SKIP CABLE CAR® Santorini for Cruise Ships with Boat Transfers
Recommended by 96% of travelers
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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.
- Half-day shore excursion exploring Santorini’s most popular spots
- 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 478 reviews
Liberty_J, Jun 2026
Joanna and Tasos was our tour guide/bus driver. Everything was absolutely amazing. Joanna was so intelligent and knew so much history about the island, while also keeping everything so fun, personal, and interactive. We truly felt like we had the best excursion experience in Santorini. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the island!
Amber_L, Jun 2026
Alex was great. Local so knew a lot about the town and took us places normal tours wouldn’t go. We got to see all the big land marks and got to watch the sunset over the city.
David_S, Jun 2026
We really enjoyed this tour and felt it was a great way to experience Santorini from a cruise ship. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and very down to earth. She shared a lot of interesting information about the island, its history, and local culture, which made the day both enjoyable and informative.
One of the biggest advantages was avoiding the cable car lines. While you still need to coordinate your cruise tender arrival and wait for the transfer boat at your scheduled tour time, it was still much smoother than dealing with the often lengthy cable car queues.
Santorini was very busy during our visit, and the group was a little larger than we expected, which made it challenging at times to stay together and hear everything. That said, our guide did an excellent job managing the group and keeping things organized.
The scenery was absolutely beautiful, we saw a lot in a relatively short amount of time, and we left feeling like we made the most of our day on the island. Overall, a very enjoyable tour that we would happily recommend to other cruise passengers.
Michelle_K, Jun 2026
It was a great opportunity to break away from the crowds at the cable car lines to see many facets of the island. The buses were new and clean and held about 20 people, so our tour group was not too big. The guide was informative and kind. Loved ending the day at the beach club for lunch. All recommended picture spots, location stops, and food suggestions were super helpful. Would book this again.
David_F, Jun 2026
Victor was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. The driver Agelos was also great.
Santorini is beautiful and they took us to nice places.
Great time!
David_G, Jun 2026
I booked this tour specifically to “skip the lines” and maximize my time on Santorini. The tour company contacted me several days before hand and also sent a follow up reminder of the meeting at the bottom of Santorini at 10am. We arrived a few minutes early and no one was there holding a sign from the tour company. We found them about 10:10 and they informed us we won’t leave until 10:40. I was annoyed but was like fine. Well 10:40 passes and we are still sitting there waiting as I’ve watched everyone else hop on a cable car and go right up to begin their day. After I finally called the tour company directly to complain they informed me they scheduled the boat to take us to our tour bus. I booked a private skip the line tour for exactly that. But instead I had to wait on them over an hour. The people who took the cable car went right up, maybe a 10 minute wait max. The rest of the tour was fine. I do not recommend this if you are looking to maximize your time. Take the cable car and book a seperate tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear David,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We completely understand why the wait was frustrating, especially when your goal was to make the most of your time in Santorini.
What made this day particularly unusual was that your cruise ship experienced significant delays during disembarkation. We had around 60 guests scheduled for the 10:00 AM departure, but because of the delay, almost none of them were able to reach the meeting point on time. In fact, you were among the very few who successfully made it there at 10:00 AM, which was quite exceptional given the circumstances.
Our boat transfers operate as shared departures, so once it became clear that the majority of guests were still unable to leave the ship, we had to move everyone to the next available departure at 11:00 AM rather than leave dozens of passengers behind. The 10:40 AM time was when guests were asked to return to the guides to allow sufficient time for check-in and boarding before the 11:00 AM departure.
While we understand that this meant waiting longer than expected, the alternative would have been to abandon the rest of the group who had also booked the same experience but were delayed by circumstances completely outside their control.
This was an exceptionally rare situation and not representative of how our tours normally operate.
We genuinely appreciate your patience and are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the rest of the tour. Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.
Kind regards,
Zuzanna
Vexperio TEAM
John_R, Jun 2026
The tour was great. Ana was professional, knowledgeable and gave great details about the cities. We did not have a chance to see the three blue domes because it wasn’t enough time.
Patrick_K, Jun 2026
Perfect itinerary and George was a great tour guide! Also appreciated Spiros’s excellent driving skills.
Paul_N, Jun 2026
Great way to see Santorini and skip the long lines for the cable car up the mountain. Our guide Gina was fabulous as she knew so much about the history and culture of Santorini.
Margy_L, Jun 2026
This was a fabulous tour. We learned so much about Santorini and saw so much of the island. It certainly beat the lines at the cable car.
Allison_G, Jun 2026
It was worth the money to take the a/c bus and skip the cable car lines. Our guide was knowledgable and took us to all the famous spots. We loved the stop on the beach for lunch and enjoyed the city. We only wish we had more time!
Kathy_R, Jun 2026
The tour around the island was enjoyable. Zeus was a very friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. For one of our stops we were dropped off in a parking lot to walk around downtown on our own. Our time was very short and rushed. It was extremely crowded attempting to take pictures and there was no time for shopping. Getting back to the bus was a bit confusing as well. Next time we will go on a longer tour or stay on the island overnight versus going a cruise to help avoid the crowds which were the worst of our 11 day cruise adventure.
Michelle_S, Jun 2026
Perfect tour of Santorini. Skipped the long cable car line in the sun. Our guide Yianni was amazing. Helped us thru busy streets and ended at a great black sand beach and lunch. Was great with my 20 month old son. Perfect day.
Ian_P, Jun 2026
15 minutes late off of ship due to delay no problem. Guide friendly and informative couldn’t ask for more
Jana_M, Jun 2026
George was great!!! He told us so much about the island and took pictures of each family group at all the scenic stops. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip!
Barbara_W, Jun 2026
The tour guide on this trip was excellent, gave us lots of information about the island. The mini bus was comfortable. The main downside for me was that everything felt very rushed and lunch was very late (about 2.30pm).
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Barbara,
Thank you very much for your feedback and for taking the time to share your experience.
It is always our aim to provide informative and enjoyable experiences for our guests.
We also appreciate your comment regarding the pacing of the tour and the timing of lunch. As this is a shared cruise ship excursion with fixed schedules, the itinerary is designed to fit within the limited time available in port, which can sometimes make the day feel more structured.
For guests who prefer a more relaxed and fully customizable experience, we usually recommend our private tour options, where timing and pace can be adjusted more flexibly to individual preferences.
Thank you again for your valuable feedback. We truly appreciate it and hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Warm regards,
Natalia
Vexperio
Rayelle_H, Jun 2026
Yainni and Tasos were amazing. The ride was comfortable and safe. Great way to see Santorini in a short time.
Margaret_F, Jun 2026
Excellent tour and well looked after. Recommend it to anybody.
Very knowledge able.
Took care of everybody
Kathy_J, Jun 2026
Very experienced guide who was informative and fun. Great opportunity for photos and Joanne our
guide was happy to take photos.
Michael_W, Jun 2026
Wonderful experience and very well organised. Maybe could spend more time in Oie rather than at the beach.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Michael,
Thank you very much for your kind review and feedback.
We’re glad to hear you had a fabulous experience in Santorini and that the tour was well organized.
Regarding your comment about Oia, please note that this is a shared tour with a fixed itinerary, which is designed to balance time between all key stops. If you would prefer a more flexible schedule with fully customizable timing, we recommend our private tour option, which can be tailored entirely to your preferences.
We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future.
Warm regards,
Natalia
Vexperio
ChristinaAnn_C, Jun 2026
Awesome tour guide and driver. Even though our stop in Fira was packed she led us very well. She didn't mind taking pictures and she brought me us to a very nice restaurant with a beach for lunch.
Monica_D, May 2026
We absolutely loved our experience with Gina in Santorini. She was incredibly friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. One thing that really impressed us was that she speaks several languages, which made the tour even more enjoyable and accessible. Her knowledge of Santorini is outstanding, and she helped us make the most of our time by creating a practical, efficient, and comprehensive tour.
She showed us beautiful places, shared fascinating insights about the island, and made sure we were comfortable throughout the entire experience. We truly appreciated her attention to detail and her passion for what she does. We would definitely book another tour with Gina in the future. If you’re visiting Santorini, don’t hesitate to book with her—you’ll be in excellent hands!” 🌅✨
Cassaundra_R, May 2026
This was a great tour! Though we found it a little stressful getting from our cruise ship to the port on time for the tour, we loved that we were able to skip the cable cars completely and have someone take us to some of the best spots on the island. Our guide, Yianni, was so warm and friendly and always offering to take our photo throughout the tour, which we loved. Our favorite stops were Megalachori and the black sand beach (neither of them felt too busy at all), but they were all great. I only wish we could have explored a little of Fira too. But overall, I feel like we got to experience the real "essence" of Santorini and the ease of the tour made for a perfect dayl
Alejandro_T, May 2026
Our family had an amazing day exploring Santorini with our guide, Zeus, and driver, Tasos. From start to finish, this tour was the perfect blend of sightseeing, local culture, relaxation, and fun.
Zeus was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely funny. He shared fascinating history and local insights throughout the day while keeping the atmosphere light and enjoyable. One thing we especially appreciated was how mindful he was of everyone’s different pace. He made sure no one felt rushed while still keeping us perfectly on schedule. It was a masterclass in guiding a group.
Our first stop was Finikia, a charming hidden gem that felt like Santorini before the crowds discovered it. The colorful doors, peaceful streets, and authentic character made it feel like we had stumbled into a postcard.
Next, we visited Oía, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The iconic whitewashed buildings, blue domes, and breathtaking views of the caldera were everything we imagined Santorini would be. Zeus knew exactly where to take us for the best views and photos.
We then explored the traditional village of Megalochori, which quickly became one of our favorite stops. Walking through its narrow pathways and quiet squares felt like stepping back in time. It offered a wonderful glimpse into everyday island life away from the tourist crowds.
Lunch at Perivolos Beach was the perfect way to slow down and enjoy the island. Sitting by the famous black sand beach with the Aegean Sea just steps away was a uniquely Santorini experience. The contrast of the dark volcanic sand against the blue water was stunning.
A special thank you to Tasos, who transported us comfortably throughout the day in what appeared to be a beautiful, modern new van. The vehicle was spotless, spacious, and comfortable, making travel between destinations smooth and relaxing.
This tour was one of the highlights of our Mediterranean cruise. Zeus and Tasos helped us experience the beauty, history, and personality of Santorini in a way that felt authentic, enjoyable, and stress-free. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Santorini and looking for an unforgettable day on the island.
joelcarrero3, May 2026
Zeus, our guide and the bus driver was amazing and entertaining. We would recommend them to anyone!!
Cornelia_M, May 2026
We not only saw much of Santorini, but the information given by our guide ( Zeus) was very interesting and informative!!! We saw a wide variety of the area and were taken to beautiful places for photos. The roads are very curvy! We felt safe having Christi as our driver! So glad we were on this tour!!!
stacey_t, May 2026
East to find tour team off the tender. Smooth ride to other port. Small mini bus waiting. Tour guide was fabulous! So was the driver. Saw wonderful places not crowded. Lovely lunch on the black sand beaches. Perfect day! I Would highly recommend this tour!
Kristina_H, May 2026
It was wonderful day. Victor was a great guide and a wealth of knowledge. He made the day feel comfortable and relaxed. Highly recommend!
Margaret_L, May 2026
The staff of Vexperio were superb! Talk about well organized! Alicja contacted me about changes and ensured I understood exactly what to do. We were blessed with the best tour guide and bus driver! Yianni was incredible! He made the trip enjoyable. With his charm, humour and patience, he ran that tour so smoothly! Keeping us on time, explaining the history twice when announcing and leading us through crowds like they didn’t exist! So friendly and thoughtful! Our bus driver truly does have an amazing smile. He got us to each destination on time and allowed slow downs at opportune moments to all photos.
Overall it was a 11 out of 10 experience! Thank you to all of you involved on May 20, 2026! Highly recommend seeing Santorini with comfort and excellent guided tour which put you at ease knowing you were in great hands!!
Marg Lunny
Allison_W, May 2026
This experience was very nice. We really enjoyed each area of the island. They were very focused on ensuring we got back to the cruise boat at the correct time which we appreciated. I absolutely recommend.
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Attractions in Santorini, Greece
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