Tour reviews · DAY TRIPS IN CHANIA
All 15 day trips in Chania on one page, with the price, the running time and the verdict on each. The first entry is the one most people should book.
Join a guided coach trip from Chania to Elafonisi, with hotel-area pickup, a stop in Topolia, four hours at the beach, and lunch in Elos. Guides may speak English, German, or Danish. Expect narrow mountain roads, clear shallow water, protected dunes, and a long but scenic day.
“The tour was really great. Our driver and guide were amazing.”
Travel west from eastern Crete with a multilingual guide such as Michael or Elena, stopping in Rethymno, Chania, and at freshwater Lake Kournas. You get free time for old-town walks, food, shopping, photos, and possibly swimming or pedal boats. Hotel pickup, transport, and drop-off are included, but meals are not.
“The agenda was very good, with just the right amount of time in each place. We’ve been to Crete many times, but leaned a lot of new and interesting facts about it. The guide was excellent - friendly, informative, good sense of humour and very personable. The bus was comfortable and well driven. The mini buses at the end were a nice touch & we all got back quicker.”
Travel by air-conditioned coach from Chania to Elafonissi Beach, with four hours for pink sand, shallow turquoise water, and the islet sandbar. Guides such as Ingrid and Helena share facts about Crete, while the return includes a possible honey stop and one hour in Elos Village for an optional Cretan lunch.
“A lovely day out..... The beach is stunning, with clear waters, golden pinky sand, it was perfect! (Shame we had to share it, lol). Please note: There is a 20 minute walk to reach the beach, I'm mentioning this for the elder or people with a disability especially in 30+ degrees heat.”
Travel by air-conditioned coach from Chania and nearby resorts to Kissamos, then cruise to Balos and Gramvousa. Swim at two striking beaches, photograph Tersanas Cave and Vouxa Cape, and climb to Gramvousa’s Venetian fortress. Guides such as Vicky, Eva, and Irene are known for clear instructions and warm help throughout the long day.
“Everything was perfect! The guide was exceptional and went above and beyond her duties!”
Spend 15.5 to 17.5 hours traveling from Heraklion or nearby resorts to Samaria Gorge, then hike roughly 16 km downhill through the White Mountains. Your guide explains the route and ferry plan, while you walk at your own pace. Finish with Agia Roumeli beach, a local tavern, and a boat to Chora Sfakion.
“Really well organised excursion that couldn't have been made any easier. Plenty of options to buy food/drinks before if you hadn't brought supplies (we had) and clear instructions on the various stages. You will take the hike itself at your own pace, and likely not see the guide until the end. As others have remarked, this is a challenging trail with very uneven ground, made more difficult by the time pressure of needing to complete it in around 5 hours. Bring good shoes - I would personally have twisted my ankle on loose rocks at least twice without the support of high-sided walking boots. If you're prepared and in good…”
Travel from Chania to Elafonisi in an air-conditioned coach with an English or Greek-speaking guide. You get about four hours for swimming, sun, and exploring the shallow lagoon, then stop in Elos for local food at your own cost. Guides may include Dimitris, Daphne, Eva, or Dani.
“Beautiful beach to go and see and transportation was well priced with a well informed guide. Walk across to smaller island when you get there if you’re looking for a quieter spot on the beach.”
Travel by air-conditioned bus from Rethymno to Kissamos, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon. You get 90 minutes at the Venetian fortress and three hours at Balos for swimming, snorkeling, and beach time. Guides may include Lazarus or Anastasia, with English and some departures offering German or French support.
“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”
Travel from Heraklion to Kissamos, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon. You get time for a castle hike, swimming, and beach views, with guides such as Valeria, Lydia, and Kostas reported on recent departures. Expect a very long day, crowded boats, and extra cash costs for the ferry and optional food.
“It was great the views are amazing and the balos beach is really great, the tour guides also very nice. I highly recomend this activity”
Spend a full day walking Samaria Gorge from Xyloskalo to Agia Roumeli. Guides such as Pari and Dafne help with timing and safety, while you hike at your own pace, refill water at springs, then swim, eat, and take the ferry to Sougia before your return bus.
“It was very good to have a local guide to pick us up. We did not walk as a group which we liked as we walked fast. We had heaps of time to chill at the beach afterwards. After the boat ride back, transport back to Chania was super easy as we did not have to try to find a local public bus to take us back. It was already organised.”
Travel by coach from Rethymno to Chania Old Town and Lake Kournas with an English-speaking guide. You’ll have free time for the Venetian Harbour, lighthouse, shops, cafés, and historic streets, then time for swimming, wildlife watching, lunch, or a €10 pedal boat at Crete’s only natural freshwater lake.
“The trip was brilliant. The trip to Chania was great , plenty of places to go , shopping , eating and drinking , cafes , everything ! The coach wasn’t too far away from the centre maybe a 5-10 minute walk and easy to find your way there and back ! The guide was brilliant , very informative and engaging ! The trip to Lake Kournas was our favourite part of ten day ! I would have lived to have had more than 2 hours to enjoy the scenery more and eat but I loved the pedalos and seeing the wildlife and taking in the scenery from the lake. We…”
Travel from Georgioupolis to South Crete by coach and water taxi, then spend two hours at Preveli Palm Beach, where a river, palms, and the Libyan Sea meet. Guide Alicia has led this outing, which includes hotel pickup, English guidance, Plakias free time, and a Kourtaliotiko Gorge photo stop. Bring swimwear, water shoes, sun protection, and €14 for the boat.
“Es war ein guter Ausflug, Preveli und Plakias sind schöne Orte. Einzige Kritikpunkte: Preveli hat zu wenig WCs, die Wartezeiten sind ewig und die Bootstour dauerte viel länger als angegeben, da wir zusätzlich Leute in einem anderen Dorf in entgegengesetzter Richtung aufladen mussten, ich hätte einen längeren Aufenthalt in Dorf 1 bevorzugt, es hat eine wunderschöne Kirche auf einem Berg und die Zeit hätte locker gereicht, diesen Ort besser zu erkunden und erst beim erneuten Stopp des Taxis dort einzusteigen.”
Travel by air-conditioned bus from Heraklion-area hotels to Elafonisi, a protected beach area linked to Crete by shallow water. You get about 4.5 hours for swimming, walking, photos, and free time, with a scenic route through Topolia Gorge. Pickup is available in 17 resort areas, and guides speak English, German, French, Polish, or Romanian.
“Bellissima giornata a Elafonisi, le guide turistiche gentilissime e spiegano in 4 lingue diverse tutto ciò che si incontra nel tragitto e che riguarda la storia di Creta. Farei durare solo 1 ora in più la permanenza Elafonisi.”
Travel from Heraklion-area hotels to Chania, Lake Kournas, and Rethymno in an air-conditioned coach. Explore Chania’s Venetian harbor, walk or swim at Crete’s only freshwater lake, and roam Rethymno’s old town. The tour costs $37, includes hotel pickup, and uses English, German, French, or Polish-speaking guides on selected days.
“Leider war die Tour sehr hektisch. Es blieb kaum Zeit, sich die einzelnen Orte in Ruhe anzuschauen. Mir ist klar, dass man auf einer Rundreise nicht alles sehen kann, aber es war einfach zu wenig Zeit – weder zum Essen oder Trinken noch für eine saubere Toilette. Ich hatte das Gefühl, länger im Bus zu sitzen als wirklich etwas zu erleben. Außerdem kamen wir sehr spät im Hotel an. Ich denke, man hat sich zu viele Ziele vorgenommen – lieber nur zwei Orte, dafür mehr Zeit vor Ort. Noch einmal würde ich diese Tour nicht machen. Beim nächsten Mal würde ich lieber ein Auto mieten und die Reise selbst gestalten.”
Travel privately from Chania to Elafonissi Beach in a modern van with guides such as George, Giorgos, or Nikos. Spend free time on the pink sand, explore the shallow lagoon, use the included snorkeling kit and seasonal SUP board, and enjoy fruit, juice, and water. Extra stops may be possible.
“Fantastic time at Elafonisi beach, beautiful beach, had a go at paddle boarding, driver George was very helpful and informative, would definitely recommend”
Spend 12 hours traveling from the Chania area through Topolia and the White Mountains to Elafonisi. You will have free time for swimming and wading across the shallow lagoon, then stop in Elos for food. An English-speaking guide leads the trip, with air-conditioned transport and hotel pickup included.
“Pickup was spot on & on time. The day was amazing, the beach stunning, a tad windy for my trip. Driver Kosta has exceptional driving skills going up those hills & narrow roads. This trip won’t disappoint, be mindful of walk down to beach, approx 15 mins - wear joggers as the road is rocky. Lunch stop was traditional beautiful food & very nice.”
A port, a ruin or a mountain road.
