Top Crete Food & Drink

Getting to know the real Chania is difficult without a guide to show you behind the tourist sights. This small-group tour delivers: introducing you to its foods, customs, people, and wines in ways only a local can. Stroll around Chania’s lanes, churches, and monuments; meet townsfolk, visit authentic spots, and sample staples such as sesame bread, cheese, and Cretan honey before a wine-tasting. Hotel pickup and drop-off is included.

Visit the family mountain home of a local Cretan for a completely authentic evening of cooking, eating, and cultural exchange. Begin your visit with a walk through the vegetable gardens, where you harvest ingredients to use in your recipes. Learn traditional dishes from your hosts, and hear the stories behind each dish. Enjoy a walk through the mountain paths with views of the Aegean Sea. Sit down to a meal you helped prepare, including local wine and a sweet dessert.

We believe in experiencing and feeling the authentic vibes of every place. One of the "must do" things you should do coming to Crete is to taste some of local foods. It is a common truth that Cretan gastronomy is the main body of Mediterranean diet (proven by many studies such as "The Seven Countries Study"). So, we offer you the opportunity not only to taste the Cretan cuisine but also to learn & cook authentic Cretan recipes by your own! We have been born and bred in Crete for more than three generations. So, the Cretan lifestyle & diet runs in our veins. Along with my mother, we would love to share with you all the secrets of traditional Cretan cuisine, cook authentic Cretan recipes and learn cooking techniques that we follow for more than 3 generations. All in all, we want to make you feel like a local Cretan. We want to immerse you in Cretan culture & spirit. Smell, taste & feel our tradition, through a unique hands-on cooking experience!

Get a hands-on experience of Cretan cooking that goes far beyond simply eating in a Greek restaurant. You’ll be invited into your chef guide’s home to try making some Cretan specialities, including tzatziki, homemade cheese, moussaka, Greek salad, and others. Learn alongside a small group of just 10 fellow food lovers, which makes for an intimate atmosphere and plenty of time to ask questions.

The island of Crete has been an active winemaking region for centuries – men and women have been growing grapes on the island and turning it into wine since the times of ancient Greece. On this easygoing afternoon tour, visit wineries carrying on that tradition today in a small and intimate tour group. Enjoy exclusive behind the scenes walks through these wineries, sample their wines and learn how to taste them like the professionals on the island.

We believe in experiencing and feeling the authentic vibes of every place. We have been born and bred in the South Crete (in Messara Plain) for more than three generations. So, the Cretan lifestyle & diet runs in our veins. Along with my grandmother & my mother, we would love to immerse you in Cretan culture and spirit! We would love to do that by showing you how we used to cultivate olive groves and how we do now, how you can see if an olive oil is extra virgin or not, how we harvest olive oils. Moreover we will guide you in our family's greenhouses and show you how we cultivate them. And the best part come in the end...We will have a traditional picnic under a big olive tree, where my grandma will show you how we make cheese, you will have the chance to taste warm mizithra (kind of cheese) and a variety of local meze and raki! All in all, we want to make you feel like a local Cretan. Smell, taste & feel our tradition, through a unique food tour experience!

Discover the cultural heart of Crete on this full-day tour of Apokoronas from Chania. Learn more about Cretan life, traditions, and handicrafts at the Apokoronas Museum; enjoy wine tasting at the wineries of the White Mountains; and sample local specialties such as rusks, raki, and cheeses; then tuck into a typical Cretan lunch.

Immerse yourself in Crete’s culture and cuisine on this full-day 4WD safari from Chania. Sample fine Cretan wines at a local vineyard, watch a demonstration of traditional knife making, then peek into an olive mill and learn about the island’s famous extra-virgin olive oil. Finally, indulge in a delicious lunch at a local tavern and taste typical Cretan specialties like seafood, feta cheese and savory pies.

Get under the skin of Old Rethymnon on a 4-hour morning walking tour, including a food and wine tasting. Join your informative guide and hear about the city’s Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman and even piratical conquerors through the ages. Trace the steps of warriors, sultans and nobles around the cobbled Old Town; view churches, mosques, markets and fountains, and gaze at the Venetian Fortezza. On route, get insider tips on local foodie hotspots, and stop to sample Cretan wine and snacks such as delicious ‘koulouri’ sesame-sprinkled bread, juicy olives and cheese.

Prepare for the ultimate Cretan foodie experience on this private gastronomy tour. Take the risk out of choosing a good place to eat by having a guide to take you to Heraklion’s most delicious eateries. You’ll save time researching where to eat and learn about Cretan cuisine as you explore and taste your way around town. Highlights include cream pies, Greek donuts, cheese, visiting an old-fashioned herb shop, and trying fresh seafood.

The first references of wine and olive oil in Crete date back to 5000BC during the Minoan civilization. 7000 years later, Cretans produce wine, beer and olive oil on the same land, with the only changes the enhancement of production through technology and the optimization of crops. In this tour we will visit a winery, a beer and an olive oil factory. All three have high standards of production, marrying the old traditions with modern technology and processing. In each location we will spend around one hour touring the facilities and tasting. We can be flexible and eat in a local restaurant, visit a 5000 year old olive tree, nearby monastery, Maleme airfield and the WW2 military cemetery. Tour times in each location can be modified depending on the travelers' starting time and the date. Before confirming each tour, I have to double check that the tours will be available. Each location has 3-4 time slots available.

From the tree to the bottle, you will find out everything about extra virgin olive oil. How are the olives harvested? How is the olive oil produced? What is the difference between First Cold Pressed and Cold Extraction? What should an extra virgin olive oil taste like? Discover our naturally flavoured oils with fruits and herbs from our Estate.

Have the opportunity to visit the only fresh water natural lake in the island of Crete, where you will relax and have a coffee break in a local taverna. You will admire the beauty of nature by riding a pedalo and for the brave ones by swimming into the lake with the ducks and the turtles. Next is the main destination the winery, where you will have a tour in the courtyard, the botanical garden and then to the production and storage area of the wines, to learn all the secrets of production and bottling. Then you will taste the delicacies of Crete in a light lunch with local wine.

Rethymno’s many artisan food producers present the perfect opportunity to explore the fresh, seasonal and often plant-based cuisine of Crete. Although poor quality fare is uncommon in Rethymno, if your time on Crete is limited you’ll want to focus in on the best Cretan food in town. This tour combines Rethymno’s culinary and historic heritage to provide you with an introduction as relaxed and simple as life here.

Enjoy a fun introduction to Cretan culture on this evening tour. Tuck into a delicious dinner of typical island cuisine, sip fine Greek wine and be entertained by a thrilling Cretan Folklore show, including live music and traditional dance. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

Discover the special character of cretan wines, like Liatiko and Vidiano, in the heart of the vine region of Crete.

Our brewery is one of the few organised open breweries in Greece. Visitors can take a glimpse on the production area any time, while our restaurant is offering great variety of fresh dishes (vegetarian as well), prepared on an open-air kitchen. Our balcony is surrounded from orange and herbs scents that you only have to sit back and relax in the middle of cretan natural landscape. Check our reviews from other visitors and combine a hike or bike tour to the picturesque surroundings, or on your return from Balos, Elafonisi and Paleochora. All our beers are fresh, which means without conservatives and unpasteurised.

• Private tour with a certified guide is the best way to explore Knossos Archaeological Site - the heart of the Minoan kingdom, one of the most fascinating ancient cities in the world. • Experience by tasting the local wine varieties of Crete at a winery in the heart of winemaking region. • Meet the locals in the traditional village of Archanes, named as one of the most picturesque in Crete, and enjoy a delicious lunch. • Admire in the Archeological museum of Heraklion the greatest collection of the Minoan art.

Get straight to the heart of Cretan cooking on this private culinary class in Heraklion. Enter the authentic world of the island’s diet and food with a local cook to introduce you to its favored ingredients and flavors; enjoy an olive oil tasting, and get guidance on making a traditional lunch. Then, sit down to enjoy your finished dishes as you chat more about Crete’s food and culinary traditions.

Wine Adventure Tour by Chania Wine Tours  Spend a full day swirling, sipping, and tasting through western Crete with wine professionals. Perfect for honeymoons, birthdays, or other special occasions. Vasili and Anna Maria, the owners of Chania Wine Tours, are Greek-Americans that returned to their ancestral home of Crete. They are passionate wine people- Vasili owns vineyards and Anna Maria is a Certified Sommelier.  The first half of the day is dedicated to olive oil. Take in the endless olive trees at the Cave of Saint John the Hermit, learn all about olive oil production at Biolea Estate olive mill, and visit the oldest olive tree in the world! The second half of the day is for wine! Visit the vineyards and tasting room at Karavitakis Winery. Learn how to taste wine properly and how grapes are grown. Enjoy 6 wines. Then to Manousakis Winery for a tour of the winery to learn how wine is made before enjoy 5 more wines. Full lunch with unlimited wine is served on their terrace.

Explore 3 amazing locations in a single day! A hidden herb garden with stunning views, a major natural attraction for a photo opp moment and explore a famous winery, which includes lunch, wine pairing and wine tasting. The tour’s first stop is an organic herb farm. Start by learning about the precious herbs of the land by a professional agronomist. Harvest mountain tea and botanicals to make your own tea blend! A short walk away is the picture-perfect entry point to Samaria Gorge, Take in the stunning panoramic views and snap some photos. After identifying aromas and tastes of herbs it is time to discover their influence in the wine. The next stop is the famous Manousakis winery to enjoy a wine and lunch pairing in their lush gardens. The produce is farm to table and the winery makes some of Crete's more famous wines from indigenous and international grapes organically grown in the Manousakis vineyards.

The first references of wine and olive oil in Crete date back to 5000BC during the Minoan civilization. 7000 years later, Cretans produce wine, beer and olive oil on the same land, with the only changes the enhancement of production through technology and the optimization of crops. In this tour we will visit a winery, a beer and an olive oil factory. All three have high standards of production, marrying the old traditions with modern technology and processing. In each location we will spend around one hour touring the facilities. We will visit a 5000 year old olive tree, and there is an option to visit a nearby monastery, Maleme airfield and the WW2 military cemetery. For all this, we could discuss and on the same day of the tour when I will give your options. Tour times in each location can be modified depending on the travelers' starting time and the date. Each location has 3-4 time slots available.

Be transported to a magical world of wine, monasteries, chapels and scenic villages. Take the Sacred Paths to wonder! The tour’s first stop is the historic winery of the Monastery of Tzagarolon, this beautiful monastery is set in the picturesque Akrotiri peninsula of Chania. The temple features admirable Byzantine architecture, a folklore museum and an ancient library of rarities. Sample select wines from the monastery’s production while admiring and learning about the wine equipment of the past on display, your tasting will be paired with a small ‘kerasma’ meze offering. Enjoy a picturesque drive to the family-owned Dourakis Winery in Apokoronas to learn about viticulture and the winemaking process and taste their wine. The next stop is to a well-hidden old-style kafeneio, and just across from it is the last ‘sacred’ stop to meet the key holder of a treasured chapel to explore its beautifully painted Byzantine art interiors.

Spend a day of the beaten tourist path on a five-hour food and sightseeing tour of Zorbas.  Private transportation takes you and your guide to ancient monasteries, stunning vistas, and more.  Along the way, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive wine tasting with traditional Greek foods. Continue on to watch the sunset over Stavros beach while enjoying a glass of raki (aniseed flavored alcoholic drink) and mezedes (Greek tapas).