Leaving from · CRETE

The 4 Best Day Trips from Crete

4 day trips  ·  from $25 a head

The 4 best day trips from crete you can book, with what each costs, how long you are away and how much of it is spent on the road. Start at number one.

Crete: Day Trip to Agios Nikolaos and Spinalonga Island - Agios Nikolaos and the lake in the center
Day Trips, Day Trips from Crete, Day Trips from Greece, Island Day Trips, Island Day Trips in Greece, Tour Reviews

Crete: Day Trip to Agios Nikolaos and Spinalonga Island

1.Crete: Day Trip to Agios Nikolaos and Spinalonga Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 4,416 reviews · 8 - 11 hours · from $44Our pick

Spend 8 to 11 hours exploring northeastern Crete with hotel pickup, a guide, and transport to Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, and Spinalonga. You get free time in both coastal towns, a boat ride to the former leper colony, and a possible sea swim on the return. Guides such as Manos, Helena, and Alexandra have been praised for clear explanations.

“I loved spinalonga island and the swim in the sea, I had a great day out. I would suggest to spend just one hour in Agios and give the extra half hour to Nikolaos because that's when you go and get lunch and buy snacks after to hold you over for the rest of the day and I felt like I had loads of time left over in the first place but more rushed in the second place but overall a great trip!”

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From Chania: Day Trip to Elafonisi Island Pink Sand Beach - The road from Chania through Topolia Gorge
Beach and Coastal Day Trips, Beach Day Trips in Greece, Day Trips, Day Trips from Crete, Day Trips from Greece, Island Day Trips, Island Day Trips in Greece, Tour Reviews

From Chania: Day Trip to Elafonisi Island Pink Sand Beach

2.From Chania: Day Trip to Elafonisi Island Pink Sand Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,014 reviews · 450 minutes - 12 hours · from $38

Travel from Chania to Elafonisi with an English, German, or Danish-speaking guide, passing through Topolia Gorge and traditional villages. You’ll have about four hours to swim and relax, then stop for regional food in Elos. Guides such as Simona, Manolis, Mona, and George have earned warm praise for their care and local insight.

“It was very good trip to a one of the best beaches in the world🏖️ A road to Elafonisi was with excited views and intresting stories about Crete from our guide👍”

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Crete: Rethimno, Chania, and Kournas Lake Day Trip - Rethymno: old lanes in a compact first stop
Day Trips, Day Trips from Crete, Day Trips from Greece, Lake Day Trips, Tour Reviews

Crete: Rethimno, Chania, and Kournas Lake Day Trip

3.Crete: Rethimno, Chania, and Kournas Lake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,694 reviews · 10 - 14 hours · from $45

Travel west from Crete’s eastern resorts to Rethymno, Chania, and freshwater Lake Kournas. A multilingual guide such as Michael or Elena shares local history and practical directions while you explore on your own. Expect a comfortable air-conditioned coach, about 10 to 14 hours on the road, and time for food, photos, shopping, and walks.

“I thought this was excellent. A great opportunity to see more of Crete (especially if, like myself, you were based in Malia to the east, and don’t have a license to be able to hire a car!) Everything was prompt; the guide was friendly and approachable and all instructions (like timings) were made clear to us. I’m a bit of a budding photographer and both of these towns were so photogenic (a bonus if you’re a bit cat obsessed, like me, for there are plenty of stray cats to snap!) I’ve heard people mention that it would be possible to remove the lake from the visit but I actually enjoyed…”

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Rethymno: Preveli Beach Damnoni Beach Kourtaliotiko Day Trip - The Kourtaliotiko Gorge stop requires real shoes
Beach and Coastal Day Trips, Beach Day Trips in Greece, Day Trips, Day Trips from Crete, Day Trips from Greece, Tour Reviews

Rethymno: Preveli Beach Damnoni Beach Kourtaliotiko Day Trip

4.Rethymno: Preveli Beach Damnoni Beach Kourtaliotiko Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 929 reviews · 9 - 11 hours · from $25Best value

Spend a long day on Crete’s south coast with guides such as Barbara, Alex, Stella, or Mona. Visit Kourtaliotiko Gorge, swim at Damnoni, take a boat to Preveli Beach, and finish in Plakias. The €25 price is good value, but bring extra cash for the €12 boat, €5 gorge entry, food, and drinks.

“A brilliant day! Definitely recommend. The gorge is stunning and we saw the vultures which was amazing. Damnoni was lovely, had a great little late brekkie at the taverna. Boat ride to Preveli was nice, but Preveli was a real show stopper. The sea was lukewarm and the river ice cold which was needed as it was still 26/26 degrees in October! You can walk up the river itself or along the side through the palm trees, I’d recommend sunbathing up at the top of the river as it’s glorious and I wish we’d done that over the beach! Plakias isn’t really much to write home about but we had…”

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