Georgioupolis: Breathtaking 8-Hr Defender Safari

Really recommend this trip, it was a great day out and the lunch and tastings were outstanding. Kostas was a great guide/driver.

My wife and I had a very fun time on this tour. Our guide, Nektarious, was kind, personable, and funny and made the tour that much more enjoyable. We bought a small bottle of honey at one of the stops, owner told us he had no problems bringing it to the US in the past but ours was sadly thrown away by security at the Heraklion security, so beware.

Von der ersten Minute an war diese Tour mit Nektarios ein echtes Erlebnis. Die Abholung am Hotel verlief reibungslos, und schon auf den ersten Kilometern versorgte uns Nektarios mit spannenden Infos über Kreta – von Oliven- und Avocadoanbau bis hin zu kulturellen und wirtschaftlichen Hintergründen. Vieles davon war neu für uns und hat die Fahrt sofort bereichert. Der Land Rover war unser treuer Begleiter – entspannt, solange wir auf Straßen fuhren, und abenteuerlich, sobald Nektarios in den Offroad-Modus wechselte. Besonders beeindruckend war der uralte Olivenbaum mit über 2000 Jahren Geschichte – man spürt förmlich die Kraft dieser Landschaft. Ein Highlight war der Besuch des orthodoxen Klosters Myriokefala, wunderschön gelegen und voller Geschichte. Die Verkostung von Raki, Honig und Kräutern war nicht nur lecker, sondern auch nachhaltig – die Kräuter duften bei uns zu Hause immer noch intensiv. Dann ging’s richtig los: steile Bergpfade, Ziegen, Geier und wilde Kräuter – fernab jeder Touristenroute. Ich saß vorne und hatte manchmal nur noch Luft und Abhang vor mir. Auf ca. 1200 m wehte ein Wind, der uns fast tragen konnte – ein echtes Naturerlebnis! Die Abfahrt durch enge Serpentinen war aufregend, aber Nektarios fuhr mit absoluter Ruhe und Sicherheit. Großes Kompliment! Das Mittagessen in der Kioni Taverna war entspannt und lecker, die Bucht daneben fast surreal schön – wie ein privater Pool am Meer. Danach ging’s weiter zum Fort Frangokastello und zur Imbros-Schlucht, wo der Wind uns zeigte, was Höhenangst wirklich bedeutet. Besonders charmant: Nektarios hatte immer die passende Musik parat – von „Mission Impossible“ beim Offroad-Start bis „We Are Still Alive“ im Tal. Das hat die Stimmung perfekt eingefangen. Zum Abschluss besuchten wir die Olivenölfirma Kanakis – ein kühler, schöner Ort mit tollen Produkten. Die Eselsmilchseife ist schon im Einsatz – wenn’s schön macht, warum nicht? Vielen Dank, Nektarios – für dieses unvergessliche Erlebnis. Für meine Frau und mich war das ein echtes Highlight unserer Kreta-Reise. Herzliche Grüße Sasa & Gordana From the very first moment, this tour with Nektarios was a true experience. We were picked up directly from our hotel and headed off right away. Nektarios shared fascinating insights about the region – from cultural and economic facts to olive farming, local churches, and something new to us: avocado cultivation on Crete. The ride in the Land Rover was relaxed… well, at least until the off-road part began – but more on that in a moment! We started at Lake Kournas, just a few kilometers south of Georgioupolis, and climbed steadily into the mountains. Standing next to a 2,000-year-old olive tree, you could truly feel the energy of this land. A highlight was the visit to the beautifully located Orthodox monastery in Myriokefala. We learned about its history and enjoyed a tasting of raki, honey, and herbs – which we even brought home with us. The scent has lingered for days, it’s that intense! Then came the real adventure: Nektarios left what could still be called a road and switched the Land Rover into off-road mode. We saw goats, wild herbs, and even vultures circling above the mountains. I was sitting in the front seat, and at times all I could see was air and the drop below. At around 1,200 meters, the wind was so strong it felt like it could carry us – definitely not the place to walk too close to the edge! The descent through narrow serpentines was thrilling, a bit scary, and absolutely breathtaking. Nektarios drove with great care and professionalism – we never felt unsafe for a second. Once we reached the valley, we stopped at Kioni Taverna for a lovely lunch and refreshing drinks. The nearby bay was empty and stunning – like a private pool by the sea. We continued past the beautiful ruins of Frangokastello fortress and climbed back into the mountains, this time on asphalt but just as steep and exciting. At Imbros Gorge, the strong wind gave us a real sense of what vertigo feels like – thrilling and beautiful. One of the best touches: Nektarios always had the perfect music playing. As we started the off-road section, he played the “Mission Impossible” theme, and later in the valley, “We Are Still Alive” – he matched every mood perfectly. To wrap up the day, we visited the Kanakis olive oil company – a cool, welcoming place with lots of local products. We picked up some donkey milk soap… because hey, if it makes you beautiful, why not? Thank you, Nektarios – this was an unforgettable experience for me and my wife. Sasa & Gordana

I was skeptical that this tour could live up to the rave reviews it has been given, but I can report back that it most certainly does! What was great about this tour is that in the course of a day you get a good overview of Crete, not only the terrain and the sites, but the tastes and the flavors. We saw a lake, waterfall, sea (and swam in it!), mountains, orchards, and rugged terrain. We sampled wine, raki, tea, olive oil, honey, and local herbs. Our driver and guide Kostas did a fantastic job of pointing out the sites and giving us information about the area. I highly recommend this tour if you are looking to get out and see a nice variety of Cretan sites. The only caution I would give is that is that part of the tour goes off road and can be pretty bumpy and in some places you are on dirt roads that are next to steep drops. The path is plenty wide for the Jeeps and I felt completely safe, though. Even my wife, who can be a nervous passenger, was able to handle it and she, too, loved the tour. Booking and changing our tour date was super easy via the Viator app and communication with the tour company was also excellent. Go do it!

Great day excursion with our amazing tour guide Kostas. Super friendly and all activies where great. Would highly recommend.

An excellent day out! Our guide, Nikos, was amazing! We were picked up exactly on time from Chania, and were warmly greeted at the departure point in Georgioupolis. Nikos was super friendly and attentive throughout the whole day, and very happy to share his knowledge with his guests, and always ready to crack a joke and make the group laugh! He stopped us at some wonderful spots and you can really feel his true passion and love for his island! The day drew to a close on the opposite side of Crete at a gorgeous beach for a while to swim and take in the scenery followed by a very good Cretan lunch! My ONLY criticism would be the vehicles. If you are sat at the back, it is quite difficult to see outside properly while you're driving, and feel they should be more open-top. Saying that, Nikos did invite the group to move seats throughout the day for everyone to have a better seating spot, which was much appreciated! VERY highly recommended!

An unforgettable safari tour in Crete! 🌿🐚☀️ We had the most amazing safari tour today with our driver, Nektarios — such a kind, knowledgeable, and fun person! He took us to the most beautiful spots, including a stunning beach for a swim, and an olive oil factory where we tasted olive oil, olives, and honey. The day started with a tasting hosted by Nik, who welcomed us with tea, raki, raki with honey, olive oil with bread, sea salt, and gorgeous herbs. Nik was so friendly, and I even bought some olive oil and honey to take home. I snapped a photo of him posing like Salt Bae… but he’s definitely Herb Bae! 😂 We sang ABBA hits in the car, learned so much about the history and nature of Crete, and just had a full day of laughter and joy. Thank you so much, Nektarios, for your kindness, knowledge, and happy vibes — you made our tour unforgettable! ❤️

From start to finish simply amazing! We were collected from our hotel by a lovely man called Nektarios, he was friendly and very helpful. We were taken to the main meeting point where we met our guide for the day Kostas. Again a very friendly helpful man. Lovely staff, lovely experience and a great way to see some of beautiful Crete! We did the tour as a family of 5 (3 children age 11,9 and 4) and everyone of us enjoyed every minute! Thankyou to everyone at Georgioupolis Safari for a wonderful day! Simply amazing.

We had the best time on the safari! Our guide Nektarios was super knowledgeable, funny, friendly and went above and beyond to show us everything! Fabulous tour and would deffo recommend !! Thank you Nektarios !! Adelina & Harrison

We had a fantastic family day out courtesy of our amazing tour guide Nektarios. He was very warm and friendly and highly knowledgeable about Crete and the local areas we drove through. He drove very carefully and had a great sense of humour and kept us all informed and entertained the whole day. The scenery is spectacular, particularly the ‘off road’ section of the tour in the mountains with plenty of opportunity for photos. The tour also had great overview of Cretan culture. We sampled delicious home style food in a taverna and tasted local olive oils, Raki and wine. We also listened to local music in the Land-Rover, which was very comfortable, and got to swim in the sea! What a great day! 11/10