Private Santorini wine tours sit at the top of every search result sorted by
price, and most people scroll straight past them. Before you compare, check
whether the number is per person or per group, because the two are not
comparable.
Per person or per group
A shared three-winery tasting is priced per head: two people pay twice, four
people pay four times. Some private tours are priced the same way. Others are
priced for the booking: one vehicle, one guide, a set party size.
The private wineries tour is $189 a person, so two people pay $378 and four pay
$756 at the starting price. The five-hour private tour is priced per group,
$669 for two people, or $335 each, against $139 for a shared seat on the
three-winery tour. Other per-group listings run from $390 for up to four people
to $562 for up to seven, but most have one review or none. A private tour costs
more per head than a shared one; the extra pays for a car and guide that are
yours alone and no pickup loop.
Check the price unit before comparing. It is printed beside the price on every
GetYourGuide listing.
What you actually gain
The hour you get back. A shared van collects across Fira, Imerovigli, Oia,
Kamari and Perissa before the tour begins, and returns everyone afterwards. If
you are at the wrong end of that loop it can cost you an hour each way. A private
tour starts at your door.
Control of the route. Three cellars is the standard, but on a private booking
you can stay longer at the one you like, add a village, or ask for a specific
estate. The private wineries tour
opens at Art Space — a 19th-century canava carved into volcanic rock that doubles
as an art museum — and it is rated 4.99 from 43 reviews.
Attention. Ten glasses is a lot of information. On a shared tour the guide
divides it among ten people; on a private one they do not.
When shared is genuinely better
Two cases:
- Two travellers on a budget. For a couple, the arithmetic usually still
favours a shared seat. Book the
best-value three-winery tour
and spend the difference on bottles.
- You want to meet people. A ten-person van on a wine tour is a sociable
afternoon, and plenty of reviews say so.
There is also a middle option worth knowing about: several operators sell the
same route as either shared or private at the date picker. The
tasting tour with snacks
is one of them — check both prices before you choose.
Cruise passengers
If you are arriving by ship, private is close to essential: the operator meets
you at the port and works to your re-boarding time rather than a fixed schedule.
Budget separately for the Fira cable car, which is €6 (about $7) per person each way and is
not included in any tour price.