Battle of Crete WW2 Private Tour (price per group of 6)
Description
This is a private tour with a 7-seater van for a maximum 6 guests (price is for 6 persons). Explore the battlefields and memorials where the first airborne-only attack in history took place. The Battle of Crete is unique because it's the first attack in history prepared and performed exclusively by airborne units. It was a man to man battle where belligerents had little support from their far-flung bases. In this tour we will give a detailed account of the battle of Crete regarding equipment, units, strengths and weaknesses, defence and attack positions, the course of battle and various stories! We can focus on specific units, nationalities or any interest you might have and customize the tour. We will visit the main battle locations in western Crete at Maleme and Galatas, two Cemeteries, an amazing collection of artifacts from the battle and a couple of Memorials. Bring a 30GB USB stick to load some reports, books, diaries, maps and photos of the Battle of Crete!
Tour Options
Itinerary
In the Commonwealth Cemetery lie the allied soldiers who perished in the Battle of Crete. We will walk around the graves and tell you stories. We will also visit the nearby 42nd street memorial, where a bayonet charge took place.
Will visit the German Cemetery located on the strategic hill 107 overlooking Maleme airfield, and how the battle developed. Will make a quick stop next to Maleme airfield (its still a military area and access is forbidden). We will walk to the allied headquarters on top of hill 107 with nice views of the area.
Tavronitis Bridge played a vital role during the Battle of Crete and it was one of the Germans primary targets during their assault on Crete. Close to there we will also pay a visit to the RAF Memorial dedicated to the RAF pilots that fell during the battle.
We will visit the Greek-New Zealand memorial at Galatas village main square, will talk about the battle there and will visit one of the best WW2. We will also visit the Welch memorial.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up and drop off at Souda port, your accommodation or any other convenient location 10km or 6 miles around Chania old town, or near the national road up to Maleme airport. Please contact us regarding your pick up place for further information
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- In case of traveller's serious health problems or other medical concerns please notify us
Reviews(19)
Tour was enjoyable- our tour guide George was funny with his “Trivial Pursuits” and wealth of knowledge. We felt like we were family. We will be back to Crete.
I am glad you enjoyed the tour. George (me) like the small unknown stories from the battle. They give valuable insights on how chaotic the battle was and how it was perceived by the soldiers involved. It was a unique battle and the first airborne only operation in history. There is a lot to explore in west Crete, from beaches to hikes and history spanning from 3000BC and the Minoan civilization, to the Battle of Crete in 1941. Hope to see you again!
This was an excellent tour, extremely thorough and George was a fabulous host. We left the tour feeling like we knew the Battle of Crete intimately. As well George took the time to show us things that were of special interest specifically to us, and went out of his way to also give us recommendations of things to do around Chania.
It was a pleasure to show you around the Battle of Crete locations. Tried to make the tour interesting by talking about a variety of topics, on Greek and Cretan culture. Picturesque Chania old town is not to be missed. Hope to see you again to discover many other sites and beaches in west Crete.
Us and some of our friends chose to go off the beaten track and do a history tour with our tour guide George. The chance of getting to know so much for such a historical event and having George doing an amazing job making this tour an experience for us was trully the best thing for the day for us! If you live history take this tour! You will not regret it!
We are happy you had a wonderful experience touring around the battle grounds and telling stories of those who participated. We try to make our tour interesting, examining the strategic considerations of the belligerents and how soldiers perceived the battle. Its an educative tour suitable for all the family. George is an expert researching the battle since a young kid. Hope to see you in another of our tours.
Great history tour about a Battle, not widely known between the Germans and the Allies. George picked us up promptly, took good care of us and took us to various places where the events took place and gave us abundant information and amazing details. Thank you George for having a great time!
It was a pleasure to tour you around the battlefields and tell you stories of those involved, their strategic and personal considerations and how the battle evolved. Its an educative tour, depending on the travellers I add other information regarding the history, nature and culture of Crete. I also give a 30GB usb stick with primary sources regarding the battle. Hope to see you again!
Magnificent tour, we spent all day exploring and learning so much about the participants and their objectives during the battle. George is a very good lad who knows so much about history and unless you pause him, he will keep talking all day!
There are so many stories to tell so 6-7 hours might not be enough. George is very informative and tries to give an insight to the battle, the considerations of commanders and how the soldiers experienced it. He tries to make the tour interesting, not just mentioning dates and names. We hope to see you in another tour of ours.
Our guide, George, was extremely friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable. His passion for history, teaching, and sharing stories about the past was evident during the entire tour and we all had fun and learned so much. George has a wealth of knowledge - along with a great sense of humor! - and is interesting and entertaining. Our time together flew by and the tour was exactly what I wanted. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Crete. If you’re interested in a tour filled with amazing information and stories about the Battle of Crete, this is the one. Highly recommended!
We are glad you enjoyed the Battle of Crete tour. George is very knowledgeable, he reads and researches the events since he was a kid. George tries to give an insight of the strategic considerations and how the soldiers experienced the battle. It's not just a mention of dates and names. We also give a usb stick with 25GB of primary sources (books, diaries, reports and other researches) for those who wish. Depending on the travellers we could also talk about the history, culture and traditions of Crete for those less interested in the battle. We try to make it interesting and not boring. In any case it's an educative tour, suitable for all the family.
A history tour that we will always remember, our tour guide George was thorough and with abundant information about this significant battle. He will provide you with hidden details and amazing facts. Do not miss him!
It was a pleasure to tour around the Battle grounds of the first airborne only operation in history. George is a wealth of knowledge regarding the battle, as he is reading whatever gets in his hands since he was a kid. Now he focuses on reading primary sources and diaries of the belligerents. His focus is one the small stories on the soldiers and their accounts on how they perceived the battle. This is not a history class with names and dates, but an inside account of the considerations of commanders, how they interpreted the battle, its development and strategic considerations. We hope to see you again in the future.
This is a historic tour with plentiful information and insight about the war events that took place on the island during WW2. The guide is full of information about everything!
We are glad you enjoyed the Battle of Crete Tour. We try to give you an in depth view of the strategic considerations, how the opposing sides viewed the battle and how it developed. It was a unique battle and one of the first of its kind. The focus is mainly how the troops experienced the Battle and we tell small stories of the soldiers' experiences. Locals have not forgotten the sacrifices in WW2.
We had a splendid day with Tour guide, learning so much about the Battle and at the same time he was so accommodating to our needs that made the best of our day! We strongly recommend to take this.
In this tour we talk and visit battle of Crete locations. Because it's a private tour, we can be flexible and accommodating to the interests of all participants, so we can talk about other topics that interest you, regarding Cretan culture and countryside like in your case. We try to be flexible and make the tour a learning and discovery experience of Crete. Hope to tour you again in the future!
A memorable day with historian/tour guide George. In the end we were excited to learn so much about what happened on the island and its consequences on the war's aftermath.
George has a deep interest in the battle since he was a kid and studied modern history with MAs for this reason. We do not just visit sites but also explain how the battle developed and how was the soldiers' experience. At the tour we give a 25GB usb stick with a lot of primary sources, books, diaries and others for further reading and spreading the information on what happened on Crete in May 1941. Hope to see you in another of our tours!
