- 8.45AM Time 8.45AM
- Private (min 2 people) Tour Type Private (min 2 people)
- 11 hours Duration 11 hours
For adventure-seekers, you shouldn’t miss this exciting tour to the authentic, less-travelled part of the island, the South Coast of Chania.
Tour Highlights
- Experience an authentic, epic adventure in one of the most iconic island’s corners, home to the stunning White Mountains, gorges, and endless wild landscapes.
- Take a local breakfast in a family-owned cheese and yogurt factory.
- Hike through stunning Imbros Gorge, once the hidden pathway for ANZAC soldiers.
- Learn about the Cretan herbs’ therapeutic qualities and try some of their concoctions in a ‘herbal sanctuary.”
- Participate in a hands-on cooking class and enjoy a Cretan lunch of traditional dishes from farm to table.
- Discover a unique local cellar and winery and sample Cretan wines.
Meeting point:
Departure Point, Traveler pickup is offered. We will pick you up form your Hotel or Cruise Ship.
Pick up from Chania hotel is included in the tour price. We can offer pick up/drop off transfer to any other location at an extra charge.
Experience an authentic adventure in Crete
Discover the “authentic Crete” that most tourists don’t see by joining us on an amazing road trip to Sfakia, Crete’s most remote and rugged region, home to the impressive White Mountains (being really white due to snow until early summer!)
Experience a 10-hour epic Crete tour, full of activities for the whole family, including hiking in deep gorges, hands-on cooking, sampling of local tastes, amazing storytelling and towering mountains, and endless blue sea views of unparalleled beauty.
Local impact — How you help the local community by joining this tour
- You visit villages far from mass tourism and collaborate with the locals, supporting these small communities financially.
- By sampling products that originate from the Cretan countryside, you promote 100% local, family-owned businesses such as a local cheese monger and a local botanist.
- You visit a local family in their home where you learn about local products and traditional cooking techniques as you participate in a hands-on cooking class.
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Leaving behind us Chania and its Venetian port, we’ll drive you deep into the southern part of the island, the Sfakia region with its memorable scenic routes and the endless wild landscapes.
Sfakia is the land of the massive Lefka Ori, also known as the White Mountains, famous for Pachnes, its highest peak as well, the numerous gorges, and the endless views to the Libyan Sea. Aside from this astonishing beauty, the land of Sfakia has a million tales to tell you, such as stories about the turbulent but heroic past of brave rebel Sfakians, who fought for freedom.
The first stop of your day tour will be at a family-owned cheese & yogurt small-scale factory, where you’ll take a local breakfast. Learn all about the traditional way of local dairy production by the expert cheesemonger and sample the best local-favorite yogurt on the island!
After this light breakfast, you’ll head to Askifou Plateau at an altitude of 730 metres, a natural picture-pretty valley surrounded by the White Mountains. From here, you’ll start your hike into the Imbros Gorge, an outstanding 8-kilometer gorge. During the 2,5 hours approximately easy hike, you’ll have the opportunity to admire amazing geological formations of very narrow passages, capture your best photos with your family and learn about the fauna and flora that you’ll encounter along the way.
Especially for Australian, New Zealander, British, or WWII story lovers, walking through the gorge is almost a pilgrimage, as this gorge was the only escape route in May 1941 by fleeing ANZACs who fought with the allied troops in Crete, and finally, they succeeded in sailing to Egypt. We will have many breathtaking stories to share with you.
Next, you’ll visit the off-the-beaten-track Kallikratis village, a mountainous village of semi-abandoned settlements located among gorges, ravines, and plateaus, and with a fascinating story to tell. Hear stories about this land that never lived under permanent foreign rule due to its brave residents.
Then, you’ll experience local gastronomy and culture by participating in a hands-on cooking class. Learn about the secrets of Cretan cuisine as you join a Cretan lunch of traditional dishes and local wine from farm to table.
After lunch, learn about the Cretan herbs’ therapeutic qualities, well-known since ancient times, in a ‘herbal sanctuary”. In a little café, meet the owners who distill Cretan herbs and make natural products in a traditional way, giving advice and secrets on how to use Cretan herbs (over 1,800 plant species) while cooking so you give their special taste to your dishes. And yes, you’re going to try some of their concoctions in their shop!
Moving onto our last stop now, you’ll discover a unique local cellar in one of the best wineries on Crete. This cellar is in itself a setting for a ritualistic experience, and here, you’ll sample four different local wine varieties, finishing up Crete’s far west adventure, in the best way!
We will be more than happy to make recommendations for what else you can do on the island.
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transportation, cheese and yogurt samples, two-course meal (meat and veggie options), sweets, fruit, four different wine tastings, fresh orange juice for the children, entrance ticket to the gorge
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Additional food and drink, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips and gratuities
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- Food Allergies: Unless you suffer from multiple, combined food allergies, or unless you are a vegan, we will figure it out. Vegetarians are welcome on all tours.
- Please wear comfortable shoes for walking.
- In general, there are few dress restrictions in Europe and dress codes are similar to those you are used to at home. Please note though that in many churches modest dress is required; no shorts or
skimpy tops are permitted. - If you are happy with the services provided by your local a tip – though not compulsory – is appropriate. While it may not be customary to you, it is of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry. Please consider this when budgeting for your extra expenses on this tour.
- All our team members are fully vaccinated.