Southern Island Bus Tour: Hidden Gems and History

Explore the hidden gems of Santorini’s south coast on this half-day bus tour. Visit the 16th century Monastery of Prophet Elias, the traditional village of Megalochori, the ancient Minoan site of Akrotiri, and relax on the black sand beach of Perivolos.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Monastery of Profitis Ilias - The first stop of the tour is the 16th century Monastery of Prophet Elias which was built on the highest point of the Island 550 meters above sea level. From there you have a panoramic view of the whole island and it is breathtaking!
  • Akrotiri Archaeological Site - Akrotiri is the last stop on our tour and what…
What's Included
  • Pickup from designated meeting points
  • Guided tour with a professional guide
  • Comfortable travel with in-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Akrotiri excavation site entrance fee (12€) NOT included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Guiding in the archeological site
Additional Information

Embark on this bus journey taking you towards the Southern end of the island as you explore its hidden treasures. Your tour commences with the 16th-century Monastery of Prophet Elias, offering sweeping views of the entire island.
Continuing on the tour, you will visit Megalochori, among the island’s most traditional villages, providing a peek into its…

Location
Monastery of Profitis Ilias
Epar. Od. Pirgou Kallistis, 3 km from Pyrgo Thira, Moni Profitou Ilia
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.9
(17 Ratings)
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John_s
Jun 28, 2024
Loved the half day tour. - We especially enjoyed the typical traditional village and Akrotiri. Our guide, Tatiyana, was delightful, entertaining and always happy.
Review provided by Viator
Sherry_d
Oct 11, 2023
Great Island Exploration - Very enjoyable tour! We enjoyed each stop. Akrotiri was definitely a highlight! We enjoyed all stops on this tour, though it would have been nice to have a bit longer at the beach.
Review provided by Viator
Patrick
Nov 6, 2019
Wonderful - Wonderful from top to bottom. The beach, the sand, the wine and the ruins. I highly recommend. Admission to the ruins in not included.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Northstar754149
Sep 30, 2019
Best tour EVER - Tasha was not only knowledgeable, but truly excited by her subject. I was thrilled with some of the things I was able to see that I wouldn't have if I had been on my own. GO ON THIS TOUR.
Review provided by Viator
Ellen_m
Aug 10, 2019
Great time!! - Tanya and Nikos were wonderful. I have MS and need a walker to get around. They were so accommodating, helpful and courteous to me and my disability. My sister and I loved Tanya's fun way of telling us about this beautiful area. She was so outgoing, amusing, knowledgeable and fun. Recommend this tour to all who want to have a great time in Santorini.
Review provided by Viator
Linda
May 15, 2019
OUTSTANDING way to see Santorini!! - Went on this trip the day the cruise ships were coming to Fira! Akortiri is a MUST to see this archeological dig preceding Pompei! ANd Tanya was funny, enthusiastic and a very caring guide! Shared interesting history - kept track of us - picked perfect spot for lunch - made sure we saw the red and black sand beaches - and got us a professional guide for Akortiri! She also walked us through an old city - interesting! initial worrisome problem since Viator told us the wrong company/wrong phone number but apparently Santorini Tours was the actual company and did pick us up! Then it was awesome!
Review provided by Viator
Eileen_b
Sep 20, 2023
Akrotiri City of Ancient Thera - Archaeological site of Akrotiri is very interesting. Shows the life of the people who lived there before the Minoan eruption. Happy ending—the people saw warning signs and escaped.
Review provided by Viator
Robert_n
May 21, 2023
Skip this tour. - This tour has potential, but needs improvement. They picked us up in a small van & then dropped us off in the hot sun (no shade available) where we waited approximately 30 minutes for a large bus to arrive. The tour was too long - they should eliminate the $1 euro bathroom break which took 20 minutes & eliminate the walk to red beach/ice cream break which would save at least another hour. Also lunch was at the end of the tour & everyone was thirsty & hungry by 3:30 in the afternoon. So they should have a smaller group size, provide a bottle of water, shorten the trip, and not have lunch so late.
Review provided by Viator
Freedom635063
Jun 13, 2019
Disappointment - We were on a cruise to Santorini. Unfortunately due to a mix up caused by another passenger with same name as me we were not able to book any excursions through the ship. That lead us to book this tour through Viator. We have used Viator with great success in the past. While everything seemed ok in the beginning, I started receiving messages from the tour operator. They even called my mobile phone while on board our cruise ship to iron out the meeting details. We arrived at the meeting point 1 minute before the agreed meeting time and asked others that were there if they were on the same tour, but they were not. After waiting 15 minutes I emailed the tour operator and a short while later she replied with "has the driver picked you up?" I replied "no" and waited another 15 minutes. Finally I called her and she said I had not responded to her and no one was coming to pick us. Which worked out fine in the end. We met another couple from our cruise ship at one of local tour operators kiosk and booked a tour with them and had a wonderful time with a private driver for the four of us. In closing I would not recommend this operator. The positive in the situation is that they did refund our money in a timely manor. I hate to leave negative feed back, but don't want anyone else to have the same experience.
Review provided by Viator
Lina_c
Oct 2, 2023
I want a refund because there was no tour bus at the meeting place at the appointed time. - I want a refund! We waited for the blue bus across the old medical center, but there was none! It was supposed to be there at 10:00 and we were there 9:50 and waited until 10:30. I did not receive any notification that the meeting place was changed. This should not happen!!!
Review provided by Viator