Crete · BALOS & GRAMVOUSA TOURS
Two stops, one lagoon and a pirate fortress, and about six ways to reach them. The 15 below split into the slow ferry from Kissamos, the fast speedboat, the catamaran with lunch and the coach-plus-boat packages from Chania and Rethymno — with prices, pickup points and how long each leaves you on the sand.
Boat day trip from Kissamos to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island, swim, hike to the Venetian castle, and enjoy sea cave views.
“Excellent cruise the boat is very spacious and views are stunning .”
Western Crete cruise to Gramvousa and Balos, with easy pickup, real swim time, optional fortress hike, and great photo light.
“Balos and Gramvousa are the most amazing place on earth! The sea is full of color and fish and the water was really clear and perfect! The day was well organized but I would have liked to stay one more hour on Gramvousa Island. The boat was really big and there was a seat for almost everyone! The guide and the autist were nice and informed us well”
Full-day cruise from Chania to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa, with hotel transfer, boat ticket, and castle hike. From $47.
“The trip to Balos is absolutely a must when in Chania! The beach is gorgeous and I would visit again any day! While I think making the trip to Balos is worth while, the only real value that buying it here is the arranged transportation by bus from a stop near your hotel. But otherwise, it’s entirely possible to organize the trip yourself given that the tour guide does not join for the trip to the beaches. The tour guide only stayed with us until we got to the ferry and then wasn’t there for the return. Chania has a great bus system with buses leaving to Balos from Chania…”
Rethymno to Balos and Gramvousa by bus and boat, with lagoon swimming, optional fortress views, and convenient pickup and drop-off.
“Amazing places to visit with a well organised program, great staff and charming travel guide. Highly recommended trip!”
Chania to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa with air-conditioned transport and skip-the-line boat tickets. Swim, snorkel, and climb the fortress.
“Happy with everything. The guide, Irene was simply amazing, a very good sense of humour and you can tell she loves hwr job!”
Fast speedboat hops from Falassarna to Gramvousa and Balos with beers, soft drinks, and snorkel time, in about 3 hours.
“The captain was very nice and accommodating. The entire activity was great. I would do it again!”
Cruise from Heraklion to Balos Lagoon for swimming, then explore Chania Old Town and the Venetian harbor in one long day.
“The trip is well organized, however the interim stop for the breakfast is awful, spoils all the fun. The food was not fresh and very poor, the only cash was allowed. Would strongly recommend to find another place for stop, it spoils all the trip.”
Luxury catamaran day trip from Kissamos to Balos lagoon and Gramvousa island, with open bar, swim gear, and free transfers.
“Spectacular cruise and brilliant crew We had a truly amazing cruise to Balos and Gramvousa. The crew Dimitri, Jessica and Giannis were brilliant, very welcoming and knowledgeable. They provided first class hospitality throughout the day, great food, drinks and entertainment. They were great with my son who got to try fishing and S/U paddle boarding. Balos and Gramvousa are spectacular, the views, beaches, snorkelling made this the highlight of our trip to Crete. Would highly recommend this.”
Small-group jeep day from Chania to Balos lagoon viewpoint and Falassarna beach, with reserved sunbeds, lunch, and easy pacing.
“Absolutely wonderful experience from pickup to drop off! Yiannis was an incredible guide for the day and had so much information to share about Crete and Greece from history to culture to food or even favorite restaurants or places to travel. The beach was also incredible with clear blue water and reserved loungers, along with a very nice lunch right at the beachside restaurant. Definitely recommend this!!”
Full-day boat trip from Rethymno to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon with fortress visit, swim stops, and easy roundtrip transfers for $64.
“Alles hat gut geklappt. Unser Guide hat gut deutsch gesprochen( Auch englisch). Alles auf den Programm haben wir gemacht und man hat auch genügend Zeit gehabt bei beiden Orten. Würde es nochmals buchen”
Cruise west Crete to Balos lagoon and Gramvousa Island, with guided stops, wildlife spotting, and time to swim on two famous beaches.
“The area was breath taking , but the area is very dangerous on the path to the beach area is all volcanic rock and very slippery , I fell very badly had to be taken to the Chaina Hospital for stitches on my head and i fractured ankle this area should be advise of being a dangerous area !!! also the tour guide of this group did nothing to help me so I don't recommend it”
Air-conditioned coach and ferry to Gramvousa and Balos, hike Venetian fort, swim white sand lagoons, with pickup around Crete.
“We had enough time to spend on Balos beach and took a walk to the church nearby on the hills. We brought a drone with us to capture the Balos beach scenery and it was incredible. On gramvousa island we took the hike up to the top and the view was really worth it. But if you're not a professional hiker, you could only choose between spending time at the gramvousa beach or taking the hike. It takes quite a while to be at the top bc there is usually a big crowd + the steep route. But as being already said, the scenery and the view are so much…”
Small group sailing from Kissamos to Balos and Gramvousa, with onboard Cretan lunch, snorkeling gear, and castle views.
“We had a fantastic day, the food cooked for us was delicious. Gramvousa & Balos were amazing. The water so clear. Take your own wine as only beer, soft drink and water supplied (as advertised)”
Private boat from Kissamos to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa with snorkeling gear, early crowd-free swim time, and fort views. Up to 10.
“Beautiful private boat experience. The captain Leveteras worked with us on our own personalized schedule. The boat itself Is nice for a small family. Speed was not bad and wind was ok. The captain for Balos - got close as possible so we didn’t need to swim that long to get onto that amazing beach. Worth every penny. Had a great time. Sincerely, Burn ICU and CRNA from NYC.”
Jet ski from Falasarna to Balos Lagoon. Swim, photo stops at Gramvousa, and a guided safari with small-group safety briefing in Crete.
“Brilliant activity. My 9 year old soon wanted to do a jet ski trip this holiday. We incorporated both and got to see the beautiful Balos beach as well.”
Every kind of day out on the island, and the best of each.
