Traditional Villages & Akrotiri Excavations: Private Tour
Description
Santorini proudly displays its extensive past, with medieval structures, Ottoman towns, and weathered ruins spread across the entire island. Learn about the island's history and current culture on this 4.5 hour Santorini traditional villages & Akrotiri tour without having to deal with the hassle of organizing your own transportation. Explore the towns of Pyrgos, Megalochori, and Emporio, as well as the Akrotiri excavations, before marveling at the unique natural phenomenon of Red Beach.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin your cultural journey in the village of Pyrgos. This hilltop town is home to a Venetian castle from the 16th century. Explore this beautiful region, which the natives built to fortify the area with narrow alleys and circular roadways. The settlement is surrounded by vineyards, blue-domed churches, tiny cave homes with lovely balconies, and pebbled walks.
Continue to Megalochori, one of the most charming and beautiful towns on the island, where traditional Cycladic buildings are carved out of volcanic rock. Blue-domed churches, underground caves, and white-washed tower bells dot the landscape. Explore the winding streets of this non-touristy community, sip Greek coffee in the pebble-stone square, and engage with the residents' way of life and culture.
Then, visit Emporio, the gateway to another era and the island's commercial center during the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, the villagers of this town used to build their homes next to one another in narrow, picturesque alleyways to protect themselves from pirates. You'll feel good as you walk around the paths of the well-kept castle, which was built in the middle of the 15th century.
Explore the Akrotiri Archaeological Site and travel back in time to discover the secrets and wonders of this long-lost ancient city. This 4,000-year-old Bronze Age town thrived for millennia. It was eventually buried beneath volcanic ash, which paradoxically worked to protect them from destruction. Wander around the old walls to see the 3-story buildings, well-preserved paintings, intricate drainage system, and other Minoan features. * Please keep in mind that our local tour guide/driver is not allowed enter and tour you inside the archeological
Lastly, travel for a few minutes toward Red beach. Take in the serene beauty and magnificent views of this unique natural phenomenon.
Traveling (driving) time between attractions, pickup & drop off are included in the total duration of the tour
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This tour includes pick up & drop off from most hotels in Santorini, or the closest accessible point, as well as the top of the cable car for cruise ship visitors.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- The tour requires an amount of walking on some hills and inclines. Participants should have at least moderate physical fitness level
- Travel time between places and transportation is included in the total tour duration
Reviews(7)
Tour guide was professional, friendly and very knowledgeable about Santorini and all the villages and other main interests we visited.
Thank you for your kind words! We look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful island!
We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the small villages through the eyes of a native Santorian, Dimitri was very accommodating, knowledgeable and a wealth of information. It was such a pleasure to see the villages, those that live there, as well as the buried city of Akrotiri. We highly recommend this tour is you’re looking for some beautiful buildings and culture.
Thank you for your kind words! We look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful island!
Our guide Dimitri was amazing! We had a hard time getting off our ship because of the tendering. We were an hour late and had to meet him in a different location. He found us and added the hour onto our tour so we didn’t miss anything. Akrotiri was fantastic! Not to be missed. We drove to a black sand beach, several villages and to a beautiful monastery at the top of the mountain. It was a wonderful tour. Highly recommend!
Thank you for your kind words! We look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful island!
Seeing Akrotiri was a once in a lifetime experience. We learned so much about the history of the island from our amazing guide. And, our tour guides that drove us around Santorini and the villages, were extremely knowledgeable about the places we went, super attentive, and very kind. We were thrilled with our experience. 5 Stars for all of our guides.
Thank you for your kind words! We look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful island!
Wonderful private tour, visiting the traditional villages in Santorini and visiting Akrotiri Excavations. Our tour guide Dimitris was on time, was very informative and we had a great day. Would highly recommend.
Thank you for your kind words! We look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful island once again!
First of all, the booking was very smooth. I asked a lot of questions over email, but they responded very quickly with patience! Very accommodative in terms of where to pick up and drop off, and also the starting time! Argyris was our guide, he’s friendly and knowledgeable! We learnt a lot about santorini and greece during the tour! The van was also comfortable and spacious! Amazing tour, we had a great time!
Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that your booking experience was smooth and that we could address all your questions promptly. We're proud to have Argyris as part of our team, and it's fantastic to hear that he made your tour enjoyable and educational. Our comfortable and spacious van is designed to enhance your experience. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you back for another amazing tour in Santorini.
