Knossos, Lasithi, Zeus Cave & Olive Mill Farm Combo Tour
Description
Discover the magic of the Lassithi Plateau, the legendary birthplace of Zeus. At 850m above sea level and surrounded by 18 villages, it offers stunning scenery and authentic rural Crete. Explore the Cave of Zeus, where impressive stalactites and stalagmites create a mystical atmosphere. Continue to Vidiani Monastery, at the foot of Mount Louloudaki, then visit Lasinthos Eco Park, with pottery, candle making workshops and a small animal farm. Stop at the picturesque village of Krasi, famous for its natural springs and the oldest plane tree in Crete. Next, enjoy a guided visit to a scenic Olive Mill Farm, learning about olive oil, honey, and local products, with an optional lunch and beautiful mountain views. The day concludes at the iconic Knossos Palace, the ancient Minoan capital, where history and legend come to life. A perfect blend of mythology, culture, nature and authentic Cretan experiences in one unforgettable day.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We begin collecting participants from their pick-up points in the morning. Depending on the location of your hotel or apartment, the total drive time will vary. Drive from last pick-up: approx. 50 minutes
1st Stop: Vidiani Monastery – 25 minutes Our first stop is the Vidiani Monastery, a small Eastern Orthodox monastery nestled at the base of Mount Louloudaki and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Its peaceful courtyard, beautiful frescoes, and mountain surroundings create an atmosphere of quiet spiritual charm—perfect for a gentle start to the day. Bus Drive: 15 minutes
2nd Stop: Psychro Cave (Cave of Zeus) – 1 hour 40 minutes Next, we visit the legendary Cave of Zeus, believed to be the birthplace of the king of the gods. As you descend into the illuminated cavern, you’ll encounter dramatic chambers decorated with impressive stalactites and stalagmites formed over thousands of years. The mystical ambiance and geological beauty make this one of Crete’s most iconic ancient sites. Entrance fee: 15€ (not included) Bus Drive: 10 minutes
3rd stop: Lasinthos Eco Park- 45 minutes Next, explore Lasinthos Eco Park, a charming eco-park featuring traditional artisan workshops, including pottery and candle making, along with a small animal farm. Bus Drive: 20 minutes
4th Stop: Village of Krasi – 20 minutes Our journey continues to the traditional village of Krasi, known for its natural freshwater springs and the oldest—and largest—plane tree in Crete. Enjoy a refreshing short stop surrounded by lush greenery and authentic Cretan village life. Bus Drive: 25 minutes
4th Stop: Olive Mill Farm – 1 hour 40 minutes We then visit a beautiful Olive Mill Farm overlooking the mountains and the Aegean Sea. Guests enjoy a guided tour through the production of local olive oil, honey, and handmade olive-based products. Afterwards, you may enjoy a delicious lunch made with local ingredients (at your own expense), in a serene setting full of natural aromas and panoramic views. Bus Drive: approx. 1 hour
5th Stop: Knossos Archaeological Site – 1 hour The final destination of the tour is the world-renowned Palace of Knossos, the heart of the ancient Minoan civilization. A guided tour reveals the fascinating history of Europe’s oldest city as you explore restored chambers, colorful frescoes, and the remnants of an advanced Bronze Age culture. There will also be time for photographs and personal exploration of the site. Entrance fee: 20€ (not included)
Return to Resorts At the end of the tour, we board the buses and return to the hotels where participants were picked up in the morning. Return time varies depending on traffic and individual drop-off locations.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up travellers from specific points in the areas of Sisi, Malia, Stalis, Hersonissos, Anissaras, Agkisaras, Gouves, Gournes, Kokkini Hani, Karteros, Amoudara, Agia Pelagia and from two centrally located points in Heraklion town. As soon as you make the booking we will contact you in order to let you know the exact place and time of the Pick-up which is closer to your place of hotel, please check your email.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(52)
The Lassithi Plateau has beautiful nature, blooming fields, windmills, ancient plane trees, the eco-village is interesting, and in Knossos, we had a wonderfully detailed tour.
A great day of exploration! A lot was packed into the day, and even though we did not have the chance to visit the cave as it was under restoration, we were all contacted in advance to ask if we wanted to book another day or be refunded if that part of the trip was important, but we opted to still go. That way, I feel that the trip was much more evenly spaced out. We still got a great story about Zeus and Greek Gods on the trip up the mountains, and the views/places we saw up the Lasthiti Plateau with the windmills were gorgeous! The small village Krasi where the Plane Tree is was very lovely too, as was the Eco Park where we bought one of the unique pots made in their very own pottery studio. The Olive Oil Farm was great too, and their buffet does some amazing chips cooked in the oil they sell. We even got to visit a little known monastery which was very quaint and calm. The highlight was certainly Knossos Palace and the surrounding ruins. It's in a beautiful spot, plenty of shaded areas for hot days, and peacocks everywhere. It's quite fascinating to learn how it was found, what was done to restore it, and if you're really keen to see the original alfresco sections, they are in the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion due to weather risks, as it's all open air. From memory, I believe our guide was Rula, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Our driver George even drove us all the way back to our resort in Sisi, which can be a pain for the bigger coaches. Just all in all, it was a great day, and for us Brits who burn easily, I would recommending taking plenty of water, a hat, and decent walking shoes, otherwise you'll be in a spot of bother.
I am thrilled. The tour guide Irini was top-notch. I have never received so much interesting input on a tour; the woman does her job with absolute passion. Aside from this, it was a great value for money. I would like to give 8 stars if available. And I immediately booked the next tour with the organizer.
Our tour guide Roula and driver Nikos were fantastic! We had great communication in advance about changes to planned stops and the offer of a refund due to poor weather conditions affecting the trip, however we pushed ahead and enjoyed it anyway. It was great value for money with many planned stops, however it would have made more sense for us to pay more for the excursion and have everything included in the price e.g. entry to Knossos. I also think the olive mill farm was a bit misleading as looks nothing like the photos. We didn't get to visit the actual farm with olive vinyard, only the museum bit with example machinery. Special shout out to Roula though as she was so knowledgeable and led the tour in 3 languages (Greek, English and German). She was able to confidently answer anything! Overall this trip was enjoyable but it's mainly in the mountains which has poor visibility on a cloudy day and can get very cold and wet so prepare for the weather.
Organizers were very responsive to our questions. Our guide, Rula was excellent- knowledgeable and organized.
This is the best tour I have ever experienced due to the tour guide Spyros. Spyros was fun, attentive and ensured at all times that we were all having a great day. As a local , his knowledge was amazing and his generosity with his time and lots of extras was limitless. Waving hello to old friends in the villages made the day such fun . Coffee and traditional cake with locals was another added bonus. It is a long day but at the end you will have had a day that you will remember for a very long time.
Lovely, well organised and busy day. Saw and experienced lots, good value for money. Would recommend but bear in mind that it is tiring
A fabulous day trip, lots of authentic Cretan living and landscape. Knossos palace to finish off. The only criticism would be that the day is very long and there is lots of information to take in. Knossos palace was the last stop on the tour so everyone was quite tired at this point. But still very much worth the visit!
Not bad to discover the Lassithi plateau The most interesting point is the palace of Cnossos Without a guide it would have been nothing but ruins The explanations in general allowed a little better understanding of the culture
A very authentic tour, Soula did a great job guiding us through various scenic stops in the Heraklion prefecture, namely in the Lasith plateau. The Knossos palace was the crowning jewel of the tour, of which Soula was able to provide deep historical detail that would have left us missing in much needed context for what we were seeing.
