12 Wine Tastings in Crete: What Each One Costs

1.PRIVATE Walking Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting by a Sommelier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 113 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $193Our pick

Spend 4 to 5 hours with a local host such as Nasos or Dimitris, beginning at a hilltop café above Chania, then tasting four Cretan grape varieties with sommelier Maria before a generous lunch and guided walk through the Venetian Old Town.

“NASOS was the tour guide extraordinaire! NASOS was fantastic and really brought Chania to life for us. He was so thoughtful and made our tour so enjoyable. We had a spectacular day and we enjoyed every stop in Old Chania. We absolutely loved this tour and highly recommend it to everyone! Yahmas!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Cretan Wine Tasting Tour & Gourmet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 109 reviews · 8 hours · from $194

Spend eight hours exploring Crete’s wine country with a guide who speaks English and French, visiting two wineries and vineyards around Archanes and Peza. Taste 15 wines, olive oil, honey, cheese, and preserves, then sit down to a gourmet lunch with wine pairings. Pickup is included across the Heraklion region.

“This tour was fun, informative and well organized ! We enjoyed getting to know our group... would do again!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.“YAMAS” – Winery tour &wine tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $36Best value

Visit Douloufakis Winery in Dafnes for an English guided tour and six 60ml tastings. Georgios or Catarina may lead you through Vidiano, Liatiko, barrel and amphora methods, with Cretan rusks served alongside the wines.

“Catarina was very knowledgeable, friendly and charismatic. We learnt so much about Cretan wines. I took a group of friends and make a few purchases after the wine tasting. I highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Crete.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Chania Area: Food Tasting Tour with Winery Visit & Swim Stop

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 58 reviews

Spend seven hours outside Chania visiting the Vouves olive tree, a wood-oven bakery, olive grove, cheese maker and Pnevmatikakis Winery. Your English-speaking guide, sometimes Linda, leads tastings of Cretan bread, honey, cheese, olives, tomatoes and wine, followed by two hours at Nopigia Beach.

“Well organised tour. Interesting stops at family run enterprises. Gave us a small taste of Crete outside Chania. Couldn’t fault our guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Private Winery & Olive Oil Tasting Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 5 hours · from $365

Spend five relaxed hours with a private guide visiting the Kanakis olive oil mill and Dourakis Winery, tasting up to five Cretan wines, sipping Greek coffee, and sharing a traditional lunch in Nipos or Vryses. Guides such as Vincent, Hector, Nora, and Michalis add local insight.

“We were taken by Michalis exactly on time from our hotel which was theoretically outside a range for a free pickup. But it was not a problem for our tour guide. The trip was fabulous. Our guide was so friendly and knew so much about Crete. Winery and olive factory was something we wouldn’t find by ourselves. We were not rushed and experienced best Crete trip ever! Thank you!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.From Chania Private half day Winery-Olive factory-Kournas lake

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.)

Spend 5 to 6 hours with a private guide such as Angie or Matt, visiting Lake Kournas, a family olive oil mill in Vryses, and Dourakis Winery. Expect scenic views, Cretan snacks, olive oil and raki tastings, five wines for an extra fee, and comfortable hotel, airport, or port pickup.

“We very much enjoyed our tour day with Angie. On the way to Lake Kournas and during the entire day, she gave a lot of information about Crete, the culture, the go-to sights, the people living here, the every day life, and what kind of challenges there are on Crete. The tour was a good mixture of activities (‘bicycling’ on the lake spotting a turtle), history learning and knowledge on olive oil production, spiced up with small treats and quiz questions. The visit to Dourakis Winery for tasting and late lunch in beautiful surroundings ended a perfect day for us.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Knossos Palace, Winery & Olive Oil Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 49 reviews · 6 hours · from $123

Spend six hours with a small group of up to eight, visiting Knossos, a local winery, an olive oil producer, and a village taverna. Guides such as George and Antonis add local insight, while tastings and a generous Cretan lunch make this a well-rounded introduction to Crete.

“We absolutely loved our tour with George! He was very friendly and knowledgeable, and we could feel the passion and pride he has for Crete. Knossos Palace was very busy (to be expected) but it was manageable. The family-owned vineyard was lovely, and it was fascinating to see how olive oil is produced. The family-owned local restaurant provided one of best meals we’ve had during our stay in Greece. It was intimate and the food was so fresh. We didn’t feel rushed at all during the tour. Instead, we felt immersed and relaxed! We would strongly recommend this tour to anyone who would like a small sample of all that…”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Matala Beach – Caves & winery Full Day tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 37 reviews · 8 hours · from $110

Travel from Heraklion or nearby resorts to a Cretan winery, then cross the Messara Valley to Matala. You’ll taste local wines, see the famous seaside caves, swim, eat lunch with wine, and enjoy time at a café. Guides speak six languages, and private groups are available.

“War alles super, nur im Weingut hätte man mehr erklären!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Wine Tasting & Food Experience Inside a Cretan Gorge

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $219

Join Joseph, Michael, Sifis, and their family for a four-hour wine and food evening in Zourida Gorge near Rethymno. You’ll taste eight Greek wines, sample traditional Cretan dishes, and share a table with a small group of up to 12 people.

“We had the most amazing evening. The food is delicious and the wines are very high quality. Our group was great so the evening was very enjoyable. The staff were brilliant. Do not miss this experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Manousakis Winery Shuttle Service Tour and Taste

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 34 reviews · from $65

Ride from Chania to Manousakis Winery in a small group of up to 12. Your multilingual escort-driver, such as Spiros, Olga, or George, shares local culture on the road. At the estate, tour the winery, taste five wines with Cretan rusks and olive oil, and add food at extra cost.

“My partner and I were very excited to have a vineyard tasting while on holiday after reading great reviews, but were left with an acidic taste in our mouths from not only the wine but the poor service as well. The first clue to a bad experience Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Gastronomy tour and wine tasting in traditional villages

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $216

Join Yannis for a five-to-six-hour food tour from Chania into the villages of Apokoronas. Taste sand-cooked Greek coffee, sheep milk ice cream, graviera, raki, olive oil, four local wines, and two full Cretan meals.

“Possibly the best way to learn about a culture is to experience the food. Even better if it's away from the larger populations and fancy restaurants. I had an amazing day exploring parts of Crete I would not have otherwise discovered alone -- with much to learn from the amazing guide, Yannis. I was quite fortunate to be solo on this tour with Yannis -- outstanding person, who I now consider a friend. He will also gladly offer to take many photos of you and your surroundings with your phone :) Regarding the food and drink -- you'll love every bite and wish your stomach was bigger!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.2 Wineries Tour with Wine Tasting & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $147

Spend seven hours with a small group visiting an olive mill and two family-run wineries near Heraklion. Meet local producers, taste Cretan wines and olive oil, then enjoy a full village lunch. English- and Greek-speaking guides include Antonis, Georgios, George, and Rodoula.

“I took the two wineries and olive mill tour with my wife and we had a fantastic time! Rodoula picked us up from our hotel in central Heraklion and we first visited an olive mill. The tour of the olive grove and mill was great, something I've never seen before. The olive oil tasting was very good and a great way to spend the morning. We then visited two wineries, one small and the other larger, and had a great experience at both. Both made organic wines and the second was female owned and operated. Lastly, we had lunch at a cafe in a small village. The food was amazing…”

Check availability →Read our full review