- Approx. 5–6 hours (including transport 1 Hour away from Heraklion)
6 Hours: Immerse yourself in authentic Cretan traditions with a hands-on farm experience at the Shepherd’s Shelter. Your day begins with a hotel and unfolds into a rich journey through rural life. Explore sustainable farming on a guided tour, harvest garden vegetables, and help prepare a hearty Greek meal using traditional methods.
Learn to milk sheep and craft fresh tyrozouli cheese, then roll dough for kaltsounia cheese pies. You’ll even taste the cheese in its maturation space. After your immersive experience, relax with a farm-to-table feast featuring wood-fired bread, appetizers, salad, gemista, lamb with roasted potatoes, and kaltsounia with honey and cinnamon—served with plenty of local wine and water. Ideal for foodies, culture lovers, and families, this experience offers a genuine taste of Crete’s soul.
Location
- Farm Tour – Start your experience with a guided tour of the farm, where you’ll learn about sustainable farming and the rural lifestyle.
- Harvesting Vegetables for Gemista – Head to the garden to gather fresh vegetables for making gemista, a traditional Greek dish.
- Preparing Food for the Wood-Fired Oven – Learn how to prepare ingredients for cooking in the traditional wood-fired oven, a true taste of rustic Greek cuisine.
- Milking the Sheep – Experience the ancient tradition of milking the sheep, an essential part of farm life.
- Cheese Making – Get hands-on and learn how to make fresh cheese (tyrozouli), an essential part of Greek gastronomy.
- Making Traditional Kaltsounia – Try your hand at rolling out dough to prepare traditional kaltsounia (cheese pies) using the freshly made cheese.
- Tasting the Cheese – Enjoy tasting the freshly made tyrozouli in the maturation space, where the cheese is left to age to perfection.
- Additionally, as mentioned during our phone conversation, we offer seasonal activities such as hiking, tsikoudia distillation, and other experiences depending on the time of year.
After the activities, enjoy a delicious meal. The menu for 4 people includes:
- • Fresh wood-fired bread
- • 3 appetizers
- • Salad with fresh vegetables from the garden
- • Gemista (stuffed vegetables) from the wood-fired oven
- • Lamb with roasted potatoes from the wood-fired oven
- • Kaltsounia with honey and cinnamon
- • Plenty of water and wine.
Highlights
- Farm Tour – Discover traditional Cretan farming and sustainable living
- Harvest Ingredients – Pick fresh veggies from the garden
- Sheep Milking – Try this age-old Cretan practice
- Cheese Making – Make and taste fresh tyrozouli cheese
- Kaltsounia Workshop – Bake traditional cheese pies
- Cretan Feast – Enjoy a full meal with local dishes and wine
- Warm Hospitality – Taste homemade wine and experience authentic Cretan culture
- Seasonal Add-ons – Hiking, raki distillation, and more (seasonal)
Inclusions
- Round transfers from /hotel/Port/Airprot
- Guided Farm Tour
- Hands-on Vegetable Harvesting
- Traditional Cooking Experience (wood-fired oven prep)
- Sheep Milking Demonstration & Participation
- Cheese Making Workshop (tyrozouli)
- Kaltsounia (cheese pie) Preparation
- Cheese Tasting in Maturation Room
- Full Traditional Cretan Meal, local wine and water
- Seasonal Activities (e.g., hiking, raki distillation – when available)
Exclusions
- Gratuities
Useful Info
- What to Wear: Comfortable clothes and shoes (suitable for outdoor/farm activities)
- Suitable For: Families, couples, food & culture lovers, small groups.
- Vegetarian options available (please inform in advance)
Cancellation Policy
- In order to confirm any booking, 30% payment in advance is required, fully refundable in case of any written cancellation received 48 hours prior the arrival date.
- For any cancellation OR change within 47 hours prior to the start of the tour or non - shows, full cancellation fees apply
- A written notification of any cancellation or change is necessary to be sent to PRIVATE TOURS Greece
