Santorini Private Tour with Local Guide: Customize Your Day

Build your own route through Oia, mountain villages and the caldera rim.

A private tour of Santorini with a local driver-guide and hotel pickup, where you set the itinerary and choose between 3 to 6 hours on the island. The guide speaks English and the vehicle is air-conditioned. You pick which landmarks to visit: Oia's blue domes and narrow streets, the highest point at Prophet Elias for panoramic views, traditional villages like Megalochori, the Red Beach, or the Three Bells of Fira overlooking the caldera. Bottled water and WiFi are included. A baby seat is available on request, and cruise passengers can arrange to skip the cable car with a water taxi instead.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Santorini's iconic sights

• Visit Oia Castle and blue domes
• Take photos at Ammoudi Bay
• See Chapel of Agios Nektarios
• Visit the small blue-domed chapel
• Explore traditional village Megalochori
• Visit lighthouse at Akrotiri peninsula
• Stop at Firostefani village
• Relax at Santorini's Red Beach
• See the Three Bells of Fira

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel, Airbnb, airport or cruise port, and the route is entirely yours to shape. A local guide who speaks English drives an air-conditioned vehicle and knows the island well enough to adapt to what you want to see. You might spend time in Oia wandering its whitewashed streets and photographing the blue-domed church, or head to Prophet Elias at 550 meters, the island's highest point, where the views stretch across the caldera, villages and the Aegean in all directions. The chapel there is dedicated to Saint Nektarios, a Greek Orthodox saint, and the vantage point is built for a camera.

Other stops are yours to choose: Megalochori, a preserved traditional village with stone houses and an ancient cave at its heart; Firostefani, a smaller village known for its blue-domed churches and volcano views; the Red Beach with its striking volcanic cliffs and red sand; the lighthouse on the Akrotiri peninsula; or the Three Bells of Fira, the postcard-perfect church perched on the caldera edge. You decide which ones fit the time you've booked (3, 4, 5 or 6 hours), and the guide adjusts the route accordingly. If you want to stay longer, you can extend the tour at checkout.

Cruise passengers have the option to skip the cable car and take a water taxi to the port instead, arranged in advance for an extra charge. Bottled water and WiFi are on board. A baby seat is available if you're traveling with an infant. The vehicle returns you to wherever you started, on your schedule.

What’s included

• Hotel, Airbnb, airport or cruise port pickup and drop-off.
• air-conditioned private vehicle.
• local English-speaking driver-guide.
• bottled water.
• WiFi on board.
• baby seat upon request.
• the option to customize your itinerary and choose your tour length between 3 and 6 hours.

Options for this experience

4 options

3-Hour Private Guided TourGuide in English · 65 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 18:00Guided tour lasting 3 hours in a standard air-conditioned car. Pickup and drop-off from any place on the island. Mercedes Benz or similar, seats 10; VIP. Pickup is included.

4-Hour Private Guided TourGuide in English · 65 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 18:00Guided tour lasting 4 hours in a standard air-conditioned car. Pickup and drop-off from any place on the island. Mercedes Benz or similar, seats 10; VIP. Pickup is included.

5-Hour Private Guided TourGuide in English · 61 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 17:00Duration of 5 hours; Mercedes Benz or similar, seats 10; VIP. Pickup is included.

6-Hour Private Guided TourGuide in English · 34 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 12:306-hour private tour lasting 6 hours in a Mercedes Benz or similar vehicle. Pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day65 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 18:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (17 to 90 years) · Youth (6 to 16 years) · Child (2 to 5 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Brothers Travel

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to set your own pace and choose which landmarks matter to you (Oia's streets, a mountain viewpoint, a traditional village, or a beach) rather than follow a fixed itinerary. The flexibility is what makes it work for couples, families, groups and cruise passengers with different interests and time constraints.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 16 years); Child (2 to 5 years); Infant (under 2): free.

Can I visit Oia and still see other parts of Santorini in one tour?

Yes. Oia is one stop you can include, and the guide will fit other landmarks around it depending on your tour length and preferences. A 4-hour tour typically covers Oia plus one or two other sites. Longer tours allow for more stops across the island.

What is Prophet Elias and why is it worth visiting?

Prophet Elias is a chapel at 550 meters, the highest point on Santorini, offering panoramic views of the entire island: the caldera, villages, and the Aegean Sea all visible from one spot. It's a spiritual site dedicated to Saint Nektarios and a natural choice for photography and orientation.

If I'm arriving by cruise ship, how do I avoid the cable car line?

You can request the skip-the-cable-car option at checkout, and a water taxi will take you to the port instead of the cable car. This is arranged in advance for an additional charge and is designed to get you back to the ship on time.

How long should I book if I want to see multiple villages and beaches?

A 5 or 6-hour tour gives you time to visit a traditional village like Megalochori, reach a viewpoint like Prophet Elias or Firostefani, and stop at a beach or landmark like the Red Beach or the Three Bells of Fira. A 3-hour tour works for one or two highlights. 4 hours adds a third stop comfortably.

Is lunch included in the tour?

Lunch is not included. The tour covers transport, the guide and access to sites. You choose where and when to eat, and the guide can recommend restaurants in the villages you visit.