Cretan cooking class with wine and olive oil tasting in Chania

Cook traditional Cretan dishes and taste the ingredients that make them

A six-hour cooking class in Chania, Crete, where you learn to prepare authentic Greek and Cretan recipes in a hands-on kitchen, then eat what you've made. The day includes tastings at a local olive mill and a family winery, a visit to a heritage house, and transport by minivan with an English-speaking guide and wine specialist.

Step-by-step itinerary

Olive oil, wine tasting, cooking class

• Visit local olive mill
• Taste olive oil
• Explore winery and vineyard
• Taste Cretan wines
• Attend hands-on cooking class
• Visit family house with themed rooms
• Enjoy feast with sea and mountain views

The experience

The day starts at a local olive mill where you watch the traditional process of making olive oil and taste what comes out of it. From there, a minivan takes you to a winery off the beaten path, where a wine specialist walks you through the winemaking process and pours four Cretan varietals (Vidiano, Vilana, Malvasia and Kotsifali), so you can taste how they differ. Between the mill and the winery, you'll also visit a family house with themed rooms that tell the story of the region's heritage.

The core of the day is a 100% hands-on cooking class where you prepare authentic Greek and Cretan recipes under guidance. You're not watching a demonstration. You're doing the work in the kitchen, learning the techniques and the stories behind the dishes. When the cooking is done, you sit down to a traditional Cretan lunch made from what you've prepared, with views where the sea meets the mountains. The whole experience runs six hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide and wine specialist.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan.
• olive oil tasting at a traditional mill.
• wine tasting of four Cretan varietals.
• hands-on cooking instruction.
• traditional Cretan lunch made from your preparations.
• visit to a heritage house.
• bottled water per person.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 08:30Last departure this season: 30 Nov

Book up to12h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by GS TOURS CHANIA LTD

Is this one for you?Small groups keep the class intimate and the kitchen manageable, so you get real instruction rather than standing at the back of a crowd. Book this if you want to learn by doing, not by watching.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What Cretan wines will I taste during this class?

The winery pours four local varietals: Vidiano, Vilana, Malvasia and Kotsifali. A wine specialist guides the tasting and explains how each one is made.

Do I need cooking experience to join this class?

No. The class is hands-on instruction in authentic Greek and Cretan recipes, and it's suitable for all physical fitness levels. Children can attend if accompanied by an adult, though wine tasting is reserved for guests 18 and older. Younger participants get water or fresh orange juice instead.

What happens at the olive mill?

You'll see the traditional process of crafting olive oil firsthand and taste the oil to understand the flavors that come from Cretan olives.

Is transport included, and where does pickup happen?

Yes. An air-conditioned minivan picks you up and returns you at the end of the day. Check the pickup areas listed before you book to confirm your location is served.

What's included in the price?

The class includes an English-speaking guide and wine specialist, transport by minivan, tastings at the olive mill and winery, a traditional Cretan lunch, and bottled water per person.