Beneath the sprawling Palace of Knossos, Daedalus built the legendary labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur for King Minos—a story entwined with the origins of Minoan civilization. Embark on an odyssey into the ancient Aegean world, where myth, memory, and landscape intertwine to reveal the legacy of the Minoans. Our adventure begins in vibrant Athens, with a stay at a boutique hotel in the city’s historic heart and a welcome dinner featuring Attican cuisine beneath the city lights.
Here, guided by a specialist Minoan archaeologist, we explore the National Archaeological Museum—home to Greece’s most spectacular treasures. This day gives us a good overview of Greek history in which to place Minoan civilization before we go to Crete. It’s also an opportunity to see the wonderful frescoes of Akrotiri before our trip to Santorini.
We then fly to Crete, the birthplace of the Minoan civilization. In Chania, we explore the fantastic new Chania Archaeological Museum and its highlights, such as the Seal of the Master, an incredible representation of the city of Chania viewed from the sea, dated to the 15th century. BC.
The itinerary follows Crete’s northern and southern shores, immersing in the Venetian harbors, ancient cemeteries such as Armenoi, vibrant pottery workshops, and bustling towns of Rethymnon and Chania. Evenings bring Cretan feasts and the living rhythms of local life.
Peer down into the labyrinth below the Palace of Knossos, behold the stupendous frescoes and relics at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and journey through sacred Archanes, Mount Ida, and Anemospilia—locales bound to Minoan myth and ritual. Wander the sun-drenched plains and evocative ruins of Phaistos and Gortyna, with time to unwind on the sands of Matala.
We continue east through the Minoan world, discovering Malia Palace, the mystical Dikti Cave, and the fortress isle of Spinalonga, then venture into the remote wilds of Zakros for its haunting palace and crystalline beaches. Enjoy a harbor lunch at Mochlos before the panoramic drive back to Heraklion.
A high-speed ferry takes us to the dazzling cliffs of Santorini for two magical days, experiencing the Bronze Age city of Akrotiri, the flavors of Cycladic wine country, and the iconic Santorini sunset from a caldera cruise.
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On our expert-led Greek archaeology tours, you’ll explore alongside a distinguished local archaeologist who brings depth to every site visit. Our experienced tour leaders complement this archaeological expertise, ensuring your journey through ancient, classical, and Byzantine Greece is both enlightening and seamless.
By touring in Spring and Fall, we aim to avoid the crush of the summer crowds at UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Acropolis of Athens, allowing you to fully appreciate the magnificent monuments. From the grandeur of the Parthenon to the treasures and Royal Tombs buried under the tumulus at Vergina, each day reveals new aspects of ancient and classical Greece.
Our thoughtfully paced itinerary balances archaeological exploration with leisure time. You’ll have opportunities to wander the historic streets of Psyrri with its political street art, enjoy long lunches of regional specialties in Thessaloniki, revel in the glory of a Meteora sunset, or simply reflect on the day’s discoveries from your hotel balcony.
With just 12 guests, our intimate group shares engaging conversations over excellent local wines and authentic Greek regional cuisine. Each evening, we return to our premium accommodation, where ancient history and modern comfort seamlessly blend into an unforgettable experience.
Our tour begins in Athens.
After your group transfers from the airport to the hotel, we warmly welcome you to Psyrri, Athens, with welcome drinks followed by a wonderful local dinner with wine.
Meals: D
Overnight: Athens
We start our day with breakfast before heading to the National Archaeological Museum. Here, our expert guide gives us an overview of Greece’s main historical periods, so that we have context and understanding of the place of the Minoan civilization within the great theater of Greek history. We can marvel together at masterworks from Akrotiri before our journey to Crete then on to Ancient Akrotiri in Santorini.
Later, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Chania, Crete, where we settle in and dine as a group in the charming heart of the city.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Chania
After breakfast, we head together to the Archaeological Museum of Chania, where we explore an impressive collection of Minoan finds from western Crete. Here, we marvel at Early Minoan bird-shaped vessels, seal stones, pottery, and artifacts unearthed from ancient Kydonia, Armenoi, and more—each piece weaving the story of daily life, ritual, and trade in the Minoan world.
Elena is particularly excited to show our guests the Master Seal of the Master, an incredible representation on a tiny surface of the city of Chania viewed from the sea and dating to the 15th Century BC, as well as an entire Minoan lustral basin.
We then transfer to the picturesque Venetian harbor to begin a guided walking tour of Chania’s storied old town, taking in the Venetian architecture, winding alleyways, and vibrant waterfront.
The rest of the day is free for us to explore at our own pace, wandering the charming streets, relaxing by the harbor, or simply hanging out by the pool or the beach.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Chania
After breakfast, we journey onward to Rethymnon, stopping first at the evocative Armenoi Minoan Cemetery. This site is one of the most important Late Minoan burial grounds in Crete.
When it was excavated, the cemetery was found to contain over 230 tombs that held extraordinary artifacts—pottery, jewelry, and painted clay sarcophagi—which provide a rare window into the burial customs, social structure, and daily life of the Minoan people during the Bronze Age.
After checking into our Rethymnon hotel, a palazzo that dates back to the Venetian occupation of Crete (1200 – 1600 AD), we set out together to explore the old town, a traditional baklava workshop, and Rethymnon’s lively harbor.
Tonight, we enjoy the freedom to sample local cuisine at leisure in the atmospheric alleyways surrounding our Palazzo.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Rethymnon
Today, we journey through the scenic countryside, making our first stop at the tranquil and culturally important Arkadi Monastery.
Our next destination stands at the crossroads of Cretan history: ancient Eleutherna. We visit the Eleutherna museum because Eleutherna’s roots reach back to the Minoan period and its discoveries—pottery, figurines, and sacred objects—reveal how Minoan artistry and influence left a lasting impression on later Cretan civilization. Recent excavations here have unearthed connections to the Minoans and provided invaluable insight into Crete’s role in ancient trade, ritual practices, and cultural evolution.
It’s time for lunch in Margarites, a village celebrated for its vibrant pottery workshops and distinctive local craftsmanship, and there is time to wander the workshops of the potters before making our way to the seaside village of Agia Galini.
Tonight, dinner is a spectacular buffet at our seaside hotel, giving you the chance to discuss the day’s events while enjoying the sunset over the Libyan Sea.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Agia Galini
After breakfast, we set out to discover the palatial ruins of Phaistos, one of the greatest and most important cities of Minoan Crete. Phaistos is renowned not only for its monumental palace complex and stunning views but also for the celebrated Phaistos Disc and Linear A inscriptions found here—key artifacts in unraveling the mysteries of Minoan writing, architecture, and society.
We then continue to Gortyna, an ancient city whose roots reached into the Minoan and Classical worlds. Here we see the laws inscribed on a wall in the center of the ancient city. These laws constitute the oldest codified and systematic legislation in Europe, with detailed references to different aspects of daily life and legal issues.
We then continue our journey north to Heraklion, sharing stories over a group dinner in the evening.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Heraklion
Today, we discover the world-class Minoan collections at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, where masterpieces like the Phaistos Disc, vibrant frescoes, and ceremonial objects offer a window into Minoan society, art, and daily life. This museum holds one of the finest and most comprehensive assemblies of Minoan artifacts found anywhere, making it a must-visit for anyone passionate about early European civilization.
Then it’s onwards for our private tour of the fabled Palace of Knossos, exploring one of Europe’s largest and most celebrated Bronze Age archaeological sites—spanning more than six acres and encompassing over a thousand rooms, courtyards, and storerooms. Knossos is renowned not only for its monumental scale and labyrinthine design but also for its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage candidate, highlighting its profound historical and cultural importance for both Crete and the world.
Dinner tonight is at your leisure in the tavernas lining central Heraklion’s vibrant squares.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Heraklion
After breakfast, we farewell Heraklion for now and journey east on our longest travel day (about 4 hours) to the remote Zakros, where we explore the haunting ruins of the Minoan palace before relaxing at Kato Zakros Beach.
The Palace of Zakros is small, remote, and not visited by other Minoan tours. We love this wild part of Crete, and the Minoan Palace of Zakros stands out in the archaeological record for its strategic role as a maritime and trade hub linking Crete with Egypt and the Near East. We will have discovered its exceptionally well-preserved treasures the day before in the Heraklion Museum —including imported luxury goods, Linear A tablets, and ritual objects—which have provided invaluable insights into Minoan international connections, daily life, and spiritual practices.
We enjoy a tranquil evening soaking up the peaceful atmosphere of this coastal village.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Zakros
After breakfast, we journey northwest and stop at Mochlos harbor, where we board small fishing boats to cross the turquoise channel to tiny Mochlos Island. Together, we explore its extensive Minoan ruins—once a bustling settlement and port.
These archaeological remnants include house blocks, workshops, tombs, and exquisitely crafted jewelry and pottery, revealing Mochlos as a hub of craftsmanship, trade, and maritime connections. Remarkably, Mochlos’s finds illuminate the social hierarchy, burial rites, and international reach of the Minoans.
After savoring lunch by the water, we drive north to Elounda, our base for the evening. Enjoy the beach, port, and village, and unwind after our journey to remote eastern Crete.
We come together again at the end of our day for a short drive to nearby Pines village, where we indulge in an authentic Cretan mountain feast.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Elounda
After breakfast, we begin our day of exploration by boarding the ferry to Spinalonga, the evocative fortress island just offshore. Immortalized in Victoria Hislop’s best-selling novel “The Island,” Spinalonga is famed for its Venetian fortifications and, more hauntingly, its history as Greece’s last active leper colony.
The remains of homes, ramparts, and streets evoke both the suffering and resilience of those exiled here—a striking landscape of beauty and isolation, where echoes of drama and endurance linger in the stone walls, resonating with all who visit.
It’s time for a last lunch in Elounda before we set off to discover the Minoan Palace of Malia, the third largest Bronze Age palace in Crete and a remarkable open-air archaeological site. At Malia, we explore a vast complex of courtyards, granaries, workshops, and ceremonial spaces—witnessing advanced Minoan architecture and evidence of civic, religious, and economic life dating back nearly 4,000 years.
Unique among palaces, Malia’s treasures (that we discovered in the Heraklion Museum) included an extraordinary gold bee pendant and some of the finest examples of Minoan jewelry, ceramics, and administrative seals, revealing the sophistication and symbolic world of the civilization.
The excavations here at Malia Palace have revealed traces of all three major Minoan scripts—Cretan Hieroglyphic, Linear A, and Linear B. We walk the paths once trodden by merchants, artisans, and local kings, truly connecting with the pulse of ancient Crete.
We then return to our base in Heraklion for our final evening in Crete, where you are free to choose a seaside taverna for dinner.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Heraklion
We’re up early this morning to board a high-speed ferry for dazzling Santorini Island.
In Fira, our archaeologist guide takes us on a private tour of the Museum of Prehistoric Thera.
We then check into our traditional white sugarcube accommodation in Oia. The rest of the day is yours to wander the magical village of Oia.
We come together in the evening for a memorable sunset dinner overlooking the caldera’s dramatic views.
Meals: B, D
Overnight: Oia
This is our final day together in unforgettable Santorini, and we make it special with a journey through the island’s most iconic experiences. We begin with a guided visit to the stunning Bronze Age city of Akrotiri, where volcanic ash preserved ancient streets and frescoes in extraordinary detail. Akrotiri stands as one of the most significant archaeological sites of the ancient world—a thriving port and cultural hub deeply connected to Minoan Crete through trade and shared artistry.
Here, multi-storey houses, vivid wall paintings, and an advanced drainage system reveal the sophistication and daily life of the Minoans, while its preservation as the “Minoan Pompeii” allows us a rare glimpse into a vanished civilization. Including Akrotiri in our tour underscores the reach and influence of Minoan society far beyond Crete’s shores.
Next, we venture to Santorini’s volcanic-soil vineyards—touring the terraced fields where indigenous grape varieties thrive in mineral-rich, ashy earth. We’ll savor tastings of unique local wines, learning about the traditions and flavors that make Santorini’s varietals world-renowned.
As sunset nears, we gather for our last meal—a celebratory seafood feast at a waterfront taverna in Amoudi Bay, famous for its magical red cliffs and world-class seafood. Surrounded by the gentle lapping of the Aegean and the warm glow of the evening, we reflect on our shared epic journey through the Minoan world and our wonderful newfound friendships.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Oia
We savor our final breakfast together before private transfers to Santorini Airport or Ferry Port. Farewelling new friends and unforgettable memories, we each carry home the secrets of the Labyrinth and the genius of the ancient Minoans.
If you’d like to (understandably) stay longer on this enchanting island, we’ll be happy to help you extend your stay.
Meals: B
Dr Elena Soulioti is a specialist in Aegean Bronze Age and Minoan archaeology with a PhD from Durham University on the social role of Minoan symbols. For more than 25 years she has combined cutting-edge research with inspiring on-site storytelling as a licensed Greek tour guide throughout mainland Greece and the islands.
Elena’s research focuses on the intersection of material culture, symbolism, and religious practice in Bronze Age Aegean societies, especially the Minoans. She has presented at international conferences in Greece and the UK on topics such as Minoan religious symbols, the “sacred knot,” and semiotic approaches to ancient imagery.
Her fieldwork includes major Minoan sites across Crete, with three seasons at the Palace of Zakros, studies at the Makrygialos Minoan Villa, and extensive work on unpublished pottery in the museums of Heraklion and Aghios Nikolaos. Beyond Crete she has participated in projects from the Neolithic site of Dispilio in northern Greece to the Epidaurus Limera surface survey in Laconia, a direct link to the landscapes explored on Peloponnese itineraries.
Elena graduated from the National School of Tourist Guides in Athens and has worked as a licensed professional guide across Greece since the late 1990s, guiding in Greek, English, Spanish, and German. Over nearly three decades, she has designed and led highly specialized tours for universities, alumni groups, schools, cultural associations, agrotourism and economic-life programs, ANZAC and modern history tours, as well as bespoke family and small-group journeys.
She has served as Vice President and Secretary of the Association of Tourist Guides in Athens, organising multi-day training seminars and educational excursions that help other guides stay current with new archaeological discoveries and interpretive approaches. Elena also collaborates with the Municipality of Athens and leading museums to offer free public guided tours of sites and collections such as the Archaeological Site of Aristotle’s Lyceum and the Museum of Cycladic Art, where her narratives make the city’s layered past accessible to a wide local and international audience.
Elena’s tours are characterised by clear, engaging narratives that connect archaeological evidence with myth, philosophy, and everyday life, always tailored for an intelligent general audience. Guests frequently comment on how she weaves complex historical and philosophical themes into vivid stories that make sites feel alive without overwhelming them with jargon.
Her passion for education extends beyond the road: she has organised interdisciplinary workshops on symbolism, contributed to conferences on cultural tourism, and even created radio-style “guided tour” broadcasts for Greek audiences. These activities reflect her belief that a guide is an “invisible ambassador” of Greece, responsible not only for accurate information but also for creating meaningful, human experiences of place.
Our tours are physically active! Clambering around archaeological sites, castles, acropoli, and fortresses is an essential part of the Take Me To Europe tour experience, and stairs are everywhere in Europe! On our Minoan tour, we have had to make decisions based on the distances involved – Crete is a BIG island!
We have chosen more nights in different villages and cities, to spend the least amount of time on the road as possible. This means there will be lots of packing and unpacking and rolling your bag between the mini-bus and hotels, airports, and ferry terminals. We suggest you pack as lightly as possible to limit the amount of time you spend packing and unpacking. Just remember – pack your curiosity, it doesn’t need to go in your suitcase!
You will need to be able to:
