Tours/Santorini/Private Half Day Tour of Santorini's South Side
Viator · Private tour

Private Half Day Tour of Santorini's South Side

4.8(16)Santorini1 hour
VIATOR4.3(6)TRIPADVISOR5.0(10)

Description

A private tour of the southern side of Santorini will give you an overview of the most spectacular and historical sites of the island's south. See the fantastic views and historical places that will surely leave an impression. Discover top attractions and customize your trip according to your interests. Your tour guide will be happy to assist you with general information and lunch spot suggestions, but wine-tasting and lunch prices are not included in the tour. ⦁ Travel to the highest point of Santorini, Profitis Ilias Mountain. ⦁ Step back in time and discover the historic houses of Megalochori Village. ⦁ Learn about the island's culture from your guide. ⦁ Indulge yourself with optional wine tasting in breathtaking scenery.

Tour Options

Santorini South Tour
  • Pickup included

Itinerary

20 min

Visit the highest spot on Santorini and taste local products from the monastery. Mount Profitis Ilias, located less than five kilometers (3.1 miles) from the village of Pyrgos, is the island's highest point. And right on its top stands the monastery of the same name. Built in 1711, the Profitis Ilias Monastery, one of the oldest on the island, is a stunning example of Cycladic architecture.

20 min

Red Beach is a striking, impressive, and colorful beach. Its name eloquently describes what visitors encounter when approaching it. Towering red rocks in the background and reddish sand with black pebbles on the coast create a unique landscape and testify to the island's volcanic activity. The best view of the beach opens when you approach and leave. From the top of the cliff, there is a stunning view of the beach, and this is an excellent place for photos. The beach area is a relatively narrow strip, sometimes covered with rotting sea grass, but swimming in the sea is lovely. However, the sea is rocky and steep to get in and out. A small bay formed by rocks is relatively calm, except when the south winds blow, but the waves do not prevent visitors from enjoying swimming. Umbrellas and sun loungers are at guests' disposal; there is a free place to lay towels. Because of its small size, it becomes pretty crowded.

30 min

Visit the traditional village of Megalochori and walking throw the narrow streets and discover local beauties.

Admission not included30 min

Visit important prehistoric ruins of Aegean time

45 min

Emporio is a Greek word meaning "trade." It refers to "the importance of the village for the island's economy in ancient times, as it was the center of trade affairs." Thanks to its well-preserved characteristic architecture, the settlement exudes a medieval aura. The village resembles a fortress, as it was built to protect its inhabitants from marauding pirates. All the buildings were purposely built side by side so the locals could better defend their homes. When piracy ceased to be a threat, the village expanded and adopted its current layout. In the heart of Emporio is Kasteli, a unique castle town. Its walls were made of cement in addition to volcanic substances. The streets are narrow; the same applies to the windows and doors of the buildings. In other words, Kasteli can be described as a unified fortified settlement. The area is still inhabited, and the locals try to keep it in the best possible condition.

Pass by

Since Santorini is not known for its beautiful beaches, Perissa Beach is a pleasant surprise. Perissa is a magnificent beach, covered with black volcanic sand, and it is perfect for sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling. It is located on the southeastern coast of Santorini and extends at the base of the massive cape Mesa Vuno, sharply projecting into the sea. At the top of the mountain is the ancient city of King Thiras. Perissa is one of the island's most cosmopolitan beaches, stretching for miles. It merges with Perivolos Beach, and together it is a beach with a length of more than 7 kilometers. The water is apparent, a gentle descent, and a beautiful color. The coarse black sand is pleasant to walk on and sparkles like sparkles, but it can be hot in the summer.

Highlights

Bottled water
Custom pick-up and drop-off are available at all car-accessible locations in Santorini.
For cruise ship travelers, pick up at the Fira cable car exit upper station.
Transport by private vehicle with air-conditioning
Local driver guide

What's included

Included
Bottled water
Custom pick-up and drop-off are available at all car-accessible locations in Santorini.
For cruise ship travelers, pick up at the Fira cable car exit upper station.
Transport by private vehicle with air-conditioning
Local driver guide
Not included
Entrance fees
Gratuites
Food and drinks, unless specified

Pickup Locations & Times

• Please advise the activity provider which pickup point you will choose. • The meeting location for cruise ship travelers is at the exit of the cable car upper station. • Cruise ship passengers are tendered out at Santorini Old Harbor, which is inaccessible by car. • The guide will hold a sign with your name on it. If you need custom transportation, please get in touch with us to arrange it. • The time for this tour is flexible if we have availability. • The tour is private for groups of 1 to 19 people. • If you are coming to Santorini from Athens on a day trip, the tour can offer complimentary airport and port pickup and drop-off service upon request. If the hotel is inaccessible by car due to restrictions, pickup will be held from a nearby location within a short walking distance. • Your tour guide will be happy to assist you with general information and lunch spot suggestions, but wine-tasting and lunch prices are not included in the tour.

Traveller Ratings

4.8
16 reviews
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14
4
0
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2
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Important Information

  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Reviews(16)

S
Shelly_R
October 15, 2024
Highly recommend!!

Excellent tour with a guide who has lived in Santorini his entire life. He even showed us where he lived! Took us to amazing sites, took pictures for us and t recommended an excellent restaurant for lunch! Picked us up just outside the entrance to the cable car!!

A
ajaymS8050GR
May 13, 2024
Great experience- worth the money!

We had a great experience! Mary was very friendly, informative, entertaining, adjusting to our needs and had interesting facts to share. Dimitri was a good driver as well. We would recommend to friends.

S
SpruceGroveBob
May 6, 2024
There were eight of us in all and we felt we got value for money

We really enjoyed the tour because we saw the caldera from many different locations, and saw different sights on the southern portion of the tour. A highlight was exploring the ancient ruins. Yani and George did a great job.

M
Matureaustravellers
June 3, 2023
See Santorini beyond the tourist hubs

Great way to see highlights of Central and Southern Sntorini and get away from the busy tourist towns. Yota our guide was personable and knowledgeable

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thanks a lot for your positive feedback.

X
X5392JMdavidp
May 8, 2023
A great visit to the south side

We had a wonderful trip with Santorini Tours, to the South Side, our guide Sophia was excellent and informative, we visited all the places that normal tourist would see.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Mr. David, Thank you so much for your positive feedback.

C
curtislanej
May 11, 2022
Minas did great!

Minas did a great job, and we enjoyed seeing the relaxed off-caldera side of the island. Friendly, well prepared, well informed, great English, and good time.

Operator response

Curtis, you are the best. Thanks a lot for the great review. Regards, Alex

T
tr1ps4us
July 18, 2020
Very Professional and Excellent Customer Service

We booked with Santorini Tours as a stop from our cruise. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our trip due to Covid, but I wanted to review because I was so impressed with the good prices and the quick and professional communication with Santorini Tours. I also wanted to write that this tour company truly believe in customer satisfaction. After we cancelled, Santorini Tours refunded our deposit even though due to our late cancellation, they did not have to do so. I hope to rebook next year and will definitely book a tour with Santorini Tours.

2 people found this helpful
Operator response

We really appreciate your wonderful review. Thank you!!!

C
Cuong N
August 21, 2018
Amazing and Awesome!

We met Stellos who is very nice and friendly. The tour was relaxing, comfortable, informative. We highly recommend this private tour and Stellos also takes very good pictures too!

4 people found this helpful
S
semperfine
July 24, 2018
Wonderful Experience!

Our guide was everything we could have hoped for. Interesting, knowledgeable, funny and energetic. The tour was designed to cover a wide variety of interesting locations and experiences. Loved the fact that our tour day ended with a wine tasting on the cliffs overlooking that magnificent caldera! I would recommend this group to anyone. Thank you!

L
Lauren F
July 10, 2018
Great laughs with great views, look no further

I booked my family's vacation months in advance.this means that I typically have many questions and repeat emails for tour companies. Tatiana was my main correspondence with the company and she was great! She would reply promptly and give me extensive suggestions regarding which tour I wanted to take. Once on the tour, our experience only got better. This was the best tour of our 3 week European adventure. Our driver Antonios and guide Stelios were hilarious and treated us like family. They offered unique anecdotes and rich details of Santorini which enhanced our time there. Additionally, they were very nice and stopped for us to grab a quick breakfast. 10/10 recommend this tour.

3 people found this helpful

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