Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Crete: Knossos, Chania and the Samaria Gorge
8 days from Heraklion to Chania: Knossos and the museum at opening, a night in Rethymno, then four nights in Chania with a gorge walk, the boat to Loutro and Elafonisi.
8 days · Heraklion to Chania · up to 12 guests
Agia Roumeli, where the Samaria Gorge reaches the Libyan Sea Photo: Pavel Špindler, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Agia_Roumeli_-_Kr%C3%A9ta_-_panoramio.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Heraklion to Chania
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3.5 h on day 6No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walking, 2 to 3 hours a day on old-town lanes and archaeological sites with uneven stone and steps. Day 5 is the walking day: the Imbros Gorge, about 8 km downhill on loose stone (2.5 to 3 hours), or for strong walkers the Samaria Gorge, about 16 km and 5 to 7 hours with about 1,200 m of descent. You can skip both and take the boat to Loutro.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 750 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Knossos at the 8 am opening with a licensed guide, before the coaches arrive
- The Heraklion Archaeological Museum at opening the next morning: the Knossos frescoes and the Phaistos Disc
- A wine tasting and long lunch in Archanes, a restored village among vineyards
- Arkadi Monastery and an evening walk in Rethymno's Venetian old town
- Four nights in Chania, ending the old-town walk at the Venetian lighthouse at dusk
- The Imbros Gorge, or the full Samaria Gorge for strong walkers, then the boat to Loutro, a village with no road
- Elafonisi's shallow lagoon in the morning, ahead of the crowds, and lunch under the chestnut trees of Elos
- A hands-on cooking lesson and long lunch in an Apokoronas village
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 750 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3.5 h, on day 6.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Heraklion
Heraklion Airport to your hotel in the old town of Heraklion
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Heraklion
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Heraklion Airport (HER), about 5 km east of the city centre, and plan to land by about 4 pm (the exact latest arrival is confirmed with your final itinerary). A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the short ride to the hotel, which sits inside the old Venetian walls within walking distance of the harbour. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the week: what to pack for the gorge day, how the boats on the south coast work and how the days are paced.
Evening
Then we walk out together as the evening cools: Lions Square and the Morosini Fountain of 1628, the arcaded Venetian Loggia, the church of Agios Titos, and down to the old harbour, where the Venetian Koules fortress guards the entrance. Dinner is a welcome meal of Cretan mezze, grills and local wine at a taverna near the water.
Included
- Pick-up at Heraklion Airport (HER)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk: Lions Square, the Morosini Fountain, the Venetian Loggia, Agios Titos and the Koules fortress
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Knossos at opening, then Archanes
Heraklion to Knossos and Archanes, then back to Heraklion
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Heraklion
- Drive about 1 h
We leave the hotel at about 7:40 so we are at the gate of Knossos when it opens at 8 am, about 20 minutes south of the centre.
Morning
Tour coaches mostly arrive from mid-morning, so the first two hours are the quietest of the day and the stone is still cool. A licensed local guide walks you through the palace, the centre of Minoan Crete in the Bronze Age, excavated by Arthur Evans from 1900 and partly rebuilt in concrete in his time, which is a debate you will hear both sides of: the Throne Room, the Grand Staircase, the storerooms lined with huge clay jars and the north entrance with its copy of the charging-bull relief.
Afternoon
From Knossos it is a short drive south to Archanes, a village of restored stone houses among vineyards, for a tasting at a family winery and a long lunch on the square. We are back in Heraklion by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is yours.
Included
- Knossos from the 8 am opening with a licensed local guide
- Wine tasting at a family winery in Archanes
- Lunch in Archanes
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Heraklion
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot at Knossos, on uneven stone and steps with little shade. Bring a hat and water.
The museum at opening, Arkadi and Rethymno
Heraklion to Arkadi Monastery, then Rethymno
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rethymno
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
Yesterday you saw the palace; this morning you see what was found in it. We are at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum when it opens, with a licensed guide, for about two hours among the originals: the frescoes from Knossos, including the bull-leapers and the Prince of the Lilies, the faience snake goddesses, the bull's-head rhyton and the Phaistos Disc, its stamped spiral of signs still undeciphered, and, upstairs, the Roman statues from Gortyn. Then we drive about an hour and a quarter west to Arkadi Monastery in the hills above Rethymno. Its church front of 1587 is one of the finest Venetian facades on the island, and in November 1866, during a revolt against Ottoman rule, the defenders blew up the powder store rather than surrender, which made Arkadi a national symbol.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a village taverna nearby, then it is half an hour down to Rethymno.
Evening
After a rest, your guide walks you through the old town in the early evening: the Rimondi Fountain, the minaret of the Neratze Mosque, the lanes and the small Venetian harbour.
Included
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum at opening with a licensed guide
- Arkadi Monastery
- Lunch at a village taverna near Arkadi
- Early-evening walk of Rethymno's old town with your guide
Free time: Evening free in Rethymno
Activity: Arkadi is a working monastery: covered shoulders and knees, please.
The Fortezza, Aptera and Chania
Rethymno to Aptera, then Chania
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chania
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Rethymno's Fortezza, the Venetian citadel built on the headland in the late 16th century after pirate raids on the town, opens in the morning, and we go up early while the walls are cool, for the view over the rooftops and the domed mosque inside. Then we drive west along the north coast, about an hour, to Aptera, high above Souda Bay: the remains of an ancient city-state with its long walls, a small theatre and vast Roman cisterns, and an Ottoman fort on the edge of the hill.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a taverna in the village. Chania is twenty minutes on, and we check in to the hotel where we stay four nights, so this is the last time you pack until the end. Late in the afternoon a local guide walks the old town with us: the Venetian harbour, the Mosque of the Janissaries, the vaulted shipyards of the Arsenal, Splantzia Square, the old Jewish quarter and the Etz Hayyim Synagogue. We finish along the breakwater at the Venetian lighthouse as the light goes.
Included
- Rethymno's Fortezza in the morning
- Aptera: the walls, the theatre, the Roman cisterns and the view over Souda Bay
- Lunch near Aptera
- Chania old-town walk with a local guide, ending at the Venetian lighthouse
Free time: Evening free in Chania
Activity: The old-town walk is about 2 hours on flat lanes; the breakwater to the lighthouse adds about 1.5 km return.
Choose your gorge, then the boat to Loutro
Chania to the Imbros Gorge (or the Samaria Gorge), Chora Sfakion and Loutro by boat, then back to Chania
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chania
- Drive about 3 h
This is the walking day, and you choose how much. Strong walkers take on the Samaria Gorge: a local transfer leaves Chania at about 6:15 am for Xyloskalo on the Omalos plateau, at about 1,230 m, and a local mountain guide walks the 16 km down through pine and cypress, past the abandoned village of Samaria and through the Iron Gates, where the walls close to a few metres apart, to Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea.
Afternoon
That early start is the only one on the trip: it keeps the walk in the cool and catches the afternoon boat. Everyone else leaves at 8:30 with your See Sight Tours guide for the Imbros Gorge, about 8 km and three hours downhill on a rocky path between high walls, then the short boat from Chora Sfakion to Loutro, a white village with no road. Lunch, a swim and a slow afternoon follow.
Evening
In the evening the boat from Agia Roumeli brings the Samaria walkers along the coast, we all continue to Chora Sfakion together, and our van has us back in Chania by about 9 pm.
Included
- Imbros Gorge walk with your guide (park entry included)
- Boat from Chora Sfakion to Loutro, and back along the coast in the evening
- Lunch in Loutro, or in Agia Roumeli for the Samaria walkers
- Samaria Gorge with a local mountain guide, entry and early transfer included, for those who choose it
Easier option: Skip the gorge: ride with the van to Chora Sfakion and take the midday boat to Loutro for a lazy lunch and a long afternoon of swimming.
More active option: The full Samaria Gorge: about 16 km and 5 to 7 hours, with about 1,200 m of descent on rocky path and stream crossings, starting from Xyloskalo at about 7:30 am.
Free time: Afternoon free in Loutro
Activity: Imbros is about 8 km downhill on loose stone, 2.5 to 3 hours. The Samaria park normally opens in May and closes in mid to late October, depending on the weather, and shuts on days of storm or high wind; we confirm it at booking for late-October departures, and in April, or if it is shut, Samaria walkers do Imbros with everyone. If wind stops the south-coast boats, we swap this day with day 6 or 7.
Elafonisi in the morning, Elos for lunch
Chania to Elafonisi, then Elos and back to Chania
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chania
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave at 8 am for the far south-west corner of the island, about an hour and three quarters by road, through the Topolia gorge and the chestnut villages of the Innachori. Elafonisi is a shallow lagoon between the shore and a low islet you can wade across to, with sand tinted pink by crushed shells at the water's edge. The area is protected under Natura 2000 and the islet is kept free of building.
Morning
Arriving before 10 am puts us there well ahead of the day-trip coaches, which come in from late morning. You have about three hours to swim, walk the islet or sit in the shade.
Afternoon
On the way back we stop at the Chrysoskalitissa Monastery on its rock above the sea, then climb to Elos, a village shaded by chestnut trees, for a long lunch at a taverna.
Evening
We are back in Chania by about 5 pm, with the evening free after yesterday's long day.
Included
- Elafonisi lagoon and islet, about three hours on the beach
- Chrysoskalitissa Monastery
- Lunch at a taverna in Elos
Easier option: Stay on the sheltered lagoon side, where the water is waist-deep and calm, and keep to the shade.
More active option: Walk the coastal path east from Elafonisi towards Kedrodasos, a cove backed by old juniper trees, and back: about 2 hours on rough path.
Free time: Evening free in Chania
Activity: The longest driving day, about 3.5 hours in all, broken by the beach, the monastery and lunch. Bring swimwear, sun cream and water shoes.
A cooking lesson in the hills, a free afternoon
Chania to a village in the Apokoronas hills and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Chania
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A slow morning: breakfast late, a walk along the harbour before the cafes fill, or a swim at Nea Chora, the town beach a short walk west of the old port. At about 10:30 we drive half an hour east into the Apokoronas hills, between the White Mountains and the sea, for a cooking lesson in a village kitchen. You roll dough for kalitsounia, the small cheese pies of Crete, build dakos on barley rusks with tomato and soft cheese, and cook wild greens and whatever is in season, with the family's own olive oil.
Afternoon
Then we sit down together to eat it all over a long lunch with local wine and a glass of raki. We are back in Chania by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is yours for the shops of the leather street, the harbour or a rest.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner in the old town.
Included
- Hands-on cooking lesson in an Apokoronas village, with lunch, wine and raki
- Farewell dinner in Chania
Optional experiences
- The day boat from Kissamos to the Gramvousa fortress and the Balos lagoon, in place of the cooking lesson (price shown when you book)
Free time: Morning until 10:30 and the afternoon free in Chania
Fly home from Chania or Heraklion
Chania to Chania Airport (CHQ), or a shared transfer to Heraklion Airport (HER)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 24 min
Morning
Breakfast at the hotel, and a last walk round the harbour if your flight allows. Chania Airport (CHQ) is on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 15 km and 25 minutes from the old town, and we drive you there in good time: book a flight leaving after about 10 am. Heraklion Airport (HER) has more international connections, so if you fly home from there, a shared transfer leaves Chania at about 9 am and takes about two hours on the north coast road, past Rethymno; book a flight leaving after about 1:30 pm. Your guide sees each group off and checks your flight before saying goodbye. If you would like more time on Crete, ask us about extra nights in Chania and a later transfer to whichever airport you need.
Included
- Drop-off at Chania Airport (CHQ), or a shared transfer to Heraklion Airport (HER)
Activity: Chania Airport (CHQ) is about 15 km and 25 minutes away: book a flight after about 10 am. Heraklion Airport (HER) is about 140 km and 2 hours: book a flight after about 1:30 pm. Drive figures above are for CHQ.
- Heraklion2 nights
- Rethymno1 night
- Chania4 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: April and May bring wildflowers and mild walking weather, with the sea still cool for swimming; June and September are warm with the sea at its best; October is mild with shorter days, and the Samaria Gorge can close for the season in mid to late October, so we confirm the Samaria option at booking for late-October departures. We avoid July and August, when the heat and the crowds at Knossos, Elafonisi and Samaria are at their peak. On the gorge walks look out for the kri-kri, Crete's wild goat.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Knossos and the museum properly, with a licensed guide and without the crowds
- Walkers who want the Samaria Gorge, travelling with partners or friends who do not
- A mix of history, food, beaches and free afternoons, with few hotel changes
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a fixed guide
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: the sites, old towns and gorges mean uneven stone and steps
- A beach-resort holiday in one place
- Travellers who want every evening planned
- A dedicated hiking trip with a gorge every day
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Heraklion2 nights
- Rethymno1 night
- Chania4 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Heraklion within the old walls, 1 in Rethymno's old town, 4 in or beside Chania's old town
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Heraklion Airport (HER), and drop-off at Chania Airport (CHQ) or a shared transfer to Heraklion Airport (HER)
- Our own air-conditioned van and driver for every touring and transfer day
- An early transfer to the head of the Samaria Gorge for those walking it
- The south-coast boats: Chora Sfakion to Loutro, and back along the coast from Loutro or Agia Roumeli to Chora Sfakion
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- Licensed local guides at Knossos, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and on the Chania old-town walk
- A local mountain guide for the Samaria walkers
Activities
- Heraklion: the evening walk, Knossos at opening and the Archaeological Museum at opening
- Archanes: wine tasting at a family winery
- Arkadi Monastery
- Rethymno: the old-town walk and the Fortezza
- Aptera
- Chania: the old-town walk with a local guide
- The Imbros Gorge or the Samaria Gorge, with park entry, and Loutro
- Elafonisi and Chrysoskalitissa Monastery
- A cooking lesson in an Apokoronas village
Meals
- Breakfast daily (7)
- 6 lunches: Archanes, near Arkadi, Aptera, Loutro or Agia Roumeli, Elos and the cooking lesson
- Welcome dinner in Heraklion and farewell dinner in Chania
Not included
- International flights to Heraklion and home from Chania or Heraklion
- Travel insurance
- Dinners on days 2 to 6
- Drinks, except at the wine tasting, the cooking lesson and the welcome and farewell dinners
- Sunbeds and umbrellas at beaches
- The Balos day boat if you swap it in on day 7
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 750 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Crete trip price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, six lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers, our own van and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed guides at Knossos and the Heraklion museum, every entry in the day plan, the gorge walk with park entry, the south-coast boats, Elafonisi, a wine tasting and a cooking lesson.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, one fixed group from Heraklion to Chania. That is small enough to hear the guide in the Knossos Throne Room, share one table at lunch and fit on a south-coast boat without a scramble for seats.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for the whole trip, every day and on every boat. Licensed local guides join at Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, where Greek rules require them, and on the Chania old-town walk, and a local mountain guide walks the Samaria Gorge with anyone who chooses it.
Do I have to walk the Samaria Gorge?
No. Samaria is the active option: about 16 km and 5 to 7 hours downhill, with about 1,200 m of descent. Most of the group walks the shorter Imbros Gorge, about 8 km and three hours, and anyone can skip walking and take the boat to Loutro. Everyone meets on the evening boat.
Is the Samaria Gorge open in April?
Usually not. The national park normally opens in May and closes in mid to late October, depending on the weather, and it shuts on days of storm, high wind or high water. We confirm the Samaria option at booking for late-October departures. If Samaria is shut, the walkers do the Imbros Gorge with everyone.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Most days mean 2 to 3 hours on foot on uneven stone and steps at Knossos, Aptera and in the old towns. Day 5 is the walking day, with the Imbros Gorge (about 8 km downhill) or Samaria for strong walkers, and an easy option by boat that skips the walk entirely.
I'm travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 750 more than the shared price, shown when you request to book, with no extra charge added later. Solo travellers join the same group, guide and table as everyone else, and if you would like to share a room, ask us and we will tell you whether another solo guest of the same gender is booked.
When is the best time to visit Crete?
April to June and September to October. Spring brings wildflowers and mild walking weather, though the sea is still cool in April and Samaria usually opens in May. September and October have the warmest sea and fewer visitors. We skip July and August, when heat and crowds peak at Knossos, Elafonisi and Samaria.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and style and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing, with taxes: the small group starts from CAD 4,420 and the private trip from CAD 7,955.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, transfers and local guides.
Do I need a visa for Greece?
Canadian, US, UK and Australian passport holders do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in 180. The EU's Entry/Exit System now records fingerprints and a photo at the border, and an ETIAS travel authorisation is planned. We tell you the current rule when we confirm your dates.
Which airports do I fly into and out of?
Fly into Heraklion (HER), landing by about 4 pm on day 1. On day 8 we drop you at Chania (CHQ), about 25 minutes from the hotel, for flights after about 10 am, or take you back to Heraklion, about two hours away, for flights after about 1:30 pm.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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