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Crete Tour: Discover Traditional Villages
5.0
635 Ratings
Iraklio
Discover Crete’s hidden gems: Zeus Cave, traditional villages, olive oil factory, and authentic Cretan cuisine. Book now for an unforgettable small-group adventure.
Discover Crete’s hidden gems: Zeus Cave, traditional villages, olive oil factory, and authentic Cretan cuisine. Book now for an unforgettable small-group adventure.
Duration:
7 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Heraklion - The tour begins in Heraklion.
- Gouves - Drive through without stopping, or it can serve as a potential pick-up point.
- Hersonissos - Drive through without stopping, or it can be a pick-up location.
- Malia - Drive through without stopping, or it can be a potential pick-up location.
- Omalia Olive Press - Visit the…
- Heraklion - The tour begins in Heraklion.
- Gouves - Drive through without stopping, or it can serve as a potential pick-up point.
- Hersonissos - Drive through without stopping, or it can be a pick-up location.
- Malia - Drive through without stopping, or it can be a potential pick-up location.
- Omalia Olive Press - Visit the olive oil factory to learn about the production of olive oil using both modern and traditional machinery.
- Mochos - Stroll through the village’s old narrow streets and enjoy a coffee or fresh juice at the main square.
- Windmills Of Lasithi Plateau - View the old windmills that were used to pump water from underground for crops and those that ground wheat and corn into flour.
- Kera Kardiotissa Monastery - Drive by without stopping.
- Platanus Tree - Visit the village of Krasi, explore the stone narrow streets and old houses, and take photos at the oldest and largest Platanus tree in Crete.
- Stalis - Drive through without stopping, or it can be a potential pick-up location.
- Lasithi Mesa - Stop at a family restaurant on the mountain for lunch, which is OPTIONAL.
- Aposelemis Canyon - Stop to enjoy the stunning views from above the Aposelemi Dam, a perfect spot for photography enthusiasts.
- Knossos Archaeological Site - This is the final stop of the tour and is OPTIONAL. After exploring Knossos, guests will be driven back to their hotel. If Knossos is not of interest, please inform us so we can return you to your hotel earlier.
What's Included
- Bottled water, coffees, teas
- Liability insurance
- Pick up and drop off from your hotel, port, or meeting points
- Olive oil and Raki tasting
- Transport by comfortable air-conditioned vehicles with free WiFi
- English-speaking knowledgeable local driver guide
- Bottled water, coffees, teas
- Liability insurance
- Pick up and drop off from your hotel, port, or meeting points
- Olive oil and Raki tasting
- Transport by comfortable air-conditioned vehicles with free WiFi
- English-speaking knowledgeable local driver guide
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Knossos Palace entrance fee 20euros per person, half price for up to 25 years old .
- Private Guide inside Knossos Palace could be arranged for an extra charge.
- Lunch
- Knossos Palace entrance fee 20euros per person, half price for up to 25 years old .
- Private Guide inside Knossos Palace could be arranged for an extra charge.
Additional Information
- Join this full-day small group tour or opt for a private experience to discover the authentic side of Crete.
- Stroll through the narrow lanes of traditional villages, and savor an iced coffee or mountain tea.
- Tour an olive oil factory, learn about the production process, and sample a variety of olive oils.
- Travel in comfort with our…
- Join this full-day small group tour or opt for a private experience to discover the authentic side of Crete.
- Stroll through the narrow lanes of traditional villages, and savor an iced coffee or mountain tea.
- Tour an olive oil factory, learn about the production process, and sample a variety of olive oils.
- Travel in comfort with our air-conditioned vehicles.
- Sip on a glass of Raki and some local wine while exploring local traditions, history, mythology, and culture.
- Visit the charming village of Krasi and see the monumental Platanus tree.
- Discover Lasithi Plateau, the Old Wind Mills, and enjoy breathtaking mountain views.
- Sampling a few local dishes is a must while in Crete. (OPTIONAL)
- Experience Greek hospitality and create unforgettable memories.
- Convenient pick-up and drop-off from your hotel or Heraklion cruise port.
- Infant seats are available on request if advised at time of booking.
Location
Heraklion Port Passenger Station
Leoforos Nearchou
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(635 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Lysa_h
May 31, 2025
Unforgettable Day on the Island of Crete with Mike - What a wonderful day with Mike! He shared so many stories about the history, geographical locations, information about the plants, delicious food, and friendly people along our day tour. Crete was great, but touring with Mike took it over the top to unforgettable!
Review provided by Viator
Elisabeth_l
May 29, 2025
Excellent - The tour guide, Stavros, was very accommodating. He kept us entertained and provided us with a few surprises (stops). He was very knowledgeable and a lot of fun.
Review provided by Viator
Wander41342154610
May 23, 2025
Absolutely amazing experience with an incredible guide! - My husband and I went on a tour with Explore Real Crete for our last day in Greece and it was such an amazing experience! Our tour guide Mike was engaging, fun and incredibly knowledgeable about the area and history! We had the opportunity to learn about the olive oil making process, eat some absolutely delicious food, visit some truly beautiful villages, and end the day at Knossos Palace. Mike also took us to many beautiful lookout points that we would not have had the chance to see otherwise! It was honestly one of the best tours I have ever been on. If you’re considering taking a tour with Explore Real Crete go for it! It was the perfect send off to our wonderful vacation! Thank you so much again to both Mike and Explore Real Crete!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunil_m
May 16, 2025
Excellent tour - felt like I got to learn about Crete culture - Excellent tour
Really enjoyed Mohos wish we could have spent longer there
Lovely tour guide who was very friendly and kind
Review provided by Viator
William_m
May 10, 2025
Review for our in incredible tour guide in Crete - We had the absolute pleasure of touring Crete with one of the best guides we've ever encountered. From the moment the tour began, it was clear we were in expert hands. Our guide was not only incredibly knowledgeable about Cretan history, mythology, and culture, but also passionate about sharing it in a way that was engaging, thoughtful, and full of personality.
Stavros tailored the experience beautifully to our group’s interests, striking the perfect balance between historical depth and local flavor. Whether we were learning about the numerous fruit trees, exploring charming villages, or sampling local food and wine, our guide brought every moment to life with fascinating stories and warm humor.
His professionalism, attention to detail, and genuine love for Crete made this tour unforgettable.
Highly recommended—this guide is a true gem, and made our time in Crete extraordinary.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_p
May 7, 2025
Real Cretan Experience ! - Ed our guide was excellent and passionate in sharing his knowledge about history, geography and especially Cretan way of life. He was humorous keeping us engaged the whole day. His attention to details and service was impeccable. Besides the amazing sights, we had the opportunity to also try Cretan Olive Oil, local yogurt, cretan lunch and cretan wine ! It's definitely great way to experience the real Cretan life and Ed certainly made the difference !
Review provided by Viator
Gary_m
May 7, 2025
The Best Tour and the Best Guide! - Wow, what an experience. This tour was the highlight of our vacation! Honestly. Spyros was our tour guide. He was patient, knowledgeable, and a true gentleman. He rearranged the schedule to take us to Knossos first in order to avoid the heat and crowds. We visited an olive press and Spyros gave us a personal tour there. We drove up the mountans and stopped at an overlook thousands of feet up and admired beautiful mountain views while Spyros served us a wonderful white wine from Crete. We proceeded to a restaurant high in the mountains next to the old windmills and enjoyed some delicious coffee. The we drove through some quaint, old villages and stopped to have a delightful wine and cheese event at a private, intimate location. This included Raki tastings. Spyros personally hosted this event and it was the highlight of the tour! Then we wrapped up the tour with a stop at a rural potter shop where all the pottery is made locally by a local couple. The pottery is beautiful and the prices were really, really good! My wife couldn't resist buying a piece.
Our friends agreed, this tour was fantastic and quite a hit with everyone. Do not hesitate to take this one-of-a-kind tour with the best tour guide we've ever had-- hands down.
Review provided by Viator
Maryashlynl
Apr 29, 2025
Absolutely take this tour! - Stavros provided one of the best tours we’ve ever experienced - it was so nice to get out of the heavy tourist areas and to see the REAL Crete! There was not a dull moment throughout the day and we learned so much. Stavros’ deep knowledge and passion for the history of the island, mixed with his charming and upbeat attitude gave us a day we will never forget!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ highly recommend this tour. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sara_r
Apr 29, 2025
Very knowledgeable guide.... - Very knowledgeable guide. It’s a nice trip outside of the city to see more of the mountains and the surrounding villages
Review provided by Viator
Shilpas716
May 9, 2025
Rather go n spend a day in Chania and Rithymno. - All the points are for our guide. Dimitris was extremely knowledgeable and kind. Gave a lot of information about places and history, politics, etc.
The tour operators were very prompt in picking us up and dropping us back. It became a private tour since it was only our family. Everything was on schedule. Some of the places were picturesque. 10/10 for the organizers. However, the places we visited didn't offer anything extraordinary like olive oil factory n all. Only Lassithi plateu with windmill was nice. Everything else was okay. So, it can be skipped easily.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
