SKIP CABLE CAR® Santorini for Cruise Ships with Boat Transfers
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Santorini, Greece
+19
- 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
- Santo Star Travel - Old Port of FiraAegean Sea, Santorini 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 606 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Arlene_F, Aug 2026
Let me just tell you that when we arrived to the busses, we were told we had to check in/!The lady that met us there was very rude. Supposedly we had to check in. She was actually yelling at us! There were many people that had the same issue with tickets purchased through Viator. So she proceeded to yell at us. People were looking at there phones to see if it said anything about checking in and a number to a bus. She says "don't look at your phone! It is not there!" Yelling at us and making "your customers very uncomfortable and stupid! You best believe that it will be known through all travel sites about this. I have never experienced this before with Viator. It was humiliating.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Dear Arlene,
We take complaints of disrespectful behaviour seriously and therefore reviewed this incident carefully with the team members present.
That day, we welcomed 258 guests who needed to be checked against the booking lists and directed to the correct buses. Asking for each guest’s name was a routine and necessary part of managing this large port operation, as Viator tickets do not display individual bus assignments.
Our team’s account differs significantly from the description in your review. They reported that the interaction became confrontational when you raised your voice while they were trying to verify your booking and assist you. No other guest or team member reported our staff yelling at or behaving inappropriately toward customers that day.
We accept that you may remember the interaction differently. However, based on our investigation, we found nothing to support the claim that our team shouted at or humiliated you, and we remain confident that they acted professionally throughout the check-in process.
Kind regards,
Vexperio Team
Joseph_M, Aug 2026
Had a great day enjoying everything Santorini had to offer and didn't have to worry about getting to the top of the cliff.
CaniseBean, Aug 2026
Learned so much about the island and the people living there. Also we covered so many sites and variety in neighborhoods. Highly recommend!
Marlene_M, Aug 2026
The tour company was easy to find at the port. Our ferry ride was pleasant and took us directly to a well appointed and comfortable passenger van. The tour guide was informative and had the right balance of talking and allowing us to experience the tour independently it was well paced and gave us a good variety of experiences. I would highly recommend this tour. Joanna was amazing!
Thomas_R, Aug 2026
Yianni is an entertaining & knowledgeable tour guide, who enjoys showing off his wonderful home of Santorini.
We had much fun, and particularly enjoyed his knowledge of viticulture!
Duncan_M, Aug 2026
The tour was awesome! Thanks to Maria for all the insight and local knowledge. And with two big cruise ships in port the cable car was 90min wait so very happy to avoid that.
Steve_C, Jul 2026
Yianni was a knowledgeable and energetic guide whose enthusiasm was contagious and made you enjoy the tour even more. Got to see all the sites of Santorini and avoid most of the crowds.
Amie_P, Jul 2026
We had some difficulty getting off our cruise ship in time (the cruise company didn’t really care that we had a third party excursion booked) and despite queuing for tender tickets from very early, we were unfortunate to be allotted tickets that didn’t get us there in time to catch the boat at the start of the tour. I was very distressed about this, however the Vexperio team were calm and quite frankly amazing. We climbed the Karavolades Stairs to Fira (pleased we did it rather than queue for the Cablecar, but it was certainly a challenge in the heat and with frustrated teenagers, and also a little distressing to see the donkeys at work). The Vexperio team met us at the top and coordinated arrangements so that we could catch up with the guide in Oia (the first main stop), and for that we can’t thank them enough.
We met our guide, Yianni, and joined the rest of our small group tour. No headsets, just a very passionate and knowledgeable guide… who’s also very good at taking photos! Yianni looked after his tour group and was inclusive. He had an endearing sense of humor and a very positive outlook that engaged and uplifted us all. The minivan was very comfortable and air conditioned. The locations we visited were beautiful, with just the right amount of time available for culture, context, history, photo opportunities and freetime (for exploring, eating, swimming). We would love to come back to Santorini with more time.
Despite the prickly start to our day, this tour in Santorini was our favourite of our cruise.
Thank you Yianni and Vexperio!
Robin_B, Jul 2026
We had a great time with our tour director, Yianni. He was very knowledgeable, polite and was a great photographer too!!! We highly recommend this tour!
Monica_T, Jul 2026
Eliza and Angelo were wonderful! Excellent value and day overall. Make sure you bring a bathing suit to enjoy the last hour!
.
CATHERINE_D, Jul 2026
Victor was an excellent tour guide! Love rhe van expertly navigated by Tory. We were able to see the beautiful island in comfort and explore the highlight spots of the trip! Best tour we've been on!
Mark_F, Jul 2026
An absolutely brilliant tour, very polished, and organised. You don't have huge amounts of time at each place, and parts of Santorini can be very busy, but overall, this was a very good experience.
Chris_C, Jul 2026
A wonderful tour! Santorini is always amazing and this tour took you to all of the high lights and even some of the places I had never been. I really liked the boat rides because you got to see more of the island and the guild gave us plenty of free time to explore on our own.
Maryann_B, Jul 2026
We had a great experience w this tour!! Our guide was Victor and was very knowledgeable about Santorini and took good care of us. Everything was setup well and explained well too. Vans we rode in were wonderful w a great driver. We really enjoyed this tour!!
Heather_W, Jul 2026
We had an excellent expirience on this tour. The only thing was initially when we found them with the sign there was well over 100 people waiting for the same excursion. That scared me ! BUT they divided us into groups so once the boat got us to our destination we went on large vans with about 18 others. Our guide ( I wish I could remember her name because she was amazing) was wonderful. Santorini was nothing I expected but I am glad to have expirienced it. Got a good amount of time at each stop and the best part was the tiny village at the end! Would absolutely recommend this excursion
Nikki_S, Jul 2026
Yes, you skip the cable car line but you wait in other lines to be grouped, boarded on boat, loaded on bus, then driven for 40 min to the crazy PACKED place with all the people from the cable car. Not sure it saved anytime or hassle.
-guide was nice but unable to deal with a group traveling with teens who were LATE at every stop… lost a cell and dominated 45 min of the tour searching…
-When we arrived at the top of the island, it was as crowded as walking down main street disney after a parade. Then given almost no direction. She told us to walk right and turn left at the fork in the road to see the blue domes and get a pic and how to get to a “fort”…. Ummmmm…
-The lunch spot with beach view was nice but plan to eat lunch as there is NOTHING else to do there. No shops. Minimal beach. 1 hour stop. Cant board the bus wet, Changing rooms are gross!
-NOTE: you are taken BACK to the small port. If you want to do anything other than go to your ship you HAVE TO TAKE THE CABLE CAR!!!!!!!!! Or a donkey. Cable car is $10 each way and you wait in line.
-too many people just wanted selfies and the line for a pic spot was long and no one monitored to help people move along.
-there are more and more buildings showing up in various colors not just the bright white! Apx: 4 blue domes.
We went early July which is PRIME season but In my opinion, if you are selling a tour, it should be a guided tour not just transportation with a few facts.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Dear Nikki,
We would like to clarify a few points regarding the experience. The main purpose of our Skip Cable Car Tour is to help guests avoid the extremely long cable car queues, which on the busiest cruise ship days can reach 2–3 hours of waiting time. While the bus ride to Oia takes approximately 40 minutes due to the island’s roads and traffic conditions, this allows guests to bypass one of the biggest challenges faced by cruise visitors in Santorini.
Regarding the crowds in Oia, unfortunately, the number of visitors on the island—especially during the peak summer season—is something beyond our control. Santorini is a very popular destination, and the same crowds that arrive through the cable car are also present throughout the island. We always do our best to organize the tour efficiently, but we cannot control the overall number of tourists visiting Santorini.
As for the guided portion in Oia, the tour includes a guided walk followed by free time. During the free time, guests are welcome to explore according to their own interests—whether that means taking photos of the famous blue domes, shopping for souvenirs, enjoying a coffee or local wine, or simply walking through the village. Our guides provide recommendations and directions, but we also want guests to have the flexibility to enjoy Oia at their own pace.
Regarding the beach stop, this part of the tour is designed as a relaxing seaside break where guests can enjoy the beach, take a walk along the coast, have lunch with a sea view, or spend some time by the water. Guests who choose to swim can dry off before boarding the bus, as is standard for any beach excursion.
We would also like to clarify the return arrangement. The tour returns guests to the Old Port, as clearly stated in the tour description and meeting information. Most guests return directly to their cruise ship after the tour. For guests whose ships remain in port longer and who wish to continue exploring afterward, they may choose to take the cable car from the Old Port.
Finally, we would like to mention that this is indeed a guided tour, with a professional guide providing information throughout the experience, not simply transportation.
We appreciate your feedback and will continue working to make our tours as smooth and enjoyable as possible for all guests.
Warm regards,
Natalia
The Vexperio Team
Lior_L, Jul 2026
Incredible experience. Our guide Joanna was amazing, so nice, funny, informative and warm. Our bus driver Tasos was kind and an amazing calm driver. The itinerary was great - we saw so much, learned so much, and never felt rushed or too touristy. I had a blast and would highly recommend.
Michaela_r, Jul 2026
Yianni was so knowledgeable of the island and really gave us an excellent experience. He was great fun and kept us entertained and engaged all day. He took us to the best photo spots and gave great advice on where to get the best shot.
K_D, Jul 2026
Excellent experience Alex the guide full of information well worth going great 5 hours plenty to see also Alex will volunteer to take photos
Lawrence_T, Jul 2026
Overall, we had a great experience in Santorini. We were able to visit all the major attractions we had planned, and everything was well organized. It was a memorable and enjoyable trip.
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!
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