A Crete jeep safari leaves the coast roads for dirt tracks, mountain plateaus, gorges and small villages in the interior of the island. Browse other Greece tours for more days out on Crete.
This page covers start points, the jeeps, the routes, the Lasithi Plateau, villages, lunch, swim stops, timing, ages, safety and what to bring on a Crete jeep safari.
What does a Crete jeep safari include?
The vehicle on a Crete jeep safari is a 4×4 driven on forest trails by a professional driver. One Lasithi trip includes hotel transfers, jeep rental, full insurance, local tastings and a barbecue. Another route includes a stop at a shepherd’s farm for cheese.
A Crete jeep safari can include a meal as well as the drive. The Minoan Route provides hotel pick-up and drop-off, then serves lunch with local water and wine. Its vehicle is either a Land Rover Defender or a fully air-conditioned Mercedes Vito 4×4.
On the Minoan Route, the drive reaches a shepherd’s mitato, where guests feed goats and taste fresh cheese. Zeus Trails stops at a shepherd’s farm for goat milking and cheese tasting. Its inclusions cover fuel, drivers who speak your language and a lunch with local wine and water.
A Crete jeep safari on Zeus Trails also passes the Aposelemis dam. The village of Sfendili lies under its water. On this tour, eating, drinking or smoking in the vehicle is not allowed.
- One itinerary has three, four or five stops in a day for coffee, water and a barbecue. The organisers supply coffee in the morning and an outdoor barbecue, and guests bring a refillable water bottle.
- The Katharo Route ends with a Cretan lunch with local wine on the Lasithi Plateau.
- The sunset route offers sparkling wine and fruit at a viewpoint, then dinner in a taverna.
- A Crete jeep safari on the Chania White Mountains tour has guided stops every 30 to 40 minutes.
- The Balos 4×4 trip includes bottled water, a local biscuit treat and an air-conditioned jeep.
Where do the jeep safaris start, from Heraklion to Chania?
A Crete jeep safari can start with a hotel pick-up, a cruise port pick-up or a town departure. One organiser in Hersonissos, five kilometres from Analipsi, collects guests at their hotel or another convenient place. The team drives them back.
For a Crete jeep safari near Heraklion, one operator lets guests filter tours by Gazi, Heraklion, Lasithi or Rethymno. A sunset Lasithi trip starts in the seaside village of Gouves. It lists pick-ups in Heraklion, Malia, Gouves, Hersonissos, Karteros, Stalida, Analipsi and Agios Nikolaos.
A Crete jeep safari with Zeus Trails collects guests in Chersonissos, Koutouloufari and Piskopiano. Cruise guests can join Zeus Trails from the Agios Nikolaos cruise port. The Trypiti tour collects at the Heraklion cruise port passenger station.
The Tripiti Gorge Land Rover safari is run as a tour from Heraklion. In eastern Crete, one tour starts in Ierapetra and picks up in Agios Nikolaos, Istro and Makry Gialos.
For a Crete jeep safari around Rethymno, one Preveli trip lists nine pick-up points. They range from Fodele and Bali to Kalyves and Georgioupoli. Another Rethymno-side tour needs a hotel in the municipality of Rethymno. Safari Club picks up from any hotel inside the highlighted area on each route page.
In the west, a private Arkadi and Preveli trip collects in Rethymno, Georgioupoli or Chania. A Chania sunset safari leaves from the city centre and picks up in Platanias, Souda and Kolymvari. A Crete jeep safari in the White Mountains returns to Chania through Therisso village and gorge. Balos jeeps depart from central Kissamos.
Do you drive the jeep yourself, or does a driver take you?
Both arrangements exist on a Crete jeep safari: selected trips let guests drive, while others provide a driver.
On a Safari Club Crete private tour, the driver also leads the outing personally for the day. A Crete jeep safari with Safari Experts can be guided or self-drive, private or shared in a convoy.
Safari Experts asks self-drive guests to be at least 23 and under 65. They must hold a licence for more than two years, and provisional licences are refused. Self-drivers share the car and the driving time with other guests, unless they paid for all the seats. If tour leaders judge a driver unfit, that person continues as a passenger.
Driving is optional on the Safari Fun East Crete tour, and passengers can join without taking the wheel. Its driver needs to be at least 21 years old or to have held a licence for three years.
Safari Fun also runs a half-day tour in the eastern mountains. Guests drive an open-top jeep themselves, with petrol and insurance included. A Crete jeep safari in Hersonissos also allows self-driving. That tour wants drivers aged 21 or more with three years of manual driving experience.
Discovery Safaris runs a self-drive Crete jeep safari from Rethymno to Preveli Palm Beach. A safari leader takes the group through the whole day, and guests must bring their driving licence. A group of two shares its jeep with two other people.
What kind of jeeps do the tours use?
A Crete jeep safari can use different four-wheel-drive vehicles rather than one single model. Safari Club Crete runs authentic Land Rovers with small groups of up to seven people. Listed fleets across the island also include Defender, Pathfinder, Vito, Duster and Suzuki models.
In lowercase, “jeep” is a generic word for vehicles inspired by the Jeep that suit rough terrain. Crete Jeep Safari Adventures lists open 4×4 jeeps of the cabriolet type, the Suzuki Vitara and the Suzuki Jimny.
Go Crete Safari’s fleet has 50 Land Rover Defenders, 6 Nissan Pathfinders, Mercedes Vito 4×4 vans and luxury jeeps. A Crete jeep safari with Safari Experts can use a Defender 110 or a brand new, fully air-conditioned Vito 4×4. Guests can ask for either one after booking, or one is assigned. Its private tours seat eight people in either vehicle.
Safari Experts uses brand new, fully air-conditioned 4×4 Dacia Duster cars for its self-drive Crete jeep safari. Cretan Safari in Rethymno uses Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery or Mercedes Vito 4×4 vehicles.
The Discovery Safaris self-drive jeeps are open-top, so guests see valleys and mountains without obstruction. Safari Fun jeeps have four seats each. On a Crete jeep safari in Hersonissos, the 4×4 jeeps hold four to five people.
The Land Rover Defender is a series of British off-road cars with four-wheel drive. Land Rover Series and Defender production ran for 67 years and built just over two million vehicles.
Every Suzuki Jimny generation has a separate body and a ladder frame. It also has part-time four-wheel drive that the driver selects by hand. The Mercedes-Benz Vito is a mid-sized van that carries cargo or up to eight passengers.
Which mountain routes do the tours take?
On the Psiloritis route, a Crete jeep safari leaves Gazi and drives first to the foothills and the Thylisos gorges. Psiloritis reaches 2,456 metres and is the highest mountain on Crete. The jeeps also pass small dairies where Kefalotiri cheese is made by hand.
The Nida Plateau lies east of the summit. Stone shepherd huts, called mitata, serve as shelter and as places for cheesemaking. A natural park that includes the mountain belongs to the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.
The Psiloritis trail climbs steep, unpaved paths, with panoramic vistas and grazing livestock. On a private Crete jeep safari to the mountain, the Livadi Plateau is a fertile plain. Thousands of apple and pear trees dot it. An off-road drive then leads up to the Nida Plateau.
A Crete jeep safari on the Katharo route drives through the Selakano Forest to the remote Katharo Plateau. There, roads disappear and mountains rise to 1,500 metres. The same route follows dirt tracks through Goat Valley. A viewpoint overlooks Mirabello Bay, with views of both the north and south coasts.
On the Lasithi route, a Crete jeep safari explores central Crete and walks on two plateaus. It climbs to an altitude of 1,150 metres. The Minoan Path route follows dirt tracks through mountain scenery. The Sarakina route ascends to the Katharos Plateau before it reaches the gorge.
In east Crete, a Crete jeep safari stops at the Afentis summit, 850 metres up. It has a view over both the Libyan and Aegean seas.
What do you see on a Crete jeep safari to the south coast?
A Crete jeep safari to the south coast can pass through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge before reaching Preveli beach. The gorge holds a small church of Agios Nikolaos and a 40-metre-high waterfall. Its cliffs are a roosting site for the Lammergeier vulture.
The Preveli route has a dam stop, where a water reservoir holds plenty of birdlife. Preveli beach has tall palm trees and crystal-clear water. Behind the beach is a glade of Cretan date palms. The Megalos Potamos River flows through the palm grove into the sea.
On a Crete jeep safari, a viewpoint shows southern Crete and the golden beach opening onto the Libyan Sea. This Preveli excursion involves about 2 kilometres of walking and about 300 steps.
The Trypiti route crosses the Messara valley, the biggest valley on Crete. It passes ancient monuments from the pre-Minoan, Minoan and Roman eras. Off-road driving through the huge vertical rocks of Trypiti Gorge ends at a well-hidden, quiet beach.
On the Trypitis tour, the dirt roads climb to 850 metres through the Asterousia Mountains. These mountains separate the Messara Plain from the Libyan Sea. After 20 minutes of walking through the Agiofarago gorge, a Crete jeep safari reaches a beach with fine pebbles.
The Agiofarago tour also passes the Odigitria Monastery, which dates back to the 14th century. Matala has seaside caves that people once used as ancient dwellings. Later, the caves became a haven for artists and travellers.
The Southern Crete tour climbs off-road to 850 metres at Kavousi Canyon, for views and wild vultures. At Richtra, the waterfall flow is strong in late spring and gentler through summer.
What is the Lasithi Plateau, and why does it have windmills?
A Crete jeep safari can reach the Lasithi Plateau, a high plateau in the Lasithi regional unit of eastern Crete. Its white-sailed windmills are wind-pumps of a local design, and they have irrigated the land since the early 20th century.
The plateau, which a Crete jeep safari can reach, lies about 70 km east of Heraklion. Its average altitude is 840 metres. The plain stretches 11 km from east to west and 6 km from north to south. A paved ring road runs round it and serves its 15 villages.
On a Crete jeep safari across the plateau, locals are mainly farmers. Donkeys can be seen at work in the fields. Potato planting preparations run from late April to early June. The harvest runs from mid-to-late August to mid-September.
The water table is so near the surface that burials can be above ground, in stone mausoleums.
Around 10,000 wind-pumps stood here in the past, and the greater part are now abandoned for diesel and electric pumps. Stone bodies and white cloth sails were the common build. Windmills still stand in tavern courtyards, and others are restored at the plateau entrance to welcome visitors.
In winter the rain run-off used to flood the fields and ruin the harvest, so ditches were dug. The Venetians built a large system of drainage ditches here in the 16th century, and it is still in use. A 3.5 km tunnel sends floodwater from the plateau to the Aposelemis Dam reservoir.
The first pumping windmills were made of wood, to a design by Emmanuel Papadakis of Psychro village. Stefanos Markakis of Marmaketo later swapped the wood for metal, which gave the windmill its current form.
Which gorges and dirt tracks do the jeeps follow?
A Crete jeep safari combines soft asphalt and wild off-road driving through villages, wine and olive plantations, gorges and mountains. The routes reach the Embassa, Tripiti, Sarakina, Kotsifou, Prasses, Kourtaliotiko and Saint Antonios gorges.
A Crete jeep safari on the Zeus Trails tour climbs on dirt roads to the Embassa Gorge. There is a chance to pick local wild herbs there. On that tour, the Aposelemis dam is the largest water supply project in Crete. On the Katharo route, a helicopter-style view of the Lasithi Plateau opens past Goat Valley.
On a Crete jeep safari, the Tripiti route uses bumpy mountain roads over hills dotted with ancient olive trees. They lead to the top of Tripiti Gorge, where you see rock walls, wild herbs and the Libyan Sea. You walk the last 300 metres to the narrowest point. The tiny church of Panagia is built into the rock there.
The Sarakina tour goes off-road through Kroustas Pine Forest, then hikes the gorge. A Crete jeep safari on the Sarakina route also crosses the Selakano forest, the biggest remaining forest on the island.
A Crete jeep safari from Rethymno crosses the Kotsifou gorge, then follows off-road tracks in the mountains. Another Rethymno safari reaches the Prasses Gorge, where rare vultures live. A road runs through Kourtaliotiko Gorge.
A private Crete jeep safari from the Chania and Rethymno area stops at Saint Antonios Gorge. A hidden temple lies inside its rock.
Which villages do the tours stop in?
A Crete jeep safari stops in villages such as Korfes, Kroussonas, Anogeia, Zoniana, Sissi and Skinias. On the Psiloritis route, the first pause is in the small village of Korfes, where guests visit a traditional church.
A Crete jeep safari on the Psiloritis route climbs to Kroussonas, a high point with a view of Heraklion. It then descends through the village of Anogeia and drives on to Zoniana for the Sfendoni cave. The Psiloritis Trails tour includes a walk in the village of Fodele.
On the Nida route, guests taste olive oil and raki in the village of Krousonas. They sit for a coffee with mountain views. In Anogia there is time for a short walk.
The Mirabello route starts in Sissi, an old fishing village. It takes the first coffee break in the village of Skinias. A Crete jeep safari on this route returns through Neapoli and Vrachasi, which has an old church.
The Vlihadia route ends in the village of Fourni, where the group relaxes with a coffee. On the same route, the group drives through timeless mountain villages. They show Cretan life as it was lived for generations.
On the Sarakina Gorge tour, a Crete jeep safari crosses the traditional village of Kritsa. It stops for coffee in Males village. Kritsa is built like an amphitheatre on a rock hill called Kastellos, surrounded by olive groves.
On the Preveli route, the village of Spili is known for its spring water and 25 lion-head fountains. The Rethymno safari visits the village of Castello and the church of Agia Paraskevi, hidden in a laurel forest. That route later reaches Georgioupoli, a village with refreshing springs.
The Zeus Trails tour lists a plane tree of more than two thousand years. It is the oldest in Crete, next to village springs.
What lunch comes with a Crete jeep safari?
A lunch on a Crete jeep safari can be a mountain barbecue. It comes with Greek salad, wine, water, soft drinks, bread, and steak or chicken. On the Psiloritis route, the barbecue is prepared at 1,500 metres, on a wooded plateau near an old chapel.
On the Nida route, a Crete jeep safari lunches at a traditional taverna after the Sfendoni cave. The meal comes with local wine and water. On the Preveli route, a traditional Cretan meal with local wine and water follows the walk back from the beach.
A Crete jeep safari on the Sarakina Gorge tour includes a barbecue lunch with wine and water. On the Trypiti route, guests eat authentic Cretan food amid an olive tree forest.
A Crete jeep safari on the Tripiti route serves lunch at a beachside taverna, with local wine and cool water. On the Vlihadia route, lunch is right by the sea, with local wine and the sound of the waves.
The Vlihadia route offers a tasting of local olive oil and honey after the Milatos cave. On the Katharo route, the last stop on the way back is a tasting of local olive oil.
A Crete jeep safari on the Cretan Life tour adds cooking lessons from locals and a traditional Cretan lunch. The evening Sunset Route serves dinner with wine and water instead of lunch.
Which beaches do the tours stop at for a swim?
A Crete jeep safari can include a swim. One operator’s tours reach Trypiti, Matala, Tsoutsouros and Agiofarago on the south coast. On the Safari Club Tripiti route, the group swims in the Libyan Sea.
At Trypiti, the operator’s tour page advises bringing a swimsuit, flip-flops and sea towels. One traveller review of a Crete jeep safari says the group jumped from a cave into the sea at Trypiti. They then swam across to the beach.
Preveli is said to be the only place to swim in cool mountain water and the sea at one spot. A second operator adds a swim in the Kourtaliotiko Gorge waterfalls after a short, easy hike.
Its Preveli stop on a Crete jeep safari gives time to swim in the river and the sea. It also leaves time to walk beneath the palms. The Matala tour leaves time to swim at the beach and to visit the carved seaside caves.
The Sarakina Gorge tour swims in the gorge’s natural pools. It then goes on to Myrtos for a dip in the sea. The Richtis Gorge tour makes only a short photo stop at Voulisma Beach, with the swim in the waterfall pool.
The Mirabello route lists a swim at Vlichadia beach with a barbecue lunch. A Crete jeep safari from Rethymnon has a swim and barbecue at Plakias beach.
Is there a Crete jeep safari in the west, around Chania and Rethymno?
Yes. A Crete jeep safari runs in the west. Safari Club runs a sunset off-road tour from Rethymnon in Land Rovers. Georgioupolis Safari picks up between Chania, Georgioupolis, Rethymno, Kalyves and Almyrida.
A Crete jeep safari from Rethymnon starts around 9:00 from the city and drives south through vineyards. After Plakias, it follows mountain tracks north to Georgioupoli and the Roman remains of Lapa. Georgioupoli lies about 39 km east of Chania and 23 km west of Rethymno. The Rethymnon Safari uses Suzuki Vitara and Suzuki Jimny 4×4 jeeps.
On the Safari Club sunset tour, the first stop is Pikris, a Venetian village built next to a river. Arkadi Monastery follows. The evening meal is at a taverna in Limnokastro, beside giant trees and a church about a thousand years old.
The Georgioupolis Safari runs an 8-hour Land Rover day. A Crete jeep safari on this tour heads first to Lake Kournas. It is Crete’s only freshwater lake, with a perimeter of 3.5 km. It then climbs to 1,200 m in the White Mountains for off-road views.
The same tour swims at a quiet beach near Fragkokastelo, with a family tavern right above the sand. Frangokastello has an extensive, sheltered, gently shelving sandy beach.
A Crete jeep safari to Balos takes up to 6 people per jeep. From the jeep parking area, the walk down to Balos takes 20 to 25 minutes. The climb back takes 30 to 35.
The Elafonisi and Milia Mountain tour takes up to 6 people for 8 hours, with pickups from Daratsos to Kolymvari. It drives rough 4WD roads to Milia Mountain Retreat, a restored settlement from the 17th century, for lunch. The tour is cancelled in rain, with a new date or a full refund offered.
How long does a Crete jeep safari last, and when does it leave?
A Crete jeep safari lasts from 4.5 to 8 hours on the listed trips. The sunset safari is the shortest at 4.5 hours, and the Lassithi and Kourtaliotiko Gorge trips fill 8 hours. Day trips leave in the morning, while the sunset route leaves in the evening.
A Lassithi jeep safari with a BBQ lunch is listed at 8 hours. The trip to Kourtaliotiko Gorge, Preveli and Spili village is also listed at 8 hours. On the Lassithi route of Crete Jeep Safari Adventures, the way back starts around 17:00.
A Crete jeep safari by Land Rover from Malia visits the Lasithi Plateau and Zeus Cave. It is listed at 7.5 hours. A Lasithi Plateau safari from Agios Nikolaos or Elounda lasts 7 hours. The White Mountains Land Rover safari from Chania is also listed at 7 hours.
A Land Rover safari with sunset viewing, dinner and wine is listed at 6 hours. The Balos Lagoon 4×4 trip from Kissamos is also listed at 6 hours. A jeep safari with swimming and snacks is a shorter option at 5.5 hours.
A Crete jeep safari on the Lassithi Plateau starts at 9:30 AM and ends at 5:30 PM. Guests must be at the pick-up point at least 10 minutes before the pick-up time. Safari Experts lists hotel pick-up for its Zeus Trails Land Rover tour from 08:30 to 09:30. Drop-off runs from 16:00 to 16:30.
Safari Experts lists a Crete jeep safari to Preveli and Kourtaliotiko Gorge. Pick-up runs from 08:30 to 09:30, and drop-off runs from 17:00 to 17:30. Its half-day private tour of East Crete picks up from 08:00 to 09:00 and drops off from 14:00 to 14:30.
The Safari Experts sunset route picks up from 17:30 to 18:00 and drops off from 22:30 to 23:00. One Hersonissos-area operator departs around 9am and returns around 5pm, depending on group size and weather. The Psiloritis tour starts at 09:00 from Gazi, Heraklion.
In which months do the jeep safaris run?
A Crete jeep safari runs from April to October on the listed routes. The Lassithi Plateau safari goes out daily except Sunday, and other routes keep set weekdays. One travel source says the safari is available year-round.
The sunset safari and the Roads of Wine and Oil safari run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Both run from April to October. A Crete jeep safari to Agiofarago goes out every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the same months.
The travel source that lists a year-round Crete jeep safari names spring and autumn as the seasons with pleasant weather. It mentions blooming flowers in spring and foliage in autumn.
Crete has a primarily hot-summer Mediterranean climate, and winter is fairly mild. Snow is common on the Cretan mountains between November and April. It is rare across much of the low-lying land. The south coast has significantly more sunny days and, on average, higher temperatures throughout the year.
On the Lasithi Plateau, winters can be harsh, and snow can persist until mid-spring. Safari Experts can cancel or change a trip for safety in dangerous weather. Swimming in the natural pools of Sarakina Gorge depends on seasonal weather conditions.
What is the minimum age, and are the tours fine for children?
The minimum age for a Crete jeep safari depends on the trip, and family options take young children. One operator says its tours suit all ages without any limit. Other listings set age bands for adults, children and infants.
Crete Jeep Safari Adventures says all its tours are for all ages without any limit. Its Lassithi jeep safari lists adults from age 12, children from 4 to 11 and infants aged 3 or younger. Children must be accompanied by an adult on that tour.
A Rethymno Crete jeep safari with a BBQ lists adults from age 13. It lists children from 3 to 12 and infants aged 2 or younger. A Land Rover safari from Malia to the Lasithi Plateau lists children from 2 to 11. Its infants are aged 1 or younger.
A Chania Land Rover safari to the White Mountains lists children from 6 to 12. Its infants are aged 5 or younger. A half-day Crete jeep safari of eastern Crete from Ierapetra lasts 5 hours and lists children from 4 to 12.
Another eastern Crete Land Rover safari counts anyone above 11 as an adult. It lists children from 2 to 11, with infants up to age 2. This tour is pitched at families and stops at Amazonas Zoo Park, where children meet animals.
A Hersonissos Land Rover safari lists two child bands, children from 3 to 12 and children aged 0 to 2. Another Hersonissos 4×4 listing says children are welcome on its Crete jeep safari, but an adult must come with them.
A Chania private jeep safari says specialized infant seats are available. Safari Experts calls its tours family friendly and describes a shepherd’s farm where children can feed the animals. It also tells parents that children and babies join at their own risk. The parents are responsible for them.
Do you need a driving licence to join?
No. Passengers on a Crete jeep safari do not need a driving licence. A licence only matters when you take the wheel yourself, and the rules for drivers depend on the operator.
Safari Experts offers a Crete jeep safari as a small group with a driver. The driver speaks the language of your choice. On one Hersonissos tour you can choose between driving yourself and being driven by a professional.
Crete Jeep Safari Adventures says you can drive if you bring your driving licence, or simply ride as a passenger. For its self-drive tours, Safari Experts asks the driver to own a valid licence in physical form.
A cruise-line shore excursion called Crete: A 4×4 Adventure uses manual stick-shift vehicles that one of the participants must drive. Drivers on that excursion must show a valid driver’s licence. Photocopies are not accepted.
The Rethymno self-drive Crete jeep safari to Preveli Palm Beach lasts 8 hours and lists adults from age 12. UK official advice says a UK photocard driving licence works for driving in Greece.
The same advice says provisional licences are not valid in Greece for driving or hiring any type of vehicle. UK drivers do not need an International Driving Permit for Greece, but hire firms can set their own rules.
How rough is the ride, and who is it not suited to?
A Crete jeep safari ranges from soft asphalt to wild off-road driving, with dusty trails on certain routes. It is not suited to every traveller. Listings name back problems, limited mobility, pregnancy and car sickness as reasons to check first.
A Crete jeep safari is not one smooth road. A local village page says the day mixes soft asphalt with wild off-road driving. It lists flat tyres among the unexpected stops. A Rethymno 4×4 listing describes dusty trails and an open-top vehicle bumping its way down toward the coast.
That listing says the routes are not suitable for cars and buses. A reviewer of an evening mountain tour with Safari Club called the drive funny but very bumpy.
A Rethymno Crete jeep safari in a 4×4 is not suitable for guests with back problems or limited mobility. A Land Rover tour from Heraklion and Rethymno also lists pregnant women and people with reduced mobility.
A White Mountains tour does not recommend the trip for people with car sickness, fear of heights or back issues. It also advises against the trip for pregnant women.
On a Hersonissos Crete jeep safari, pregnant women and people with back problems cannot join. The Lassithi jeep safari from Sissi does not recommend the trip for pregnant travellers. Safari Experts says pregnant women join its tours at their own risk.
On a Crete jeep safari by Land Rover from Heraklion and Rethymno, children under 3 cannot join. One White Mountains tour advises against children under 7, because baby seats are not provided. It warns that people taller than 195 cm or heavier than 130 kg can find the trip challenging.
The Hersonissos tour is not wheelchair accessible, though collapsible wheelchairs can be accommodated with assistance. Safari Experts asks that nobody in the group has a medical condition that prevents taking part. Its terms tell guests who feel unwell to inform the staff in good time.
What do you wear and bring on a Crete jeep safari?
Wear comfortable clothing and sensible, closed, flat-soled walking shoes on a Crete jeep safari. Add sunscreen, sunglasses and a camera. Pack the rest to suit your route, from a jacket in spring and autumn to bathing gear for a swim.
The White Mountains operator asks for comfortable clothing and sensible, closed shoes with flat soles. A Rethymno 4×4 listing says shoes suitable for walking. A Skotino Cave review says good walking shoes are needed for caves and village walks on a Crete jeep safari.
On the Vlihadia route, Safari Club includes a 200-metre walk along an old stone footpath to Milatos Cave. The Skotino review also advises sun protection, a hat and a camera. Safari Club’s sunset route tells guests to keep the camera ready for the viewpoint.
On a Crete jeep safari with a swim, the Rethymno 4×4 listing says to bring bathing gear and sunblock. Safari Experts lists extra walking shoes and socks for the Sarakina Gorge hike. It also lists sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses for that route.
The White Mountains operator advises a jacket in spring and autumn. Safari Experts also asks the driver on its self-drive tours to wear closed walking shoes.
Which Crete jeep safari fits you: small group or private?
A Crete jeep safari comes as a small group or as a private tour. Safari Club says its Land Rovers carry small groups of up to 7 people. Its private tours take up to 8 people per vehicle.
Safari Club says all its routes can be booked as a private tour. A private Crete jeep safari with this operator can be adjusted to your wishes, on any day of the year. The driver is also your personal tour leader and gives each guest undivided attention.
Safari Club also offers private pick-up from any accommodation or from cruise ship terminals. Safari Experts says you can choose any of its tours as a private tour. Private tours take 8 persons in a Land Rover Defender or Mercedes Vito.
Safari Experts private tours have flexible pick-up and drop-off times. They come as full-day, half-day or multi-day options. Its self-drive jeep safari runs as a private tour or as a shared convoy. Its cruise shore excursions come as a private experience or a small-group tour.
On a shared Crete jeep safari, group size differs by route. The Safari Club Minoan Route day lists a small group of up to 8. Its standard group is up to 16. A Safari Club sunset tour is a small group limited to 8 participants.
A Rethymno Land Rover day to Preveli lists a standard group of up to 15. A Georgioupolis Land Rover day lists a standard group of up to 27 people.
Safari Fun jeeps have 4 seats, so a group of 2 shares the jeep with 2 other people. Crete Jeep Safari Adventures says arrangements can be made for small or large groups.
What is the safety set-up, from seat belts to briefings?
A Crete jeep safari lists seat belts, briefings and insurance, but the details depend on the operator. Safari Experts makes seat belts mandatory on its Zeus Trails and Sarakina Gorge tours. Safari Fun opens its Ierapetra tour with a 10-minute safety briefing.
Safari Experts says a well-trained team of safari experts puts your safety first. The company asks every guest to hold their own travel insurance. Its staff can remove a guest whose conduct puts the safe running of a tour at risk.
On a self-drive Crete jeep safari with Safari Experts, guests agree to follow the tour leader in line. They promise no overtaking, drifting or zigzagging. They must stay on the existing tracks and drive at a moderate speed. Car drivers keep at least 5-7 metres from the vehicle ahead.
Safari Experts can change a route or cancel a tour for fire or damage to a vehicle. Its tour leaders can move a self-drive guest to a passenger seat if they judge that guest unfit to drive.
On a Crete jeep safari with Safari Fun, all drivers get a vehicle and safety instruction before the tour starts. The operator asks guests to say in advance if they need a child seat or a baby seat. Its jeep tour does not run in heavy rain.
The Lassithi tour of Crete Jeep Safari Adventures starts with a meeting with your tour leader. A short briefing on the day’s plan follows. One Lassithi Plateau Land Rover safari lists all necessary permits and insurance.
What do you see along the way, from olive groves to monasteries?
A Crete jeep safari passes olive groves, vineyards, orange groves and pine forests. Routes also reach monasteries, such as Arkadi Monastery and the monastery of Xera Xyla.
A Crete jeep safari on the Mirabello route runs through olive groves to Vrouchas and Mirabello Bay. A short photo stop gives views of Spinalonga island. On the Trypiti gorge route, the track goes through a forest of wild olive trees. Wild goats live in the area.
A White Mountains tour first crosses a valley of orange groves, avocado trees and vegetable gardens. The Arkadi region is fertile, with vineyards, olive groves and pine, oak and cypress forests.
One private Crete jeep safari starts at the sacred Arkadi Monastery, a symbol of the Cretan revolution. The same route ends at the Three Monasteries viewpoint overlooking Rethymno.
The Vlihadia route in the east visits the peaceful monastery of Xera Xyla. Preveli beach and lagoon lie below Preveli Monastery, at the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko gorge.
The Kroustas pine forest is an off-road stretch. Tour leaders name local plants there and help guests pick aromatic herbs. Sfendyli, a village flooded by the Aposelemis reservoir, sank and re-emerged more than once in dry years. It became a local attraction.
On a Crete jeep safari, operators promise wildlife from the griffon vulture to wild goats and donkeys. Crete hosts the largest island population of the Eurasian griffon vulture in the world.
What else do travellers ask about a Crete jeep safari?
Travellers ask about sunset trips, cruise shore tours, cave entry, languages and cancellation. A Crete jeep safari offers an answer to each, and the operator sets the details.
Is there a sunset or evening Crete jeep safari?
Yes. The Safari Club sunset route starts at the hotel. On the way up into the mountains, the driver tells legends and anecdotes. The highlight is a high viewpoint where guests watch the sun go down. The road down runs under the glow of the moon.
Can cruise passengers join a Crete jeep safari?
Yes. Safari Experts runs shore tours for cruise passengers. The tours include Zeus Trails, Psiloritis Trails, Cretan Life and the Trypiti Beach route. Cruise guests can pick a private tour or a small group, tailored to the cruise schedule.
Is the cave entry included, and what if the Cave of Zeus is closed?
On Zeus Trails, the entrance fee to the Cave of Zeus is not included, and the visit is optional. If the cave is closed for maintenance or other reasons, guests join alternative activities the tour leader suggests. On Psiloritis Trails, the Sfendoni cave ticket is also an optional extra.
Which languages do the tours offer?
A Crete jeep safari with one operator lists tour leaders in German, English, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Dutch. The Safari Club Land Rover day lists live tour leaders in Dutch, English, French and German.
Can I cancel a Crete jeep safari, and what if the operator cancels?
The Safari Club Land Rover day offers cancellation up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. If Safari Experts cancels a tour, guests can pick a new date or get their money back.