Full-day Small-group Tour In Crete With Zeus Cave Visit

What a fabulous day - Thank you so much to Michael for looking after us all so well - from my 74 year old mum to 10 year boy - everyone was very happy! We enjoyed getting to know you and all aspects of Crete, from animals, food, culture and history! 🤩

A fantastic day out. Our driver and guide Vagelis was waiting at the pick up point exactly on time. We picked up another small family group then headed into the Cretan mountains. Vagelis was very knowledgeable, extremely entertaining with a great sense of humour. He was very professional and remembered everybody's names and mindful our daughter was the only child in the group. We headed through the villages and mountains to visit the Zeus Cave. Stopping at a goat farm to try fresh goats cheese and learn the ways of Cretan life. The Cave of Zeus was an impressive cave, with a lot of climbing to get to the cave its a good 15 to 20 min climb up at a steady pace. Two routes up old and new to get the full experience take the old route up and new route down. The old route is quite rocky. Top tip: There is a cafe after the ticket office that isn't advertised or signposted you don't have to pay to walk in to go to the cafe, your cave fee is just for the cave entrance. Adults €15.00 Children €0.00 so if you don't fancy the cave (there are a lot of steps inside) go through and wait at the cafe and not outside by the ticket office. The rest of the tour took us through the real Cretan villages and to a beautiful Taverna for lunch which was plenty, we didn't leave hungry. There are surprises along the way which I'm not going to spoil. All in all it was a great day, the Safari Experts team are very helpful and patient ensuring everyone has a great experience. We all enjoyed the whole day and highly recommend taking this tour to go see the real Crete - The land of goats and olives.

Absolutely fantastic day out with our guide Mario. We laughed from start to finish and learned so much from him. It was clear he loves his job (especially the off-roading!!) his culture and people. There was lots of banter between groups and other guides, and hilarious choice of background music. Easily the best day of our holiday and the best Safari I’ve ever done. Thank-you Mario A****

Our guide Vagelis was terrific. Very personable and knew and shared so much about Crete. Highly recommend him as well as getting the small private tour. Well worth it.

The weather was bad so poor vision, also put in a shuttle bus instead of the jeep. However the tour guide was lovely and kept everyone engaged and going other activities to do based on the weather

Great value for money, Michael was very informative. Great guide with plenty of laughs made the day enjoyable. Easy pick up and drop off aswell.

Had a great experience, with a special thanks to Michalis our tour guide for making the experience even better. He was extremely knowledgeable and informative throughout, providing lots of information with a great sense of humour!! Would recommend to anyone visiting Crete to book a tour with Safari Experts, as all the stops were much more interesting with an experienced guide. Can’t thank or recommend Michalis enough for a brilliant day.

Great experience, highly recommended for all. Nikos was a fantastic guide with a great sense of humor and a huge knowledge about the history of Crete.

Driver picked us up at the hotel to the Zeus cave via experiencing milking goats and tasting the homemade goats cheese, olive oil, honey. Very tasty village tavern lunch included. Many view point stopps with a great deal of historical information on 2000 yo ancient trees, village's, culture , village removed for new lake for city water supply. Thankyou Blond Mike

Had a great day! Michalis is the perfect mix of fun and informative. Such an interesting guide, with so many anecdotes and interesting facts to share, jokes to crack and a whole singalong playlist fit for the occasion. We went on the safari to a farmer with local products, a visit to the Lassithi Plateau and the cave of Zeus, a yummy lunch in a traditional taverna, some magnificent sights along the way and a tour of an olive mill. Highly recommend! The other guides seemed like great fun as well.

The tour was brilliant from the punctual pick up to drop off. The guide Nikos was friendly, caring and had the welfare of all his clients at heart. We particularly liked his practical knowledge of the many different plants he showed us. Although we went to two venues where we were able to buy souvenirs, at no time did we feel obliged to do so. All in all an excellent day and would thoroughly recommend

Amazing trip, we have learnt and seen so much!!! Well worth it! Michalis was a lovely guide who took care of us as his team.

We had the most incredible day. Our tour guide Vagelis was so knowledgeable and made sure we had the best day. He really did go out of his way to make sure we had the best experience. The lunch was also great too.

Very informative and interesting and took care of the whole group. And fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our pick-up by "Safari Experts" was on time and once the other pick-ups were completed, we ascended into the mountains in the Land Rover along some bouncy untarmacked roads but that didn't stop the driver, Nikos, from texting on his phone while he was negotiating them nor making some phone calls. I don't know what the Greek laws are on this but it felt really dangerous considering the terrain and the mountain cliff ledges. We visited some viewpoints, the Zeus cave and a taverna for lunch. There were eight passengers in the Land Rover and we all took turns cycling round the seats to be fair to everyone but the four seats at the back facing inwards were too cramped as there was a coolbox where two peoples' feet needed to go. The seats were falling apart in places too. It was no great surprise that the Land Rover broke down towards the end of the tour on the way back to Heraklion and we completed it in a replacement minibus. Even on the replacement minibus at least one of the seatbelts was broken and unusable. In our three weeks touring Greece, we did many excursions and day trips and this is the only one that I cannot recommend.

A great day out, we had 5 vehicles in our group and the guys made sure we saw the sites and fun along the way. Highly recommended, lots of laughs and amazing scenery.

We had a great day out with our guide Michael who was very knowledgeable and funny, really nice guy but knows nothing about cars as he drives a BMW 🤔🤐😉 thanks again, Mr Mercedes.

The ride is bumpy but the driver and overall tour were excellent. Fun! Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvb

Kevin, our guide was superb! Personable, informative, and fun, fun, fun! Very considerate of my disabled wife - allowed her to participate in everything. Itinerary was as promised. We enjoyed the driving, farm, cave, and lunch. Would recommend this tour to anyone! Thanks Kevin!

We had kevin as a tourleader, was the best i ever had

Had a amazing time. Mario our guide was great. He was really friendly. Very Knowledgeable, he also showed me how to milk a goat! Being in a small group of 8 was a nice size for a tour. The tour went at a leisurely pace and you were not rushed when stopping at each place. The lunch provided at the end of the tour was also very lovely. If I come to Crete again I wouldn't hesitate to book another tour with the company.

Our guide and driver was Christos who was with Safari Experts Crete. Couldn’t find a nicer chap. We were picked up from our hotel and then had to pick up the other tourists in our group from their respective hotels in our Landrover Defender. We then drove into the mountains with quite a lot of it off-road. That was great fun and a little scary but we always knew that we were in safe hands! We travelled through the Lasithi Plateau and then onto the Cave of Zeus. That’s a lot of walking uphill and down and up a lot of steps. Not good for those with mobility difficulties. But it was well worth it. Then onto a friendly taverna with loads of food and some wine and water - and raki! Then home again. Great day and can’t recommend it highly enough! Will go again on any tour experience with Christos.

Christos our driver was simply fantastic and the best host. He passed on local knowledge and history info of all the areas toured and stopped in some marvellous places for photo opportunities. The lunch was as excellent also salads to start and chicken and potatoes from a traditional mud oven with a couple of glasses of wine and ouzo to compliment it all. No hesitation in recommending this trip a really good day. The walk to the Cave of Zeus is steep but we were left in no doubt there was no rush to complete it all and ample time to as given. I even managed to milk a Goat! Well done Christos!

Currently enjoying a tour covering Tukeyi and Greece called Cradles of Civilisation. Whilst there have been a number of issues encountered on that tour their inclusion of this day tour in their itinerary with Safari Experts they have kicked a goal. Highly recommend.

Really enjoyed today, Michael the blonde was amazing, very knowledgeable and friendly. Very good day, would do again!

We had a fantastic day with Nickos as our guide. Great energy and beautiful countryside scenery of Crete. We had an authentic Greek meal with fresh produce from the surrounding area. Our highlight of the day was the trek to Zeus' Cave. My only wish was that we could spend more time at the caverns. Everything else was perfect!

Our guide was absolutely awesome and set a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere from start to finish. It was a incredible experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Highly recommend! ( Although if you do not like 4x4 trips maybe one to avoid for you. Everyone else, if you have a spare day and a fun spirit, go for it)

Really enjoyable excursion, made so by our guide Christos. His enthusiasm and knowledge was excellent and he has a great sense of humour. We were able to see and learn about the traditions of Crete and Cretan life, past and present. The food at the restaurant was plentiful and delicious. The Jeep off road experience was great fun. The €15 to get into the Cave of Zeus is a bit steep considering the 10 minute experience that it is, but that is set by the government so no fault of the tour company. All in all a great trip and highly recommended.

Such an amazing experience! Christos our guide was the best and very funny. Would definitely recommend, especially with christos as a guide!!

This is second time we are using this company for safari tours. Both times tour guides were excellent. Made our day out so much fun with loads of laugh and much care taken to every one of us. Especially thanks to Nikos for taking this amazing holiday photo! See yous again next year!

Zeus Trail with Safari Experts was a fantastic experience, thanks to Nikos. He made the tour fun, engaging, and full of personality. The best part was the off‑the‑beaten‑path stops he took us to — hidden viewpoints, quiet local spots, and places we never would have discovered on our own. Nikos kept everyone laughing, made the day feel relaxed, and shared great insights about Crete along the way. The combination of beautiful scenery, unique stops, and his energy made this tour a highlight of our trip.

Really cool trip, that was definitely the best day of my vacation in Crete! Our guide and driver, Michael, is made for this job :) It was really fun but also super informative about Cretan history, daily life and customs. My favourite part was the local farm with goats and degustation of raki, olive oil and cheese. Liked the little adrenaline rush from the off-road driving too

Had an amazing day trip with this organization. Our guide Niko was fantastic. He was so knowledgeable in Cretan history, mythology, culture and a great story teller. Very full fun day. Milking goats, grinding grain for bread, visit to the Zeus Cave and the small villages. We had a lovely lunch at a taverna in Krista one of the small villages and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me which was a huge surprise. Niko is also an excellent jeep driver

What a fab day trip. From the minute we were picked up Michael / (Michael Angelo) made us feel welcome and at ease. One of the best trips we've been on due to him and the great mix of things we saw and did. We saw some local culture, milked a goat, tasted farm made cheese, tasted fresh olive oil (and Raki), saw some great scenic views and Zeus cave - wow, and a lovely lunch at a local Taverna. Michael was very knowledgeable, he gave us loads of history and information about the island and he obviously loves the job (especially the off road bits). Well done Safari Experts, you live up to your name and I would highly recommend you.

Really great day out, off road driving in land rover was fun, (but bumpy!) The guide Christos told us lots of great facts and stories of crete which was good. We visited Zeus cave and it is a tough hike up but really good and worth it. The tour was only 8 of us so nice amount. We loved the goats and farm and lots of cats. Great tasting experience and the lunch was delicious. Thanks!

Our 4x4 safari through the Cretan highlands, including a visit to the Cave of Zeus, was absolutely incredible and without a doubt one of the highlights of our trip to Crete! Our guide and driver, Niko, was fantastic. You can immediately tell that he truly loves what he does. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area, Cretan culture, history and mythology, and he made the whole experience both fascinating and enjoyable. We learned so much about the authentic way of life of the Cretan people, the beautiful landscapes of the highlands, and the mythology surrounding the Cave of Zeus. We were a small group of just 8 people, which made the experience feel much more personal and special. It was the perfect way to explore Crete beyond the typical tourist attractions and get a genuine glimpse of the island and its people. A huge thank you to Niko for making the day so memorable! We also had the chance to meet other members of the Safari Experts team, and everyone we encountered was incredibly friendly, welcoming and professional. I would 100% recommend Safari Experts to anyone visiting Crete who wants to experience the real island, its culture, traditions, landscapes and fascinating mythology. This is definitely an experience that deserves to be one of the highlights of any trip to Crete. We enjoyed it so much that we are already thinking about booking another experience with them! Thank you, Safari Experts, and especially Niko, for an unforgettable day! We absolutely loved it! 🇬🇷❤️ Cheers from Portugal! 🇵🇹

After booking we were contacted to confirm our pick up point. Sebastian the guide was on time to pick us up in the 4 x 4 and was so helpful and enthusiastic from the start. He explained the caves were closed due to fire risk but ensured us the day would be full of experiences and fun and he wasn’t wrong. We made pottery, milked goats, ate fruit from trees and experienced the beautiful cretian mountains. He also made the off reading wild and fun. A brilliant day, thank you Sebastian x

Very nice but we expected a jeep. We are sorry that caves are closed

Amazing trip, very knowledgeable fun guide, learnt a lot of interesting facts about the island. 100% would recommend this trip.

We had an amazing time with our safari guide Michael, he gave us a lesson on Greek mythology while driving through the amazing scenery of this tour. Our group was a bit quiet, but Michael really set the mood! The lunch was traditionally Greek and lovely. Unfortunately we couldn't visit the cave of Zeus due to it being closed on tuesdays, on order of the government. Despite that, we had a lot of fun, we liked visiting the farm, but just driving around in the jeep with Michael and his stories was honestly the best part about this safari! He really took the time and effort to make this a unique experience.

This was a fantastic trip made even more fun by our guide Michael! Every stop was well planned and full of interesting facts about the island of Crete. The caves of Zeus was a real highlight of the day! We even had the bonus of a cooking demonstration before our traditional lunch in a beautiful taverna. We would fully recommend this trip if you’re visiting Crete!

Carlos our guide was excellent and very informative knowledgeable about all the trip a big thank you

This tour is great way to to experience a little of your adventurous side, historic side, mythical side....... goat milking side 😂Cristos was our driver, he was funny, knowledgeable and safe/fun/crazy driver 😉 enjoy the sights and enjoy seeing the traditional side of Crete. Note: our 2 boys loved it too "the food and the cave was the best"...."seeing the cute kitty's and the donkey up the hill"

We had the best guide in Michael who clearly loved the job and interacted with all of us on a personal level. He made it so much fun.

We were picked up in a Land Rover. We had a wonderful, enthusiastic driver named Michael. Anyway, what we’re going to do is... Go on a safari!! On the way, we saw the remains of a Minoan bridge that is around 3,500 years old. Structurally, it must have been built exceptionally well considering the wind, earthquakes, storms, rain, etc. Arrived at a goat farm and olive grove. First, we tasted olive oil with bread. Very good oil! Made from mid-season olives (more on this later). And tasted rakomelo, which is raki with honey and optional herbs. During this tasting, he explained the division between men and women and their roles: the women created things, while the men supplied the raw goods needed for them. After that, they showed us how to make your own flour from grain by grinding it between two stones and rotating them. This takes quite a bit of effort! From the milk of the goats roaming freely here, they make their own cheese. This is done by slowly heating the milk for a prolonged period, separating the whey from the curds. You then press this out, leaving you with a very soft, cottage cheese-like texture, and it was so fresh that it was still warm! We got to feed the goats and even milk them for a bit. Even Andrew did this #SuperFun! Drove on to a dam. Originally, a large river flowed there (where the remains of the aforementioned bridge were). To build this dam, the residents of a small village all had to leave their homes. The Greek government paid them 3x the value of their properties to relocate. All of them stayed nearby (split between two other villages) because they are/were all landowners with olive trees, which was their source of income. The only things still visible of that village when the water is at its normal level are three small houses and the roof of the church. Now, since it's the middle of summer, a few more houses were visible. Drove through a small, by now largely abandoned village (only 80 residents left). Tourism was very high here for a few years, so they invested everything into their businesses. But with the arrival of all-inclusive hotels, tourists no longer had a reason to rent a car, causing the village to lose its income. Then we stopped at a small church. There are many small churches in the mountains, because when the Ottomans arrived, the Greeks were pressured to convert to Islam (which brought more benefits and money), and churches were burned down. To prevent valuable items from being destroyed, people "stole" and buried them in the mountains, keeping their faith alive in secret across multiple generations. Now, wherever an item is recovered, a small church is built, and the ground is considered sacred. We stopped at one of these churches too; there’s also a natural spring here, so it’s holy water. But we thought the view was prettier 🫣 Took an off-road route (you can’t really call it a road, but that varies by country 🤣). This was a fun experience, and we had a fantastic guide who explained all about nature and picked fruits that are in season. Picked herbs—everything smelled super fresh and lovely—and I even ate a piece of fig (not my favorite fruit, but that didn’t take away from the experience). After the off-road trip, we arrived at a vast plateau in the middle of the mountains (above 700 meters, olive trees in Crete no longer bear fruit, so you don't see any there). It's a gigantic plain with houses only along the mountain edges so the fields get as much sunlight as possible. Everything here is and remains completely natural. Because this was a lake a very long time ago whose water seeped into the ground, many windmills were built long ago to pump the water up. A few are still in use today, though the work has mostly been taken over by electric water pumps. It's bizarre because everything is so flat with mountains surrounding it that you actually forget you are at such a high elevation. Then it was time for the pottery experience. (We had a group where the only difference in the tour was that we had pottery while the others had the Cave of Zeus. So I quietly asked if it was possible to switch—since our booking didn’t include the cave option at all—and that was fine. So Andrew went into the cave. From the sounds of it, it was quite a steep hike, so I decided to just stick with the pottery. Learned about the "greedy cup" [Pythagorean cup] and got to make a mini vase myself—it's drying on the balcony, and if anyone has a kiln that goes up to 1000°C, I can still fire it). Here’s a quick note from Andrew about the cave: To get here, there was a very steep uphill path with a 20–25% incline, followed by a switchback trail leading to the cave itself. Inside the cave, tons of impressive stalagmites and stalactites, plus another 200 stairs inside. This entire route had to be done up and back down. (So I made the right choice with my mini vase!) Made a quick stop at a mountain spring that provides drinking water to many villages. Because the water was so cold, people also used it as a refrigerator to keep groceries fresh longer, with everyone respecting each other's belongings. They had also built a "washhouse" where women could wash their clothes in the clean water, while the men sat at a taverna down the street (which was forbidden for women back then). There is also a monumental tree here that is over 2,400 years old. Finally, lunchtime. At a taverna, we had tzatziki, Greek-style green beans, and a salad, followed by a plate of chicken or pork with potatoes. Afterward, there was a cooking workshop—more of a demonstration really—showing how they make stuffed vegetables and tzatziki, where it's very important that both the yogurt and the cucumber are squeezed completely dry. Now time for the final stop of the day: an olive oil factory, where all the local olive farmers bring their olives after harvesting them. At the factory, twigs and leaves are sorted out first (these go back to goat farmers because goats love eating them—the goats, not the farmers 🤣). Next, per farmer, the olives are chopped and mixed into a paste in a large vat. This is cold-pressed with water (first press, then again and again until no more oil comes out). The remains, crushed olive pits, are used as ground cover or made into pellets for heating. The pressed liquid is left to sit for 24 hours so the oil separates from the water (this water is also reused to irrigate olive trees). The oil is tested for acidity and, based on that, separated into massive vats where it has to rest for 4 months to become proper olive oil. There are 3 harvest periods: Early season: requires 7 kg of olives for 1 liter of oil. Mid-season: 5 kg per liter. Late season: 3 kg per liter. Most is harvested mid-season because that quality is used the most. Early-harvest oil is too acidic on its own, but it gets sold to Italy to be blended with their oil to improve quality. The entire olive oil production is a zero-waste process where all "waste" is reused for other purposes. Back to the hotel.

Brilliant day from pick up to drop off. We were collected by Sebastian and due to language constraints had to be taken to meet with another Jeep and swap over so that our experience was the best for us (we are Scottish). Vagelis took us from there and I cannot express how amazing he was the entire day. His knowledge was incredible and his passion for his island really shone through and this was a huge part of what made our experience so good. He was so attentive and our personal photographer taking lots of amazing photographs, providing us memories for life. Loved seeing the caves and whilst you do pay extra to get in, I would recommend experiencing it if you are able to make it up as it is a bit of a hike so bear that in mind if you have mobility issues. Can't fault this in any way, and would highly recommend going on this trip!

We had an absolutely brilliant day on the Safari Zeus Cave trip and had such a great time as a family. The experience was made even more enjoyable by our fantastic guide, Michalis. We booked the tour through a local tour operator for two adults and our two children, aged 12 and 9. We were picked up from our hotel in the Discovery, and from the moment Michalis arrived, he was welcoming, friendly and professional. He immediately asked about our lunch preferences, as everything is freshly cooked and the order is sent through in advance. After picking up another family, Michalis explained what we could expect from the day, and we were soon on our way. Our first stop was a goat farm, where we had the chance to milk a goat and try fresh goat cheese with bread and local olive oil. Goat cheese isn't normally my kind of thing, but it was honestly delicious! We then stopped at several beautiful viewpoints, visited the oldest tree in Crete, and eventually made our way to Zeus's Cave. There is an additional €15 charge per adult for the cave, but it is definitely worth it. The cave itself was amazing. Be prepared for around a 15-minute walk up the mountain, followed by quite a few steps inside and on the way back out. The temperature is cooler inside the cave, although it wasn't too cold. Our girls were glad they had brought their hoodies. Michalis was a brilliant guide throughout the whole day. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area, shared fascinating mythology and stories, took us to some fantastic scenic spots, and was just a genuinely great guy. Considering it was his first day on the job, you would never have known — we honestly thought he'd been doing it for years! The day ended with a delicious freshly prepared meal, which was the perfect way to finish an already fantastic experience. We had an amazing time and would definitely recommend the Safari Zeus Cave trip to families looking for a fun, interesting and memorable day out in Crete. A huge thank you to Michalis for making our day so enjoyable. You were fantastic!

Niko was fun, friendly and knowledgeable, he was an absolutely amazing guide, we had the most wonderful time, we had a great group as well, we started as strangers, but we got to know each other and became friends, we had Cerys from Canada, and Gail, Simon and Holly from the UK, and they were fantastic people and we all had fun, the tour itself was exemplary, we learnt so much about the local flora and fauna as well as the history and mythology of the island, we loved Zeus’s cave, we also visited a farm, fed and milked the goats, tried some of the fresh cheese and olive oil made at the farm, and a tasty, authentic lunch at a taverna, honestly 10/10 experience and would book again

Amazing tour! Ron and Ilias were fantastic guides who made the whole day both educational and fun. Lots of amazing views and plenty of great photo stops. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a memorable experience.