The 15 Best Tours & Day Trips in Crete

Chania Tours, Full-Day, Gorge Hikes & Canyon Walks, Gorge Hikes in Chania, Guided, Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Chania, Samaria Gorge Hikes, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion & Guide

1.Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion & Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,191 reviews · 9 - 12 hours · from $41Our pick

Review of the Samaria Gorge trek from Chania, with practical advice on fitness, footwear, ferry timing, costs, and what to expect.

“The tour guide and transportation were great! The gorge itself has too many people. Often, the foot path is only wide enough for one person. With so many people on the paths, some fast, some slow, it kind of sucks. Also, the bathrooms suck. For the amount of money the gorge park takes in, improve the lousy bathrooms.”

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Heraklion Tours, Quad, Jeep & Off-Road Safaris, Quad, Jeep & Off-Road Safaris in Heraklion, Tour Reviews, Tours

Agia Pelagia Crete Quad Bike authentic backland Tour

2.Agia Pelagia Crete Quad Bike authentic backland Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,430 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $50

Ride from Agia Pelagia into Crete’s hills, a ghost village, Fodele, and an olive mill on a friendly 3.5-hour quad tour.

“It was awesome to do this trip!! My son (14) and I enjoyed this tour and the nice, funny people who did the tour.”

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Boat Tours in Heraklion, Cruises & Boat Tours, Diving & Snorkeling, Diving & Snorkeling in Heraklion, Heraklion Tours, Jet Boat & Watersports, Tour Reviews, Tours

Hersonissos: Jet Boat Tour with Snorkeling

3.Jet Boat Tour with Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,385 reviews · 1 hour · from $53

Race along Crete’s coast by jet boat, spin at 90 km/h, then swim and snorkel in the clear waters of Saint George’s Bay.

“We had an amesome day, it was fantastic, lovely staff, the driver that does the transfers is so polite and lovely. Thank you for the experience”

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Guided, Knossos Palace Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Knossos: Knossos Palace Skip-the-Line Guided Walking Tour

4.Knossos Palace Skip-the-Line Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,380 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $104

Explore Knossos Palace with priority entry, a licensed English guide, Minoan myths, and optional Heraklion pickup and museum visit.

“Akrivi was amazing! Such a great storyteller! It was very interesting and we learned a lot :)”

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Horses, Tour Reviews, Tours

Heraklion: Finikia Horse Riding Tour with Lunch or Dinner

5.Finikia Horse Riding Tour with Lunch or Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,231 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $94

Ride through Crete’s Finikia mountains, enjoy Zeus views, and share a homemade Cretan meal and wine at a friendly family farm.

“Hosts were great. Great energy and generosity. 10/10 recommend for anyone visiting the area.”

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Guided, Knossos Palace Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Crete: Knossos Palace & Heraklion Guided Tour

6.Knossos Palace & Heraklion Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,127 reviews · 6 - 9 hours · from $35

Review of Crete’s Knossos and Heraklion day tour, with guided ruins, museum time, city sights, costs, transport, and practical tips.

“A very good day trip. The tour guide's enthusiasm for Crete's history was infectious”

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Full-Day, Lasithi Plateau & Zeus Cave, Tour Reviews, Tours

Full-Day Small-Group Tour in Crete with Zeus Cave Visit

7.Full-Day Small-Group Tour in Crete with Zeus Cave Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,099 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $107Top rated

Explore Crete by 4WD, from goat farms and mountain tracks to Lasithi Plateau, local food, olive oil, and the Cave of Zeus.

“Great day and we loved seeing all of Crete. The Cave of Zeus was closed, but went to a pottery demonstration. Jesus and Buddha were fantastic tour guides. Lunch was delicious and the view was breathtaking!”

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Elafonisi Beach Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Rethymno/Kavros: Elafonissi Pink Sand Beach Tour

8.Elafonissi Pink Sand Beach Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 989 reviews · 11 hours · from $31

Visit Elafonissi from Rethymno on an 11-hour bus tour with pink sand, mountain scenery, village stops, and four hours by the sea.

“Best trip. Both the guide and the driver were professional. Everything went perfect❤️”

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Heraklion Tours, Quad, Jeep & Off-Road Safaris, Quad, Jeep & Off-Road Safaris in Heraklion, Tour Reviews, Tours

5Hour Safari Tour in Crete(Heraklion)with Quad,Jeep,Buggy & Lunch

9.5Hour Safari Tour in Crete(Heraklion)with Quad,Jeep,Buggy & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 941 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $107

Explore Crete by quad, buggy, Monster ATV, or Jeep with mountain views, caves, lunch, beach time, hotel pickup, and friendly guides.

“The pace was perfect ...exciting and adventurous, but with enough time to enjoy the scenery. The included lunch was fresh and delicious, giving us a real taste of local Crete. Highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Heraklion who wants a mix of adventure, nature, and local culture. A must-do activity!”

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Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Heraklion: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour

10.Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 912 reviews · 2 days · from $23Best value

Review of Heraklion’s 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus, with Knossos, Ammoudara Beach, audio guides, route tips, and honest value advice.

“Bus came on schedule as posted, got us around city to see various sites that we wanted to see. Easy access on bus and lots of spots to get on and off. Thanks”

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Lasithi Plateau & Zeus Cave, Quad, Jeep & Off-Road Safaris, Tour Reviews, Tours

Crete: Lasithi Plateau and Cave of Zeus Off-Road Safari Tour

11.Lasithi Plateau and Cave of Zeus Off-Road Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 886 reviews · 8 hours · from $104

Explore Crete’s mountains, Zeus’s Cave, rural farms, hidden villages, off-road tracks, and a traditional lunch on an 8-hour safari.

“Great day! Super fun guide and the stops were amazing! Music was fun in the car with an outrageous playlist and everyone in the car had such a lovely time! Highly recommend!”

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Elafonisi Beach Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Rethymno/Kavros: Elafonisi Island Pink Sand Beach Tour

12.Elafonisi Island Pink Sand Beach Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 799 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $28

Review the $28 Elafonisi tour from Rethymno, with pink sand, clear water, Topolia Gorge, village stops, and practical booking tips.

“We had a trip to Elafonisi beach which was beautiful. We had Taki as our tour guide and Nikos as our driver, both of which were excellent! Takis information and instructions were great! Nikos driving got us to each location safely and on time, with his very impressive driving skills on difficult roads. Would highly recommend this trip!”

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Elafonisi Beach Trips, Heraklion Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Heraklion: Elafonisi Beach Day Tour with Pickup

13.Elafonisi Beach Day Tour with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 731 reviews · 13 hours · from $64

Review of the Elafonisi Beach day tour from Heraklion, with pink sand, scenic mountain roads, guides, costs, stops, and practical tips.

“Long but very nice trip. We have about hour of rain on the beach whitch make it even better. Odyssey bus driver was one of the best i saw, road is adrenalin packed threw narrow roads and mountains. Guide speak with 4 languages and was very nice, giving you interesting history,wildlife and agriculture speach threw journey. I would recommend this to anyone.”

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Guided, Knossos Palace Tours, Private, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

Knossos Palace Skip-the-Line Ticket & Private Guided Tour

14.Knossos Palace Skip-the-Line Ticket & Private Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 633 reviews · 1.5 hours

Explore Knossos Palace with skip-the-line entry and a private archaeologist guide, with smart timing tips for heat, crowds, and family visits.

“We had a fantastic tour with our guide Vangelis! He’s incredibly knowledgeable about Cretan history and shared great stories and photos that really brought Knossos to life. He also knew all the best photo spots and pointed out details we’d have easily missed. Everything ran smoothly and right on time — no waiting at all.”

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