Tour Description

Trip Itinerary

• 1 Day 1 Arrival day - Welcome to Crete ! On your arrival, we provide transfers and pick you up at Chania or Herakleion airport. Once you arrive at the, Guesthouse that will be your home for the week. You will have time to unpack and unwind or to relax. Enjoy a free evening to already explore the magic area at your leisure. Dinner on your own. Overnight in your accommodation.
• 2 Day 2 Cooking class, visit to the farm You begin each morning with a breakfast in the formal dining room or under one of the covered outdoor terraces overlooking the olive trees hillsides, and mountains. The experience beginning with a walking tour with us in the Farm; we will talk about the trees and bushes that grow in our region, smell the aromatic plants and herbs of Crete and learn about their magic powers, we will watch baby lambs, sheep, rabbits, chicken, horses and other domestic animals and birds in their natural environment. Then we will thresh with our horse, we will be taught everything about milking at the traditional “giristi”, we will visit our “mitato” where we can make and taste local cheese, while next we will get to know the special space where cheese matures, our unique, underground cheese cell (“tirokeli”). Your first cookery lesson will begin at 2:30 p.m. followed by a late afternoon drink or a small siesta. You will return to your class around 5 p.m. to cook the final stages of dinner which will be served in the relaxed evening atmosphere.
• 3 Day 3 Winery and Olive Oil Mill Tasting Tour Learn about traditional Cretan olive oil and wine on this tasting tour through the island of Crete. Your day will start after breakfast with a pickup from your hotel where you will travel to the Archanes region. You have the opportunity to visit one of the last olive oil family domains and learn the secrets of Cretan extra virgin oil. You'll also visit a dynamic boutique winery, take a guided tour amongst its facilities and discover more about the magic world of wine production, terroir, and local grape varietals. Partake in a sensational visit to a family estate and a traditional olive mill. The owners will lead you to their production area and introduce you to the fantastic world of extra virgin olive oil. This will be followed by some olive oil sample tasting. You will also have a chance to taste other local products. Next up, meet a promising and dynamic winemaker who will guide you through his winery and domain.. Then, after a wine presentation, you will experience a wine tasting featuring 5 different varieties made on the island. After your winery tour, visit a traditional restaurant and taste true Cretan mezze cooking for lunch. Enjoy prepared plates consisting of warm and cold traditional mezzes featuring salads, grilled cheese, olive fritters, different meats and vegetable plates.
• 4 Day 4 Sfendoni Cave & Psiloritis Day Trip with Meal After breakfast, you visit the real Crete Explore the Sfendoni Cave, one of the most important caves in Greece, and join hands-on activities at a local farm on the Psiloritis Mountains before enjoying dinner surrounded by unbeatable views. The first stop will be at the unique cave of Sfendoni. Spend time exploring a 270 m route amongst the mountain’s impressive rocks that will transport you to another period. Marvel at the colorful stalactites and stalagmites that decorate the cave’s chambers. Head next to a traditional farm in the mountains featuring impressive views on the Psiloritis Mountains. Meet Priest Andreas, who will talk about his shepherd life. Then, roll up your sleeves and get some milk from goats and make your own cheese. Collect some products from the garden before sharing a traditional Cretan meal together with all the products you’ve collected and made. Get the unique chance to taste a lamb prepared via a special cooking method called Antikristo.
• 5 Day 5 Cruise to Spinalonga & BBQ at Kolokytha From Agios Nikolaos Enjoy a fun cruise in the Greek sun with a barbecue by the sea. Explore Kolokytha Bay and the historical island of Spinalonga. Start your day boarding the boat at the pretty harbour of Agios Nikolaos. Cruise across the beautiful Bay of Mirabello before arriving at the legendary island of Spinalonga. On Spinalonga island you will have an hour and a half to tour around and explore the Venetian fortifications and old homes of the victims of leprosy. Learn about the history and people who lived on the island during the first half of the 20th century from the printed guide that will be given to you free of charge. Later the boat takes you on the other side of the Kolokytha island and moors at the beach of the same name. Kolokytha is a beautiful bay with crystal-clear turquoise waters. Relax, swim and sunbathe while the boat crew prepares a hearty barbecue for you. Enjoy grilled pork chops, Greek salad, feta cheese, bread, wine and seasonal fruits.
• 6 Day 6 Visit the Local producers around the villages of APOKORONA Begin the day by enjoying a delicious homemade breakfastThen we will start around the villages of APOKORONA . Meet the locals, taste delicious local product and learn everything of Crete’s history, culture and traditions. Following a route through the nature and traditional Cretan villages you will arrive in Gavalochori village and visit the folklore museum of Apokoronas. The 7 rooms of it, will reveal everything about history, handcrafts and the everyday life of the people in the previous centuries. Leaving Gavalochori, driving towards Vrises village you will stop by a traditional distillery. You will discover the secrets of the local spirit “Tsikoudia” or “Raki” and learn everything about its production. First you will tour around the traditional part of the distillery and then the facilities of the modern one. Tasting is following combined with delicious local products. The village of Emprosneros is following to see the theatre “Mikis Thodorakis and the hidden church of St. Antony, built on the rock. The experience of Cretan cheese-making process follows.. You visit a cheese factory and taste the local “Graviera” “Mizithra” or “Anthotiros” cheese varieties. You will also taste some olive oil on warm bread, cookies and Cretan biscuits in the local bakery.After that you will enjoy lunch in a traditional “kafeneio” in Fres village, speaking with the locals and learning many things about the countryside way of life. You will have the chance to see the pure beauty and feel the real Crete around you. Apokoronas is one of the most historical places in Crete because of its people.
• 7 Day 7 Rethymno: Old Town Tour & Phyllo Workshop and Cretan dance show Discover the authentic corners of Rethymno's Old Town Take your taste buds on a journey on this guided walking tour of Rethymno's Old Town. Start you tour at a Greek style kafeneio café in the heart of the city. Sit down in a square next to a running fountain and orange trees. ,Learn about the historical sites on your tour, the local traditions and customs, and how all these are connected to Cretan gastronomy. Learn how to distinguishing between high and low quality honey, olive oil, and raki with a tasting experience. Make your way to a 17th-century Venetian mansion house of Yorgos Hatziparaschos who has been making phyllo dough by hand for over 63 years. Be memorized by how the simple ingredients of flour, water, and salt are masterfully worked into the thin dough used in Greek desserts like baklava. Continue to a traditional village to enjoy live Cretan music and dance. Sip Greek wine and feast on typical island dishes for dinner. Let the entertainment begin with an evening of Cretan folklore performances. Reach your dinner venue at 8:30 PM and unwind for a traditional Greek night in a charming tavern. Enjoy a Cretan dance show along with a traditional Cretan music group till 11 PM. After relaxing to dances and songs of Crete over dinner, hop back on your ride to return to Saturday,
• 8 Day 8 After a light breakfast and goodbyes, transfers are provided to the airport for return trip.