Santorini

Santorini First Impressions Private Tour

Badge of ExcellenceSantorini, Greece

From $175.88

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

4 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

New to Santorini? Be introduced to this spectacular Aegean island on a private morning or afternoon tour, with a local guide. With a flexible itinerary customized to your interests, call at the clifftop village of Oia to admire its castle, cave-like houses and breathtaking caldera views. Visit the mountaintop Prophet Elias monastery, sample the monks’ hand-crafted products, and explore Pyrgos, the picturesque former capital, as your guide shares insider tips and facts about Santorini’s history and geology. Conclude by tasting some Santorinian wines at a stunning cliffside winery.

Private Santorini highlights tour, with air-conditioned transport
Choose a morning or afternoon departure and enjoy a flexible itinerary customized to your interests
Witness the cave-like buildings, Venetian castle and epic caldera views in Oia
Learn about Santorini’s history and get insider tips from an informative local guide
Visit the Prophet Elias monastery on Santorini’s highest peak and sample goods made by the monks
Visit a cliffside winery and taste Santorinian wines overlooking the caldera
Enjoy in-depth attention from a private guide, with personalized commentary

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges
Bottled water
Local guide
Private tour
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Gratuities
Alcoholic Beverages
Personal expenses

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Santorini Cable Car - Upper Station
Ipapantis 10, Thira 847 00, Greece
We will meet at the exit of the cable car station in Fira holding a sign with your name on it.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We pick up from any accommodation in Santorini

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 12 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will 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

Reviews

5.0

151 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 151 reviews

Must do in Santorini!!

Danielle_B, Dec 2023

Sabine was amazing!! We loved having the freedom to choose our tour, we visited the black sand beach, Fira, megalochori, the monastery at pyrgos, etc. Sabine was so knowledgeable and taught us the history of the island and it's wonderful people💙

Response from Host, Dec 2023

We're sincerely grateful for your glowing review! It warms our hearts to hear how much you enjoyed your Santorini tour with Sabine. Your appreciation for the freedom to choose destinations and Sabine's insightful commentary truly means the world to us. Thank you for making our day!

Visit to Santorini

Marc_K, Aug 2023

We only had a day and night in Santorini so we wanted an intensive tour of the island. Simone and our driver Nicos were outstanding and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a comprehensive tour of Santorini.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for taking the time to write this excellent review. We hope to see you again soon.

Santorini is very beautiful.

Yen_M, Jul 2023

Eventhough we were late due to the crowd waiting for cable car. We were able to visit the major sites and eat at restaurant for dessert. . Our driver is great! She can maneuver around small streets that bus will not able to get through. I reccomend using private tour to personalize your itinerary.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you for your review! We apologize for the delay caused by the cable car crowd, but we're glad you still enjoyed the major sites and our restaurant. Our skilled driver is adept at navigating small streets. Private tours offer personalized itineraries, and we appreciate your recommendation.

Great tour guide, and tour around the island. kids loved the picturesque snorkeling spot.

Darlene_C, Jun 2023

Catherine was a great tour guide and I would very highly recommend this tour. Santorini is a spectacular island to visit but it was very busy with a lot of cruise ship passengers. I was glad we booked this tour ahead of time. Catherine spoke flawless english, was personable, friendly and very knowledgable. I liked how this tour could be personalized and I requested beforehand to go to a snorkeling spot (we brought masks and snorkels for the kids). She took us to the monestery, city of Oia and Amoundi Bay for snorkeling. The views from the monestery (highest point of the rim of the volcano) were very impressive but if I could do it again I would possibly skip the monestery so we could spend more time in Oia and snorkeling. All the adults enjoyed this tour very much and Catherine's company but this was by far my daughters favorite tour because of the snorkeling. Amoudi Bay was too difficult for the older adults to get to, but there were great restaurants on the shore for them to enjoy. The path was no problem for my daughters and they had a great time snorkeling with the fish and jumping off the church on St Nicholas rock. By the way, we arrived on a large cruise ship so it took quite a while to get to the top (and back to the bottom). Elderly members of our party could not make the donkey trail so they had to wait in the long line for the cable car. If possible I would recommend taking the trail so you get more time to enjoy the island.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thank you for your glowing review! We're thrilled to hear that we provided an excellent tour experience and that you enjoyed Santorini despite the crowds. We appreciate your feedback about the itinerary and will consider offering more time in Oia and snorkeling. Taking the trail is a great suggestion for a more immersive experience. We hope to welcome you back soon for another memorable tour!

Excellent Tour of Santorini

Brittany_W, Oct 2019

This tour was wonderful, and was a great way to view Santorini. Marcos was so friendly and knowledgeable. He took us through Santorini and kept us entertained the whole time. This tour was perfect, and would not have been the same if Marcos hadn't been such a excellent tour guide.

Amazing Tour Guide

Ying_L, Sep 2019

Marco was such a great tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his job and country. We learned so much from him and was delighted with the places that he took us. My family and I were really pleased with his service and would highly recommend everyone to use their service.

Good But Very Rushed

Anthony_R, Sep 2019

We went during a very busy time. I would suggest to visit the city and see the views and skip the wine tasting. This would be a more pleasant trip.

Wow! What a Great Impression!

Jenny H, Aug 2019

Our trip was originally separated into 2 groups because of the amount of people we had on the tour. What a great surprise when Katrina showed up and said they had a larger van and all of us would be able to go in one van. First, I have to say she is fantastic! We had a great time learning about this beautiful place with her as our tour guide. Since it is a private tour we were able to tailor it. Even at the last minute when we wanted to purchase wine and stopped at the winery. She also allowed us time to see the blue domes, we went to a great lookout spot up by the monastery to take pics and finally we hit the beach! This was a welcomed stop by the entire group since the temps that day were in the 100s and the water was cold but beautiful as well. It is a total consensus that this was by far one of the best tours we took while on our trip. Thank you Katrina! You are truly a great ambassador to Santorini! Yamas!!

First timers

Susan_B, May 2019

We would rate this tour a 10 if we could. What an enjoyable morning! Our guide Marcos was on time at the pick up point and impressed us at that point and all through the tour. He showed us all that he could in the allotted time. Very passionate and knowledgeable about Santorini! He would stop anytime we wanted to take pictures and answered all questions. He is a very safe driver on the old narrow roads. We highly recommend this tour with Marcos.

Personal touch with a lot of information and history

Gail T, May 2019

Our guide was Markos and he was very excited and friendly. His conversation style was very dramatic was made the trip more exciting. He took us all over the island and told us so much about our stop. He also took us to a winery that was owned by third generation family. At the winery we were served different wines along with several tasty treats all which were for sale there. We loved the owners and Marcos

Excellent Experience

Robyn N, Oct 2018

We traveled in Santorini via a cruise ship for our honeymoon end of August 2018. We had a private tour with Markos who was amazing. He was incredibly knowledgable, very energetic, and kept us laughing with good conversation the entire time. He even helped us get a reservation with a great view for dinner. We got to see Oia, a black beach, went up to one of the highest points in Santorini for great pictures. He was even going to take us to a winery, but I was too concerned to get back to the ship in time I'm sure it would've been fun. The van he drove was impeccable, very clean. If we're ever back in Santorini we'd definitely book this type of tour again!

Santorini Half-Day Tour

Susan S, Sep 2018

Our guide was knowledgable, but spent a lot of time talking about himself. Feel we didn't see everything that was planned.

This tour was absolutely amazing. Our...

Shannon M, Sep 2018

This tour was absolutely amazing. Our guide Kathrin was beautiful and kind. Very knowledgable and lots of fun. Mum and I both have mobility issues and Katherin made sure we were looked after at all times and that we did everything we wanted to at our own pace. We were late getting into the cruise port, but this was not an issue, as Kathrin was waiting for us and managed to make up time quickly so that we didn't miss out on anything we had planned. We were comfortable and felt welcome at all times and even managed to get some great photos as Kathrin offered to be our personal photographer. At our request, she joined us for lunch and helped us pick out some local cuisine and continued to provide detailed information about the produce of the area and the local customs. It was my birthday and Kathrin also ensured that it was extra special with a generous little surprise! Honestly, we can not recommend this tour enough and are just so happy that we booked this one over all of the others out there. If you have mobility issues, then consider these guys, as they really know how to look after you.

Excellent Personal Tour of Santorini

mchag0ya, Aug 2018

Love our personal tour guide. He showed us places of Santorini that we would not have seen outside of a personal guide. His knowledge was most excellent of the sites he drove us too. Would totally recommend this tour.

Excellent Santorini Tour

Neill M, Aug 2018

My family and I had a private tour in Santorini. We were in a cruise ship and we got delayed because the ship cannot dock on the pier and we have to be tendered. We have to wait in line to be transported to the island and again a very long line in getting a ticket to the tram to transport us to (Thira) the main town, Marcos our tour guide was patiently waiting when we arrived. He took us to his van and had a 30 min ride to Oia and was excellent in giving us the history, the main tourist spots, the state of the economy of Santorini and Greece in general and some interesting facts. he made our 30 min round trip ride very interesting. I like his passion and love of what he is doing. You will not get bored with this guy!

Great tour

Abegail_V, Aug 2018

Our guide Marcus was great. He was very engaging. He asked us about what we want to see and also provided us with recommendations/insider tips about the island.

We go to Santorini with Celebrity...

Katherine_K, May 2018

We go to Santorini with Celebrity Reflection beginning of May. This is a very good season to visit. We're a party of 6 and we have our own van. The guide is Arsenios and he's great! He is very knowledgeable of everywhere we go and every question we ask he has an answer for it. He is very helpful and flexible. Since we are a private group, he doesn't mind going all over the island even it's not mentioned in our tour description. He loves his island and wants to share everything he knows about it with us. We like his attitude and I think he takes us around and we must have been to almost the whole Santorini, from North to South, East to West. We really enjoy the tour and we thank Arsenios for what he has done extra for us!

Let me start by saying I'd give this...

jenB, Oct 2017

Let me start by saying I'd give this 10 stars if that were an option! Just an overall fantastic and special day! My husband and I are quickly becoming the two best promoters of Viator.com! Arsenios greeted us at the top of the cable cars, those views! Santorini is a tender port and we were late by 20 minutes, due to the folks with ship arranged shore excursions departing first. The independents and there were lots of us, left right after. So, Arsenios wasn't concerned at all, greeted us with a big smile and quickly set about finding out what he could do to customize our time in Santorini. He listened to our needs, our limitations, etc and quickly came up with a plan. We were in a very comfortable van with a very good and careful driver so felt very secure and comfortable. Mostly, we felt lucky to have been paired with Arsenios as he is an incredibly knowledgeable person and also very charming. We saw the entire island, from end to end. He brought us to his favourite bakery and ordered snacks for us everyone spoke Greek so this was helpful!. Although he declined our offer to buy him something there, you could tell he was happy to be asked. He is very gracious and appreciative. He welcomed our many questions, patiently answering them all! This was the most amazingly special island. We learned so much from Arsenios that we just want to come back and stay for a nice visit and discover even more! Thank you Arsenios! You gave us a great experience, designed just for us! We are so very appreciative! We can't recommend this tour enough! You will not be disappointed, rather you will be thrilled you did!

We had a wonderful time on the First...

Shilpee S, Oct 2017

We had a wonderful time on the First Impressions Tour. Words fall short to describe Marcos's enthusiasm, friendliness and knowledge about Santorini. Within the tour he gave us such deep insight into Greek history and culture that it felt like a crash course. And he gave an amazing tour of Akrotiri and Oia - he knew the exact spots to visit and helped us capture the scenic beauty. It felt like we were visiting an old friend - shared experiences, stories, family history, and of course jokes. Thank you Marcos for a wonderful day!

If you were only to do one thing...

Gavin G, Oct 2017

If you were only to do one thing while in Santorini, do this tour!! In just four short hours we felt a deep spiritual connection to this magical place and feel that we have made a lifelong friend in our guide, Machado. He took us to the top of the island where we had a 360 degree view - absolutely incredible. As he put it, even better than google maps! He had planned to take us to the black sand beaches but because we are history nerds we preferred seeing the archaeological site in Akrotiri. This place was mind blowing as it shows 3 levels of ancient Minoan history dating back to 1600 BC. He helped us find an archaeologist there who had a deeper understanding of the site and was able to give us an in depth tour in about 45 minutes. When we finished there we went to an incredible spot for the sunset that no tourists seemed to know about. There by ourselves, he led us to the edge of the cliffs, where a little cave church sat. He was able to take us inside this special place, and we each took a moment there and lit some candles, then walked outside to see the most gorgeous sunset I've ever witnessed. On our way home we talked about our families and the future and made a genuine, lasting connection with our guide. To me, this is what booking a tour is all about - having the flexibility to see whatever you want, an attentive guide that caters to your preferences and can take you to hidden spots, and making a real connection with someone who has lived on the island their entire life - his love for this special place was infectious and left us all wishing we could stay there forever. It was a surreal experience, even 1 week later as I write this review I have a big smile on my face and a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I've done a dozen or so Viator tours and can say this easily was the most special I've been on. Highly, highly recommend!!