Santorini Local & Fresh Ingredients

Waterless Farming: an insider's food & wine tour, Santorini

Discover Santorini's singular cuisine, notable for its waterless farming, seeing wineries and farm cooking demonstrations

Overview

Santorini is highly regarded for many reasons, but today, you will explore with this half-day guided foodie tour, one of those that is perhaps less talked-about:  its cuisine. Thanks to the arid island's waterless (anhydrous) farming, the food has a unique and flavorful taste and today is your chance to discover much more about its special agriculture, produce and dishes.

You will take an adventurous journey into Santorini's gastronomic delights. Led with your taste buds, you will visit a historic village, wineries, and an organic farm. Along the way, you will see a side to the island far away from the well-beaten tourist trails, learning about the island's ancient history of winemaking and sampling traditional culinary delights.

You'll explore Megalochori village, walking along distinctive stone pathways called kadounia. Away from the visiting masses, here you will have a window into a typical islander's life. You will get to experience a family-run winery, where the wine production follows centuries-old traditions, tasting several indigenous varieties and enjoying some local foodie delicacies.

You'll witness a cooking demonstration with fresh, hand-picked ingredients at an organic farm. In a series of traditional agricultural caves, you'll find cherry tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, prickly pears, zucchinis, watermelon, and many other fruits and vegetables, which provide the palette for today's demonstration. Watch and learn how to prepare traditional seasonal dishes, and enjoy a scrumptious meal you can be sure has been created with local products.

Depending on the exact day of the tour, you may visit a second winery to learn more about Santorini's unique volcanic soil and how it impacts the island's distinctive wine. 

In case of any dietary intolerances or allergies, please advise your travel specialist accordingly.
See more things to do in Santorini.

Know before you go

Duration
5 hours
Recommended for
All ages
Group
Small group
Food & Drink
Lunch Included

Start times

  • Monday
    Not available
  • Tuesday
    2:00 pm
  • Wednesday
    Not available
  • Thursday
    2:00 pm
  • Friday
    Not available
  • Saturday
    2:00 pm
  • Sunday
    Not available

What's included

Local guide, wine tasting with appetizers and farm food tasting, live cooking class, water and food.

Traveler reviews

8 total ratings, 6 with reviews
5.0 out of 5
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
5.0
Food
4.9
Guides, Drivers and Staff
5.0
Transport
5.0
Bela
Bela G.
Marlborough, MA | Reviewed on Jul 24, 2023

We loved everything about this trip from our guided walk to the winery to cooking on the tomato farm and eating our food!

Read more

We loved everything about this trip from our guided walk to the winery to cooking on the tomato farm and eating our food!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
M
Mark E.
Sunnyvale, CA | Reviewed on Jul 17, 2023

This was one of our trip highlights. The wine tasting was tasty and informative. That alone would have been incredible, but that was followed by the waterless farming tour and cooking exercise which was even better. A must do tour for any visitors to Naxos. Read more

This was one of our trip highlights. The wine tasting was tasty and informative. That alone would have been incredible, but that was followed by the waterless farming tour and cooking exercise which was even better. A must do tour for any visitors to Naxos.

Quality of Experience
So informative and fun
Food
The wines were so good, but the food we cooked at the farm was AMAZING.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very friendly and informative
Transport
J
Joe F.
Jacksonville, FL | Reviewed on Jun 08, 2022

Probably the most unexpected surprise of trip. Fantastic and provided true feel for the people and island. Our guide was just the best and was so fun and loved all the people. I would do again if I had the opportunity. Read more

Probably the most unexpected surprise of trip. Fantastic and provided true feel for the people and island. Our guide was just the best and was so fun and loved all the people. I would do again if I had the opportunity.

Tips for future travelers

If in doubt. Please do. Such an authentic experience and understand the real Santorini.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cheryl
Cheryl L.
Okolona, KY | Reviewed on Jun 05, 2022

This was among our top two favorite tours! Our bus driver Konstantinos was THE BEST! He was funny, engaging, and his fun banter with our tour guide Ana made it even more memorable. We laughed so much!! Great memories!! We learned so much about grapes, wine, and wineries! And we got to prepare our delicious meal together with our tour guide! Read more

This was among our top two favorite tours! Our bus driver Konstantinos was THE BEST! He was funny, engaging, and his fun banter with our tour guide Ana made it even more memorable. We laughed so much!! Great memories!! We learned so much about grapes, wine, and wineries! And we got to prepare our delicious meal together with our tour guide!

Tips for future travelers

Just go! You will love it!

Quality of Experience
Everything! Even though the weather turned on us and it rained, the scenery was beautiful!!
Food
The fresh ingredients! And of course the wines we tasted!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The wine tasting, the tour of wineries, the scenery, the preparation of food, and of course it was delicious! If I ever go back to Greece I would do this tour again! I made some real friends with Ana and Konstantinos!! ❤️
Transport
Comfortable, fun, engaging, best tour guide and driver!
Alexis
Alexis K.
Houston, TX | Reviewed on May 27, 2022

Wonderful experience. Our driver and tour guide were both very friendly and knowledgeable. We tasted great wines, learned about the history of Santorini (with regards to the agriculture), and got to cook traditional food from the island. The experience ended with a final glass of wine and an amazing view of the sunset. Read more

Wonderful experience. Our driver and tour guide were both very friendly and knowledgeable. We tasted great wines, learned about the history of Santorini (with regards to the agriculture), and got to cook traditional food from the island. The experience ended with a final glass of wine and an amazing view of the sunset.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
N
Nancy F.
West Chester, PA | Reviewed on May 12, 2022

Ana was a wonderful tour guide, very knowledgable of the wine making and she made the experience so enjoyable. Read more

Ana was a wonderful tour guide, very knowledgable of the wine making and she made the experience so enjoyable.

Tips for future travelers

the trip mentioned lunch, but for Americans it was very late lunch. I would suggest saying it was dinner, since we ate closer to 6pm.

Quality of Experience
Food
Fava beans, tomato fritters and greek salad was outstanding. For dessert we had greek yogurt with the farm made sweetened marinated cherry tomatoes!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport

Itineraries with Waterless Farming: an insider's food & wine tour

Best of Greece: Mainland, Santorini & Crete - 14 Days

Travel for two weeks across a wide span of Greece's top attractions, from the clifftops of Meteora to the Cretan seaside. You'll start by winding your way through the many columns of mainland historic attractions like ancient Delphi and Olympia. Go out to sea to Santorini for a taste of the Cyclades, then end your trip in Crete's second-largest city.

Discover Food, Wine, and Culture in Greece - 12 Days

This tours focuses on the amazing food, wine, and culture provided by the vibrant country of Greece, highlighting bustling cities like Athens and Chania, as well as the islands of Santorini and Naxos. You'll enjoy numerous food and wine tours, allowing you to taste Greek cuisine, delicacies, pastries, and local wines and liquors, plus your own handmade dishes with a cooking class in Crete. Along the way, you'll visit an olive farm, a family-owned cheese shop, wineries, and bustling food markets, indulging your taste buds in some of the country's most beloved treats.

Culture & Adventure in Crete, Santorini, Naxos, the Peloponnese & Meteora - 21 Days

Spend 21 days in Greece with this unique itinerary that balances history, relaxation, and culture. Start in Crete, Greece's largest island with the oldest civilization. Explore the Venetian town of Chania and the massive Samaria gorge, and Crete's capital — Heraklion. Catch a ferry to Naxos where you'll learn how to cook Greek food and relax on an idyllic beach. Finish your trip in laid-back Santorini for an immersion into Greek winemaking.