4
The cable-car queue is longest just after a big ship's first tenders. If you are running late, a WhatsApp message keeps the driver in place.
Prices from Fira Old Port
Fixed price for the whole car, saloon up to 4 passengers, VAT included, the same day and night. Vans and minibuses are priced on the booking page.
Good to know
- Old-port rides are booked by request, not paid online. Pick the ride and the car as usual, send the request, and we confirm it by email or WhatsApp after a word about the cable car and the walk; you pay the driver on the day.
- Book the cable-car top station as your pickup point, not the old port. The quay has no road and no taxi rank.
- The last tender is the hard limit. Book the return ride so you reach the top station with the cable-car queue in mind, especially when several ships are in the bay.
- Cruise days are the busiest days on the road to Oia. Leaving the port before the crowd reaches the cable car saves more time than any shortcut on the road.
- Some ships dock at Athinios instead of tendering to Fira. Check the ship's schedule and book the matching pickup point; the two ports are on different roads.
Questions about Fira Old Port
Can a taxi pick me up at the old port quay?
No. The old port sits at the bottom of the cliff with no road to it. Everyone goes up by cable car, on foot up the stepped path or on a donkey, and every taxi and transfer waits at the top. That is why we meet you at the cable-car top station.
Why do I send a request instead of paying online?
Because no car reaches the quay, and the cable car and the walk to the car need a word first. You pick the ride and the car as for any transfer and send the request; we confirm it by email or WhatsApp with the meeting point, and you pay the driver the fixed price on the day. Nothing is charged online.
How long is the ride from the cruise port to Oia?
About 15 minutes for the 11 km along the caldera road, after the cable-car ride up. On days with several ships in the bay the last stretch into Oia slows down, so the driver adds a margin on the way back.
How much time should I keep for getting back to the ship?
Work backwards from the last tender. Add the drive, the cable-car queue, which can be long in the late afternoon, and a spare 15 minutes on top. The driver suggests a pickup time when you book, based on your all-aboard time.
Is the price for the whole car or per person?
For the whole car, VAT included, for up to 4 passengers in a saloon. From the fifth passenger the price is for a van, which carries up to 8. A minibus takes larger cruise groups.