Unearth Mythic Crete: Private Knossos & Zeus Cave Odyssey

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.

Take THIS tour, then visit old town Heraklion on your own. The countryside, the views(!) the small town, the olive factory, the family owned restaurant, were all fantastic. We opted not to go to Knossos palace, but perhaps we should have. Did I mention that Stavros is the most engaging and humorous guide ever?!! I imagine ANY of his tours are superb. I trust Stavros, who has lived on Crete his whole life, to show off his island!!

Wonderful day with Stavros! And thankfully only one other couple on our tour, which made it more enjoyable. We handpicked this tour- really wanted to visit an olive oil factory. He took us to a factory that was celebrating its 100th year! And a grandson of the founder was onsite to answer questions. We also toured a small village, the windmills, the plateau, and the Palace of Knossos. We ate lunch at the windmills- the lunch was DELICIOUS!!! Stavros was amazing- he knows so much about Crete! He was hilarious and informative! If we return to Crete, we will use his service again.

Stavros, our driver and tour guide, was absolutely amazing. He was funny, personal, and so informative. We spent 8 hours touring from Heraklion, Knossos Palace, local villages, an olive oil press, and the largest plateau and surrounding villages. Stavros knew so many local vendors and restaurateurs. We had VIP treatment all day and learned so much about the local history and current challenges to the longevity of the mountain villages. We stopped at a fantastic restaurant for lunch and ate some of the best food we have had during this trip. What a great day! Our guide heard what I was looking for and stopped at places to help me find the ceramic piece I wanted. Today’s tour was our favorite day of our travel so far. I would ask for Stavros and his team again.