Santorini Private Tour - Option 4

Best of Santorini

Starting from the Santorini port, Greece

Tour Summary-
Type: Antiquities, Scenic Drive, Walking Historic Village, Wine Tasting
Length: 8 Hours
Walking: Medium
Mobility: NO wheelchairs
Guide: Licensed Guide
Languages: English
Prices: Scroll Down or Click here for Prices

Santorini, Greece- You will be transferred from the ship by colorful local kaiki (tenders) to Fira port, where you will meet your guide. Together you will go up the cliff to Fira by cable car.  From here you will be lead to meet your awaiting motor coach.  Your guide will explain the history of the island as your drive to the Antoniou winery.

The building which houses the Antoniou winery has been salvaged and preserved in order to show the old way wine was once produced using the island's natural elements.  Carved into the volcanic rock are the cave like vats which once held wine awaiting transport by pipes to ships hundreds of feet below in the port.  Antique presses have been restored and are a classic example of post WWII engineering.  After a guided tour of the winery, you are invited to sample some of the wines with local cheese and traditional snacks.

Your guide will explain the history of the island on the drive to Santorini’s highest peak, crowned by the Mt. Profitis Ilias monastery.  Here you will have an ideal photo opportunity to capture the beauty of the island and get a full understanding of it's unique volcanic shape.

Next you'll drive to Oia, a unique village on the northern most tip of the island.  This dramatic village, built on a steep crest of the caldera, has many of its dwellings nestled into niches hewn from the volcanic rock.  The village was once the home of wealthy seafarers, a fact still evident in their two story mansions painted pastel colors.  Your local guide will walk with you among the narrow cobbled streets where you'll come across many tiny shops of local ceramic art, paintings and semi precious jewelry.  Coffee shops perched on the edge of the cliffs offer spectacular views of Fira and the volcano below.

Next, you'll drive to the capital city of Fira.  Your guide will lead you through the Prehistoric Museum.  This museum opened in the year 2000 and is already considered one of the best museums in Greece and the top attraction in the town of Fira.  You'll see the treasures that have been discovered at the excavation site of Akrotiri. 

Akrotiri is the main town which was buried in the volcano that erupted around 1450 BC.  The excavation site is not open to the public, but this museum shows its amazing discoveries. 

Highlights include an oven, bath tub, the beautiful House of Ladies frescos (photo) and the Gold Ibex Figurine.  This tiny figurine is small and in some ways may seem unimportant, but when you realize that the town of Akrotiri dates to the 16th century BC, making this object about 3,500 years old, you will be able to appreciate its beauty.

After your tour you may choose to remain in town at your leisure, or return to the ship by taking the cable car to the pier far below the cliff's edge.

Tour Breakdown-
1- Tender to Fira Port- 15 Minutes
2- Drive to Antoniou Winery - 30 Minutes
3- Winery Tour and Tasting - 1 Hour
4- Drive to Mt. Profitis Ilias- 30 Minutes
5- Photo stop on mountain top- 20 Minutes
6- Drive across the island to Oia- 45 Minutes
7- Visit Oia village and time for lunch- 3 hours
8- Drive to Fira- 30 Minutes
9- Visit Prehistoric Museum and short free time- 1 Hour
10- Cable Car to port- 20 Minutes

See More Options in this Port

Private Sightseeing Tours and Shore Excursions of Santorini, Fira, Oia and the Antoniou Winery.