Santorini Day Tour: Akrotiri, Villages, Wine and Sunset

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/18

Duration10h

GroupUp to 50

LanguagesEN · FR +1

PickupAt your hotel

See Santorini's archaeology, villages and sunset without arranging the stops yourself

A full-day guided tour of Santorini by air-conditioned bus covers the Akrotiri Archaeological Site with a licensed archaeologist, the medieval villages of Pyrgos and Emporio, a local winery with three wine tastings, and free time in Oia for the sunset. The tour runs 10 hours with pickup and drop-off from selected meeting points across the island; entrance to Akrotiri is included, though the site closes November through March. Live guides speak English, Spanish, French or German depending on the option you choose at checkout.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Santorini's highlights and sunset

Drive through narrow village streets
Guided tour at Akrotiri excavation site
Walking tour in Emporio village
Free time for lunch and swim
Drive around Pyrgos village
Visit local winery for wine tasting
Transfer to Oia village
Free time exploring Oia
Enjoy Oia sunset

The Experience

The bus picks you up from your meeting point and heads to Oia first, driving through its narrow streets so you see the village layout before the crowds arrive. From there you move to the Akrotiri Archaeological Site, where a licensed archaeologist leads a guided tour through the Minoan ruins — this is the only stop with formal instruction, and it anchors the morning. After Akrotiri comes a walking tour of Emporio, the medieval village inland from the coast, then free time to swim, eat lunch or rest at the black sand beach before the afternoon resumes.

The route then takes you to Pyrgos, another hilltop village where you drive around to see its architecture and history without a separate walking section. A visit to a local winery follows, where you taste three Santorini wines in a private area — this is the only structured tasting on the tour. The final stop is Oia itself, where you have free time to explore the village and watch the sunset, then the bus returns you to your starting point. The whole day runs about 10 hours from pickup to drop-off.

An air-conditioned bus and a driver-guide handle the logistics, so you move between stops without navigating or parking. The archaeologist joins only at Akrotiri; the driver-guide handles the rest of the commentary. Note that Akrotiri closes from November through March, so winter dates visit different sites instead. If you're arriving by cruise ship at the old port in Fira, you'll need to take the cable car up to Fira town and walk to the departure point yourself — that cable car costs about 10 euros each way.

What’s included

Driver-guide and air-conditioned bus for all 10 hours.
licensed archaeologist for the Akrotiri guided tour.
entrance fee to Akrotiri Archaeological Site (except November–March).
wine tasting of three local Santorini varieties at a private winery area.
pickup and drop-off from selected meeting points across the island.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by NST Santorini Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want the main sights and the Akrotiri archaeology in one day without driving or navigating between stops yourself — the fixed route and included transport mean the day holds together. If you're arriving by cruise ship, factor in the cable car ride from the old port to Fira town before the tour begins.