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Private Tour: Ancient Akrotiri and Santorini Wineries Tour
Badge of ExcellenceSantorini, Greece
- 6 hours
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Dip into ancient ruins and volcanic wines on this variety-packed 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. This private tour is limited to 15 travelers to ensure personalized experience.
- Private tour of Akrotiri and Santorini wineries with a professional guide
- Explore the excavations of Akrotiri, a Minoan city that lay buried for centuries after a volcanic eruption
- Visit 3 traditional wineries and enjoy a platter of local delicacies alongside wine samples
- Try multiple varietals of Santorini wine like nykteri and assyrtiko
- Private tour with a maximum of 15 people ensures personalized attention
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
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz minivan
- Bottled water
- Gratuities (Optional)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Start time
10:30 AM
Pickup details
Please enter your hotel or accommodation 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.
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 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.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- 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
- Not wheelchair accessible
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- The wines served during the tour are mainly whites and dessert wines, as these are the kind of wines the island of Santorini produces. This is a gentle note for guests that only drink red wine.
- Most travelers can participate
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Traveler Photos
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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
5.0
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!
From $537.91
Price varies by group size
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Tour: Ancient Akrotiri and Santorini Wineries Tour
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