Private Tour: Explore Knossos Palace and Zeus Cave in Lasithi Plateau
5.0
28 Ratings
Malia
Embark on a private tour to discover the wonders of Lasithi Plateau, including the famous Knossos Palace and the breathtaking Zeus Cave. Immerse yourself in nature, history, and tradition on this unforgettable journey.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
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Sfendili - First,we’ll visit the underwater village of Sfedilis.
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Windmills Of Lasithi Plateau - Here,you’ll admire the breathtaking views and old windmills.
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Cave of Zeus - You’ll visit the largest cave in Crete, the birthplace of Zeus and traditional villages.
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Kera Kardiotissa Monastery - You’ll enjoy the Cretan lunch in traditional taverna.
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Malia - Learn the process of olive oil making
and taste different olive oil in the factory. -
Lasithi Mesa - Stoping to enjoy Greek coffee with locals
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The Palace of Knossos - The Palace of Knossos, Knosos, Crete 714 09 Greece
Skip the line and discover the oldest civilization of Europe in this magnificent ancient city with official licensed guide. Knossos Palace is the capital of Minoan Civilization and most visited site in Crete island. The palace was constructed in 1900 BC and destroyed around 1380-1100 BC.
2 hours , Admission included
What's Included
- Private transportation
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Professional Driver Guide
- All fees and/or taxes
- Liability Insurance
- Tea and coffee
- Pick up and drop off from your accommodation hotel/port/airport
What's Not Included
- Zeus Cave entrance (6 euro per person)
- Knossos Palace entrance (15 euro per person)
- Lunch in traditional Taverna (optional)
- Official Licensed Tourist Guide at Knossos Palace(100 euro per group optional)
Additional Information
In this exclusive journey, you will get to unravel the natural wonders, historic treasures, and local customs of the Lasithi Plateau area, complete with its 15 charming hamlets, and the royal residence of Knossos, courtesy of an authorized tourist guide.
Our expedition to the Lasithi plateau includes a pause at the Aposelemis Dam and the singular flooded settlement of Sfendyli. As we touch down at Lasithi, our initial destinations will be the ancient windmills and the renowned Zeus cave. The Zeus Cave, perched at a height of 1020 m, adorned with extraordinary stalactites and stalagmites, is one of the most frequented and grandest sites in Crete.
Please note( a walk of approximately 15 minutes is required to reach the Zeus Cave)
Following this, we shall halt near the Kera monastery for a conventional Cretan meal. Post lunch, we will make our way to a four-generation-old olive oil mill, where we will partake in an olive oil sampling session and get a deeper understanding of olive oil processing.
The grand finale of our tour is a guided exploration of the seat of the Minoan civilization - the imperial Knossos Palace.
- You have to walk up hill 15-20 minutes to get to Zeus Cave (wear a comfortable shoes)
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Let us know if there are any specific sights or experiences you’d like to include, and we’ll tailor the tour accordingly.
- Cruise passengers must provide the name of ship.
- If you have any food allergies or intolerances, please contact us to let us know
- For the tours that start later than 09:00 am from cruises, kindly note that you may have to skip one/a couple sites to get back to ship on time. Your guide will adjust the program according to your priorities.
- Infant seats available on request
Location
Omalia Olive Press
Agias Marinas
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(28 Ratings)
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1 star
Liork254
Apr 21, 2024
Amazing in depth and fun tour! - We came as an extended family and did a whole day tour. Spyros, our exceptional guide, tailored the whole day specifically to our needs and interests, including flexibly changing as we went. We saw and experienced crete as never before.
The tour was interesting, fun, and tasty!
Definitely coming back again! Thank you Nikos and Spyros!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kara_p
Apr 17, 2024
Magical day in Crete - My family and I had the most magical day with Spyros as our guide. If you really want to see some beautiful treasures of Crete, this is the tour for you. My two teenage kids said it was the best day of our entire 10 day trip in Greece. Spyros was welcoming, so knowledgeable on the area and took so much care to create memorable experiences throughout the day. It is a day we won’t soon forget. If you find yourself in Crete, this is the best way to see what life is all about.
Review provided by Viator
Brita_j
Apr 4, 2024
Better than we could have ever imagined! - Spyros gave us an unforgettable experience. He got us an amazing guide for Knossos that kept our two teens engaged and interested- we learned so much. He was very familiar with local history and kept us laughing with great stories. We were so fortunate to be introduced to people and places he knew personally. The food was also spectacular. This was the highlight of our trip to Crete, and the credit goes all to Spyros!
Review provided by Viator
David_p
Mar 11, 2024
A Memorable Day - Visiting Crete in the off season was ideal, nice weather and no crowds! There were 6 of us on a cruise with Celebrity and decided we wanted to have a private experience for our visit to Crete. In a cost/value basis, this tour was far superior to anything offered by the cruise line and allowed us to see the sights at our own pace.
Our driver, Spyros, was fantastic. Personable, knowledgeable, funny and welcoming. We really enjoyed the time we spent with him and felt we had an insider’s view of Crete.
While Knossos was amazing (we would highly recommend hiring the optional guide for the visit as we learned so much more. Marina was our guide and she was excellent), the highlight was the special location for lunch in a small local restaurant. The proprietor, Anna, who was in her 80’s, provided us an amazing authentic lunch. The food was simple and delicious. Two in our group are Vegan, and there was plenty for them. It was liking having lunch with a Cretan grandmother. So fun!
A very memorable day!
Review provided by Viator
356lydiag
Mar 10, 2024
Most enjoyable day of our Greece trip. - We had the best day of our trip on this tour. Our driver/guide Spyros showed us around the stops of the tour (at the Palace we hired a licensed guide to take us through), telling us about history, costumes, culture, and daily lives of the people everywhere we went. Visited an olive oil mill where he walked us through all the manufacturing process. We had a delicious late lunch at a small taverna, in the Mésa Lasithi village, where Spyros’ family is from. It was a rainy day so we had to skip the Cavern of Zeus, but Spyros hospitality and local knowledge more than made up for it. Highly recommended if you want more than just see archaeological sites while in Crete.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidpg6135jy
Mar 10, 2024
Great Experience in Crete! - Visiting Crete in the off season was ideal, nice weather and no crowds! There were 6 of us on a cruise with Celebrity and decided we wanted to have a private experience for our visit to Crete. In a cost/value basis, this tour was far superior to anything offered by the cruise line and allowed us to see the sights at our own pace.
Our driver, Spyros, was fantastic. Personable, knowledgeable, funny and welcoming. We really enjoyed the time we spent with him and felt we had an insider’s view of Crete.
While Knossos was amazing (we would highly recommend hiring the optional guide for the visit as we learned so much more. Marina was our guide and she was excellent), the highlight was the special location for lunch in a small local restaurant. The proprietor, Anna, who was in her 80’s, provided us an amazing authentic lunch. The food was simple and delicious. Two in our group are Vegan, and there was plenty for them. It was liking having lunch with a Cretan grandmother. So fun!
My career was in travel developing tour programs, and from my personal experience over 40+ years, I can saw this was a great tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cathi
Jan 12, 2024
This is a trustworthy company - This tour was done very well. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. The tour company went above and beyond to communicate with us. Due to the time of year, there was an unexpected closure but the tour company dealt with it professionally and proactively. They never left us to figure it out on our own. I highly recommend them!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wander08108092638
Oct 20, 2023
Amazing trip! - We were on a 13 days Mediterranean Cruise with a stop in Crete. Our tour guide Spyros is the best. He was already waiting for us at the port. He gave us water and pastries the moment we enter the van. He made us feel like we are family. The whole tour was amazing. We did not want it to end. We visited traditional cafeteria in Lasithi and had traditional coffee and cookies made by elderly woman. We felt like we were Cretan that day. It was so amazing. Spyros took care of us so well. Thank you Spyros. I wish all guides are like you. Or at least have a fraction of your hospitality. This is the best tour we had. Well done Spyros.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debbiesf7183hp
Oct 8, 2023
A great tour to do. - Wow..what a great tour this was.
Spyros was our driver/guide and made this trip most memorable.
He was very caring,knowledgeable and attentive to our needs.
The places he took us too,the lovely little coffee shop with family history,picking fruit along the way plus all the inclusive attractions on the tour.
He arranged a birthday cake at our lunch spot for one of us..wonderful.
I can highly recommend this tour and I hope that if you do it you get Spyros as your guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pspb2016
Oct 8, 2023
The Real Deal - In August of 2023, we booked 3 days of tours on Crete in the Heraklion area. Just the two of us with our guide/driver, Spyros. We spent the first day seeing the sites while walking through Heraklion, with emphasis on the Harbour and the Rocca a Mare Fortress and the outdoor shopping areas of the town itself. Spyros treated us to a real Gyro as we looked out over the Lion Fountain.
The second day was the Knossos Palace and the Archaelogical Museum. Walking through the reconstruction of the Palace gives one such insight into the flourishing Minoan period. Our guide that day for both stops was extremely knowledgeable in early Greek civilization. We enjoyed the museum so much we visited it again on an extra day we’d built into our visit. It truly was fascinating
The last day was particularly special. Spyros picked us up in their very comfortable van and drove us up to the Lasithi Plateau and it’s villages. Here we learned about the bread basket of Crete where an abundance of produce is grown and had the opportunity to stop in a couple of small villages. And it’s here that you really get a feel for the country. We ambled through the winding streets and (via our guide) chatted with an older resident who told tales of the German occupation. As we walked on we shared coffee and Raki at a landmark cafe run for many years by an elderly woman. When the matriarch isn’t able to open the diner (because she’s caring for her 94 year old husband) locals open up for her and pay on the honor system. Spyros’ knowledge of the people in the town is what made this tour stand apart from other tours, it’s the real deal.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
