10 day trips and tours in Crete

Designed around village life, local flavours and everyday Cretan traditions, this family-friendly tour takes you through the Apokoronas countryside east of Chania town, stopping at villages including Vrises and Fres. Along the way there is Greek coffee at a traditional kafeneion, a church of St Anthony built into the rock, a cheese factory, a bakery and lunch with locals. 

It builds a wider picture of rural Crete through food, landscapes, people and small local businesses.

Book your Apokoronas village tour

The Samaria Gorge cuts through the White Mountains for 18 kilometres, from the Xyloskalo on the Omalos plateau down to the coastal village of Agia Roumeli – where your hike ends with a swim. This private tour covers the full route with an English-speaking mountain guide who introduces you to the gorge's flora, herbs and wildlife along the way. 

Hotel pick-up, entrance fee and boat tickets are included, making it a more relaxed and personal way to take on one of Greece's great walks.

Book your private Samaria Gorge tour from Chania

A guided walking tour that delves into Crete’s food culture. Start with a classic Greek breakfast snack – a koulouri (a sesame-crusted bread ring) followed by a handmade kaltsouni - the traditional Cretan sweet-cheese pastry enjoyed at both celebrations and as a treat at any time of the day. You then explore Crete’s dairy heritage with a curated selection of local cheeses and visit a speciality shop, where you sample local olive oil, raw honey and other local delicacies. The tour includes a visit to a traditional kafeneion for a classic Greek coffee experience and a meze lunch at a family-run taverna. 

Book your Chania food tour

Set sail from Kissamos, 40km west of Chania town, to Gramvousa island and Balos. On Gramvousa, you can walk up to the Venetian fortress and take in views over the Balos peninsula. From there, the route continues to Balos, where you can swim, snorkel, walk or just relax in a lagoon setting. Fishing and snorkelling equipment, homemade savoury snacks, drinks and traditional Cretan lunch are provided – ideal for couples, families or small groups looking for a private sea day during their holidays in Crete.

Book your private sailing trip to Balos 

This semi-private tour from Chania takes in an olive mill in Kolymbari, the ancient olive tree of Ano Vouves – estimated at over 3,000 years old and among the oldest in the world – and a wine tasting session at Karavitakis Winery.The route winds off-road through gorges, villages, vineyards and olive groves before finishing with a traditional Cretan lunch in Sebronas.

Groups are kept small, with up to eight people per vehicle.

Book your wine and olives tour in Chania 

This full-day private powerboat tour takes up to five people along the northwest coast to Menies Beach, Chironisia Bay and Theodorou Island, with stops for swimming at secluded bays and rocky beaches along the way. The boat is a skippered Wellcraft Scarab powerboat, and the pace is yours to set. Theodorou Island is a protected habitat for the Cretan ibex – the kri-kri – rarely encountered elsewhere, making the experience feel both scenic and wild.

Book your full-day powerboat tour in Chania

This semi-private tour takes you into the White Mountains through fertile valleys and villages – Deres, Vatolakos, Alikianos, Fournes, Meskla, Zourva and Therisso – with panoramic views of Chania along the way. The highlight is a visit to a mitato at 1,350m, where you can learn about the role of these shepherd's huts in the production of Cretan graviera cheese. 

Coffee at a traditional kafeneion and lunch with Cretan platters round out a day that moves between nature, village culture and mountain terrain.

Book your White Mountains tour in Chania 

This semi-private 4x4 safari brings together wine tasting at Klados Winery in Panormos, olive oil tasting at Melidoni mill, a visit to Halepa Monastery and a stop at a traditional shepherd's hut – known locally as a mitato – where you can watch cheese being made on site. The route takes in panoramic views of Psiloritis Mountain and passes through traditional villages before ending with a lunch of Cretan platters in Axos. 

Groups are kept small, with up to eight people per vehicle, making it a natural choice for travellers who want Cretan food, landscapes and mountain culture in one day.

Book your Rethymno 4x4 safari

This private tour from Chania follows an inland route through traditional villages and the Topolia Gorge to the cave of Agia Sofia – a natural monument with stalactites, stalagmites and a small chapel at its entrance – before reaching Elafonisi. Known for its shallow turquoise waters and white and coral-red sand, the beach offers three hours to swim and explore. 

On the return, there is an optional lunch stop at a traditional tavern in Elos village. Hotel pick-up and drop-off, an English-speaking escort and private transport are included throughout.

Book your private Elafonisi beach tour from Chania 

Enjoy a sunset tour in eastern Crete that combines village life, mountain roads and local history. At a traditional olive mill, you are introduced to both old and new methods of olive oil production, before continuing towards landmarks connected with Pope Alexander V, who was raised on Crete by a Franciscan monk, and the deserted monastery of St George at Xera Xyla, which dates from 1635. 

The route continues through traditional settlements and along scenic mountain roads before reaching Kounali village where you eat and drink the Cretan way – with a glass of raki and a meal of traditional mezes.

Book your landmarks and villages tour in eastern Crete