Venture around the ancient ruins of Akrotiri on a walking tour, and then spend the afternoon sipping crisp Santorini wine during visits to three island wineries! This must-do half-day tour offers an exciting insight into the island's unsung history and winemaking heritage. From a professional guide, hear tales of Akrotiri's links to the mythical city of Atlantis, learn about ancient and modern-day winemaking on the island and taste 12 different types of Santorini wine.
Numbers are limited to eight on this small-group tour, ensuring personalized attention from a guide.
Start your day with a hotel pickup and travel to the archeological site at Akrotiri, an ancient city that was frozen in time after a volcanic eruption some 3,600 years ago. Head inside with your guide - an expert in archeology - and learn about the Minoan city before the catastrophic event occurred. Many speculate that the site is actually Atlantis, a mythical city described by the Greek philosopher Plato as being a prosperous land that disappeared without trace after the Gods were angered.
Gaze in awe at the ruins of multistoried buildings that date back to the 16th century, and admire the intricately designed drainage system that hints at a talented civilization more advanced than its time. Frescoes and fascinating ceramic artifacts are just a few of the finds that add even more intrigue to the site as you wander around.
Evidence of the island's winemaking heritage has been uncovered at Akrotiri and, after learning about the processes used in bygone days, leave the attraction and set off to discover how Santorini wine is made today.
Producing some of the most distinctive wine in the Mediterranean, the island owes its success largely to
aspa, a blend of volcanic soil that gives the wine its rich minerality and light flavor. Grapes are grown in baskets close to the ground rather than on trellises, allowing much-needed moisture from the island's minimal rainfalls to be retained.
Visit three of the island's traditional wineries, and enjoy cellar tours of each one to see how the winemaking process unfolds, from harvesting the grapes to bottling and maturing the wine. Take a walk around one of the volcanic vineyards to see the grapes growing in the unforgiving island conditions and, of course, try glasses of Santorini wine galore - up to 12 samples in total!
Try popular varietals such as assyrtiko, nykteri and the rich vinsanto, and enjoy a platter of local delicacies including cheese, salami, bread and olives to complement and balance out the flavors of the wine. After learning about wine and history, finish your experience with a hotel drop-off.
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Discover the crisp volcanic wine of Santorini and learn how to cook melt-in-the-mouth Greek dishes on a 5-hour food and wine tour of the island! With a friendly local guide, visit two traditional wineries to sample up to eight glasses of the local wine and learn about Santorini's volcanic soil. Then, help a local chef prepare a feast of classic Greek delicacies and island specialties, and savor them alongside a glass of popular Greek firewater such as ouzo!
See the highlights of Santorini on an 5 hours shore excursion, and explore the island from its half-submerged volcanic caldera to the summit of its highest mountain! With a private guide at your side, learn about Santorini's volcanic history while visiting the caldera and Perissa, a black-sand beach. Then, travel through the mountains to a monastery and sample local produce made by the resident monks. Try wine at a volcanic vineyard and winery, and then round off your day with free time in picturesque Oia village before returning to port.
Leave your cruise ship at Santorini Port, and sip your way around the island on a private morning or sunset wine tour! The 4-hour shore excursion includes visits to three of the island's traditional wineries where you can sample many varietals of local wine. Learn about the assyrtiko grape and hear about Santorini's island viticulture that produces some of the Mediterranean's beloved wine. Explore wine cellars, savor local specialties, and enjoy personalized attention from a private guide.
Sip your way around Santorini on a 4-hour wine tour of the island, visiting three traditional wineries! While savoring up to 12 different varietals made from grapes such as the indigenous assyrtiko, learn all about the island's unique viticulture that produces some of the most acidic and seductively sweet wine in the Mediterranean. Walk around a volcanic vineyard, explore the wineries' cellars and enjoy a platter of local delicacies to eat alongside the wine.
Discover the lesser-known gems and hidden markets of Thessaloniki on a 3-hour walking tour, led by a friendly local guide! On a leisurely stroll around town, scout out vibrant markets selling almost everything from food and spices to flowers and bric-a-brac while learning about Thessaloniki's intriguing history. Sample street food and meet local craftspeople at the Coppersmith's Arcade near the beautiful Panagia Chalkeon church. Visits to the old Jewish quarter of Ladadika as well as markets such as Bit Pazar, Paliatzidika and Modiano are also included.
Ignite your senses on a 3.5-hour food tour of Thessaloniki, exploring colorful markets, seeing fresh seafood, sampling Greek meze and more! With a local guide, visit the vibrant food markets of Modiano and Kapani to sample local bread, and then relax in a traditional Greek tavern to feast on a meze platter (selection of dishes) washed down with ouzo or ‘tsipouro' - two much-loved Greek liquors. Further samples include a melt-in-the-mouth syrupy sweet at one of the city's old candy shops.
Taste the local flavors of Greece during this 3-hour small-group cooking class in Athens! Taking place at the endearing Klimataria Tavern, your cooking class is run by its owner, Maria, who is famous throughout Athens for her traditional family Greek cooking. Under her watchful eye, prepare an authentic Greek feast and then sit down with fellow food-lovers in your group to eat!
During your time in port in Athens, wander through its historic streets while indulging in traditional Greek cuisine. This food walking tour allows you to savor a wide variety of local delicacies, ranging from the mouthwatering, syrupy 'loukoumades' to traditional 'bougatsa,' 'pastourma,' rusks and olives.