Private Guided Oia Village and Prehistoric Museum
Private Guided Oia Village and Prehistoric Museum
Due to its fascinating geography, thousands of years of history, and its unique hospitality, all of our tours on Santorini include a professionally trained, licensed guide so you get an in-depth experience which you would not receive merely being driven with a guide book. You will meet your guide on the pier of Fira after tendering ashore. They will escort you via cable car to the town of Fira where you will walk to your transportation. Departing Fira, you will drive to the village of Oia, which is situated on the northern end of Santorini. As you drive along the edge of the caldera, you will have a chance to see the different colored layers of rock and lava that tell of the volcano's very active past. It is like a timeline of the islands creation, partial destruction and history. Oia offers magnificent views of the caldera and the rest of the other islands. With its cobble stone streets, beautiful old sea captain's mansions and houses perched on the cliff side, you can admire the traditional Cycladic architecture for which Santorini is so well known. You will have some free time as there is a photo opportunity around every corner.
From Oia, you will drive to the Museum of Prehistoric Thira, the earlier name for the island of Santorini. The museum houses finds from the excavation site of Akrotiri, as well as other sites on the island. The exhibition is structured in four units, referring to the history of research at Thira, the geology of Thira, the island's history from the Late Neolithic to the Late Cycladic I period and the heyday of the city at Akrotiri. The exhibits include fossils of plants that flourished before the human habitation of Thira as well as archeological objects dating back to 3300 B.C.
The rest of the day is yours to wander the twisting alleys and pedestrian walkways of Fira Town, filled with galleries, jewelry shops, and Greek souvenirs. When you are ready to return to your ship, use your included cable car ticket to return to the tender pier in Fira.
Please Note: Tour is not available on Mondays as the museum is closed. The tour duration does not include the time required to tender ashore from your ship or to ascend from the tender pier to Fira Town by included cable car ride. Please be aware that waiting time for the cable car can be extensive when there are several ships in the port. Groups of ten or more guests will be tendered from the pier at Fira to the pier at Athinios and begin their tour from there. All tours end in Fira and include a return cable car ticket to the tender pier in Fira to be used at your convenience. This tour offers customized departure times between 7:30 AM and 7:00 PM. If your preferred departure time is not listed, please contact us to place your request.