Melting pot of cultures

Individual tours
Crete 2026 & 2027

Svenja Wezel
Gods, mythical creatures and heroic deeds – on the trail of Cretan myths

“Crete is a magical island for me, a myth that has become real. I am fascinated by Greek mythology, which I can get very close to here at the birthplace of Zeus and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur. And yet Crete has its very own charm, which is characterised by the remains of Minoan culture and its rough, wild landscape.

But I particularly fell in love with Preveli. The palm beach and the lush green river that runs down to the sea on both sides are my creative paradise, which I love to visit when I’m on the island. Preveli is an oasis on the otherwise rather dry island and therefore something very special. You can certainly feel its charm when you visit.”

Svenja Wezel

How to start your Tour of Crete

What kind of traveller are you? Just a few steps to your individual round trip
With our vacation planner, you can easily customize your own trip.
Individual planning
We accompany you to your personalized dream holiday.

Our recommendation for you

You start your 12-day tour of Crete in the island capital Iraklio and then savour Minoan history in nearby Knossos. From here, head to the smaller towns and original villages of Crete: from Elounda and Plaka via Agia Galini to Chania and Rethymno. Simply stop off in your hire car wherever you find something particularly fascinating. Perhaps linger longer at the mighty ruins of Festos, take a closer look at the Hippie Caves of Mátala or go on an extended hike through the rugged beauty of the Lassithi Plateau.
You start your 12-day tour of Crete in the island capital Iraklio and then savour Minoan history in nearby Knossos. From here, head to the smaller towns and original villages of Crete: from Elounda and Plaka via Agia Galini to Chania and Rethymno. Simply stop off in your hire car wherever you find something particularly fascinating. Perhaps linger longer at the mighty ruins of Festos, take a closer look at the Hippie Caves of Mátala or go on an extended hike through the rugged beauty of the Lassithi Plateau.
  • 12 days - 5 places
  • Heraklion (2 nights)
  • Elounda (2 nights)
  • Agia Galini (3 nights)
  • Chania (3 nights)
  • Rethymno (1 night)
  • Further highlights
  • Knossos
  • Festos
  • Cave of the birth of Zeus
  • Mountain village of Zaros
  • Samaria Gorge
Our tip
Adjust your trip according to your wishes:
Start route planner

Further ideas for your round trip to Crete and travelling through Greece

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Iraklio – Agia Galini – Chania – Rethymno
On this journey through western Crete, you will discover the ancient civilisation of the Minoans, picturesque villages such as Zaros and hike through a deeply impressive landscape. You combine marvellous nature with Crete's long history.
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Athen – Iraklio – Elounda – Agia Galini– Chania – Rethymno
Embark on a journey through Athens and Crete in a Mediterranean dream landscape to the Minoans, the ancient Greeks, the Venetians and the Turks. This route is a dream come true for lovers of fascinating history.
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Athen – Nafplion – Monemvasia – Kalamata – Olympia – Athen
Discover the authentic cuisine of this beautiful region on your tour of Greece. Explore the cultural delights from the birthplace of tragedy, the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens, to the famous Temple of Apollo in Corinth.
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Peloponnes-Rundreise: Nafplio – Monemvasia – Mani – Kalamata – Katakolo – Galaxidi - Athen
A Greece for all the senses and a wonderful break in a warm, Mediterranean landscape await you on this trip. Marvel at ancient Corinth, whose ruins still give an idea of the splendour and wealth of the former city-state.
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Thessaloniki – Kastoria – Zagori – Ioannina – Kalambaka – Litochoro – Chalkidiki
The north will envelop you with a very original, traditional and authentic Greece. Many a village here still seems to have fallen out of time. Enjoy this originality and authenticity while travelling through northern Greece.
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Discover Crete

Crete – concentrated culture

A tour of Crete is like a historical discovery tour. Some of the greatest ancient civilisations have made the Mediterranean island their home and so you can follow in the footsteps of the Minoans, Mycenaeans and Romans in the museums and excavation sites. Let your imagination run wild and bring the world of the Minoi back to life in the well-preserved ruins of Knossos. Wander through magnificent palace complexes with colourful murals that tell you detailed scenes of daily life and reveal which animals and plants existed on Crete at the time or how the inhabitants dressed.

The legacy of the many cultures can be found all over the island. Roman aqueducts, temples and theatres, basilicas from early Christian times, mosques, fortifications and Turkish baths from the time of Arab rule tell of the island’s eventful history. You can even experience a Venetian Crete as you wander through the old town streets of Chania and Rethymno, past impressive squares and intricate palaces designed by Italian architects.

Crete – Mountain beauty

From a bird’s eye view, Crete looks like a large mountain range. This is not surprising, as the landscape is characterised by several mountains, to which Crete owes numerous gorges, rivers, caves, cliffs, but also forested areas and fertile plateaus. Lakes, beautiful sandy and pebble beaches along the more than 1,000 kilometres of coastline and, of course, the typical Mediterranean vegetation make your tour of Crete a unique experience full of contrasts.

Cross the Samaria Gorge or the less crowded Aradena Gorge. Walk along the riverbed to the water mills of the Myli Gorge or stroll along the seemingly endless Phalassarna Beach through the white sand and let your feet be lapped by the waves. If you love nature, Crete is just the place for you.

Crete – healthy delights

Cretan cuisine is simple and rustic, regional and seasonal, healthy and … above all delicious. In addition to freshly caught fish and seafood, the menus also offer numerous dishes with lamb, mutton, rabbit and goat meat. What makes Cretan cuisine special is the variety of starters, the mezedes or pikilia. Prepared with the best olive oil, aromatic herbs, plenty of vegetables and pulses, they spoil the palate whether fried, baked, deep-fried, marinated or puréed.

Soups, stews, casseroles, desserts and wines complete the culinary programme of your tour of Crete. Start with dips and purees such as fáva, melitzanosaláta, skordaliá or chtipití and savour the delicious fish and meat dishes, accompanied by tasty tomato or cucumber salads or dákos or choriátiki, filling salads with plenty of sheep’s cheese.

Crete – Authentic and up close

On our Crete round trips, you can of course also book guided tours through the most famous towns and culturally significant sites. We also want you to get to know and understand the country and its people better. For this reason, we have selected experiences that provide a glimpse behind the scenes. Culinary experiences and tastings give you an insight into the specialities of Cretan gastronomy, in which high-quality and regional products are used.

Let yourself be surprised by the combination of unusual flavours on one of our excursions, for example, where herbal tea and wine take centre stage, but the Cretan fauna of the Samaria Gorge is not neglected either.

You are travelling individually but in the best company

There are many good reasons for travelling with Geotoura. The most important is probably that everything is customised for you. But other aspects of travelling are also important to our customers - here is a brief overview:
Safety
Safety
Our travel promise for a carefree holiday: up-to-date, accommodating, flexible and customer-oriented.
Insider tips
Insider tips
Authentic experiences thanks to geotoura's own tips, collected and selected for our guests.
Quality
Quality
A long-term and fair cooperation with partners that creates trust and ensures quality.
Experiences
Experiences
Cultural, culinary and local “delicacies” that allow a look behind the scenes.
Sustainability
Sustainability
Regular TourCert certification to preserve the cultural and natural treasures of all destinations.
Authenticity
Authenticity
Getting to know and love the country and its inhabitants through original route ideas.
 
The special moment when ...
... we shared our picnic with a goat during the hike through the Samaria Gorge.
Digital message in a bottle
You are allowed to dream about the holidays all the year round.
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