Crete Journey: Discover Authentic Cretan Life
5.0
17 Ratings
Skalani

Discover Crete’s finest olive oil, wine, and raki. Savor local flavors and immerse in rich traditions on this unforgettable culinary tour.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Skalani - Stop 1: The Liquid Gold Experience (Olive Oil Mill)
    Groves & Facilities: Stroll through the olive groves and discover the mill. Uncover the secrets of production, from ancient stone mills to modern cold-press techniques.
    Expert Tasting: Learn the professional method to taste Extra Virgin Olive Oil and recognize its distinct health…
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What's Included
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Private transportation
  • Door-to-Door Service: Stress-free pickup and drop-off from your Hotel, Villa or Port.
  • The Olive Oil Experience: Guided tour of facilities and tasting of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
  • Traditional Cretan Pairings: Selection of local cheeses, olives and appetizers served at every stop.
  • The Spirit of Crete:…
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What's Not Included
  • Personal Expenses: Souvenirs or additional bottles of wine/oil purchased for home.
Additional Information

100% Private & Exclusive: Embark on a personal journey through Crete in a luxurious Mercedes vehicle, accompanied by a dedicated local host.
Beyond the Tourist Trail: Experience the genuine Cretan lifestyle. This is more than just a tour of the island; it’s an introduction to the locals, their customs, and their “hidden” gems.
**Liquid Gold…

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Location
Skalani
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(17 Ratings)
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Coreyg1970
Oct 25, 2025
Very nice private tour with an exposure to Cretan culture and history. - This was a great day exploring the olive oil and wine of Crete. Our driver picked us up close to our hotel in old town Heraklion and drove us to the countryside. It was a very comfortable ride in a multi passenger Mercedes van. We arrived at the Kleanthi Olive Farm for the olive oil tasting which included a cheese and fruit plate paired with the tasting. A little tour with the local guide to the olive trees and the processing plant with an explanation of the process was very informative. Our day continued to a Raki (distillery?) place....not sure what to call it. Very nice older gentleman greeted us. Love the history and character in this place. We finished the tour at Stilianou Winery where we sampled five of their wines paired carefully with different cheeses and fruit, followed by a short tour. This was a nice quaint tour to some very nice facilities that are not overgrown large commercial operations. The history and character of the locations made it a very enjoyable day. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and provided us an insight to the Cretan culture and history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fldesigner
Oct 21, 2025
Exceptional private tour - We had a fantastic day on this tour. Our driver and guide, Soto, met us right at the cruise port exactly as planned. The tour company communicated clearly beforehand and made it very easy to find him. From the moment we got in the van, Soto was professional, friendly, and ready to take us on our adventure. Stop 1 — Kleanthi Olive Farm We were greeted by both the staff and a few resident cats. They served a beautiful platter of local breads and pairings for our olive oil tasting, which was followed by a tour of the grounds and their production process. The staff was incredibly welcoming and informative — I learned so much, and I will never look at buying olive oil the same way again. Stop 2 — Stilianou Winery This family-owned winery was another highlight. After a short tour, we sat outside overlooking a stunning view and sampled several of their wines. Every wine was excellent; my personal favorite was the Theon Dora white, though all of them were delicious. Stop 3 — Raki Distillery Our final stop was a raki distillery run by two brothers. We met one of them and he could not have been more gracious, even with limited English. Once again, we were offered a generous spread of food to enjoy alongside the tasting. While raki isn’t really my drink, I’m glad I had the chance to try it. We also toured the facility and saw how the raki is barreled and fermented. Overall, this was an exceptional tour. Great communication, punctual service, beautiful stops, and a guide who clearly loves what he does. Thank you for a wonderful experience. Yamas!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kwarmbier18
Sep 14, 2025
Excellent tour exploring Crete! - Soto, our tour guide, was really good! We had a great and educational day…visited an olive oil factory and tasted amazing olive oil, had an awesome time at a 5-generation family winery and tasted 6 delicious wines, and had an amazing experience touring a winery and raki distillery owned by 2 brothers! We got to bottle our own wine and taste many flavors of raki. An excellent day! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Odyssey671647
Sep 14, 2025
Excellent!! Highly recommend - Excellent!! 5++ Soto was incredibly informative and friendly. Really enjoyed the personal experience visiting the 5 generation run winery and the enthusiastic raki distillery family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caseydq5974dc
Sep 12, 2025
Our guide Joseph was A++! - My husband and I went to Crete as the first destination for our honeymoon, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Specifically, this tour was fantastic. We lucked out, and upon pick up, were informed that we would be the only attendees. Our tour guide Joseph was incredibly friendly and charismatic, while remaining professional the whole time. By the end, we felt we had made a friend. We agree with the description that this wasn't "touristic," but we experienced the island in a beautifully rich and vibrant way. We learned about the history, culture and economy of the island through the nature, villages, farms and people we saw throughout the tour. We really couldn't have asked for a better experience. While this is a glowing review, this tour isn't for you if you only want to do the tastings. What made this so amazing for us is that we weren't treated simply as patrons at a restaurant, but immersed in the customs and treated as a guest in all of their homes. These were family businesses, and they were clearly sharing a part of their cultural identity as well. This tour isn't for you if you are close minded to other people's way of life either. They deserve respect from all of us that want to visit, and this experience is more than worth the price. It absolutely *is* meant for you if you're an inquisitive person, open to experiencing how Crete and its people live and work. Please book this tour if you love trying new things and want to support locally owned businesses! Joseph was a wonderful tour guide. He is a local that clearly loves his island so much. From picking local herbs for us to smell, to walking us through Cretan traditions, to teaching us about the history of the island and how it affects modern day, he was constantly enriching the tours with all 5 senses. He left no question unanswered, and even indulged the ones about mythology and ancient civilizations. He told us he doesn't usually do this particular tour, but definitely request him if our review speaks to you. I have to reiterate that my husband and I could not be happier with this tour experience. We wish everyone we met well, and hope to come back again with friends in a couple years. Truly, we started the tour with a "yassas" and ended with "yassou." If you book this, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Yamas!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Escape15066146024
Sep 10, 2025
An exciting trip and fantastic day - Our tour guide, Soto, contacted us the day before to arrange pick-up from our hotel. During the trip, we learned a lot about Crete, its history, people, and lifestyles. We met the owners of the olive plantation, the vineyards, and the raki distillery and there were tours, tastings, and Greek snacks. Many thanks to Soto for the fantastic day and a definite recommendation to all visitors to Crete.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jordan_d
Oct 4, 2024
Welcoming and well planned - My wife and I had an amazing private tour with the local guide who made the whole experience feel authentic and welcoming. We got to try some fantastic local wine (tasting was run by a sommelier), olive oil, and Raki, and each stop was well-planned and enjoyable. The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much about life on the island, which made it more than just a tasting tour. It felt like a real insight into Cretan culture. I highly recommend this tour if you want something personal and memorable!
Review provided by Viator
Frank_g
Sep 11, 2024
Wonderful olive oil and raki/winery experience - This tour exceeded our expectations. The itinerary, our guide Vangelis planned for us, was wonderful. We were able to interact with the people to learn about their lives and histories in addition to their businesses. The olive grove/factory tour and breakfast was one of the best meals on the trip. The raki visit was very personable and down home. The winery visit (the view and patio area) was amazing and the family running the winery was kind and hospitable. Vangelis's language skill was very good. He was prompt picking us up and we spoke about a wide range of subjects. He gave us a good appreciation of what life was like for the farmers and people in the olive and grape professions. If you want to experience what its like for olive and wine producers and their products then this is the tour for you. After it was over we want to come back during harvest time and help out in the orchards/vineyards!
Review provided by Viator
Odyssey433487
Sep 8, 2024
Creta A(maze)ing - Strongly recommend this tour, a great opportunity to see traditional places in a relaxed and informative manor. One tip, don’t eat too much before you go as the platter at the olive oil tasting was fabulous; generous portions, as well as snacks at the wine tasting and lunch at a taverna afterwards. We would definitely do this tour again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G9940ohlesleyc
Aug 17, 2024
Never stop exploring - Looking forward to going back and experiencing the Creta Maze tour once again! The best olive oil, wine and raki. Kleo was very helpful from start to finish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
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