Private Tour: Ancient Akrotiri and Santorini Wineries Tour
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Santorini, Greece
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Dip into ancient ruins and volcanic wines on this variety-packed private tour of Santorini. With an expert guide, venture to the Akrotiri Santorini archaeological site to explore the semi-crumbled buildings and relics buried here by volcanic ash 3,600 years ago. Then, visit traditional wineries and taste several varietals, all defined by the island’s mineral-rich soils. Going with a guide means you learn more about the island and avoid the hassle of renting a car.
- Private tour of Akrotiri and Santorini wineries with a professional guide
- Explore Akrotiri, a Minoan city that lay buried for centuries after a volcanic eruption
- Visit traditional wineries and enjoy a platter of local delicacies
- Try multiple varietals of Santorini wine like nykteri and assyrtiko
Sample Menu
Starter
Platters of local cheese and tapas
Local cheese and snacks to eat alongside wine-tastings at each of the wineries
What's Included
- Guided tour of the Akrotiri Archaeological Site with a professional archaeologist
- Private wine tastings at three wineries (up to 12 wines)
- Cheese plate and Greek tapas at each winery
- Private air‑conditioned Mercedes‑Benz minivan transport
- Hotel or port pickup and drop‑off
- Bottled water
- Entrance tickets for Akrotiri and all wineries
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Please enter your hotel or accommodation or cruise ship information at time of booking. The tour includes pickup and drop-service from all accommodations and hotels throughout Santorini. In case your accommodation is not accessible by car due to landscape, walkways, steps or whatever reason the meeting point for your pickup will be set at a main accessible location within walking distance from your accommodation.
Operating hours.9:30 am
What To Expect
Begin your experience with a pickup from your Santorini hotel. Meet your friendly guide, hop aboard your comfortable, air-conditioned minivan with the rest of your group, and set out on your private tour.
Make your first stop at the fascinating archaeological site of Akrotiri, an ancient Minoan Bronze Age settlement that was destroyed and buried by a major volcanic eruption some 3,600 years ago.
Stroll around the semi-crumbled, multi-storied buildings with your archaeology-expert guide, and view the frescoes, pottery and other relics as you hear how life would have been here eons ago. Of particular interest is the ingenious drainage system that testifies to the sophistication of the engineers of the time. Many speculate that this timeworn site is home to the remains of Atlantis, a mythical city that was described by the Greek philosopher Plato.
Santorini’s long history of winemaking is evidenced in some of Akrotiri’s remains, providing the perfect cue for your next round of visits—the island’s traditional wineries.
Admire the views of the vineyards as you travel to each of the wineries, and taste several wines across your visits. Wines have been made on the island for more than 4,000 years, and are renowned for their delightful crispness and high acidity, both resulting from Santorini's aspa—the island’s unique, volcanic soil.
Enjoy a cellar tour at each winery and learn about the different winemaking processes. Hear how the grapes are grown in baskets near the ground rather than on trellises to capture maximum moisture from the island’s minimal rainfall. Your tasting wines may include favored varietals such as nykteri, vinsanto, and assyrtiko and are paired with local goodies such as olives, salami, cheese, and breads to balance out their tastes.
Finally, end your tour with a drop-off back at your hotel.
Make your first stop at the fascinating archaeological site of Akrotiri, an ancient Minoan Bronze Age settlement that was destroyed and buried by a major volcanic eruption some 3,600 years ago.
Stroll around the semi-crumbled, multi-storied buildings with your archaeology-expert guide, and view the frescoes, pottery and other relics as you hear how life would have been here eons ago. Of particular interest is the ingenious drainage system that testifies to the sophistication of the engineers of the time. Many speculate that this timeworn site is home to the remains of Atlantis, a mythical city that was described by the Greek philosopher Plato.
Santorini’s long history of winemaking is evidenced in some of Akrotiri’s remains, providing the perfect cue for your next round of visits—the island’s traditional wineries.
Admire the views of the vineyards as you travel to each of the wineries, and taste several wines across your visits. Wines have been made on the island for more than 4,000 years, and are renowned for their delightful crispness and high acidity, both resulting from Santorini's aspa—the island’s unique, volcanic soil.
Enjoy a cellar tour at each winery and learn about the different winemaking processes. Hear how the grapes are grown in baskets near the ground rather than on trellises to capture maximum moisture from the island’s minimal rainfall. Your tasting wines may include favored varietals such as nykteri, vinsanto, and assyrtiko and are paired with local goodies such as olives, salami, cheese, and breads to balance out their tastes.
Finally, end your tour with a drop-off back at your hotel.
1
Akrotiri Archaeological Site
2
Gavalas Winery
3
Santo Wines
4
Estate Argyros
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Hotel pick-ups will be done to the closest accessible areas; parts of Santorini are in a slope and can't be accessed by vehicles
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
TMangne
Ancient Akrotiiri is an amazing place, and our guide was so knowledgeable. I only wish we had had more time there. As a matter fact, we went back a second time on our own. The wine tasting was a terrific event. Our guide Angeloos was a sommelier and a delightful man with a complete knowledge of his subject. I highly recommend this tour.
Reviews
4.9
based on 64 reviews
TMangne, Nov 2018
Ancient Akrotiiri is an amazing place, and our guide was so knowledgeable. I only wish we had had more time there. As a matter fact, we went back a second time on our own. The wine tasting was a terrific event. Our guide Angeloos was a sommelier and a delightful man with a complete knowledge of his subject. I highly recommend this tour.
chris_h, Oct 2018
What a fun day. We were a small group of 8 friendly people. Our first stop was the Akrotiri ruins. Our guide was informative and humorous at times. The ruins were interesting but nothing like Pompeii. We reunited with our driver/guide for the winery tours. He was very knowledgeable about wines and how food can affect the taste of the wine. We visited three beautiful wineries and tasted many wines at each - mostly white and vin santo. We enjoyed plenty of appetizers at each tasting.Long but fun day.
Luke_H, Oct 2018
Ancient history and wine became a perfect combination. Made special by the tour guide George who bought great character to the wine tasting. Would recommend
James D, Oct 2017
wonderful experience, picked up the hotel, visited 3 wineries for a tasting with a small group of total of 8 people.
Tasting included cheese and meat plates at every tasting. Great guide, overall a great value and worthwhile experience. Highly recommend.
Christina_R, Sep 2017
My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time on this tour. Both the Akrotiri tour guide and the wine tour guide were very knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour to anyone who likes wine and history.
Bryan_R, Sep 2017
Katie, our guide at Akrotiri, was very knowledgeable and her English was very good. Stephano, our wine guide, has an impressive knowledge of Santorini wines and how different soils change the taste of the wines. His food pairings complemented the varietals perfectly.
aaaphoenix, Aug 2017
We absolutely loved this tour. We were picked up on time from our hotel and driven to the Ancient Akrotiri ruins. We were greeted by a very informed tour guide who has been doing this for 30 years. She was terrific. Although the tour said there could be up to 8 people, we were alone and received focused attention. it was outstanding. Then we were picked up by van by a wine expert and joined two other couples. We all got along very well and the three wineries we visited were outstanding. One was better than the next and the explanation of the various wines was great. To top it off we made new friends. Ive gone on several viator tours and this is among the best!
Marissa D, Aug 2017
Ancient Akrotiri tour was great and educational. We love history so we did enjoy a lot. The wine tour was also fantastic, our guide Ivan is very knowleageable about wines, we learned a lot from him. Santorini tour groups were professional and they really care about their customers.
Sharron N, Nov 2016
Amazing. Both Katie and Michael are experts in their field and enormously engaging people to spend time with.
PatriciaL_M, Oct 2016
This tour was amazing! Highlight was absolutely Akrotiri. Our guide was so knowledgeable and really brought the archaeological significance alive for us. Wine tour was also fantastic - extremely knowledgeable guide, delicious wines, and a really decent amount of food included. Highly recommended!
Jim S, Oct 2016
I would rate this as a must do activity on Thira. The ancient ruins were very interesting but the wine tasting part of the tour was great fun. The wine was good but our guide Michael was great! He was very knowledgeable about wine don't know why he's not in the business somewhere, and he made it a fun learning experience. And did I mention we drank some very good wine! The Galavas wines were the best. This is a Thira must-do!
Karen H, Oct 2016
Pick up prompt and convenient, the transport very comfortable. The guides for Akrotiri and wineries were extremely well informed could not have asked for better. We learnt so much about the Bronze age ruins and so much about the qualities of wine we were very happy.
Guy_R, Sep 2016
Fantastic, one of the best wine tours I have been on. The sommelier was very informative and charming
Nicole G, Sep 2016
This tour was amazing!! We learned so much on the history of the ancient akrotiri ruins and in addition became wine connoisseurs. I definitely recommend doing this tour. Excellent for history and wine lovers!!
Vipunjit K, Aug 2016
Best tour ever! The trip to Ancient Akrotiri was amazing, thanks to wonderful Kate - our guide for the site. She is knowledgable and we never wanted the visit to end. An additional 30 minutes for this part would be fantastic. Our winery guide, Ilias, is hospitable and made every minute worthwhile.
michael s, Aug 2016
So good, couldnt recommend highly enough. we learnt so much!
Nicole_B, Jun 2016
Good tour. Akrotiri was interesting, could have allotted another 1/2 hour. Kate, our guide at the ruins was extremely knowledgeable and humorous.
Ilias, our wine guide is highly qualified - a sommelier - and we learned more about wines from him than any other wine tour before.
REBECCA D, Jun 2016
This was a great way to see much of the island without having to rent a car and deal with driving and traffic. Our guides were great and it was a nice mix of activities.
Betty A V, Apr 2016
This was amazing! 14 different wines in 3 wineries. 4 beers at the brewery. Lots of fun!
Deborah H, Dec 2015
Tour guide was exceptional in his knowledge of wines. Great tour! highly recommend. Akrotiri is NOT TO BE MISSED.
alohagrimm, Oct 2015
We had a wonderful time! The tour guide at ancient Akrotiri and the wine tour were fabulous! I recommend eating a good breakfast before going because they do not provide very much food.
Elizabeth C W, Oct 2015
Dennis was a wonderful guide. His wine knowledge was terrific. We've lived in northern California for 40 years and still learned things from him about wine appreciation. He set us up with Katie, a very passionate, knowledgeable guide at Akrotiri. We went to 3 wineries and a brewery. The snacks served with the wine made a delicious lunch. Santorini can be so crowded when cruise ships come in. Of the people on our small cruise ship, all agreed that our day sounded like the best Santorini experience ever.
Alison R M, Oct 2015
This tour was fantastic! I have been on many wine tours and on many tastings over the years and this was by far the best in terms of what I learned in how to pair the wines with food that I am eating. I was also delighted with the olives, salami, cheeses and breads to eat with the wines that I tried.
The ancient Akrotiri was very interesting. My boyfriend and I do not like to drink first thing in the morning so it was a great start to the morning. We enjoyed learning about all the ancient settlers to Santorini and how their homes were covered by a volcanic erruption. I highly recommend to wine, food and history lovers!!
Evan S, Aug 2015
A fantastic tour! Our guide, Stamatis, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly during the wine tasting. We explored various varieties of wine from Santorini, including some sweet wine, and they are very unique and flavourful. We also visited the Santorini brewing company, which was a pleasant surprise. Highly recommended!
Denise L, Jun 2015
Tour was great! Picked us up on time in a clean van and offered us bottled water. Your had total of 4 pairs (8 total) and was perfect size. 3 wineries and 1 brewery. Lasted 9-5 approximately from door to door. Stopped at excavation site in beginning for maybe 45 minutes that was interesting.
Carol J, Jun 2015
Well informed guides both at Akrotiri and at the three wineries we visited. Very educational and a lot of fun.
Jonathan L, May 2015
Good trip, very knowledgeable guide.
Maybe would of preferred different winerys though.
David F, May 2015
Needed to be a bit more food with the full day trip, however this was the only fault. Been to a few of these in different countries and the guide was knowledgeable and very friendly/helpful. Went to 3 wineries and a brewery all of different calibers to see the range offered on the island.
The ancient Akrotiri trip was great with a knowledge guide as well. Good start to the day.
Jill H, Oct 2014
Excellent trip and well worth the money. After the trip to Akrotiri we had a tour of three wineries and one brewery. The guide for the wine tasting was extremely knowledgeable and the maximum people was 10 so a very personal and enjoyable afternoon with at least 12 different wines and 3 beers!
Mathieu G, Sep 2014
Great day! A mix of history and great wine tasting. The guide was very knowledgeable and funny. The sommelier was great! Had a blast.
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