Crete: Olive Oil, Wine, Raki & Soap Experience with Lunch

Crete’s Best-Selling Food & Wine Tour – Just €99 per Person!

Crete Olive Oil, Wine & Raki Tour with Soap Workshop & Lunch

Discover the flavors, craftsmanship, and living traditions of Crete on a 7-hour small-group food and wine tour through the countryside near Heraklion. Travel with no more than eight guests as you visit local producers and experience the island beyond its coastal resorts.

Begin with a traditional olive oil soap-making demonstration, then explore an olive grove and taste Cretan extra virgin olive oil. Continue to a local winery and raki distillery to discover how Cretan wine and tsikoudia are produced, followed by tastings of three regional wines, raki, and local meze.

Complete your experience with a traditional Cretan lunch in Melleses village, where seasonal food and local hospitality are part of everyday life.

With round-trip transfers from selected pickup areas, this tour is ideal for travelers seeking an authentic introduction to Crete’s food, people, and agricultural heritage.

Tour Information at a Glance

  • Duration: Approximately 7 hours
  • Group Size: Maximum 8 guests
  • Experience: Small-group Cretan food, wine and cultural tour
  • Location: Heraklion countryside, Crete
  • Activities: Traditional soap-making demonstration, olive grove visit, olive oil tasting, wine and raki tastings, and traditional village lunch
  • Transportation: Round-trip minivan transportation from designated pickup locations
  • Lunch: Included
  • Pickup Details: Your exact pickup time and location will be confirmed according to your selected departure area.

Stop 1 — Traditional Olive Oil Soap Workshop

Begin your journey with a visit to a traditional soap-making workshop in the Heraklion countryside. Watch how olive oil, natural ingredients, and local herbs are combined using the cold-process method. Meet the people keeping this craft alive and discover how handmade soap remains connected to everyday Cretan traditions.

Stop 2 — Olive Grove Visit & Cretan Olive Oil Tasting

Continue to an olive grove and learn how olive trees have shaped Cretan agriculture and cuisine for generations. Discover the basics of olive cultivation, harvesting, and oil production before enjoying a guided tasting of locally produced extra virgin olive oil, accompanied by bread and herbs.

Stop 3 — Cretan Winery, Raki Distillery & Tastings

Your next visit introduces two important parts of Cretan hospitality: wine and raki. Learn about regional winemaking and how grape pomace is transformed into tsikoudia, Crete’s traditional spirit. Taste three local wines — white, rosé, and red — along with Cretan raki and traditional meze.

Stop 4 — Traditional Cretan Lunch in Melleses Village

End the experience around the table in Melleses, a village in the Heraklion countryside. Enjoy a traditional multi-course lunch inspired by Cretan home cooking and seasonal ingredients, accompanied by local wine and raki. After lunch, enjoy a short village walk before your return transfer to the designated drop-off area.

What’s Included

  • Round-trip transport from designated pickup locations
  • Visits and admission fees for the listed experiences
  • Olive oil soap-making demonstration
  • Olive grove visit and guided olive oil tasting
  • Three local wine tastings
  • Raki tasting and local meze
  • Guided explanations during visits
  • Traditional multi-course Cretan lunch with local wine and raki

What’s Not Included

  • Optional purchases of local products and souvenirs
  • Additional beverages or refreshments outside the listed tastings and lunch
  • Personal expenses
  • Gratuities, if not included in the booking
  • Transfers from locations outside the designated pickup areas

Frequently Asked Questions

The tour lasts approximately seven hours, with an indicative schedule of 08:30 to 15:30. Your exact pickup time depends on your departure area.

Yes. The experience operates with a maximum of eight guests per minivan, allowing more personal visits to local producers.

Round-trip transportation is included from designated pickup locations. Service areas listed for this experience include Fodele, Agia Pelagia, Lygaria, Amoudara, Heraklion, Karteros, Kokkini Hani, Gournes, Gouves, Analypsi, Anissaras, Hersonissos, Koutouloufari, Piskopiano, Stalis, Malia. Your exact pickup arrangement should be confirmed by a team member through a text message the night before the tour.

You will visit a traditional olive oil soap-making workshop, an olive grove for olive oil tasting, and a local winery and raki distillery. The experience ends with a traditional Cretan lunch in a village.

Yes. A traditional multi-course lunch is included, together with local wine and raki. The menu is based on seasonal, locally inspired Cretan dishes. Vegetarian options are also available.

The tour includes a tasting of three local Cretan wines: white, rosé and red. A raki tasting with local meze is also included.

Cretan raki, also known as tsikoudia, is a traditional spirit made from grape pomace. During the distillery visit, you will learn about the production process and have the opportunity to taste it.

The confirmed activity is a traditional olive oil soap-making demonstration. You will learn about the cold-process method and the ingredients used. Individual hands-on soap making is not specified as part of this experience.

This experience involves light walking at the different locations, and comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Please note that this particular tour is designed for adult travelers and is not suitable for families with children. Guests with reduced mobility are welcome to contact our team before booking to discuss accessibility requirements.

Choose your preferred date and available departure option through the booking section on this page. Review the current price, pickup arrangements and cancellation conditions before confirming your reservation.

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