The 13 Best Historical Tours in Crete

1.Historical Center City Tour & Knossos Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 340 reviews · 7 hours - 510 minutes · from $47Our pick

Explore Knossos Palace and Heraklion on a guided Crete day trip with hotel pickup, city sights, free time, and optional museum visit.

“Went with my mum and two children aged 9 and 14. It was hot and not much cover at the palace of knossos but our guide Cristina was amazing at finding our group shade and she knew so much that with the ear pieces in we were able to learn from her the history of the place with ease. After this the coach took us into the old town where we were able to independently visit the Archeological Museum and have a very quick bite to eat before catching the coach back to our hotel. We had a wonderful day and can recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Ecobike tour in historic Heraklion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 134 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $90Top rated

Explore historic Heraklion by easy eco-bike, see Venetian walls and local landmarks, then enjoy Cretan food and drinks with a friendly guide.

“They were super flexible when we arrived. We did have some difficulty finding them. My advice from the cruise port is to take a taxi! The bikes were fun and we saw so much in a short time. After so many walking tours, this was a great alternative.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Richtis Waterfall, History, Azoria, OliveTasting, NorthCoast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 83 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $119

Explore Crete by 4x4 from Agios Nikolaos, with a waterfall swim, ancient olive tree, Azoria ruins, Cretan lunch, and olive tasting.

“Wonderful day with Michael. Very informative and great host. Gorge was amazing, food excellent, tree an ancient wonder and olive oil plant interesting and great to taste.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Crete World War II History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 65 reviews · 6 hours · from $111

Trace Crete’s WWII story from Maleme to Galatas, with battle sites, shelters, museums, cemeteries, and expert local guides.

“The guide was very knowledgeable and explained the battle of Crete and the events leading up to the events very well. The private collection of artifacts that we had access to was extensive but the explanation was too long. The owner of the collection described every single article and where it was discovered. Be aware there was no break scheduled for lunch. those points aside, an excellent trip with a very friendly guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Heraklion Highlights: Knossos, Museum & Historic City Drive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.)

Review of a private Heraklion tour covering Knossos, the Minoan museum, Venetian walls, Koules Fortress, and flexible pickup.

“Our tour guide Leo was very professional and knowledgeable about the Cave Zeus and Knossos Palace which was very helpful. In addition, Leo took us to a couple more destinations along the way, time permitting. The restaurant Leo recom”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Knossos Palace & Historical Heraklion City Tour, with Old Market

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 51 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $48

Visit Knossos Palace and historic Heraklion with a local guide, free market time, hotel pickup, and practical tips on costs and crowds.

“An enjoyable excursion. Christina, our tour guide was friendly and very informative and Such a lovely person”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Cretan Stories – A Journey Through History and Tradition

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $36Best value

Review of Cretan Stories, a full-day tour from Heraklion to Arkadi, Eleftherna, Margarites, Melidoni Cave, and a pottery workshop.

“Chose this trip because I thought we might need a day out of the sun and it was very enjoyable. Loved the monastery, the caves and the pottery. Would have given 5 stars but the museum was a disappointment. As the most expensive site visited, I would have given it a miss with hindsight.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Chania Battle of Crete Private Tour: WW2 Military History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 7 hours · from $182

Trace the Battle of Crete around Chania with historian Apostolis, from Maleme and Hill 107 to bunkers, museums, and war cemeteries.

“Apostolis was on time, personable and very knowledgeable as one might expect from a professional graduate historian. During a 6-hour tour we visited Tavronitis bridge, the RAF memorial at the western edge of Malme airfield, Hill 107, Galatas, Platanias, the prison, Prison Valley, the German cemetery on Hill 107 and the Commonwealth cemetery at Souda Bay. Apostolis not only talked about the ground, but was able to describe the naval engagements and set the Crete campaign within the overall strategic context of the prosecution of the war, particularly the effect of the impending Operation Barbarossa. All the key sights of the first five days (20-26 May 1941) during which Crete…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Small Group Eastern Crete Heritage Tour for Cruiseships

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $325

Explore Fourni, Agios Nikolaos, Spinalonga views, and Kritsa on a relaxed small-group Crete tour from Heraklion port.

“This was a very well organised tour , well organised port also . Our guide Helen was extremely informative and gave a really good insight to Crete and life on Crete.We enjoyed the small Villages , coffee Salad and Wine plus Souvlaki What a wonderful way to live a relaxed life . We purchased a hand made linen table cloth and a real leather belt as memories We cannot thank Cherry Travel enough and Helen . We thoroughly recommend and only wish we had 4 days or more , so will be back”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.History & Culture Walking Tour with Food Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 8 reviews

Walk Heraklion’s Venetian center with a local guide, tasting Cretan snacks, olive oil, wine, coffee, and raki along the way.

“This was a great tour! We stopped at so many local places to meet up with the food and cultures of Crete. Sweets, treats, a Cretan lunchbox, herbs and botanicals, and more. So much was learned and appreciated on this tour. I highly recommend it to anyone, especially solo travelers. The journey is customized to your preferences. The tour guide has beautiful character and much knowledge about the story of Crete.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Private Boat Cruise to Historic Pirate Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews

Cruise from Kissamos to Balos and historic Gramousa, with castle ruins, a 1968 shipwreck, swimming, snorkeling, and drinks aboard.

“Fantastic trip! Skilled and friendly skipper! Such beautiful surroundings. We went 16-20. No congestion which was a big plus.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Battle of Crete and WW2 History Tour with Bunkers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 6.5 hours · from $200

Trace Crete’s Battle of 1941 with historian Apostolis, visiting Maleme, Hill 107, cemeteries, battlefields, and abandoned German bunkers.

“What a great day! We learned so much about the events of May 1941 as we moved from Maleme to the RAF memorial, the contested bridge, the German cemetery, Hill 107, the Platanias bunker, Galatas and a former POW camp. In all locations Apostolis had original photos to compare 'now and then'. Thought provoking discussion, throughout a day that went at our pace - not too hurried and, delivered at an appropriate level: I definitely feel I want to read more . The day was adapted to our preferences (we chose not to go to Souda Bay Cemetery, as we had visited recently), and also allowed us to learn about…”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Food Odyssey, A Historical Culinary Tour of Chania

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $125

Taste Chania’s historic foods with culinary historian Mariana, from kalitsounia and bougatsa to Greek coffee and a traditional taverna lunch.

“Mariana was generous with her time, her knowledge, and her cooking talents. We learned about the history of Cretan foods, sampled many things including her homemade cheese, and left with a sachet of fresh herbs epitomizing the aromas of Crete. Our experience of Crete has been greatly expanded by what she shared with us.”

Check availability →Read our full review