PRIVATE-Knossos Palace-Zeus Cave-Olive Oil Tasting-Old Villages

We only had a short time in Crete and chose to spend a full day with Stavros from Explore Real Crete Tours — a decision we’re very glad we made. From the moment he picked us up in the hotel lobby, we knew the day would be fun. His wit and playful attitude were perfectly balanced by a deep knowledge of the region and Minoan history, an area we’re genuinely keenly in. Stavros was flexible and happy to play it by ear, which suited us perfectly as we didn’t stick rigidly to the original itinerary. The day felt relaxed, personal, and thoughtfully paced rather than rushed or scripted. We highly recommend Stavros and his tours to anyone visiting Crete. Thanks, Stavros, for an awesome day. Paula & Peter

Stavros was absolutely incredible! Took us on a personal tour of crete, stopped at many towns to give us coffee, good, and wine, and ended with a beach detour. Stavros had informative and enticing stories, and we learned a lot along the way!!

Tour was FANTASTIC! Local tour guide leading you to local places. One of a kind tour with an awesome tour guide!!! You will not be disappointed. We went with 2 people (was going to be small group but we went in off season) and we did everything from learning about Crete to tasting some of the best food the island has to offer. Can’t recommmend enough!!!!!

Mr, Ed was a great tour guide. He kept the historical information at a level for the wide ranges in our group. We loved our two day tour! Crete was amazing.

Stravos was phenomenal- hands down the best tour guide we have experienced on our trip. This tour showed us the real side of Crete that we otherwise would not have experienced. We got to see, taste, and be in the local culture with a hands on experience. If you are looking for a tour- this is the one!

This tour was the highlight of our visit to Crete. Stavros was so much fun and personalized the tour to our interests. The van was comfortable and each stop was interesting and fun. I highly recommend this tour!

Highlight of Our Trip – Book This Tour! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Of all the tours we took during our one-week Greece & Turkey cruise, our day with Stavros in Crete stood out by a mile. He was funny, contagiously happy, and kept everyone — kids and adults alike — completely engaged throughout the day. We visited an olive oil factory, the windmills, strawberry field, Knossos Palace (which my daughter especially loved — roaming peacocks and all!), and a variety of charming villages. Stavros made the experience feel personal and relaxed, adding in lovely touches like a stop at a local pottery studio where the kids got to spin their own little pots, and a walk through a quiet village where we picked wild plums straight from the trees. There was even a quick visit to a famous old tree in a historic village, and a sweeping coastal viewpoint that took our breath away. Every stop felt authentic and thoughtfully chosen, and Stavros brought it all to life with humor, heart, and deep local knowledge. I wish all tours could be this fantastic — and that we could take Stavros with us on every trip. Don’t hesitate. Book this tour!

Did this tour as a family with adult children & significant others. Stavros was engaging, funny and thoughtful as a tour guide. He created an individualized experience for us based upon what we wanted to see and experience. We visited Knossos Palace with a private tour guide early- avoided the crowds and the heat. We learned about olive oil, visited a village and sat and visited with Stavros over a cold drink and asked him all sorts of questions about his life, the culture & history of Crete. Then we saw the old windmills, sampled fresh yogurt, picked fresh strawberries & sampled a local wine, ate lunch at a traditional family restaurant, saw the oldest tree in Crete and returned to the beach for a final wine tasting. It was a lovely way to spend the day. We learned so much, supported local businesses, and got away from the overly touristy places. I also felt like we made a new friend! Thank you, Stavros for showing us “The Real Crete!”

I was very excited to visit Crete for the first time and this tour still beat my expectations. Ed knew how to schedule our tour to miss the crowds and get an authentic Crete experience. The olive oil factory was great and the owners were very gracious showing us around. Lunch was amazing and again, the family that owned the place was incredibly gracious and made us feel right at home. Experiencing all of the local food and wine, olive oil and honey was a delightful experience. We walked through a couple local villages and Ed pointed out many of the trees and plants of the region and we even stopped to pick some strawberries and enjoy some local wine. I wish more tours were this personal and authentic.

Book this one! Ed was amazing from pick up to drop off. The whole experience was a ton of fun and very entertaining and informative. We got to see a side of Crete away from the tourist port and saw the local farms, tasted the local yogurt and food, all the while being guided comfortably and entertained the whole way. I would not hesitate to book again and it was by far the best tour we did in Greece.