A Zeus cave tour climbs from the north coast of Crete to the Psychro Cave on the Lasithi Plateau. It is one of the Greece tours listed on Greece VIP.
This post covers the tours, the drive, the climb, the cave, the digs, the villages, the food and the reviews. Weather, the best season and common questions come last.
Each section ends with a tour on Crete that can be booked online.
What is a Zeus cave tour?
A Zeus cave tour is a day trip from the coast of Crete to the Psychro Cave. The cave sits on the Lasithi Plateau, where myth says Zeus was born.
Two kinds of trip lead there. Off-road safaris climb mountain tracks in 4×4 vehicles, while a coach tour follows the paved road.
The safari with the largest review count holds 1,352 reviews. It adds a mountain farm, where guests milk goats and taste shepherd’s cheese.
A coach combo holds 554 reviews and ends the day at the Palace of Knossos. It also stops at Krasi and the nunnery of Vidiani.
One jeep route crosses a dirt track at 1,150 m.
- Entry: The cave ticket is extra on three of the four main tours.
- Included: One 4×4 safari includes the cave ticket.
- Children: Children enter the cave free, one listing notes.
A Zeus cave tour mixes myth, mountain roads and village food in one day.
Which Zeus cave tours run from the coast?
Four Zeus cave tours hold the bulk of the reviews. Three travel off-road in 4×4 vehicles, and one is a coach combo that ends at Knossos.
The 4×4 safari with 1,352 reviews scores 4.8 out of 5. It runs Land Rover Defenders or 4×4 vans with air conditioning, and its driver-escorts speak six languages.
A Land Rover trip with 480 reviews takes no more than six guests. It also scores 4.8, and its escorts speak eight languages.
A jeep safari with 169 reviews scores 4.6. It stops at the Aposelemis dam, where the sunken village of Sfentili shows in the water.
- Small groups: Six seats on the Land Rover trip.
- Languages: Up to eight on the Land Rover trip.
- Knossos: Only the coach combo adds the palace.
A Zeus cave tour by 4×4 suits guests who want dirt tracks. The coach suits a longer sightseeing day.
How far is the Zeus cave from the resorts?
A Zeus cave tour from Malia covers 26.9 km to the cave by road. From Heraklion the drive runs 59.2 km, and from Agios Nikolaos 57.0 km.
Hersonissos lies 35.0 km from the cave. The village of Tzermiado lies 11.9 km away.
The coach combo lists 13 pickup points, from Ligaria and Agia Pelagia to Sisi and Malia.
The 4×4 safari collects guests from Heraklion, Agios Nikolaos, Analipsi, Agia Pelagia, Malia, Fodele beach and Elounda.
The Land Rover trip collects guests from Elounda to Malia. Heraklion and the coast toward Chania sit outside its area.
- Malia: 26.9 km to the cave.
- Heraklion: 59.2 km.
- Agios Nikolaos: 57.0 km.
Guests who want more time on the plain can compare the Lasithi Plateau tours.
What is the walk on a Zeus cave tour like?
A Zeus cave tour ends with a climb on foot to the cave mouth. Inside, steps lead down through the cavern and back up.
One reviewer counted 210 steps down from the entrance and the same number back up. The climb to the entrance came first.
Another called the walk a bit uphill but doable. A third found it hard: a 1 km walk on a steep slope at 34 °C.
The 4×4 safari advises against the trip for people with heart problems or recent surgery.
- Steps: 210 down and 210 back up, one reviewer counted.
- Slope: A 1 km climb on a steep path to the entrance.
- Health: Not advised for heart problems or recent surgery.
A Zeus cave tour suits guests who can manage a steep climb and a long stair.
What does a Zeus cave tour see inside the cave?
A Zeus cave tour sees chambers of stalactites and stalagmites and a small underground lake. Lights pick out the formations as guests descend.
The Land Rover trip describes an impressive cavern with stalactites, stalagmites and an underground lake. The coach combo says the formations grew over thousands of years.
Ancient worshippers left offerings in the upper cave. The finds include pieces of about thirty libation tables and countless small food cups.
The cave also yielded an unusual number of semi-precious stones: carnelian, steatite, amethyst, jasper and hematite.
- Dating: Upper layers hold Geometric finds from the 9th century BCE.
- Lamps: Stone and clay lamps are common finds in the cave.
- Peak use: The cave was the busiest shrine by Middle Minoan times.
A Zeus cave tour walks through a natural hall that served as a shrine for centuries.
Who dug the site of a Zeus cave tour?
A Zeus cave tour visits a site dug between 1886 and 1900. Joseph Hatzidakis and Halbherr made the first dig, and David George Hogarth the largest.
Hatzidakis led a learned society in Candia. Arthur Evans looked at the site in 1896. Pierre Demargne ran a short dig in 1898.
Hogarth came in 1900 for the British School at Athens. His team blasted huge fallen blocks from the roof of the upper cave before clearing them.
Earlier diggers had already ransacked the rich black earth, Hogarth reported. Even so, the lowest layers of the upper cave were still undisturbed.
John Boardman published the finds in 1961. Studies by Rutkowski and Nowicki and by Vance Watrous followed in 1996.
- 1886: First dig by Hatzidakis and Halbherr.
- 1900: Hogarth’s large dig.
- 1961: Boardman’s book on the finds.
Guests who want more mountain tracks can compare the Crete jeep safaris.
Which villages does a Zeus cave tour visit?
A Zeus cave tour passes Psychro, Tzermiado and Krasi on the plateau and its edge. Other routes add a nunnery, an eco park or Roman aqueduct remains.
Krasi is known for its springs and an ancient plane tree. The Land Rover trip puts the tree’s age at 2,400 years and stops at the fountain square.
The nunnery of Vidiani, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, stands at the foot of Mount Louloudaki.
Lasinthos Eco Park shows pottery and candle making, with animals on a small farm.
One jeep route ends at Kastamonitsa, where remains of a Roman aqueduct stand. The 4×4 safari passes the windmills of Seli Ambelou and the gorge of Embasa.
The plateau grows potatoes, apples, pears and grain, the Land Rover trip notes.
- Psychro: The village below the cave.
- Krasi: A 2,400-year-old plane tree.
- Kastamonitsa: Roman aqueduct remains.
A Zeus cave tour by 4×4 reaches small villages away from the main road.
What food comes with a Zeus cave tour?
A Zeus cave tour stops at an olive mill or factory and ends with a taverna lunch. One safari adds a mountain farm with goat milking and fresh cheese.
The Land Rover trip tours an olive oil factory. Guests taste extra virgin oils, olives, spreads and local products.
Its lunch comes at a family taverna in a mountain village, with homemade wine or raki.
The 4×4 safari ends at a village square with a Cretan lunch. Local wine and water come with it.
The coach combo’s olive mill farm looks over the mountains and the sea. Lunch there costs extra.
- Farm: Goat milking and shepherd’s cheese on one safari.
- Drinks: Wine or raki with lunch.
- Pottery: Two routes add a pottery workshop.
Guests who want a full day of tasting can compare the Crete olive oil tours.
What do reviewers say about a Zeus cave tour?
Reviewers praise the escorts, the stories and the taverna food on a Zeus cave tour. Complaints focus on the steep climb and unclear notice of the cave fee.
On the Land Rover trip, one group enjoyed the day despite a downpour. The escort offered ways to stay out of the rain and was strong on local history and mythology.
On the jeep safari, a reviewer praised a cool vehicle on a hot day and good food. Another found the back of one vehicle cramped and without air conditioning.
The 4×4 safari earns top marks from 91% of English-speaking guests.
- Praise: Knowledgeable escorts and good lunches.
- Complaint: Unclear notice of the cave fee.
- Tip: Proper shoes for the climb and the steps.
A Zeus cave tour earns its best reviews from guests who plan for the climb.
How does weather shape a Zeus cave tour?
A Zeus cave tour climbs to a plateau with mild summers and very wet autumns. The weather station at Tzermiado, 820 m up, logged a 26.6 °C high average this July and August.
July peaked at 34.7 °C on 22 July this year. Last July averaged 28.5 °C and peaked at 35.7 °C on 23 July.
Summer stays almost dry. June and August each logged 0.6 mm of rain this year.
Autumn rain can arrive hard. On 1 October this year, 231.0 mm fell in a single day.
Winter nights drop below freezing. The station logged −3.8 °C on 2 January this year.
- Mildest summer month: June, at a 24.4 °C average high.
- Wettest day: 231.0 mm on 1 October.
- Frost: −2.9 °C on 2 February last year.
A Zeus cave tour in autumn calls for a rain jacket as well as walking shoes.
When is the best season for a Zeus cave tour?
A Zeus cave tour suits June and September best, when the plateau stays mild. June averaged a 24.4 °C high this year, and last September 23.6 °C.
Last September logged only 2.4 mm of rain. This September turned wetter, with 133.2 mm and 52.8 mm on 17 September.
Last October stayed mild at a 20.8 °C average high, with 26.4 mm of rain.
Spring warms slowly at this height. April averaged 16.5 °C this year, and last April peaked at 26.1 °C on 18 April.
Last March hit 26.8 °C on 16 March. Winter highs stay low, at 11.8 °C in January and 13.0 °C in February this year.
- June: 0.6 mm of rain this year.
- September: A 30.1 °C peak on 13 September this year.
- Winter: Last February averaged 8.0 °C.
A Zeus cave tour in high summer meets average highs in the mid 20s °C on the plateau.
What do travelers ask about a Zeus cave tour?
Travelers ask about the cave fee, children, fitness and the other cave of Zeus. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours ahead on all four main tours.
Is cave entry included on a Zeus cave tour?
On one 4×4 safari, yes. The other main tours charge it separately.
Do children pay to enter?
No. One listing notes free entry for children.
Which languages do escorts speak?
English, German and French on all four. Dutch, Russian, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Romanian vary by tour.
Is there another cave of Zeus?
Yes. Hesiod placed the birth in a cave on Mount Aegaeon, and Apollonius of Rhodes named Ida as well.
Can a Zeus cave tour add Knossos?
Yes. One coach combo ends with a visit to the palace.
Guests based in the east can pair the plateau with an Agios Nikolaos day trip.