Heraklion Olive Grove, Snail Farm & Dragon Fruit Tour

Three working farms in one morning, starting with olives pressed the traditional way

A private two-hour tour of three working farms outside Heraklion: a family-owned olive grove where oil is made the traditional Cretan way, a snail farm raising a local delicacy, and a dragon fruit plantation. A live guide in English or Greek walks you through each one and explains what grows where and why. Greek or espresso coffee is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit olive grove and dragon fruit farm

• See traditional olive grove
• Visit snail farm
• Explore dragon fruit plantation
• Enjoy complimentary Greek coffee

The experience

The olive grove is the anchor. The same family has worked this land for generations, and the guide shows you how they still press oil using methods that have barely changed. You wander the rows, see the trees at different stages, and learn what makes Cretan olives and their oil distinct. The farm sits at Evangelismou 135, just outside the city, close enough for a short drive from central Heraklion.

From there you move to the snail farm, where the guide explains how snails became a traditional Cretan food and how they're raised here. It's a smaller operation but a working one, and it gives you a sense of what subsistence farming looked like before tourism. Then comes the dragon fruit plantation: the farm's newer pride. The plants look nothing like what grows in the olive groves, and the guide walks you through how they cultivate them and what makes them worth the effort in a Mediterranean climate.

You get complimentary Greek coffee or espresso at some point during the visit, a small courtesy that breaks up the walking. The whole thing runs two hours, which is enough time to see all three without rushing but not so long that you're stuck if you have other plans in Heraklion that afternoon.

What’s included

• Private tour with a live guide in English or Greek.
• access to the olive grove, snail farm and dragon fruit plantation.
• complimentary Greek or espresso coffee.

Before you book

Lasts 2h, runs every day, 6 start times, from € 9 per person, with a live guide in English and Greek, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 19:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (14 and older) · Child (3 to 13 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Greek

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Cretan Dragon Fruit Farm

Is this one for you?The two-hour pace means steady walking between three separate farms with explanations at each stop, so it suits anyone comfortable with a moderate amount of movement on farm paths. This is a working-farm tour, not a museum visit. You're seeing how things actually grow and are made, which is the point.

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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 (3 to 13 years); Infant (under 3): free.

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 exactly do you see and do at the olive grove?

The olive grove is a working farm where you walk among the trees and learn how the family presses oil using traditional Cretan methods. The guide explains the trees, the harvest cycle, and what makes their oil different from industrial production elsewhere.

Is the snail farm something you just look at, or do you get to handle them?

The snail farm is a working operation you visit and learn about. The guide explains how snails are raised and their place in Cretan food tradition, though the focus is on understanding the farm rather than hands-on interaction.

Why grow dragon fruit in Crete when it's not native to the region?

The dragon fruit plantation is the farm's newer venture, and the guide explains the choice to cultivate them and how they manage the plants in a Mediterranean climate. It shows how traditional farms adapt and diversify.

How much walking is involved over the two hours?

You wander through the olive grove and move between the three farm areas, so there's a moderate amount of walking on farm paths. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the pace is set by the guide and the group.

Is the coffee break a scheduled stop, or does it happen whenever?

Complimentary Greek or espresso coffee is included during the visit. The exact timing isn't fixed, but it's built into the two-hour tour so you're not walking the whole time without a pause.