Top Crete Day Trips

We had an amazing day hosted by Nicholas who shared a lot of local and historical context as we made our way through the day's itinerary. He was a pleasure to talk to and spend the day with. We truly loved the entire experience that was curated for us.

We absolutely loved this luxury catamaran trip from start to finish. The ambiance on board was fantastic — relaxed yet elegant, perfect for the occasion. The food was excellent and beautifully varied, with something to suit everyone. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, and their storytelling really added a special touch to the whole experience, giving us a real feel for the area. Comfort was top notch throughout. Highly recommend — a wonderful day out on the water exploring these wonderful Balos

This tour was fantastic and greatly exceeded our expectations. Kostas was friendly, knowledgeable, and humorous which is what made the trip so great. We learned so much about Cretan culture, mythology, and the food! Kostas took us to the best restaurant we visited in our 11 days in Greece (which included Athens and Santorini). We highly recommend this tour!

This was one of the highlights of our stay in Crete. Loved the cooking, wine and honey tasting and very generous with a variety of different foods and wine. Made more special by a smaller group and lovely conversations with our guide Kostas and Maria, with some gems of knowledge and history. We were made to feel so welcome in beautiful surroundings. We all had a great time, very interactive and really full at the end! Opportunity to purchase some products if you wished and also received a gift each as well as a prize for winning the quiz!

Kostas was a great tour guide. We took his private tour of East Crete. He was friendly, talkative and very knowledgeable. He took us to an olive oil factory, Zeus Cave, Knossos Palace and many other sites. The tour seems to be customizable, so let him know if there are specific sites that you wish to see. The tour included lunch at a traditional Cretan restaurant and was amazing. Kostas also had traditional Cretan treats for us to try at each stop. I would definitely recommend this tour.

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.

What a wonderful day on the water! The captains were delightful, very kind and attentive, warm and friendly. There were 12 passengers which seemed too many at first but we were then aloud to spread out and sit on the front deck of the boat which was PERFECT! The blue water was beautiful and the lunch was superb! Dia Island wasn’t much to see, a place to drop anchor and be protected from the wind. We had a blast swimming, snorkeling and SUPing around. Thank you Alex and Vascili for a wonderful day!