Greece › Santorini › Wineries & Wine Tours
Updated: October 1, 2026 • By Santorini Dave
Questions? dave@santorinidave.com
See Also
- Where to Stay in Santorini
- Best Hotels in Santorini
- Best Things to Do in Santorini
- Best Beaches in Santorini
- Best Santorini Boat Tours
The caldera view from Santo Wines. Visit independently or book the Sunset Wine Tour.
Santorini wine tours are among the island’s best activities. The Small-Group Wine Tour is my top choice for most visitors, the Private Wine Tour is best for couples, groups, and serious wine drinkers, and the Sunset Wine Tour is the one to book for caldera views.
Most half-day tours visit three wineries and include transportation, tastings, and small food pairings.
Skip To:
Quick Picks
Wine Tour Advice
Best Wine Tours
Best Wineries
Self-Guided Winery Day
Getting to Wineries
Cruise Passengers
Wine Hotels
Santorini Wine Guide
Wine History
FAQSantorini Wineries: Quick Picks
- My favorite winery: Gavalas
- Best winery for caldera views: Santo Wines
- Best combination of wine and views: Venetsanos
- Best winery near Oia: Domaine Sigalas
- Best traditional cave winery: Art Space
- Best winery with food: Artemis Karamolegos
- Best winery without a car: Anhydrous in Fira
- Best with children: Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum
Santorini Wine Tours: My Advice
- Book an organized tour if you want to visit several wineries. The wineries are spread across the island, some entrances are easy to miss, and transportation after multiple tastings is the main practical problem. Do not drive yourself unless one person is skipping the wine altogether.
- Eat a proper meal before the tour. Tastings add up quickly, while the included cheese, olives, bread, and rusks are snacks rather than lunch.
- Book early from June through September. Small-group and sunset departures sell out first. Four to six weeks ahead is sensible when your dates are fixed.
- Do not choose a tour solely for one promised winery. Stops can change according to winery availability, opening hours, and private events. If one winery is essential, visit it independently or ask about a private tour.
- Consider a private tour for four to six people. You avoid the shared pickup circuit and have more say over the wineries. It also makes sense for serious wine drinkers or anyone staying in Oia who wants to minimize driving around collecting other guests.
- Bring a light layer on sunset tours. Santo and Venetsanos are exposed to the wind and can cool quickly after sunset.
- Allow more time than the advertised tour length. A four- or five-hour tour plus pickup, drop-off, and a meal before or afterward takes up most of a day.
The Best Wine Tours in Santorini
1. Small-Group Santorini Wine Tour – Best for Most Visitors
My first choice for most visitors. The tour visits three wineries over roughly four to five hours, with transportation and tastings included. You get a good introduction to Santorini wine without paying for a private tour.The wineries rotate. Snacks accompany the tastings, but eat beforehand.
Choose this tour if: You want three wineries, transportation, a good guide, and a small group.
Skip it if: You dislike shared pickups or want to choose the wineries yourself.2. Santorini Private Wine Tour – Best for Couples, Groups, and Wine Lovers
Worth the extra cost if you want more time with the guide, fewer transport delays, and some control over the stops.Tell the operator in advance if you are particularly interested in small producers, old-vine Assyrtiko, Vinsanto, modern wineries, or traditional cave cellars. No tour can guarantee every requested winery, but a private tour gives you much more flexibility.
Choose this tour if: You are a couple celebrating something, a group splitting the cost, a serious wine drinker, or want to request particular wineries.
Skip it if: You mainly want a good introduction to Santorini wine and do not care which wineries you visit.3. Santorini Sunset Wine Tour – Best for Caldera Views
The best tour if you want to combine wine tasting with a caldera sunset. Tours finish at a scenic winery, commonly Santo Wines, so you do not have to arrange a separate sunset outing or compete for a table on your own.Sunset tours finish later and put more emphasis on the view. Bring a layer and do not make a tight dinner reservation afterward.
Choose this tour if: You want wine tasting and sunset in one outing.
Skip it if: The wineries and wines matter much more to you than the view, or your cruise ship leaves before evening.More Good Santorini Wine Tours
- Half-Day Wine Adventure Tour: Visits three wineries and is a good backup when my top small-group tour is sold out.
- Wine Tour with Sunset in Oia: Visits two wineries before finishing in Oia. Book this if seeing the Oia sunset matters more than a third winery.
- Cooking Class with Wine Tasting: Cooking, wine tasting, and a full meal rather than an afternoon devoted entirely to wineries.
Venetsanos Winery has one of Santorini’s best caldera views and feels smaller and more intimate than Santo Wines.
The Best Santorini Wineries
Most Santorini wineries are in the central and southern part of the island, around Pyrgos, Megalochori, Exo Gonia, Episkopi Gonia, and Vothonas. Reserve ahead from May through October, especially for sunset tastings and winery restaurants.
1. Gavalas Winery – Best Traditional Winery
My favorite winery on Santorini. Gavalas is small, friendly, family-run, and set in Megalochori, one of the island’s prettiest traditional villages. Go here for the wine and personal atmosphere, not caldera views.Assyrtiko is the main attraction, but Gavalas also works with rare local grapes including Katsano and Gaidouria. There is no full restaurant, though Megalochori has good places to eat nearby. Gavalas can be difficult to find when driving. Leave time to park outside the village center and walk.
2. Venetsanos Winery – Best Combination of Wine and Views
Venetsanos is my choice when you want caldera scenery without the scale and crowds of Santo. Built into the cliff in 1947, the winery originally used gravity to move wine through different production levels when electricity and other energy sources were limited. The terraces look across the caldera and Athinios port. It can be very windy, especially late in the day.3. Domaine Sigalas – Best Winery Near Oia
A polished winery in Baxedes, a short drive from Oia, and one of the island’s best stops for both wine and food. Tastings range from simple wine flights to more extensive food-and-wine pairings. Advance reservations are required. This is not a convenient walk from central Oia. Take a taxi or arrange a transfer.4. Santo Wines – Best Caldera View
Santorini’s most visited winery and the clear winner for panoramic caldera views. Santo is a large cooperative with a spacious tasting terrace, shop, food, broad selection of wines, and easy parking. It is busy and commercial compared with Gavalas or Art Space. I would choose Santo for sunset and scenery, not as the island’s most intimate tasting experience. Reserve during peak season.5. Art Space Winery – Most Atmospheric
A small winery, art gallery, museum, and old canava built into a cave in Exo Gonia. Art Space feels personal and eccentric, which is exactly why I like it. The owner or staff guide visitors through the old winemaking spaces before the tasting. For a more polished, technical tasting, go to Argyros or Vassaltis.6. Estate Argyros – Best Modern Winery
A large, modern estate known for Assyrtiko, old vines, and Vinsanto. Tastings are more structured than at the island’s small traditional wineries. The Monsignori Assyrtiko comes from very old vines, while the estate’s Vinsanto is among Santorini’s most respected dessert wines. Reserve in advance.7. Artemis Karamolegos – Best Winery with Food
A modern family winery in Exo Gonia with the excellent Aroma Avlis restaurant. Come here when you want a tasting followed by a proper lunch or dinner. The winery produces Assyrtiko and other indigenous varieties, including Mavrotragano. It also hosts a cooking class with wine tasting.8. Gaia Wines – Best Seaside Winery
Gaia is different from every other winery on this list. Its rustic tasting patio sits beside the sea on Santorini’s east coast, close to the airport. The winery is known for Thalassitis, a classic Assyrtiko, and its experimental submerged bottles aged underwater. There is no full restaurant, though tasting platters are available.9. Hatzidakis Winery – Best Cave Cellar for Serious Wine Drinkers
Hatzidakis is set in a dramatic underground canava near Pyrgos and is known for low-intervention wines and organic vineyard practices. The tasting room stays cool even in summer. The winery is down a narrow road and is not a good place to depend on finding a taxi afterward. Arrange transportation and reserve before visiting.10. Anhydrous Winery – Easiest Winery from Fira
Anhydrous is about a 10-minute walk from central Fira, making it the easiest proper winery to visit without a car, taxi, or tour. The tasting room and shaded courtyard are comfortable, and the onsite restaurant makes this a good lunch stop.11. Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum – Best with Children
A winery above a long underground wine museum with tools, displays, and dioramas explaining Santorini’s wine and vineyard history. It is more interesting for children than a conventional sit-down tasting, and adults can sample wine afterward. There is no full restaurant.More Santorini Wineries Worth Visiting
- Boutari (Megalochori): Established on Santorini in the late 1980s by one of Greece’s best-known wine producers. Tastings focus on Assyrtiko and other local varieties.
- OENO Π (Baxedes): Paris Sigalas’ small winery near Oia, with a focus on vineyard-specific wines and fermentation in clay vessels.
- Vassaltis (Vourvoulos): Modern winery specializing in indigenous grapes including Assyrtiko, Athiri, Aidani, Mandilaria, and Mavrotragano.
- Mikra Thira (Thirassia): The first winery built on Thirassia. Worth the trip for repeat visitors, but check boat schedules and winery opening days before going.
Can You Visit Santorini Wineries Without a Tour?
Yes. One winery is easy. Two or three require more planning because the wineries are scattered and taxis can be difficult to find after a tasting. For a full winery day, hire a driver or have a designated driver.
Best Self-Guided Winery Day
- Late morning: Estate Argyros or Art Space.
- Lunch: Aroma Avlis at Artemis Karamolegos.
- Afternoon: Gavalas and a walk around Megalochori.
- Sunset: Venetsanos or Santo with a reservation.
Pre-book a driver for the day or have a designated driver. Do not plan on finding a taxi outside each winery.
Easiest Independent Winery Visits
- Megalochori: Gavalas is easy to combine with a walk and meal in the village.
- Fira: Anhydrous is easy to reach on foot.
- Near Oia: Domaine Sigalas or OENO Π with a pre-booked taxi or transfer.
Getting to Santorini Wineries
- Private driver: Best if you want to choose the wineries yourself. Book the driver for the full outing rather than arranging separate pickups after each tasting.
- Rental car: Fine with a designated driver. Parking is easy at large wineries such as Santo and more awkward around traditional villages.
- Santorini buses: Poor for winery hopping. Most routes connect through Fira, and some wineries require a walk from the nearest stop.
- Taxis and app-booked cars: Fine for one winery when arranged in advance. Do not count on finding an available car outside a rural winery in summer.
- Pre-booked transfer: Welcome Pickups and local transfer companies can arrange point-to-point transportation or a driver for several hours.
Santorini Wine Tours for Cruise Passengers
A wine tour is a good way to get away from the crowds in Fira and Oia, but independent cruise passengers need plenty of time for tendering and the Fira cable car.
- Do not book a tour soon after the scheduled arrival. Tendering and the cable-car line can take a long time when several ships are in port.
- Confirm the meeting point. Independent tours generally meet at the top of the cliff in or near Fira, not at the tender dock below.
- Choose a morning or early-afternoon tour. Sunset tours finish too late for most cruise schedules.
- Return to Fira early. I would aim to reach the cable-car area at least 90 minutes before the ship’s all-aboard time, and earlier on a busy cruise day.
Santorini Hotels for Wine Lovers
These are my favorite Santorini hotels for wine lovers.
The restored wine cellar at Akra Suites in Imerovigli.
- Katikies Garden (Fira): Luxury hotel in a former Catholic monastery with historic underground wine caves. Excellent for wine lovers who also want to walk to Fira’s restaurants and nightlife.
- The Vasilicos (Imerovigli): Small caldera hotel owned by the family behind Vassaltis Vineyards. Great for couples who want privacy, views, and a strong wine focus.
- Vedema Resort (Megalochori): Best location for staying close to wine country, with Gavalas and other Megalochori wineries nearby.
- Akra Suites (Imerovigli): Small hotel with a restored cave wine cellar used for private guest tastings.
Best Santorini Wine Bar
Oia Oenosart, also known as Oia Vineyart, is my favorite wine bar on Santorini. It is tucked into a quiet Oia lane and has a broad selection of Santorini wines. A good place to compare several local producers without arranging transportation between wineries. It also serves food and has an upstairs art space.Santorini Wine Guide
Santorini’s volcanic soil, old ungrafted vines, strong winds, dry summers, and indigenous grapes make it one of Greece’s most distinctive wine regions.
The four wines to know are Assyrtiko, Vinsanto, Nykteri, and Mavrotragano. Also look for the kouloura, the low basket-shaped vine used to protect grapes from wind and sun.
Barrels of Vinsanto at Hatzidakis Winery.
Santorini Wines and Grape Varieties
Assyrtiko
Assyrtiko, pronounced a-SEER-tee-ko, is Santorini’s signature grape and Greece’s best-known white variety. On Santorini it produces dry wines with high acidity, citrus flavors, salinity, and a firm mineral character. Young wines can be lean and sharp but gain texture and complexity with age.
Taste a young stainless-steel Assyrtiko beside an oak-aged or old-vine bottling to see how different the wines can be.
Vinsanto
Vinsanto is Santorini’s traditional sweet wine. White grapes, led by Assyrtiko and often blended with Aidani and Athiri, are dried in the sun before fermentation and aging.
The wines are concentrated, with flavors of dried fruit, caramel, nuts, spice, coffee, and citrus peel. Santorini Vinsanto is different from Italian Vin Santo.
Nykteri
Nykteri, pronounced nith-TEH-ree, is a full-bodied dry white traditionally associated with grapes processed through the night after harvest. Today, PDO Nykteri must be at least 85% Assyrtiko, reach at least 13.5% alcohol, and spend at least three months in oak.
Mavrotragano
Mavrotragano, pronounced ma-vro-TRA-ga-no, is a local red grape producing structured wines with dark fruit, spice, tannin, and good acidity. Production is small, but it is worth seeking out if you like serious red wine.
Santorini Grape-Growing Conditions
Basket-trained vines at the Estate Argyros vineyards.
Santorini’s vineyards grow in sandy volcanic soils containing ash, pumice, and lava fragments. These conditions helped protect the island from phylloxera, the vineyard pest that devastated much of Europe in the late 19th century. Many Santorini vines therefore remain ungrafted on their original roots.
Summer rain is scarce and strong northern winds can damage shoots and grapes. Growers traditionally train vines close to the ground rather than on tall wire trellises.
Santorini’s Basket-Trained Vines
A traditional kouloura vine at Estate Argyros.
The traditional kouloura is one of the most distinctive sights in Santorini’s vineyards. The vine’s canes are woven into a low circular basket, with the grapes growing inside where they are protected from strong wind and intense sun.
A less common method, kladeftiko, raises shoots higher from the ground. Dry-stone walls and terraces also help reduce erosion in exposed vineyards.
PDO Santorini
PDO Santorini dry white must contain at least 85% Assyrtiko, with Aidani and Athiri permitted for the remainder. Many producers use 100% Assyrtiko. Nykteri and Vinsanto also have their own PDO Santorini production rules.
Santorini Wine History
In the late 19th century, phylloxera destroyed vineyards across Europe. Santorini’s sandy volcanic soils largely protected the island, allowing many vines to remain ungrafted on their original roots.
Santorini’s sandy volcanic soils helped protect its vineyards from phylloxera.
Santorini’s vineyards now face a different threat. Old vines are expensive to farm by hand, while vineyard land can be far more valuable for hotels and villas. Tourism development and high land values continue to put pressure on the island’s remaining vineyards.
Santorini Wine Tour FAQ
Are Santorini wine tours worth it?
Yes. A tour makes it easy and safe to visit several scattered wineries. I would prioritize a wine tour over a generic island bus tour, especially for couples and travelers interested in food and wine.
What is the best Santorini wine tour?
The Small-Group Wine Tour is my first choice for most visitors. Book a private tour if choosing the wineries and avoiding shared pickups matter more than price.
How long are Santorini wine tours?
Most half-day tours last four to five hours. I would keep at least six hours free once pickup and drop-off are included.
Can children join a Santorini wine tour?
It depends on the tour. A private tour gives families the most flexibility. For an independent winery visit with children, Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum is my first choice.
Are Santorini wineries wheelchair accessible?
Accessibility varies considerably. Modern wineries can be straightforward, while old cave wineries may have stairs, narrow passages, and uneven ground. Contact the winery or tour operator with your specific requirements before booking.
Which Santorini winery has the best wine?
There is no single answer, but my favorites for serious wine tasting include Gavalas, Domaine Sigalas, Estate Argyros, Hatzidakis, and Vassaltis. Santo is more about the setting and broad introduction than being my favorite producer.
Which wineries have restaurants?
Artemis Karamolegos is my first choice for a full winery meal. Domaine Sigalas, Anhydrous, Santo, and Vassaltis also offer food or wine-pairing experiences. Reserve ahead.
Do Santorini wine tours run in winter?
Some wineries and private tours operate in winter, but there are fewer options and reduced schedules. Check directly before making plans from December through March.
Can I buy wine at the wineries?
Yes. If you are considering international shipping, ask for the total delivered price before buying a case. For a few bottles, checked luggage is often simpler.
Read More
Santorini Dave was started in 2011 when I posted a short guide to visiting Santorini with kids. Now, my site publishes regularly updated guides to 
Thanks for all the great information. Can we get from Santo Winery to our cruise ship if we leave Santo at sunset? The itinerary says 10:00 pm for the cruise ship to leave. Thanks!
The time of sunset varies by time of year. I trust you’ve looked this up. So, by what time should you leave Santo Wines? If you were getting in a taxi to head back to Fira at 8:00pm I think you’d make your cruise’s departure. But there are many variables. How long does it take to get a taxi to arrive at Santo? How long is the line at the cable car? Personally, I would visit Santo through the day and then return to Fira and watch the sunset from one of the bars just a short walk from the cable car. I hope that helps.
If we want to do our own tour of the wineries, like Santos, Venetsanos and Boutari, how would be the easiest way to get there and visit all 3. Will we need to use taxi or is there buses?
Thanks
There are bus stops pretty close to all 3 of these wineries. So getting to any one of them and then returning from any one of them is fairly easy. However, getting between them is much more of a hassle. And calling for a taxi can be a long wait, if they come at all. If you want to visit more than one winery I would do a tour or hire a driver for the day.
Wonderful website with tons of great info! Thank you!
Just returned from Santorini and loved the visit at Estate Argyros. Wines and hospitality were both top notch! From there it was an easy drive over to Metaxy Mas for lunch. I think the whites at Argyros are among the best on the Santorini.
John Osgood
Thanks John. I’m happy it was helpful.
Sadly, all wine tours are sold out for our visit in 3 weeks. We have decided to spend our time doing a boat tour, hike, and Akrotiri but would like to visit at least one winery. Which would you choose for a quick one-hour stop: Venetsanos or Santo Winery. Thanks.
In my opinion, both have great views but Venetsanos has a little more charm. Santo has a better (larger) wine shop – if you’re looking to take some wine home (or get it shipped).
Hi,
Your site is helpful. Are there any wine tours in the off season? We are visiting in February and can’t find any availability. Thanks.
There are combo sightseeing and wine tours (like this one) available in February.
My problem: No availability left for Wine Tours.
Hi Dave,
Love your website and has been super helpful planning my trip. I just booked a solo trip to Greece and will be staying in Fira for 2 and half days. I would love to do a wine tour but it appears that everything is either totally booked up already or requires multiple people to take part. Are there any wine tours that allow solo travelers that are still available to book and if I wanted to plan a DIY tour what would your recommendation be? (Time of day, vineyards to see, walking or renting a driver for a few hours). Lastly if I were to do a DIY tour stopping at 3 vineyards for tasting what would that estimated cost be? Thanks!!
Yes, wine tours get fully booked earlier and earlier every year.
For a DIY wine tour I’d start at Venetsanos Winery (buses go nearby on their way to Akrotiri or Perissa). Then walk to Gavalas Winery in Megalochori. It’s less than a 15 minute walk and it’s a little tricky because of the lack of sidewalks but still pretty easy and doable. If that sounds unappealing you could call a taxi but you might be waiting a while. Those are two of my favorite wineries in Santorini. If you needed a third keep walking (sort of south and west) to Boutari about another 10 minutes south of Gavalas. Then bus back to Fira. As for costs it’s very hard to say as each winery offers a wide range of tastings.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for all the information on wine tours! Regarding to answer on a DIY tour, I wanted to follow-up to your answer to a previous poster. We’ll be staying in Megalachori, and are interested in doing our own mini-tour starting at Gavalas, and then walking to either Venetsanos or Boutari (which both seem to be semi-close?). Which would you recommend, and about how far is the walk?
Thank you!
Danielle
I’d say, go to Venetsanos for the views (awesome) and setting. Go to Boutari for the wine. Not that there’s a huge difference in quality but Venetsanos does get more people interested primarily in the views. Boutari is sort of ugly and attracts more serious connoisseurs. As to walking, it’s a little tricky but doable and not far (walking along the busy road is more of the problem). If possible scope out both places beforehand (in a car, if you have one) which will make finding them on foot easier.
Hi Dave,
We would like to book for a tour online for November, but I can’t for some reason. Are the tours full or closed for the season?
If so can we do it in the island? Or do you recommend just walk in the winery? Our plan is on November 14-18.
Thank you
Mark
This private wine tour of Santorini will typically have availability in November.
We’d like to visit a winery near Oia during our visit in December. I see Sigalas is within a short drive of Oia. Is it open in December and will we be able to visit?
Sigalas usually closes in early December. But if you contact them they’ll open up, give you a quick tour around the grounds, and let you taste and buy some wines. Send them an email at sigalaswinetasting@gmail.com or call Panayiota at +30 6982 877912.
Hi Dave, many thanks for all of the useful information your site provides. It’s been incredibly helpful for planning my trip over the last few months! I will be staying in Santorini for 6 days, what are the benefits of doing a wine tour as opposed to visiting on your own? We have rented a car for our stay. Look forward to hearing from you!
Jessica
The biggest advantage is you can enjoy the wine without having to worry about drinking too much. The pours are usually generous and it’s not hard to feel tipsy after a winery or definitely two. Also, finding the wineries can be a challenge. And the tours offer good info on the winers, wineries, and how the grapes are grown that you wouldn’t get without the tour. But can you do it yourself? For sure.
Dave, you’re a legend. Thanks a million for all this info. My wife and I are going to Santorini in a couple weeks and would like to do a wine tour. We prefer red wines to the dessert-ey whites but I’m noticing there are mostly white wines that are popular. Do you recommend any wineries or wine tours that have mostly reds? Thanks in advance.
The best wines on Santorini are whites so I’d encourage you to focus on them even if your tastes tend in a different direction. If you do want to try some reds then Gavalas Winery has the best red wines in Santorini.
After reading your review on Santo Winery and seeing the views, we are hoping to select a sunset tour that includes this winery. However, on the linked “Santorini Half-day Wine Tour” above from GetYourGuide, it does not specify which wineries will be visited. Are you fairly certain that Santo Winery is usually on that tour route? I messaged GetYourGuide about a week ago to check but have not received a response.
Although it was not listed on your website, I also reached out to Santorini Wine Tours to see what tour route they take. Unfortunately they do not visit Santo but instead visit Venetsanos, which they say has equivalent views?
What are your thoughts on this? We just want to make sure we sign up for the best sunset tour option!
Ashlee Hansen
No tour will absolutely guarantee which wineries they will visit as it can always change. The Santo winery or Venetsanos is consistently the final visit on the sunset version of the Half Day Tour. Venetsanos is great and has gorgeous sunset views (similar to Santo).
Hi Santorini Dave,
I will be in Santorini on my honeymoon for 3 nights September 29 – Oct 1, during that time it will be my (soon-to-be) husband’s birthday (Sept 30). I want to plan a wine tour with dinner reservations afterward to celebrate (or something like that). What do you recommend?
Thanks!
The wine tours on Santorini are really well done and well worth doing. Most will drop you back at your hotel (or really any place along the caldera) so you’re free to pick from the best restaurants on the island.
Hi Dave:
Thanks for this site. It’s great! I’m wondering if you have any tips on a do-it-yourself wine tour? I plan to rent scooters for exploring the island, but I wouldn’t want to do this while drinking at several wineries. Is it possible to do this via taxi? Or, are they too expensive and hard to order? Is there an area with a bunch in walking distance? We are staying in Finikia if that makes a difference.
Thanks for your help,
Justin
Santorini is loaded with wineries but they are fairly spread out. If you did want to do a self-guided walking tour I would visit the 3 following wineries: Gavalas (in the village of Megalochori), Venetsanos (on the caldera), and Santo Winery (on the caldera). Start by taking a bus from Fira (or wherever you’re staying) to Megalochori – they’ll run about every 30 to 60 minutes. Then find the Gavalas winery (a little tricky but it’s a small village so not too hard). Then walk north and towards the caldera to find Venetsanos. Then further north (and back towards Fira) to get to Santo. You’re now north of the ferry port so there will be plenty of buses running from the main road back to Fira. These 3 wineries are great but the walk between them is not really along the caldera, provides few views, and has stretches on a busy road. So, do it to save money but don’t be expecting a beautiful walk between the wineries.
Hi Dave,
Your site has been so helpful in planning our Honeymoon in Santorini!
We definitely want to take one of the wine tours. Aside from time of day, is there a real difference between the half day wine tour and the sunset wine tour you suggested on this page? We can’t decide which would be better since they seem so similar… would love your insight!
Lilach
Go with the half-day tour (it has two times for you to choose from, so the evening tour will have sunset views). I listed the other tour primarily because my first choice often gets sold out.
Hi Dave,
Do you know which 3 wineries the Santorini half day small group wine tour visits?
Nicole
Gavalas, Santo, and Boutari are the most commonly visited but can change because of the season or schedule. All are good – and the smaller wineries are often the most memorable.
Hi Dave,
I was thinking of doing the 5 hour boat tour: red beach/white beach/bbq/hotsprings.
I am going May 21-24. Do you recommend me going on the day one 10AM-3PM, or the sunset one 3PM-8PM.
I would think watching the sunset is amazing but afraid once it reaches -7-8, it would be too windy.
I don’t mind doing the morning but I just want to make the right choice.
What do you think?
Darlene
I would do the sunset one as watching the sun set from below the Oia cliffs is really unique. Though swimming will be better (and they’ll be more of it) on the daytime tour. It can be windy anytime so don’t plan around that.
I’m going to Herakleion for 5 days second week of September, thinking of taking the ferry over to Santorini for 1 day. Which day of the week is best to go over (I grew up in Italy so I’m thinking it might be like there when on Sundays everything is closed, but Saturday are overly crowded) and ideas of best tours to make the most of our time there. I liked the photography tour but none of us are photographers, unless using Instagram, are you obliged to take professional pictures?
Elena Metta
There are no guarantees but Wednesday and Thursday are typically the busiest days as those are the most popular days for cruise ship stops. Cruise ships will often leave Athens on the weekend and then return the following weekend giving them a port stop in Santorini mid-week. Sunday and Monday are the best bets for a “quiet” day. The photography tour is great for everyone from beginner to pro.
Hello Dave,
Your website is the most useful and helpful site I’ve ever come across while vacation planning. My significant other and I will be visiting Santorini (only for 4 days) from March 31-April 4th. We’re very limited on tours, and As per your recommendation I was interested in the 5 hour sunset catamaran tour. But noticed it includes swimming, snorkelling, and hot springs. Will the weather or water actually be warm enough during those dates to conduct those activities?
Thank you for ALL your efforts and advice.
Faye H.
There will be hot springs swimming as that water is warmish (not hot). The boat stops about 100 meters from the hot springs and the sea water from the boat to the hot springs is chilly. Bring a big warm towel. The “swimming/snorkeling” will probably be ignored but they’re not the highlights of the tour in any case.
We’re a group of 4 visiting Santorini at mid-October. Would you recommend booking tours in advance?
You’ll likely be fine not booking and buying after you arrive – but you just never know. If it’s a tour you’re set on then I’d book in advance. Wine tours are small and can easily fill up with one group booking. Boat tours have more capacity and are easier left until after arrival.
We have 2 full days on Santorini. On the first day we’ll walk the foot path from Fira to Oia and explore the towns along the way. On the second day we’ll do either a wine tour of the Santorini wineries or a boat tour of the caldera with sunset and volcano walk. Which would you recommend? Which tour will have better food?
Both tours are great fun but the volcano/caldera/sunset boat tour is the one to do if you only have one day. You can do good wine tours in lots of places but there’s only one caldera like this. The food on the boat tour is adequate (far better than it has to be) but not as good as it would be on the wine tour – but still, do the boat tour.