Encounters with the Cretan land through the eyes of locals
We are staori, a small and diverse team that offers private, custom tours on the island of Crete. We design guided and self-guided tours that meet your needs and interests. Our passion is to show you Crete the way we know and love it. Let us take you off the beaten track, into the landscapes and local communities that raised and shaped us.
Private Tours & Workshops
one-day tours
multi-day tours
self-guided tours
Looking for a custom-made tour?
Have a special wish, looking for a unlisted destination or even a different activity?
Christopher BVerified Amazing Experience! The first time we met Haris and Helen we knew we were in good hands. Two of the most wonderful people I have ever met. Their hospitality and goal of making us feel welcome was met on every level of the trip. They made sure that we experienced traditional Cretan dishes when they came for the private cooking workshop, however, it didn’t really feel like a workshop but more of a huge family coming together with everyone participating in some way or another. There was much laughing and story telling and it felt like home away from home. We also had day trips to Balos beach for some swimming and Gramvousa to hike to the top and view the large fort ruins, a must due for the breathtaking panoramic scenery. We also traveled south to Sfakia for a lovely sunset sailing trip combined with some snorkeling and great photo opportunities. Of course the trip would not be complete without some cheese making. So, to the mountains we went where we saw and participated in a cheese making process followed buy a delicious meal of lamb cooked on an open fire along with traditional Cretan foods. Can’t say enough about Staouri Ecotours. You will not be disappointed. Margaret BVerified Wonderful personal assistance for our group of 9 Wonderful, personal assistance. Over our weeklong visit, Helped our group of 9 with everything from pickup at the airport, snorkeling trip, archeology and museum visit with excellent private guide, in-home cooking lesson for Greek dishes, and reservations and transportation to local restaurant by the ocean for special birthday dinner with delicious chocolate mousse cake. Very accessible to answer questions and flexible to meet our needs. Highest recommendation. Peggy from Charlottesville Virginia Jeffrey BVerified Incredible experience that I’d highly recommend Our group worked with Staori Ecotours for help planning ~6 activities during our week on Crete. Haris and Eleni were incredible. Haris helped me plan everything beforehand and was very responsive and helpful in providing advice curated to our group. He was extremely flexible before and during the trip and put a ton of thought and effort into the planning. We really enjoyed every activity they arranged and recommended (snorkeling, history tours, cheese making, etc.) Haris and Eleni both emphasized a personal connection with everyone in our group which made the trip very special. I’d highly recommend working with them for any visit to Crete! Meghan SVerified Perfect itinerary and attentive people Haris and Eleni had incredible attention to detail and went above and beyond to make sure we had no interruptions during our trip. Before our trip, Haris worked with us to fine tune the itinerary for our group of 9 to be exactly what we wanted it to be, and then during the trip, checked in on us to make any necessary adjustments based on energy levels, weather, etc. Every tour they picked for us was PERFECT—high quality guides, private, and easy transportation. Haris and Eleni are both so knowledgeable about Crete and took the time to meet us almost every day to check in on how we were doing. I cannot recommend them both enough! They’re also just amazing people. Thank you, Haris and Eleni! Roisin SVerified Botanical tour of Cretan plants and habitats Harris was a knowledgeable, and enthusiastic tour guide and we learned a lot about the plants and ecosystems of Crete. Our hike lasted around five hours and provided shuttle service to and from our hotel. It was a relaxed and enjoyable way to spend a day outside enjoying nature. Harris provided a meal of Cretan staples including some homemade pies which made a lovely picnic. This trip was hands down the highlight of our vacation, and we would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the island they are vacationing on. BishmanVerified HIKING w/HARIS in CRETE!!! A+++++++ Haris pictured without hat with my wife… Haris was amazing! From our first communication months before to the day before our cruise arrival in Crete, Haris was on top of our hike request…We wanted a great hike and my wife and I found a good one on all trails that would fit into our day in Crete perfectly…1,700 feet from bottom to the the top Mount Juktas…Haris described the mountain, the towns we were looking at below, the history of the area…All the while leading us perfectly up the mountain—even having to go a bit off-trail to overcome some high winds…Made for a great added adventure to our hike…Saw mountain goats, native plants and other species…Haris even provided hiking snacks and the perfect Greek lunch picnic when we came all the way back down…Great company to work with! Make sure you put the. On your radar for a great tour! Check out their website for more info! Rebecca MVerified Must NOT miss this experience! What a wonderful experience!! I'm so often sceptical of guided experiences and find them 'touristy' and cookie cutters. This experience with Haris, Yorgos, and Maria was anything but cookie cutter! So warm, so generous, so informative, and such a highlight of our time in Greece! I would give this experience 10 starts if that were possible. Georg GVerified Crete Nature - much more than expected Had a great nature and birding trip with Haris. He is very deep Into Cretan nature and especially birding for me. Well equipped and prepared we saw many interesting sites and their birds,Organisation was easy and very helpful. I can only. recommend Staori and the team when You want to dive deeper into Greece and Crete and also into its history. This was very enlightening and pleasureful for me this day !! Kind regards Georg Gewers , Berlin, Germany Sarah KVerified Unique experience within a caring environment The travel agency made us a trip tailored to our request, which included an interactive visit in the mountains accompanying a lovely shepherd family and a pastery workshop with a women cooperative in the same mountain village. We had a unique experience and loved the caring environment, from the guides and the people we got to know. Highly recommended if you want to practice a different kind of tourism! djr_48Verified Amari Valley It was like having a day out with a knowledgeable and cultured friend rather than a tourist excursion, Excellent driver as well. Highly recommended.
