Reviews of Cretan Tour Experts

We took 2 tours on consecutive days with VisitKnossos. Panos was our guide for both tours. The first day was an all day private tour of Knossos, Phaistos, and Gortyn with a stop for a snack at a wonderful bakery near Phaistos that Pano recommended. The tour was super informative. We learned about the sequence of construction of the palaces, as well as the Roman occupation. We learned about the architecture, how the palaces were constructed and what they were used for. Panos arranged for a combination ticket so the next day we could also see the archeological museum in Heraklion. There we saw beautiful Minoan frescos, pottery, jewelry and sculpture. Then that afternoon we met Panos in town for a walking and eating tour of Heraklion, We ate at a restaurant, a market that serves food, and went to a bakery to get dessert. Along the way, Panos pointed out the historic buildings in Heraklion and told us about the history of the food we were eating. He was a great host for the two days, we felt like we were his guests. All in all, it was a wonderful experience. A great introduction to the Minoan civilization, the history of Heraklion and the wonderful food of Crete.

Date of experience October 2022
BobD

Η καλύτερη επιλογή που θα μπορούσαμε να κάνουμε! Ήθελα να πάω την κόρη μου στην Κνωσό μιας και τελείωσε τη Γ τάξη και τα είχε διδαχθεί στην ιστορία. Μου έκανε εντύπωση πως η ξεναγηση έγινε στα μέτρα του παιδιού, αλλά όμως χωρίς αυτό να σημαίνει ότι δεν ήταν ενδιαφέρον και για εμάς, πραγματικά απίστευτο! Η μικρή ενθουσιαστηκε! Ευχαριστούμε πολύ για όλα και σίγουρα θα απευθυνθώ σε εσάς στο επόμενο ταξίδι μας για να δούμε και άλλους αρχαιολογικους χώρους μαζί. Μας έστειλαν επίσης υλικό σχετικά με την Κνωσό στο email και μας έδωσαν φωτοτυπίες με τα θέματα που μάθαμε για να ζωγραφίσει η μικρή! Να σημειώσω πως πάντα απευθύνομαι σε πιστοποιημενους ξεναγους όταν πάω σε αρχαιολογικους χώρους οπότε έχω το μέτρο σύγκρισης.

Date of experience August 2022
Maria L

We had a wonderful experience with Panos visiting Knossos. He was very accommodating in the planing phase and made the whole experience perfectly pleasant. It makes all the difference in the world visiting a place like Knossos with an experienced and knowledgeable guide. Otherwise, it can be challenging to understand what you are actually looking at, as well as the context of how the civilization of the Minoans and the Palace of Knossos developed. Panos was able to put everything into perspective, and he did so in an engaging and interesting way, while keeping our 3 teenage daughter engaged during the entire tour. I highly recommend hiring him if you want to get the most out of a visit at Knossos!

Date of experience August 2022
IsaYaa

I hired Panos and his company to take my two sons (20 and 23) and my husband and I on a tour of Heraklion, Aggio Nicklaus, Palace of Knossos and the Cane of Zeus. He had an AMAZING knowledge of Crete, of history and of archaeology. He had a spacious, comfortable vehicle and customized the tour for us. I’ve taken my family on many tours in many cities around the world and no one has been better than Panos. I only wish we had more time to take another tour of other areas with him.

Date of experience August 2022
Julie r

We had a fantastic experience visiting Knossos, Phaestos and Gortys. Our guide, Panos, was enthusiastic and deeply knowledgeable, and also just good company! It was a delightful day. He also recommended a taxi driver George who took us to see Spinalonga the next day, who was also very nice and helpful. All in all it was a perfect Cretan holiday. If you are a fan of archaeology, Crete is really the best place to splurge on an expert guide for the day, because the Minoan culture is so ancient and mysterious. I felt like our family could understand Classical Greek ruins very well with the signs at the sites, but the Minoan ruins really benefited from a guide! Thank you Panos!

Date of experience July 2022
Laura R

Panos, our guide, was a trained archeologist and the perfect person to show us around the ruins of Knossos. He provided great insights about the site, the history of what is known and how some highly questionable archeological practices in the past by a certain British archeologist compromised the ability of future archeologists with better technology to piece together the story of Knossos. We appreciated learning this perspective and understanding that Knossos, in reality, has become sort of a marketing tool to open up the world of archeology to many visitors, and to help fund exploration at other sites where modern techniques can better piece together the history of a place. Panos is highly knowledgeable, very engaging and simply a wonderful guide who helps peel back the many layers of history that make Greece such a wonderful vacation destination.

Panos also took us to Rethymno where we wandered around the lovely streets of old town and shared a very nice lunch with him. It was a perfect day with a perfect guide and our entire family really enjoyed spending time with Panos and learning more about the history of this amazing country, as well as present day concerns. Highly recommend!

Date of experience June 2022
Scott O

This review cannot add much to all of the other rave reviews, except to say that we agree. Panos Kritikos is simply a fantastic guide to Knossos and Heraklion. His knowledge is deep, not superficial. He presents not only what is known about Knossos but the vast amount yet unknown. He’s not afraid to sprinkle in a few well-founded opinions, as well. Graced with charm and wit, he also deftly maneuvered us away from the tour bus crowds and into spots protected with shade. We consider Panos one of the highlights of our trip to Greece.

Date of experience May 2022
Craig J

One of our best tours. Our guide , Panos, was excellent. Very knowledgeable and professional. Kept us on schedule without rushing as we visited 3 sites in one day. Could not be more pleased with the whole experience.

Date of experience May 2022
Phil E

We originally planned to visit Knossos with Panos as our guide, but learned only days before the visit that the site would be closed due to a national holiday (that was scheduled without prior notice). Panos contacted us, was able to follow our cruise ship to advise us, and came up with a variety of choices. Our group of four enjoyed his company, his depth and breadth of subject matter, and his excellent English and sense of humor. Panos is responsible in taking care of details and keeping in touch via email regarding the plans. One of our best days yet!

Date of experience May 2022
TP

We had some fantastic hours in the company of Panos at Knossos. His knowledge is immense and he is a good storyteller. We could easily have some more time listening to him.

Date of experience April 2022
Inger H

We toured Gortyn and Phaistos with Panos. Panos is an archeologist with a vast knowledge of ancient history. He brought both ruins alive with commentary on life during the times that Gortyn and Phaistos thrived as centers of Minoan culture. We could not have asked for a better guide.

Date of experience March 2022
PotomacBill

We have just returned from Crete and our time with Panos was a highlight of our trip! Panos is so warm and was easy to work with in planning our tour from Chania to Knossos and Irakleo. He showed up on time with delicious pastries to start our journey. He is highly…

Date of experience October 2021
BlueMoon1990 Old Mystic, Connecticut

We had a great tour with Panos Kritikos of the Knossos Palace. He was very informative, knowledgeable, answered our questions, and was very personable. His descriptions helped us to better visual the site and provided an idea as to Minoan life in ancient times. We appreciated his comments regarding the site and the Evan’s excavation. Panos also provided additional information on other archaeology sites in the area, Chania, and provided additional information to read/review (sent via email). The tour helped prepare us for visiting the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

Date of experience September 2021
GinaGMSP

We had a great day touring Lassithi Plataeu with Panos as our guide. He was on time with his van , to pick us up from our accommodation in Elounda and in a day , we covered the plateau and the palace of Knossos. We had a great experience, Panos is very friendly and accommodating , we had couple of extra stops on the way to take pictures and it was overall a great day….If you are going to Crete book Panos…

Date of experience September 2021
John P.  New York – U.S

This is a review about Panos and the wonderful tour he gave to me and my husband. We were in Chania Crete and needed to get to Heraklion. We signed him up for two days. Amazing! Panos was right there – on time – nice, clean van, waters. We drove to Rethimno for a walking tour and coffee, then onto the Arkadi Monastery. Panos knows all the history and is passionate about Cretan history. The next day we visited the famous Knossos Palace and enroute to Palace of Phaistos we stopped at the Monastery Panagia Kaliviani. Panos is flexible and accommodating! He is an expert on ancient Cretan history and we would recommend him for your customized tour of Cretan antiquities. Sign him up and enjoy!

Date of experience September 2021
mmyatt01757 Kennebunkport, Maine

My wife and I had an exceptional experience with Panos Kritikos during our private tour of Knossos. The planning process was smooth and Panos’s responsiveness was timely and appreciated.
We met Panos at the designated time and he had our tickets already. After some brief greetings we dove right into the tour. Panos clearly has exceptional knowledge of the site and is passionate about the Minoan culture. Whatever question we asked he answered. He provided thoughtful replies and got us thinking. He related to us. We even paused toward the end of the tour to casually chat and get to know each other.
The best thing about the entire tour in my opinion is that Panos did not sugar coat the unfortunate history of Knossos and how Arthur Evans desecrated and manipulated the site. Panos also painted an intriguing picture of who the Minoans were and how they behaved.
If you are looking for an authentic and down to earth tour of Knossos then Panos is your guy!

Date of experience August 2021
tylersmith615   Brookline, Massachusetts

Outstanding tour with Panos guiding. A deeply knowledgeable guide who provided far more than just details. He brought the ancient to life. We loved it.

Date of experience August 2021
TrickySound  London, United Kingdom

Panos was excellent. He had very helpful recommendations and took us to spots that were not overrun with tourists.

Date of experience August 2021
Nat P

Thanks Panos for explaining the history of the site to us. You did an excellent job. It was my second visit and much more interesting

Date of experience August 2021
DesVyeboom Somerset West, South Africa

Thank you Panos for an excellent guided tour of Knossos! Don’t change anything, the tour was very interesting, we enjoyed the fact that you are passionate about what you say, you have great knowledge of Knossos and Crete in general and your English is very good! All this made our visit much more interesting! We can only recommend your services as a private guide!

Date of experience July 2021
YaelSwitzerland Switzerland

We had booked to go to a nice hotel in Elounda in July 2020 and I found this tour guide company online. I wanted someone to take us out of the hotel for a couple of days to visit Knossos and the wine areas just south of it for one day and a second day visiting the Lassithi Plateau and the cave of Zeus. We also used them for a morning walking tour of Heraklion the day after we arrived and they arranged our transfers for a better rate than the pricey hotel was offering.
We had a great time on these days out. Panos took us to the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion and out to the old fort on the walking tour. Then we went together to a great restaurant we had booked and he helped us to order local specialties and explained their significance in Greek culture. All very educational for the (adult) children and us. Knossos was everything we had hoped for and it was lovely to be guided by someone so knowledgeable. A holiday is never complete without a visit to local vineyards to sample the wine and he took us to a couple that were so pretty and the local wines were a revelation. We ordered some to be sent home. My daughter loved the cave of Zeus and the whole programme was put together exactly according to our requirements.
It was a truly brilliant holiday and a welcome break from covid-struck Britain. Much of the success of the whole trip is down to Panos Kritikos who put together 2 1/2 days of really interesting sightseeing for us. The rest of the time, needless to say, was spent on the beach or in the local restaurants. If you want to visit the historical sites and some of the more remote internal areas of Crete, I strongly recommend you use this company

Date of experience July 2020
Julia H  Oxford, United Kingdom

Great tour, wonderful passion from Panos, our informed guide, who was eager to share his knowledge and love for the history of Minos and its antiquities. The Ipads were also very helpful in reimagining how the palace once looked.

Date of experience October 2020
Guy R Beijing

Panos has been a great guide for our family. He very well adapted to the age of our kids (and their level in English). He knows a lot about Knossos, Creta and archeology and he is very good in sharing his passion with travellers.

Date of experience October 2020
Anne C.

Wir haben in Begleitung von Panos das Archäologische Museum in Heraklion und den Palast in Knossos besichtigt. Es war die beste private Tour zum Thema Geschichte/Archäologie, die wir je hatten, und wir hatten einige in den letzten Jahren.
Panos ist sehr qualifiziert, er spricht perfekt Englisch und er schafft es, die minoische Geschichte sehr anschaulich und “lebendig” darzustellen. Die Exponate im Museum werden nicht trocken erläutert, sondern sind Bausteine eines Puzzles, die ein Gesamtbild der minoischen Kultur ermöglichen. Die im Palast von Knossos von ihm bereit gestellten iPads mit 3D-Animationen der Räumlichkeiten sind sehr hilfreich, um die Dimensionen und Details der Anlage zu ergründen.
Eine sehr gut durchdachte Tour, mit einem sehr qualifizierten Guide, der uns sehr viel Freude bereitet hat.

Date of experience October 2020
karrak Düsseldorf, Germany

We had a great private tour at Knossos. Panos has a deep knowledge of the places – and it is truly a personalized tour, where you can ask questions, get the rationale behind the myths – and even an honest advise for your further travels

Date of experience July 2020
Anne-Mette J Copenhagen, Denmark

Just wonderful! Brilliant, informative guide who brought the whole site to life with history, wisdom, humor and fun.

Date of experience July 2020
Metropole, London U.K

We made our tour arrangements through Tour Experts based not only on the good reviews, but also the positive experience of  family members who had used their services few years back. They were so right!!! Everything was well organized and perfectly executed …The cultural program, tours of major archaeological sites such as Knossos and Phaistos, Chania old town or the Cave of Zeus… Panos had everything ready, tickets etc, and managed to avoid the crowds and other buses.

Date of experience August 2020
Jenna London U.K

Our brief call in Iraklion as part of a cruise was greatly enhanced with the guidance of Panos – with him, we got a glimpse of Crete on a customized itinerary peeking over the Lassithi plateau before a jaunt to Agios Nikolaos and time back in Iraklion for one of the most delicious meals we had on the trip. (Truly: We talked wistfully about our meal with him for days.)
Though the course of the day contained a good bit comfortably on the road, time never felt wasted – Panos was ever affable throughout, and we learned a lot about passing points of interest and just throughout the natural and easy flow of our group conversation. At the same time, he was attentive and flexible, patient with a delay from the ship, responsive to questions/correspondence, and even followed up with us post-trip with more information (and checking to make sure we were safe from some rather stormy weather!).
By the end of our day, it only felt like we could learn so much more if with more time with his company, but as it was we were very appreciative for our full-day experience. We felt very lucky to have shared a day and lunch with his expertise and kindness. Thank you so much, Panos – we were delighted to see a little bit of Crete with you!

Date of experience November 2019
Jay Doe

We were so lucky that we had Panos as a tour guide. A great experience!!! He was so informative and very helpful. We booked the passing of Samaria gorge with his tourist office .
6:30 in the morning waiting us out of our hotel with his clean and specious car. Drove us to the entrance of the gorge and with out delays we began to going down.
After 5 hours approx. we arrived at Ag. Roumeli. He had arranged everything!!!! (even the tickets of the ferry). Late afternoon we were back at our hotel tired but happy!!! Very happy!!!
Do a favor to yourself and book a tour with Panos!!!!!
Highly recommended!!!!!!!

Date of experience September 2019
seafarer73

From past experience, we knew that having a guide would make a big difference in our appreciation and understanding of archeological sites. Our guide, Ioanna Christofakaki breadth and depth of knowledge of Knossos and the surrounding sites was truly impressive. We covered the two major palaces of Minoan Crete, Knossos and Phaistos in the south. Ioanna also had great recommendations about the rest of the day, suggested places to visit and have lunch in the nearby area.  She followed up our amazing tour with references for our further study. We highly recommend this tour.

Date of experience July 2019
BackPacker439905

We booked three private tours with Panos Kritikos on Crete, focusing in religious sites , monasteries of the Byzantine Era . We thoroughly enjoyed the experience on the island , Panos was an amazing host, an expert licensed guide, that provided the information we needed about the Byzantine frescoes and the beautiful monasteries of Crete. He was very flexible to stop along the way, as we were driving around the island to take pictures. We visited areas that are hard to find on the map . We couldn’t have done it  without  Panos …. Book with confidence and definitely listen to Panos’ recommendations as far as the food and restaurants is concerned…

Date of experience October 2019
Jeremy Grant, London U.K

We found our tour with Panos to be very informative. We so appreciated that he not only explained the Knossos site but gave us the historical background to put it into perspective. Also when touring the museum it was great to have Panos point out the significant parts. Otherwise it would have been daunting and we would likely have missed the best parts. Panos’s knowledge of Greek history and the ability to be so factual was amazing. Love that he sent us additional reading and information. We also greatly appreciated that he helped us navigate from the Knossos site to the museum and to find parking. We highly recommend Panos, who is so accommodating and personable.

Date of experience October 2019
gnmhw

We very much enjoyed the tours to various monasteries we did with Panos. Indeed, they were the highlight of our time in Crete. It was so good to visit the monasteries with someone who was so well-informed and knew his way around! We would thoroughly recommend Tour Experts to anyone wanting to arrange a specialist tour around Crete.

Date of experience October 2019
Gerald B, London

Panos was a great guide and gave us a factual and complete tour of Knossos. He followed up by sending us with additional reading and maps of the site. Having a guide to walk you thru the ruins and point out key points is truly invaluable in understanding the history and importance of the site.

Date of experience October 2019
KarenLO1, Matthews, North Carolina

We are very happy that we booked with Panos for our tour to Knossos and Heraklion.
Panos collected us from Elounda, and took us to Knossos first. Panos is very knowledgeable and friendly. We learned so much about the Minoan civilisation from Panos. He explained everything very well, and was happy to answer lots of questions from us. Panos took us around the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, which is an absolute must-see.
We also had a great lunch together in a local taverna, and Panos ensured that we were able to get delicious vegetarian food. He was a great host.
Panos followed up with an email attaching lots of documents and further reading for us following our fascinating trip to Knossos and Heraklion. We highly recommend Panos as an expert guide.

Date of experience October 2019
ADLK, London, U.K

Excellent tour, really great and friendly host and to the point!! It will be a memorable experience!!!

Date of experience August 2019
AngelaT2069

Excellent tours and transfers. Easy and quick communication via email.
We spent 4 days in Crete beginning in Herklion, traveling to Chania with a stop at Rethymnon. Joanna (Ioanna) gave us the Knossos guided tour, Herklion museum and city tours. She was extremely knowledgeable and informative. We learned a great deal about the city and the ancient Minoans. She made sure we missed the crowds at the museum and Knossos.From Herklion we went with Panos to Chania with a Rethymnon city tour, Karydi ‎monastery, olive oil press tour, Aptera photo stop and drop off at our Chania Hotel. He was also very knowledgeable and interesting and gave us a wonderful overview of the history of Crete.

Both Panos and Joanna had great recommendations for shops and restaurants. They made our visit to Crete truly meaningful and enjoyable.

Date of experience September 2019
VinPat, Belle Mead, New Jersey

We spent three days with Panos. While the tour of Knossos, Rethymnon, and Chania was outstanding with level of detail tailored to our interests, it was the additions like the Monastery of Tsangarolon and an olive oil factory that made our experience even more special. We also gained some insight into life on modern Crete. Highly recommended.

Date of experience October 2019
Barbara L, Newbury Park, California

We were touring for 19 days. Our day with Panos was one of our major highlights. No disappointments.

Date of experience September 2019
cwhistle, Utica, Kentucky

There is more than what meets the eye with the tours and drive. Not only are the drivers such as George wonderful and punctual, but they are insightful and courteous in many ways. From finding rest points for a passenger that has motion sickness, to uplifting souls by stopping at an awesome coffee shop. Of course, helping to plan a great itinerary is prioritized. It’s simple acts along the trip that make it easy and enjoyable for all. I would highly recommend them for anyone traveling to Crete.

Date of experience July 2019
Fmetzger89

Booked a tour with Panos for Knossos and Heraklion after looking through quite a few companies and was glad that we made the right choice.
He communicated very clearly via email before the meeting, and made helpful suggestions based on our preferences without trying to hard sell into anything. Was punctual to the dot and drove us very safely and efficiently to the sites. As echoed by other reviewers, he seems to be on friendly terms with almost everyone at the museum and sites, and plans it very well such that you are not crowded in with a big group. We are not experts on Minoan culture but he managed to pitch the tour to our level and actually has gotten us now very interested to read more on the subject. Also quoted a very reasonable price for the tour. If you are looking for quality, this is the company to go for.

Date of experience October 2019
MCSL84, Cambridge  U.K

We took the trip to spinalonga well planned tour,great service from the lady that served us. Certainly good value for money,and done collection from hotel. Certainly worth checking them out

Date of experience September 2019
r0g2013, London U.K

We booked a private custom group tour for 8 adults during our 3 days in Crete and didn’t regret it! Our guide Panos was a consummate professional, knowledgeable and accommodating to our preferences.

During the planning phase, he made excellent suggestions for which sites to visit and offered advise on how much ground we could reasonably cover each day. He did double duty as both guide and driver, and he excelled at both.

Date of experience September 2019
Jake1021, Austin, Texas

We visited Greece this summer  and extended  our vacations for a week on Crete. Although  last minute , Panos was responsive to my emails  and managed to arrange our experience on Crete .  He was able to guide us through the sites , arranged  the  arrival and departure transfers , made the process so easy.

I would highly recommend  Panos and his team if you are going on Crete…

Date of experience July 2019
MeriskAndy122, Ottawa CA

We arranged a private tour of Knossos palace and a tour of the archaeological museum of Heraklion with Panos. From the first email , I realized that he was the guide I was looking for…responsive to my mails and accurate on the information, made the booking easy .

When it comes to guided tours and experiences, it all depends on the guide and how much he is interested in sharing information, answering questions, engaging and adopting to the needs of every group . Panos was all the above and so much more. We made the tour interesting, (we had a difficult audience with 3 teenagers ) answered all our questions and also provided information and books with a follow up email about the Minoans. Panos arranged the transportation, (pick up and drop off from our hotel in Heraklion ) with a nice comfortable van .

Our second tour was a day to the West. We enjoyed the walking tour in both cities, Rethymnon and Chania and had an amazing lunch  at local tavern

Not just a guide… Don’t miss one of their tours, highly recommended.

Date of experience July 2019
History Explorer, New York

Panos arranged a tour for us with a wonderful guide named Dimitra (I don’t know her last name).
Dimitra was an extraordinary tour guide- one of the best we’ve ever had and we’ve had some wonderful ones. Her passion about Minoan art and her wonderful sense of humor made our tour of the Knossos palace and museum a joy. She spent so much time with us and she is incredibly knowledgeable so she gave us amazing insights into the Minoan world. We even enjoyed her quiz at the end of the tour! We highly recommend that you do a tour with Dimitra. Your view of Minoan culture will never be the same.
Marilyn and Shawn

Date of experience September 2019
sacmad, Salem, New Hampshire

Panos was magnificent! He was passionate, knowledgeable, and a wonderful guide. He changed the way we viewed the Minoans. Highly recommended.

Date of experience July 2019
33Historytraveler, Omaha Nebraska 

Our tour was really good. The guide managed to keep the attention of our tired teenagers. He was a good story teller and very engaging. He really knew the history of both the Palace and excavation very well. I gave four instead of five stars just for value because I’d say that it was expensive…

Date of experience August 2019
Loni A

My family of 4 toured the Knossos Palace and The Heraklion Archeological Museum with Panos, who is a superb and highly educated guide. We had a special afternoon and even got to share lunch and some evocative conversation together, which was very enjoyable.

We highly recommend Panos and his tour to anyone finding themselves in Crete.

Date of experience August 2019
amango3168, New York

My family and I had a perfect tour of Knossos, the museum at Heraklion, and a walking tour of the city. Panos was incredibly knowledgeable and was an amazing guide + host to Crete. We would not hesitate to schedule additional tours with Panos in the future.

Date of experience July 2019
DMCC001, Raley, North Karolina 

Arranged a tour of Knossos with Panos. He suggested late afternoon which meant we avoided the crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Without Panos’ guidance I doubt if we would have gotten a huge amount of value from our visit, particularly with two young children in tow. Panos is hugely knowledgeable, giving us lots of context on the Minoans, their way of life and the significance of the site. He has an easygoing way and was well able to engage with our children as well. I would wholeheartedly recommend taking a guided tour with Panos or his colleagues.

Date of experience July 2019
BMM1971

Arranged a tour of Knossos with Panos. He suggested late afternoon which meant we avoided the crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Without Panos’ guidance I doubt if we would have gotten a huge amount of value from our visit, particularly with two young children in tow. Panos is hugely knowledgeable, giving us lots of context on the Minoans, their way of life and the significance of the site. He has an easygoing way and was well able to engage with our children as well. I would wholeheartedly recommend taking a guided tour with Panos or his colleagues.

Date of experience July 2019
BMM1971

Panos took us on a day’s tours of various sights around Crete including Knossos and the Lassithi plateau which we really enjoyed. He was such an engaging and knowledgeable guide but also a really fun and interesting person and we would have enjoyed his company even without the sights! If you want a flavour of Crete and a memorable trip then book with Panos. He planned everything, took us to see little out of the way gems and we had a delicious authentic lunch.

Date of experience June 2019
70LMV

Panos was courteous, informative, humorous and considerate of our large group. We arrived late but he was flexible and ensured that we completed the full tour. Panos managed our time in the sun well to keep us comfortable and shared his extensive knowledge with us in easy to understand language. And he recommended an excellent restaurant near the Heraklion museum. Bravo, Panos!

Date of experience June 2019
John P

We had an excellent tour with Panos our guide who was evidently an expert on Minoan culture; his knowledge and interest in the history of this culture was extensive and infectious.

Date of experience June 2019
andrewhillas, London CA 

Our guide greeted us warmly and was punctual. He spent 1.5 hours with us, was very knowledgeable, and shared historical, geographic and archeological context that brought the experience alive for us no matter what age. It was a warm day but he guided us thoughtfully from shade to shade while continuously sharing so much information and engaging us with thoughtful questions. Highly recommend!

Date of experience June 2019
LisaK1047

Our tour of Knossos Palace and the Museum was fantastic. Panos is both very personable and an expert on the subject matter. He also gave us a great restaurant recommendation for lunch after we finished. You absolutely will not regret booking this tour.

Date of experience June 2019
Sagehens47

I recently traveled to Heraklion with a group of 11 friends from the US. Panos oversaw our tour of Knossos and the Archeological Museum. From the moment I spoke with him on the phone, I knew I was in good hands. When we arrived at Knossos, he had already purchased our tickets, which allowed us to pass the long lines. He is fluent in English and incredibly knowledgeable, offering a focused yet appropriately detailed tour catered to our levels of interest. He is efficient and covers the important details while balancing this with time to rest, relax, and enjoy the moment. He is incredibly kind, thoughtful, and aware of the needs of the group, and was able to answer questions and focus on specific details based on interest. I can’t imagine a better tour guide! Thank you, Panos!

Date of experience June 2019
GreekExplorer1, Boston, Massachusetts

Panos did an excellent job as our tour guide to Knossos and to the archeological museum in Heraklion. He picked us up at our hotel in Chania and once in Knossos provided us with a professional and knowledgeable tour of Knossos. His archaeological formation showed as we moved through the site at Knossos and afterward as he guided us through the very fine collection at the museum in Heraklion. We were in good hands and had a great day traveling with Panos.

Date of experience June 2019
I4482IIgregw, Kansas City, Misouri

We spent a wonderful, very full day with Panos, who was incredibly knowledgable about the historic sites. He is a licensed guide and an archaeologist and he picked us up from our hotel in Heraklion and we visited Gortys, Phaistos, and Agia Triada and he drove us to wonderful spot for lunch. He then drove us to through the mountains to drop us off at our next destination in the tiny village of Thronos, where we had arranged to stay ourselves but didn’t want to drive. It was a wonderful day and my only regret is that we didn’t seek out Panos to guide us through Knossos, where we went the prior day and used a guide that we found at the site who was not very knowledgable. I highly recommend Panos and Cretan Tour Experts!

Date of experience June 2019
Travelin-Soon, San Fransisco, California

Panos arranged a private tour for myself and my husband during our trip to Crete. We needed a pickup in Heraklion and drop off at our hotel in Chania and wanted to do a bit of touring in between. Panos arranged all of the details on our behalf and the experience was superb. Panos was an extremely knowledgeable and personable guide. Every bit of our tour felt private and tailored to us. If you are questioning whether to book, just do it!

Date of experience June 2019
kristinv596, Rockville, Meryland

My husband and I spent two unforgettable days touring Crete with Panos. Panos is an excellent guide. We communicated by email before our trip to make plans and Panos’ recommendations were exactly what we wanted: to visit both archeological sites and the countryside. Our trips to Knossos and Phaistos were exceptional because Panos explained the history and theories behind the construction of these amazing palaces- we would have missed so much without his explanations – this was also the case when we went to the incredible Heraklion Museum together. We also took a tour of the Lasithi Platueau and spent a lovely afternoon in Matala.
What made these tours special was Panos’ knowledge, enthusiasm, openness and that we never felt rushed or hurried. The tours were hassle free – no standing in line for tickets or driving around looking for parking places – Panos dropped us off in front of each attraction. We received an email the next day with links and articles to follow up on our discussions and questions. We highly recommend this tour!

Date of experience June 2019
Mkwm, London U.K

Although no strangers to the fruit of the vine, we were amazed and very happy with the man who talked us through the art and science of grapes and wine. He was amazing: we had some knowledge, he is the master.
The next day, we visited the west of the Island and saw the magnificent beaches, as well learned first hand the varied geography of that area. We also visited an Olive oil production operation featuring a 2000 year old Olive tree in the front yard that still produces olives. On the way back to Chenia, we stopped at a small store on the side of the road, where we experienced Greek Yogard at its best, and with local honey – amazing. We also tried local goat and sheep cheeses there. Footnote: a young lady who runs the store took me aside and quietly asked if I had any heart problems as cheese could pose a threat. Ever experience that sort of warmth and care anywhere?
I had to leave shortly after our second day with Lefteris, but my sister and husband did at least two more trips, and left me most jellous. They will post shortly.
I will return to Crete next Spring, and link up with the team of Experts

Date of experience May 2019
Gsedan, Ottawa CA

Panos is the man to hire for a personalized experience of Crete. He is knowledgeable, friendly, extremely well-organized, and flexible. We have traveled to all seven continents and over 100 countries. And Panos is among the best tour guides we have had.

Having never been to Crete before, we relied on suggestions from Panos. He recommended the Lato Botique Hotel, not luxury but clean and comfortable with friendly staff, good breakfasts, and a marvelous view with the Koules Fortress and Heraklion Harbor right in front of us, and within three blocks of the primary pedestrian street.

We planned for three days of guided tours. The first day we traveled west to Remthymnon and Hania, thoroughly enjoying the scenery as Panos provided commentary about the island and its history. We strolled alongside the fortifications, through the winding streets, and around the harbors of these fascinating cities. At each stage of our explorations, Panos provided time and suggestions for our personal goals and interests. We had a coffee break in Remthymnon and lunch at an excellent establishment in Hania.

Our second day we traveled east to Ayios Nikolaus and wandered through its lovely streets and around its harbor and lake, stopping for coffee in an upper level lakeside loggia. (Now I have to go home and watch the 1972-3 BBC drama “The Lotus Eaters” about British expats in Ayios Nikolaus!) Then we drove south into the mountains and the Lisithi High Plateau for a glimpse of rural life and communities. This provided a different but integrative perspective on the history, economy, and culture of Crete. We stopped at the small village of Krassi to see the most ancient plane tree of Crete (approx. 2400 years) as well as its Venetian fountain and community laundry site. From there we visited the Monastery of Kera Kardiotissa, viewed the mythological birthplace of Zeus, and lunched at a delightful restaurant loggia in Agios Konstantinos from which we sat and viewed the mountains.

Archeologist and guide Dimitra Pilarinou provided her services for our final day as we visited the Archeological Museum in Heraklion (truly one of the finest we have visited), toured near the foundational walls and through the pedestrian streets of Old Town Heraklion, and explored the Minoan archeological site, Knossos. We could have had no better guide for the day. Dimitra is the most requested archeological guide of visitors from academic institutions around the world. History came alive for us this day.

We could not be more pleased with the services we received from Panos and Dimitra. There are many choices for guide services in this area but you can tell by all the reviews that this company is the best.

Date of experience May 2019
DCandVC, Cadott, Wisconsin

We had a wonderful experience with Cretan Tour Experts. Panos arranged everything beautifully and our guide was very knowledgable and the hours went by too quickly!

Date of experience May 2019
JBKpsych, Greater London, U.K

We recently took a private excursion with Panos. My mother-in-law, husband and I loved it. He was extremely knowledgeable and tweet the tour to our needs. I would love to come back to Crete and have Panos show us more of his wonderful Island. If you book with him, you won’t go wrong.

Date of experience May 2019
rockNrobin84, Beersheva, Israel

My sweetheart and I spent just under a week on Crete and were treated to several wonderful days with Panos. He drove us from Chania to Heraklion, with a visit to Rethymno en route. Then, not only did he take us for exciting and informative visits to Knossos, Phaistos and Gortyna, he also included a side trip to Matala for a lovely seaside lunch. Panos was 100% reliable, he was warm and thoughtful and his excitement was contagious. He also worked like the dickens on our behalf, to the point of picking us up at 4 a.m. to take us to the airport at the end of our stay and following up by email with a much appreciated recommend reading list. He made our visit unforgettable, and we recommend him and his agency without hesitation.

Date of experience April 2019

You will not go wrong booking with Tour Experts. From the first exchange of emails I had a good feeling ,and that’s just how it turned out. We are an elderly couple with a particular interest in Minoan culture and we spent three wonderful days with Panos, who adapted perfectly to our wishes and capabilities. Panos is personable, knowledgeable and speaks perfect English. He is a good driver and has a very comfortable new vehicle. We learned a lot about life in modern Crete from Panos and as he is a bit of a foodie we ate really well following his suggestions.

Date of experience April 2019
bella1192212, Noosaville, Australia

We booked this tour as a shore excursion from our cruise ship. We had limited time and explained to Panos the things we wanted to do and he made it all happen!! We visited Knossos Palace (my favorite of the archeological sites we visited in Greece), drove through the country side and up to a very high point for breathtaking views, wine tasting (even though most of the vineyards are closed this time of year, panos still made it happen), and a walk through the Heraklion city center for a taste of local Crete food (yummm). I highly recommend this tour. Private tours are the way to go. Spend a little more money for a more personal tour and skip the lines/crowds and I promise your experience will be so much better! ευχαριστώ Panos!

Date of experience March 2019
jamielynnortega, Σαν Αντόνιο, Τέξας, 304

When I first planned a tour to Crete as a graduation present for my 17 year old grandson I knew the most important part of our trip would be the quality of the tour guide. My grandson has been studying the Minoans since he was a small boy and I needed a guide whose knowledge and passion matched his. Thankfully, Panos found me that guide, Dimitra Pilarinou. As a PhD in archaeology, she could answer every question, but even more important, she presented the material with drama and enthusiasm that kept both a teenager and his grandmother enthralled. My thanks to both Panos and Dimitra for making our trip the trip of a lifetime.

Date of experience March 2019
Voyager1472, 21

We were on holiday in Athens when we made a spur of the moment decision to visit Crete. While it was the ‘off season’, PANOS KRITIKOS of Cretan Tours speaks perfect English and is easy to understand. Panos had no problem fulfilling what we wished to see in a day. He picked us up at the airport in the morning and drove us around a bit before we arrived at Knossos. Panos truly is knowledgeable about the site, history and artifacts. He further escorted us back into town to the Heraklion Museum and walked us through all the exhibits answering my friends questions on any subject. We then walked through town where we had a delicious dinner outside prior to Panos returning us to the airport for the last flight of the day. I would highly recommend Panos and wish you to know your visit would not be complete without hiring him as your guide from the Cretan Tour experts

Date of experience November 2018

My family and I used Panos. It was very last minute and in the quiet season. Nonetheless he managed to put together an excellent tour for us. His organisation and professionalism was on par with his knowledge, which was simply brilliant. He understood the archaeology, history and mythology, like he was actually present during the rise, fall and decline of the Minoan civilisation. Very highly recommended.

Date of experience January 2019
Alexander G, Χάμιλτον, Νέα Ζηλανδία, 41

We booked a tour of Knossos site and Heraklion museum with Panos, I highly recommend Panos and his team for their rapidity and professionalism during the booking process, and for the quality of the tour. Panos took time to give us a detailed background on Knossos and the Minos civilization, and provided us with lots of interesting explanations and details, both on site and in the museum, that we would not have had if we had visited by ourselves. Thank you!

Date of experience January 2019

Very professional and helpful company, prompt and clear with both communication and organisation. Panos very helpful in helping us organise a guided tour. Dimitras our guide was a great mix of accurate knowledge interwoven with story telling and enthusiasm. We were very happy and the tour was above our expectations. The two hours flew by and the whole tour was nicely paced.

Date of experience December 2018
rosheen_a, Μελβούρνη, Αυστραλία, 2115

Before my visit to the Crete Island, I found a YouTube video with a beautiful landscape that I wanted to photograph. Unfortunately the place was not close to the city there I stayed (Heraklion), nor do I want to drive on the Crete Islands. After some research I found Panos Kritikos and the Cretan Tour Experts Travel Agency. I contacted Panos if he could arrange a tour to this place. He did very quickly understand what I wanted, and gave me an excellent suggestion for a tailor-made tour that I booked.

On the date for my tour Panos arrived on time to pick me up at my hotel, and drove very safely to the location for the photographing. I had plenty of time to get the picture that I wanted and afterwards, he drove safely back to my hotel – a prefect organized tailor-made tour.

Date of experience December 2018
N42N, 48

My wife and I had a great experience with Panos and Demetra of Cretan Tour Experts. This outfit is very reliable. Pick up at our various hotels was consistently on time. The tour vehicles are modern, clean and well maintained. Our guides were knowledgeable and pleasant to spend time with. Panos took care to listen to our interests and tailor our day tours accordingly. We highly recommend Cretan Tour Experts.

Date of experience October 2018
asandy2821, Μπίρμινγχαμ, Αλαμπάμα, 44

We spent two days with Panos during our wonderful visit to Crete. He gave us a great tour of archeological sites, the cave where “Zeus was born” and a very special “Food Tour” day. He was prompt, knowledgeable and gave us a personalized adventure! On our Food Tour, we loved the attention to detail in experiencing a local deli with cheese, wine, spreads and breads, bakery, souvlaki stop, and restaurant. It was a special experience in Heraklion which is the home of the Mediterranean diet. I highly recommend Panos for your touring in Crete.

Date of experience October 2018
Nancy B, West Bloomfield, Μίσιγκαν, 22

This was an excellent tour. Panos was outstanding and provided information that we could not have discovered on our own.

Date of experience October 2018
DMcCamish, Signal Mountain, Τενεσί, 2

Panos was great to work with via e-mail to make arrangements for our tour. We wanted to do the Palace of Knossos, some of the countryside, a winery, and Heraklion. The fee for our tour included admission to the Knossos site ( WITHOUT waiting in line) and admission to the winery. Panos was prompt to pick us up and we were in a very comfortable Mercedes van. He was very knowledgeable and gave us a great tour of the Knossos site! He managed to get us into areas and rooms ahead of the large tour crowds and provided us with great explanations of the history of the site and the Minoan civilization.
We drove through some beautiful countryside on our way to the winery. Lyrarakis Winery was terrific! They have an excellent selection of wines, and we enjoyed quite a varied tasting! We purchased a sparkling wine and hope to locate it here in the US!!
We enjoyed our walking/shopping/lunch in Heraklion. It is a beautiful old city!

Date of experience October 2018
NRMEdgmont, Edgmont, PA, 24166

Being first timers to Crete we gave Panos instructions to just show us what we should see in Crete. We opted to do Knossos and the Museum ourselves which we think worked out well. Panos was punctual, professional and most informative of Cretan life. He tailored the tour very well to our interests and varied the second day when we mentioned we were interested in war history and olive oil production process. We were so well fed for lunch that none of us bothered eating dinner either nights….except maybe for wine and ice cream. 🙂
Thank you Panos for a most wonderful two days.

Date of experience October 2018
Tonyh83, Brisbane, 9545

I highly recommend this company. Panos is a wonderful, knowledgeable, and organized guide who provided our group of eight cruise ship passengers with an informative and fun day in Crete.

Everything was seamless and well-organized, including: our prompt pick-up at Agios Nikolaos port; our transportation in a comfortable vehicle; our entrance and tour at Knossos; our entrance and tour at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum; and our delicious family-style lunch at a taverna, where we enjoyed an abundance of local dishes. Panos had planned the details perfectly so that we could best enjoy the highlights during our short time in the area.

Panos has a wealth of knowledge of archaeology and history, and he is an excellent communicator. He is the perfect guide for explaining the Knossos site and the museum artifacts. He is able to share his expertise and passion in a friendly and approachable manner. I learned so much throughout the day!

I was also very impressed with Panos’ patience and professionalism, from the first email I sent him to inquire about tours. He promptly answered all my questions, and he worked with me to plan a day that would work best for our interests and cruise timetable. We had an excellent day with Panos!

Date of experience October 2018
MaryS1062, 2

Panos is an excellent guide for anyone interested in the Minoan sites. Phaistos and Knossos are fascinating by themselves but Panos added interpretation that made the visits memorable. He also took us to Gortyn, which we would not have considered going to otherwise, and it opened up another chapter in the history of Crete, the Roman occupation. Panos is an good companion for the Heraklion Minoan museum. He helped us focus on a few very important pieces in a collection that is wonderful but somewhat overwhelming. Panos is also an excellent companion if you want to learn about what is going on in modern Crete.

Date of experience September 2018
Robert C, 2

We booked online because the site had nice reviews. We went to spinalonga and elounda for a day tour. To tell you the truth we always avoid massive touristic destinations, but everyone was telling us we should visit spinalonga. And we are glad we did! It was amazing! Dimitra explained us everything about the history of the small islet and she traveled us through its thriving history! Dimitra was excellent! Professional, friendly, informative and with a great sense of humour. Everything was arranged by the agency. Our transfer from the hotel, the boat tickets and our return. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It was fabulous. Not to forget to mention the excellent lunch we had in Elounda. Plenty of chooses. Thank you Dimitra for the perfect day!

Date of experience September 2018
Backstage D, Άγιος Νικόλαος, Ελλάδα, 265

There are more about Crete than stunning beaches and landscapes. Following excellent recommendations, we got in touch with Panos, who guided us throught a journey of mythological, archeological and historical events taken place thousands of years ago.

Our exploration started in Knossos, where we could contemplate the palace which was house to the oldest civilisation in Europe. Our guide was mindful at all times, sharing his knowledge with us, at the same time instigating our curiosity and also guiding our visit, avoing big groups of tourists.

From Knossos, we headed up to Heraklion Museum, which has been rebuild recently and has a modern european look. There we observered Minoan art and artefacts. Our immersive experience into Greek culture finished at Greek restaurant recommended by our guide.
Highly recommended experience!

Date of experience  July  2018
Gisele S, 11

So happy we used Cretan Tour Experts on this trip. We wanted a custom private tour of each Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Other providers had longer tours combined with other stops we were not interested in. I found Tour Experts by looking through Trip Advisor Reviews. I worked with Panos to set up our tours on two consecutive mornings, he gave great advice on each and the price was very fair. Dimitra was our tour guide on both and she was fantastic. Speaks great English, incredibly pleasant to be with, an archaeologist by trade and so knowledgeable. Dimitra brought Knossos and the Museum to life! When you have a great tour guide on such meaningful and interesting historical sites the experience is just so much better. At Knossos we had such a superior experience vs the huge packaged tours where the guide didn’t know much. Dimitra’s perspectives and insights on both were great and so much more interesting than just reading the signs. Highly Recommend!!

Date of experience September 2018
Journey1007, Νέα Υόρκη, 3212

Panos was very professional and exact; and communicated very timely prior to our tour. He was extremely knowledgeable and professional and I cannot make any complaint. I knew his fee and the agenda prior to our tour. I don’t like to be negative without offering constructive criticism; but I will say, overall, this experience did not ‘wow’ me. We spent about 2 hours at Palace of Knossos; then drove to the National Archeology Museum for his 1 hour highlights guided tour. He then pointed out a few places nearby in the square we could have lunch. In conclusion, he delivered everything as promised. So I give an overall average rating. For the price we paid, I did not think there was anything ‘over the top’ to make this a remarkable experience. Perhaps it is a matter of the locale and or subject matter.

Date of experience June 2018
Raerone, New Orleans, 243109

Absolutely wonderful tour of Knossos and the museum in Heraklion. Panos was fantastic and his love and passion for prehistoric archaeology and the history of Crete was evident. Knowing my daughter wants to be an archaeologist, he was thorough and spent extra time with her to make sure she understood everything! Panos went above and beyond and it started with his excellent communication in setting up our transportation and tours. He was waiting for us for our pick up from the airport and we went straight to our first tour in Knossos. Following our tour of the museum, he dropped us off at our apartment and made sure we were all set. All seemed to be seamless. We really enjoyed our time! I can’t recommend this company highly enough!

Date of experience September 2018
KAHolmes, Βιρτζίνια Μπιτς, Βιρτζίνια, 21

We confirmed Panos as our guide for a private tour of Knossos Palace and the Museum of Archaeology in Heraklion and had a fantastic day. We were collected from our hotel and returned at the end of the tours which made it a very personal experience.
Panos’s passion and knowledge for the history of the island of Crete was amazing and we will gladly recommend him to anyone we know that wishes to share the same experience.
Graham & Valerie Ward.

Date of experience September 2018
casavalla, Essex, 41

We had a wonderful tour of Knossos with Ioanna and we learned a lot! The weather started out with heavy rain, but turned to sunshine at the end. It’s good to go to Knossos when it’s not too busy. Really great private tour and we would highly recommend this company.

Date of experience September 2018
timothyjull, Tucson, Az, 217

In summary this tour was really hard to fault. My wife and I did a number of other tours in Athens and Santorrini and these two tours were the pick. Panos is excellent and we do not say that lightly.The email communication leading up to booking the tour, the service, itinerary, transport and communication provided during the tour were appreciated and enjoyed. It really made our holiday in Crete even more enjoyable.

Date of experience September 2018
michaelwgearin, Σίδνεϊ, Αυστραλία, 1

If you are visiting Crete and you are looking for a tour company to provide a truly memorable experience for you and your family there’s no need to look any further than Cretan Tour Company. Our family of four utilized them for our private tours during our three day visit this August and they were amazing. We called Heraklion home base during our three day stay and took day trips to Elafonisi, Knossos and Spinalonga. We knew that our itinerary was very aggressive and it was complicated by distances we needed to cover to get to our destinations but our guide Panos was up to the task and made every one of our day trips special and memorable (not to mention he navigated the tricky roads unbelievably smoothly!). We knew we had chosen the best of the best tour operator as soon as we met Panos. He was a complete professional on every level. His professionalism went above and beyond expectations and I think anybody would be hard pressed to find another guide on Crete who is as intelligent and knowledgeable about the island and its history as he was. My feeling is that the thing that separates tour guides from one another isn’t so much the bigger picture things, ( skipping long lines, bringing you to an area with an amazing view ect.) it’s the little things that they do and that’s how Panos left such a large impression on me. Not only did he pick a local restaurants for lunch but he made suggestions as to what to order. He would also review our daily itinerary and make suggestions in order to help with flow and travel. As you can see I can’t speak highly enough about Panos and the Cretan Tour Company. Good luck in your travels.

Date of experience August 2018
cmalin19, Νέα Υόρκη, Νέα Υόρκη, 11

We were staying on a resort in Malia and wanted to visit the Knossos Archeological site and then the Archeological museum in Heraklion. I emailed to Tour Experts with a suggested itinerary. Panos was very prompt replying and we were all set. He picked us up and drove us the The Archeological site. Having studied Archeology Panos was the perfect guide for our visit to the site. As we went through the site Panos went into great detail telling us about everything we saw. It truly amazed me the depth of knowledge the Minoan’s had amassed. With Panos as our guide we got a great tour of the site. From there we went on to see the Archeological museum in Heraklion as most of the artifacts from the Knossos site are at the museum. Going through the museum Panos guided us to all of the most key artifacts and explained them in great detail.
After finishing we went on to a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant.

Visiting the Knossos site and also the Archeological museum is really a must for visitors of Crete. You can’t go wrong having Tour Experts act as your guide to these amazing sites. I highly recommend Panos and Tour Experts.

Date of experience September 2018
loudini56, Finksburg, Μέριλαντ, 552229

My husband is obsessed with Minoan culture and we wanted a private tour of both Knossos and the Archeological Museum, even if we had to pay more. After all, we may never have the opportunity to return to Crete and we really wanted to make the most of our time. Tour Experts—a small company consisting of just a few licensed guides—was a perfect fit. Panos Kritikos, our contact, was extremely responsive by email. He even managed to change our tour time the last minute when we decided to sleep in (he responded pretty much instantaneously to my inquiry). Our guide was Ioanna Christofakak whose knowledge of Minoan culture was outstanding. When we arrived at the museum a few minutes early, she was already waiting for us with tickets at hand. We had a lot of very specific questions, but she managed to answer them all and provided us with good information on 700 years of Minoan history without overwhelming us. We were able to focus on the highlights but were still able to have it be tailored to our interests. It was expensive but we felt it was worth every euro. We will never forget Knossos, and if you have time, we recommend also spending a day in Phaistos (about 1 hr 15 min south) for comparison as the two sites have very different presentations. If you do the tour of Knossos, ask Panos for the best time to go to avoid the cruise groups (time changes depending on day). We highly recommend this company for the quality of their tours!

Date of experience September 2018
DCHummingbird, Ουάσινγκτον, Περιφέρεια της Κολούμπια, 8788

Today our group of 15 cruisers did a tour of Knossos and the Archaeological Museum with Dimitra. The whole day was perfect. Dimitra is easily one of the best tour guides we’ve met, incredibly knowledgeable, passionate and a good communicator as well as fun and great with a large group. The tour itself was just right given we only had one day. Everything possible was already sorted in advance to save us time and the time spent in each site was enough to get a good understanding but not too much given the hot day. Organising the tour was also very easy, Panos is a great communicator and it was always clear what was being offered, the cost etc. Overall cannot recommend highly enough!

Date of experience August 2018
Garybatz, Μελβούρνη, Αυστραλία

My husband and I very much enjoyed our tour of Knossos. Panos told us about Minoan civilization, and explained what took place at various spots on the cite. We used the tickets, which he provided, to visit the archaeological museum in Heraklion, where we saw the famous frescoes and other objects, and we had the sense that we knew where these things came from and what they meant.

Date of experience July 2018
j1knight, 1

What an amazing day! Demitra was extremely knowledgeable and we had an amazing day with her! We visited the Palace of Knossos and then headed out to Spinalonga. We heard so much about Crete and really enjoyed every minute of it. She went out of our way to make sure that we got to see everything we wanted to. Would highly recommend them for anyone looking to do a private tour. We will definitely use them again when we head back to Crete.

Date of experience July 2018
Kimberly H, 44

Panos was waiting to meet us at the specified time and place and had even upgraded our tour to a more roomy vehicle to assist one of our party. The tour was adapted to our wishes very easily and we had a very enjoyable time. Panos is a very knowledgeable tour guide and had a lot of information to share about Crete. We would have no hesitation in recommending Tour Experts and would like to thank Panos for the friendly and professional tour.

Date of experience August 2018
Susan S, 32

Our family of four took the day and went with Panos to Elafonissi Beach – on the way we stopped at a lovely village for snacks and went back there for a delicious lunch on the way back. Panos is very knowledgeable about Greek history and the island of Crete – I highly recommend him for this excursion or really anywhere on Crete. I wish we had had him with us for Knossos and the museum in Heraklion!

Date of experience August 2018
Kld0520, Topanga, Καλιφόρνια, 103

Tour Guide Demetria gave us a very thorough and insightful tour of Knossos. She has a tremendous wealth of knowledge about the subject and great enthusiasm and passion for the material, all of which came through in her presentation, spoken in impeccable English. Along the way to our next stop, Agios Nikoloas and surrounding areas, she gave us a lot of insight into the island of Crete. We walked about Agios Nikoloas with her guidance and explanations, and then proceeded to drive along coastal resort area to enjoy the scenery, take pictures and dine at one of her recommended restaurants. My family (two adult children and wife) enjoyed the comfortable van ride throughout, and we received more details about Heraklion upon our return and drop off at that location in order to get back onto our cruise ship.

Date of experience June 2018
vikenmouradian, Λος Άντζελες, Καλιφόρνια, 1

We spent most of a day under the very capable guidance of Panos, an archaeologist whose extensive knowledge made the past come alive during a tour of Knossos. Our tour continued to the charming seaside city of Rethymnon, where we explored the quaint shops and had lunch at a delightful taverna. As we travelled from place to place, we enjoyed an engaging conversation with Panos about topics ranging from ancient history and local life to the world scene. We had a fifteen-day tour in Turkey and Greece, every

Date of experience June 2018
bythesea29, New York, 207

We had such a wonderful day with Panos at Knossos Palace and the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion. Panos is so friendly and extremely knowledgable. He made Knossos come to life and gave us an in-depth look at Minoan culture at the museum (which is a must-see). Panos also provided our transfers from the Heraklion airport to our hotel in Elounda and then from our hotel to the Heraklion ferry port and everything went off without a hitch. When we got to the ferry port, we discovered my son had left his cell phone in the van. I quickly e-mailed Panos and within minutes, the driver went out of his way to head back to the port and give us the cell phone – thank you, Panos! Above and beyond! Wonderful tours and fantastic service!

Date of experience June 2018
marthasor, Old Greenwich, Κονέκτικατ, 4631

If you want private, professional and friendly excursions in Crete at your own pace,this is the company you need to contact.

Date of experience June 2018
sandip2311, Λονδίνο, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 11

I study art history and ancient archaeology and have travelled to many sites around the world – so I’ve encountered many tour guides – some good, some not so good. But Dimitra stands head and shoulders above the rest – she made my visits to Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum utterly fascinating. Her comprehensive knowledge truly brought the artifacts alive for me, and her enthusiasm was totally contagious! She didn’t deliver a set-piece tourist spiel – she listened carefully to my questions, and could answer them in full! Thanks to her I learned an amazing amount in such a short time – new and exciting ideas I still thinking about months later – and she has inspired me to further reading and research on the fascinating Minoan culture. She communicates so well and has so much to share, I would recommend her to anyone visiting the sites. The arrangements were made at very short notice by Panos, but everything was organized to perfection, leaving me free to enjoy the experience.

Date of experience May 2018
Stuart H, 11

We’ve used private guides in many places around the world and Dimitra was hands down THE BEST we’ve ever encountered. Time flew by with her as she introduced us (2 adults and 5 teens) to the Minoan culture through a tour of the Heraklion Archeological Museum. She’s an archeologist with a wonderful gift of connecting the stories of the past with her passion for history and an ability to connect with her audience in an energetic and humorous way. There’s no better way to bring Knossos to life than to tour the rich treasures of the site with Dimitra providing context and commentary on the scale and timeframe of the Minoan civilization. This was definitely the highlight of our Heraklion visit – each one of the kids gave this tour a big thumbs up!

Panos was incredibly accommodating to our requests and Ioanna provided a great tour of Knossos, making our engagement with Tour Experts super easy.

Two recommendations: 1) we visited Knossos at 17:00 which was great. All of the crowds were gone and we were pretty much alone at the site. It’s a great time to go. See it before the museum as it puts everything in context. 2) we hit the museum at 8:30, right when it opened. While that was a bit tough for the teens, we literally had the entire museum to ourselves. It was only when we were wrapping up that the tour groups started to arrive.

Bottom line: if I could give Dimitra and Tour Experts 6 stars, I would. No need to look further!

Date of experience July 2018
Cublooded, Brookline, Μασαχουσέτη, 2318

Great descriptions of all the highlights of Athens. Very friendly and professional. Unfortunately he can’t take you into the Parthenon, but it was lovely to wander around by ourselves. The tour did a fantastic job of avoiding the big crowds too!

Date of experience June 2018
agnyc303, Νέα Υόρκη, Νέα Υόρκη, 6

We where a group of 5 women who stayed in Crete for 10 days and where so lucky to hire Panos to be our guide. The trip was just perfect; he was so well educated and took care of all our needs. He was also very flexible when we wanted to change our plans and service minded. He did show us all the best things in history,nature, vine and food that Crete has to offer. We where also very happy with his clean and convenient car. His staff in the company Tour Experts did also meet all our expectations. We are coming back next year – and he will of course be our guide again.

Date of experience May 2018
Ragnheiður H, 54

Yassas! We spent two fabulous days touring Crete with Panos. He’s personable, fun to be with and very knowledgeable about the island, it’s ancient history and current state. Our tour was designed with our needs, Cretan food and history, in mind and beautifully executed. Panos is willing to arrange everything for his guests. Don’t hesitate to ask. You will not be disappointed. We hope to come back for more.

Date of experience May 2018
marymayct, Bozeman, Μοντάνα, 2

We went out with Panos last year so we already knew what a great and knowledgeable guide he is. This time we went to Phaestos, a huge Minoan palace and to Gortys, the ancient Roman capital of Crete. We learnt more than we’d find in guide books and had fascinating discussions re everything from excavation techniques over the last century to the state of the economy! We’ll be back!

Date of experience May 2018
FranH981, Λονδίνο, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 5313

The most important is a Perfect guide to get the best experience of Crete and Panos Krit kos is simply the best. He did plan our trip according to our needs and we got the best of it all. Sightseeing, walking, sailing, best local restaurants. Now we love Crete and are already planning our next visit with Panos Kritikos.

Date of experience May 2018
Aðalbjörg R, Ρέικιαβικ, Ισλανδία, 2117

We just finished a private tour with Yoanna of Knossos and Heraklion. They arranged everything for us, including pickup and drop off at our hotel. Very easy and informative tour, and Yoanna was lovely company and even managed to keep our 7 year old daughter engaged. Thanks!

Date of experience May 2018
BetteNoir, Λονδίνο, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 44132

Did a tour with Panos of the Lassithi Plateau and more, excellent, friendly guide. Lovely relaxing day out ending with a most amazing lunch and local wine one of the villages. Can recommend.

Date of experience May 2018
DenaKayG, Τζέρσεϋ, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 2312

My parents and I did two private tours of Chania and the surrounding area with Panos — a walking tour of Chania and a visit to Aptera and a couple of nearby villages. We were incredibly relaxed the whole time — both tours were flexible and we were able to customize them as we wished. Panos would help us out and even make detours whenever we wished to buy something. During the full day tour we also had a fantastic lunch at a restaurant called Souhlis near Lake Kournas. Highly recommend the services of this company!

Date of experience May 2018
T B, Τορόντο, Καναδάς, 2910

Panos was an excellent tour guide. He is an archeologist with an excellent knowledge of Greek history, culture, and politics. And has also travelled extensively throughout Europe. We had very interesting conversations throughout our tour, especially in the car between stops, on a wide variety of subjects. He has excellent English, and he has great connections throughout Crete. He knows the best times to visit sites because he knows the schedules and patterns of large tour groups. He also runs one of the few travel agencies on Crete that has a license to drive its own cars throughout the island. He is committed to providing the highest quality tours.

Date of experience May 2018
Alfred K, Champaign, United States, 85

We recently spent 3 days with Panos touring Crete: our transfer from Chania to Heraklion with stops in Rethymnon and Akadi, Knossos and the Lassithi plateau and the Phaistos Palace and Matala. Panos was very knowledgeable and made the experiences fun and informative. He included stops like a pottery workshop to give us a more local feel to the trip, not just the typical tourist places. I highly recommend Tour Experts if you are looking for a private tour while on Crete.

Date of experience May 2018
Alexmom18,Παραλία Ponte Vedra, Φλόριντα, 21

Very knowledgeable, accommodating and professional. We enjoyed our tour of Knossos and the town of Heraklion.

Date of experience May 2018
local34, local34, 64

Our family (3 children, 4 adults) tour experience was absolutely amazing! Two days of touring Crete with Dimitra our insightful knowledgable guide and now friend engaged our family with the culture, food, history, perspectives and narrative of the land. This tour could have easily gone on for another two days, there is so much to see and learn. Savas our trusted driver had our family safety as a priority while he expertly and precisely navigated the roads of Crete with ease.I would highly recommend this tour to anyone, especially with children. Such a memorable vacation, thank you!

Date of experience May 2018
ERobinson2018, Τορόντο, Καναδάς, 1

We booked two tours with Dimitra. We found the experience to be very knowledgeable, as an archeologist she was able to provide a wealth of information. Along with warmth of the island and and delicious food. Panus was very accommodating, tailoring our tour to our needs.

Date of experience April 2018
rickj916, Dana Point, Καλιφόρνια, 3

We were privileged to get Dimitra as our guide. She was a delightful addition to our group. Her knowledge was phenomenal. We found our tour was so insightful and breathtaking, we had to see more! So accommodating and conscience to our needs with young children. Even our driver Savas was a great experience. We will using this company next time we visit Crete!

Date of experience April 2018
lukiaejodzio, Τορόντο, Καναδάς, 21

Panos collected my wife and I from Chania and brought us to Heraklion to tour the wonders of Knossos. He is insightful, personable and exceptionally knowledgeable of the Greek history and the archeology of Crete and Greece, overall. Also thanks to Panos, we learned quite a lot about Greek culture, family life, perspective and food during our one day journey. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day with a thoroughly enjoyable guide. We can’t use enough superlatives about Panos and recommend him without reservation!

Date of experience March 2018
Steve K, Όβερλαντ Παρκ, Κάνσας, 228

Ioanna was exceptional. She was very knowledgeable and enjoyable to be with. Tour included pick up at hotel and contact was made the evening before to verify reservation and times so all dealings were very thorough, personable, and professional.Recommend without hesitation .

Date of experience April 2018
susanfQ1766VS, Oley, Πενσυλβάνια, 2

Our group of four (3 adults + 11-year old) enjoyed two consecutive days touring around Crete in a minivan. Panos helped us customize our tour up until the last minute. We toured around hitting highlights like Knossos, Herkalion, and various small towns all around. Our focus was history, but Panos injected tons of discussion of Greek myths, horticulture, and current affairs. It made for two great days of touring and learning. We highly recommend his tour company and look forward to seeing him again.

Date of experience April 2018
FlyingOutofNYC, Thousand Islands New York, Νέα Υόρκη, 2

Panos was just lovely and clearly committed to delivering a great experience. He showed a good mix of places and was passionate and able to answer our questions on many topics, not just history and archaeology but culture, events, politics and more.

Date of experience April 2018
KatherineA1417, 1

Panos Kritikos did a 2-3h private tour for our group of 8 with a lot of insight into the history and current situation in Greece. He had a lot of background knowledge and is a professional archaeologist.

Date of experience April 2018
joachimz491, Λιντζ, Αυστρία, 2

En nuestro viaje familiar por Creta, tomamos una visita guiada al palacio de Knossos.
Por la web contacté a Tour Experts Private Tours.
Al llegar al sitio nos esperaba nuestro guia, Panos Kritikos. Un verdadero profesional con gran conocimiento de la historia.
Habla perfecto ingles

Date of experience March 2018
Gonzal1, Βερολίνο, Γερμανία

I booked a quick trip to Greece for the end of February, I only had a few days and after some research I decided to take it to Crete and book my 2 days on the island with Tour Experts. I kept reading reviews about this Panos guy, well they were all right!! He was amazing, responded to every email and answered all of my wacky questions right away. There is no way I’d be able to see this beautiful island and learn so much without him. He knew that I was excited to taste the Cretan Cuisine and made sure I ate at all the traditional places that he would take his family to. The level of expertise paired with the abundance of knowledge was almost priceless. I left Crete feeling like I was leaving home (a tear is coming to my eye as I write this review), I can not wait to go back and without a doubt I will be arranging some more exploring with Tour Experts. Thank you so much!!!

Date of experience March 2018
casharael, Λονγκ Μπιτς, Νέα Υόρκη, 31

On a recent school trip to Crete, Dimitra presented her expertise knowledge of Crete, Greece with such enthusiasm. Our students were so attentive to her engaging tales. She had great timing with questions to keep everyone on their toes, including myself. Her style was very much like the best teacher you’ve ever had. She had a great sense of humor, and our students loved it! She made everything come alive. She challenged us with thinking about the roles of women in ancient Greece. Not only was she a great tour guide, but on a personal level, she was wonderful. I had a few conversations with her on our bus rides in between the tours and she has a tremendous heart. Our students were just as over the moon about her.

Date of experience March 2018
Amy D, 11

I brought 26 students to Crete in March 2018 on a school trip. Dimitra provided amazing guidance with expert knowledge of the ancient history and mythology of the island. Dimitra was energetic and brought the history alive for my students; making Crete one of the most enjoyable and informational stops on our trip. Her knowledge of the history (both ancient and modern), the people, the culture, and the customs that make Crete so unique were invaluable for our group. As we departed her and moved on to our next location, all of my students hugged her goodbye. Her ability to connect with children is unsurpassed. There is no one else I would recommend to guide Crete if you have children or a school group.

Date of experience March 2018
kevinsnyder, Νέα Υόρκη, Νέα Υόρκη, 3

In a day tour from Heraklion to Chania, Panos summarized Western Civilization with his encyclopedic knowledge of the island of Crete. Panos knows it all: art, political change, architecture, food, wine, archeology history, climate — from the Minoans to the present. He made our island tour come alive with stories.

Date of experience January 2018
2014Kate, Orono, Μέιν, 1710

Panos was the best tour expert we have ever had. We were with him for two days and he was a complete gentleman. We received a college education on the Minoan civilization and also toured the small mountain villages. He treated us to incredible Greek restaurants including a small quaint cafe in the mountains to an open air cafe in Heraklion. Great fun. On the third day he met us at the ferry to make sure we made it. Do not tour Crete without Panos..he is the best.

Date of experience September 2017
jygingle, Benton, Αρκάνσας, 1

We were on a cruise and had a day in Crete. We wanted a private guide and car. Hired Panos based on reviews like this. He was waiting for us at the dock and, as we had requested, took us to Knossis He’s good at navigating around the bus tour groups. Then we went up into the eastern mountains and the Lassithi Plateau. We had a lovely lunch at Seli Ambelou. Back to ship by 4:00. Panos is a delightful guy, excellent English and very knowledgeable.

Date of experience October 2017
JohnatACK, Νέα Υόρκη, Νέα Υόρκη, 2017

We enjoyed visiting Crete immensely particularly as we did it with the help of Panos from Tour Experts Private Tours. He looked after us well especially as I have some mobility issues. His information was most informative as he is himself an archaeologist. We were recommended this company by friends and will recommend it to our friends also. Karen

Date of experience September 2017
wattnowkaren, Σίδνεϊ, Αυστραλία

Excellent tour and guide. Panos picked us up, and was more than willing to do anything we wanted in the short time we had available. Great knowledge of history, archaeology and the area. Detoured to a fabulous small village and lookout – an unexpected but brilliant addition to the tour. Highly recommend this tour company.

Date of experience October 2017
tdrrr, Ρώμη, Ιταλία, 1

I am a travel agency owner. I used Panos’ company to arrange a private tour for a full day seeing Knossos and Phaistos. He took excellent care of my customers. He was also very responsive to my email questions during the planning process. I would use his services again without hesitation!

Date of experience October 2017
Ph0ebesMom, Burke, Βιρτζίνια, 4

My wife and I spent one day with Panos and the second day with Dimitra. Panos took us to Knossos and the Boutari winery and fed us the most wonderful lunch focusing on Greek food. The next day Dimitra took us to the island of Spinalonga and Agios Nikolaos. Both days were fun and very informative. I would highly recommend this tour group if you want to understand a bit of Crete.

Date of experience October 2017
Lyle K, Τορόντο, Καναδάς, 14978

We toured with Panos for 2 days. He is the most knowledgeable guide we have ever had. His knowledge of history and geography was incredible. He made the past come alive. We were a group of 6 with many questions about the culture, political climate and daily life of Crete. He was patient and clear with all of his responses. He recommended places to eat and made suggestions so that we could sample regional specialties instead of just visit places with other tourists. He is flexible and knowledgeable enough to change the itinerary to accommodate the group. I would recommend him highly to anyone who wants an informative and interesting tour.

Date of experience October 2017
Linda K, 52

Panos is one of the most professional and knowledgeable guides we have ever had the privilege to get to know in Europe. We spent 2 full days touring Crete and we only wish we had more time. We spent some time before we arrived clarifying our areas of interest and Panos tailored our tour to the interests of our group. His knowledge of history is incredible and he shared it delightfully in his very comfortable van and over lunch and coffee breaks we felt like we really got an understanding of ancient Crete as well as a complete flavor for daily life on the Island today. He is an exceptional guide in every way and we can’t wait to return to the Island and spend more time touring with him

Date of experience October 2017
David K, Calabasas, Καλιφόρνια, 8023

Dear Reader, If you want to get to know Crete, then you should spend one day with Panos. He picked us up at our hotel (drove really safely) and took us to Knossos Palace. His deep understanding of the history well before 3500BC and well after helped many of use less historically knowledgable people understand the context of this great civilization and the importance of the site. We then went to the National Museum in Iraklion to see many of the pieces in the area before, during and after the Minoan time, which really made it holistic. We had a blast and were shocked at how much beauty there was to behold. We also did a really nice lunch before heading back.
I highly recommend the tour, it made the whole time on the island a lot more magical.

Date of experience September 2017
Phil A, Σαν Φρανσίσκο, Καλιφόρνια, 52

We spent 3 full days with Panos touring Crete, from our Heraklion base, as well as airport pick up and drop off. We were completely happy. Panos is a wonderful guide. Transport was luxurious, guiding was interesting, a variety of our interests were asked for in the planning stage and the tour was exactly what we anticipated and much more, with complete ability to adjust on the day according to our wishes. The attention to detail and service was exceptional.

Date of experience September 2017
Shane1234_12, Μπρισμπέιν, Αυστραλία, 6263

Panos was an excellent guide in all his manners. He was professional, very knowledgeable and extremely patient with all our questions about everything we asked. He spent all the needed time to explain to us everything we asked.

I highly recommend him as an excellent guide.

Date of experience August 2017
Steven Evangelo… T, 1

Panos took us to visit Knossos Palace, he has very good knowledge in history and archeology. Super friendly and professional customized service. Good suggestion on restaurant. Overall, a very pleasant experience.

Date of experience August 2017
leejie735, Νοτινχαμσάιρ, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 1

When our cruise ship stopped in Heraklion, we opted to take a private tour with Tour Experts of Crete rather than a shore excursion through the cruise company. It turned out to be a great decision! Panos was our guide on a tour of Knossos and the Acheological Museum of Heraklion. He was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about Crete and the sites we visited. During our time with him, we discussed subjects ranging from ancient history to current events. It was interesting to contrast the behavior of our children (16 and 13) at the museum in Heraklion with their behavior during a “parent-guided tour” at a museum in Athens a few days later. With Panos, they were engaged, listening, and asking questions. With us, they acted as if they were on a forced march through the museum in Athens. While we were in the museum in Heraklion, Panos joked with my son that he was going to require him to write a 2500 word essay about what he had learned. When we said good-bye at the end of our tour, my son promised that he would send Panos the essay. While my son was only joking, he clearly learned a lot. My daughter said that Panos was her favorite guide among the several excellent guides that we had during our two-week Mediterranean vacation. Having Panos as our guide really helped us to take full advantage of the limited time that we had on the beautiful and historically significant island of Crete!

Date of experience August 2017
vmwaltz,Arlington, Βιρτζίνια, 61

We booked a private tour of the Palace of Knossos and the Museum of Heraklion after I had contacted Panos from the UK and he had advised us on various options.

Right from the start of our discussions I found him to be incredibly friendly and helpful and the booking process was very easy.

Panos speaks, and writes, perfect English and his tour was extremely interesting. His knowledge and passion for the subject made the time fly by but he let us go at our own pace and we never felt rushed.

I would thoroughly recommend Panos and would have no hesitation about booking him for another trip.

After our visit he even emailed us some additional information about other sites and places that we had mentioned we might visit whilst we were in Crete – which was really kind, thoughtful and very useful.

Date of experience August 2017
Damon P, Wheathampstead, 92

Panos was an amazing guide for my trip to Crete — friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. He completely customized a two day private tour based on my interests and I had a great time. We explored ruins, remote villages, amazing views, and more. I recommend him without any hesitation if you’re visiting Crete! You’ll have a great time and learn a ton.

Date of experience August 2017
Brian K, 72

It was amazing my favorite place to go I want to go again. Dimitra was the best. Thank you so much. We loved the ipads!

Date of experience August 2017
IsabellaAhmed, Walnut Creek, Καλιφόρνια, 2

Panos and his team are simply the best. We scheduled a tour with his company for Myself and two children 8 and 12. We did the tour of Knossos with children with iPads. Dimitra was our guide and she was the best. I have degrees in Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian history and she was teaching me! My children loved it so much and she truly engaged them. I could have spent a week with her and then more. Panos was fabulous and super responsive. I wish I had booked a tour of the Archeological Museum with them. We went before our tour and it would have been so much richer. My kids and I have been in Greece for 3 weeks now and on many tours from Mycenae to Delphi, to Acropolis to Epidarus and they said this was their favorite tour. My daughters journal tonight was amazing. Do not go elsewhere. Look no further for enthusiasm, knowledge of the Minoans. Book here! Thank you Dimitra. You were amazing and we will always remember you. Keep on doing great things and sharing your love and passion of the Minoans! Jessica Crete from SF California.

Date of experience August 2017
Jessica C, Κόνκορντ, Καλιφόρνια, 61

Great tour of Knossos Ask for Demitra very good English nice and very smart perfect tour and if you’re were to go to Knossos book through here

Date of experience August 2017
Faris A, 191

We are so glad we came across Tour Experts Private Tours online while visiting Crete! The weather was hot and we wanted to book a tour for late in the afternoon to avoid the hottest time of day. We reached out to Tour Experts with their online contact form and heard back from Panos within minutes! He accommodated our tour for the very next day at the time we requested, picking us up in Elounda and sharing his incredible knowledge of the history, geography and culture of the area en route to Knossos. Our tour of Knossos itself was personal and informative and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment – despite the heat. And Panos helped us hunt down vacuum packed olives in a local grocery for us to take home, which is something I had been on the hunt for throughout our trip! We highly recommend booking your personal tour with Tour Experts – you won’t be disappointed!

Date of experience August 2017
ATR2017, Κάλγκαρυ, Καναδάς, 1

You absolutely need a tour guide to thoroughly appreciate Knossos Palace and Panos is absolutely the one to select for the job. Panos isn’t just a guide but an interpreter. He has an impressive understanding of the site, its history, and of its significance and influence through the ages. Panos is not only knowledgeable but also extremely personable and fun. His laid back but engaging manner makes the visit go by fast and leaves you wanting more. Our guided tour in Knossos was the highlight of our visit to Crete. We cannot recommend him strongly enough.

Date of experience July 2017
ChristosMich, Silver Spring, Μέριλαντ, 74

We spent 15 days in Greece ( Athens, Santorini and Crete) and our day with Dimitra was ABSOLUTELY THE BEST! Words can’t describe the way we experienced the history of Greece, Crete, 5 thousand year old, Mayonian culture and how fascinating our day with Dimitra was, despite 38 degree heat! We were with 4 kids, ranging from 11 – 17 years old, and even the youngest one said it was his favourite day in Greece. Starting with Dimitra getting our tickets to see Knossos, without waiting in an hour and a half line up, and ending with a lunch with Dimitra, who explained the present situation in Greece and helped us understand it, it was an AMAZING day. She is an active archeologist, working on her PHD, speaks three languages ( her English is amazing), she is fun, interesting, and pleasant! She was worth every euro we spent! Thank you!
Luiza Dowling, Toronto, Canada

Date of experience July 2017
luizadowling, Μισισάουγκα, Καναδάς, 4817

Panos and Yianna were great guides, spoke more than excellent english, and were extremely informative regarding the history and culture of Crete. Well-traveled and worldly, they were able to present a broad and sophisticated picture of Crete’s relation to the rest of Greece.

Date of experience July 2017
nibblej, 1

Panos was awesome!! I highly recommend him and this company. We chose this company based off of a recommendation from friends and we were happy we did. Knossos is big and can be overwhelming. Panos is an archeologist and was able to tell us about the area in succinct descriptions and gave us interesting insights based on his studies and knowledge as an archeologist. Worth every penny we spent!

Date of experience July 2017
jjedwards63, Birmingham, AL

We spent 2 days with Panos and even ask for a 3 day to complete things we didn’t get to see. He was able to fit us in on the 3 day. Wonderful tour guide for our group of 5, answered questions and gave a so much information about the places we went. Highly recommend!

Date of experience July 2017
juwee27, Wheeling, Ιλινόις, 1

While in Crete my group had 2 day tours with Panos. He was a fantastic guide! At each stop he provided us with a wealth of information about the location. He would answer any questions we had. It was a wonderful way to learn about different places on the island. Panos was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our time with him so much we even added a tour of Knossos Palace the next day!

Date of experience July 2017
Kristen K, 2

Panos Kritikos not only could answer every question that five professors had about the history of Crete, he also intelligently discussed Cretan and Greek economics, culture, art, and weather patterns.

We did the Knossos and National Museum tour, followed by time in Heraklion, during an intense heat wave (105 in the sun according to the “FeelsLike” index). Panos cared deeply that we saw all of the most important art in the museum, heard about the key insights and history, and understood the latest of the scientific findings and interpretations. We really appreciated this! I learned so much from him in just a few hours.

He also listened carefully to our preferences in terms of food and timing. I could not have asked for a better experience, including having him navigate the narrow streets in his well-air conditioned modern van. I wish we’d had time to have him take us on an additional tour. I could not recommend him more highly.

Date of experience June 2017
emememSFbayarea, SF bay area, 5343

The tours were varied and always interesting. The guides were totally professional, encyclopedic in information, friendly, and courteous. We highly recommend them.

Date of experience June 2017
davidhQ308OQ, Καλιφόρνια, 1

Our tour guide, Panos, <cretantourexperts@gmail.com> was excellent in every way: totally professional, encyclopedic in knowledge, generous in spirit and time, skilled at driving the roads of Crete, and went “above and beyond” to make sure our arrangements for arrival and departure were complete and confirmed. He exceeded our expectations.

Date of experience June 2017
demilhartl, Οράνζ, Καλιφόρνια, 21

We had two tours with Cretan Tour Experts and both were excellent. Panos escorted us to the Lasithi area and the Cave of Zeus. He was very knowledgeable and good fun- the perfect combination for a tour guide. Our second tour, with Dimitra, was to Heraklion and the Palace of Knossos Fortress of Koules along with a walking tour of the city of Heraklion. Dimitra was very knowledgable and made our day very enjoyable. they both clearly love their jobs and enjoy being with people and sharing their knowledge. I would highly recommend them both!!!

Date of experience June 2017
DBG5, Γκρίνουιτς, Κονέκτικατ, 8250

Excellent communication and service. Our guide was excellent and flexible. Could not rate them any higher.

Date of experience May 2017
chris v, Saint Louis, Μιζούρι

Since we were in port only a few hours in Crete, we looked for a private tour to maximize our time. Cretan Tour Experts met our needs perfectly. Panos picked us up at the cruise terminal and got us away quickly–beating the crowds that soon followed. We toured Knossos Palace and the archaeological museum with free time in Heraklion afterwards. Panos was very interesting and knowledgeable–keeping my 15 year old son engaged, as well. From communicating with us to conducting the tour, everything was just stress free and excellent. Highly recommend!

Date of experience May 2017
BamaMom_02, Alabama, 1818

Panos provides you an excellent tour of Knossos, the museum and areas of Heraklion. He is unassuming, yet highly educated in the history and culture of Crete. After the tour(s) we went to one of his favorite restaurants in Heraklion. There were 4 in our party, we never felt rushed and he willingly answered all questions. I highly recommend Panos and his company.

Date of experience May 2017
arcfox2010, Σάλεμ, Όρεγκον, 84

We made arrangements just 2 days before to have a 2-day tour of Crete. Panos gave us a tour of the Palace of Gnossus, and Dimitra gave us a tour of the museum. We appreciated the efforts of both to provide excellent tours that were arranged at the last minute. Both Panos and Dimitra have great expertise in archeology and are interesting and wonderful people. We didn’t have high expectations about our museum tour, but Dimitra made it worthwhile and wonderful because of her special insights and experiences as an archeologist. She was the very best guide in our entire trip to Greece. The only minor disappointment was not seeing the cave of Zeus as was mentioned to us when we enrolled, so we learned it was important to verify expectations prior to beginning the tour.

Date of experience May 2017
dean_hashimoto,1

We visited Knossos and the Archaeological Museum with a group of 30 people. Dimitra Pilarinou was by far the best guide for historic sites I had in a long time.

Due to its contemporary partial restoration, Knossos offers lots of opportunities for the confusion of fact and myth. However, Dimitra easily managed to make us distinguish and separate these two aspects, and to understand why things developed the way they did. She pointed out why certain facts can or cannot be known by modern archaeology, and showed in detail which parts of the existing structure is authentic and which parts were imagined and added during the reconstruction. Since most people in our group had an academic background (in engineering), we really appreciated her dedication to scientific accuracy and to a high level of detail.

Dimitra guided us through the exhibition of the Archaeological Museum afterwards, and made a great job to connect up right from the different objects and aspects she showed us on the Knossos site before. Once more, she pointed out which parts are authentic, and which parts were reconstructed. In the end, we happened to get a great overview of the Minoan culture and the different civilizations that followed.

Thanks to Dimitra’s massive background knowledge, she answered all our intricate questions easily and promptly, as well as in a great level of detail. She would even deep-dive into areas we were interested in the most, which is very different from the standard tour you would get from other guides.

If you happen to do a private tour of Knossos, definitely do it by Panos’ office – and ask for Dimitra if you prefer a great guide with strong historic background and a dedication to scientific accuracy 🙂

Date of experience May 2017
Pascal G, 53

I have traveled all around Europe and have used guides in many places.I can tell you that Panos is one of the best and a real bargain.If you visit Crete and don’t use him to show you around you missed out on a great experience .

Date of experience April 2017
Larry S, 4

Nous venons de passer une merveilleuse journée avec Panos, à la fin de la journée quand il nous a déposés à notre hotel il nous semblait qu’un ami nous quittait.
Nous avons eu la chance de decouvrir le Palais Royal de Knossos avec Panos car celui-ci possède une grande culture et n’a cessé de nous fournir des explications qui nous ont captivés.
Puis une longue promenade en voiture nous a permis d’admirer d’ autres paysages et surtout de magnifiques panoramas.
Nous avons poursuivi cette journée par un délicieux dejeuner au soleil sur le port d’ Heraklion. Et tout en nous régalant de poissons grillés, nous avons pu, grâce à Panos, connaître un peu plus la vie en Crète.
La gentillesse et le professionnalisme de Panos en font un guide hors pair.

Date of experience April 2017
Bibi75007,Παρίσι, Γαλλία, 14955

We scheduled two tours with Panos Kritkos and his colleague Dimitra. The first was of Phaestos and the second was of Knossos and the museum. Both tours were among the best we have ever had! We have read a lot on the history of the period and wanted guides with deep expertise. Dimitra and Panos are so well informed. They made every site come alive and gave us an amazingly deep understanding of the Minoans. Each palace really came alive. Panos’s company also goes above and beyond with service. They are friendly, on time, easy to work with, and tailor the trip to the needs of the guests. I would absolutely use them again. Indeed, we are planning to come back to Crete in order to do another tour with them.

Date of experience April 2017
jha1776, Νέα Υόρκη, Νέα Υόρκη, 52

I visited Heraklion, Crete and arranged for a tour of Knossos and the Archaeological Museum with Panagiotis for my family. His tour was, in every respect, outstanding. He has an academic knowledge of the site and museum (he is working on a PhD in archaeology), and a sense of humor. He explained what we were looking at and its significance far beyond the basic knowledge that I had from college. I cannot recommend him highly enough. (Note that I have hired tour guides in virtually every city I have visited in Europe. He is by far the best tour guide I have used.)

Date of experience March 2017
Mark D, Arlington, Βιρτζίνια, 22

Our visit to the palace of Knossos was a wonderful experience, and our guide impressed us with his broad-based knowledge of Greek history and myths as well as insights into the process of the excavation.

Date of experience March 2017
nab2044, Wellesley, Μασαχουσέτη, 1

After 23hr flights it was wonderful to be met by Panos -the guide. He communicates promptly by email and had gathered additional information and maps for us.
We covered Chania area one day and then Knossos, museum the next day. He is very well informed and was willing to answer 1001 questions!
.I now know that if you get married on Crete you better be serving 2 goats at the wedding!
Feb is very quiet except for Carnival, next time we will come for the beaches.

Date of experience February 2017
daylinct, Reno, Nevada

We recently had three days of touring with Tour experts. Panos was our private guide for these days and we couldn’t be more pleased. We were staying at Anezina, nestled up at the top of Kastellos village, a place a little hard to find. He arrived early for our pickup as he had checked out the location earlier.

On the first day of touring we saw Chania and Rethymos. The second heracalon and Knossos and the museum. The third was Faistos and a visit to his inlays at the south side of the island. my wife particularly loved the last one, as we could see how Cretans live.
He took care in getting close to exhibits as my wife has a bad knee and cannot walk far. He also carefully chose where we had lunch so we could sample Cretan cuisine.
We enjoyed his help and skill as a tour guide immensely. Thank you Panos.

Date of experience March 2017
BarryL798, Έντμοντον, Καναδάς, 10553

We visited Crete just at the beginning of the season and we had a wonderful time thanks to Panos who took us to all the beautiful places you can imagine.
It was a private guiding trip and Panos was great in arranging things specially for us. We wanted to see lots of heritage places and so our trips to Chania and Heraklion were filled in with ancient artifacts.

Panos also helped us find the best spots for the fun past time. So we not only knew which beaches were the most sunny but also which places served cheap drinks 🙂

Date of experience April 2016
Aleksandrana, Μάντσεστερ, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 4

Visited Crete on 23/10/2016 until 23/10/2016 with my cousin and two other friends. Our guide, Panos was a real gem from the beginning! He was quick in replying my emails, recommending and making suggestions on our itinerary. For the amount that we paid for four adults, we were really satisfied. Panos was punctual, made us comfortable from the start and spoke perfect English!! His explanations were crystal clear. We visited Palace of Knossos as well as the museum and did the city tour on day one and on the following day, we visited both Chania and Rethymno, Would definitely recommend Panos and his company of any of you are visiting Crete! Totally worth the money! Thank you Panos for making our trip to Crete enjoyable!!

Date of experience October 2016
madzl81, Kuching, 1326

We were in this beautiful island of Crete for only three days (21/10/2016 -23/10/2016) and we had finally decided to engage this company in showing us around in Heraklion as well as a day trip to both Chania and Rethymno. For the amount of price that we paid for a private trip for four adults, we were really satisfied with the service. Our guide,Panos was a real gem. He responded quickly to all the emails we made earlier prior to our trip to Crete. He made us comfortable from the start and was extremely knowledgeable in the history of this beautiful island. He spoke perfect English and his explanation was crystal clear for us. He was punctual and we were really comfortable in his car. Definitely recommending him and his company if any of you are visiting Crete. Thank you Panos for making our trip enjoyable!!

Date of experience October 2016
Madzlifah A, Κουτσίνγκ, Μαλαισία

We had the pleasure to tour Western Crete with Panos over two and half days. This included a thorough tour of the palace of Knossos, Heraklion Museum, Lasithi Plateau, Cave of Zeus and Spinalonga Island. Panos was a very knowledgeable guide who was able to answer a lot of the questions I had about the Minoan civilisation. He was very punctual, his car was well air-conditioned and gave us the time and space to do shopping as well as recommending places to eat. I also enjoyed his commentary on contemporary Greek topics, the role of the Orthodox Church and other cultural related subject matter. I cannot recommend him highly enough and we left feeling very satisfied at choosing to tour with him

Date of experience October 2016
Gajaen N, Λονδίνο, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 75

Panos provided us with an excellent overview of Minoan civilization in a half-day tour of Knossos and the Heraklion Museum. He had a thorough understanding of the palace site and its history and of the the objects in the museum. He was clear in his presentation of the complex underlying historical topics and was agile in discussing the aspects of Minoan history that are still not well understood. Finally, he had good intuition about the depth and breadth of information we, as a family, were seeking. Hapoy to recommend him.

Date of experience July 2016
NicholasWorth,Οξφόρδη, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 1415

While in port for the day, our family booked this tour. Ioanna was our guide and she met us right at the port to begin our day, She was wonderful! Our tour started at Knossos, and Heraklion (and a brief stop including sitting in an outdoor cafe and walk around the town). The visit to Knossos was amazing, but I think what made it most valuable was Ioanna and her knowledge of the Cretan history. She brought to life for us what it was like in Crete during that period of time. She took the time to answer our questions in a meaningful way to help us connect to the history. I loved that my teenage daughter was sharing some of the facts she learned from Ioanna with other family members once we returned home. This just shows what a great impact and connection Ioanna provided to help her remember. My husband enjoyed talking with her about some of the modern world events, to get a different point of view. She recommended a wonderful place to eat in Heraklion. Ioanna, thank you so much for sharing the day with us and all of your wonderful insight, as well as teaching us Crete (and Greek) history. If visiting Crete for the day (or longer) I highly recommend this tour group – outstanding!

Date of experience July 2016
kat123de, delaware, 4119

We booked a Knossos tour plus transport with Panos. From the moment we set off he was pointing out interesting items en route. We had a 10-year old with us (never an easy gig!) but Panos made the Knossos site come alive with the myths associated with the site and information on life in the original palace. He was also extremely knowledgeable on the archeological developments at the site. Panos suggested adapting the tour to take in a couple of plays of myths associated with Knossos (the Minotaur and Icarus), rather than going on to the museum which was a great idea. The plays were great for adults and kids alike. After a short tour of Heraklion, Panos suggested a wonderful restaurant for a late lunch and then took us back to out hotel after a wonderful day. We would 110% recommend Panos as he was an extremely good guide, spoke perfect English (and speaks German and Polish too!) and the price for the day was much more reasonable than the tour guide and taxi package suggested by our hotel.

Date of experience August 2016
BritFamily38, Λονδίνο, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 1718

We booked a tour with Panos for our stop while on a cruise. He was professional in every way. His written and spoken english was perfect. We had to grandchildren with us, and he included them in the tour, making it interesting for them. He was extremely knowledgable and very pleasant to be with.
Our ship had to change days of arriving, and he managed to still make arrangements. Also, he gave us an itemized account of our time and the expense of the tour, something I had never had done by a tour company, before. If you think private tours are expensive, realize that a 24% vat is placed on their service. Also, the ability to tailor a tour, and to alter it is worth every penny.
I can not recommend Panos enough!!!

Date of experience July 2016
robertbN6270LA, Τάμπα, Φλόριντα, 18738

We had planned a half beach day, which Tour Experts had suggested a nice beach with chairs waiting for us – also included in the price were water and soft drinks which was nice, on Knossos Beach. It was a beautiful spot with calm water that was so refreshing on the 100+ degree day. Our guide then took us to the city for an authentic lunch, our group of 10 loved it! Then off to Knossos. It being so hot, our guide just told us the most important points due to our weariness, which was great. I would definitely use this company again!

Date of experience July 2016
moonbeem75, NY, 61

Had a great personal tour of Crete. Great transport, great knowledge on Crete. Went to a great off the track tavern. Really enjoyed the day

Date of experience July 2016
Bianca D, Γκολντ Κοστ, Αυστραλία, 1

We thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful tour in Crete when we stopped there with the Carnival Vista cruise ship. The tour owner, Panos Kritikos of Cretan Tour Experts Travel Agency was great to work with in planning the tour. His wife (Ioanna) was our tour guide and she was extremely knowledgeable and quite the Cretan historian. She provided a thorough explanation of what we were seeing and always took the time to answer our questions, including those of our inquisitive teens. We visited ancient Knossos, Heraklion, and another small town–I think Archanes. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at a Greek restaurant in Heraklion before heading back to our ship. I highly recommend this tour agency for anyone wanting a great and informative visit to lovely Crete.

Date of experience July 2016
Mariyn K, Bear, Ντέλαγουερ, 9729

Joanna and her husband Panos were a pleasure to work with, and we saw it all! We had a private Wine tasting, we toured Knossos, and had a blast in Heraklion, especially the Fish Spa pedicure, and all the shops and eating in Liontara Square. Panos and his team were very eager to make our day in Crete very special, and we would use them again! #yamas

Date of experience July 2016
Bannybuc, Hoover, Αλαμπάμα, 6025

Our tours of the Minoan ruins and Heraklion was one of the better tours we experienced during our trip to Greece thanks to Panos. Panos was very knowledgeable and explained the history of the sites and the city we visited in a way that was very easy to understand and very enjoyable. We experienced a couple of other tour guides where the tour seemed more like a university lecture. The guides basically demanded absolute attention be directed to them as they held a book and pointed out facts as opposed to letting us walk around and enjoy the amazing sites we were at. This was very frustrating as we made a significant investment in our trip and did not want to be lectured to out of a book. This was not the case with Panos. He would explain significant facts about the sites, answer all questions, and allow time for photos and exploration. We found this rather ironic as we later discovered Panos holds a doctorate in archeology. One would have expected him to be more of a university lecturer than some of the other guides we had. Overall our experience was fabulous and we would highly recommend him to anyone wanting a very enjoyable experience.

Date of experience June 2016
4mabies, Ντένβερ, Κολοράντο, 4

Panos Kritikos is an excellent guide. I had not been to Knossos in over 34 years. He took us around, explained the history and controversy surrounding Evans’ approach to the “dig”. It could not have been better. I cannot recommend Panos’ service highly enough.
Robert Karthaus, Brussels, Belgium

Date of experience July 2016
bertkarthaus, Χανιά, Ελλάδα, 1

Great holiday tours depend on the quality of the guide, and panos is excellent. We are multi-generational extended family staying in Elounda. Panos organized transportation, palace and museum tickets, and great lunch options. Panos is a thoughtful and energetic personality who knows his subject matter very well. We recommend him without reservation. Excellent.

Date of experience June 2016
Peter C, 72

I cannot recommend highly enough the services and tour we experienced in Crete. Panos was fantastic. He is an extremely warm, generous, and welcoming person and went out of his way to ensure we saw the outstanding sites Crete has to offer. But what was most impressive was the great conversations in which we learned not only about the historical sites but life in Greece in general. Panos definitely went out of his way to ensure we saw everything we asked and more — all arrangements were extremely well executed, on time, and well done.

Date of experience May 2016
travelfan21_12, Ουάσινγκτον, Περιφέρεια της Κολούμπια, 2516

We spent 4 days in Crete. Alas we did not have enough time to spend more and 4 days is better than no days. We hired Panos for two days. He drove us from Chania to Iraklio, showing us Rethymno and Knossos Palace on the way. We peppered him with history questions from the Stone Age through present and he answered them all. Also talked to us about current life in Crete. The second day he took us to the Iraklio Archaeological museum (5 star attraction) and then up on the plains of Lasithi. We stopped at an excellent grilled meat taverna in a small village. Panos is an excellent guide. We had an excellent experience working with the company because all of my emails were answered promptly. We did not know exactly what we wanted and the company always answered all my questions and were very flexible plus gave suggestions at every point on what would be good to see.

Date of experience May 2016
Suzanne O, Βοστόνη, Μασαχουσέτη, 3515

We had the pleasure to be guided by Mr Panos Kritikos for both the Museum and Knossos. We can strongly recommendate to book this guide to get a insight and understanding for the rich history and culture of crete. One may not be aware the high level of culture more than one thousend years before what most people know as classical greek. Mr Kritikos is a studied archeologist that is very kind person and a true expert.

Date of experience May 2016
Oliocarli, Ρέγκενσμπουργκ, Γερμανία, 99

Searching Trip Advisor site for an archaeological guide I found Panos Kritikos
recommended by several people; “this is our Guide” I decided, and I was right. After exchanging some emails I found I needed to delay the visit for a year: Panos continued to show interest in the project, helping with advice and suggestions all the way. Last week we met up as planned, and he conducted the three of us on four excursions in central Crete. He was also much more than our driver and guide: he told us about the current situation in Greece, helped with communications and advice. Patient, compassionate, friendly (he seems to know everyone on the island!), he made our holiday. He speaks excellent English (and German and Polish!) and has a vast knowledge of ancient and modern history. He answered our innumerable questions on everything from the effects of extreme heat on building stone to linguistics; and he proved flexible when we needed to change plans at the 11th hour so I could take a day-trip to Santorini. Full marks to him and all those on Trip Advisor who told me about him.

Date of experience May 2016
Peter B, Bordon, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 7

лицензированные гиды, предлагают персональные экскурсии для частных лиц, семей, небольших компаний. Высокое качество, могут отвезти в любой уголок острова, много показать и рассказать, богатые знания истории.

Date of experience May 2016
russiangirl2016, Cherkizovo, Ρωσία, 4428

ディクテオン洞窟にどうしても行きたかったため、このツアーに申し込みました。ディクテオン洞窟への道中も、良い景色など、写真に収めたい場所があれば、ツアーガイドさんに言えば車を止めてくれますし、素晴らしい対応だったと思います。お値段は少々高めですが、閑散期ということもあって割引してくれましたし、ディクテオンまでのガソリン代を考えれば妥当かなと。解説が全部英語なので、英語が苦手な方にはオススメできませんが、英語ができる方にとっては、クレタ島を観光するのに打って付けのツアーだと思います。

Date of experience February 2016
Voyage804938, Τόκιο, Ιαπωνία, 1

My wife and I spent 11 days travelling all over Crete with Panos, and I cannot speak highly enough of our time together. We sent him an outline of an itinerary which with his assistance we then fleshed out into a fully detailed schedule. We spent a number of days in Heraklion, in Chania, in Rethymnon and in western Crete. Panos drove us to any number of places which we would never have found on our own, and took on the not insignificant of the driving and car parking that would otherwise have been a source of frustration and time wasting had we decided to self drive. He took us to several great restaurants for lunch, and had lots of suggestions for those times when we were on our own. It was also valuable to be able to have extended conversations about the social and political life of Crete and Greece. We were also fortunate to have a guided tour of the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion with Panos’ wife Ioanna, also a licensed guide, prior to the visit to Knossos. Panos and Ioanna have only relatively recently set up on their own – previously they worked for travel agencies and cruise companies, which they still do on occasion. They deserve to do well, and I am sure they will.

Date of experience October 2015
beepee79, Σίδνεϊ, Αυστραλία, 3419

An introduction to Cretan history and its culture can only be done by experts and professionals.
A large island that can be explored with the help of the specialists from high mountain peeks to its shores,from
Mythical ruins to home made cooking and friends .
Thank you Panos!

Date of experience September 2015
ioanna kalypso … G, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 124

My husband and I toured Crete with Panos. Panos is a very personable person well educated, very well organized and is proud to show his beloved Island to tourists.
After our arrival we toured the newly opened archeological museum in Heraklion which is a gem. Seeing it with Panos was very helpful since he could point out special pieces and give us historical background on many items on display. We saw Knossos right afterward with much of the history fresh in mind. It is a must see site.
The following days we toured two lovely venetian towns to the west. Reytimnon and Chiana. Exceptional towns with lovely harbors.The trip from Heraklion goes along the coast with spectacular views of the Aegean Sea.
The last day we drove east up to the Lassithi Plateau. It lays at 900 meters and grows much of the food for Crete and Greece. The drive was spectacular with exceptional view of the cretan country.
It is a pleasure to have Panos as a guide as he shares his love and knowledge for Crete.

Date of experience September 2015
daisyhs, San Rafael, 75

First of all, Panos was extremely prompt in responding to emails and made arranging the tour very easy. My husband and I met with Panos at the entrance of Palace of Knossos and was provided with a full on private tour of the place. Panos is extremely knowledgable and funny. Thank you very much for the amazing tour!

Date of experience September 2015
dorothyc477, Χονγκ Κονγκ, Κίνα, 4222

We booked the Knossos the museum of Heraklion and city tour of Heraklion with Panos. Panos was extremely responsive when we contacted him (unlike another company we had contacted). On the day of our tour, Panos arrived on time and always made sure we were doing well and were comfortable. Panos was a fantastic guide giving us tons of details and context on the history of Crete. To fully enjoy Crete, and if you love history like my hubby and I do, we highly recommend!!

Date of experience August 2015
alphabeanie, Cupertino, California, 11

We spent a great day visiting the Vassilakis Estate (olive grove olive processing) Knossos, and a winery tasting delicious wines.

Date of experience June 2015
Bridget S, Σπρίνγκφιλντ, Βιρτζίνια, 179

We wanted a short-notice private tour of Knossos and the Heraklion museum and on an off-chance contacted Cretan Tour Experts. From the word go Panos inspired confidence, letting us know what we could and couldn’t do, when and where and at what price. He kept in constant contact with us, was where he said he would be and gave us a fantastically enthusiastic tour, guiding us to where the crowds weren’t so we could see the best of Knossos at a cooler part of the day. We then trailed him in our hire car to his preferred parking space in the centre of Heraklion and walked us round the beautiful displayed museum. We certainly left knowing who the Minoan’s were, how fantastically skilled they were and what they have given to subsequent generations. He then guided us to the city centre for shopping and relaxation. Without Panos we would have wasted a huge amount of time, would not have seen the important artefacts in Minoan culture and would not have left with his enthusiasm for the subject. Highly recommended.

Date of experience September 2015
Ollerbarrow, Άλτρινχαμ, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 878376

Ioanna was a wonderful tour guide for our trip to Crete. She took us through the Knossos palace ruins and then to the Heriklion Archaelogical Museum. She was thorough and very informative and very personable and professional. I can’t recommend her highly enough! Thanks, Ioanna!!

Date of experience August 2015
susanwithagoodbook, Houston

After a bit of research, landed on Tour Experts to coordinate a private excursion during a cruise ship stop. Panos was great – spent a ton of time helping to plan an itinerary to our liking, and then when our port of call got changed to Chania (from Heraklion) at the last minute, he quickly helped redesign the entire day and drove an extra two hours each way to come get us. Fantastic experience and I would go back to him in a heartbeat!

Date of experience August 2015
Michael K, Σαν Φρανσίσκο, Καλιφόρνια, 1828

Great tour of the museum and Knossos and then out to the countryside to see Cave of Zeus and lunch, highly recommend this taxi/tour guide.

Date of experience May 2015
Kathy S, Coastal South Carolina, Νότια Καρολίνα, 43

My wife and I toured booked two different days of tours with Panos – Knossos and Phaistos, and Rethymno. We saw all that, and much more. Panos was very personable, pleasant, and knowledgeable. We have been on many personally escorted tours in many countries, and this ranks among the best of them. We felt we really got to know a lot about Crete in a short time – something that is not always easy to do. Panos even went out of his way to find me a pharmacy so that i could replace some medication I had accidentally forgotten to pack. As well as being an excellent guide, he was great company, and it was a pleasure to get to know him. When we return to Crete, we will be sure to engage his services again. Can’t give a better recommendation than that.

Date of experience May 2015
topocdoc, Huntington, New York, 513

We trusted in the strong reviews at this site, and we’re glad we did. We booked a full day with Panos to see Knossos, the Lassithi plateau and Diktaion cave. A stop at the monastery of Virgin Mary Kera Kardiotissa was an extra treat. The coordinating communications in advance of our arrival were clear and prompt. Panos was a delightful teacher and companion with a wonderful temperament for his work. His breadth of knowledge was exceptional, as was his English and driving skills. He was considerate in guiding us but leaving us all possible flexibility. We persuaded him to join us for lunch (his restaurant recommendation was perfect) to hear about his life on Crete and his family. The insights he shared were a highlight of the day. We recommend Panos and his company with enthusiasm!

Date of experience August 2015
1975Marcy2015, Λούισβιλ, Κεντάκι, 22

Our tourguide, Joanna, was amazing! She met us at the ship and took us on a tour of the peninsula between the port and the town, taking us to an overlook spot with amazing views. We then went to the town where the private bus dropped us off. We walked through the old marketplace and took an amazing walking tour of the town, seeing the old city walls and neighborhoods that we would never have seen on our own (or on one of the cruise line tours).

Within our group, we had some interested in jewelry, so we asked for a recommendation – she took us to the most amazing and creative jeweler (Antoniou is the name of the jeweler and his shop) who had unique pieces, top quality metals and stones (one of our party is a jeweler by trade and wouldn’t have let us consider buying anything not top quality) and excellent prices!

After the tour of the town, we went to the Maritime Museum, where Joanna provided us a history of Crete’s role and occupation during World War II. This was a special request on our part as our group is very interested in world history. We are a knowledgable group, but we knew little about this topic and Joanna was extremely informative and interesting. We learned so much from her!

At the end of the tour, it was lunchtime, so we asked for a recommendation – Joanna told us she was going to her favorite restaurant on the waterfront, so we took a table with her and enjoyed an amazing lunch – I’m sorry that I don’t recall the name. She helped us navigate the menu and the language . . . and we got to talk with her off the clock for another hour or so. Truly enjoyable! And Panos, the company owner, showed up, so we got to meet him as well – a very fun, personable fellow!

We were a party of five, age range from mid-40s to late 60s, three men and two women, all traveling together on a cruise ship. This tour, when the cost was divided between the five of us, was less per person than the official cruise line tour would have been – and the cruise tour was one guide with thirty people!!

We booked numerous tours throughout all our ports of call and Joanna was a standout among all the different guides we had! Thanks for an amazing experience.

Date of experience August 2015
DMinATL, Ατλάντα, Τζόρτζια, 1615

Všem doporučuji vidět pevnost na ostrově a využíti možnost koupání u ostrova. V pevnosti je určitě co k vidění včetně nádherných panoramat okolí. Chtělo by to však vylepšit ještě přístup na ostrov. Přeplněné transportní lodi nejsou nic moc. Přítelkyně se celkem bála. Stejně tak občerstvení na ostrově by mohlo být lepší.

Date of experience August 2015
180marekd, 20861

Very good and knowledgeable guide took us to Knossos and the excellent museum. Transport was roomy and comfortable for our party of 6 people.
The guide met our cruise ship and the day went very efficiently from there. Would recommend this tour if you are visiting Crete.

Date of experience July 2015
collink1337, Gosford, Αυστραλία, 5

I booked a guided tour throught the company site of Cretan Tour Experts and they were very friendly , responding very fast to my mails. I was guided by Panos at Knossos, the museum of Heraklion and then we visited the winery of Boutaris for wine tasting. The landscape was amazing and Panos was very polite , answering all our questions. It was a full day tour and we were very impressed by our guide Panos, he was on time and always ready to go beyond the standard and provide accurate information . A very detailed tour of Knossos and the museum, we learned a lot about the Minoan civilization .

Date of experience August 2015
Stelios C, Καμηλάρι, Ελλάδα, 11

My wife and I discovered years ago that we get much more out of visiting an important site with a personal tour guide. Panos was one of the best that we have ever booked!

With his deep background in history and archeology, Panos brought the story of the royal palace in Knossos to life. Beyond that, he put things in a larger context: Who were the Minoans? What was their daily life like? Was is the most convincing explanation for their sudden demise?

The ensuing visit to the wonderful museum in Heraklion was a perfect complement. Panos singled out beautifully worked objects from various periods of Cretan history and gave us insights that could not be gleaned from any guide book.

Panos catered to our wishes, allowing us time, for example, to have lunch in Heraklion before starting the museum tour. He also addressed the two teenage girls in our company, trying to adapt to their needs. Throughout the day, Panos was patient, polite, and naturally enthusiastic. Highly recommended!!!

A tip on planning your tour in the summer months. Definitely tour Knossos in the morning as early as possible to avoid the brutal afternoon soon and the crowds.

Date of experience July 2015
RealTravelTiger, Gandria, Ελβετία

We did 5 days of touring with Panos, 5 hours/day. We have travelled extensively with private guides and Panos ranks with the best! He is prompt, meticulous, polite, and extremely knowledgeable. His college degree is in archaeology – and that is a big plus in Crete! Most importantly, he is an exceptionally good person!! He arranged pick up and drop off at the airport for us, all the admissions, cold bottles of water….He made our trip a dream vacation!

Date of experience July 2015
Michael R, Φιλαδέλφεια, Πενσυλβάνια, 34

We booked a full day tour with Panos starting at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, followed by Knossos and walk through Heraklion. I can only say the very best of Panos, he is a very knowledgeable guide. His tour through the Archaeological Museum and Knossos was excellent. I would recommend using Panos without hesitation as he will fill all those sights with life.

Date of experience June 2015
I E, Φρανκφούρτη, Γερμανία, 62

I had booked a tour of Knossos several months before we arrived on Crete. Joanna was waiting for us at the entrance as we had arranged and we were so pleased to have her guide us through the ruins rather than being with a group. She spoke excellent English and was able to take us through the ruins and work around the crowds so that we could see everything up close and talk to her about the culture. She was knowledgeable, and so warm and friendly that we felt as if we were with a family member. I recommend Tour Experts highly.

Date of experience July 2015
Naomi W, Falls Church, Βιρτζίνια, 95

We contacted Tour Experts about a week before we arrived to Crete. We arranged for a private tour with Panos. He picked us up at our hotel in his company car at 8am so we could start with a visit to Knossos before the crowds, tour buses, and heat set in. We then visited Lisithi Plateau and walked up to Zeus Cave, visited the monastery, and saw some other sights. All along our day, Panos was a superb guide. He shared interesting information about the history of Crete, and all of his explanations were clear and easy to follow. The tour was a splurge for us, and more expensive than we might otherwise have spent. But it was well worth the investment for an informative and enjoyable day.

Date of experience July 2015
CyberJEV, Σιάτλ, Ουάσιγκτον, 5041

I contacted this company at around 7.00am after my cruise ship arrived in port. I was hoping to arrange a private car tour at just two hours notice. A tall order. I was able to reach Mr Panos Kritikos at that early hour and although all of his resources were fully committed for that day, he then went on to explain independent alternatives, give me price guidelines and more. He subsequently called me back, sent me emails and text messages as well with a suggested itinerary for the day after I independently found myself a suitable taxi driver. After 50 years operating a commercial business of my own, I can quickly detect when a supplier is truly professional and genuinely service orientated. Based on my experience with Mr Kritos, I confidently recommend him and his team to Tripadvisor readers. He spent a lot of time helping me even though there was no commercial gain for him in doing so. His help was invaluable.

Date of experience June 2015
Brian T, Nambucca Heads, Αυστραλία, 461144

If you want to see Crete on a private one to one tour this I can highly recommend
They have multi lingual guides and the Guide we have spoke better English than me .
We choose a tour from Heraklion to Chania with out tow 11 year olds , don’t worry about the 2 hour journey it is split with a visit on the way of you choice , I have this evening recounted to me the talk the guide gay us about Zeus being born on Crete and all the surrounding stories , the guide was very knowledgeable of pre BC history up to the Present day . as an added bonus they arranged an hors Segway to see the town of Chania which was managed expertly paying very special attention to the Children’s safety . My Rating is 5* to Tour Experts

Date of experience May 2015
CarlCFrilsham, Frilsham, 3317

We had a family of 6 that spent 2 1/2 days touring with Pantos. The van was very nice, new and clean. (would have been better with Wi-Fi). Pantos did a great job with exposing us to the culture of Crete to go along with the history. We stayed in Heraklion and spent 1/2 day touring there. Then we went along the western shore to Chania. We had a great time and never felt rushed or pushed along. The last day his wife (Joanna) took us to Knossos and East to tour the country side…. Beautiful country! Tour Experts provided us with a lot of good memories!!!

Date of experience May 2015
craig b, Bowling Green, Κεντάκι, 1210

I would highly recommend this tour if you want a comprehensive accurate well presented understanding of Minoan culture. It was well done and worth every cent.

Date of experience May 2015
susanne g,Οττάβα, Καναδάς, 44

I highly recommend Panos Kritikos and Tour Experts for Cretan holidays. I traveled alone on this trip, so it was doubly reassuring to have someone there on time when expected. Panos offered all of the scheduling flexibility and trips to off-the-beaten-path treasures one would expect from a private tour operator, but he went beyond that. Even after my tours with his company were complete, Panos gave me his business card and offered that I call him if I needed any help whatsoever for the remainder of my 2-week stay. It was comforting to know that if I was lost, or ended up in the hospital, that I had someone to call. Thanks, Panos!

Date of experience April 2015
reneao222,Chicago, Illinois, 155

What a great day. Panos is so knowledgeable about everything in Greece, and not just on Crete. He was kind and prompt. It was great to have a flexible experience tailored to my every whim. He showed me great history and local color, and great places for a coffee or a break, and even took me to a grocery store so I could take strawberries back to my hotel. I would book a day with Panos again in a heartbeat.

Date of experience April 2015
Jake P, Κωνσταντινούπολη, Τουρκία, 2

Panos Kritikos provided an informative, accessible and knowledgeable tour through Knossos for a group of history students + two lecturers from the University of Groningen (the Netherlands). Highly recommended for his archaeological expertise!

Date of experience April 2015
BirgitvanderLans, Χρόνινγκεν, Ολλανδία, 1

I have travelled extensively, and this was undoubtedly one of the best tours I have ever been on. Panos was terrific! We covered a lot of the island in the four days I spent with him. It was an excellent introduction to Crete, and also to the history and culture of Greece in general (both ancient and current).He is very knowledgeable, personable, and attentive. I highly recommend him and would like him to be my guide again when I return to Greece.

Date of experience April 2015
BBL10, 106

Panos Kritikos provided us with a 4-day tour of Crete. As newcomers to Crete, we followed his recommended itinerary and, with the benefit of hindsight, have no regrets. Undoubtedly, there is more to Crete than can be experienced in 4 days, but we are satisfied that the program for our 4 days included the best possible selection.
We were also gratified by the flexibility that enable the days of the program to be shuffled to maximise compatibility with weather conditions.
One of the benefits one seeks in a personal guide is local knowledge. The greatest requirement in Crete is a knowledge of local history, particularly Minoan and ancient Greek, together with Greek mythology. Broad and detailed knowledge was displayed in these areas.
Panos is possessed of a couple of other very desirable qualities in the guide. He is relaxed and good- natured, with an appealing sense of humour, but without over-familiarity. A guide also needs an instinct for when to speak and when to retreat into the background. While there was never any hint of reluctance to dedicate time to us, or accommodate our requests for information and photo stops, we were allowed sufficient time alone to explore and to digest and reflect on our travel experience.
It was evident that Panos has many contacts on Crete. This was valuable to us as travellers as on a number of occasions it afforded us preferential treatment.
We believe that we are likely to return to Crete. This is of course partly due to the natural majesty and charm of the island, but also to the attractive fashion in which our tour was presented to us. We do not hesitate to recommend Panos to any other visitor seeking a comprehensive introduction to Crete.

Date of experience October 2014
Greg T, Σίδνεϊ, Αυστραλία

Crete is a great island, lots to see and do. The guide we had was very nice, professional and of course knowledgable. He knew the best places and times to go and knew everything.

Date of experience October 2014
Roxynikki1108, 11

Panos Kritikos, co-owner of Tour Experts Private Tours, provided us with a smooth, informative, entertaining day-long tour of Palace of Knossos, the Lassithi Plain, Cave of Zeus, ceramic workshop, and more. He was incredibly knowledgeable, extremely personable, had perfect English, clearly loved his subject, AND was a safe driver on those tricky winding Cretan roads. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and would recommend his company to anyone who is interested in learning more than what you can read in the standard guide books.

Date of experience September 2014
highexpectati0ns101, Φιλαδέλφεια, Πενσυλβάνια, 21

Although I have been to Crete more than 30 times trying to visit all the different places of Minoan Culture there are still a lot of archaeological sites to see. The problem is, that these sites are off the beaten track and are closed for the public. I tried 6 times to receive a permission from the 23rd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities without any result. So I contacted Panos Kritikos from Tour Experts. And he made the impossible possible!! And even more: he himself is an expert concerning Minoan Culture and such a nice and helpful guy, an inspiring person with a lot of humour and yet so humble. He did such great efforts (more than 4 months!!) to receive the permission for the sites I longed to see and he really made my wishes come true: to see Anemospilia and the ‘Palace’ of Tourkogeitonia in Archanes!!! Unbelievable!!!
Afterwards we talked about many topics and had a lot of fun as well.
Panos Kritikos from Tour Experts is really an expert in any aspects, which I highly recommend.
You will not only have a perfect tour guide, but a friend!!!

Date of experience September 2014
Monika Z, Βιέννη, Αυστρία, 1810

We stayed in Heraklion Crete for four days and three of these days were spent touring with Panos.
He is not only a well organized highly knowledgable tour guide
,he is a lovely person who enhanced our visit to this very large and multifaceted island.
We would recommend his services to any age visitors as he has not only energy but patience! He aims to please and he DID JUST THAT,

Date of experience September 2014
Newyorkbarbara64, Δυτικό Παλμ Μπιτς, Φλόριντα, 4612

I`ve just finished one week holidays, which I spent with a small group of roman catholic priests in Crete. More then twenty Fathers who studied together in Poland plenty years ago now used to spend one week together each year in different places in Mediterraneum world visiting places connected with St. Paul Apostle came to Crete this year.
I tried to find a good tour guide for tchem. Believe me it wasn`t easy. I found plenty of tours which can be purchased in each hotel or travel agency in Crete. But I didn`t want to let my special clients go with thousands of tourists to obvious places. I wanted to show tchem real Crete not just the top tourist attraction. That`s why I tried to to find the private guide. I sent hundreds of e-mails and there was no answer. After almost two months I got the reply from Cretan Tour Experts Travel Agency. I was promised I would get the contact to Cretan guide. After two days I got the e-mail from Ioanna Calypso Glypti. Very smart, nice and professional lady who showed us beauty and spirituality of Crete and Cretan people.
She took us to Agia Irini Nunnery which is closed to Rethymnon. It was so nice to that piece of Paradise and feel spirituality of nine women who decide to rebuild that place and stay there to pray to God and work. Thank you Ioanna you took us there. Our impressions after visit in Agia Irini were comparable to e.g. Samaria Gorge. Without professional guide it`s not possible to find such places. It`s enough reaseon to look for professionals like Ioanna or Cretan Tour Experts Travel Agency.
Jacek Maciejowski, Kraków, Poland

Date of experience September 2014
Jacek M, Κρακοβία, Πολωνία, 1

Panos was very knowledgeable about the area, and was willing to answer all our questions, everything from the history, to food, to geography. The pace was customised to our needs and was well-suited as my Dad had injured his ankle recently and could not walk fast or far. Despite that, we covered quite a few areas. The tavern that we stopped over at for lunch was also excellent. My parents thoroughly enjoyed the day as it allowed them to enjoy Crete stress-free.

Date of experience September 2014
j_l77, Σιγκαπούρη, Σιγκαπούρη, 79

My husband and I love history/getting the most out of sightseeing and were lucky enough to come across Panos Kriticos. Panos was so very helpful- even going out of his way to assist us in developing an itinerary that would fit with our schedule and dropping us at the airport. Panos was very polite and his knowledge of the ancient sight of Knossos and the museum truly brought the ruins to life. I cannot imagine a better or more enlightening way to tour the ancient sights of Crete and cannot recommend this experience highly enough.

Date of experience September 2014
Perseph0ne_79, Washington, DC, 2522

Our family (two 50 year olds and two college kids) thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Panos Kriticos. We started at the archaeological Museum in Heraklion, with Panos giving a brief but thorough overview of Minoan history, and a short orientation walk around Heraklion. This set the stage for a trip to Knossos, where Panos was able to steer us through the crowds and help us gain from the experience. Finally, a brief trip to Archanes Village, a more tranquil and quaint town for shopping and a lovely late lunch.

Booking was easy and they were very responsive to emails. Cost was neither highest nor lowest. They were ok with cash payment on the day of tour, no deposit. He called the day before to confirm details were still correct. Panos speaks very good English (along with other languages), and is personable and easy to understand. His car was very comfortable. Perhaps most of all, we appreciated his enthusiasm for the subject- he has studied archaeology and specifically Grecian sites, and his grasp of the history is extensive. You can tell he loves what he is doing. We also enjoyed his perspective on Greek life today. Would enthusiastically recommend.

Date of experience August 2014
KarenGraves, Νάσβιλ, Τενεσί, 1314

Είχα την τύχη να γνωρίσω τον Παναγιώτη στο πρώτο μου ταξίδι στο εξωτερικό και χαίρομαι ιδιαίτερα που έτυχε εκείνος να είναι ο συνοδός/ξεναγός μας! Ευχάριστος, διαλλακτικός ως προς τις επιθυμίες μας, υπομονετικός και φυσικά ενημερωμένος ως προς το κομμάτι της ξενάγησης, μέσα από το οποίο φρόντιζε να το κάνει ευχάριστο και ενδιαφέρον και όχι βαρετό. Οργανωτικός και υπεύθυνος!! Συνιστώ τον ίδιο και το πρακτορείο του για τις διακοπές σας.

Date of experience August 2013
Nikol21, Ρέθυμνο, Ελλάδα, 198134

Our guide (and the owner) Panos Kriticos, was wonderful to deal with in all respects. He was very responsive by e-mail as I arranged the tour at the last minute, and he was extremely flexible. We toured Knossos and he was very knowledgeable and engaging. As a bonus, he offered to drive us back to our hotel in Elounda over an hour away so we did not have to pay for a taxi, since he was going in our direction and refused to take any money for the trip. I spent a very enjoyable hour talking with him about Crete on the ride. I heartily recommend him for any tour.

Date of experience July 2014
343peterf343, Manalapan, Φλόριντα, 106

I higly recommend Tour Experts to anyone!! I came on Crete for holidays June 2014 , and I wanted to visit a few places. As I was looking in the internet to find information, I came across Tour ‘ s Experts website. I send an email with a few questions and I was hapilly surprised when I received their reply very quick. We booked to see a few places on the island. We started with Knossos and the new arch. museum of Heraklion. Then we visited Rethymno and its Venetian town. Panos suprised me with his knowledge of both historical and cultural details of Crete.
He really changed my opinion about Crete’ s rich history.
Thanks Tour Experts!!!

Date of experience June 2014
Ougk C, 1

I was at a real end when I was asked to show some of the cretan beauties to some colleagues (doctors) who were visiting Creta for first time. Ofcourse I know Knossos, Heraklion and Rethymnon but nothing about their history! Everything was solved when I asked for Panos help. He did much more I could ever imagine. Deep knowledge of cretan history, friendly, willing and always on time. This choice gave 5 stars to me from my colleagues in business and friendship level. Pano, I now give them to your company. You deserve it! Thanks again!!

Date of experience July 2014
Stelioshania, Αθήνα, Ελλάδα, 107

Panos was punctual at picking me up from my hotel. I had only one day to see some of the “real” Crete; so he took me through Vori to Matala, then through Spili to Rethymnon, and back along the coast to Heraklion. I wanted to see the insides of some 12th/13th century churches, and I was able to see the frescoes and icons in two of them. We visited a charming nunnery near Vori and a baklava maker in Rethymnon; visiting both places was like stepping back in time! With Panos as my guide, I saw and photographed a LOT and really got a sense of what the interior was all about!

Date of experience June 2014
Elizabeth D, Ρίτσμοντ, Βιρτζίνια, 2

Уже три года как знаком с Панайотисом и Иоанной! Самые высокие рекоммендации! Многому научился, многое узнал интересного про этот замечательный остров Крит! Если выбераете их- знайте, что это самый ваш удачный выбор! Огромный баггаж знаний и чувство юмора! Рекомендую!!!!!

Date of experience May 2014
Vlad A, Χάρκοβο, Ουκρανία, 31

I visited Crete with a friend. We were guided around Knossos, Spinalonga, Heraklion and several other small local places (including a great winery!). The Tour Experts were very knowledgeable and provided us with lots of useful information – not only those you can find in guidebooks. I have known one of the guides, Panos, for several years as I was his Polish language teacher when he stayed in Krakow to learn the language for his tour guide certification exam. It was actually Panos who recommended that I spend my holidays in Crete and as a guide he has been exceptional. He was always happy to help and answered all our questions – not only about the places where he guided us but also about the spots which we visited on our own. Equipped with the insider tips we really enjoyed Crete!

Date of experience September 2013
AleksandraNatalia, Μάντσεστερ, Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, 1

We visited Crete in January 2014. It was really a pilgrimage to visit the battle sites and the grave of my father’s brother after who I am named. We found Tour Experts to be exceptional in meeting our specific needs. Tour Experts went way beyond our requests. They showed us things that we’d never even known about Crete. In addition, they were very informative about current and historic Cretan culture and ways of life – also political information past and present and resultant impacts locally and for the region. We were moving on to Athens and Tour Experts gave invaluable advice on what to see and how to get about in Athens. The people in this team are highly recommended.

Colin E, Abermain, Αυστραλία, 21

We have been guided in knossos by ’em. Excelent! Acurate, reliable, with great knowledge. Punctual. If i were You, i Would choose them to be my guide.

Date of experience April 2014
Karaflakis, 105

We decided to visit Knossos and Heraklion with our friends visiting us from the U.S. Although I am from Crete I knew that the only way to explain the whole history of ancient Crete to my friends was with a licensed proffesional quide like Panos. I know Panos a lot of years (but never been with him at one of his tours) and when I told my friends about www.tour-experts.gr they where very enthousiastic. Panos was on time , very informative, professional and friendly , providing to all of us maps and plans for Knossos and the city of Heraklion . The private tour started at 10.00 , we needed 1.30 h for Knossos, and then we continued in Heraklion for a sort walking tour for about 1h . We were VERY satisfied with the tour and how he organized everything till the last detail. I also realised that I do not know a lot of the history of my country!!! Thanks Panos and next time we will go a bit further , perhaps Spinalonga!

Date of experience March 2014
Aris V, Greece, 279