Crete off-road tour: Lake Kournas, White Mountains & Imbros Gorge

Vultures circle above the White Mountains while you stand at 1,200 metres in near-total silence.

This eight-hour off-road tour of Crete travels by Land Rover Defender from Lake Kournas through the White Mountains to a secluded southern beach and an olive oil factory, with hotel pickup, lunch with drink, and tastings of local olive oil, raki and honey included. The route climbs to high altitude where vultures soar overhead, passes through a traditional village with a Byzantine church, and ends with a swim in the Cretan Sea before returning to your hotel. A live guide speaks English, French, German or Greek.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Lake Kournas15m
2. White Mountains2h
3. Imbros Gorge15m

Explore Cretan culture and landscapes

• Pick up from your hotels
• Visit Lake Kournas and learn myth
• Explore waterfalls and hear stories
• Visit traditional village and café
• Experience White Mountains and dance
• Check old castle and swim in sea
• View Imbros gorge panorama
• Tour olive oil factory and taste

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel in the Rethymno, Georgioupolis, Chania or Kalives area. The Land Rover Defender heads first to Lake Kournas, where the guide walks you through the mythology and the landscape around Crete's only freshwater lake, then points out waterfalls and the stories tied to them. From there the vehicle climbs into the mountains toward a traditional village where a Byzantine church and a family-run café serve Cretan herbs, raki, honey and oregano. The products people have made here for generations.

The route then ascends to 1,200 metres in the White Mountains, where the isolation and quiet are complete enough that vultures wheel overhead without alarm. This is where the tour pauses for Cretan dances in a landscape most visitors never reach. After that high point, the day descends to the southern coast, where you swim in a secluded beach and eat traditional dishes at a family tavern. A very old castle with its own local myth sits nearby.

The final stop is a modern olive oil factory where the guide explains how Cretan olive oil is produced and you taste the results alongside raki and honey. Pickup and drop-off at your hotel are included, and you'll need a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, water and sports shoes or sandals. The tour runs eight hours total.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in your chosen area.
• eight hours in a Land Rover Defender with a live guide in English, French, German or Greek.
• lunch with a drink at a family tavern.
• tastings of Cretan olive oil, raki, honey and herbs.
• entry to Lake Kournas, the White Mountains, a traditional village with a Byzantine church, a secluded beach for swimming, and a modern olive oil factory.

Options for this experience

3 options

Guide in 4 languages08:30

Guide in 4 languages08:00

Guide in 4 languages07:40

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:40, 08:00 and 08:30Last departure this season: 31 Oct

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by Georgioupolis Safari

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to climb high into the mountains and swim on a quiet southern beach in the same day: the Land Rover Defender and the eight-hour route make both possible, and the guide handles the navigation so you only have to show up with a swimsuit and water.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, French, German and Greek.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years). Under 3: they can't be included in the booking.

What is Lake Kournas and why does the tour start there?

Lake Kournas is Crete's only freshwater lake, and the guide uses it as the entry point to Cretan mythology and landscape: the stories and waterfalls around it set the context for the rest of the day in the mountains and on the coast.

Will I actually swim during this tour?

Yes, the tour includes a stop at a secluded beach on the southern Cretan coast where you swim in the sea. Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.

What happens at the olive oil factory?

The modern olive oil factory shows you how Cretan olive oil is produced from start to finish, and you taste the oil alongside raki and honey before the tour returns you to your hotel.

How high do we climb, and what will I see at altitude?

The tour climbs to 1,200 metres in the White Mountains, where vultures circle overhead and the landscape is isolated and quiet: the guide leads Cretan dances in this high, remote setting.

Which pickup location is closest to me?

Choose from Rethymno, Georgioupolis, Chania City, or Kalives and Almirida. The driver collects you from your hotel in that area and returns you there at the end of the day.

What Cretan products will I taste?

Lunch with a drink is included, and you'll taste olive oil, raki, honey and local herbs at a traditional café in a mountain village and at the olive oil factory.