Santorini Small Group Tour: Skip the Cable Car, See Four Villages

Swim at a black sand beach and savor fresh seafood in a seaside taverna

A half-day guided tour of Santorini in a small group, traveling by air-conditioned minibus with a local English-speaking guide to Oia, Megalochori, Firostefani and Black Beach Perivolos. The tour skips the cable car entirely, and includes an hour of free time at the beach to swim or have lunch at a traditional taverna. Children from age 5 are welcome. Bottled water and all local taxes are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Santorini island highlights tour

• Visit picturesque village of Oia
• Explore Firostefani and blue dome church
• Discover traditional village of Megalochori
• Free time at Black Beach Perivolos

The experience

The minibus picks up in the morning and heads straight to Oia, the village built into the Caldera's slope where the traditional Cycladic houses line footpaths above the sea. This is the stop people come to Santorini for, the one in every photograph, and you get time to walk it without a guide narrating every corner. From there the route moves to Firostefani, elevated enough that it earned the name "crown of Fira," where the Blue Domed Church sits as the island's most recognizable landmark. The guide explains what you're seeing as you move between stops, but the pace is yours once you arrive.

Megalochori comes next, a 17th-century settlement with narrow streets, historical mansions built around inner courtyards, and the kind of quiet that makes it feel separate from the busier parts of the island. Then the minibus takes you to Black Beach at Perivolos, the longest black sand stretch on Santorini and the busiest one. You get a full hour here: enough time to swim, change, and sit down at one of the tavernas along the beach to eat seafood and drink like someone who lives there, not like a tourist passing through. The minibus waits. The driver knows when to collect you.

The air-conditioned vehicle matters on a Santorini afternoon, and so does traveling in a group small enough that the guide can actually talk to you instead of addressing a crowd. You avoid the cable car queues entirely, which saves time and the negotiation of whether to pay for the descent. Bottled water is in the minibus. The whole thing runs five hours, which is long enough to see the island's character without eating the whole day.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned minibus throughout the tour.
• experienced local guide who speaks English.
• bottled water.
• all local taxes and fees.

Options for this experience

3 options

Semi-private small group, 3 hoursUp to 14 people · Guide in English · 09:45, 10:00, 15:00 and 15:15Semi-private small group, 3 hours: this option includes two stops, in Oia to see the famous blue domes and in Firostefani for the Caldera views. Duration: 3 hours

Semi-private small group sightseeing tour of SantoriniUp to 15 people · Guide in English · 09:45, 10:00, 15:00 and 15:15Semi-private, 5 hours

Skip the Santorini cable carUp to 15 people · Guide in English · 10:15, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00Skip the cable car on arrival: the shared tour includes a boat transfer on arrival, so there is no need to use the cable car, and the tour ends in Fira town. Included in the tour price: a private boat transfer on arrival with no additional fees. Duration: 5 hours. Pickup at the Old Port by Mercedes-Benz minibus. Please book an early tender directly with your cruise ship's staff to make sure you arrive on time.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 09:45, the last at 15:15

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (18 to 70 years) · Youth (5 to 17 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on site€ 10

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guided half-day loop through four villages plus Black Beach with transport handled. Choose this over self-driving if you prefer someone else navigating the island's steep roads and parking.

Traveler reviews

4.85★★★★★★★★★★

78 verified traveler reviews

5 ★72

4 ★3

3 ★1

2 ★1

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 17 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What is there to do at Black Beach Perivolos during the free hour?

Black Beach Perivolos is Santorini's longest and busiest black sand beach, with traditional tavernas along the shore. You can swim in the sea, change and dry off, or sit down at one of the restaurants to order seafood and drinks: the minibus stays with the group and collects you when the hour is up.

Do I need to book cable car tickets separately, or does the tour skip them entirely?

The tour skips the cable car completely, so you don't need to book or pay for tickets. The minibus takes you directly to each village and beach, which is why it's called the "Skip Santorini Cable Car" tour.

Is the guide English-speaking, and will they explain what we're seeing at each stop?

Yes, the guide speaks English and is a local expert on Santorini's history and culture. They explain the villages and landmarks as you move through them, though you have free time to explore on your own once you arrive at each location.

What's included in the tour price, and what costs extra?

The tour includes the minibus with air conditioning, the local English-speaking guide, bottled water, and all local taxes. Lunch and drinks at the taverna on Black Beach are not included. You pay for what you order. Sunbeds at the beach are also separate.

How long is the whole tour, and when does it start?

The tour runs for five hours total. If you're arriving by cruise ship, provide your ship's name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time at booking so the operator can schedule a departure that gets you back in time.