Accommodation at the Villa Kerassia traditional villa in a twin/double room house for 9 nights
20 Vegetarian Cretan cookery lessons on days 2 – 5, 7 – 10, 12 – 14, 16, 18 – 20, 22 and 24 - 27
A visit to archaeological sites of Gortys, Phaestos and Knossos (guiding/entrance fees are extra)
A visit to a cheese factory
A visit to an olive oil factory
A visit to the women’s co-operative of Marathos work shop
A visit to the monasteries of Arkadi and Odigitrias
A visit to the Matala caves
A visit to Argyroupolis natural springs and Matala caves and Zaros lake
A gastronomic walking tour of Heraklion
A gastronomic tour of Chania
A gastronomic tour of Rethymnon
A gastronomic tour of Ierapetra
A visit to local bee-keeping honey producers and tasting of produce
A visit to local wineries and tasting of wine and raki
A visit to a local house and spend the day with locals
A visit to a farmer’s vineyard and having lunch with them
A visit to a producers work shop
A visit to the archeological museum of Heraklion
A visit to the historical museum of Heraklion
Cheese and home made bread hands on class
1 Cretan folklore live music and dancing class
1 Icon painting class
1 cycling day
Organic farming class
Spoon sweets class
Samaria gorge day tour (escorted)
Agiofarago southern central Crete walk and swim experience
A soft mountain walk with Markos at Asteroussia mountains
All transport to and from the excursions
All cooking materials and ingredients
Breakfast each morning
Lunch on days 2-29
Dinner accompanied by water, local wine and raki every night
Prices are based on two sharing a house, a single supplement applies for those travelling solo
Note: Shared houses may be available subject to availability
ITINERARY
Day 1. Arrival. Reception at the airport. Transportation to the Kouriton house manor. Dinner at the manor. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Dinner)
Day 2. REGION OF RETHYMNON / WESTERN CRETE: Arkadi monastery, Pottery work shop and class, Lunch at Margarites village and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 3. REGION OF RETHYMNON: Mountain tour, Anogia, Iakinthos mountain stoned church, Lunch at Drossia village, Halepa monastery and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 4. REGION OF RETHYMNON: Gastronomic tour of Rethymnon city / Lunch at the springs of Georgioupolis and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 5. REGION OF CHANIA: Georgioupolis, Gastronomic tour of Chania / Lunch at the old port of Chania and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 6. REGION OF CHANIA: SAMARIA GORGE (full day escorted walking tour) Light lunch (sandwiches during the walk) Dinner at Kouriton house. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 7. REGION OF RETHYMNON: After a long walk spend the day at the beach. Lunch on spot and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 8. REGION OF RETHYMNON: Cycling tour the country side. Lunch on our way and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 9. REGION OF RETHYMNON. ART! Icon painting or wood curving day. Experience the icon painting! Lunch at the near area and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 10. REGION OF RETHYMNON. Soft walking experience the Kouriton path at Margarites, ancient Eleftherna, lunch at Margarites. and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Kouriton house. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
DAY 11. REGION OF HERAKLION: Today we pack and leave Kouriton house and drive EAST AND south direction the mountain village of Kapetaniana and the Thalori Mountain resort. On our way we visit the women cooperatives work shop at Marathos village and having break at Doxa to taste honey combs and pancakes with pure honey accompanied by Greek coffee or mountain herbal tea and drive south direction Kapetaniana village and accommodation at Thalori resort. Dinner at Thalori restaurant with variety of local vegetarian delicacies. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Day 12. REGION OF HERAKLION SOUTHERN CENTRAL CRETE: Visits to the Roman capital city of Gortys the Minoan city of Phaestos, lunch at the sea front restaurant at Kokkinos Pyrgos, and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Thalori mountain resort. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 13. REGION OF HERAKLION. SOUTHERN CENTRAL CRETE: Breakfast and drive south to the caves and beach of Matala. Visit the caves, join the clear waters at Matala beach and lunch at local restaurant. Back to Thalori later in the afternoon and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Thalori mountain resort. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 14 REGION OF HERAKLION. SOUTHERN CENTRAL CRETE: Breakfast and drive south for a soft walk to the small unspoiled beach of Agiofarago. Join the clear waters of the Libyan sea. Picnic lunch on spot. Back to Thalori later in the afternoon and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Thalori mountain resort. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 15. REGION OF HERAKLION. SOUTHERN CENTRAL CRETE: We spend the day at the resort. Well known Cretan artist music player and dancer will come with his group to drive us to the secrets of Cretan music and dancing. Lunch and dinner at Thalori. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Day 16. REGION OF HERAKLION. CENTRAL CRETE – WINE TASTING, FARMER VISIT AND VINEYARD PICNIC: Breakfast and drive north. Visits of 2 small family wineries the one producing Organic wines – taste them – and visit a friends vineyard where we spend the rest of the day picking fresh veggies and fruits from the garden and having them for lunch accompanied by home made wine. Back to the resort later in the afternoon. and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Thalori mountain resort. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 17. REGION OF HERAKLION: Gastronomic tour of Heraklion, free time for shopping. Dinner at Thalori restaurant with variety of local vegetarian delicacies. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Day 18. REGION OF HERAKLION. Home made cheese and bread making and day to spend at the swimming pool. Back to Thalori later in the afternoon and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Thalori mountain resort. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 19. REGION OF HERAKLION: Breakfast and drive north to visit the lake of Zaros. Short break for a cup of coffee and drive north to visit a house and spend the day with the house lady. We go with her on the fields and harvest wild greens that we will have them for lunch later on accompanied by few more home made delicacies. Back to Thalori later in the afternoon and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at Thalori mountain resort. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 20. REGION OF HERAKLION: Today we spend the day on Organic farming. Harvest the organic vegetables and turn them to our meals for the day. Lunch and dinner at Thalori. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 21. REGION OF HERAKLION: After breakfast we pack and leave Thalori. Drive north direction Heraklion. First break at Peza cooperatives wine and olive oil tasting. Ending the visit we drive to the palace of Knossos. The tour takes one and a half hour. Ending the visit we drive to Kerassia village where we spend the rest of the days. Lunch at Villa Kerassia with local specialties.
Day 22. REGION OF LASSITHI: Lassithi plateau. Psichro cave, the cave where Zeus as per Mythology born. Lunch at Lassithi. Back to villa Kerassia and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at villa Kerassia. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 23. REGION OF LASSITHI: Eastern Crete. The 4000 years old ancient olive tree, the sea front village of Mochlos, the Monastery of Toplou and the city of Sitia. Lunch at Sitia and dinner at the small village of Latsida. Accommodation at villa Kerassia.(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Day 24. REGION OF HERAKLION: Spend the day at the beach. Lunch at a sea front restaurant with vegetarian delicacies. Back to villa Kerassia and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at villa Kerassia. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 25. REGION OF LASSITHI: Agios Nikolaos , Elounda and the sea front village of Plaka. Lunch at Plaka. Later in the afternoon back to villa Kerassia and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at villa Kerassia. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 26. REGION OF HERAKLION: Archaeological Museum of Heraklion and walking tour of the city. Lunch at local mezedopolion. Later in the afternoon back to villa Kerassia and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at villa Kerassia. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 27. REGION OF HERAKLION: Visit an open farmers market, visit the historical museum of Heraklion, the St Catherine’s old icons gallery, lunch with street food and later in the afternoon back to villa Kerassia and hands on cooking class. Accommodation at villa Kerassia. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 28. SANTORINI DAY TOUR: Escorted day tour to the island of Santorini. Dinner at traditional restaurant at Heraklion. Accommodation at villa Kerassia. (Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 29. REGION OF HERAKLION: Last day. Drive you to Heraklion for shopping on your own. Meet you at lunch time for lunch and back to the lodge for packing and get ready for the tomorrows departure. Accommodation at villa Kerassia.. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Day 30. Breakfast and transportation to the airport for the flight back home