Best 26 Small group tours and activities on Crete Island

Experience the charm of Crete in a small group tour. Enjoy personalized, intimate experiences in Crete's beautiful landscapes with our 39 unique activities.

  • Marathi Bay

Navigate Marathi and Loutraki’s calm waters on the northwest side of Chania. Get up on your paddle board and follow your guide to breathtaking coastal locations. Admire incredible rock formations, and enjoy the chance to swim in the refreshing crystal-clear water.
Suitable for anyone above the age of 15 years old, in this tour we teach the basic paddling techniques, how to turn, stop and stand up until our guests grow confident on their boards, while for the connoisseurs of SUP, we offer tips and tricks to advance their skills!
We then start our aquatic adventure within our small, wind-shielded bay, colouring our guests’ time with us, with the most vivid Greek blue.
This guided tour takes a route along the scenic waterfront of Marathi Bay, giving you 360° views of imposing rock formations, inviting you to dive into the transparent, bright sea and teach you all about the fascinating yet fragile Mediterranean ecosystem.
We often spot sea turtles, and we always see a variety of sea urchins, native as well as invasive fish.
In this 2 hours venture, full of surprise elements, you will have ample time to swim, sunbathe, talk, make new friends, take pictures and videos and just relax under the Cretan sun!
It is so easy! Let this innovative, fun and playful tour be the highlight of your vacations!

  • Aposelemis Dam

Start your tour with pick up in an air-conditioned Land Rover from your accommodations (Hotel or Villas) and head into the Dikti Mountain Range. You’ll pass through several traditional and very picturesque mountain villages.
There will be plenty of opportunities to stop for photos or to have a coffee at a real taverna.

At the Lassithi Plateau, you might see eagles and vultures, as both nest around this area. Next, you’ll reach the base of Mount Spathi. The Psychro Cave, the birth place of the Greek god Zeus, is located on the north face of Spathi.
You’ll walk 15 minutes up the steep hill to the entrance of the cave and from there follow the path down into the spectacular cave.

Next, enjoy a traditional Cretan meze lunch with local wine. After lunch, you’ll continue around the plateau and then descend taking in views of the north coast and the impressive Aposelemis Dam.
You will then visit a 2400-year-old plane tree, the oldest on the island, as well as the Selinari Monastery.

  • Falassarna Beach

Explore three of the most divine and sought-after destinations on Crete with a small group up to 15 people on this full-day shared tour. Enjoy the convenience of pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle fully equipped with Wi-Fi service. Visit the 2 most popular beaches of Greece, Elafonisi and Falasarna, in one day. Start your journey in Elafonisi, a beach with unique, pink sands which pop in contrast to the blue waters. Continue west to Falasarna, a blinding white sandy beach famous for its striking turquoise waters. Then head to the last stop, Vouves, where you’ll visit the oldest olive tree in the world. Grab the kids and splash about in the shallow waters of the small, exotic lagoons. In all, you’ll enjoy nearly 5 hours of leisure time swimming and sunbathing by the sea. Listen as your guide tells you about Cretan customs and sample local cuisine from a prepared snack box. Return to your hotel once again in cool comfort in a quality vehicle.

  • Heraklion

Get an introduction to the best food that Heraklion has to offer by treating your palate to traditional Cretan dishes and exceptional local wines! Go on an unforgettable tasty journey through Heraklion’s local neighbourhoods.

After meeting your local guide, start off with a traditional Greek coffee also known as ellinikós kafés. Learn why Greeks love coffee and see it brewed the traditional way in sand and be taught “cup reading”, a centuries-old tradition that reads your future.

Enjoy Heraklion’s well-known bougatsa in a family-owned business that has mastered its bougatsa technique since 1922. Consisting of semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo, bougatsa is a must-taste pastry that you shouldn’t miss while being in the city.

Continue to a local market where you’ll meet the local vendors and learn about their products. Sample some of the basic elements of Cretan cuisine such as olives, rusks, and cheese. Become a cheese-tasting expert by receiving local hints and learn how to spot the best local cheeses. Taste the island’s famous olive oil and find out why organic Cretan olive oil is one of the best oils in the world.

Sit down for a local organic meat dish or if you want to show yourself how brave you are, sample a dish that is loved by most Cretans: fried snails.

Move on to your last stop and taste some local Cretan wines in a family-run shop. Keep in mind that winemaking in Crete has a long history that dates back to the Bronze Age. Before you go, don’t forget to ask your local guide for more tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay.

  • Dia, Crete

Our crew will meet at the Old Venetian port and welcome you on board, where you will be given a briefing about safety and boat handling. We set our sails and we are off to our destination,the beautiful Dia island.

Dia is an uninhabited island, 7 nautical miles north of Heraklion and is protected by the Natura 2000 project because of its biodiversity. Our trip there lasts almost one hour, during which you can enjoy the beauty of the sea, the silence and calmness and get informed on eco sailing and marine life around Crete or participate in the sailing activities with our skilled skipper!

We set anchor on either Agios Georgios or Panagia bay (depending on the weather conditions), which are located on the south part of the island. Both coves are known for their green, crystal waters surrounded by the protected wildlife, like the medium sized “Falco Eleonorae” the lizard Podarcis erchardii schiebeli, the wild goat Capra Aegagrus Cretica, an important rabbit population which belongs to the endemic subspecies Oryctolagus cuniculus cnossicus and the monkseal Monachus monachus.

Ask our team on everything you want to know about the history and the myths of this island!

For about one hour and a half, you will enjoy these beautiful water with swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing or socialising with your fellow adventurers! Cool refreshments and seasonal fruit will accompany the fun!

And if you are already feeling hungry after a full morning our skipper and host has prepared for you a warm lunch on spot, made exclusively from fresh and local ingredients!

After your lunch and perhaps after a quick dive, we will set our sails again to return back to Heraklion Venetian port. Have your cameras ready in case we spot some of our lovely mammal friends, the dolphins.

  • Milia Mountain Retreat

Learn about the age-old tradition of wine and olive oil production in Chania, then enjoy a lunch of traditional food and local wine. Discover how an authentic 17th-century mountain settlement has been transformed into an ethical tourist complex.
After pickup at your hotel in the Chania region, travel to the traditional village of Ano Vouves village to see the 3,000-5,000-year-old olive tree that still produces fruit.
Explore a small typical farm and enjoy a cup of coffee or fresh orange juice. At Anoskeli’s olive mill and winery, sample organic extra virgin olive oil on warm bread with oregano and continue with a tasting of 5 different types of local wine with some authentic snacks from Crete. 

Drive along the dirt roads to the amazing Milia Mountain Retreat agro-tourism complex. Step back in time at a retreat where the lack of electricity and the stone homes invite visitors to get back to basics and switch off from the everyday stress of the modern world.
Driving back to Chania, marvel at the wild landscapes of the Topolia Gorge.

  • Lake Kournas

Start your day of adventure at your first stop of the trip, a local oil mill. Here you will have the opportunity to see how Crete’s famous olive oil is produced on this fascinating and informative outing.

Follow on your journey through Crete and make a quick stop at the watersprings of Argyroupolis. These watersprings are responsible for the rich vegetation that surrounds the village, a truly magical and refreshing experience. Your last stop of the tour, lasting roughly 2,5 hours, will give you enough time to enjoy a swim and eat Cretan delicacies at the many taverns that are located around the lake.

  • Chania

Explore the White Mountains area of Crete on a guided Jeep tour. Visit local villages and sample local products. Taste olive oil and 5 different wines, and savor a traditional lunch of Cretan products.
After pickup on your hotel, set off on your tour with your local guide, learning basic historical and cultural information as you go. Make your first stop at Ano Vouves village, home to a 3,000-5,000-year-old olive tree.
While in Ano Vouves, learn about historical olive oil production in the village, see a typical farm, and enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or fresh orange juice.

Continue to Anoskeli village for your olive oil and wine tastings. At Anoskeli’s olive mill and winery, learn about the wines and olive oils from the sommeliers and olive oil producers. Then, taste 5 wines and extra virgin olive oil with local products like olives, mizithra, and graviera cheeses.

Afterward, prepare for a more adventurous drive as your guide takes you on an off-road route. From Sebronas Gorge, approach the Omalos Plateau at 1000 meters of altitude where the shepherds attend to their sheep and goats all year round.

Stop for lunch and admire a magnificent view of Samaria Gorge and the highest summit of the White Mountains, Pachnes. Enjoy a lunch consisting of traditional Cretan flavors with seasonal salad, wine or beer, and dessert.

After lunch, drive to Chania and take in the spectacular views of the Aegean Sea from up high. Watch the scenery change rapidly out the window as you move from the rocket mountains to the valley of orange, lemon, olive, and avocado trees. The tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel.

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