Knossos and Zeus' cave private day tour starting from Chania

Explore Minoan and Venetian Crete from West to East. You will be picked up from anywhere in the Chania area (within a 10km radius of Chania city center, further away pickup locations up to 25km away from Chania city center are possible at an extra charge) and will be privately toured along the northern coastline of Crete to the mountain of Psychro which is hosting the famous cave of Zeus.
On the way back, you will have a good 2-hour stop to visit the ancient city of Knossos and its famous palace. A privately guided tour by an official tour guide inside the grounds of Knossos may be possible at an extra charge based on availability.

Dikteon Andron (Zeus’ cave):
This imposing cave is located above the village of Psychro on the Lasithi Plateau, at an altitude of 1025m.
The 2200 m2 cave, is sufficiently lit, while the routes inside it are made by a well-formed path with a total length of 250 m.

At the end of the 19th century, residents, mainly shepherds and hunters, discovered many archaeological objects in the cave.
The cave seems to have been used as a place of residence and burial from 2800 BC. It is estimated that around 2000 BC this cave also became a place of worship.
A rectangular altar was found in the vestibule. Pilgrims’ offerings, such as oil, honey, wine, grain, and sacrificial animals, were placed on the altar and then set on fire. The remains from the cremation were not thrown away but collected at the side of the altar.

The objects found in the cave are innumerable: Cups, fruit bowls, double bronze axes with their stone base, lamp bases, clay vessels, bronze figurines, animal effigies, swords, knives, and spears.
Also, impressive jewelry was found with representations of bulls and goats, necklace beads, gold and silver wreaths.

Most archeologists identify this cave with the well-known mythological “Diktaion Andron”, as mentioned by the historian Hesiod, where Zeus was born by goddess Rhea and raised with the help of the Dictaean Kurites, under the care of the goat Amalthea and the nymph Melissa. For this reason, it is also called the Bethlehem of the Ancient World.

Knossos city:
Be marveled by the highest achievement of the Minoan civilization, the famous Knossos palace! The Minoans were undoubtedly the first civilization in Europe that flourished in all science, philosophy, arts, and commerce.
In Knossos, you will have the chance to picture the daily life of the ancient Minoans and learn as much as we know about them today.
You have the option of adding on a guided tour by a licensed tour guide who will bring every ruin to life for you.