10 Day Trips in Rethymno, In Order of What They Give Back

1.Preveli Beach Damnoni Beach Kourtaliotiko Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 929 reviews · 9 - 11 hours · from $25Our pick

From Rethymno and nearby resorts, you’ll visit Kourtaliotiko Gorge, Damnoni Beach, Preveli Beach, and Plakias in one long day. Expect an air-conditioned coach, English or German guidance, a scenic boat ride, swimming time, and a short but uneven walk to waterfalls. Guides such as Barbara and Alex are often praised for clear instructions and friendly care.

“It was very well paced. Enough time to relax, not too much travelling time in between sites. Tour guide explained everything well and everything was on time. Would recommend.”

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2.Full- or Half-Day Trip to Chania

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 298 reviews · from $27

Travel by coach from Rethymno to Chania, then spend about five hours exploring at your own pace. Your multilingual guide explains the route and marks key sights on a map. Walk the old town, visit the Venetian Port, browse local shops, and stop for Greek coffee or lunch. Hotel pickup is available in selected areas.

“The host, Theatre was very knowledgeable and fluent in four languages. Very impressive Chania was delightful and interesting.”

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3.From Rethymno/Chania: Day Trip to Preveli Palm Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 220 reviews · from $9Best value

Travel from Rethymno or Chania to Damnoni, then take a short boat ride to Preveli Palm Beach. Swim in the Libyan Sea, walk beside the palm-lined river, and visit Kourtaliotiko Gorge with an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Spiro and Michael add local stories, while private groups are available.

“I would like to spend some more time on the Preveli beach. 2 hours weren’t enough for me personally”

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4.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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5.Melidoni Cave and Arkadi Monastery Half-Day Trip

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

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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6.Chania City Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 98 reviews · 7 hours · from $29

Travel from Rethymno to Chania by comfortable bus, with hotel pickup, a local guide, and five hours to explore on your own. See the Venetian harbor and lighthouse, follow old-town lanes, and use the free map to plan your time. Guide languages and pickup points vary by day and hotel, so check the details before booking.

“perfect trip to Chania, with the right amount of free time to explore. guide was very knowledgeable.”

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7.From Herakleion: Day Trip to Preveli Beach and Kourtaliotiko

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 90 reviews · from $39

Travel by air-conditioned bus from Heraklion and nearby resorts to Preveli Beach, passing through Kourtaliotiko and Kotsifou Gorge. Your English, German, or French-speaking guide handles the route while you get about four hours for swimming, walking beside the Grand River, seeing Theophrastus palms, and enjoying the south-coast views. Hotel pickup is included in selected areas.

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8.Preveli Palm Beach and Kourtaliotiko Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 87 reviews · 10 hours · from $25

Spend 10 hours exploring southern Crete with an English-speaking guide, visiting Kourtaliotiko Gorge and Preveli’s palm-lined river. Ride a short boat from Damnoni, swim, walk beneath palms, and enjoy free time for food or coffee. Guides including Brenda, Spiritos, and Johnny have helped make this a well-organized outing, though the boat ticket costs extra.

“Excellent guides Spiritos & Johnny starting in the olive groves into a gorge to arrive at Plakias beach. Onwards to catch boat to Preveli beach. As this was first boat of season had to split party in half due to numbers. This resulted in revisit to Plakias as first group hadn't seen initially. A good trip out, but could imagine Preveli gets packed peak season.”

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9.Day Trip to Preveli Beach & Damnoni Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 44 reviews · 10 hours · from $42

Travel from Chania to Crete’s south coast by air-conditioned coach, pause at Damnoni Beach, then take a 30-minute boat to Preveli. You’ll have time to swim beneath the palm forest, explore the river mouth, and stop in Plakias before returning. The English-speaking guide adds island history and mythology along the way.

“The weather was not suitable for the tour so they made some changes, but the overall communication and customer support was dissapointing.. I can’t comment on the actual tour, since we didn’t get to to that, but next time I will definitely not choose them”

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10.Day Trip to Preveli & Damnoni Beach & Rethymno City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 38 reviews · from $56

Travel from eastern Crete to Preveli Palm Beach by air-conditioned coach and boat. Swim beneath Theophrastus palms, relax at Damnoni Beach, then explore Rethymno’s old town and Venetian port. Guide Linda has led this tour, which runs about 11 hours and includes transport, boat tickets, insurance, and hotel pickup.

“I preferred Preveli, I recommend bringing water shoes and a jacket for the boat.”

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