The 11 Best Olive Oil and Village Tours in Heraklion

1.Knossos-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 traveling from Heraklion into Crete’s mountain villages and Lasithi Plateau. You’ll visit an olive press, taste oil and raki, see old windmills, stop at Krasi’s huge plane tree, and visit Dikteon Cave and optional Knossos. Guides may include Stavros, Ed, Mike, Spyros, or Demetrius.

“Wonderful full day experience of Crete. Mike was very knowledgable, fun and open to make the experience ours. Learned so much about Crete, geographically, and historically. Highly recommend having lunch at the restaurant, beautiful views and great food. Thanks again for the great day Mike.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Travel from Heraklion into Crete’s mountain villages with a local guide such as Marinos or Nikos. Visit a family olive press, ancient Krasi, Lasithi Plateau, the Zeus Cave site, a traditional taverna, Mochos, and Knossos. The cave is closed for restoration until summer 2026, so check what will replace that stop before booking.

“Fantastic, Nikos is a very warm and thoughtful guide, the tour was perfect and without spoiling it = you're in for a treat Worth every dollar, and a 5* experience”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Heraklion: Knossos Zeus Cave Villages Olive Oil Factory Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · 7.5 - 8 hours · from $135

Spend 7.5 to 8 hours with a local English-speaking guide such as Stavros, Ed, or Mike, visiting an olive oil factory, Mochos, Krasi, Lasithi Plateau, Zeus Cave, and Knossos. Lunch and Knossos entry are optional. Expect a comfortable vehicle, local tastings, mountain views, and a flexible pace.

“The tour guide was easily the best tour guide I ever had! No exaggeration! Very friendly, cery knowledgeable, showing a lot of hospitality and funny! The tour itself was very good too and I deeply appreciated the contact with the local culture, traditions and people! Highly recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.PRIVATE-Winery+Olive Oil Factory-Old Villages-Old Wind Mills

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $361

Spend about 7.5 hours with a local driver-guide exploring an olive oil factory, traditional villages, mountain roads, and a winery near Heraklion. Guides such as Nikos, Spyros, Ed, and Stravos bring local stories, food stops, and humor. Olive oil and raki are included. Five-wine tasting and lunch cost extra.

“Our family of 5 had the most amazing experience with Ed. He was informative and funny. We so enjoyed him and our olive oil tour. We would highly recommend this tour and if you get Ed its a bonus!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.PRIVATE-South Crete-Matala Beach-Olive oil- Wine-Old Villages

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $360

Spend about 8.5 hours with an English-speaking guide such as Spiros, traveling privately through Crete’s beaches, villages, olive-growing country, and traditional food stops. Expect Preveli Beach, coffee with a view, old streets, optional lunch, olive oil and wine experiences, and a flexible route from Heraklion or nearby areas.

“Very personal attention the entire day! Spiros connected us to Crete in such a wonderful way. We loved having experiences like locals. The lunch was incredible and in a beautiful location! We thoroughly enjoyed the olive oil factory, and learning about the old and new ways of making it. We loved the stop for local coffee and meeting the owners. The drive was spectacular, and learning about the building of the dam and changes the dam has brought to the country was interesting. The generous personality of our guide Spiros made it extra special. His stops to pick thyme, sage, fennel and other crops was a highlight—and the sharing of…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Lasithi – Zeus Cave -Olive Oil Factory – Traditional Villages

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

Travel from Heraklion into Crete’s mountains with a small group of up to eight. Tour an olive mill, visit Kera Monastery and Dikteon Cave, see Lasithi windmills, eat lunch in Agios Georgios, and stop beneath Krasi’s huge plane tree. George may guide the day, with thoughtful help when weather changes plans.

“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!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Knossos Palace Lasithi Plateau Villages & Olive Oil Mill

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $138

Travel from Heraklion in a Mercedes-Benz with an English-speaking driver-guide, visiting an olive press, Lasithi Plateau villages, Zeus Cave, a pottery workshop, and Knossos. Guides such as Spyros, Niko, and Ed bring local knowledge and flexibility to the day. Lunch and entrance fees are extra.

“This was such an amazing tour! Spyros was our guide and we had so much fun spending the day with him. He was clearly passionate about Crete and was very insightful. We were able to tailor the tour to our wants and shared some delicious local food and culture. We left felling as though we had made a friend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private-Knossos Palace-Zeus -Villages-Olive Oil Factory

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 8 hours · from $135

Spend eight hours with a local English-speaking guide such as Stavros or Mike, visiting an olive oil factory, Mochos, Krasi, the Lasithi Plateau, Zeus’s Cave area, and Knossos Palace. Expect a relaxed small-group ride, local tastings, mountain views, optional lunch, and plenty of flexibility, but note that Zeus’s Cave is currently closed.

“My two teenagers and I had a great excursion with Stavros. We were picked up from our hotel by a clean air-conditioned mini bus. We were a group of 9. Itinerary as advertised but there were additional small stops in a yoghurt shop and at a strawberry plantation. our guide was very informative and entertaining. He gave us some olive oil from his own production. There are sufficient bathroom breaks and you are left alone if you are not interested in something. Restaurant for lunch is large, comfortable and great food including vegetarian options at affordable prices. My teenagers forgot their hats in a car. Stavros was kind to bring…”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Travel from Heraklion into Peza Valley for a handmade olive-oil soap workshop, an olive farm tasting, and a boutique winery visit. You’ll meet local producers, make a small soap bar, taste Cretan oils with bread and tomatoes, and try three or four indigenous wines, including Vidiano and Kotsifali. Pickup and an air-conditioned vehicle are included.

“I hade the most amazing experience here at this olive and wine tasting. Learning about olive oil and tasting it was pretty cool and the people was so nice. I also learned a lot about wine I didn’t know and that was fantastic. This is a absolute must!”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews

Spend 7 to 8 hours exploring Lasithi Plateau in a private Mercedes van with an English-speaking driver-guide. Taste fresh olive oil at a fourth-generation mill, visit an ancient plane tree and old windmills, enjoy wine, coffee, and raki in a village cafe, eat optional Cretan food, and stop at Aposelemis Dam. If available, ask for 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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Myths, Villages, & Olive Oil: Exploring Lassithi Plateau Secrets

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and chauffeured vehicle, traveling from Heraklion through Krasi, Mochos, Psychro Cave, and the Lassithi Plateau to Agios Nikolaos. Expect village coffee, Cretan snacks, Byzantine art, ceramics, olive oil tasting, and flexible hotel, villa, or cruise pickup. Meals and entrance fees cost extra.

“Incredible and authentic day. Really great way to see many points of interest in a short amount of time. Our driver, Nicholas, was great. He was very knowledgeable and made the tour enjoyable and interesting. I would highly recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review