The olive road · TRADITIONAL VILLAGE TOURS
Olive country villages run on the same calendar as the trees. The 15 below combine the lanes, a working press or two and lunch somebody’s grandmother cooked, with prices and driving times.
Drive a quad from Peninsula Resort with guide Stan or his multilingual team, following off-road routes above Agia Pelagia to an olive mill, the abandoned village of Achlada, and Fodele, El Greco’s birthplace. The $93 price covers one quad for up to two people, fuel, insurance, helmets, instruction, and olive oil tasting.
“Mr Sexy was amazing. A great experience. a must do”
Spend about 7.5 hours with a local English-speaking driver-guide such as Stavros, Ed, Mike, or Spyros. Visit an olive press, old villages, Lasithi windmills, Krasi’s ancient plane tree, Aposelemis Dam, Dikteon Cave, and optional Knossos. Expect a small group of up to 10, local tastings, hotel pickup, and a flexible pace.
“Mike was a brilliant guide who was enormously attentive and knowledgeable. His enthusiasm kept my kids engaged and they haven't stopped talking about the "best tour ever"! A fantastic way to get an insight into Crete.”
Spend 7 to 8 hours exploring Crete by luxury minivan, with stops at an olive oil press, Krasi, the Lasithi Plateau, Mochos, and Knossos Palace. Guides such as Marinos, Nikos, Nicos, and Angie add local stories and flexibility. Zeus Cave is currently closed for restoration, with reopening expected in summer 2026.
“Nico was our driver/guide. If you are taking this tour I would suggest that you ask for him by name. You will not regret it. We took seven guided tours while we were in Greece. Nico was by far the best guide we had. He was personable, knowledgeable, witty, funny etc.,etc. He made all of us feel like family right from the start of the tour. The tour itself was outstanding. The olive oil tour is a must see. The plateau was amazing. Knossos was busy but worth the line ups for sure.”
Spend 7.5 to 8 hours exploring Crete with a local English-speaking guide such as Stavros, Ed, or Mike. Visit an olive oil factory, walk through Mochos and Krasi, see the Lasithi Plateau and its old windmills, taste local products, and optionally visit Zeus Cave, lunch, and Knossos Palace.
“Our tour guide Stavros was fun, friendly, and full of energy! He made sure to engage everyone in the group with questions and interesting facts, which kept things lively and educational. The overall trip was fantastic, well-organized, interactive, and definitely not boring. 😊”
Spend 7 to 8 hours touring Crete with an English-speaking local guide such as Mike or Stavros. Visit an olive press, Lasithi Plateau villages, old windmills, Zeus’s Cave, and Knossos, with a traditional lunch stop. Hotel and port pickup is available, but cave and Knossos admission cost extra.
“Our driver was super friendly and he made sure that we enjoyed our time. You can't go wrong by choosing this excursion.”
Spend a full day with a local driver-guide such as Nikos, Marinos, or Angie, visiting Knossos, an olive press, Zeus Cave, the Lasithi Plateau, Krasi, and Mochos. Expect a comfortable minivan, village stops, local snacks, optional lunch, and plenty of Cretan stories. Zeus Cave access must be checked before booking.
“Tour was good. Nico is professional guide and helping alot and very friendly person. The car (van) was comfortable.”
Spend 7 to 8 hours with a private driver-guide exploring Knossos, olive oil traditions, Mochos, Krasi, the Lasithi Plateau, Aposelemis Dam, and Dikteon Cave. Ed, Nikos, or another local guide can adjust the pace, with coffee, water, raki, and olive oil tasting included. Lunch and entrance fees cost extra.
“Our tour with Ed was fantastic.. He was entertaining and provided wonderful information about Crete, its history past and present. We appreciated learning about the life in the villages, and how beautiful they were. Seeing the major historical sites was great, but we enjoyed learning about the customs and culture of Crete. I would definitely recommend this tour if you’re interested in the culture past and present of Crete.”
Spend about 8.5 hours with a local English-speaking driver-guide, such as Stavros or Spyros, visiting an olive press, Cretan villages, Lasithi Plateau, Lyrarakis Winery, Heraklion, and Knossos. The private format allows room for family needs and slower stops. Lunch, wine tasting, and Knossos entry cost extra.
“Spyros made sure our day on Crete was amazing! The tour of the olive oil factory was very interesting, and the scenic drive up to the Lasithi Plateau was beautiful. Even though our group got delayed at Zeus's cave (our fault completely), Spyros saved the day and still made sure we had an unforgettable lunch at a local restaurant with breathtaking views and a visit to an excellent vineyard for wine tasting. Thank you for an entertaining and memorable tour of Crete!”
Ivica Vlašić leads a small-group visit to his family’s Vardia farm, a 15-minute drive from Dubrovnik. Walk among olive trees, vines, fruit, herbs, and old oak, then taste estate olive oil, homemade bread, white wine, and fruit liqueurs. Pickup is offered, and the moderate walk takes about 30 minutes.
“The highlight of our trip to Hrvastka. We are very grateful for the hospitality and warmth of our host and how he shared his family’s farm with us!”
From Elounda, Marinos or another driver-guide takes your private group of up to seven to Knossos, an olive press, Lasithi Plateau, Krasi, and Mochos. Expect a comfortable minivan, Wi-Fi, local tastings, mountain roads, and plenty of Cretan culture. Zeus Cave is currently closed for maintenance, and lunch and entry fees cost extra.
Spend about 7.5 hours with a local driver-guide visiting an olive oil factory, old Cretan villages, mountain roads, and a winery. Taste olive oil and raki, with five local wines and lunch available for an extra fee. Guides have included Nikos, Ed, Spyros, and Stravos.
“For all you passengers on cruise ships, this is a perfect tour to go with to be able to see & experience all of Crete in a day. The communication was great and very accommodating by helping us arrange a few of our cruise friends to all be in the same van together. Spyros, a true Cretan who knew everyone on the island was an excellent host & guide. He was informative and took us to all the local places sharing the cretan lifestyle and beautiful wineries. The Olive Oil factory was amazing! Perfect tour to see and learn all about Crete. If I could give this tour 10stars I…”
Spend eight hours exploring Crete beyond the resorts with a private English-speaking driver-guide. Visit an olive press, taste oils and raki, see Lasithi Plateau windmills, pass through traditional villages, and stop at Dikteon Cave if you choose. Pickup covers Heraklion, Malia, Hersonissos, Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos, and Elounda.
“We had a fantastic day with Stavros! The itinerary of this tour was great - gave us a good feel of the island. We would have loved to see the cave, but it being closed is obviously not under the tour’s control. Stavros as a guide is truly phenomenal! He was a wealth of information and kept everyone, including our 18 yo & 19 yo, engaged with humour and interesting conversation. Highly recommended!”
Spend about 8.5 hours exploring South Crete on a private tour with an English-speaking driver-guide. Walk beneath Preveli’s palms, stop for coffee with sea views, visit old villages, learn about olive oil and wine, and enjoy an optional local lunch. Pickup is available from Heraklion and selected nearby areas.
“Very personal attention the entire day! Spiros connected us to Crete in such a wonderful way. We loved having experiences like locals. The lunch was incredible and in a beautiful location! We thoroughly enjoyed the olive oil factory, and learning about the old and new ways of making it. We loved the stop for local coffee and meeting the owners. The drive was spectacular, and learning about the building of the dam and changes the dam has brought to the country was interesting. The generous personality of our guide Spiros made it extra special. His stops to pick thyme, sage, fennel and other crops was a highlight—and the sharing of…”
Spend seven hours inland from Makrigialos and Ierapetra with a guide such as Ulla or Tanja. Visit an olive oil farm, walk through Kritsa and Prina, stop for views, and eat a local lunch in Kalamafka. Expect hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, moderate walking, and a few commercial touches.
“Der Ausflug war klasse. Ulla, unser Guide hat keine Frage unbeantwortet gelassen und uns super informiert und einen tollen Einblick ins kretische Leben gewährt. Die Aufenthaltszeiten am jeweiligen Stopp sind gut bemessen. Danke für den tollen Tag.”
Spend four hours exploring Kefalonia beyond Argostoli with an English or German-speaking guide. Visit the Katavothres sinkholes, Fanari Lighthouse, Kastro, St. George’s Castle, and St. Gerasimos Monastery, then taste two olive oils and two local honeys before a Koutavos Lagoon photo stop. Pickup is available from Argostoli Port and selected hotels.
“It was pouring rain but our guide was out there leading the way for those of us brave wet souls like us! A bit late in the season - suggest travelling earlier to see everything.”
By what you do, not by what is nearest.
