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Santorini Cultural Tour: Traditional Villages and Akrotiri Excavation
5.0
84 Ratings
Pyrgos
Immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of Santorini on this 4-hour private tour. Explore traditional villages, visit ancient excavations, and experience the unique architecture of the island. Book now for an authentic and unforgettable journey!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Pyrgos - Start your cultural experience with the village of Pyrgos, the oldest village in Santorini, known as the island’s “historic monument”. Built on the top of a hill, this settlement holds a 16th century Venetian castle. A charming location to wander around, built by the locals to fortify the area into small alleys and circle shape roads. The village is surrounded by vineyards, blue domed churches, narrow cave houses with charming balconies and pebbled paths.
- Megalochori - Traditional Village - Continue to Megalochori one of the most picturesque and quaint villages of the island with typical and classical Cycladic houses dug into the volcanic rock. The scenery includes white washed tower bells, underground caves and churches with blue domes. Stroll around the narrow pathways of this non touristy settlement, enjoy your Greek coffee at the pebble stone square and get involved with locals lifestyle & culture.
- Castelli of Emporio - Discover Emporio, the entry to another past era and the island’s commercial center during the Venetian occupation. In Medieval times, the inhabitants of this village used to build their houses side by side in small quaint streets, so that they could shield themselves against the pirates. An exploration of the well-maintained castle constructed in the mid-15th century will give you a lovely sentiment as you walk through its paths.
- Akrotiri Archaeological Site - Explore Akrotiri Archaeological Site and go back into time to marvel the secrets and wonders of this lost ancient city. This 4000 year old Bronze age settlement prospered for centuries before being eradicated by a great volcanic eruption. Eventually it was buried in Volcanic Ash, which ironically helped to protect the artifacts from being destroyed. Stroll through the ancient walls and take a glimpse of a Minoan town with the 3-story buildings, well preserved frescoes, an elaborate drainage system and much more.
- Santorini - Enjoy a 5-Hour private journey on a deluxe and comfortable vehicle. Your experienced local driver/guide will pick you up at the time and place of your choice and share his knowledge of Santorini’s culture, traditions and curiosities. Your private experience with us will be flexible and customized to suit your preferences.
What's Included
- Round-trip transfers from hotel, port, or airport
- Complimentary bottled water
- Free entry to Akrotiri Archaeological Site
- Expert local driver/guide
- Deluxe, air-conditioned private van
- Maps and engaging live commentary
What's Not Included
- Cable car tickets (6 EUR per person, per ride) for cruise ship travelers
Additional Information
Explore unique and fresh locations with a genuine and authentic journey. This 4-hour private tour will provide you with a connection to the heart of Santorini, its history and way of life. Your local guide/driver will lead you to the traditional villages of Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio & the renowned ruins of Akrotiri in a plush and comfortable van. Engage with the local customs as you stroll along picturesque trails, delving into the island’s past and Greek culture. Experience Venetian fortifications, gain knowledge about the island’s distinctive architecture and delve into the renowned excavations of the ancient town of Akrotiri. Departure time and pick-up location are tailor-made according to your preferences. Decide your own departure time for an unforgettable journey.
- Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Your guide/driver is not allowed to guide within Akrotiri’s Excavations. You may hire one of the licensed guides in Archaeology provided by the site
- The itinerary can be customized to suit your preferences
Location
Pyrgos
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(84 Ratings)
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Q8673mdstephaniea
May 17, 2024
Great way to experience Santorini - We had a great time. A family of four, 2 parents and two young adult children, our guide Alex helped make this tour active enough and historical enough for everyone involved. He checked in with us to help decide what all we wanted to see as we went along and gave great suggestions along the way as well as interesting information about the island. He is a fantastic driver along the crazy roads of Santorini, always seemed to know a secret parking spot to keep the tour flowing nicely - no small feat on this island! He made sure to take us along roads we hadn’t been before and see new things. All in all, a wonderful way to experience Santorini with a great guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marjorie_e
May 1, 2024
Great tour of Santorini - Michael’s friendliness, knowledge and effort to plan the best trip for us made this a five star experience. We would definitely recommend it!
Review provided by Viator
Donald_l
May 1, 2024
Memorable travel back in time - Vasilis was an enthusiastic and accommodating guide. He was very knowledgeable and especially proud of his hometown and family history in Emporio. Akrotiri is a must-see!
Review provided by Viator
Dennis_s
Apr 25, 2024
Great Tour of the Island of Santorini - Vasilis from Santorini Road Trips was a terrific tour guide. He is native to the island and very passionate about its history and culture. He met us at the top of the cable car in Fira and put himself and a very comfortable Mercedes Van at our disposal for the next 4 hours. We enjoyed touring several small villages including Vasilis's home village while he narrated the history of each. Walking through the very narrow streets typical of Santorini and seeing the underground "homes" was a memorable experience. Next we went to Akrotiri and spent an interesting hour touring the ruins. Next we went to a winery to sample some excellent Santorini wines. Finally, he dropped us off at the Santorini Archeological Museum, which was an easy walk to the cable car. I would highly recommend this tour as an opportunity to see the island and get away from the immensely crowded, expensive and touristy towns of Oia and Fira. I also highly recommend Vasilis as an interesting and stimulating tour guide. This tour is a bargain considering the personal service and the quality of the vehicle and driver/guide.
Review provided by Viator
Chrissie_s
Nov 21, 2023
Santorini tour - The cave houses, ruins, windmills and friendly tour guide were highlights of this excursion. Van was very comfortable.
Review provided by Viator
Alexandrasf5442ef
Oct 29, 2023
Santorini saunter 🩵 - Thank you Panagiota for being our fabulous guide and showing us around your beautiful island home. You made our first trip to Santorini truly memorable.
You are a genuinely beautiful person, keep smiling! Until we meet again Panagiota, our new Greek friend! Yiasou!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D2033vrellens
Oct 11, 2023
Amazing experience! - This tour was wonderful! Panagiota was a great guide, she knew so much about Santorini history - and she took us to a cafe to get the best baklava!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
407sophiej
Oct 1, 2023
Lazaros was a phenomenal guide!! - Lazaros was a phenomenal tour guide. He was extremely friendly, attentive and courteous. He elevated our tour experience and made our day with him very memorable. He showed us Santorini with such natural enthusiasm and flair, and he did an exceptional job which surpassed all of our tour experiences thus far.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brian_w
Sep 28, 2023
Enjoyable island villages tour - Stavros, our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. He showed us several villages around the island and kept the pace appropriate for this older couple. The only suggestion would be to add the monastery as a stop. I would recommend Stavros and this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Virginia_r
Oct 30, 2023
Disappointing. - Climbing to the church and castle on the highest point of the island. I was not happy with the car supplied -- very poor vision out of small windows and high front seat back. Our guide was polite, but not very good with information.
Review provided by Viator
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