Likely to sell out16% off
Crete's Mountain Villages: A Self-Guided Driving Tour
- 3–3.5 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Cretan culture remains largely unchanged in the grand Ida Mountains, where much of the nation's history has taken shape. On this driving tour, you'll discover local crafts like olive oil and raki production, age-old cheese-making in stone Mitata sheds, and typically Cretan villages where men still walk around in traditional costumes. Starting just outside Heraklion, you'll drive through olive fields before reaching the Melidoni Cave, where over 300 women and children lost their lives during the 1823 Ottoman occupation. Further into the mountains, pass through Margarites — known for its ceramics tradition where you can make your own vases — and the village of Veni, where raki production can be seen from October to December. Along the way, visit a family-owned olive oil factory, see immense wooden sculptures carved from olive wood, and enjoy sweeping mountain views. The tour ends in the quiet fishing village of Panormos, where a child-friendly beach and seafront terraces await.
Inclusions
What's included
- Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- App for Android and iOS
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
What's not
- Smartphone and headphones
- Transportation
- Food and drink
- Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
Itinerary
Enjoy beautiful views of Heraklion, the capital, and learn why this city is so special to locals. Take in this striking vantage point as your journey into the mountains begins.
Pass a snail farm as you make your way into the mountains. Discover this small but distinctive slice of Cretan agriculture along the winding route
Take in amazing views as the road climbs higher into the Ida Mountains. Pause to appreciate the sweeping landscape unfolding around you.
Drive through Anogeia, a typically Cretan village where men still walk around in traditional costumes. Take in this proud mountain community, known for preserving age-old customs.
Pass through Axos, another traditional Cretan village nestled in the Ida Mountains. Take in its unchanged character, much like Anogeia's.
See immense wooden statues in the Wooden Sculptures Museum and get a sense of what you can create with olive wood. Discover this unusual showcase of Cretan craftsmanship.
Visit the Melidoni Cave, where over three hundred women and children lost their lives during the 1823 Ottoman Turkish occupation. Today, local residents come here to pay tribute to their ancestors' unwavering quest for independence.
Drive through Margarites, a village nestled at the foot of the mountain range, known for its rich tradition of ceramics production. Try your hand at making a vase or amulet yourself.
Experience a guided tour of the family-owned Gerarchakis Olive Oil Factory and see the liquid gold flow out of taps at the end. Discover the process behind one of Crete's most prized products.
End your tour in the quiet fishing village of Panormos, where you can enjoy its child-friendly beach. Relax with a drink on a terrace with a fantastic view of the sea.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- This tour starts at the monument. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- VoiceMap Audio Tours
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Greece, outside the cities
- Its from-price is 88% below the median of the 1748 experiences we list in Greece, outside the cities.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
Special offers in Greece, outside the cities
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
![Ag. Nikolaos Catamaran to Spinalonga - Gourmet Meal & Water Toys]()
Likely to sell out15% off![Catamaran Cruise Heraklion to Dia, Dinner, Drinks & Hotel Pickup]()
Likely to sell out15% off
