Skip Cable Car® Santorini Shore Excursion for First-Time Visitors
Description
Step off your cruise ship and explore Santorini on a small-group shore excursion designed specifically for cruise passengers. Visit top sights like Oia and Firostefani’s famous blue-domed churches while enjoying panoramic island views and local insights from an expert guide. Travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle with a maximum of 19 guests for a personalized experience. The tour departs conveniently from the Fira cable car exit and is carefully timed to match cruise schedules, ensuring a smooth, stress-free adventure.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our Skip Cable Car Santorini Tour is created for cruise ship guests who want to make the most of their time on the island. Skip the long waits and summer heat at the cable car, and start your Santorini adventure the easy way. After stepping off your cruise ship’s tender, you’ll meet our friendly Vexperio team at the Old Port, where everyone will board the boat transfer together for a smooth and relaxing journey ashore. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea and Caldera during your transfer, making even the journey part of the experience.
Once the boat arrives at your designated pick-up point, you’ll continue your journey in a comfortable, air-conditioned bus. Your first stop is Santorini’s famous blue dome in the charming area of Firostefani - a peaceful setting perfect for capturing those iconic island photos away from the busy crowds of Oia. It’s a relaxing and beautiful introduction to Santorini’s unique Cycladic charm.
The journey continues in the lively village of Oia, where charming market streets, whitewashed houses, and breathtaking caldera views create one of Santorini’s most memorable settings. Stroll through its picturesque alleys, soak in the island atmosphere, and don’t forget to capture a photo of the iconic windmills overlooking the sparkling Aegean Sea.
Marvel at and take some pictures of the world-famous picturesque Blue Domes of Santorini!
Discover the timeless charm of Santorini in the traditional village of Megalochori, where authentic island life and local character come together beautifully. Wander through its peaceful streets lined with classic Cycladic architecture and experience a side of Santorini rich in history and culture. Along the way, learn about the island’s unique winemaking traditions and the distinctive grape-growing methods that have been passed down through generations.
You’ll visit the famous Black Beach, where you’ll have free time to relax and enjoy traditional Greek cuisine (at your own expense) at one of the many seaside tavernas and bars. If you're in the mood for a swim, be sure to bring your swimsuit. It's the perfect spot to soak up the sun or enjoy the unique volcanic shoreline.
You'll return to the port by boat, avoiding the long cable car lines entirely. Sit back and enjoy the perfect ending to your day in Santorini as you're brought directly back to your cruise ship's tender.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- In the event of exceptionally rough sea conditions preventing boat transfers, we reserve the right to operate the regular tour route instead. In such cases, a refund of €10 per person will be provided for each cable car ride required in place of the boat transfer.
- The tour start time will be adjusted to your ship’s docking schedule to minimize waiting and accommodate possible disembarkation delays. You’ll receive the final meeting time in the Meeting Instructions about one week before the tour.
- Please note that wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, electric scooters, and other mobility devices cannot be accommodated on shared tours. Tours on Santorini involve uneven surfaces, cobblestone pathways, and some sections with stairs. We kindly request that all participants carefully assess their physical ability to complete the tour prior to making a reservation. Refunds cannot be issued to guests who are unable to complete the tour due to accessibility limitations.
Reviews(348)
It was a wonderful experience 😀 We were warmly welcomed at the old harbor where the tender boats arrive, and we were assigned a bus number for later. After everyone arrived, we boarded another boat as described, which took us over water to a place where the buses were waiting for us. Then we were off :) 😀 our guide and driver were fantastic. We learned a lot about the land and its people!! We were back at the tender harbor on time!!
Excellent tour. It was an adventure to “skip cable car” and have a second short ride by boat to the tour bus. Scenery was beautiful. Gina, our tour guide, was outstanding. She was articulate, interesting with some humor. Really enjoyed the last stop at the “Black Beach” with a beach chair and umbrella and an opportunity for a drink and wonderful food. The length of the tour was ideal.
Jorge was our tour guide. I came with my family and had a wonderful experience. He went beyond to get us the best pictures without any hassle. Ended the trip with a delicious meal by the volcanic beach. Excellent experience and exceptional tour guide.
This tour was great! The guide was informative and took into consideration the age of the group traveling. The communication leading up to the tour was good. I will definitely do this tour again.
Elena and Spiro were absolutely wonderful guides. The tour was incredible. Would recommend this to anyone.
Dear Pamela, Thank you so much for your kind words. We’re really happy to hear that Elena and Spiro made the tour such a great experience for you. They’ll be delighted to know how much you enjoyed it. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future. Warm regards, Kinga Vexperio
This tour was excellent, and the favorite of our whole 10-day cruise. Our tour guide, Viktor was great. He provided great information about the island and was entertaining and fun. He also was so patient taking pictures of everyone in the best spots. We especially enjoyed the walk through a traditional village and the visit to the beach where we enjoyed good Greek food and wine. Our driver, Agularis (sp) was excellent and safely got us to each destination. We had a great day on Santorini.
Attention for excursion booking in Santorini by Viator. Very bad experience. Access was very limited, 4 ships were to disembark people. We have tried to cancel , without success , or refund.
Dear Roch, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We would like to kindly clarify the circumstances surrounding your booking. You reserved a private tour, which included a dedicated guide, private vehicle, and driver arranged exclusively for your group. As outlined and accepted at the time of booking, Viator’s cancellation policy allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour start time. Unfortunately, your request to cancel came in less than 24 hours before the scheduled tour, at which point all arrangements had already been confirmed and paid in full to our guide, driver, and vehicle provider. Despite this, we did our best to accommodate your situation. I was personally in contact with you throughout the day, proactively assuring you that we could still run the tour for you, regardless of your delayed disembarkation. We were flexible and willing to start later if needed. Ultimately, you informed us that you had decided to remain on the ship. We fully respected your choice but, as explained, a refund was not possible due to the late cancellation and the operational costs already incurred. We also wish to note that while there were several cruise ships in Santorini that day, this is quite common during the season. Our team successfully operated multiple tours that same day, even for guests who arrived over an hour late. The port schedule is publicly available for review before booking, so guests concerned about congestion can make informed decisions in advance. We genuinely regret that you chose not to proceed with your tour, but we must emphasize that our team fulfilled all obligations on our side with professionalism, readiness, and full communication throughout. Thank you again for your understanding, and we wish you pleasant future travels. Warm regards, Magdalena Vexperio
Wonderful tour. George, our guide and Cristos, our driver were fantastic. We especially liked our walk through the village of Megalochori.
Victor and Argulus were OUTSTANDING!! The tour was fabulous. Such a great way to see Santorini. Every stop was well planned. Victor offered photos of us at every spot. Can’t say enough wonderful things about this excursion!! Highly recommmend!!
Alex was a wonderful guide! He loves this island, and he tried to share his favorite places with us.
