Knossos, Olive Oil & Winery Tour in Crete: Small Group with Lunch

Taste centuries of Cretan tradition in one afternoon: ruins, oils and raki.

A small-group tour of Crete combining Knossos Palace, a working olive grove farm with oil tasting, a family winery and raki distillery, and a traditional village lunch. Hotel pickup and air-conditioned transport included, with a live English-speaking guide. Knossos Palace entrance and a certified guide there are optional and not included. Children from age 5 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Knossos and Cretan flavors

• Visit Palace of Knossos ruins
• Explore olive oil estate and taste oils
• Tour winery and raki distillery
• Enjoy traditional Cretan lunch

The experience

Your day starts at Knossos Palace, the Bronze Age center of Minoan civilization sprawling across 20,000 square meters. The complex reveals advanced plumbing, vivid frescoes like the Bull-Leaping scene, and a labyrinthine layout that may have inspired the Minotaur myth. You'll have free time to walk the ruins and absorb the stories: a certified guide for the site is available separately if you want deeper context. From there, the tour moves into the Cretan countryside to a local olive grove farm, where gnarled, centuries-old trees anchor the island's oldest traditions.

At the olive estate, you learn how traditional and modern pressing methods work side by side, then taste fresh extra virgin oils: noting the aromas and flavors that range from fruity to peppery. The tasting often pairs the oils with crusty bread, herbs or local cheese, and many farms let you buy bottles to take home. Next comes the winery and raki distillery, a family-run operation where you sample three native wines and a shot of tsikoudia, Crete's signature spirit, while discovering how the distilling techniques have held steady across generations. The day ends with a traditional Cretan lunch in Archanes village at a taverna serving local recipes, fresh ingredients and house wine: the kind of meal that tastes like the place itself.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, as is transport in an air-conditioned vehicle. The whole day runs 6 to 7 hours. A live guide in English leads the group, which stays small enough that you're not herded through stops. Infants and small children can come along in a pram or stroller, and the tour suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your accommodation.
• transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• tour of the olive grove farm with tasting of premium extra virgin oils.
• tour of the family winery and raki distillery with sampling of three wines and one shot of tsikoudia.
• traditional Cretan lunch with house wine at a village taverna in Archanes.
• a live guide speaking English throughout the day.

Options for this experience

4 options

Lygaria Rate at Agia PelagiaGuide in English · 08:30Pick-up areas: Agia Pelagia and Lygaria. Meeting local producers: olive mill tour with tastings, microwinery and raki distillery with tastings. Small group tour lasting 7 hours. Traditional lunch included. Minivan or SUV. Pickup is included.

Karteros to Malia rate with pickupGuide in English · 08:30Experiences: tastings of olive oil, wine and raki, plus honey tastings. Small group tour lasting 7 hours. Traditional lunch; vegetarians and vegans are welcome. Minivan. Pickup is included.

Heraklion - Amoudara rate with pickupGuide in English · 09:00Pick-up points: Amoudara and the city areas of Heraklion. Experiences: tastings of olive oil, wine and raki, plus honey tastings. Small group tour lasting 7 hours. Traditional lunch; vegetarians and vegans are welcome. Minivan. Pickup is included.

Rate for Elounda and Agios NikolaosGuide in English · 08:30Experiences: tastings of olive oil, wine and raki, plus honey tastings. Small group tour lasting 8 hours. Traditional lunch. Minivan. Pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Paid on site€ 20

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by LocalTrips4U "Experience True Crete"

Is this one for you?Book this if you want four stops (Knossos, olive farm, winery, and lunch) in one afternoon with a group rather than solo. Choose a private guide if you'd prefer an archaeologist at the ruins or want to skip any stops.

Traveler reviews

4.88★★★★★★★★★★

26 verified traveler reviews

5 ★23

4 ★3

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

What is the Palace of Knossos actually like when you get there?

Knossos Palace is a sprawling 20,000 square meter Bronze Age complex with partial reconstructions that let you walk through rooms, corridors and the famous Throne Room. You'll see vivid frescoes, early plumbing systems and the labyrinthine layout that may have inspired the Minotaur myth. Free time lets you explore at your own pace. A certified guide for the site is optional and arranged separately.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the olive farm and winery, or is transport included?

Transport is included: the tour picks you up from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle and drops you back there at the end. The driver takes the group to each stop (Knossos, the olive grove, the winery and the lunch venue), so you don't arrange separate rides.

What exactly do you taste at the olive grove and the winery?

At the olive estate, you taste fresh extra virgin oils paired with bread, herbs or local cheese, learning to notice the aromas and flavors as they range from fruity to peppery. At the winery and raki distillery, you sample three native wines and one shot of tsikoudia, Crete's traditional spirit, while the family owners explain their distilling methods.

Is lunch included in the price, or do I pay separately at the taverna?

Lunch is included: a traditional Cretan meal at a village taverna in Archanes, featuring local recipes, fresh ingredients and house wine. You don't pay extra at the table.

What's not included that I should know about before booking?

Entrance fees for Knossos Palace are not included in the tour price. If you want a certified guide specifically for the palace ruins, that's arranged separately and costs extra. Gratuities for the guide and driver are also not included.