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Crete Food & gourmet tours

Our most recommended Crete Food & gourmet tours

Chania: Authentic Cooking Class in the White Mountains

1. Chania: Authentic Cooking Class in the White Mountains

Taste the authentic foods of Crete at a unique cooking class using only healthy organic ingredients, such as extra virgin olive oil, local meats, aromatic herbs and freshly picked vegetables. Stroll around the vegetable garden to get a feel for the raw produce and learn more about the herbs. Then, prepare a traditional meal and learn the secrets of how the locals cook. Go for a mountain walk to a shepherds and hear how olives are harvested. Return to the house to sample some cheese and wine from Crete and prepare some appetizers such as ntakos and tzatziki. End with a tasty lunch with wine pairings and traditional jar desserts.

Chania: Old Town Highlights Guided Tour with Street Food

2. Chania: Old Town Highlights Guided Tour with Street Food

Discover Chania's Old Town on a private or shared group guided tour with a local. Learn about local history, and taste delicious Cretan street food as you explore. Meet your guide in Chania’s bustling market, then set off into the historic Old Town. Unravel the history of Chania as you stroll around the streets and admire the impressively well-preserved architecture. Stroll along the cobbled narrow paths of the city, and learn about Chania’s Venetian past, renaissance heritage, and Ottoman influences. Pass by famous landmarks and soak up the charming atmosphere as you mingle with the locals. As you explore, discover the flavors of Cretan cuisine, stop at colorful food shops and taverns, selling wine, olive-oil, cheese, herbs, spices, and more, and enjoy street food samples along the way.  

Chania: Sightseeing & Tastings Tour

3. Chania: Sightseeing & Tastings Tour

Find what makes Crete’s cultural capital so marvelous. Explore some of the Old Town’s best sights, while discovering the lesser-known Ottoman and Jewish quarters. Get ready to experience Chania with all your senses! Begin at the Dimotiki Agora (Municipal Market), which denotes the old and new town boundary. Sample local delicacies while exploring the market and find out why Crete is home to one of the healthiest diets in the world. After fulfilling your taste buds, stroll around the old town district by passing through its maze of hidden back streets and narrow laneways, visiting Venetian and Ottoman monuments, and discovering doors to secret gardens. Hear stories, myths, and legends about kings, sailors, merchants, heroes, lovers, and artists. Figure out how this city has been a crossroad between the West and East for centuries. Next, you’ll have the unique chance to see local craftsmen producing their handmade products. Hear their stories, and possibly test your skills. Meander through the old Jewish and Ottoman neighborhoods and learn how multiculturalism has changed locals’ life through the centuries. Finally, after walking along the historic harbors' promenade, relax your muscles in a local-favorite spot where you’ll enjoy an enticing table with Cretan Mezedes (local tapas). End the tour here and continue your own exploration through the city or head back to the starting point. Before parting ways, don’t forget to ask your local guide for more hints and tips on how to get the best of your trip in Chania.

Cruise to Spinalonga & BBQ at Kolokytha From Agios Nikolaos

4. 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. 

Rethymno: Winery and Olive Oil Mill Tasting Tour with Lunch

5. Rethymno: Winery and Olive Oil Mill Tasting Tour with Lunch

Learn about traditional Cretan olive oil and wine on this tasting tour through the island of Crete. Begin your tour at the Kanakis olive oil mill, and learn all about the process of making olive oil. Hear experts describe the steps of production and afterward, enjoy a taste of their exquisite virgin olive oil. Continue on to one of the best wineries of the region, Dourakis Winery. There, enjoy a half-hour guided tour to learn about the history, tradition, and production of Cretan wine. After the tour, move to the wine tasting room, where you can taste up to five types of Cretan wine. Finally, end the tour with a visit to either the village of Nipos or Vryses (depending on the weather and the day). Both villages offer up beautiful natural views alongside a traditional delicious lunch.

Heraklion: Food Tastings Walking Tour

6. Heraklion: Food Tastings Walking Tour

Get an introduction to the best food that Heraklion has to offer by treating your palate to traditional Cretan dishes and exceptional local wines! Go on an unforgettable tasty journey through Heraklion’s local neighbourhoods. After meeting your local guide, start off with a traditional Greek coffee also known as ellinikós kafés. Learn why Greeks love coffee and see it brewed the traditional way in sand and be taught “cup reading”, a centuries-old tradition that reads your future. Enjoy Heraklion’s well-known bougatsa in a family-owned business that has mastered its bougatsa technique since 1922. Consisting of semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo, bougatsa is a must-taste pastry that you shouldn’t miss while being in the city. Continue to a local market where you’ll meet the local vendors and learn about their products. Sample some of the basic elements of Cretan cuisine such as olives, rusks, and cheese. Become a cheese-tasting expert by receiving local hints and learn how to spot the best local cheeses. Taste the island’s famous olive oil and find out why organic Cretan olive oil is one of the best oils in the world. Sit down for a local organic meat dish or if you want to show yourself how brave you are, sample a dish that is loved by most Cretans: fried snails. Move on to your last stop and taste some local Cretan wines in a family-run shop. Keep in mind that winemaking in Crete has a long history that dates back to the Bronze Age. Before you go, don’t forget to ask your local guide for more tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay.

Crete: Lasithi Plateau and Cave of Zeus Off Road Safari Tour

7. Crete: Lasithi Plateau and Cave of Zeus Off Road Safari Tour

Discover traditional life in rural Crete by witnessing the daily activities of the locals and visiting the sites where Greek myths were born. Enjoy a tour of Potamies, Aposelemis dam, Empasa, the cave of Zeus, and the beautiful scenery of the plateau. Start with pickup from your accommodation. Visit one of the most characteristic Cretan villages, Potamies, for a tour of a traditional local farm. See the process of milking and cheese-making, meet the animals, and sample their fresh cheese. Next, head to the Aposelemis dam, the largest water supply project in Crete. See the village of Sfendili submerged in the waters of the dam with its impressive old houses fading on the surface of the water. Explore the natural wetlands and spot a unique variety of birds. Continue uphill on the dirt roads to the gorge of Empasa. Enjoy the views of the mountainous landscape and thriving wildlife. Try your hand at foraging for native herbs or relax and take in the panoramic views. Take a trip to Lassithi Plateau to enter Psychro Cave, the fabled birthplace of the Greek God Zeus. Follow the trails of the gods and after that take a tour around the plateau to get a sense of local life. Finally, enjoy authentic food baked in the wood oven in one of the most celebrated taverns in the picturesque village of Krasi. Admire the town square filled with fountains and see imposing plane trees that are up to 2000 years old. Return to your hotel full of unforgettable memories of Crete.

The Miracle of Wine and Olive Oil: Day Tour from Chania

8. The Miracle of Wine and Olive Oil: Day Tour from Chania

Travel through stunning natural landscapes up into the mountains of the Kissamos region on this 7-hour tour from Chania. Stop at a traditional family winery, established in 1993, and learn about the varieties of wine they produce and their ideas for modern farming processes and wine production. Taste award-winning local Vidiano, Muscat of Spina and some international varieties such as Grenache rouge, Syrah and Mourvèdre that each have a unique taste due the local terroir. Next you’ll visit a traditional village and see the oldest olive tree in the world, with an estimated age of 3,000 years. This is a day filled with tasting different wine expressions of noble grapes and a variety of delicious foods. Head to another winery in the Kissamos region to taste a special local blend of white wines with Vilana, Vidiano and Assyrtiko varieties. Walk through the idyllic landscape of the vineyards and visit the family’s olive oil factory. Learn about extra virgin olive oil production. The wine tasting here will be accompanied by a tasting of extra virgin olive oils and local pure products, creating combinations your palate will never forget. You’ll also learn the Cretan way of saying goodbye drinking the award-winning Tsikoudia.

Crete: Olive Oil Festival, Farm Dinner, Live Show & Pickup

9. Crete: Olive Oil Festival, Farm Dinner, Live Show & Pickup

Experience an evening of live entertainment, taste traditional Cretan food, and take part in local produce workshops on this lively excursion. Begin your outing by visiting a farm in Sissi Village. Head to an 18th-century olive oil mill and learn about the award-winning mill's family history. Then head to a honey workshop and see the local honey-making process and learn about bees' activities. Taste the famous alcoholic beverage called Raki. Learn more about how it is produced and discover the ritual deeply rooted in Cretan Culture. Delight in learning about homemade Olive Oil soap and hearing about its health benefits for the skin. Have the chance to purchase high-quality local produce directly from the seller after tasting or learning about them. Later on, begin your gastronomical adventure with a wine tasting. Sip on outstanding wines from local Cretan grape varieties and taste distinct flavors. Learn all about the wine's production, which dates back to the ancient Minoan Civilization. Tuck into a delicious homemade Cretan meal cooked in a wood-fired oven. Enjoy seasonal greens, fava beans, and salad from the owner's garden accompanied by a wide variety of appetizers and french fries. Finally, appreciate live entertainment and spend a joyful night like a Cretan, dance to Greek rhythms, hear a wonderful orchestra, and see traditional dancing. Head back to the bus for your journey back to your accommodation.

Crete: Olive Oil Factory Tour, Dinner & Traditional Dancing

10. Crete: Olive Oil Factory Tour, Dinner & Traditional Dancing

Spend a special evening with a local family on the beautiful grounds of their olive oil factory. First, see how virgin Cretan olive oil is produced onsite. Then discover the origins of famous Cretan honey with a beekeeping demonstration. After discovering the grounds, enjoy a traditional Cretan buffet meal, with plenty of local wine. Enjoy live Greek music and a dancing performance after your meal in beautiful scenic surroundings.

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What people are saying about Crete

Overall rating

4.8 / 5

based on 224 reviews

Highly recommend this Ecobike tour with wine tasting! We had never ridden ecobikes before, but we got used to them pretty quickly. Alex and Marina were very communicative prior to the tour. Marina was our guide for the day and we thought she was fantastic: friendly and informative. We stopped by three different restaurants in town to sample delicious mezzes and five glasses of wine. Because Marina is a professional sommelier, we learned a lot about local wines. Alex joined us at the last stop and they shared anecdotes and local recommendations; it felt like hanging out with friends and we had a blast!

Our guide Kostos made the tour informative, fun, interesting and very enjoyable . His knowledge of local and country history, architecture and Greek mythology , traditions of Creten life, families / communities helped us appreciate and enjoy our time here all the more. The food was amazing , we will buy honey and olive oil with knowledge now and of course the sampling of local alcohol . We thoroughly recommend this tour to add depth and fun to your holiday in Rethymno . Brilliant fun

The 7 villages tour was very enjoyable! The guide was super-knowledgeable about the places we visited, and clearly enjoyed sharing his knowledge with us. Driving through the very charming landscape of the countryside east of Chania, we passed a cheesemaker, a rusk baker, and an olive oil factory, and finally ended up in a traditional tavern in Fres for a delicious lunch. Twice we could taste raki as well. All in all, to be recommended!

This cooking class is more than just cooking, it’s more like a quarter day spent with family. An approachable, down-to-earth tour guide has an in-depth knowledge of Crete’s history and culture, and will even show you some of the history in the house’s mini backroom exhibition. The energy of the group was lively and welcoming. All of Crete’s heartwarming and cultural excellence highlighted in this event.

We had a great time! Our guide, Nikos was very friendly, funny and informative. All the stops are great, and the tavern lunch was very enjoyable. Recommended.