What is a Tour Butler?
One of the reasons we travel, is to explore. When travelling, we cannot always predict our appetite and mood and it happens that we book services in advance that we don't necessarily want to engage with when the day comes. DPH World now offers an adjustable and professional service, in order to provide complete flexibility and freedom to the travelers. We create multi-day bespoke itineraries that can be customized according to their wishes, mood and physical ability on the day they meet our 'tour butler'. A tour butler is a local and professional expert, trained to take the clients wherever they wish within their preferred destination, and organize activities as well as make arrangements based on what they desire to do in the next couple of days. They will meet on arrival and start a conversation with them (usually over a delicious local feast), in order to advise and direct them appropriately, taking on board their requirements. As ideal as it sounds, our tour butlers know the destinations so well, they can adjust the program for the travelers to have the ultimate travel experience, combining completely tailor-made arrangements as well as an element of surprise. We are offering this service as a way to bring together the explorer and the locals and to ensure they take away with them a truly authentic travel memory. DPH World will make any bookings required in advance, such as museum entries, accommodation, restaurants etc, in order to offer them a planned but yet again spontaneous adventure in to the unknown with a trusted and expert guide. This service is highly recommended for families that want to do something different and explore several layers of the destination, as well as individuals that simply like to experience a destination in its full capacity. By the end of the journey, the tour butler will be your best friend.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Day 1 – Trip orientation and Welcome Dinner
Airport meet and greet and private transfer service to the hotel. Settle in and if you wish to, take a short stroll around the Old Town, to make a first acquaintance with Crete’s harbor capital, the bustling Mediterranean metropolis of Heraklion. Join your tour butler for a Welcome Cocktail and trip briefing and head out for a Welcome Dinner at one of the best seafood restaurants of the area.
Day 2 - Minotaur’s lair, wine thieves and a feast with the locals
This morning is dedicated to archaeology and mythology. With your adept guide, an expert of history and art you’ll explore Knossos, the famed Minoan palace of the legendary Minos king. With more than 1,200 rooms, several of which are decorated with frescoes of unparallel technique, Knossos is the most impressive of Bonze Age Crete’s palaces, due in great part to the large-scale restoration executed and personally funded by the excavator Sir Arthur Evans in the 1920s. Onwards, a short drive into the island’s less known interior will be a first-class opportunity to explore a colorful canvas of gentle slopes covered with olive groves, vineyards and flowers. In one of the best wineries of Crete, you will be introduced to both ancient local, as well as fairly recently introduced international varietals in an intimate tasting that will be hosted by the winemaker himself in the cellar. Discover the up and coming peachy Vidiano and the unique, herbaceous Dafni. Taste the untamed local red Mandilari and Crete’s Pinot, Liatiko, cultivated here for centuries. Allow yourself to be surprised by the unexpected expressions of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon , in single varietals and blends and don’t look surprised if a wine thief shows up to steal wine for you straight from the barrel, for you to nose-witness the evolution in oak, as barrel-tasting is the name of the game! And the day is not over yet! In the vicinity of the winery, you will enjoy an intimate lunch hosted by a local family, in a typical stone-built olive-farm house. Your host will be happy to take you around the grove and share with you all the secrets of the cultivation and production of extra virgin olive-oil Dish of the day, the famous all over Crete KAPRIKO. Evening spent at leisure, exploring the numerous attractions of the Old Town, dinner on your own, if you have room for more food..
Day 3 - Optional sunrise hike, a superb museum, the mousaka of your life, Kapetaniana & hike to the vultures’ nests
An easy 90-minute hike to watch the sun rise over Heraklio, from the summit of the impressive pyramid-shaped neighboring mount Stroumboulas is an option for the early birds of the group. We will return to the hotel for breakfast and on to the spectacular, fully renovated and fairly recently re-opened Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Next we cross the island North to South, to our final destination, the small historic village of Kapetaniana. En route you will have the opportunity to cook your lunch and feast on the fruits of your labor in a quaint private spot overlooking olive groves, vineyards and the Sea of Crete at a distance. Under intense scrutiny by the lady of the house you will learn how to cook the most iconic of Cretan dishes ‘Cochlii Boubouristoi’. But we do not expect you to fill up on snails, this is why Maria will teach you how to make the “Mousaka” of your life, the delicious Cretan version of the famous Greek-Mediterranean dish. After lunch we drive to Kapetaniana, where we will be spending the next three nights. Upon arrival, we gear up and take the trail up the rocky slopes of Mt. Kofinas for magnificent Libyan Sea views. Don’t be surprised if a group of massive scavengers with a wing-span of up to 9 feet is waiting round the corner, as this is serious vulture land!! We hike back down to Kapetaniana and enjoy the early evening at leisure. Join us for an epic dinner by the fire in the main hall.
Hiking time: 2-3 hours
Day 4 - Hike the hermits’s trail, Koudoumas Monastery, Eligia beach, st. Anthony’s cave feast
The deserted beach of Eligia is the starting point for our hike to Koudoumas, a ancient seaside monastery at the mouth of the imposing Koudoumas Gorge. The opportunity to swim in the crystal clear waters, just outside the monastery’s walls, should not be missed out on! On the way back, we detour to the huge cave of St. Anthony, spiritual leader of the hermits, who over a millennium ago, chose to live an ascetic life of isolation and prayer in numerous caverns along the southern coastline, sleeping in rock-cut beds and surviving on stalactite water they collected drop by drop, in the same caves that were used by Minoans as sanctuaries 4000 years ago. We’ll be here just in time to watch how “Antikrysto” is prepared, an ancient dish decribed in the Iliad by Homer and while feasting on new heavenly flavors, we’ll enjoy the privilege of being exposed to the sounds of “lyra” and “askomantoura” (Cretan back-pipe) played for us by some of the best musicians of the island inside the cave. We will enjoy the energy and mystical atmosphere of this location, then return on foot to Eligia back to our vehicles and return to Kapetaniana.
Day 5 - We collect natural sea salt and marinate fish
A short jeep ride down a winding dirt road offering sweeping views of the Libyan Sea takes us to the small waterfront village of Agios Ioannis, which got its name from the homonymous, now abandoned monastery of st. John, the only one of its kind, with the façade decorated with 15th century frescoes ! The small church of St John is actually inside a cave and it is actually built on what used to be a sanctuary dedicated to Asklepius. This is the starting point for our rugged hike into the remote Salamias Gorge, with its wild-growing olive trees and secluded beach accessible only on foot or by boat. The gorge is one of the earliest inhabited areas in Crete, dating 8.000 years back. The Italian word “Salare” (to salt) gave its name to name Salamias. Like the locals do, we will collect sea salt here, that we will use later to marinate anchovies. Hike back to the small waterfront village of Aghios Ioannis, to meet Aspasia, who will teach us how to prepare this very much appreciated delicacy. Enjoy a generous lunch at her waterfront café and swim in the beautiful clear water of the serene beach . When ready we return to Kapetaniana. If you wish to before dinner, join your TL in a private hall by the fire, for a comprehensive presentation of Crete’s history throughout the ages
Day 6 - Ancient Gortyn, Armenoi Minoan Nekropolis, a Fyllopastry workshop in Rethymno, Hania
It’s a bittersweet feeling to leave this beautiful rugged county, but the most ambient towns of Crete await. On the road less travelled, we’ll find ourselves north again, stopping en route to visit Gortyn, the most important city-state of Crete in Greek- roman times. Admire the remnants of the huge 6th century Basilica of St. Titus, first bishop of Crete and patron of the island, the Roman Odeon and Gortyn’s highlight, the “Queen of inscriptions” Europe’s earliest Law Codex carved on a stone wall 50 ft. long! We continue North to the the late Minoan cemetery of Armenoi. Descent into one of the largest tombs, where your guide will present Bronze Age burial customs. Lunch will be offered in a 400 year-old Venetian Mansion, now housing an intimate tavern. We will have some free-time to walk around the cute little town of Rethymno, the best preserved Old Town of Crete, featuring hundreds of Renaissance Mansions, churches, mosques with minarets and fountains. Before we depart to Hania we will pay a visit to the most renowned family-run fyllo-pastry workshop for a demonstration. The experienced master will make some fyllo sheets for us and the lady of the house will take us behind the scene for a special treat.
Late afternoon we will arrive to Chania (Hania) known for its 14th century Venetian harbor and waterfront restaurants. We will take some time to settle in, then explore the city, including a visit to the covered market. The evening is free with dinner on your own, since the next day is the long Aradena hike and you should rest accordingly. We will be happy to make recommendations, depending on how fancy or local you want to go.
Day 7 - Aradena Gorge, enchanting Loutro Bay and a War Museum
A really scenic drive into the White Mountains will take us to Sfakia, a beautiful rugged country known throughout the centuries for the untamed nature of its people. Crete has many : farangia -gorges, but only one “farangas” -a greatgorge” Sfakians say, when they talk about the Aradena Gorge. At the homonymous settlement, starting point of tour hike, we will be exposed to a true open-air museum of local architecture. Stone-built abandoned houses with beautiful clay colored walls, arches and cobblestone yards and all around walnut and mulberry trees and prickly pear cacti compose a perfect setting. Dominating the area, a 200 ft long metal bridge that connects the two sides of the gorge since 1987. Throughout the summer Greeks and foreigners put their courage to the test and bungee from a staggering 450 ft elevation into the gorge below! Gear up, take a deep breath and begin. Terrain is a cleared trail that descents down to the sea. Your guide, an avid hiker and history expert, will inform you about the numerous species of flora and fauna as well as Aradena‟s importance in different points of Cretan history. Reaching the sea, you will be rewarded with crystal clear water in the small gorgeous pebbly beach of Marmara. Feel free to jump in the water and explore the numerous smaller and bigger “Marble Caverns” with rock colors of exquisite beauty. Our hike is not over though... Another 90‟ is what it takes to Loutro, a tiny, serene fishing harbor accessible only by boat or on foot . Here we will enjoy a generous lunch in an waterfront tavern and use the opportunity to go in the water again. On the way back to Hania, we will stop at Askyfou, and hosted by the owner, we will see the best private collection of World War 2 exhibits and learn about the contribution of Crete and how it changed the course of the war.. at the end of this long, perfect day, we will continue back to Hania, for a leisurely spent evening, with dinner on your own.
Day 8 - Sail to Heaven–Balos Beach and Gramvoussa
Sunset Farewell Dinner
After your brave performance in the gorge you deserve a day of leisure. And there is nothing better than spending this morning on the water. Embark a privately chartered motor-yacht and cruise from the Venetian Harbor to one of the most photographed beaches in Europe, the jaw-dropping Balos. En route, stop at Gramboussa, a rock defended by an impressive 16th cent. Venetian Fortress. Your reward, should you decide to hike to the top is a phenomenal 360 view. Return to the boat and continue to Balos. Words don‟t do justice to the colors and images of this perfect spot. Lie in the sun, swim, enjoy a glass of wine, while a delicious lunch is being prepared onboard. Cruise back to Hania in the early afternoon, take some time to relax and explore the shopping district on your own. Our Farewell dinner will be offered at sunset, in one of the best seafood restaurants in Crete.
