VerdictDestinations 🛡️ Independent — no pay-to-rank🔎 Graded for who you are✓ Verified 2026-06-17How we grade → The verdict
Who it's worth it for
Not for
- Travellers on a budget
- If you've only got a day
- Families with kids
- Couples
- Solo travellers
A skip for most travellers.
Why we say this
Insider secrets & local vibes
It is a vestige of old Santorini, the way the cliff was climbed for generations.
Not independently verified — estimatedAnimal-welfare groups have documented overloading and heat stress, and the route is steep, slippery, and unpleasant for the rider too.
Not independently verified — estimatedWhat it feels like
Reading the room, traveller by traveller
As a couple
Best skipped; the cable car or steps spare you the ethical and physical downsides.
With friends
Not worth the welfare concerns for a brief, uncomfortable novelty.
Good to know
Before you go
- Best time
- Not recommended; take the cable car or walk instead.
- Getting there
- Runs the zigzag steps between Fira's old port and the rim.
- Accessibility
- Steep, slippery steps and animal handling; unsuitable and discouraged for most.
Alternatives
If it's not your thing, try
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🛡️ Independent — no pay-to-rank🔎 Graded for who you are✓ Verified 2026-06-17How we grade →