Crete's Mythic Heart: Knossos, Zeus Cave & Plateau

Our family had an absolutely amazing experience on the Greek Mythology Tour of Crete. Our guide, Nicholas, was incredible — a true storyteller who brought every myth, site, and legend to life. He shared fascinating insights, historical context, and personal touches that made the day unforgettable. Nicholas was not only knowledgeable but also kind, friendly, and genuinely thoughtful — he even brought us grapes, bananas, and cold water along the way! It felt like spending the day with a passionate teacher who loves what he does and cares deeply about his guests. We were dropped off at the Palace of Knossos entrance and handed over to a friendly women who walked us right passed the ticket line, so we could quickly begin the tour. She was also very knowledgable and expertly led us around to the important sites. We then had an amazing lunch at Carob and Olive in the sweet town of Melidoni. What a nice highlight! If you’re visiting Crete and want to experience Greek mythology in a way that’s inspiring, fun, and full of heart, ask for Nicholas. You’ll be glad you did!

Our tour guide Dimitrisas was excellent. He was knowledgeable but most important flexible. The caves were closed due to restoration work however, he ensured we had a great tour experience. The additional tour guide arranged by him for the Palace of Knosso's was very professional. Especially in navigating the always present crowds. He took his time answering all of our questions and I would certainly recommend him for anyone on this tour.

If you want to experience Greece through the eyes of a true Renaissance scholar, Nicholas is your guide. This isn’t just sightseeing—it’s time travel. Nicholas seamlessly weaves together history, mythology, and personal storytelling to bring ancient Crete alive. We didn’t just visit landmarks; we touched the very fortresses that once protected this island and explored hidden gems far from the typical tourist trail. His deep knowledge transforms every stone and ruin into a living piece of history. What sets Nicholas apart is his gift for storytelling. When he recounted the myths of Zeus, I felt as though Apollo himself—god of music, poetry, and inspiration—had stepped from the pages of ancient texts to guide us through these sacred places. Nicholas has that rare ability to make millennia-old stories feel immediate and relevant. By the end of our tour, our appreciation for Greece had grown exponentially. Nicholas didn’t just show us Crete; he helped us fall in love with its soul. Do yourself a favor and book with Nicholas. You’ll leave with memories that will last a lifetime and a profound connection to one of the world’s most historically rich destinations. Joanne and Tomas

We had an amazing day full of activities with Alexander and his colleagues. Our boys, aged 9 and 4, enjoyed visiting the cave, making pottery, and listening to Ancient Greek myths. It was such a memorable way to end our first trip to Greece!

We had an absolutely wonderful time with Andreas. He was prompt and met us at our hotel in old town Chania. He was delightfully entertaining on the long trip to Heroklian and shared interesting insights and history of different places that we cross along the way. The car (Range Rover) was comfortable , clean and well stocked with cool water. Andreas also shared several interesting facts in Knossos Palace and showed us various aspects of the room. We never felt rushed and felt it was entirely worth the money. Highly recommended.

Getting to the cave was tiring for me. I am not an active person though. However enjoyed the view in the cave. Its best in the morning before the sun is high . I probably would not have made it to the cave if we went in the afternoon

This was a beautiful, in depth understanding of the culture of Ancient Crete and Greece. Our guide, Elissávet, gave us the true understanding of the influences and layers of history of the exceptional sites and people and natural forces that formed Crete and the Greek Isles. She, along with our Driver, Stefanos, made us feel like their family- actually we loved them. Elissávet also helped us with some other sites and insight into them even though she was not our guide at the time. Both of them went over and above all of our expectations and we are grateful to have met them and had the good fortune to have them as our guides.

Incredible full day with Alex ! Lots of fun at olive oil and wine tasting …. Cave of Zeus is quite a hike ! Good shoes a must ! Knossos palace was awe inspiring with our lovely guide ..

Advisory: this is a long review. Last year I used the services of Alex for a customized tour of Western Crete for me and my group of cruisers from Souda/Chania port. That tour was excellent on all counts so I had high expectations for this year. This year there were 21 people including me and my husband, divided amongst 3 vehicles. Each vehicle had its own guide, wifi, water, and then there would be snacks. Alex's tours are super well organized. This means that we saw a lot without feeling rushed, avoided crowds, and for the geocachers among us there were opportunities to find some types of caches. . For me of course, it was a delight to get to greet Alex in person again. Alex shows such zest for life and love of what he is doing, yet he is professional through and through with tremendous attention to detail. Example: He explained history of the fountains in Krasi and the sycamore tree accurately, and yet in such a way that old history and modern life are connected. Before the pottery shop there had been stops at marvelous viewpoints. Also before the pottery shop, we stopped at the Moni Vidianis Monastery. Alex differentiated among real monasteries and those aimed toward tourists. The chapel was small but beautiful. One of the guides enhanced our experience by singing briefly. Just outside the monastery, our drivers and guides had set out a snack buffet I will call it, including raki if people wanted to imbibe that potent drink. Then it was back on the road again to the pottery place owned by the Pitarokillis family. This was a REALLY big shop. No, it was not a tourist trap. No way would Alex take us to one, unlike ship tours. Would they be happy if people bought pottery, tea, or whatever? Of course, but as I say, definitely not a tourist trap. Mrs. P explained the process of what they do there, with cheerful exchanges of teasing between Alex and Mrs. P. There were some exhibits of how pottery was made in the past. A staff member demonstrated how pots were shaped and decorated on the wheel, then some people got the opportunity to make their own pots. I was one of them. What a great experience that was! Our next destination was the “Zeus” Cave/Psychro Cave. This was a delight for more than one reason: the exercise to get up to it, the history and myth of it, and the earth-cache (type of geocache) there as well. There was then an approximately 20 minute hike/walk up a sort of paved trail with switchbacks to the cave entrance. Alex and the other guides set a very easy, slow pace with a couple of pauses in the shade, some of the people turned back part way up the trail, and one person chose to ride one of the donkeys (for an extra fee) As you might imagine, the views from the trail were great.. Then comes the steepish steps down, down into the cave. A couple more people dropped out at this point. We continued on, and were glad we did. The cave is really interesting in terms of geology and myth both. The water is so clear at the pool of the back of the cave we didn't even realize there was water there until a guide tossed a pebble. After walking back down the mountain, we had a delightful lunch at a taverna, the Halvro Restaurant. After traveling through more striking country side, we arrived at Knossos Palace. It worked really well to arrive at the site in the late afternoon. There were lots of people, of course, but not the major crowds there would have been earlier in the day when the many busloads of tourists from the several cruise ships in port that day were present. Alex had arranged for an expert guide/historian to lead us through the ruins and explain things. A very short drive to the port followed, It was time to say goodbye to Crete and to Alex. There is NO doubt at all who I will contact if life brings us to Crete again. Alex and his company are the best!

The tour consists of Zues' cave and the palace. Our tour guide is a very knowledgeable lady, Christiana. The hike up to the cave was not easy and there is a long line to get in so we were a bit delayed. We got donkey rides for my daughter and she loved it. The cave is pretty limited, with steep stairs down and then up right away. there are a lot of people so you cannot stay to look at anything down there. If you are short on time, I would skip this. We then went to the best meal we had on the trip. She took us to a beautiful place on the hill. The lamb, roasted cheese, and roasted vegetables were amazing. We skipped the palace because we rather spend time at the restaurant. I think the palace would have been more fun than the cave. We also went to this little olive oil place. It is pretty limited with the oil tasting, just one kind. There is also a lot of other good to look at, like soaps, pottery, jewelry, and gadgets. Whether to do this or not depends on your interest.