Top 9 Village Tours in Heraklion

1.Zeus Cave -Old Traditional Villages-Olive Oil Factory

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 694 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $136Our pick

Spend about 7.5 hours with a local English-speaking guide such as Stavros, Ed, Mike, or Spyros, traveling from Heraklion through olive country and mountain villages. Taste olive oil and raki, visit Krasi and Mochos, see Lasithi windmills, and add Dikteon Cave and Knossos when open.

“Ed was a great tour guide! This tour was a little of everything and very off the beaten path. Ed offered options, choices and suggestions while providing tons of info and comedy relief. Will definitely recommend Ed to my friends who go to Crete in the future!”

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2.Knossos & Lasithi Plateau: Zeus Cave,Villages, Olive Oil Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 328 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $127

Travel from Heraklion in a Wi-Fi-equipped minivan to an olive oil press, Krasi, the Lasithi Plateau, Zeus Cave, a mountain taverna, Mochos, and Knossos. Guides such as Marinos, Nikos, and Angie add local stories and flexibility. Zeus Cave is closed for restoration until summer 2026.

“An amazing small group tour across the mountain regions, a stop at an olive oil factory and a visit to Knossos Palace. Everything was relaxed and perfectly timed – we didn’t feel at all rushed. The beauty of this tour was that unlike larger tours, we were able to visit areas that coaches simply cannot access. The best part of the day was having Nikos as our guide – what a warm and friendly person with an hilarious sense of humour! Thank you, Nikos, for making this a truly unforgettable day”

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3.Knossos, Zeus, Villages & Olive Oil Factory Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $128

From Heraklion, join Stavros, Ed, Mike, or another English-speaking local guide for a small-group day through Cretan villages, an olive oil factory, Lasithi Plateau, and Knossos. Expect local coffee, honey, raki, village food, and plenty of mythology, with the Zeus Cave included when open.

“The entire experience was excellant, informative and got to explore the less explored side of Crete”

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4.Zeus Cave -Olive Oil Factory – Traditional Villages

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $167

Travel from Heraklion in a small group of up to eight with an English-speaking driver-guide. Visit an olive oil mill, Kera Monastery, Dikteon Cave, Lasithi’s windmills, Agios Georgios, and Krasi. Lunch, water, WiFi, and hotel-lobby pickup are included. Guide George is praised for his warmth and flexibility.

“This tour was on of the best excursions our family enjoyed while on holiday in Greece. Our tour guide, George, was extremely knowledgeable, extremely kind, a great conversationalist, and was a joy to be around. The mountainous scenery of Crete is jaw-dropping and some of the sites he took us to were unforgettable experiences! The lunch was also incredible!! Again, this tour is a must while in Crete!”

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5.Kritsa & Myrtos Villages East & South Crete

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 8 reviews · 8 hours · from $34Best value

Travel from Heraklion to an olive oil park, the old village of Kritsa, and Myrtos Beach. You will taste olive products, raki, and honey, hear local stories from a multilingual guide, and have free time for shopping, swimming, lunch, and sunbathing.

“Its was a really great combo. First, there service are really good. By the meet up point we wasent sure Where exactly it was. I called them and greeted me nice and understanding and also told me exactly Where to go. The olive garden was nice, but we dident saw the garden it self but the factory, Where we bought some of their own product. Kritsa Where really nice place with local shops and nice people, we want to spend a full day there next time. The beach Where okey. The guide gave us local information and stories, history stories and some mythogical stories during the car trip. The car…”

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6.Spinalonga Island & Kritsa Village Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 7 reviews · from $50

Travel by air-conditioned bus from selected east Crete pickup points to Elounda, then by boat to Spinalonga for 75 minutes on your own. Continue to lace-making Kritsa and a 30-minute olive oil visit. Guides speak English, French, Greek, and German.

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7.Afternoon Tour: Soap, Olive Oil & Wine Stories of Peza Village

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $81

Travel from Heraklion into Peza Valley for a hands-on olive-oil soap workshop, a family olive mill visit, and a boutique winery tasting. Angela may handle the driving, while local makers explain their work. Pickup, tastings, water, and an air-conditioned vehicle are included.

“Exceptional tour filled with authentic Greek food, local wine and scenic views as we traveled to each of the three destinations.”

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8.Private Tour-Authentic Villages of Lasithi Olive Oil and Wine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews

Travel privately from Heraklion into the Lasithi Plateau for an olive oil mill visit, village walks, ancient Krasi plane tree, windmills, Cretan wine, coffee, raki, and a family-tavern lunch. Your English-speaking driver-guide can tailor the day, with Spyros praised for bringing the area to life.

“Picking Strawberries and eating Greek yogurt was delicious. Great views from the windmills. Spyros was an awesome guide. He brought it to life.”

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9.Tour at East Crete, Spinalonga, Traditional Villages, Churches

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $401

Spend about seven hours exploring eastern Crete in a private vehicle with an English-speaking driver. Visit Agios Nikolaos, hillside Kritsa, coastal Elounda, and Spinalonga’s Venetian fortress and former leper colony. Mrs. Maria is noted for adding useful historical detail and managing time well.

“Mrs Maria was very accommodating in providing extra details on Spinalonga and its history; she knew how to get the most out of our time and was very pleasant. Very enjoyable day.”

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