SKIP CABLE CAR® Santorini for Cruise Ships with Boat Transfers
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Santorini, Greece
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Santorini has so much to see that it can be tough to know how to fit it all in on a short cruise ship shore excursion. Avoid the stress, crowds, and cable car chaos on this group tour designed for cruise passengers. Get picked up by a boat directly from port and ferried to the island shore, ready to explore postcard-perfect Oia, the famous blue-dome viewpoint, the peaceful village of Megalochori, and the black-sand beach of Perivolos.
- Check off Santorini’s most popular spots in just a few hours
- Boat transfers—no stairs, no waiting, no cable car
- Visit Oia, Megalochori, Perivolos Beach, and the blue-dome viewpoint
- Stress-free tour built for cruise timing and comfort
What's Included
- Transfers by boat to bypass the Cable Car
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Professional local English-speaking tour guide
- Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned minibus
- Small group limited to 18 participants
- Guaranteed return to ship on time
- Full refund if your ship cannot dock
- Bottled water1 complimentary bottle of water per person
- Gratuities (Recommend 10% for guides, and 5% for bus drivers)
- Food and Beverages
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Santorini Old HarborFira 847 00, Greece
After disembarking from the tender, please wait at the tender drop-off point and do not enter the cable car. Look for our team holding ‘VEXPERIO’ signs. If you are late, please contact us. After the tour, we'll bring you back to the port by boat.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Athinios Port Santorini
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Finikia
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Oia
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Picturesque Blue Dome Santorini (Pass By)
4
Megalochori - Traditional Village
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Perivolos Beach
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
6
Santorini Old Harbor
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 9 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- In the event of exceptionally rough sea conditions preventing boat transfers, we reserve the right to operate the regular tour route instead. In such cases, a refund of €10 per person will be provided for each cable car ride required in place of the boat transfer.
- The tour start time will be adjusted to your ship’s docking schedule to minimize waiting and accommodate possible disembarkation delays. You’ll receive the final meeting time in the Meeting Instructions about one week before the tour.
- Please note that wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, electric scooters, and other mobility devices cannot be accommodated on shared tours. Tours on Santorini involve uneven surfaces, cobblestone pathways, and some sections with stairs. We kindly request that all participants carefully assess their physical ability to complete the tour prior to making a reservation. Refunds cannot be issued to guests who are unable to complete the tour due to accessibility limitations.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 544 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Lisa_E, Jul 2026
Guides were excellent - and tour allowed us to miss long queues. It was very hot on our day and tour allowed breaks and shade as we toured around.
William_H, Jul 2026
Ann and our driver were the best! A great tour and very informative. The sites were amazing. The history was fantastic. I would highly reccommend.
Nancy_S, Jul 2026
The guide & driver were great. We really felt that we got the most out of Santorini. We didn’t think we missed anything.
Sabrina_D, Jul 2026
My family of 5 has a great time on this tour. Zeus was very knowledgeable and kept everything light, interesting, and moving. Our driver, Tasos, was great too. I’d recommend this tour to anyone. Being able to skip the lines for the cable car was a huge plus.
Brenda_B, Jul 2026
Great tour with beautiful photo opportunities along the way. Walking through a local town, we learned how they lived then and now! Very insightful and educational. Wear good sneakers due to the uneven landscape.
Allison_L, Jul 2026
Great tour - very informative and we saw the entire island in a comfortable air conditioned van! Alex made it fun. The tour ended at a wonderful beach restaurant. Highly recommend!
Terry_B, Jul 2026
It’s wonderful to not have to wait for the cable cars. It was great to get to go swimming. Great to see the little town. Beautiful place.
Pam_B, Jul 2026
tour guide was very good at his job. took the time to make sure the whole group could get pictures at each highlight.
Ryan_D, Jul 2026
Great experience taking the ferry and busses to sight see instead of taking the cable car. The sites on the itinerary were great for the time time allotted, although we would've preferred more time for lunch and the beach. The tour guide, Victor, was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout the entire experience. The bus driver was also friendly and courteous, taking care for the group the whole way.
Tara_S, Jul 2026
Zeus was the best tour guide and our driver Nikos navigated the small roads. I hope you get Zeus he was knowledgeable and funny!
Michael_N, Jul 2026
We had an outstanding experience on this tour. Our guide, Alex, was the best! He was very kind, knowledgeable and just a fantastic guide. Meeting the tour group was easy. We met them right in front of Helios Cafe at the tender drop off. From there we took a boat ferry to Athinios Port where we met our driver, Spyros, who was also fantastic. The tour transportation was a black air conditioned van that was very comfortable.
We first explored Megalochori, then enjoyed a great lunch and time by the water at Forty One 41 Beach. After that we stopped at the Three Bells of Fira for incredible photos before continuing to Oia for sightseeing and shopping.
The tour was operated by Vexperio and their communication was excellent from start to finish. This was a smooth, well-organized, and highly enjoyable way to see Santorini without dealing with the cable car. Alex, Spyros and the entire team were the best hosts for an amazing day in Santorini!! Highly recommended!
Sarah_D, Jul 2026
I cannot say enough good things about this tour!! First off, our cruise line messed up and got us off the boat late - these guys waited!! There were a few groups of us and we were all so grateful. They were well organized and even altered our schedule to accommodate the lost time ensuring we’d still see the sights on the itinerary. Additionally, Alex, our guide, was phenomenal! A Santorini local who had so many great stories and gave us so much history of the island. He was super nice and even offered multiple times to take family pics. They took us to many different spots and made sure we had enough time for ourselves but also keeping aware of our callback time to the boat. Highly recommend this tour company - you won’t be disappointed!!
Mayra_A, Jul 2026
Our tour was one of the best we have ever done, Joanna and Marino were amazing, she was so wonderful with our family and so knowledgeable. He was so kind and accommodating to our family. What the tour included was excellent and with no hesitation I would recommend it.
George_L, Jul 2026
Great experience with tour guide “Victor”, very friendly and knowledgeable. The AC black van was a plus with super hot temps. Great stops for shopping, photos, and history. Only gripe was the meeting point was a little disorganized and waiting for the second ferry took a long time in the hot weather.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Dear George,
Thank you very much for your kind review and for taking the time to share your experience!
We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us.
We also appreciate your feedback regarding the meeting point. Santorini's port can become very crowded on busy cruise days, and occasionally we have to wait for space for our tender boats, which is unfortunately beyond our control. We understand that waiting in the heat can be uncomfortable, and we will continue working to improve the boarding process as much as possible.
Thank you again for traveling with us. We hope to welcome you on another tour in the future!
Warm regards,
Natalia
Vexperio
Andra_H, Jun 2026
It was perfect! Stops were great and time at each stop was perfect! Our guide Anna was very knowledgeable and so helpful in taking pictures and answering questions.
Karen_P, Jun 2026
Anna, our guide, was absolutely amazing in every way, teaching not only the history geology of the area as well. The stops were wonderful and as described. Skipping the cable car is the beat way to explore Santorini when time is precious!!
Tammy_B, Jun 2026
Victor was an amazing guide! He was fun, and knew answers to everything we asked about Santorini. He was easy to hear and communicates well about where we were and when to meet back, etc. The beach and amenities were the best we’ve ever had in our 20 cruises. Of course the blue domes and typical tourist spots were beautiful. Everyone made you think that you can’t do Santorini without going on the cable car. So glad we found this tour. Still got to go to the top of the hill. See the beautiful beach. We got to do shopping and see a vineyard. Highly recommend.
Roseann_W, Jun 2026
Zeus and Dimitri (driver) were great. Nice clean. Comfortable van . Zeus great guide - very knowledgeable . Enjoyed the tour was on a cruise so only one day to see the island. Would love to go back and spend more time in Santorini.
Nicole_B, Jun 2026
An exceptional day out. Victor was a fantastic tour guide, friendly, knowledgeable, and full of interesting information about Dubrovnik. He took us to some incredible viewpoints with breathtaking scenery. It was excellent value for money and the perfect way to get your bearings and gain a better understanding of Dubrovnik. Highly recommended!
Justin_C, Jun 2026
Had a wonderful tour that included many excellent stops outside of the normal blue domes of Oia. Learned and saw a lot more about Santorini than some of our friends on the cruise ship that took different tours. Also, the restaurant we ate at on the beach catered very well to my wife's Celiac disease providing advice and an excellent gluten free meal.
Steve_B, Jun 2026
A great way to avoid the cable car lines! This is a large group operation though. You get split into smaller groups of 16 or so to explore. You see great places. Our only issue was having only an hour in Oia and 1.5 or so at the beach. We would have preferred more time to shop and explore the village than at the black beach. That’s a personality preference though. Our guide and driver were amazing and they really helped us learn the island. We missed out on Fira but that is part of the choice we made booking this tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Steve,
Thank you very much for your feedback and for sharing your experience in Santorini.
We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour with us.
Regarding your comment about the time allocation in Oia and the beach, we completely understand. On our shared tours, we follow a set itinerary to accommodate the group as a whole.
For guests who prefer a more flexible schedule, we do offer private tour options where the itinerary can be adjusted to better match personal interests.
We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future.
Kind regards,
Natalia
Vexperio
mildred_t, Jun 2026
I highly recommend this tour — Santorini is truly a beautiful place, and this experience made it even more unforgettable. Gina, our tour guide, and Tasos, our driver, were absolutely amazing. Their kindness, knowledge, and professionalism made the entire day feel special.
If you book this tour, you will enjoy a wonderful time in Greece. Gina and Tasos are outstanding representatives of Santorini, and the island itself is simply magical.
Gracen_T, Jun 2026
This was an amazing experience!!!!! Our guide, Anna, and driver, Thasos, were absolutely amazing. My husband and I feel like we were able to see so much of the island, enjoy the black sand beach, and learn about much of Santorini’s history. We thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend this to others!
Josefina_D, Jun 2026
Our Princess Cruise was delayed in disembarkation which meant that I would be late for our 10 a.m. tour. Victor and his team kindly waited for all of the group to arrive before departing. There was a couple of angry customers but I think waiting was the right thing to do, especially because we still did all the activities as promised and return to port on time. This tour was $600+ for my family of 4 but I personally think it was well worth it. My 17 year old, 12 year old, husband and I loved the tour and loved visiting Santorini. Would definitely recommend this tour to friends and family. Victor and our driver Angel were the BEST!
MARK_F, Jun 2026
Yianni was a very good guide. Great knowledge and humour made it a fun and informative five hours exploring the island whilst (mainly) avoiding the crowds!
eskridge44, Jun 2026
There were a few nice picture spot/stops and our guide was a friendly lady. Her knowledge of island seemed lacking as there was not much explanation for pretty much anything- this could've been due to a language barrier. We only spent 90 minutes on Oia. We also made a few stops that seemed like time fillers. We went to see a cave in the middle of an old village and we ended up at a black sand beach in front of a restaurant that seemed like the driver/guide knew quite well. We had a very expensive lunch (it tasted good) but we would have rather spent more time in Oia exploring. I would not recommend this.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We would like to clarify that 90 minutes in Oia is actually longer than the time allocated in our standard itinerary, giving guests ample opportunity to explore and enjoy the village's famous views and atmosphere.
All of our guides are English-speaking professionals. While accents may occasionally vary, they are fully qualified to conduct the tour and provide information about the island.
Santorini offers much more than Oia alone. The island is renowned for its diverse landscapes, traditional villages, unique volcanic history, and beautiful coastline. The stops included in this excursion are carefully selected to showcase different aspects of Santorini and provide a broader experience of the island.
We appreciate your comments and are sorry that the itinerary did not fully match your personal preferences. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed some of the scenic stops and found the guide friendly.
Kind regards,
Natalia
The Vexperio Team
Emily_E, Jun 2026
Great views and tour guide Ana! There is time to stop for lunch and shopping during the tour. Great way to see the entire island!
Cynthia_G, Jun 2026
This experience was amazing. All details of navigating through Santorini were executed well. Victor (tour guide) and Odi (driver) were a great team. Victor was very knowledgeable about the island and spoke perfect English. He made it easy, comfortable and fun to learn so many facts and to gain appreciation for such a beautiful place.
Maureen_A, Jun 2026
This tour is perfect for short cruise stops in Santorini. They were incredibly prompt to ensure we could maximize our time at each spot and used the driving time to explain the different landmarks and history of Santorini to us.
The mini bus was very comfortable and made the driving time enjoyable.
We had Joanna as our host and Marino as our driver. They were both fabulous! Joanna gave perfect recommendations on food and gelato options and was very engaging.
Wyatt_H, Jun 2026
Fantastic tour of Santorini! We were able to visit so many different locations via an air conditioned van with only 14 individuals in our group. Highly recommend!
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