Crete safari tours, off the coast road

A Crete jeep safari is a guided 4x4 day tour off the main roads into inland and mountain Crete: dirt tracks, remote villages, gorges, plateaus and viewpoints you cannot reach by coach or hire car. It is not an animal safari. The only wildlife is the odd kri-kri goat, a vulture overhead or a flock crossing the track. The point is the real Crete away from the resorts, usually with a taverna lunch.

The safari tours we list run from 89 to 165 euros, depending on the route, its length and whether it is a jeep day, a self-drive quad or the summit hike. The four guided jeep routes cost 89 to 94 euros per adult and children are usually cheaper, the quads start from 95 euros and the Psiloritis summit hike starts at 100 euros; the exact price plus what is included show on each tour. On the jeeps that normally covers the guide, hotel pickup and a Cretan lunch, with cave entry fees and tips extra. Always check the live price on the tour before you book.

It depends on the tour, but expect inland mountain villages, the Lasithi Plateau and the Cave of Zeus, the Psiloritis foothills and Sfendoni Cave, Sarakina Gorge near Agios Nikolaos, or a run down to Trypiti beach on the south coast. Many stop at family-run spots for a meal or local tastings, and some finish with a swim. Be ready for part of the day to be transfer between the off-road stretches, not 4x4 the whole time.

All four jeep routes are full days of about seven to eight hours; there is no half-day jeep on our list. The quick options are the self-drive quads at three to five hours and the five-hour hike to the Psiloritis summit, and neither is an easier swap for a young family: the quads need a car licence and the hike is a mountain walk. The jeep tours we list state no minimum age and suit children who enjoy the bumps, the goats and, on the routes that have one, the swim stop, while a day that long is a lot for a toddler. Each tour shows its own child price, and the Trypiti route fits child seats on request.

The tracks are genuinely bumpy, winding and dusty, so wear closed shoes and skip white clothes. If you are prone to motion sickness, take a tablet beforehand; the swim and lunch stops break up the driving. It is generally not a good idea in late pregnancy or with serious back, neck or mobility problems, though fit older travellers who do not mind bumps are usually fine. Each route is run by a local operator with its own drivers and vehicles; we list the tours, we do not run them.

The jeep tours we list include hotel pickup and drop-off from the main resort areas, and a traditional Cretan lunch on the routes that list one, though a hotel off the route may mean a nearby meeting point; only the Sarakina Gorge and Trypiti routes add a swim stop. Bring closed flat shoes, swimwear and a towel, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and water, plus a light jacket, as the mountain wind is cold even in summer. Check dietary options and whether drinks are extra when you book.

Both formats are on our list. On the jeep safaris a professional driver does the driving and you just relax and take photos, no licence needed. The self-drive option we list is the quad: on the Malia and Agios Nikolaos quad tours you drive the quad yourself on a guided route, and the driver needs a car licence held for at least a year. Jeep groups are small — the routes that state a limit cap it at eight guests per vehicle — and the Sarakina Gorge jeep can also be arranged as a private tour.

It is worth it for the off-tarmac access, the small group and the local guide you do not get from a coach or a hire car: a coach sticks to the headline sights, and a hire car keeps you on tarmac and misses the shepherd tracks and family tavernas. A guided jeep trades a little comfort for reach; a quad is the more hands-on, drive-it-yourself option we also list. If you would rather set your own pace on sealed roads, a rental car may suit you better, and we would rather say so than oversell a tour.