Wine & Olive Oil Tour Chania: White Mountains with lunch

Taste at a 3000-year-old olive tree, then climb to lunch above Europe's longest gorge

A wine and olive oil tasting tour from Chania that combines tastings at a working mill and winery with a full-day drive through the White Mountains in a 4WD vehicle, ending at lunch served at 4000ft altitude with views of Samaria Gorge. Groups stay under six people per vehicle, and the route crosses terrain that standard buses cannot access. English and Greek guides lead the tour. Pickup is included within 3 miles east or 15 miles west of Chania.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Crete's Olive Oil and White Mountains

• Visit 3000-year-old olive tree and farm
• Taste extra virgin olive oil and local wines
• Drive through Sebronas gorge in 4WD
• Enjoy scenery at Omalos Plateau
• Lunch with view at Samaria gorge entrance
• Drive downhill, stop for photos at 1000m altitude
• Return to Chania via villages and valleys

The experience

Start early in Chania and drive into the foothills to touch a 3000-year-old olive tree that still produces fruit. You'll spend time at a small Cretan farm, then head to Anoskeli's olive mill and winery, where the producers themselves walk you through extra virgin and organic olive oil, followed by five different local wine labels paired with Cretan snacks. The tasting is hands-on. The Sommeliers and wine producers do the pouring and explaining, not a script read by a guide.

The route climbs into the White Mountains via the Sebronas gorge on rough roads that only 4WD vehicles can handle comfortably. Buses and minibuses stop at the main highway. You'll cross the Omalos Plateau at 3300ft, where shepherds keep sheep and goats year-round, and stop at the entrance to Samaria National Park (the longest gorge in Europe at 10 miles) to photograph the scale of it. Lunch arrives at 4000ft altitude with a view straight across to the highest summit, Pachnes, and down into the gorge itself. The meal includes Cretan flavors, a first round of wine or beer, and dessert.

On the drive back down, you'll stop again at 3300ft to see how the landscape shifts in just a few kilometers, from forest with cypress to valleys of lemon, orange, avocado and olive trees. The route passes through villages (Omalos, Lakki, Fournes, Alikianos) and returns to Chania with views of the Aegean. The whole day runs 7 to 8 hours. A cup of coffee, tea or fresh orange juice is included at the start, and bottled water travels with you. Groups are capped at six people per vehicle, so the 4WD stays nimble on the rough sections and the tasting groups stay small enough to ask questions.

What’s included

• Hotel or meeting-point pickup within 3 miles east or 15 miles west of Chania.
• a local English or Greek-speaking driver and guide.
• olive oil and wine tastings with five wine labels and Cretan snacks.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• lunch with Cretan flavors, a first round of wine or beer, and dessert at 4000ft altitude.
• a cup of coffee, tea or fresh orange juice at the start.
• small-group travel in a 4WD vehicle with full air conditioning, capped at six people per vehicle.
• and liability insurance.

Before you book

Days and timesThursday to SaturdayDeparts at 08:30Last departure this season: 31 Oct

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish and Greek

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 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by CHANIA ADVENTURES SINGLE MEMBER P.C

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a full free day in Chania and want to taste wine and olive oil in their working setting rather than in a tasting room: the producers themselves guide you through it, and the lunch at 4000ft with views of Samaria Gorge is the kind of stop a standard tour bus route cannot reach.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Greek.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

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.

Can I do this tour if I'm arriving by cruise ship to Chania?

Yes. At booking, provide your ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time so the operator can time the pickup and return to match your schedule.

What's the 3000-year-old olive tree actually like when you get there?

The tree is still productive, it still bears fruit, and grows on a small typical Cretan farm where you'll have coffee time and see how the land is worked. It's a living thing, not a monument behind a fence.

Why can't a regular bus do this route?

The tour crosses the Sebronas gorge and climbs the White Mountains on rough roads that only 4WD vehicles with full air conditioning can navigate safely and comfortably. Standard buses and minibuses cannot access this terrain.

Is there a vegetarian option for lunch?

Yes. Let the operator know at booking if you need a vegetarian meal, and they'll prepare it for the lunch service at altitude.

What's included in the wine tasting at the winery?

Five different labels of local wine, tasted and explained by the winery's Sommeliers and producers themselves, paired with Cretan snacks. The first round of wine is also included with lunch later in the day.

How high is the lunch spot, and what's the view like?

Lunch is served at 1200m (4000ft) altitude on the Omalos Plateau with a direct view of Samaria Gorge and Pachnes, the highest summit in the White Mountains at 2453m (8048ft).