Santorini Private Customizable Tour: Design Your Own Day

Plan the stops, skip the rest, and move at your own pace

A private customizable land tour in Santorini pairs you with a local guide and driver for 3 to 8 hours, letting you choose which sites to visit and how long to stay at each one. Hotel, port or airport pickup is included; cruise passengers board at the cable car exit. You design the day around what interests you — famous landmarks like Oia and the Monastery of Profitis Ilias, hidden villages like Pyrgos, beaches, archaeological sites, or wineries — and the guide handles the route and the driving.

Step-by-step itinerary

Customizable private Santorini tour

• Meet local guide at cable car
• Visit Oia for cliff views
• See Skaros rock and volcano photos
• Explore white houses and alleys
• Walk on Perissa black sand beach
• Visit cliffside panoramic spot
• Discover volcanic landscape at Red Beach
• Tour Monastery of Profitis Ilias
• Explore Pyrgos village and castle
• Visit medieval Emporio village
• Walk ancient walls of Akrotiri
• See Windmills of Emporio
• Tour Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum
• Visit Art Space Winery in Exo Gonia
• Enjoy Ftelos Brewery Santorini

The Experience

What makes this different from a set itinerary is that you're not following someone else's schedule. You tell your guide what you want to see — whether that's the sunset in Oia, the black sand of Perissa Beach, the ancient Minoan settlement at Akrotiri, or the panoramic views from Pyrgos village — and they build the day around it. The guide offers recommendations based on your interests and the time you've booked, but the stops and the pace are yours to decide. If you want to linger at Red Beach or skip it entirely, that's the call you make.

The vehicle is air-conditioned and the driver is your guide, so there's no separate commentary track or rushed transitions between stops. You get live information about what you're seeing — the history of the villages, the volcanic landscape, why certain spots matter — woven into the actual experience of being there. For cruise passengers, pickup happens right outside the cable car exit, which means no hunting for a meeting point after you've disembarked. For hotel or airport arrivals, the driver collects you from your accommodation or terminal.

The duration options range from 3 hours to 8 hours, and the transportation time is built into that total, not added on top. Some tours include a sunset component — the 4-hour and 5-hour options with sunset in Oia are separate bookings if that's what you want. Admission fees to sites like Akrotiri and wine tastings at places like Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum or Art Space Winery are optional and paid separately; the same goes for cable car tickets if you're a cruise passenger needing a return ride. Food and drinks are on you, though the guide can point you toward seaside restaurants or local spots worth trying.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide who speaks English or Greek.
• hotel, port or airport pickup and drop-off (cable car exit for cruise passengers).
• live commentary about the sites and villages you visit.
• the flexibility to design your own stops and timing within your chosen duration.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Cyclades Shine

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to move at your own pace and skip the standard stops everyone else sees. The private format and customizable itinerary work best for couples, families or small groups who know what they want to explore — or who want a guide to help them figure it out without being locked into a fixed schedule.

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Top questions

What stops can I choose from on a Santorini private customizable tour?

The guide can take you to Oia for sunset views, Pyrgos village with its Venetian castle and blue-domed churches, the Monastery of Profitis Ilias at the island's highest point, Perissa Beach for black sand and swimming, Red Beach for volcanic scenery, the ancient Minoan town at Akrotiri, Emporio village and its windmills, or any of several wineries including Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum and Art Space Winery. You pick which ones fit your interests and the time you've booked.

How does pickup work if I'm arriving by cruise ship?

Cruise passengers are picked up right outside the cable car exit, so you don't need to arrange a meeting point elsewhere on the port. The driver will be waiting for you there at your scheduled time.

Is food included in the tour?

Food and drinks are not included, but your guide can recommend seaside restaurants near Perissa Beach or local spots in villages like Pyrgos where you can eat. You pay for meals separately and the guide can adjust the itinerary to include a lunch stop if you want one.

Do I have to pay extra for wine tastings or museum entry?

Yes. Admission to Akrotiri archaeological site, wine tastings at wineries, and cable car tickets for cruise passengers returning to the port are optional and charged separately. Your guide can arrange these stops if you're interested, but they're not part of the base tour price.

How long does the tour actually take if I book a 4-hour option?

The 4-hour booking includes transportation time, so if you book 4 hours, that's the total time you have with the guide and driver — not 4 hours of sightseeing plus driving on top. The guide helps you fit the stops you want into that window.

Can I extend the tour if I'm having a good time?

Yes. The tour description notes that you have the option to extend your tour, so if you want more time, you can arrange that with your guide during the day.