Balos Lagoon viewpoint & Falasarna Beach scenic van tour

Full-day tour of Crete’s historic Knossos Palace and Heraklion

'The Palace of Knossos is one of the most important archaeological sites in Crete because it's where Europe's first civilisation began,' says Veta, one of our guides. A born and bred local, she knows a thing or two about the legends and myths surrounding the island's most popular attraction. You'll spend the day watching history come to life as you tour the grounds of the palace, before crossing over to Heraklion for some free time in the capital.Once the hub of Crete's Minoan civilisation, Knossos Palace sits in the heart of what's considered to be Europe's oldest settlement. You'll enjoy a guided tour around its treasures, stopping by the throne room, royal apartments, frescoes and more. And with fast-track access, there's no waiting around in queues.It's then time to head to Heraklion, the island's capital. See the 17th-century Morozini Lions fountain and the 400-year-old Venetian Loggia – which is still the city hall – during a short guided walk around the city centre. We'll round the day off by taking you to the open markets for some free time. Poke around stalls laden with hand-made trinkets and fresh local produce or stop off for a coffee at a local café for some people watching. Other must-sees include the Koule Fortress and the Church of Agios Titos. What is the itinerary for this experience?The itinerary for this experience is...- 7:00am to 9:30am – pick-up from your hotel (the exact time depends on your location)- 10:00am – arrive at the Knossos Archaeological Site for a 120‑minute guided tour- 12:00pm – depart from Knossos towards Heraklion- 12:20pm – short walking tour in Heraklion city centre- 12:45pm to 3:45pm – free time for shopping or lunch before departure Please note, the times and schedule may vary on the day

Spinalonga Island guided tour with seaside villages and lunch

The tiny isle of Spinalonga is just a short hop away from Crete but a visit is like stepping back in time. Centuries of history are packed within the walls that encircle it. See it through the eyes of a true local on this full-day tour of its must-see monuments.

Heraklion airport VIP service and lounge

Make your wait at the airport a breeze with our VIP airport service. Avoid all the usual hassle as you're fast tracked through check-in and security to enjoy unlimited drinks, snacks, Wi-Fi and more in the exclusive departure lounge. An altogether more relaxed way to round off your stay.Greeted at Heraklion Airport's departure terminal, the VIP service sees you sail through check-in and security with our fast track pass – giving you more time to take advantage of the comfortable VIP lounge and all its benefits.Inside, you've access to complimentary coffee, tea, water, soft drinks and snacks, as well as selected alcoholic beverages too. What's more, there's unlimited free Wi-Fi and access to TV, magazines and newspapers, allowing you to relax right up to take off.

Samaria Gorge Tour

Those walking boots will get a good workout during this hike through the Samaria Gorge. This 16km-long ravine is the longest in Europe. So it's a serious – but spectacular – five to six-hour trek that's not for the unfit or faint-hearted.

Santorini Tour from Heraklion

The volcanic island of Santorini lies north of Crete. And this daytrip by fast catamaran is a great chance to take a close-up look at it. Curved around a colossal, sea-filled caldera that was formed by a massive volcanic eruption 3,500 years ago, it's all black cliffs, whitewashed villages and blue-domed churches. It's picture-postcard Greece.Once you're on dry land, you'll take off on a scenic tour, exploring many of the island's attractions and learning about its history. Explore a caldera-edge town, where whitewashed houses, cobbled streets and tavernas cascade down the cliff-face in steep terraces.You'll then have some free time in both Oia and the island's capital, Fira. Spend an hour or so snapping up treats in the quaint shops and boutiques. Or, visit some of the best lookouts to take photos – the views over the caldera are great. It's made for selfies.

Amazonas Park and glass-bottom boat tour

It's all about Crete's wild side on this tour. You'll come face-to-face with monkeys, meerkats lemurs and more at Amazonas Park nature reserve and see a world below the waves with a glass-bottom boat trip. And in between, there's free time to chill out in Agios Nikolaos.Your destination for the morning is Amazonas Park, an animal refuge, where you'll get up-close to some of the world's most unusual, beautiful and endangered animals. You'll also find out about their rainforest environments, and how we can help with conservation efforts.At Agios Nikolaos town, you'll have a couple of hours to shop or grab lunch overlooking Mirabello Bay. Next, hop on to a glass-bottom boat for a trip in the bay. You'll glide out into the bay aboard a semi-submarine which features windows beneath the surface. Kids and adults will have a great time spotting the likes of loggerhead sea turtles and multicoloured fish darting around the rocks.

4x4 off-road tour of Crete’s mountains with taverna lunch

Get ready to go off-road on this adrenaline-pumping 4x4 adventure that will take you well and truly off the radar. Explore the more rural parts of Crete and the beautiful nature as you voyage through the mountains on this small group tour.

Spinalonga No Frills Tour

Spinalonga is one of Crete's most talked about sights. It was Europe's last leper colony and scores of lepers lived here, in exile from the mainland, until 1957. Sail to this eerie island just 15-minutes from the mainland and explore this relic of the past.Arriving at the island, you'll find yourself immersed in its history right away. Over the years, it's been a Venetian outpost, an Ottoman town and most notoriously, a leper colony which led to it being dubbed the ‘isle of tears'.A guided walk will show you around the Venetian fortress and the main street lined with the shops and houses where the lepers attempted to live ordinary lives. You'll get to look round the old hospital and graveyard, too. Later, you'll sail back to Elounda where you can swim in the sea, stretch out in the sunshine or watch the world go by at a waterside café. There's also free time to find lunch in a local taverna and a visit to the chic resort of Agios Nikolaos.

Tour of western Crete with winery and olive oil estate

From quality local produce to postcard-perfect beaches, western Crete has it all. This full day tour showcases the area's best bits, with wine tasting at Karavitakis Winery, sampling organic olive oil at the Biolea Estate and relaxing on Falassarna beach. Vasso, one of our expert local guides, says: ‘This is one of my favourite excursions, as it gives a good taste of many aspects of Cretan scenery, lifestyle and monuments. You get to visit an olive oil factory and a winery that produces some of the best wines in Crete'.The day starts with some viticulture on a guided tour of the family-run Karavitakis Winery. Delight your taste buds by sampling local wine and tasty snacks at the state-of-the-art visitor centre. Next, you'll head for lunch to a traditional Cretan restaurant by the sea, where food is prepared using locally sourced products. Plus, you'll have some time to relax on the blond sands of blissful Falassarna beach, which, says Vasso, ‘has been voted as one of the best beaches in Europe several times'.You'll then be taken to the Biolea Estate, a family-owned olive oil factory that specialises in the artisan production of organic olive oil. Find out everything you need to know about olive oil production, from how the olives are grown to how the oil is pressed and then bottled. What's more, your visit contributes to a local business and helps the wider island economy.

Elafonisi Island Tour

An excursion that gets better and better as the day goes on. Enjoy some sightseeing before an afternoon relaxing in Elafonisi, an idyllic island off southwest Crete. You'll also visit the village of Voulgaro and the Agia Sophia cave.