Crete · DAY TRIPS IN HERAKLION
The 15 best day trips in Heraklion you can book today, with what each one costs, how long it runs and where it leaves from. The first is first for a reason; start there and work down.
Elafonisi pink-sand beach day trip from Heraklion with pickup. 4.5 hours to swim, walk the lagoon, and enjoy scenic Cretan roads.
“Definitely worth doing! Such a fun day out and lovely to swim and see the lagoon. Only thing we found was that it takes 4 hours there and 4 hours back so most of the day is spent travelling. But if you’re willing to, it is amazing!”
Spend 7 hours in Heraklion, shop Pateles market, stroll the port to Koules fortress, then see 250+ marine species at CretAquarium.
“It was fantastic our guide was so clear explain for as lots of informations and history about the Crete culture we love it .”
Six-hour Wild Crete quad safari from Heraklion with coastal ATV riding, monastery and olive oil stops, lunch, cave, and beach swim.
“Fantastic! The guide was attentive, fun and helpful. Highly recommend!”
Wine tasting in a Cretan winery, scenic drive through the Messara Valley, and a full day in Matala with caves and beach swim.
“War alles super, nur im Weingut hätte man mehr erklären!”
Heraklion full-day trip: boat to Spinalonga, swim at Kolokitha, Elounda and Agios Nikolaos lake stop, plus included lunch.
“Really enjoyed this trip. The guide was absolutely lovely and very knowledgeable. I really liked her she was fun. The bus journey to Elounda was very long as we had so many stops to pick up along the way yet it was not possible for us to be collected at the bus stop on the main square in Heraklion. I would definitely visit Spinalonga and Elounda again but would find a more direct route as this would allow more time to visit. We had booked with a barbecue but this did not happen and the price for the island was far more than quoted in the booking, we did not…”
Heraklion city sights, the farmers market, and CRETAquarium marine life in one 7 hour day trip with guided stops and free time.
“It was brilliant, we got to see so many different places and given background information by the guide as we went along. We spent enough time at each location.”
Full-day tour from Rethymno to Knossos and Heraklion Archaeological Museum, with a guide, myth stories, original frescoes, and city time.
“Turen var fin, oplevelserne levede op til vores forventninger, men vi havde nok forstået, ud fra beskrivelsen, af at der står guidet tur, betød at man havde guiden med ind på muserne. Men det er kun nogen, der er uddannet som guide til museet, eller arkæologer der må inde på stedet. Så det koster ekstra. Der står til gengæld en masse og tilbyder sig ved indgangen. (Vi tog ikke imod, så kender ikke prisen) Det koster også ekstra (altså ud over prisen til GYG) at komme ind på museerne. Det koster 20€ pr. Person på Knossos og 12€ pr person for arkæologisk museum. Tiden var passende, vi nåede dog ikke…”
Full-day Gramvousa Island and Balos Bay tour from Heraklion with hotel pickup, air-conditioned coach, and guided time at the lagoon.
“Such a wonderful way to explore Balos and Gramvousa Island. They give you more than enough time to explore, have a comfortable coach and organised. The only downside is how busy the ferry can be so if you get there late you may not get a seat and it’s a long boat ride.”
Hike the narrow Imbros Gorge from Heraklion, then enjoy Hora Sfakion, a Libyan Sea swim, and a south-coast lunch.
“GYG demande si j'ai apprécié cette excursion à Imbros... Quel humour !! J'espère que vous n'ignorez pas que cette excursion a été purement et simplement annulée, quelques jours avant la date, par l'organisateur (Platanos Tours), et ce d'une façon inconcevable et inacceptable : j'attends toujours que cet organisme m'envoie un e-mail, comme il est écrit dans le formulaire de réservation GYG (cf confirmation du 15 janvier 2025 à 16h25. Est-ce bien sérieux ?”
Private full-day tour from Heraklion with hotel pickup, Knossos, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and Koules Fortress, plus a mobile ticket.
“The Knossos Palace was amazing and was very enlightening. The museum also was exceptional. Our guide Alexis was very helpful and informative and accommodating”
Boat to Spinalonga, walk the Venetian fortress ruins, then lacework in Kritsa and a short olive oil tour on Crete.
Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge with a guide from Heraklion, then swim in Agia Roumeli, take a ferry to Sfakia, and ride back.
“The tour was great overall, the only downside is the time. We are mountain people and 6 hours were insufficient for us because we wanted to enjoy the scenery more.”
Western Crete in one day: Margarites pottery, Rethymno's Fortezza and minarets, Argyroupoli waterfalls, with hotel pickup and a guide.
“It was beautiful to see nature, as well as having a good frappé in a tavern! The trip was recommended by our guide Markos from the Seaside Resort and this trip was definitely worth it !:)Auto-translated”
2-day e-bike tour from Heraklion through Archanes and Choudetsi, with optional Knossos, Greek meals, unlimited wine, and fat-tire e-bikes.
“The owner of Eco Bike was an excellent communicator and arranged an incredibly exciting today custom itinerary for my 22 year-old daughter and I. We visited an olive oil production facility, winery, and many other cultural sites in the mountains of Crete. We enjoyed high-quality electric bikes with fat tires, and enjoyed his guided navigation through urban and rural areas.”
Lassithi Plateau views, Little Lourdes monastery, Greek mythology park tastings, pottery, and a guided Knossos Palace journey from Crete for $61.
“Two hours spent just picking up people for the tour. Host was incredibly hard to hear. It's a 20 min walk up steep hill to see cave of Zeus, which they failed to mention in description. But kudos to the driver as though those were tricky roads to manage.”
Every kind of day out on the island, and the best of each.
