Santorini: Oia & Prophet Elias with Wine Tasting & Akrotiri

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/39

Duration5h–7h

GroupUp to 24

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Whitewashed cliffs and volcanic wine: a half-day or full-day loop through Santorini's real villages

You spend a half-day or full-day in a small group (up to 12 people) moving through Santorini's villages and viewpoints with a local guide and air-conditioned transport. The classic tour covers Oia, Pyrgos, Prophet Elias Monastery, and an optional wine tasting; the full-day adds Akrotiri's ancient ruins, Red Beach's volcanic cliffs, and Emporio's medieval streets. All transport, water, and guide time are included; entry fees to Akrotiri (€20) and wine tasting (€20) are optional add-ons you pay separately.

5h–7h

Step-by-step itinerary

Santorini classic highlights and wine tasting

Meet your guide at meeting point
Explore Oia village streets
Visit Pyrgos village
See views from Prophet Elias Monastery
Enjoy 4-course wine tasting

The Experience

The minivan pulls up to your meeting point in the early morning, and you step in with maybe a dozen other people—small enough that you're not herded, big enough that the driver knows the roads. Your guide is local, someone who grew up on the island and still lives here, and the first stop is Oia: the village everyone comes to see, but you're arriving early enough that the light is still soft and the streets aren't yet a river of phone cameras. You walk through the whitewashed lanes, duck under bougainvillea, and the caldera opens up in front of you—that blue that photographs never quite capture. It's real, and it's there, and you stand in it for as long as you want.

From Oia you head to Pyrgos, a village that feels like it belongs to the island rather than to tourism. Twenty minutes to wander the narrow streets, see the Venetian castle ruins, watch the light change on the stone. Then comes Prophet Elias Monastery, the highest point on Santorini, where the views stretch across the whole caldera and out to the neighboring islands. The monastery itself is small and working—you can feel the quiet of it. If you've chosen the wine tasting option (€20 per person), you stop next at a local winery overlooking the vineyards, and spend an hour learning how Santorini's volcanic soil makes the wine taste the way it does. The winery owner or staff walk you through a four-course tasting, and you taste the difference between what they made ten years ago and what they're making now.

If you've booked the full-day tour instead of the classic one, the afternoon opens up differently. You visit Akrotiri Excavations—the "Pompeii of the Aegean," though that phrase doesn't quite do it justice. You're standing in a Minoan city that was buried in volcanic ash around 1600 BCE, and the preservation is so complete you can see the grooves where wooden beams once sat, the frescoes still holding color, the drainage systems that show how sophisticated these people were. Entry is €20 per person, separate from the tour price. After that, you stop at the Red Beach viewpoint, where the volcanic cliffs drop straight into the water in shades of rust and crimson, and then you wind through Emporio Village, a medieval maze with a castle at the top and narrow alleys that feel like they haven't changed in centuries. The full day runs 7.5 hours; the classic tour is 5.5 hours and skips Akrotiri, Red Beach, and Emporio.

Throughout both tours, you're in an air-conditioned minivan with a driver who knows where to stop so you're not rushed, and water is included. The walking is moderate—comfortable shoes matter, and so does sunscreen. If you're arriving on a cruise ship, you'll need to give your ship name and docking times when you book, so the guide can time your return. The tour operates in all weather, which on Santorini usually means sun, but bring a light jacket for the evening if it's windy up at the monastery.

What’s included

Your tour includes transport in an air-conditioned minivan, a local tour leader, bottled water, all taxes and fees, and fuel surcharge.
Both the classic (5.5 hours) and full-day (7.5 hours) tours cover Oia, Pyrgos, and Prophet Elias Monastery.
The full-day tour also includes Akrotiri Excavations, Red Beach viewpoint, and Emporio Village.
Wine tasting at a local winery (€20 per person) is optional on both tours.
Entry to Akrotiri (€20 per person) is separate and only available on the full-day option.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditions

Operated by Argyros Travel

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to see Santorini's main villages and viewpoints in one morning or afternoon without renting a car or navigating the island yourself—the fixed schedule and local guide handle the route, timing, and stops, leaving you free to look and photograph.