Greece Wine Roads: Athens, Nemea and Santorini

Greece’s wine country is spread across the mainland and islands, and this five-day private tour links three very different places without asking you to arrange every transfer yourself. You’ll taste Agiorgitiko in Nemea, learn about Santorini’s dry-field vineyards, and finish with wine beside the caldera at sunset.

I like the mix of serious wine tasting and classic Greek scenery, especially the Corinth Canal, Santorini’s whitewashed lanes, and the final sunset tasting at Santo Wines. I also like the practical setup: private vehicle service, ferry tickets with assigned seats, two 4-star hotel nights in each base, and a flight back to Athens with checked luggage included.

The main drawback is the pace. Day 2 is a long mainland outing, and Day 4 packs three wineries into about five hours. You get a lot for the price, but this suits you best if you want a well-organized introduction to Greek wine rather than a slow, single-region wine retreat.

Key details at a glance

• Five wineries in five days: Visit two wineries in the Nemea area and three on Santorini, with four to five wines at each stop.
• Greek grapes take center stage: Expect Agiorgitiko, Moschofilero, Assyrtiko, Mandilaria, Malagouzia, and Santorini’s Vinsanto.
• Private transport throughout: A private, air-conditioned vehicle handles airport transfers, the Nemea outing, and island hotel connections.
• A long but useful mainland day: The Nemea trip includes the Corinth Canal and about six hours of touring before returning to Athens.
• Sunset is part of the wine program: The Santorini afternoon ends with tastings, snacks, and caldera views at Santo Wines.
• Simple final connection: A domestic Aegean Air flight from Santorini to Athens includes a 23-kilogram checked bag and a hand carrier.

Athens arrival and a gentle start

Your first day is mostly about getting settled. After arriving in Athens, a private vehicle takes you to your hotel, where a member of the local team helps with check-in and explains the trip ahead.

This is a useful service after a long international flight. You are not left to work out an unfamiliar airport transfer, hotel arrival, and next-day meeting point on your own. The Athens stay includes two nights at a 4-star hotel, with breakfast included.

There is no scheduled wine tasting on arrival day, which is a good choice. Athens has plenty of food and wine nearby, but your first afternoon remains flexible. You can rest, walk around, or add your own sightseeing if your energy allows.

The package does not include accommodation after the final return to Athens. Your international flight should leave after 1 p.m. on Day 5, giving you time to land in Athens and connect with your flight home. I would treat that timing as important, not optional.

Corinth Canal and the long road to Nemea

After breakfast on Day 2, you meet your driver and head south by private vehicle toward the Peloponnese. The first planned stop is the Corinth Canal, the narrow cut that separates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece.

You have about an hour and a half here, including time to take in the view and photographs. It is a short stop, but it breaks up the drive and gives the day a strong sense of place. You are seeing the point where Central Greece meets the Peloponnese, with the Aegean and Ionian seas connected by this famous route.

From there, the focus shifts to Nemea, one of Greece’s key wine areas. The region is best known for Agiorgitiko, a native red grape that can produce several styles, from full dry reds to lighter and sweeter wines.

That range makes Nemea more interesting than a quick tasting of one standard red. You can compare how the same local grape changes with production style, vineyard conditions, and winemaking choices. The tour also introduces Moschofilero from Mantinia, another important Greek variety with a very different profile.

The schedule includes visits to two wineries in the wider Nemea area. The provided details do not name these two estates, so you should not expect to select particular producers in advance. What is clear is that the day is designed to show you an important Greek wine region through several tastings, rather than simply stopping for one drink on the way to somewhere else.

What the Nemea day is really like

The total trip takes about six hours, including the winery visits and driving. That is a substantial day from Athens, and the return to your hotel comes afterward, so you should plan for an early start and a quiet evening.

I like the use of a private vehicle here. Nemea is not a simple place to explore by public transport, and a private driver means you can focus on the scenery and tastings instead of route planning. It also avoids the problem of driving after wine tasting.

Still, this is not a relaxed stroll between nearby tasting rooms. The wineries are spread through a wider area, and road time is part of the day. If your priority is a long lunch, extended cellar time, or a single estate visit, the schedule may feel brisk.

Food pairings are included at the wineries, with snacks, cold cuts, and cheese. These are practical additions, especially when several tastings are scheduled. They also help you notice how Greek wine works with local food rather than treating each glass as an isolated sample.

Ferrying from Piraeus to Santorini

Day 3 begins with a private transfer from your Athens hotel to Piraeus. From the port, you take a ferry to Santorini with assigned seats.

The transfer service matters here because Piraeus can be confusing when you are carrying luggage and trying to find the correct vessel. Assigned seats also make the crossing easier than leaving your place on board to chance.

The schedule gives about eight hours for the Santorini transfer and arrival process. Once you disembark, a local team member meets you, takes you to your hotel, and explains some of the island’s main features.

The rest of the day is free. You can walk through Fira, follow the narrow lanes, look for the island’s blue-domed churches, and stop for Greek food and local wine. This open time is welcome after the mainland drive and ferry ride.

Your Santorini hotel includes the second pair of 4-star nights and breakfast. The package does not specify the hotel names or exact location, so check those details before booking if your choice of village matters to you.

A free Santorini morning before the tastings

Day 4 leaves the morning and early afternoon open. That gives you several hours to explore at your own pace before the scheduled wine route begins.

I consider this one of the stronger parts of the plan. Santorini can feel rushed when every hour is filled with transfers and organized stops. Here, you have room to walk around, eat lunch, or simply enjoy the island before meeting the driver and sommelier for the afternoon.

The exact meeting time is agreed in advance, and pickup is available from most island hotels. Since the afternoon includes wine, a pickup service is much safer and more comfortable than trying to drive yourself between estates.

Three Santorini wineries and four wines at each

The Santorini wine outing lasts about five hours and visits three family-owned wineries. At Anhydrous Winery, you taste four wines while learning about the island’s unusual vineyards and dry growing conditions.

The drive between stops is part of the lesson. You pass dry fields and vineyards while the driver or sommelier explains how wine is made on Santorini. The supplied details do not promise a particular guide by name, but they do specify an English-speaking professional guide.

At Gavalas Winery, you walk around a volcanic vineyard and taste another four wines. The wider tasting can include up to 12 island varieties, including Assyrtiko and Vinsanto, although the scheduled tasting at Gavalas is listed as four wines.

That distinction is worth noting. You may hear about more varieties than you actually taste, so this is not necessarily a 12-glass flight at one estate. Across the Santorini stops, however, you get a good chance to compare dry whites, sweet wines, and local grapes shaped by the island’s volcanic soil and dry conditions.

The final stop is Santo Wines. Here, you taste four wines on an open patio with a view over the caldera as the sun sets. Snacks, cold cuts, cheese, and tapas are included for pairing, making this the most scenic and social part of the wine program.

The sunset setting is a major reason to choose this tour. It is also the least quiet part of the day in spirit, since sunset is one of Santorini’s most sought-after moments. If you prefer private, low-key tastings, ask how the timing and seating work before you commit.

Greek grapes you will encounter

The tour gives you a useful introduction to grapes that are less familiar to many wine drinkers.

Agiorgitiko is tied to Nemea and appears in several styles, especially red wines. The range from dry to sweeter examples gives you a better sense of the grape than a single tasting would.

Moschofilero is associated here with Mantinia. Its inclusion broadens the mainland portion beyond Nemea’s red wine focus.

Assyrtiko is one of Santorini’s signature grapes and is central to the island tastings. It is paired with the story of Santorini’s dry vineyards and volcanic growing conditions.

Vinsanto brings a sweet island style into the program. Tasting it alongside dry Assyrtiko shows how varied Santorini wine can be.

The package also names Mandilaria and Malagouzia among the Greek grapes you may encounter. The exact pour at each winery can change, so do not assume every grape will appear in equal measure.

What the $3,355 price includes

At $3,355, this is not a bargain wine day. It is a private, multi-stop vacation package that includes accommodation, transport between regions, ferry travel, a domestic flight, winery admission, tastings, and four breakfasts.

The price also covers a private air-conditioned vehicle and an English-speaking professional guide. That is valuable in Greece, where the travel connections are a large part of the challenge. You are paying for coordination as much as for wine.

Five winery visits with four to five wines at each one would be costly to arrange independently, especially once you add transport and tasting fees. The Santorini route also includes the sunset setting, snacks, cold cuts, cheese, and tapas. A 23-kilogram checked bag on the Aegean Air flight is another useful inclusion.

The value depends heavily on how many people share the private tour. The package allows group discounts, but the supplied information does not state the discount amount or the maximum group size. Ask for the total price for your party before booking.

You still pay personal expenses, optional gratuities, a 3 euro tourist city tax per room at the 4-star hotels, and anything not listed. The price also excludes accommodation after the final return to Athens.

Pace, comfort, and who should book

This tour is a good fit if you want Greek wine and major scenery in one compact trip. It works especially well for couples, families with adult wine drinkers, and small private groups that value door-to-door service.

The private format means only your group participates. That gives you more control than a large coach tour, though the fixed ferry, winery, and flight schedule still limits how much you can change on the fly.

Wine consumption is limited to adults age 18 and over under Greek law. Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. The tour is near public transport, but the main transfers are already arranged privately.

I would not choose this package if you want to spend several days in Athens, visit ancient sites at length, or focus on one wine region. Athens receives only arrival time and a return connection, while Nemea is handled in one long day and Santorini in two nights.

You should also be comfortable with mixed transport. The trip includes a private road journey, a ferry, island transfers, and a domestic flight. That variety is efficient, but it means you will pack and unpack more than once.

Booking, cancellation, and practical questions

Confirmation is provided at booking. Pickup is offered, and the tour operates as a private activity. Since hotel names, winery assignments in Nemea, and exact meeting times are not provided, ask for those details before paying.

The cancellation terms are strict near departure. Cancel at least six full days before the start time for a full refund. Cancellation two to six full days ahead brings a 50 percent refund, while cancellation within two full days receives no refund. Changes inside those windows are not accepted, and all cutoffs use local Greek time.

Past customers gave the tour a perfect overall rating across five submitted ratings, with particular praise for the smooth arrangements, the wine variety, the scenery, and the personal care provided by the company team. Mikaella and Argiris were singled out for arranging a memorable private journey, so they may be useful contacts if you want to discuss a custom version or group needs.

Should you book the Greece Wine Roads tour?

Book it if you want a polished introduction to Greek wine without spending your holiday on timetables, ferry research, hotel transfers, and winery reservations. The strongest features are the variety of regions, private transport, food pairings, and Santorini sunset tasting.

Think twice if you prefer a slower schedule or want more time in Athens. At $3,355, the package earns its value through convenience and included transport, not through a low price. For a small group that wants to taste widely and see both mainland Greece and Santorini, it is a practical choice. For a solo wine specialist seeking quiet cellar time, a custom, single-region itinerary may serve you better.

FAQ

How long is the Greece Wine Roads tour?

The tour lasts approximately five days and four nights. It includes two nights in Athens and two nights in Santorini.

Which regions does the tour visit?

The route covers Athens, the Nemea area of the Peloponnese, and Santorini. It also includes a stop at the Corinth Canal.

How many wineries are included?

Five winery visits are included. The tour visits two wineries in the Nemea area and three family-owned wineries on Santorini.

How many wines will I taste?

You will taste four to five wines at each winery. The Santorini visits specifically list four wines at Anhydrous, four at Gavalas, and four at Santo Wines.

Are meals included?

Breakfast is included on four days. Winery tastings include snacks, cold cuts, cheese, and tapas for pairing. Other meals and personal expenses are not included.

Is transportation included?

Yes. The package includes private air-conditioned vehicle transport, ferry tickets with assigned seats from Piraeus to Santorini, and a Santorini to Athens flight with Aegean Air.

What luggage is included on the flight?

The Aegean Air flight includes one checked bag weighing up to 23 kilograms and one hand carrier.

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancel at least six full days before the start time for a full refund. Cancel two to six full days ahead for a 50 percent refund. Cancellations within two full days are not refunded.