Best of Santorini Private Half-Day: Oia, Red Beach & Hidden Gems
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Santorini rewards those who know where to look — and when to leave the crowds behind. This private half-day tour puts you in control: choose your own pace, linger at the spots that move you, and skip the ones that don't. Your guide adapts the route in real time, so no two tours are ever quite the same.
Start in the iconic village of Oia, where whitewashed alleys spill toward one of the world's most photographed views. Continue to the Monastery of Prophet Elias for panoramic island vistas, then descend to the dramatic Red and Black Beaches — volcanic landscapes unlike anything else in the Mediterranean.
Want to stop longer at the caldera? Skip a busy site for a quieter village? Just say the word.
Highlights
Oia's blue-domed churches and caldera views
Monastery of Prophet Elias and sweeping panoramas
Volcanic Red and Black Beaches
Optional vineyard visit with wine tasting (extra cost)
Fully flexible itinerary, customized to your group
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Wear loose-fitting, light clothing and a comfortable pair of tennis shoes
Bring money for souvenirs, meals, snacks, and entry fees for museums
Sandals or flip flops for the beach
Bring a swimsuit, sunblock, and towels to enjoy an afternoon swim
A hat and sunglasses are recommended even with air conditioning
What To Expect
Fira
The capital of the island
Oia
Picturesque village
Options
5-hour Private Guided Tour of Santorini
Pickup included
What‘s Included
WiFi on board
Bottled water
Local guide with insider knowledge of the island
Safe and comfortable air-conditioned mini-bus
All taxes
Wine tasting at a local vineyard
Cable car fees
Food and beverages
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
58 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Ted : Our Tour Guide
Stay63277509567,May 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ted made our Santorini experience truly unforgettable. From the moment the tour began, his warmth, knowledge, and effortless storytelling stood out. He didn’t just show us the island—he brought it to life with fascinating history, local insights, and little details we would have completely missed on our own. Whether it was navigating the charming streets, pointing out hidden gems, or recommending the best spots for photos, food, and sunsets—he nailed it every time. His passion for Santorini is genuinely contagious, and you can tell he loves what he does. The pacing of the tour was perfect—not rushed, but never dull—and everything was well-organized. We had a great time 😊♥️
Private tour of Santorini
NorthStar66592679149,Sep 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful private tour with Greece Holiday Tours, all perfectly arranged by Nick. Our driver and guide, Billy, was fantastic! He took us to many of Santorini’s highlights, including Fira, Oia, the monastery, the lighthouse, and even a refreshing swim at the beautiful black sand beach. A big thank you to Nick — and especially to Billy — for making our day so memorable. – Gerard and Susan
Just a simple class act experience.
charlesos2023,Aug 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Just a simple class act experience. From start to finish, everything was excellent. We where in Santorini for 4 days and used Nikko's and team services for all that we needed: transport other tours and bookings. Always on time and so knowledgeable. We felt in confidence and never concerned. Wish partners like him where everywhere.
An Excellent and Authentic Santorini Adventure
F6116CPtarab,Jul 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wow! What an amazing experience! Our guides, Billy and Nick, were amazing! Very professional and knowledgable. It was a fun day filled with stops at places we would have never known about. Great way to see the island of Santorini. Fantastic picture opportunities. We were two families with six teenagers from the US! Highly recommend this tour. The transportation was top notch with air conditioning. What an unforgettable adventure!
Best Tour Ever Santorini (Billy/Billis)
gennaespo1372,Jun 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Billy was by far the best tour guide we’ve had. I have had many tours in Europe over the years, and he definitely exceeded our expectations. He was kind, knowledgeable, organized, funny, and spoke English very well. I came with my fiance coming from the U.S., and we were a little nervous regarding how to navigate Santorini, but Billy made sure we had the absolute best day! We saw beautiful Oia, churches, beaches, cliff side winery with a view of the caldera, highest point in Santorini, and the list goes on. All while still making stops for us for restroom breaks and making sure we made it back to cruise ship perfectly on time to see sunset. He was recommended to us by a mutual friend I have from home, and I will continue to recommend him to others moving forward!!
Nice overview of island
fh449,Jun 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Billy was great at driving and walking us throughout the sites of Santorini (which we learned was actually the island of Thira thanks to him). He even helped arrange our next day’s adventure by coordinating transportation to a nice beach and arranged for the restaurant to be expecting us and take care of us while we spent the afternoon with them. He was a great host and helped make it enjoyable to broadly see and experience the highlights of the island. I’d recommend have him take you to a local place for a meal rather than sticking to a convenient option in the tourist areas.
Best and safest way to see beautiful Santorini
deborahjY7470KN,Jun 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Start to finish great experience. We requested a 5 hr tour starting early at 7am in order to escape the crowds and heat. Our driver was Vasilis (Billie) who picked us up near our hotel. Very friendly, professional guide who knew everything about the island and its history. He took us all over the island, everywhere we wanted to go. Such a relaxed and informative way to see the island. Great value for money, clean & top range car. Nothing was rushed. Vasilis is a credit to the company. Don’t hesitate to book (we were recommended this company via our hotel reception staff)
Customized Private Vehicle Tour of Santorini
Sanket SPS,Jun 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jim was our driver and guide. He took us around Santorini in a luxury Merc. All the time we had fantastic conversations in our private vehicle. Jim took us to all those tourist spots which were practically impossible to be done in any bus site-seeing. Even such a personalized experience is impossible if you go in a group site-seeing. Jim clicked our photos wherever we wanted. He was the best. We recommend to have this customized 5 hour trip. A must visit on your trip to Santorini. I also thank Nick for all the logistic support for any queries prior to us meeting the driver on the ground. We did not see any hesitation and Nick and Jim were always available for any kind of support needed. I am going to recommend Nick and his team to all my friends and family whenever they visit Santorini. I rate this trip 5/5.
Not what we were hoping for
Tracie S,Jun 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
2.00Honestly wanted to love it; but our guide spent more time talking about himself than the island. We learned very little about the island and their culture and what made them special, but boy do I know all I need to know about him, and then some. While we didn’t follow the itinerary; which was fine, it seemed like we were on a hit list of his favorite places, and he was sharing stories about what we could afford on the island. He would stop to roll his window down to tell other drivers they were in the wrong spot, or complain about their driving. It was to the point where my family decided to end the tour early to get out of the car with him. All of the other reviews seemed positive, maybe it just wasn’t our day, but for wanting to experience the culture of Santorini on a private tour a lot was left to desire.
AMAZING
artin m,Jun 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing tour guide and experience. We saw everything we wanted to see and it was so fun in the process. He knew all the good local spots.
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Operated by Greece Holiday Tours