Top Crete Day Trips

This was truly an incredible experience on our trip to Greece! We got to experience and partake in preparing all of the wonderful food we had been enjoying along our way for our trip. Booking was easy and was nice to have our wonderful guide/driver Giannis pick us up at a preferred location and drive us up into the beautiful mountainside. The host family of the farm/home we were cooking at were lovely and so welcoming. Wonderful to experience the countryside, the food preparation, the local dishes, the history, the famous thyme honey, and the incredible views. All while along a wonderful group whom we got to share the incredible meal with after. A unique and traditional experience that can’t be beat! Would highly recommend.

1. Our guide, Michelangelo (Mikel) had a great sense of humor and knowledge of Cretan history. The guides are integral to the entertainment of the tour, as they narrate and demonstrate each stop on the way. 10/10 for our guide. 2. The stops include views of beautiful mountain, lake, and ocean vistas for photos. Because there were only 8 people in the Land Rover, we had time to take a lot of photos. Our guide also took photos for us. Most of the vistas were isolated. We don’t have to compete with other tourists for the best spot. 3. First stop was to a traditional farm house to sample homemade raki, goat cheese, bread and olive oil. We got to grind wheat in a grindstone and milk a female goat. 4. The best stop of all was to see Zeus’ Cave. The entrance fee of €15 is not included in the tour price. The line to pay at the window took about 5 minutes. One had to hike 15 minutes uphill to the to the entrance. Once inside, there are well-constructed steps (200 down, 200 back up) and railing for the large cave. The visit takes about 10 minutes. Outside of the hills are also nice cafes and souvenir shops selling local crafts. 5. Lunch at a taverna in the mountains was simple but very tasty. I elected for a baked 1/4 chicken with lemony potatoes, Greek salad, green beans, bread with olive oil, and local red and white wine. The off-road experience in an old Land Rover jeep was a lot of fun, but the car did not have air-conditioning. We were picked up at our hotel at 8 AM, and picked up two other groups before starting the journey. We were home by 4 PM. One other annoyance was that as I tried to book this tour, I was unable to use my Viator credits. Viator also did not respond to my email or text inquiries.

Can’t say enough good things about Maria and this tour. Go read all the five star reviews and believe them. She was our favorite guide of the vacation, and took us to a cafe, cultural museum, monastery, ottoman fortress, olive oil factory and winery. Maria effortlessly blended facts, legends, and modern observations about Crete, its people, the food, and culture. The day was about eight hours long, and despite everything we did, never felt rushed, and certainly never bored. Miss you already Crete, and Maria! Would give more than five stars if allowed.