Traditional Villages & Akrotiri Excavations: Private Tour
Overview
Available languages
4 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Santorini proudly displays its extensive past, with medieval structures, Ottoman towns, and weathered ruins spread across the entire island. Learn about the island's history and current culture on this 4.5 hour Santorini traditional villages & Akrotiri tour without having to deal with the hassle of organizing your own transportation. Explore the towns of Pyrgos, Megalochori, and Emporio, as well as the Akrotiri excavations, before marveling at the unique natural phenomenon of Red Beach.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
The tour requires an amount of walking on some hills and inclines. Participants should have at least moderate physical fitness level
Travel time between places and transportation is included in the total tour duration
What To Expect
Pyrgos
Begin your cultural journey in the village of Pyrgos. This hilltop town is home to a Venetian castle from the 16th century. Explore this beautiful region, which the natives built to fortify the area with narrow alleys and circular roadways. The settlement is surrounded by vineyards, blue-domed churches, tiny cave homes with lovely balconies, and pebbled walks.
Megalochori
Continue to Megalochori, one of the most charming and beautiful towns on the island, where traditional Cycladic buildings are carved out of volcanic rock. Blue-domed churches, underground caves, and white-washed tower bells dot the landscape. Explore the winding streets of this non-touristy community, sip Greek coffee in the pebble-stone square, and engage with the residents' way of life and culture.
Options
No Guided Tour in Akrotiri
Pickup included
Guided Tour in Akrotiri
Guided Tour in Excavations: 1 h of guided tour in excavations site by a licensed tour guide add on Pickup included
What‘s Included
English-speaking local tour guide
Admission to the excavation site of Akrotiri
Transport by luxury A/C vehicle
Bottled water
All taxes
Hotel/port/airport pickup and drop-off
Personal expenses & gratuities (optional)
Cable car tickets (6 EUR per person, per ride) for cruise ship travelers
Optional Guided Tour at Akrotiri by a licensed guide
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
7 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Tour guide was...
Robin D,Sep 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Tour guide was professional, friendly and very knowledgeable about Santorini and all the villages and other main interests we visited.
A must see cultural tour!
hola2010,Aug 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the small villages through the eyes of a native Santorian, Dimitri was very accommodating, knowledgeable and a wealth of information. It was such a pleasure to see the villages, those that live there, as well as the buried city of Akrotiri. We highly recommend this tour is you’re looking for some beautiful buildings and culture.
Akrotiri and villages was fantastic!
Sheilah Z,May 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide Dimitri was amazing! We had a hard time getting off our ship because of the tendering. We were an hour late and had to meet him in a different location. He found us and added the hour onto our tour so we didn’t miss anything. Akrotiri was fantastic! Not to be missed. We drove to a black sand beach, several villages and to a beautiful monastery at the top of the mountain. It was a wonderful tour. Highly recommend!
Seeing Akrotiri was a...
Lisa P,May 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Seeing Akrotiri was a once in a lifetime experience. We learned so much about the history of the island from our amazing guide. And, our tour guides that drove us around Santorini and the villages, were extremely knowledgeable about the places we went, super attentive, and very kind. We were thrilled with our experience. 5 Stars for all of our guides.
Wonderful private tour, visiting the traditional villages in Santorini and visiting Akrotiri
Brian M,Jun 27, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful private tour, visiting the traditional villages in Santorini and visiting Akrotiri Excavations. Our tour guide Dimitris was on time, was very informative and we had a great day. Would highly recommend.
Amazing experience!
Safari01208877296,Oct 4, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00First of all, the booking was very smooth. I asked a lot of questions over email, but they responded very quickly with patience! Very accommodative in terms of where to pick up and drop off, and also the starting time! Argyris was our guide, he’s friendly and knowledgeable! We learnt a lot about santorini and greece during the tour! The van was also comfortable and spacious! Amazing tour, we had a great time!
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Operated by Santorini i-Land Tours