Culinary Tours
Meet me in Crete!
May 12 to 18 2026
7 days / 6 nights, Crete, Greece
Chef Nicholas Poulmentis and food & travel writer Isabella Zampetaki invite you on a culinary tour to the Greek island of Crete. This 7-day experience includes luxurious visits to the best restaurants, wineries and olive mills, as well as cooking classes where Nicholas and local cooks teach you straightforward recipes that are both delicious and healthy. Crete is the birthplace of the Mediterranean Diet and it is no coincidence that many Cretans live to be over a hundred years old.
One-of-a-kind cooking classes
We will learn all the tricks to a perfect spanakopita and kleftiko wood-fired oven lamb, dolmadakia (vine-leaves stuffed with rice and herbs) and Sfakiani pita (crunchy and thin white cheese pie), dakos and Greek salad, boureki and maggiri pasta.
Cooking classes will take place in beautiful outdoor areas, by the sea and in verdant plains set at the foot of Crete’s mountains. They will be rich in seasonal local products, fresh herbs and extra virgin olive-oil.
There will be surprises! Like an invitation to join a night-time cooking class.
Highly curated selections
The restaurants and tavernas where we will be dining feature the best of Cretan cuisine and have been handpicked by Isabella who writes for food and travel for over 25 years. Among them, a top zero-waste bistrot, a family-run farm-to-table restaurant, a taverna whose cook prepares dishes just as if she cooked them for her own family. We will forage edible wild greens that grow around this time of year and enjoy delicacies that not even Cretans themselves know, like the grape caviar that is just ripe in May!
You will meet with some of Greece’s top wine, olive-oil, cheese and herbs experts and chat with them about anything you want to learn about making the right choices.
Itinerary
Day 1
Tuesday, May 12 – Heraklion
- Free time to enjoy the beach or your private heated pool at Pnoe Breathing Life Resort
- Food storytelling and welcome dinner, featuring a selection of artisanal products from all over Crete
Day 2
Wednesday, May 13 – Heraklion
- Visit Knossos, Europe’s first organized city and discover traces of people who loved good food and nature back in the 2.500BCs
- Wine tasting at one of Crete’s internationally acclaimed family wineries & a cooking class among the vines
- Free time to walk around Heraklion /optional visit to its acclaimed Archaeological Museum
- Evening raki and meze in a traditional village kafeneio, with a cooking demo by the local Women’s Association
Day 3
Thursday, May 14 – Heraklion
- A visit to an artisanal cheesemaker who strives to maintain local breeds of sheep and specializes in aged graviera cheese
- Cooking in a wood-fired oven atop Europe’s southernmost mountain range with the man who brought an abandoned village back to life
- Optional hike/horse ride on the mountain slopes
- A dinner cooking class in chef Nicholas’ suite
Day 4
Friday, May 15 – Chania
- A morning with one of Crete’s top foraging experts and a pick nick lunch on the beach
- Check in at Domus Blanc Boutique Hotel which used to be the historic home of the French Consulate
- Free time to explore Chania and its iconic old harbor and alleys
- Dinner in a zero-waste bistrot that buys its produce from dozens of small farmers across Crete
Day 5
Saturday, May 16 – Chania
- A guided visit to the olive oil farm where the world’s first high phenolic olive oil to be certified as a food supplement is produced
- Olive oil tasting of monovarietal and naturally scented extra virgin olive oils and a farm-to-table lunch
- Free time to explore the old city of Chania / Optional visit to the Folklore Museum
- Bites and stories from Chania’s Belle Epoque
Day 6
Sunday, May 17 – Chania
- Explore the ancient city and charming theatre of beautiful Aptera
- Visit a verdant organic herbs farm where Nicholas teaches us how to make a light and crunchy Sfakiani pie.
- Enjoy a festive dinner in the heart of a traditional village
Day 7
Monday, May 18
- Optional visit to Chania Archaeological Museum
- A last surprise on a famous turquoise beach
- A fond farewell and transfer to Chania Airport
Crete is a big island! In order to minimize time spent on the bus, we have selected to start our tour in Heraklion international airport (HER) in the east and to depart from Chania international airport (CHQ) in the west.
Cost
$10,000 per person, sharing in a double room Single supplement + $2,500 Deposit $3,000 due upon registration Airfare is not included See our analytical Terms & Conditions Contact us for more details at info@herbsinherpockets.com
Hotel Details
Pnoe Breathing Life Resort, Heraklion
Pnoé, meaning “breath” in Greek, is an elegant, adults-only designer beach resort that blends sophisticated relaxation with a strong focus on wellness. Set around a central courtyard anchored by an almond-shaped pool, its 60 private pool suites radiate outward in harmonious symmetry.
The resort’s natural color palette mirrors the rugged surrounding landscape, while the architecture subtly echoes the bold forms of ancient Minoan design—a respectful nod to Crete’s storied past.
From the moment guests arrive, the renowned warmth of Cretan hospitality is on full display—beginning with a welcoming hand towel infused with sarandavotano, a traditional blend of 40 aromatic herbs known for their revitalizing properties.
Its comprehensive wellness facilities include a sauna, steam room, hydromassage pool, water paradise showers, ice fountain and bucket, a Himalayan salt-wall relaxation area and your own private heated pool.
Domus Blanc Boutique Hotel, Chania
Domus Blanc Hotel in Chania is a restored 19th-century mansion that once belonged to the French consul, Paul Blanc. Nestled in the aristocratic Halepa district, the boutique hotel revives the elegance of Crete’s Belle Epoque. With its art deco interior, the hotel features 12 refined suites—many with private jacuzzis—and a romantic balcony reminiscent of old aristocratic soirées.
Owners Litsa and Aria Paraskevakis, along with the Varoudakis architects, meticulously restored the historic estate over four years. Their attention to detail, including reproducing the consul’s sapphire-blue walls, brings the building’s grandeur back to life. This one-of-a-kind hotel features bespoke furnishings, exposed beams, parquet floors, and marble-tiled bathrooms.
Guests can indulge in a variety of amenities, including an outdoor swimming pool with hydromassage points, a state-of-the-art gym, and a spa offering personalized massage treatments and a sauna.
Travel Information & Tour Details
Crete is easily accessible with just a one-hour flight from Athens. A group transfer from Heraklion Kazantzakis International Airport (HER) is scheduled for approximately 3:00 PM on arrival day. On the final morning of the tour, a group transfer will be arranged from our hotel in Chania to Chania Daskalogiannis International Airport (CHQ) around 11:00 AM. Finalized transfer times will be confirmed in early May 2026.
This curated journey is tailored for seasoned travelers and passionate lovers of Greek cuisine. If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, please inform us at the time of registration.
Participants should be prepared for daily walking of 1 to 3 miles. The itinerary may be subject to change due to weather or unforeseen circumstances; however, any adjustments will be thoughtfully planned to maintain the quality and integrity of the experience.
By registering, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to all Terms & Conditions.
What’s Included in the Tour Package:
- Six nights’ luxury accommodation
- Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner with wine
- Cooking classes with Chef Nicholas and culinary demonstrations by local experts
- Curated excursions, including entry to the archaeological sites of Knossos and Aptera
- All group ground transportations during the tour
- Group airport transfers: from Heraklion Airport on arrival and to Chania Airport on departure
What’s Not Included in the Tour Package:
- National and/or international flights arriving in Heraklion (HER) and departing from Chania (CHQ)
- Beverages before or after meals
- Gratuities for guides and hospitality staff
- Travel insurance
- Entrance fees to museums visited during free time in Heraklion and Chania
Payment Information: To avoid processing surcharges, payments should be made by wire transfer. Credit card payments incur an additional 3% fee applied to the deposit amount.
Before registering, please read our full Terms & Conditions.
Contact us for more details at info@herbsinherpockets.com.