The 14 Private Palace Tours in Heraklion We Would Buy a Ticket For

1.Private Tour-Knossos Palace Zeus Cave Olive Oil Mill & Wine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $151Our pick

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a local English-speaking driver-guide such as Spyros, Stavros, Dimitrios, or Mike, traveling by Mercedes van from Heraklion and nearby resorts. Visit Knossos, an olive oil mill, pottery workshop, mountain villages, old windmills, Krasi’s ancient plane tree, and a family taverna. Zeus Cave is currently closed.

“Wonderful tour with Ed. Very informative and made the tour fun! Loved seeing the mountain side and village stops. Excellent lunch stop.”

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2.Knossos Palace and/or Zeus Cave + Olive Mill | Local & Private

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $98

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a local English-speaking driver-host exploring Knossos, an olive press, the 2,400-year-old Platanus Tree, Lasithi Plateau, Zeus Cave, and Aposelemis Dam. Choose the stops that suit you, enjoy a local tasting, and add lunch or a licensed guide if desired.

“George is an exceptional tour guide. He showed us all the highlights of Heraklion and it was interesting to hear the history of most of the sites. We all agreed this was one of our better tours we have been. George kept contact with me from beginning to end with what's app and he was always quick with his responses. We were on a cruise and he picked us up on time and dropped us back to port on time. Thank you George!”

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3.Matala Beach + Caves, Phaistos Palace & Southern Charm | Private

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $98

Spend 7 to 8 hours with an English-speaking driver-host such as George or Giorgos, traveling privately from Heraklion to Phaistos Palace, Matala Beach, the cliff caves, and Zaros Lake. Bring swimwear, a towel, and good shoes. Lunch is optional, and site admission costs extra.

“George was an excellent guide with much knowledge and love of Crete. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with him and you will too. We highly recommend booking with him and he will tailor the tour to your preferences with a smile. Scott & Brenda”

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4.Private Tour-Knossos Palace Zeus Cave&Olive Oil Mill from Elounda

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.)

Travel by private Mercedes-Benz van from Elounda or nearby resorts with an English-speaking driver-guide. Visit a fourth-generation olive press, Krasi’s ancient plane tree, Lasithi Plateau villages, a local taverna, Aposelemis Dam, and Knossos Palace. Zeus Cave is currently closed, so confirm the final route before booking.

“Amazing tour! Really showcases the part of Crete you didn’t realise existed. Eddie (our guide/driver) was fabulous! The trip with him was entertaining, knowledgable and engaging. The group size was small (4 on our trip but max 8) so it beats larger organised trips where you’re sat on a coach for hours upon hours plus there is the added bonus that there’s a little more flexibility with the time. The only way to access the mouth of the cave is by foot (or donkey at €10) but take it at your own pace and admire the views whilst you’re on your way up but the little trek is worth it.…”

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5.Private Guided Tour to Knossos Palace, the Museum and Heraklion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.)

Spend six to eight hours with a private licensed guide and driver visiting Knossos Palace, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and the city’s Venetian monuments. The tour suits groups of up to six and includes hotel pickup, cold bottled water, and flexible pacing. Guides such as Katerina, Maria, Eva, and Nikos bring the archaeology to life in English and other languages.

“This was a customizable private tour. We were picked up by our guide Maria and our driver Nicos. Maria was very professional and very respected by her peers as we could see in every sight we visited. She has a vast knowledge of the island and its incredible archeological sites. Our driver was an angel. Very kind and professional. Both made sure we had a great time. The highlights we the palace of Knossos, the museum and the food! This is a very interesting Greek island, it certainly surpassed our expectations. For a group of four, this tour was a great value in comparación to the tours offered by our…”

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6.Half Day Private Tour to Knossos Palace (Skip the line) & Panoramic City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $421

Spend four hours with a private guide and driver exploring Knossos, the center of Minoan Crete, then visit Heraklion’s archaeological museum and Venetian center. Guides such as Christina, Eleni, and Katrina have been praised for bringing the ruins and myths to life. Museum admission is extra, and the city tour may require careful timing.

“We were met by Christina whom was a pocket rocket. We travelled in absolute luxury to Knossos Palace where we were treated to the most knowledgeable tour of the sight which is just amazing, what an ingenious civilisation some 4,000 years ago. We then travelled to the Archaeological Museum which was mind blowing, again Christina provided us with the most informative tour. The tour was a little expensive however worth every single dollar and Christina’s experience and knowledge was priceless!”

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7.Private-Knossos Palace-Zeus -Villages-Olive Oil Factory

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 8 hours · from $135

Spend eight hours with a local guide such as Stavros, Spyros, or Mike, visiting an olive oil factory, Mochos, Krasi, the Lasithi Plateau, Zeus’s birthplace, and Knossos Palace. Expect a small group of up to 10, mountain roads, village stops, tastings, optional lunch, and flexible pacing.

“Super tur med Mike, der fortalte levende om Kretas historie og nutid. Kan helt sikkert anbefales.”

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8.Knossos Palace , Museum & Heraklion city private tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 5 hours

Visit Knossos Palace with a licensed guide, then see Minoan treasures at Heraklion Archaeological Museum before free time in the city. George, Rena, and Lina are among the named driver-guide team members associated with this experience. Your private group can include up to 10 people, with pickup, water, Wi-Fi, and transport included.

“We were a group of 10 family members and everything was perfect! The guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and adapted the tour to our pace. The transfer was on time, clean, and very comfortable. Great service from start to finish — highly recommended!”

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9.Knossos Palace &/or Zeus Cave + Olive Mill | Local & Private

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 7 - 8.5 hours · from $96Best value

Spend 7 to 8.5 hours with local host George exploring Crete your way. Choose Knossos Palace, Zeus Cave, or both, then add mountain villages, Lassithi Plateau, an olive mill tasting, a monastery, pottery, and an optional Cretan lunch. Private transport, hotel or port pickup, Wi-Fi, and water are included.

“Super expérience ! George est au petit soin pour nous faire découvrir sa région ! Journee en excursions en famille, avec la découverte de la Crète par les montagne c'était extraordinaire ! Vous pouvez y aller les yeux fermés !”

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10.Knossos Palace Private Tour with Licensed Guide and Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1h 30m

Meet your private licensed guide at Knossos Palace for a 90-minute walk through the Grand Staircase, Throne Room, and frescoes. Hear the history and myths of Minoan Crete, including King Minos and the Minotaur. The tour runs in Greek or English, with one Italian-speaking guide also noted.

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11.Private Tour of Crete with Knossos Palace and Lassithi Plateau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews

Spend about 9.5 hours with a private guide-driver visiting Knossos, a traditional village, Kera Kardiotissa Monastery, a ceramics workshop, an olive press, and a Lassithi Plateau tavern. Pickup, bottled water, transport, and coffee or orange juice are included. Knossos tickets and meals cost extra.

“Our entire day was special and beyond belief. We stepped off the shuttle to find our guides waiting for us. They were kind, courteous, and always took the extra time to answer every question we had and, throughout the day, remained engaged with my family. ANYONE wanting a Spanish language your of Knossos should call here first and take any worries out of your vacation, at least got this day!”

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12.Crete private tour: Knossos Palace and Heraklion Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3 reviews · from $639

Visit Knossos Palace with a private guide, then explore Heraklion’s Venetian walls, cathedral, fountains, and open-air market. The five-hour tour includes private transport and pickup from the cruise port or a Heraklion hotel. Palace admission, food, and drinks cost extra. Flexible departure times suit cruise schedules.

“This was awesome. The only thing I would change was the guide was too smart for my kids. She was wonderful and kind, but I had a hard time keeping up, because she was so smart. I throughly enjoyed the tour though, and I would recommend it.”

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13.Knossos Palace Museum and Heraklion City Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.)

Spend about five hours with a private guide and driver visiting Knossos Palace, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and Morosini Fountain. Hotel and cruise-port pickup, WiFi, water, and transport are included. Lina, George, and Spyros are among the named staff associated with this service, though assignments can vary.

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14.Knossos Palace & Heraklion Archaeology Museum | Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $323

Spend about four hours with an official licensed guide at Knossos Palace and Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Guide Marilina is noted for her background in prehistoric religion, art, and mythology. The tour begins at Knossos and ends at the museum, with entrance tickets and transport between sites paid separately.

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