Santorini Greece Boat ToursWhat to Bring on a Santorini Boat Tour: The Day-Bag List
What to bring on a Santorini boat tour is a shorter list than most packing posts make it: two of the items they lead with, towels and snorkel gear, are already in the locker on several of the boats compared here. The things that genuinely matter are the ones no boat can supply: a dark swimsuit for the iron-rich springs, a real layer for the sunset deck, cash the card machines cannot reach, and a motion-sickness tablet swallowed before boarding rather than after the swell starts. This guide splits the list by boat type, totals the cash you actually need, and shows which boat includes what. Pack against the Santorini boat tours comparison: what each boat provides decides what stays home.
Quick answer Dark swimsuit, sun kit, windproof layer, cash and pre-boarded tablets, towels and snorkel gear are already on some boats
Pack a dark swimsuit worn under your clothes, a spare dry one, high-SPF sunscreen, a hat with a cord, sunglasses with a strap, a windproof light layer, a dry bag for the phone, and cash for the crater fee, cash bars and crew tips. Take a motion-sickness tablet 30-60 minutes before boarding. Check the included line before packing the heavy stuff: the Gold Catamaran supplies towels, blankets and snorkel gear, and the sunset dinner cruise adds jackets to that list.
Key takeaways
- The springs stain: iron-rich water marks pale swimwear and jewellery brown, dark swimsuit, leave the white at the hotel
- Volcano-hike day needs closed supportive shoes and water, the crater trail is rough lava and flip-flops fail on it
- Towels ship with just two of the boats compared here, the inclusions table shows which
Pack by Boat Type: Catamaran vs Volcano Hike
The boats in this comparison split into two days: the catamaran loop, where you swim, eat and lounge; and the volcano-hike day, where you also walk the crater. The bags overlap but are not identical.
The catamaran day bag
Swimsuit worn under your clothes (the changing queue at the first stop is real), a spare dry swimsuit, high-SPF sunscreen reapplied after every swim, a hat with a cord, the caldera funnels wind and an unstrapped hat is a donation to the sea, sunglasses with a strap for the same reason, a windproof light layer, a dry bag or waterproof phone case, and cash. That is the whole bag. Everything fits in one soft daypack; if it does not, something on your list duplicates what the boat already carries.
The volcano-hike additions
The crater cruise adds a walking day to the boat day. The trail up Nea Kameni crosses rough black lava with no shade and no facilities, so add supportive closed shoes, water, and a sun hat that survives wind. A small backpack keeps both hands free for the scramble.
The hike itself is optional on the crater-hike cruise, travellers who skip it stay aboard and swim at the springs instead, but the 5 EUR cash entry fee only matters if you climb.
The two bags side by side
Most travellers take exactly one of these days, but the combo boats (the full-day volcanic loop) ask for both bags at once. Here is the split.
| Item | Catamaran day | Volcano-hike day |
|---|---|---|
| Footwear | Slip-ons you can kick off; shoes come off on deck | Closed, supportive shoes for the lava trail |
| Swimwear | Dark suit for the springs stop | Dark suit if you swim at the springs |
| Layers | Windproof light layer; a real jacket on sunset slots | Sun cover, the crater has zero shade |
| Cash | Tips, plus bar money where drinks are not included | 5 EUR crater entry in cash; bar and snacks |
| Bag | One soft daypack with a dry bag inside | Small backpack, hands free for the trail |
The Complete Day-Bag Checklist
The two bags split in the boat-type section meet here in one master list. Every item on it earns its place for a checked reason of its own, and nothing else needs to come aboard.
Twelve items, each with its reason
Everything a Santorini boat day asks for fits one soft daypack, and each line below carries the consequence of leaving it behind. Tick the list against what your boat already supplies before closing the bag, it may already carry the towel and the mask.
- Dark or black swimsuit worn under your clothes, the iron-rich springs stain pale fabric brown, sometimes permanently
- Spare dry swimsuit in a plastic bag, the ride home is better dry and the springs never are
- High-SPF sunscreen, reapplied after every swim, water glare off the caldera doubles the dose
- Hat with a cord or chin strap, the caldera funnels wind and an unstrapped hat is a donation to the sea
- Sunglasses with a strap, same wind, plus salt spray off the bow
- Windproof light layer, the deck cools fast once the boat is moving, and faster still after sunset
- Quick-dry travel towel, the rarest inclusion of all, pack one unless your boat lists towels
- Dry bag or waterproof phone case, ladder entries and spray reach everything left on deck
- Cash in small notes, the 5 EUR crater fee is cash-only and the crew tip is handed over in cash
- Motion-sickness tablet taken 30-60 minutes before boarding, a late tablet is a placebo
- Slip-on shoes, they come off at the gangway and stay off for the whole day
- Your own snorkel mask if you own one, a mask that fits beats a mask that is free
Snorkel gear comes with most catamarans; check your listing before packing your own. Photo: H, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia.
The Dark Swimsuit Rule for the Hot Springs
One item on this list has a whole rule to itself, because it is the single most common regret guides report from the springs stop.
Why pale swimwear loses
The water around Palea Kameni is coloured by iron oxide seeping from vents under the seabed, it is the rust-orange cloud in every photo of the springs. That iron marks pale fabric brown, sometimes permanently, and it discolours jewellery too. Operators feel strongly enough about it to print the warning on their listings, and travellers who ignored it report the swimsuit never fully forgave them.
Dark navy or black swimwear is the entire fix, and a spare dry swimsuit for the ride home is the comfortable version.
What the swim is actually like
The springs are warm, not hot: the water runs about 4°C above the surrounding sea, which makes it a warm patch rather than a thermal bath. Boats anchor about 50 m out, regulations keep them from the shallowest water, so you swim the last stretch through cooler sea to reach the mineral warmth. The crater-hike cruise hands out pool noodles for the crossing.
Not confident in open water? Stay on deck; the water deepens quickly and nobody boards from the shore end.
The springs themselves: dark swimwear is the one item you will not regret. Photo: Unstated, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia.
What the Boats Already Provide
The fastest way to overpack is to assume your boat behaves like the last one you read about. Inclusions differ widely across the boats compared here, here is the checked list, boat by boat, from the September 2026 listings. The same included lines sit side by side on the full comparison.
The inclusions, boat by boat
Towels are the rarest inclusion: only the Gold Catamaran and the sunset dinner cruise pack them. Snorkel gear ships on most catamarans but is not stated on every listing, and the volcano boats supply flotation noodles rather than masks. A dash means the listing does not state the item, ask before assuming.
| Boat (fare per person) | Towels | Snorkel gear | Meal | Drinks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catamaran BBQ, $74.25 | Not stated | Not stated | BBQ lunch or dinner | Unlimited white wine, soft drinks |
| Volcano & springs, $32.89 | , | , | None stated | None stated |
| Caldera cruise, $69.61 | Not stated | Not stated | BBQ cooked on board | Drinks served |
| Gold Catamaran, $111.03 | Towels and blankets | Yes | Meze starters + BBQ | Open white wine bar |
| Crater-hike cruise, $33.07 | , | Pool noodles for the springs | Food included | Cash bar |
| Full-day combo, $50.29 | , | , | Bring cash for Thirassia | None stated |
| Sunset dinner cruise, $148.51 | Towels plus jackets | Yes | Mezedes, BBQ dinner, dessert | Open bar: Greek wine, beer |
| 20-guest catamaran, $127.62 | Not stated | Not stated | Cooked Greek meal | Unlimited open bar |
| Private power catamaran, $169.68 | Not stated | Yes, plus paddleboard | Greek spread + BBQ | Open bar with ouzo |
How to read it
Two practical conclusions. First, if your boat is not the Gold Catamaran or the sunset cruise, a quick-dry travel towel earns its place in the bag. Second, gear is the same story: if you own a mask that fits your face, bring it, a mask that fits beats a mask that is free, and shared masks on a full boat run small for kids.
The Gold Catamaran page shows what a fully-loaded included list looks like, line by line.
Cash, Tips and Tablets
Three items sit outside every included list: cash for the things card machines cannot touch, a gratuity for the crew, and medication that only works if it is already in your bloodstream.
Cash the boat cannot avoid
The volcano's crater entry is 5 EUR, cash only, collected on the spot at Nea Kameni, no card reader exists at the trailhead. The crater-hike boat runs a cash bar for drinks, and the full-day combo asks travellers to bring cash for food on Thirassia, where the village tavernas are the only kitchen. Catamaran passengers need less: the meal and the open bar are in the fare, so cash is mainly for the tip.
The gratuity
Tips are not included anywhere. The customary range is 10-20% of the fare, handed to the crew in cash at the end of the day, tourism wages on the boats assume it. If the crew cooked, retrieved your floating sunglasses and fished your kid out of the springs, the top of the range is the honest number.
Tablets before boarding, not after
Motion-sickness medication works prophylactically, not retroactively: a non-drowsy tablet taken 30-60 minutes before boarding is the version that functions. The caldera itself is sheltered, but the south-coast legs to the beach anchors chop up when the afternoon wind builds, and the ride home after dark on sunset slots is the roughest stretch of the day. Prone travellers should also pick the morning slot, the slot comparison explains the wind pattern.
The numbers behind the list
Five figures do most of the work in this guide, the cash you carry, the water you swim in and the tablet you time all come down to them. Keep them with the day bag.
| Item | Figure | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Crater entry | 5 EUR, cash only | Collected on the spot at Nea Kameni; no card reader on the trail |
| Springs temperature | About 4°C above sea temperature | Warm rather than hot, a warm patch, not a bath |
| Springs anchoring | About 50 m offshore | You swim the last stretch to reach the mineral water |
| Crew tip | 10-20% of the fare | Handed over in cash at the end of the day |
| Seasickness tablet | 30-60 minutes before boarding | Works preventively; a late tablet is a placebo |
Wear This, Leave That
The dress question on a boat day is simpler than on land, and the leave-at-home list matters as much as the bag.
What to wear
Swimsuit on at the hotel, under whatever you would wear to walk to breakfast, shorts and a T-shirt, a linen shirt, a sundress. That is the outfit for the day. Shoes should slip off in one movement, because they come off at the gangway: hard soles mark the deck and bare feet grip wet surfaces better.
There is no dress code on a Santorini catamaran, barefoot is the code, and children want a long-sleeved rash vest, since a boat offers less shade than a beach.
What stays at the hotel
Dressy shoes (you will be barefoot for five hours), jewellery beyond the everyday pair of studs, the springs tarnish it and the swim stops tempt loss, and anything that cannot survive a damp bag. Big cameras: a phone in a waterproof case captures the cliffs, and the dry bag holds the rest. The deck is unkind to anything that needs ironing or charging every hour.
Cruise-ship day
Among the best things to do in Santorini from a cruise ship, a boat trip ranks first, the Old Port below Fira puts the volcano boats within tender distance of your ship. Pack the same day bag and add your passport or ID: some listings ask for identification at checkout for the port authority. Keep the whole plan inside the ship's port hours, because the tender queue, not the cruise, sets the clock.
The one-bag test
Everything in this guide fits one soft daypack: two swimsuits, sun kit, layer, dry bag, cash, tablets, slip-on shoes, travel towel if your boat omits one. If your pile does not fit, an item on it is doing a job the boat already does, check the inclusions table above before sacrificing deck space to a second bag.
Which Bag Is Yours
If you are booked on a catamaran cruise,
pack swim-heavy and stop there: two swimsuits, the sun kit, a dry bag, and let the included BBQ and open bar empty out the cooler bag you were about to fill
If you are hiking the volcano crater,
closed supportive shoes and water are non-negotiable on the rough lava trail, with the 5 EUR entry note in a pocket; flip-flops fail on the scree, and the hike is the one part of a boat day that needs real footwear
If you are sailing the sunset slot,
the master list plus a real jacket, not a thin shawl, because the deck cools quickly once the boat is moving after dark, and a dry swimsuit for the ride home
If you are not confident in open water,
pack the same bag anyway and let the crew help: flotation noodles come round at the springs, the crew fishes towels out of the locker, and a day spent on deck between swims is a fully valid version of the trip
If you are on the full-day combo,
carry both bags at once: trail shoes and water for the crater, swim kit for the springs, and cash for the taverna lunch on Thirassia, where the village kitchen is the only one
The Day Bag on Film
One walkthrough verified before embedding: how a full catamaran day actually unfolds, from boarding to the swim stops and the on-board lunch, so the bag can be judged against the day.
Santorini Catamaran Cruise with Lunch & Endless Wine
Third-party footage of a full catamaran cruise day, verified via oEmbed before embedding.
Video: Take Time To TravelThird-party footage, not this site's own: the video loads from YouTube only when you press play.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I pack for a Santorini boat tour?
A dark swimsuit worn under your clothes, a spare dry one, high-SPF sunscreen, a corded hat, strapped sunglasses, a windproof light layer, a dry bag, cash, and a motion-sickness tablet taken 30-60 minutes before boarding. Volcano-hike days add closed supportive shoes and water. Everything fits one daypack, the full checklist splits it by boat type.
Do I need a dark swimsuit for the hot springs?
Yes, it is the one non-negotiable on the list. The spring water around Palea Kameni carries iron oxide that stains pale fabric brown, often permanently, and it discolours jewellery too. Navy or black swimwear, plus a dry spare for the ride home, removes the problem entirely.
Should I bring a towel on a Santorini cruise?
Check your boat first: towels ship with just two of the boats compared here, the Gold Catamaran packs towels and blankets, and the sunset dinner cruise provides towels plus jackets. On every other boat a quick-dry travel towel is the safe assumption, and nobody has ever regretted having their own anyway.
What shoes for the volcano hike?
Closed, supportive shoes, trainers or hiking sandals with a back. The crater trail on Nea Kameni is rough black lava ground with loose scree, no shade and a 5 EUR cash entry at the top. Flip-flops fail on it, which is why the crater cruise is the one boat day that needs real footwear; on every other boat, shoes come off at the gangway.
How much cash should I bring on the boat?
Volcano-hike days: 5 EUR for the crater entry, bar money for the cash bar, plus lunch money on the full-day combo that stops at Thirassia. Catamaran days: mainly the tip, 10-20% of the fare in cash, since the meal and open bar sit inside the ticket. Small notes are easier to split among the crew than one large one.
Do I need seasickness tablets?
Take them if you are at all prone, the caldera is sheltered water, but the exposed south-coast legs and the post-sunset ride home can chop up. The rule that decides whether they work: 30-60 minutes before boarding, not once the swell starts. The morning slot carries the calmest-water odds; the wind and slot guide explains why.
What should I bring for a sunset boat trip that mornings do not need?
One item: a real jacket, the deck cools quickly once the boat is moving after dark, even in high summer. Everything else in the bag is slot-neutral, the swim stops happen in daylight on both slots, and the springs stain pale fabric whatever the hour. On the sunset dinner cruise, towels plus jackets are already on board, so the bag shrinks rather than grows.