Food Tour of Crete - 6 Days
Highlights
- Visit a hip Athenian wine bar for a wine tasting
- Tour Crete's traditional olive oil factories and producers
- Trek along the famed Samaria Gorge
- Take a cooking class where you pick all the ingredients yourself!
- Lounge on the pink-tinted beaches of Gramvousa and Balos
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Greek wine tasting | Athens |
| Day 2 | Traditional olive oil factories | Chania |
| Day 3 | Trek along the famous Samaria Gorge | Chania |
| Day 4 | Farm-to-table cooking | Chania |
| Day 5 | Beaches of Gramvousa and Balos | Chania |
| Day 6 | Vineyards and winery visit |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Greek Wine Tasting in Athens
Welcome to Athens — the first stop on your gastronomic adventure. Spend your first afternoon at a beloved local wine bar near your hotel tasting Greek wines from a range of regions against a quirky, authentic downtown backdrop. Then hit the town to explore on your own. Popular attractions include (of course) the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Temple of Hephaestus. And foodies will also love the Varvakeios Agorà Market and the city's many neighborhood farmers markets.
Day 2: A Traditional Olive Oil Factory and Local Producers
Grab breakfast in Athens, load your bags into the plane, and wave farewell to the city. It's time to head to Crete. Your first stop is Vamos Village, home to a charming 14th-century Byzantine church, dozens of kri-kri goats and sheep, and a famous olive oil factory. Tour the factory and meet local olive oil producers, then enjoy a fresh local lunch at a traditional restaurant in town. After lunch, make your way to Chania, where you'll overnight in the charming old town.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 3: Trek Along the Famous Samaria Gorge
Rise early on your third day and board a luxury coach bound for the Samaria Gorge — a national park since 1962 and currently on UNESCO's tentative list. The gorge is the longest trekking gorge in Europe (and the most famous), at 11 miles. Trek from Omalos to Agia Roumeli over the course of 5 - 7 hours (depending on your speed) and then enjoy a late lunch at a local tavern before taking a leisurely boat ride back to your hotel.
Day 4: Farm-to-Table Cooking
Start your day with a visit to the Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete where you'll pick the day's ingredients with your own two hands straight from the gardens' 50 acres of orchards and fields. Then head indoors for a cooking class with a culinary expert, who will teach you to craft traditional Greek cuisine. When the meal is ready, enjoy it on the magnificent patio overlooking the park.
Day 5: Gramvousa and Balos
Board another luxury coach and make your way to Kissamos Port. Here, a small ferry awaits to transport you to the Gramvoussa and Balos beaches, both protected by the Natura 2000 initiative. Famous for their pink-tinted sand, these beaches get some of the best press in Greece. Spend your day luxuriating by the seaside.
Day 6: Vineyards and Winery Visit
On your final day in Crete, start with a 4x4 Jeep ride to the vineyards of the Manousaki Winery and Manousakis Winery at Lefka Ori Mountain. Taste the local wines and enjoy a light lunch of local specialties like apaki, kalitsounia, and dolmadakia. Then circle back to Chania for one final night before you head home.
Map
