HERAKLION FOOD STORIES WALKING TOUR
Heraklion, Crete
All Year Round
79
4 Hours
Food & Wine Tour
Walking Tour
Highlights
- Experience real Cretan food at 8 local-favourite stops away from the tourist crowds
- Sample unique Cretan cheeses and learn how to become an authentic Cretan cheese-expert by selecting the best ones.
- Sample Heraklion’s bougatsa in a family-owned business that has been running since since 1920s
- Taste the world famous Cretan olive oil and find out why it is considered one of the best in the world
- Enjoy a glass of local wine and learn about the local wine making process that dates back to the Bronze Age.
- Sip a a freshly brewed traditional Greek coffee in a local kafeneion
Tour snapshot
Did you know that Crete is a foodies’ paradise? Walk with us to experience Heraklion like a local and explore the best the city has to offer. Learn about the culinary culture and wander in local neighborhoods as you eat and sip your way through authentic Heraklion.
Local impact — How you help the local community by joining this tour:
- During this tour, you sample locally-sourced food from Crete’s villages, farmers and stock-breeders
- On this tour, you meet a local greengrocer, cheesemonger, butcher, and fishmonger, and other family-owned businesses that sell their own Cretan-only products.
- By joining this tour, you are supporting a 100-year-old local bakery so it can keep flourishing and serving authentic local delicacies.
Full Itinerary
Follow this four-hour Heraklion food and wine walking tour that will introduce you to the best food that Heraklion has to offer by treating your palate to traditional Cretan dishes and exceptional local wines! Being one of the healthiest and tastiest diets in the world and the base of the Mediterranean diet, the Cretan cuisine is so unique due to its strong tie with the local culture, history, and geography of the region. The best way to get to know a place is through its food and we will take you on an unforgettable tasty journey through Heraklion’s local neighbourhoods.
After meeting your local guide, you’ll start off with a traditional Greek coffee also known as ellinikós kafés. Learn why Greeks love so much coffee and see it brewed the traditional way in sand and yes, we will teach you “cup reading”, a centuries-old tradition that reads your future!
Next, you’ll enjoy Heraklion’s well-known bougatsa in a family-owned business that has mastered their bougatsa technique since 1922! Consisting of semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo, bougatsa is a must-taste pastry that you shouldn’t miss while being in the city.
Passing through the historical center of Heraklion, you’ll continue the exploration to a local market where you’ll meet the local vendors and learn about their products. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to sample some of the basic elements of Cretan cuisine such as olives, rusks, and cheese – and yes, we’ll teach you how to become a cheese–tasting expert by giving some local hints and learning how to spot the best local cheeses! And of course, taste the island’s famous olive oil and find out why organic Cretan olive oil is one of the best oils in the world.
At our next stop, you’ll sit down for a local organic meat dish or if you want to show yourself how brave you are, you can sample a dish that is loved by most Cretans and it is …fried snails!
Moving on to our last stop, your Heraklion food tour couldn’t end without tasting some local Cretan wines in a family-run shop. Keep in mind that winemaking in Crete has a long history that dates back to the Bronze Age!
Before you go, don’t forget to ask your local guide for more tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay.
Language: English
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, food and beverage samples as indicated in the itinerary (coffee, rusks, olives, cheese, pastries, traditional sweets, local wine/spirit tasting, meats). The inclusions are more than enough that you can skip lunch! (Vegetarian options are available, but please let us know at the time of booking.)
Exclusions: Additional food and drink, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips and gratuities for your guide