Crete tour from Heraklion: Knossos, olive oil tasting

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/20

Duration8h 30m

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

The Minotaur legend becomes real when you walk the actual palace where it was born.

A private or small-group guided tour of Crete that departs from Heraklion port and visits Knossos Palace, the village of Mochos, an olive oil factory and mountain villages, with a local English-speaking driver-guide, hotel or port pickup, bottled water and coffee included. The tour runs roughly eight and a half hours and can be customized to add a pottery workshop visit or a family restaurant meal on the mountain. Knossos Palace entry is optional; Mochos village and the olive oil factory are standard stops.

8h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Crete's culture and history

Pick up from Heraklion port
Drive around Heraklion city
Visit Lion Square and Venetian castle
See Cathedral of Saint Titus
Visit olive oil factory and taste oils
Walk old narrow streets in Mochos village
Enjoy traditional Cretan lunch at family restaurant
Visit old wind mills pumping water
Pass by Kera Kardiotissa Monastery
Visit old wind mills with views
Stop to see Aposelemis Dam
Visit Krasi Village and oldest Plane tree
Drive through Malia town and beach
Explore Knossos Palace and Minoan civilization
Drop off at Heraklion port

The Experience

The tour picks you up from Heraklion port or your hotel and starts with a drive through the city itself—past the Lion Square, the Venetian castle and the Cathedral of Saint Titus—so you get a sense of the town before heading inland. Your driver-guide is a local who speaks English and knows the history and myths that shaped this island.

The first real stop is an olive oil factory where you taste different kinds of olive oil and learn how it's made, then walk the narrow streets of Mochos village to see how locals actually live. You'll explore old churches and stop at the main square for coffee. If you want lunch, the tour can arrange a traditional Cretan meal at a family restaurant up on the mountain—that's optional, as is a visit to a family pottery workshop if you're interested in watching that craft. Along the way you pass old windmills that once pumped water to the crops and ground grain, and you can stop at Kera Kardiotissa Monastery if the timing works. The route takes you through Krasi village, where the oldest plane tree in Crete stands, and past Malia beach.

Knossos Palace—the heart of the Minoan civilization and the legendary home of the Minotaur—is also optional, so you choose whether to explore it or skip it. If you do visit, your guide walks you through what the palace was and what the myth actually meant. The whole day is flexible: you can customize the stops and the pace based on what interests you most, and the operator will adjust the itinerary before you book.

What’s included

Pickup and drop-off from Heraklion port or your hotel.
private or shared air-conditioned transportation.
bottled water, coffee and tea.
olive oil and raki tasting at the factory.
a local English-speaking driver-guide.
liability insurance.
optional Knossos Palace entry, optional pottery workshop visit, and optional traditional Cretan lunch at a family restaurant on the mountain.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explore Real Crete

Is this one for you?Choose the private option if you want the flexibility to set your own pace and add or skip stops—the driver adjusts the route to your interests. The small-group option works if you're comfortable sharing the vehicle and want a lower price, though pickup from Heraklion port is guaranteed only on that tier; from other regions, small groups need at least five people or you'll need to book private.