• Duration: 4 hours
• Tour Type: Private (min 2 people), Shared (max 12 people) and Private
• Ages: All ages
• Activity Type: Culture, Family-friendly, Food, Iconic sites, Walking
• Time: 9.00AM
• Language: English

Highlights:

• Wander through layers of Heraklion’s history and cultural influences and listen to stories of its turbulent past while exploring legendary monuments, fountains, and churches.
• Discover Crete’s culinary traditions by sampling the best products at the local market and find out why it’s home to one of the healthiest diets in the world.
• Explore the off-the-beaten-path side of Heraklion that only locals know by winding your way through hidden laneways and old city walls.
• Enjoy Crete’s oh-hey-that’s-strong raki and tsikoudia spirits and a mouthwatering meze platter of local flavors.

Meeting point:

Our guide will be standing next to the statue of a soldier in the middle of Eleftherias Square at 9:00 AM

Eleftherias Square is the main square of Heraklion, near the Archaeological Museum and opposite the Astoria Hotel.

Our guide will be standing on the square holding a Crete Local Adventures sign.

Statue of Unknown Soldier, Heraklion 712 01. 

Guests’ pickup is offered for the private group option. Pick-up time is adjustable upon your request. We will meet you at your hotel lobby or at the port at your cruise ship. Our guide will be holding a sign with your name.

Get to know Heraklion with a local

Scratch the concrete surface of the city and head straight for the heart of Heraklion. Discover the hidden laneways and the lesser-known backstreets, but also explore the city’s highlights, indulge in local tastes, and experience all these ‘spicy ingredients’ as a local insider.

Local impact — How you help the local community by joining this tour

• Visit local market vendors and 100% local family-owned businesses that sell their own and Cretan-only products.
• During this tour, you sample locally-sourced food from Crete’s villages, farmers, and stock-breeders.
• You’ll have the opportunity to buy from stores and support locals who don’t generally benefit from tourism.

Full Itinerary

Heraklion isn’t a city that captivates you from the first sight but that is exactly why you should book this bites and sights tour with us you will bypass the capital’s concrete buildings and dive into the fascinating soul of our city.

Upon meeting us we head off to the center of Heraklion to start our day with a traditional Greek coffee paired with “koulouri” that delicious circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds, and get an introduction to the local history. Heading off from “Freedom Square,” a.k.a. Eleftherias Square, get to know the city as it is now, but also as it was centuries ago, uncovering remnants of occupations by the Byzantines, Arabs, Venetians, Turks, and pirates… yes, pirates.

Moving on, we’ll walk along the pedestrian street of 25 August, admiring some of Heraklion’s major highlights, like St. Titus Cathedral and the Morosini Fountain in the heart of the city. Continue along the hidden backstreets of Heraklion, where we will discuss the city’s history and point out further evidence of how the city has been shaped into the lively place it is today.

From there, take a hop back in time with a walk atop Heraklion’s great Venetian wall fortifications for some of the best views of the city. It’s also a great vantage point to see how these walls (ahem, the longest in Europe, ahem) divide the old city from the new city. Continue along to the lonesome tomb and monument of Nikos Kazantzakis, the son of Crete, and discover what inspired him to write Zorba.

Nothing better exemplifies Crete than its food and wine and both are plenty on our last stop. Discover a side to this city only heard from the mouths of locals, while indulging in typical cuisine and one of  Crete’s most delectable exports – wine. Dig into a meze platter and sip local specialties like raki and tsikoudia, the island’s famous (and oh so strong) distilled spirit. Opa!