About This Trip
Crete is Greece's largest island and arguably its most varied. A car is not just convenient here, it's the only way to reach the gorges, the mountain villages, the remote beaches, and the Minoan sites scattered across the island's interior.
This 6-day loop starts and ends in Heraklion (with its international airport), giving you two of the island's finest Venetian cities, Rethymno and Chania, plus the legendary Samaria Gorge hike, the surreal Balos lagoon, and Knossos palace. There are no tolls anywhere on Crete, and fuel is only slightly higher than the mainland.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Heraklion (1 night)
- Afternoon: Palace of Knossos (15€), Minoan palace 5 km from the city
- Evening: Heraklion Archaeological Museum (10€), the world's finest Minoan collection
- Dinner in the old market area near the Morosini Fountain
Rethymno (2 nights)
Drive: 78 km · 55 min via E75
- Day 2: Explore Rethymno's old town, Fortezza (4€), the Venetian harbour, Rimondi Fountain. Evening in the narrow alley restaurant district
- Day 3: Day trip to Arkadi Monastery (3€, 25 km south), 1866 siege site with moving history. Afternoon: Preveli Beach with its river palm forest (50 km south)
Chania (2 nights)
Drive: 60 km · 45 min via E75
- Day 4: Chania old town and Venetian harbour, one of Greece's most photogenic. Bougatsa for breakfast at a traditional kafeneio
- Day 5: Samaria Gorge (5€), the full 16km one-way hike. Drive to Omalos (40 km, 1h), hike down, take boat from Agia Roumeli back to Hora Sfakion, then bus/taxi back to Chania. Takes a full day, bring water and sturdy shoes
Chania → Balos → Heraklion
Drive: 55 km to Kissamos + 150 km to Heraklion
- Morning: drive to Kissamos, take the boat to Balos lagoon (18€ return, 40 min), pink sand and shallow turquoise water
- Afternoon: drive east to Heraklion (2.5h), fly home from Heraklion Airport
🏛️ Must-See
🎟️ Book tours & activitiesEurope's oldest city and the heart of Minoan civilisation. Allow 2 to 3 hours including the museum.
15€Europe's longest gorge, a full-day 16 km one-way hike through dramatic Cretan wilderness.
5€Pink sand, shallow turquoise water, and a flamingo-visited sandbar. Boat from Kissamos (40 min).
18€ boatVast Venetian fortress above the harbour, one of the best-preserved in the Mediterranean.
4€💡 Practical Tips
- Samaria Gorge: the hike is one-way only (downhill). Book the return boat in advance in summer.
- Balos can also be reached by a 4WD track (free), but the road is very rough. Boat from Kissamos is easier.
- Elafonisi beach (pink sand, 75 km from Chania) is worth a half-day if skipping Balos.
- Bougatsa: Chania's famous custard-filo pastry, best at Iordanis near the covered market.
- No toll roads anywhere on Crete, budget nothing for tolls.
- Cretan olive oil: the best from the Chania market, not airport shops.