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Unseen Santorini: Authentic Half Day Excursion
5.0
40 Ratings
Mesaria
Embark on an authentic half-day tour of Santorini, exploring the island’s hidden gems and experiencing its true beauty away from the crowds. Discover non-touristy areas and immerse yourself in the unique charm of this stunning destination.
Embark on an authentic half-day tour of Santorini, exploring the island’s hidden gems and experiencing its true beauty away from the crowds. Discover non-touristy areas and immerse yourself in the unique charm of this stunning destination.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Mesaria - Explore the charming village of Messaria, situated in the heart of the island. Experience the essence of genuine local life.
- Megalochori - Nestled in the central-southern valley of Santorini, the picturesque village of Megalochori is encircled by vineyards. It offers tradition and authenticity at their finest!
- Emporio -…
- Mesaria - Explore the charming village of Messaria, situated in the heart of the island. Experience the essence of genuine local life.
- Megalochori - Nestled in the central-southern valley of Santorini, the picturesque village of Megalochori is encircled by vineyards. It offers tradition and authenticity at their finest!
- Emporio - Emporio is a medieval village in the southern region of Santorini. As one of the island’s oldest villages, it remains a truly hidden gem, largely untouched by tourism.
- Vlychada Beach - Vlychada Beach is essential for those seeking tranquility and the island’s natural splendor. This stunning and secluded beach on Santorini’s southern coast is renowned for its striking cliffs and rock formations composed of volcanic ash and pumice stone.
- Akrotiri - Located on Santorini’s southwestern coast, Akrotiri village is famed for its ancient site and the renowned red beach.
- Faros Market - Situated just outside Akrotiri village, Faros Market is a quaint, family-run store. It offers a convenient spot to discover traditional local products and enjoy authentic local dishes crafted with love and care.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- The rate does not include personal expenses such as food, drinks, souvenirs, and gratuities.
- The cable car ticket costs 6 euros per person per way.
- The rate does not include personal expenses such as food, drinks, souvenirs, and gratuities.
- The cable car ticket costs 6 euros per person per way.
Additional Information
The Unseen Authentic Santorini Half Day Shore Excursion offers an ideal tour experience! This excursion guides visitors to the less crowded and non-touristy parts of the island.
Situated in the central southern region of Santorini, it provides a distinctive and genuine experience. Explore the island’s hidden treasures and enjoy its true beauty away from the busy crowds.
The Unseen Authentic Santorini Half Day Shore Excursion offers an ideal tour experience! This excursion guides visitors to the less crowded and non-touristy parts of the island.
Situated in the central southern region of Santorini, it provides a distinctive and genuine experience. Explore the island’s hidden treasures and enjoy its true beauty away from the busy crowds.
Location
Mesaria
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(40 Ratings)
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1 star
Riotinto85
Jun 19, 2026
Marko is satorini - Marko the tour guide and operator was a wealth of knowledge on all things on the island. A knowledge he says he has gained from many conversation with the the elders of the island therefore sharing the history of the island from the locals who experienced it. All and all very enjoyable evening and a great recommendation for dinner at the end. Marko was top notch. 👌
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelleh450
Jun 16, 2026
Wonderful Santorini Experience - Our shore excursion in Santorini was truly one of the highlights of our cruise. The breathtaking scenery and carefully planned itinerary were exceptional, but what made the experience unforgettable was our guide.
Booking with Markos provides the most wonderful experience, not a typical tour. This was our second excusion with Markos and we cannot wait for the next. His service is exceptional. He is personal, professional and the most lovely guide. He made this trip even better than the first. We had an outstanding meal at a local tavern, visited the beach, saw beautiful sites and hidden gems.
If you're visiting Santorini, I highly recommend Markos and I am Santorini. The stunning views and memorable stops were incredible, but his outstanding service, expertise, and friendliness made the day truly exceptional. Five stars!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Markrz2815px
May 21, 2026
Fantastic tour with Markos, I Am Santorini - Markos iamsantorini.com is an exceptional choice for a small group tour while visiting Santorini. As an experienced tour guide who lives on the island, he knows Santorini intimately. He is knowledgeable and committed to providing his clients an experience that is flexible to your requests. He has a wonderful sense of humour. The suggested itinerary he provides is just that, and can be changed. The 1/2 day tour that we booked was perfect. Markos drove us to the perfect spots to take in the beautiful views of the caldera and the amazing villages and incredible buildings that hug the cliff sides overlooking the sea. He provided the six people on our tour lots of individual time to explore this incredible island and its attractions, including Oia, Fira and places in between. Markos also took us to local spots that a large bus tour would never go. Markos’ commitment to his guests provided a wonderfully memorable tour experience of Santorini. I highly recommend Markos’ iamsantorini.com. You will not be disappointed with your tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Franciscoi134
Oct 8, 2025
Awesome Santorini tour with the best guide Markos! - A Santorini Tour with Markos was definitely a highlight on our trip and I 100% reccommend him.
From Fira, he took us to both ti the touristy places (before the crowds got there), to the must-sees and photo opportunities but also took us off the beaten path to different points of the island with breathtaking views and hidden gems where he explained history, geography and how the locals work and live.
From the beginning of our tour, he asked us to treat him like an old friend and indeed was he friendly, respectful and considerate on the needs of the group going above and beyond expectations.
I will give you two clear examples:
1. A lady on our group had mild mobility issues, but he made sure to find even terrain and adjust the tour accordingly to make it easier for her
2. A strong rain started on the last minute before finishing the tour, but he drove around town for a while and tried to find the best drop off point that would be safe for us
Thank you Markus!
P.S if someone is thinking wether to reserve with Markos or not:
* Santorini was definitely more enjoyable with a driver, as you will not get to see all of the views from just one point/city
* He is an awesome guide and the experience is worth every penny
P.S.2 Get as earliest as possible to beat the crowds. Seriously.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
382andit
Sep 2, 2025
A True Gem - Great for Families! - My family and I were in Santorini for a only a day in August during a Mediterranean Cruise and we were fortunate to have found Markos to give us a personalized tour of Santorini. Markos was extremely helpful in planning the tour before our arrival to ensure our two sons ages 13 and 10 would find the tour engaging. Markos immediately made us feel welcomed to the beautiful island. Markos does an excellent job of explaining the historical facts about each location we visited in a way my 13 and 10 year old boys could easily understand and kept them engaged and interested throughout the tour. We felt fortunate to have a true local show us around. He shared unique locations and beautiful views of the island for us to gain a true understanding of what life is like in Santorini. Our tour ended with Markos taking us to a quint family owned restaurant located on a black sand beach so we could enjoy true local Greek food with an amazing view. It was a truly unique setting and made us feel like locals. Markos does a great job of taking us off the beaten path allowing us to see the beauty that Santorini has to offer.
Our tour with Markos remains one of the highlights from our 7 day Mediterranean cruise. Markos is extremely personable and responsive as we were planning our trip back in March. We highly recommend Markos and would definitely book another tour with him the next time we visit Santorini!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
280karmas
Aug 22, 2025
Magical Day in Santoroni - Thank you Markos for a truly Magical day in Santorini! Your fun, warm, welcoming spirit made our day extra special! We loved going to your beautiful small town on the coast away from the crowds, after visiting the main tourist spots! The family owned seaside restaurant you suggested was so delicious and we loved being treated like family there.
Also, thanks for being our photographer too 🙂 to help us remember all the magical places you took us!
If you are considering a visit to Santorini, I highly recommend Markos
Greek Karma
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E2388pxhollyd
Jul 15, 2025
Amazing day in Santorini with Markos! - Markos was such a fun, funny, personable, and knowledgeable tour guide for our family. Our boys loved the tour as he made it interesting and fun for them. He catered to our different interests (picturesque spots for me, interesting off-the-beaten path spots for my husband, and a collective family favorite local dining experience with delicious food and ambiance! Thanks for making our short but sweet stay in Santorini memorable Markos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna_w
Jul 8, 2025
Yiannis was a 3 for 1 (Driver, Sommelier, and Photographer) - The private tour was the best way to experience Santorini.
Not only was Yiannis a resident of Santorini, therefore very familiar with the island, he is also a sommelier! Although we are not wine connoisseurs, he taught us some very good information with the impromptu winery visit.
Yiannis was very patient with my sudden shopping in Oia and also took us to the perfect photographic spots and played photographer.
I highly recommend this tour/Yiannis and would do it again!
Review provided by Viator
Road05459335735
Jul 1, 2025
Exceptional Santorini Experience - We did a private tour with Markos. Prior to the tour, we corresponded about what we wanted to do and see and he fully customized the tour to our preferences. Took us to a wonderful local family restaurant on the sea for lunch. He was a wealth of information and answered all questions, making the day fun! If you want to avoid the large shore excursion crowds and do/see what you want to, book with Markos
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seaside747729
Jun 26, 2025
Unique - Sometimes you simply win! My husband and I have had the good fortune of experiencing many tour guides over the years - some have been good, some very good but few great.
Markos was great! Extremely knowledgeable of the region, history and culture. More importantly his company was a pleasure. We asked for a unique experience and he delivered.
I can recommend Markos without qualification.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
