Crete Wine Tours
Crete has made wine for four thousand years, and its comeback is built on native grapes grown nowhere else: the aromatic white Vidiano, the crisp Vilana and Dafni, and the ancient reds Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, tasted in the hill wineries above Heraklion. Compare the top-rated Crete wine tours below, then read our notes.
Top-rated wine tours in Crete
The best Crete wine tours to book
Wine tours in Crete, compared. Crete grows its own grape varieties, such as Vidiano, Liatiko and Kotsifali, mostly in the hills south of Heraklion; tours visit two or three wineries, and the best add olive oil, raki and lunch.
| Experience | Length | Rating (reviews) | Best for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Day Food Tour with Cretan Wines, Olive Oil and Raki | 8 hours | 5.0 (309) | The most booked | Check availability |
| Cretan Wine Tasting Tour and Gourmet Lunch | 8 hours | 4.9 (139) | Wine and lunch | Check availability |
| Cretan Wine Tasting with Indigenous Varieties in Heraklion | 1 to 2 hours | 4.9 (58) | A short tasting | Check availability |
| Guided 2-Winery Tour with 10 Wine Tastings | 4 hours | 5.0 (26) | Two wineries | Check availability |
Our pick: the Full-Day Food Tour with Cretan Wines, Olive Oil and Raki, rated 5.0 from 309 reviews on GetYourGuide.
Ratings and review counts as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.
How to choose
The full-day food tour with Cretan wines, olive oil and raki is the most reviewed and has a perfect score. For wine above all, take the wine tasting tour with gourmet lunch. In Heraklion, the Cretan wine tasting with indigenous varieties takes an hour or two and costs little.
Formats: half-day winery tours from Heraklion into the Archanes and Peza wine country with two or three estates; wine-and-olive-oil days; combined Knossos-and-wine trips; wine tastings with a Cretan lunch.
What you taste: the whites Vidiano, Vilana, Dafni and Assyrtiko, and the reds Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, from the Peza, Archanes and Dafnes appellations, with local cheese and oil.
Price: roughly 50 to 80 dollars for a winery tour and tasting; 90 to 140 for a full day with two or three estates and lunch.
Native grapes and an ancient tradition
Crete was making wine in Minoan times – the palace of Knossos had its cellars – and the modern island has revived its indigenous grapes rather than chasing international ones. The white Vidiano, aromatic and full, is the star of the comeback; Vilana and Dafni are the crisp, herbal whites; and the reds are the old varieties Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, often blended for perfume and structure. Assyrtiko grows well here too.
The wine country above Heraklion
Most visitable wineries are in the hills south of Heraklion, in the Peza, Archanes and Dafnes appellations, twenty to forty minutes from the city among vineyards and olive groves. A tour visits two or three estates, tastes across the native grapes, and usually adds the island’s olive oil and cheese; several combine the wine with the Minoan palace of Knossos nearby.
How to visit
Base in or near Heraklion and take a half- or full-day tour with a driver so you can taste freely; the estates are close together. Harvest is August into September. Pair the wine with a Crete food tour and the island’s cooking classes for the full table.
Read next: What to eat in Crete
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Crete Wine Tours
Frequently asked questions
What wine is Crete known for?
Native grapes: the aromatic white Vidiano above all, the crisp Vilana and Dafni, and the ancient reds Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, from the hills above Heraklion.
Where are the Crete wineries?
Mostly in the Peza, Archanes and Dafnes areas south of Heraklion, twenty to forty minutes from the city, often combined with the palace of Knossos.
Can I combine wine with Knossos?
Yes; several tours pair the Minoan palace of Knossos with the nearby Archanes and Peza wineries in one day.
Which wine tour is best in Crete?
On GetYourGuide the most booked is the Full-Day Food Tour with Cretan Wines, Olive Oil and Raki, rated 5.0 from 309 reviews. Also highly rated: the Cretan Wine Tasting Tour and Gourmet Lunch and the Cretan Wine Tasting with Indigenous Varieties in Heraklion. The table above compares them by length, rating and who they suit.
What does a wine tour cost in Crete?
In October 2026 prices on GetYourGuide started from about €36 per person, and most of the top-rated options cost between €36 and €165. Longer experiences with a meal, private options and day trips cost more. Check the listing for the live price.