Knossos & Lasithi Plateau: Land of Zeus, Villages, Olive Oil Tour

I had a wonderful day with a really small group. I feel like I got to experience so many parts of Crete that I couldn't have seen on my own. The van was very comfortable, the guide was excellent and spoke amazing English. The tip about using the free audio guide instead of a paid guide for Knossos was also great.

We were visiting Crete on a cruise ship and wanted to see both the Palace of Knossos and the Lessitheau Playeau and the ship didn’t offer a tour to both places. Luckily for us, we found Unique Crete VIP Tours Marinos, the owner, picked us up at the port and off we went. It was a full day of seeing the local culture. So many stops, but one of our favorites was in a tiny village where a. Tea was made by a local villager. Stops included seeing how olive oil is made at a local press, the village of Krasnodar, a 2,000 year old sycamore tree, went inside a windmill, saw where they made cheese, Cave of Zeus which is closed but has great views of the Platesu, lunch at a local restaurant. ending at the Pslace of Knossos. Marinos was so informative and had a great sense of humor. He was always making sure we were enjoying our tour. This was an amazing day and we gave Marinos to thank for that. We highly recommend his company.

We had a fantastic time led by Niko who was an amazing guide. Fantastic views, food and experience and would recommend for anyone staying in Crete.

Marinos was a wonderful guide; we felt the entire tour was authentic, interesting, and filled with local flavors. My entire family enjoyed our day in Crete with him, would highly recommend!

We have traveled extensively and this is the BEST tour we can remember! Niko was very knowledgeable, personable and fun! Since it is late in the season, we were lucky to be the only ones on the tour, and Niko was able to tailor it to our preferences. Niko knows all the local people and places which made this tour magical, since we were able to get a sense of real Cretan life. We visited several villages and met wonderful people along the way! We had homemade mountain tea and sweets from a woman who has been making it for 60 years. We had lunch where the delicious authentic food was baked in an outdoor oven overnight. We visited an olive oil factory and learned from Niko the best way to taste olive oil. We saw windmills, farms and gorgeous scenery along the way. We ended our day with fascinating Knossos in the afternoon to escape the crowds, a good call by Niko. This day was unforgettable and we feel so lucky to have had Niko to guide us through! Thank you Niko!

Marinos was a fantastic guide. Although we did go to the archeological site, the rest of the day was spent far away from town. First a tour of an olive oil factory was fascinating. We had coffee and cookies, actually made by his wife, in a tiny village and a very tiny taverna. Then off to see the village of 10,000 wind mills. On the way back we had a very delicious lunch by the site of some very old windmills that the Nazis bombed thinking they were guns! Then more tiny villages on the way to the archeological site. If you have been to Ephesus and to the stadium and archeological site in Cyprus, not to mention one other mention the dig on another island that was all inside a large roof with wooden walkways, I would not bother with the one in Crete. Marinos created a day that was one exceptional tour!

What a fantastic day. Our guide was from generations of family from the area and it showed. He was knowledgeable, funny, personable and seemed to have a genuine love of sharing Crete with us. I was sad when it was over.

This was a great tour. The perfect mix of seeing local cuisine and shops and tourist spot must sees. Marinos was an amazing guide. Our group of 6 loved it!

This was the highlight of our trip! Nikos was not only very informative and professional, but made us feel like part of his family. Because we were a small group, it was only just the two of us with him so it felt like a private tour. Nikos is clearly passionate about what he does and it truly shows when spending time with him. He made our trip and our experience truly unforgettable! Nikos thank you again - you’re the best! We highly recommend this tour package as we got to experience a lot of unique components of the culture of Heraklion and the Lasithi Plateau. The meal for lunch was one of the best we had so far during our vacation. Thanks again for an unforgettable experience Nikos and team! All the best! Matt & Nate

Big shout out to Marinos. Book this tour without a doubt. Marinos went out of his way to give my wife and I the true feeling of this beautiful land and people.