Crete: Private Culinary Journey Wine, Olive Oil & Cretan Lunch

Pick up time was given as 0930. Late the evening before we get a message to say pick up 8 am. No warning and we had not booked an early breakfast. It was changed to 8.30 which was better. Phone call next morning to say 0845 - new driver, new car as our driver was ill. Picked up three people then driven to Knossos car park to drop two off and change driver. They were visiting the palace. Taken to soap factory which was not on agenda to wait until pick up the two people from Knossos. All five of us then to olive oil factory. We came out from it - no driver, we didn’t know where she was so sat for almost 30 minutes waiting. We then went to winery, lovely family and wine tasting with Raki. On then to lunch. We were promised a four course lunch with wine. The waiters literally dumped some bread, then tzatziki on the table then salad with strange tasting cucumber that none of us could eat. After that a plate which was described as chicken and pancetta but the pancetta was very dry and chewy with some fries. Afterwards some melon, tiramisu and raki. All in all very disappointing food. We do not feel the trip was worth the money we paid. We have experienced much better Viator tours.

This experience was the absolute highlight of our time in Crete! Yannis is a phenomenal guide—so knowledgeable and charismatic, he really made the history of the island come alive for us. The olive oil tasting felt incredibly authentic, and the owner’s hospitality was just fabulous. To top it off, the wine tasting was everything! Yannis’s energy and expertise truly made the day unforgettable. If you want to see the full vibe, check out the reel on my trav3lislife TikTok. Do not miss this tour!

Our experience was enjoyable and filled with good people, food, and wine! We were picked up from our hotel right on time and were able to meet other people from all over. Our Driver was amazing and funny! He got us where we needed to be safely and filled the car with laughter and great conversation. The wine tour and olive oil tour was also very informational. We enjoyed learning about the processes of wine and olive oil making. It was a lovely time!

The driver was friendly and on time. The olive oil tasting was really not what we expected and we were underwhelmed. The winery tour was good, but the tasting and guide were great. The lunch was good, but the description read more like we would learn about how to prepare Cretan dishes than just a restaurant lunch. We had a nice day overall, but it was not exactly as it was described.

A brilliant, informative, relaxed and friendly tour. Does exactly what it says. A very interesting visit to an olive oil factory and a brilliant tour and wine tasting experience at the winery. An additional, unexpected stop at a family run olive oil soap shop- really friendly and interesting, and delicious food at our lunch stop. The guides were friendly (funny!) and very helpful. A great trip.

Well paced. Spent time at soap making shop, olive oil factory and winery. Hosts/hostess were exceptional. The tavern experience was outstanding. We truly loved the authentic food.

Had a very enjoyable experience and driver was fun and friendly. Communication was a bit confused as we were contacted by the tour operator the day before to change the date with an extra activity included. We replied with some questions as we didn’t mind changing date but weren’t that interested in the extra activity and wanted the original tour and timings but weren’t never got clarification. On pick up it became clear the extra activity was included but with out the answers to our queries we were concerned we may have been changed to an alternative tour and people were being changed between vehicles and we were never sure where we were going next which distracted us a bit and took a little away from the experience but overall was very good, not entirely sure it’s 100% worth the money if you add up what the individual activities would/should have cost plus a reasonable amount for transport but it was still good and I guess you pay a premium for the convenience of having it all organised and coordinated for you. What I will say is the Titakis wine tour and tasting was brilliant and our guide very friendly and knowledgeable. If you do one bit I’d do this and book direct for a much better price. The olive oil part was good and interesting, only criticism is the guide who was also very nice and friendly spoke so fast we couldn’t really process or retain what he was telling us and at many points he was distracted suddenly talking in Greek to staff or on his phone so with the language barrier was hard to decipher when he was talking to us or others. BUT….. the olive oils are amazing and more than make up for it for a Mediterranean/whole food lover I could have taken a whole case full back. The soap making workshop was the unexpected bit and interesting lovely people but wouldn’t have necessarily chosen to include that and wasn’t advertised. The lunch was lovely but not ‘4 course’ as advertised it seems they count the shot sized glass of wine you get with your meal and same of raki as a course and between our group there wasn’t quite enough of cetain dishes or meats for everyone to try. I’m bring very picky as I feel I paid a premium price. Was it good? 100% but do feel if the dropped the price maybe €20 it would feel like much better value for money whilst still undoubtedly profitable for the tour operator

We booked the Olive Oil and Wine Tasting tour and it was great! Definitely got more value out of the experience than we expected. The host, Yannis, was extremely welcoming and entertaining to talk to, and the locals we were visiting during the tour were all extremely hospitable. Highly recommended.

For our last day in Crete, we wanted something in the countryside and lowkey. This was perfect. We visited Cretan Dragon farm. Delightful -Alex was a gracious host. Then a local winery - Fournarakis. Yummy wines. The last winery was a bigger operation - Titakis. Great wines. Lunch was delicious and filling. Manos drove us door to door. An easy relaxing day. The van that he had to drive needed to be updated.

Amazing day, and our guide was fantastic!!! The olive oil tour was very informative and thorough and we loved sampling the olive oil. The wine tour was also great, beautiful grounds and extensive tour of the facilities.

We had a wonderful time - the olive oil farm was very sweet and hosted by a lovely Greek family, we then were driven to the wine tasting where Maria the owner gave us an amazing in depth tour of the facilities and took us through a fascinating wine tasting with 5 different Crete wines - 3 white, 1 rose and 1 red. Followed then by a delicious home cooked Greek meal. Would highly recommend and amazing value for money!

Loved the olive farm and tasting. Grueling unique experience. Tony our guide was informative Enjoyed the winery and excellent lunch

Such a great tour. The olive oil tour was nice and the hospitality was great. The olive oil and chutney was delicious we even bought some to take back home. The wine tour was also amazing. The tour guide at the wine tour really made sure to make it special. Wine was great also bought some to take back home. Our last stop was for lunch and a very cute village. The food was great as well. Manos our driver for the tours was amazing as well, he was very friendly, thank you for making sure we had a great time! Overall would recommend this tour.

Such an amazing experience. Highly recommend. It was well paced and relaxing! Thank you to all the ladies at all the stops and especially our driver!

This was such an amazing experience. I would give it 10 stars if I could. Each stop (olive oil tour and tasting, winery tour and tasting, and lunch in a small town south of Heraklion) was intimate informative and immersive. Yet we met some amazing people that we stopped with and were paired with at the stops throughout the day. Worth every penny. Thank you so much!

From pickup to drop off, a great time. Tony our driver was very happy and knowledgeable about everything. The olive grove, tasting, winery, tasting, and finally lunch were superb.

What an amazing experience!! I would recommend this 100%. From pick up to the Olive oil tasting, wine tasting and home made Greek food was perfect!! Tony my driver was very helpful as well

We had a great time learning about Olive tree plantations and the trees themselves. Highly highly recommend this tour.

This is the BEST tour we have had in years! TOP of the line! Yani picked us up at the hotel as part of the tour, transfers were included. He took us to a small family owned Olive farm KLEANTHI where they produce, press and bottle the most delicious Olive oil we have ever tried. Then we went to TITAKIS winery where Andrea took us to a tour of the plant followed by an impressive tasting of their wines. There are 11 grape varieties than only grows in Crete, 8 of them white. I had never enjoyed white wine before, Titakis made me a fan! We ended up in a nearby village for lunch at a family owned Taverna where we enjoyed the best Musaka and Braised Lamb with their local spirits. What a wonderful tour. Thank You YANIS for your time and sharing your beautiful country with us. Hope to be back soon!

Fabulous day from start to finish. Driver Alexander was great. Olive mill visit was beyond expectations. Given a huge platter of cheeses, fruits and breads to try with their olive oil. The wine tour with Irena was excellent, knowledgeable, friendly with a great sense of humour. Generous wine tasting of some really nice wines. The lunch at a family run restaurant was superb, again mountains of delicious food, served by the owner and his young waiter who were both so welcoming. Thoroughly enjoyed our day

Picked up in nice air conditioned car and driven by Alexander who was really friendly and professional. There was just us so a nice private tour. The olive tour was great, we were given a tour and talk then sat with olive oil, herbs, honey, cheese, bread, fruits and of course olives. It was a great big platter and delicious. I’d read a review saying no food until the lunch, absolutely not the case for us. Next onto the wine tasting with Irena, she was really engaging, knowledgeable and with a great sense of humour. The wines were good and plentiful, again with some olives, tomatoes, bread sticks and cheese. Then to the local family run restaurant which was fabulous. Superb host and his young waiter from the village, so welcoming. The food was delicious and loads of it served with a nice house wine. Perfect…. With such food and wine on board poor Alexander had to put up with us snoring all the way back !! Definitely recommend this trip, do not be put off by the price it is worth every Penny.

The tour was excellent, first class all the way. Our guide Alex was the best would highly recommended

We had a custom private tour. We started at Koronekes for olive oil tasting where we learned and bought a lot to take home. We also tried balsamic and flavored oil. Then went to a small vineyard and wine tasting at Winery Diamantakis. Finally we ended our tour at another winery called Silva with lunch pairing. We had a blast at Silva! The driver was amazing. Thanks!!

What a wonderful day. I would recommend this tour if you have the time. I learned so much. I am amazed at everything that goes into the process.

Very disappointed that we didn’t arrive at the winery which you advertised to us at booking & payment. We expected to arrive at countryside Lyrarakis Winery. We thought we were ‘short changed’ by this as there was no information provided. The hostess at Titakis ,however,was excellent. It would have been good to have had bread or some snacks at the olive oil tour as it was a long day from then until lunch - we arrived for that about 15.45.just for future information. Filosofus was an enjoyable experience.

We had a great time on this tour! We got to visit one of the last 3 olive oil makers that uses a press as opposed to centrifuge, then got to taste the difference! It was incredible! We then got to visit a lovely winery and had delicious wine with a tour of the facility. Followed by a late lunch in the taverna with local food. Recommend this tour!

Loved it - well worth a visit. Driver was great and highly knowledgeable and the tour was a lot of fun! We went to try olive oil, had our wine tasting and went to a great lunch. The driver was really knowledgeable and told us a lot about Crete!

It was interesting to visit the olive mill. We were able to see all equipment and really taste the difference brought by processing techniques. Wines at Domaine Paterianakis were all good, and it was great to enjoy them with a stunning view of the surrounding. Also views during transfer were fantastic. No place was crowded, and we could enjoy everything without rush.

Start: We booked this tour for a Tuesday and pickup worked fine, after the first stop we ask the driver what the next steps are: returning us to the hotel. Naturally we ask, what about the olive oil tasting and lunch? Apparently they booked the long (7hour) tour and took the money, but only provided a 3-4hour tour with wine tasting only! Calling in it was decided to give us the tour we paid for on thursday without any extra charge and we will receive another voucher with details. Wednesday passes and despite repeated calls that always promised to call right back with more details, nothing happens. Only at 10:30 pm we finally receive more details incl. the pick-up time, after the receptionist at our hotel called the company again. Tour: The tour itself was very good, the olive-oil tasting (at Koronekes) was better and more informative than expected, the wine tasting was ok (Lyrarakis - the winery from tuesday: Paterianakis is way better!) and lunch was also very good. Ending: On the way back we are asked if it is ok to switch us to another vehcile (so far only us 2 and the driver in a Touareg), because another passanger with disabilities has trouble entering their high vehicle. Of course we said, that it's ok even if it is a little less comfortable with other people on board as well (compared to having a "private" car). Lo-and-behold: After having had lunch and a full belly, we are stuffed into the trunk of a Jeep with our knees glued to our chests, since the Jeep was already full with 4 other people in the regular seats! THIS was not we what agreed upon at any point and a very bad ending for an otherwise nice trip, especially since the air conditioning didn't work in the back either!

Convenient transfer if you wish to avoid the hassle of driving/parking/booking by yourself and fully enjoy the wine without worrying about driving. Due to a Covid case the olive farm cancelled so we got rescheduled on the spot for two wineries instead - this quick ‘PLAN B’ arrangement was helpful. On time pick-up in the morning but a bit of delay in the transfer between activities. If you don’t mind driving suggest to rather book with the wineries by yourself as this way you can customize your tasting.

Enjoyed both the olive oil and wine tasting immensely. Driver did not utilize time well and we did not get a cooking demonstration although we did have a lovely and delicious lunch. Got a bit exciting going back to our ship as we were the last passengers to return (one minute before all aboard).

I’m on the fence here. Am I glad I did this? Yes! Would I have done it knowing what I know now? Yes, with modified expectations. Would I do it again? Probably not. 3.5/5. I was expecting a traditional tour where I’m guided and informed from start to finish about the food, drinks, villages, and history. Instead, this is 3 experiences in 1 (olive oil factory tour, wine tasting, lunch at local restaurant) + semi-private car to get you from point A to B to C. That’s not a bad thing; I just had different expectations. What I liked: - Vehicle felt semi-private with 4 people + driver - Alex (driver) was nice and never rushed us (he was so calm despite that we were a few hours off schedule) - Olive oil tour (Alma was so knowledgeable and took her time, despite the late start. I learned a lot and watched 4 groups without reservations show up and get turned away) - Tasting different Greek wines with beautiful vineyard view - Got out of city without renting a car and navigating the roads! What I didn’t like: - Pick up from hotel was 1 hour late; we got info only after I sent an email to operator - Addl 1 hour wait once we got to olive oil factory (though Alma was nice and apologetic) - Wine tasting starters with self guided walk around cellar, not formal tour and didn’t feel personalized (toward the end they offered a tour but it was very hot and I’d had 4 glasses of wine) - Lunch did not cater to my dietary restrictions of no gluten and dairy and English was a challenge (Google translate helped); I also wish they would have told us what town we were in and about the food In summary, didn’t meet the expectations I had for a cohesive experience but made it possible to explore the countryside without the hassle of a car. Paid for convenience.

Great tour overall. Friendly and good driver (Alex), experienced guides, good wine, olive oils and food! Gladly recommends the tour.

First of all, my driver was very friendly and the first stop was as planed, good olive oil tasting with lots of information, at the winery there was good food and wine but I didn't get any information, well they told me I can read it, it would have been nice if someone showed me around (they showed around other people who booked by themselves ). And there was no third stop, the tour ended after 4h. Honestly I wouldn't do it again, I would recommend just going there by yourself, the price for just the olive oil tasting and the wine tasting is only 26 Euros together.

This review is well overdue but couldn't not post. This was one of the highlights of our honeymoon in 2021. Yannis was more than spectacular. He was so knowledgeable, kind, helpful, and made the trip better than we could have ever imagined. The tour was so enjoyable. We had the best time at Koronekes, the owners were spectacular. We learned so much and enjoyed tasting olives, olive oils, and vinegars. Lunch was authentic and so delicious at Bakaliko followed by the best wine tasting at Lyrarakis Winery which was just as wonderful. Yannis provided us with restaurant recommendations and ensured we had the best time. Would 10/10 recommend as a must do in Crete!

This was a fantastic experience with very nice and hospitable people. I would highly recommend this excursion for anyone looking for a relaxing, informative day.

Had an amazing time at the olive oil farm and vinery, all around very informative, fun and relaxed. Also great lunch!! Highlight of the trip so far! The driver/guide is very nice, helpfull and friendly!

Excellent tour and highly recommend. Lunch was very tasty along. Olive oil tour was very informative and well priced. The winery was beautiful and service was amazing!

Wonderful trip! You will get to experience a well planed day with knowledgeable people, happy energy and you will feel well treated and learn some new things for sure! The olive farm was something totally new for us and for us that was the best! The lunch was genuine and local and very pleasant. The wine farm and tasting was also good and very beautiful location 🍷 Strongly recommend this trip.

À day filled with authentic experiences, good food, wine, olive oil and nice people! Very much enjoyed the day, also a fun tour guide !