Small Group: Knossos Palace, Olive Oil, Winery & Raki with Lunch at Archanes Village
Runs Daily Except Sundays
⏰ Starts at 09:00; the owners will welcome you. Duration: approx. 6.5 hours
Max 6-8 Guests
Pickup from Agia Pelagia, Lygaria, Amoudara, Heraklion, Karteros, Kokkini Hani, Gouves, Analipsi, Anissaras, Hersonissos, Koutouloufari, Piskopiano, Stalis, Malia
08:30 to 09:00 – Pickup & Welcome Drive
The day opens quietly, like all good Cretan days do, with a comfortable ride and a guide who speaks more like an old friend than a driver. As the road curls through fields and villages, you get your first glimpse of the island behind the postcards — simple, honest, and stubbornly beautiful.
09:30 – Knossos Palace (Self-Guided Visit)
At Knossos, myth and dust mix in the morning light. Walk through the Throne Room, frescoed walls, storerooms, and winding passageways that birthed the tale of the Labyrinth. This isn’t just sightseeing — it’s stepping into a civilisation that shaped the Mediterranean long before Athens raised a column.
Entry ticket (€20) and licensed guide not included; advance booking possible.
11:00 – Olive Grove Farm Tour & Tasting
Then the noise drops away. In a small grove outside Skalani, real farmers welcome you with the quiet pride of people who live by the seasons. You wander between old trees, learn how olives turn into liquid gold, and taste the work of their hands: extra virgin oil, olives, tapenade, sundried tomatoes, and warm bread. Nothing fancy — just authentic, the way it always was.
12:30 – Winery & Raki Distillery Visit
In Kounavoi, the family winery feels like a crossroads where grapes, stories, and steam from the raki still all rise into the same warm air. You walk the vineyard, see the cellars, and try five local wines — Vilana, Vidiano, Mandilari and more — each carrying a quiet echo of the land. Then comes the tsikoudia: a short demo, a small glass, and that familiar Cretan warmth in your chest. Local meze keeps everything in balance.
14:00 – Lunch at Archanes Village
Archanes doesn’t show off; it doesn’t need to. In a family taverna, dishes come out slowly, confidently: lamb with wild greens, stuffed vegetables, chickpeas simmered to softness. Local wine flows without fuss. Desserts appear as they always have — homemade, humble, and impossible to refuse. If you want a small walk through the stone alleys afterwards, no one will stop you.
15:15 – Return Transfer
The ride back is calm. A full belly, a hint of raki in the blood, and that quiet satisfaction that comes from spending a day with people who don’t rush life. Arrival at Heraklion Port by 15:30 and at your accommodation by 16:00 — carrying stories, not souvenirs.
