7 Cave Tours in Rethymno Weighed Up Side by Side

1.Matala Beach, Hippie Caves & Odigitria Monastery

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 332 reviews · 8.5 - 10.5 hours · from $50Our pick

Travel south from Heraklion by air-conditioned coach to Matala for four hours of beach time, lunch, shops, and optional hippie cave entry. Then visit Odigitria Monastery and its folklore museum. Multilingual guides, including Elizabeth and Elisabetta, lead the day in English, French, German, or Italian.

“Thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to Matala. Our very knowledgable guide, Elizabeth, did a great job! Beautiful beach to visit and loved learning about more of the island as we were driving.”

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2.Day Trip to Matala Hippie Beach and Caves

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 148 reviews · 8 hours · from $37

Travel by coach from Heraklion or nearby resort areas to Matala, Crete’s former hippie haven. You’ll have about four hours for swimming, lunch, town walks, snorkeling, and the optional cave visit. English and several other languages are offered, with pickup details varying by location and tour day.

“het plaatsje Matala, erg leuk. ook erg toeristisch maar dat mag. we hebben lekker gezwommen en gesnorkeld. de grotten was veel van hetzelfde. je kon alleen steeds van buitenaf de grot in, dus niet echt doorlopen. maar binnen toe. reisleidster heeft veel verteld in de bus. was ook leuk. en informatief. goeie buschauffeur”

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3.Melidoni Cave and Arkadi Monastery Half-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 120 reviews · 210 minutes - 6 hours · from $28Best value

Travel inland from Rethymno by bus or private minivan to Melidoni Cave, Arkadi Monastery, and the Fragma Potamon Dam. An optional stop at a Margarites pottery workshop adds a traditional craft demonstration. English and German guides provide local history, mythology, and practical commentary, while pickup is available from Rethymno and nearby resort areas.

“The guide was very informative and answered any questions. My wife and I enjoyed the visit to the monastery. The coach was very cunfortable with plenty of room”

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4.Bali & Panormo Rethymno:Quad Safari & visit Cave 57km 4hours

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 79 reviews · from $96Top rated

Start in Bali with a safety briefing and practice session, then follow country roads and off-road tracks through olive groves and traditional villages to Melidoni Cave. You’ll stop for photos, views of Psiloritis, water, and a sandwich. English-speaking guide Oswald has led several outings, and groups are limited to 10.

“Amazing experience with Oswald. He was a great tour guide and really made the experience amazing!! Would definitely come back to do his tour again.”

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5.Matala Beach and Hippie caves, Red beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 70 reviews · 8 hours · from $41

Travel by air-conditioned coach from eastern Crete to Matala with a live English, German, or French-speaking guide. You get four hours for swimming, the €5 cave visit, village shops, seaside food, and the walk to Red Beach. The outing also includes scenic countryside and a photo stop near the Grand River and Kourtaliotikos Gorge.

“Non abbiamo trovato la guida che ci spiegava in italiano come arrivare alla Red Beach. Inoltre, non è stato eseguito alcuna guida di tracking assistito e per quanto riguarda la valutazione generale non è stato positivo, perché i turisti sono stati lasciati in autonomia”

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6.Matala Beach – Caves & winery Full Day tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 37 reviews · 8 hours · from $110

Travel from Heraklion in an air-conditioned 4x4 Mercedes Vito through the Messara Valley to a Cretan winery and Matala. You’ll taste local wines, swim beside the famous caves, eat a traditional lunch with wine, and spend time with guides such as Nikos, Dimitri, or Andreas, depending on your departure.

“Un grand merci à Nikos pour la journée passée ensemble ! Une excursion découverte incroyable de la "vraie" Crête 👌 Ambiance parfaite tout le long du trajet, tout était au top ! PS : Nikos on attend toujours Patrick Sébastien dans la voiture 😅”

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7.Arkadi, Margarites, Melidoni Cave, and Axos

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 37 reviews · from $56

Travel from Rethymno into Crete’s mountain villages with an English-speaking guide. Visit Arkadi Monastery, shape pottery in Margarites, explore Melidoni Cave, and join a cheese-making and milking visit in Axos. Hotel transport and homemade snacks are included; monastery and cave admission cost extra.

“Excellent day trip! I booked this last minute and it was everything I expected and more. Pick up from our hotel was on time, the facilitator was very friendly as was the coach driver. Absolutely hats off to his driving skills round the small mountain roads and little villages, very impressive. The lunch was fantastic for 10 euro and we even had the opportunity to feed some baby goats! They were very entertaining! The hosts at lunch were full of character and just made for a really enjoyable experience. We had a lovely day out.”

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