Douliana Villas

Meet your wine-expert guide at a wine cellar in central Chania, and start your experience by answering a short questionnaire to outline any specific interests you may have. A local with lifelong experience in the wine industry, your guide is one of the most knowledgeable and passionate Cretans when it comes to wine the perfect companion for your 1.5-hour wine tasting!

Before sampling some exciting varietals, learn about Crete's winemaking heritage and its history. Cultivated for nearly 4,000 years, Cretan wine traces its roots to the inland region of Vathipetro where the first wine press thought to be roughly 3,500 years old was found. Nowadays, the island boasts 10 varietals of wine, of which seven are white and three red, with high levels of acidity that complement the islander's diet of fresh seafood and wild greens.

Learn about popular Cretan varietals such as the aromatic thrapsathiri or the delicately flavored vilana grape, and hear of the sweet moschato spinas with its floral and fruity tones. Based on your group's answers to the questionnaire, your guide will select four different wines for you to try; these may be local, Greek, international, or even made from a variety of different blends. Sip on the wine while learning about nearby Cretan vineyards, and savor an assortment of traditional light dishes alongside each glass. The delicacies vary, but typically you can expect fresh bread, rusks and a platter of local cheese and smoked Greek meat. At the end of your tasting session, purchase some of the wine to take home, if you wish, and then bid your guide goodbye.

Start your Crete vacation with ease by booking this private arrival transfer from Chania Airport to your Crete hotel. Choose from a selection of drop-off points including the towns of Georgioupolis, Rethymno and Chania, and then meet your friendly and professional driver to travel to your destination in the comfort of a private, air-conditioned vehicle. It’s that easy!

After traveling by coach to the west of the sun-baked island, stop to climb the 90 steps of Chrissoskalitissa Monastery before exploring it with your guide. Spend your afternoon on idyllic Elafonissi Island, where you can sunbathe, swim or explore at leisure.

Leave your Chania hotel by air-conditioned bus and travel the short journey to the historical monastery of Chrissoskalitissa built on a rock just adrift from the western coast of Crete.

The name of the monastery translates as golden step, referencing a Greek legend about the steps that lead to its entrance: the top step is said to be made from gold, but only can be seen as such by those who have a pure heart. Head up the steps and explore inside with your guide, learning about its history. Hear how it was built during a time of Venetian rule and acted as a shelter for fishermen before becoming a monastery.

Board your coach again and continue to island of Elafonissi, a tiny island off Crete's far southwestern tip. Only 328 feet (100 meters) from the coast, the island is close enough to be reached on foot from Crete the water is no higher than an adult's knee!

With pink-hued sands lining the crystalline sea, Elafonissi is a little piece of paradise just begging to be enjoyed. Spend time at leisure on the idyllic island, lounging on its beaches, swimming in the sea, finding a café for lunch or taking a walk around. Besides its picture-perfect beaches, the island is known for an abundance of rare vegetation and wildlife you can find cedar trees and lilies here that grow nowhere else in Europe.

At the pre-arranged time, meet your guide back at the meeting point, and hop back on board your comfortable bus for the way back to your hotel.