Key takeaway:Off-season here runs from 1 November to 31 March, and what’s open in Santorini this winter actually depends on the high season’s results.
The state museums and archaeological sites stay open on shorter hours: the Archaeological Museum of Thera 08:30–15:30 and closed Mondays, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera as well as Akrotiri Archeological Site 08:30–15:30 and closed Tuesdays, with Ancient Thera closed entirely from December to February.
All of them are free on the first and third Sunday of each month. Buses still run but on a reduced timetable, and every route goes through Fira. Most private galleries and cultural venues close between late October and mid-November until spring. A few restaurants stay open, the exact roster changing from year to year.
On this page: Museums and sites · The free Sundays · Galleries and cultural venues · Eating & drinking · Buses · What else changes · If you only have one morning
Museums and archaeological sites
What’s open in Santorini this winter, and when
Winter timetable, 1 November 2026 – 31 March 2027. Pick a date to see that day.
| Site | Status | Hours | Ticket |
|---|
Last entry is 20 minutes before closing everywhere. Reduced price in brackets. Source: Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades. Hours change — phone before a special trip.
Last entry is 20 minutes before closing at all of them. That catches more people than anything else on this page: arrive at 15:20 for a 15:30 close and you’ve driven there for nothing.
Ancient Thera is the one that really shuts. It’s on top of a mountain, entirely outdoors, and its winter looks like this:
- 1–30 November: Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.
- 1 December – 28 February: closed. Visits can be arranged directly with the Ephorate.
- 1–31 March: open daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The closing days are a trap when you pair sites. The Archaeological Museum shuts Mondays; the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, Akrotiri and the Pyrgos collection all shut Tuesdays. A Monday or Tuesday in winter takes out most of this list. Wednesday to Sunday is your week.
One live detail: the Pyrgos Collection of Icons, in the Agia Triada church in my village, is closed until 15 November. It’s listed as open everywhere else online. It isn’t.
The museum that reopened
Most pages still say the Archaeological Museum of Thera is shut for renovation. It reopened on 21 June 2025, and the Ephorate now calls it the home of the Kore of Thera, a 2.48-metre Archaic statue found in a Karterados building plot in 2000, which then spent 22 years in storage. Her whole story is here, and she’s the reason I’d send you to that building before any other in Fira.
It’s also showing Kykladitisses until 31 December 2026: 180 objects about the women of the Cyclades, from 17 islands, several off their home island for the first time and some never shown publicly at all. After that they go home.
The ten free Sundays
State-run museums, monuments and archaeological sites across Greece are free on the first and third Sunday of each month, from 1 November to 31 March. This winter:
1 and 15 November · 6 and 20 December · 3 and 17 January · 7 and 21 February · 7 and 21 March
That’s a €20 Akrotiri ticket and a €10 museum ticket for nothing, ten times over.
Three things worth knowing:
- Free entry doesn’t change opening days. A site shut on a Sunday is still shut.
- Only the first four fall while Kykladitisses is up — 1 and 15 November, 6 and 20 December.
- Only four are days Ancient Thera is open — 1 and 15 November, 7 and 21 March. The six in between, it’s closed anyway.
There are fixed free days outside winter too: 28 October, 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, and the last weekend of September.
Galleries, private museums and cultural venues
Santorini’s indoor attractions run on two different systems, and this is the half nobody publishes.
The state sites follow a national timetable, set once a year and fixed until 31 March. Everything else: the private museums, the galleries, the tasting rooms, the cultural centers, closes when its owner decides, usually somewhere between late October and mid-November, and reopens around Easter.
Last checked: 11/06/2026. This half changes. If you’re reading months later, ask me rather than trusting it.
| Venue | Status |
|---|---|
| MATI Gallery, Messaria | Closed for the season |
| Tomato Industrial Museum, Vlychada | Closed for the season |
| Domus K 1885, Oia | Closed until March |
| Symposion, Megalochori | Closed until April, check again for the full program next year |
| Pottery classes, woodcarving, artisanal workshops, smaller artist galleries | Closed for the season |
| Melina’s Tavern, Akrotiri, who also does painting & sculpting classes | OPEN this November, worth checking with them if they’re still doing any classes |
| Individual workshops, like soap-making at FTELOS Brewery | Worth inquiring if you’re interested in natural cosmetics – send me a message for more details |
The practical consequence: in December, January and February the state sites are most of what’s open indoors. That’s not a complaint — it’s why the free Sundays matter more in winter than they ever do in June.
Eating & drinking
Last week, in a Facebook group for people who live on this island, someone asked which restaurants would stay open for the winter, and especially in Oia.
Dozens of answers came back, several contradicting each other. Two people asked follow-ups — what about Emporio and Perissa, what about Imerovigli and Fira — and nobody answered either one.
That’s residents, in Greek, asking each other. If the people who live here have to crowdsource it, a visitor reading a guidebook has no chance.
The pattern underneath is consistent even when the specifics aren’t. The caldera rim empties. Most of what’s in Oia, Imerovigli and along the Fira rim exists for a season that’s over, and some of it won’t reopen until April. The villages and the lower ground don’t, because those places are feeding people who live here. In winter, the villages have more open than the famous views do.
What I’ve confirmed myself
Last checked: 11/06/26. Places I’ve phoned or walked past, not places someone told me about.
Restaurants open through the winter
| Where | Village | Contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melina’s Tavern | Akrotiri | https://share.google/LKG4nw7ZH0KS8Dm9d | Always check before going! |
| Laurel & Hardy | Emporio | https://share.google/sjUbYgnMZwPsM2Fgv | locals’s pick! |
| Kissira Microgreens | Pyrgos | https://kissiras.com/ | farm-to-table, winter veg |
| Kipos | Fira | https://share.google/XHBFu8otg6QFAHpkV | fantastic wine cellar, the best wine tasting option in winter |
| Triana | Fira | https://share.google/QWhQ1yF1Zl2GG3rVF | |
| Lotza | Oia Caldera | https://share.google/gXOHedunXAkZhY4Ya | no appointments, walk in and see |
| Roka | Oia | https://share.google/BXYQoYagrN88WEyAd | Rick Steves’ Pick |
| Besalou | Oia | https://share.google/92tCSIOmHIkMGmZt7 | Greek nights in summer |
| Fico Bistrot Restaurant | Imerovigli | https://share.google/z2pjYdxj1npDpuvx0 | very classy caldera mansion, typically do Christmas meals as well |
| Ilios Bakery | Imerovigli | https://iliosbakery.gr/ | THE option for any kind of delivery around winter time, do a full menu, including halal and vegan food |
Wineries & bars open through the winter:
| Where | Village | Contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PK Bar | Fira | https://www.instagram.com/pkcocktailbar/?hl=en | Best date spot for the sunset! Especially if you’re going with yourself 🙂 |
| Santo Wines | Pyrgos | https://www.instagram.com/santo_wines/?hl=en | the island’s biggest winery, a solid pick for colder weather |
| Cave Wine Museum | Mesa Gonia | https://kwm.gr/book-your-wine-experience/wine-museum | wine museum & tasting; the wines are not everyone’s favorite, but go for the history of the place, and the whole island |
| Kipos | Fira | https://share.google/XHBFu8otg6QFAHpkV | fantastic wine cellar, the best wine tasting option in winter – repeating this on purpose |
Four things before you plan a meal round anything
- Hours shrink and lunch gets bigger. A place that served till midnight in August may close at six.
- Phone, don’t email. A village taverna in January isn’t checking an inbox and often isn’t on a booking platform at all.
- Don’t trust the hours on a map listing. They’re almost always last summer’s.
I’m not going to publish a long list and leave it there. Half of it would be wrong by February, and a restaurant list that sends you to a locked door on a wet evening is worse than no list. What I can do is tell you what’s open the week you’re actually here.
Ask me and I’ll check — that one’s free whether or not you book anything.
Buses
The buses keep running all winter. Fewer of them, and the shape of the network matters more than the timetable does.
Every route starts or ends at Fira. There is no village-to-village bus. Kamari to Oia means Kamari to Fira, wait, then Fira to Oia — and on a winter timetable that wait can be an hour. A two-village day by bus will eat your afternoon.
This is the winter program as KTEL publishes it.
Three warnings that matter more than the times:
Vlychada has three buses a day. If the Tomato Industrial Museum or the beach is your plan, the bus decides your day, not you.
The first Akrotiri bus leaves Fira at 08:30, and the site opens at 08:30. You cannot reach Akrotiri for opening by bus. Take the 10:00 and you’ll have the place to yourself anyway, because the early slot in winter is empty regardless.
Fare: €2.20 Fira to Oia and most destinations, €2.70 for the ferry port. Best paid in cash aboard. The ticket machine in Oia works on and off; the central stop accepts the card payments, most ticket inspectors aboard don’t.
What else changes
- Shops and supermarkets: the major ones stay open, the tourist strips don’t.
- Ferries and flights: both keep running year-round, with fewer crossings and longer ones. Winter northerlies cancel ferries at short notice, so don’t plan to leave the island on the morning of an international flight from Athens.
- Weather: three kinds in one day is normal. Warm and bright at eleven, a squall at two, clear by sunset. Layers and a route with something indoors in the middle of it.
- Cash: carry some. Village places in winter are not all set up for cards.
If you only have one morning
For the single best thing: the Archaeological Museum of Thera, for the Kore, and give it longer than you think. Until the end of December the same ticket gets you Kykladitisses.
For the thing that justifies the island: Akrotiri. A Bronze Age town under a modern roof — which in winter means shelter, and in a Santorini January that isn’t a small thing. The most expensive ticket here and the only one I’d pay twice.
For the one nobody does: the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, five minutes from the Archaeological Museum, holding the frescoes and finds from Akrotiri itself. Do it the same day as the site and the two halves finally explain each other. Most people do one and skip the other, which is the wrong way round.
A wet morning, start to finish
Rain here comes sideways and in bursts, and the forecast is unreliable past about four hours. Put the indoor hours in the middle and keep the walking at either end.
What’s Open in Santorini in Winter 2026–27: Hours, Buses, Restaurants
That’s a full day. It costs €40 a head on an ordinary day and nothing at all on a free Sunday.
Who to phone
- Archaeological Museum of Thera: +30 2286022217
- Museum of Prehistoric Thera: +30 2286025405
- Akrotiri archaeological site: +30 2286081939
- Ancient Thera / Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades: +30 2286025405
- Pyrgos Collection: +30 2286034487
Or ask me. I live here and I check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Santorini’s museums open in winter?
Yes. The state-run museums and archaeological sites stay open through winter on shorter hours, from 1 November to 31 March. The Archaeological Museum of Thera and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, both in Fira, and the Akrotiri archaeological site all open 08:30 to 15:30. Ancient Thera is the exception and closes for most of the winter. The privately run museums and galleries are a different matter and mostly close for the season.
What are the opening hours of the Archaeological Museum of Thera?
In winter, from 1 November to 31 March, it opens Tuesday to Sunday 08:30 to 15:30 and closes on Mondays. Admission is €10, reduced €5. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. The museum reopened on 21 June 2025 after a full renovation and is the home of the Kore of Thera.
Is Akrotiri open in winter?
Yes. The Akrotiri archaeological site opens 08:30 to 15:30 in winter and closes on Tuesdays. Admission is €20, reduced €10. The site sits under a modern roof, so it works in rain and wind, which makes it the most reliable thing to do on a bad weather day on Santorini.
Is Ancient Thera open in winter?
Only partly. Through November it opens Friday to Sunday, 08:30 to 15:30. From 1 December to 28 February it is closed, though visits can be arranged directly with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades. In March it reopens daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is €10, reduced €5.
When are museums free in Santorini?
State-run museums, monuments and archaeological sites across Greece are free on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 November to 31 March. In the 2026–27 winter that falls on 1 and 15 November, 6 and 20 December, 3 and 17 January, 7 and 21 February, and 7 and 21 March. There are also fixed free days on 28 October, 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, and the last weekend of September. Free admission does not change opening days, so a site that is closed that day stays closed.
How much does it cost to visit Santorini’s museums and sites?
The Akrotiri archaeological site is €20, reduced €10. The Archaeological Museum of Thera, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera and Ancient Thera are each €10, reduced €5. The Pyrgos Collection of Icons is €5, reduced €3. Reduced and free admission apply to certain categories, including EU residents aged 5 to 25. Doing the two Fira museums and Akrotiri in one day costs about €40 a head, or nothing on a free Sunday.
Which days are Santorini’s museums closed?
The Archaeological Museum of Thera closes on Mondays. The Museum of Prehistoric Thera, the Akrotiri archaeological site and the Pyrgos Collection all close on Tuesdays. That means a Monday or Tuesday visit in winter rules out most of the island’s sites, and Wednesday to Sunday is the reliable window.
What closes in Santorini in winter?
Almost everything privately run. Galleries, private museums, workshops and cultural centers close between late October and mid-November and most reopen around Easter: MATI Gallery in Messaria and the Tomato Industrial Museum in Vlychada are closed for the season, Domus K 1885 in Oia is closed until March, and Symposion in Megalochori is closed until April. Pottery, woodcarving and other artisan workshops and the smaller artist galleries also shut. These closures are not published centrally, which is why a winter visit is hard to plan from a search engine. The state-run museums and archaeological sites stay open throughout, so from December to February they are most of what is open indoors.
Are restaurants open in Santorini in winter?
Yes, though far fewer than in summer and the roster changes from year to year. Fira keeps the most, and a handful stay open in Oia and Imerovigli rather than the whole caldera rim shutting as people expect. The villages keep a smaller number of reliable year-round tavernas, in places like Akrotiri, Emporio and Pyrgos. Winter hours are shorter and lunch-weighted, a place that served until midnight in August may close at six, and opening times listed on map services are usually from the previous summer. Phoning ahead is more reliable than booking online, and it is worth asking whether somewhere is open for the whole winter or only until the end of the holidays, which is a common pattern.
Can you do wine tasting in Santorini in winter?
Yes. Santo Wines in Pyrgos, the island’s largest winery, stays open through the winter, as does the Cave Wine Museum at Mesa Gonia, which is as much a visit for the history of the place as for the tasting. In Fira, Kipos has a cellar and is the strongest winter tasting option in town. Many of the smaller private canavas and tasting rooms close for the season, so winter tasting means the larger, year-round operations or a visit arranged in advance.
Do buses run in Santorini in winter?
Yes, on a reduced timetable. KTEL runs winter services from Fira to Oia, Kamari, Perissa, Akrotiri, the airport, Imerovigli and Firostefani, Monolithos, Vlychada and Vourvoulos. Every route starts or ends at Fira, so there is no direct village-to-village bus and travelling between two villages means changing in Fira, which on a winter timetable can mean waiting an hour. Frequencies drop to roughly hourly on several routes, and Vlychada has only three departures a day. The first Akrotiri bus leaves Fira at 08:30, which is also when the archaeological site opens, so reaching the site at opening time is not possible by bus.
How much is the bus in Santorini?
€2.20 from Fira to Oia and to most destinations on the island, and €2.70 to the ferry port at Athinios. Fares are best paid in cash on board. The ticket machine in Oia works intermittently, the central stop in Fira accepts cards, and most conductors on board do not.
What is there to do in Santorini when it rains?
Go indoors and inland. The Akrotiri archaeological site is covered by a modern roof and works in any weather. The two museums in Fira are five minutes’ walk apart and pair into a single morning. The inland villages keep year-round tavernas and kafeneia that the caldera rim does not, so a long lunch between sites is straightforward in a way it is not in Oia in January.