The 15 Day Trips from Crete Worth the Early Start

1.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 live guide, and a comfortable coach. You’ll have free time in Agios Nikolaos and Elounda, cruise to Spinalonga, walk its former leper colony, and stop for a swim from the boat. Guides such as Manos, Helena, and Alexandra are praised for clear, friendly commentary.

“Brilliant activity. Great guides. Transport was really nice too. Highly recommend”

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2.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 hotel pickup, an English, German, or Danish guide, and a comfortable air-conditioned coach. See Topolia Gorge, stop in Elos, then enjoy about four hours on the beach. Simona, Joanne, Mona, George, and Manolis have led recent departures, but guide assignments vary.

“The tour was really great. Our driver and guide were amazing.”

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3.Rethimno, Chania, and Kournas Lake Day Trip

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

Travel from eastern Crete to Rethymno, Chania, and Lake Kournas by air-conditioned coach. You get guided context, free time for old-town walks and food, and a chance to swim, stroll, or hire a pedal boat at the lake. Guides such as Michael and Elena are praised for clear, multilingual explanations.

“Honestly amazing! You see two towns and a lake in the end which makes the day even better!! Chania and Rethimno are so beautiful”

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4.Rethymno: Preveli Beach Damnoni Beach Kourtaliotiko Day Trip

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

Travel from Rethymno in an air-conditioned coach with an English or German-speaking guide such as Barbara, Alex, or Stella. See Kourtaliotiko Gorge, swim at Damnoni and Preveli, ride a boat along the south coast, and finish in Plakias. Bring sturdy shoes, water shoes, sunscreen, and money for the boat and gorge entrance.

“Beaches were beautiful, Damnoni was our favourite, could’ve spent more time there. The short trip to the Gorge was nice too.”

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5.From Rethymno: Full-Day Trip to Santorini by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 279 reviews · 13 hours · from $243

You’ll cross from Rethymno to Santorini on a fast ferry, then tour Oia and Fira by air-conditioned bus. The day includes guided sightseeing, free time for photos and shopping, and an optional €20 caldera boat ride. Hotel pickup is available from selected areas, but expect a long day and limited time on the island.

“We had a really nice experience with Get Your Guide. Our tour guide and driver were AMAZING!! We were so happy with all that they shared with us, how they communicated about timelines, and more. However the day was exhausting, with traveling over 3.5 hours one way and only having around 2.5 hours total to explore the two stops, it made for a quick trip around Santorini. We knew this going in, but weren’t sure we will make it back to Greece and wanted to squeeze the stop in. For that I would say it was worth it. However, be ready for a SUPER long day, lots of heat, walking,…”

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6.Heraklion: Santorini Day Trip with Boat Transfer & Oia Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 269 reviews · 11 hours · from $199

Travel from Heraklion to Santorini by high-speed SeaJets ferry, then tour Oia and Fira by air-conditioned bus with a multilingual escort. You get dramatic Caldera views, free time in Fira, and an optional €20 volcano boat trip from mid-May. Bring ID, sun protection, cash, and comfortable shoes.

“Onze gids kon Nederlands en was heel aardig en vertelde enthousiast veel over het eiland. Oia zelf was heel erg druk zoals verwacht. De 2e stad vonden wij persoonlijk veel gezelliger en leuker om te winkelen. Jammer was wel dat de optie voor vulkaan bezoek van de tijd zou gaan dus hierom hebben wij er niet voor gekozen omdat de tijd al niet erg veel was. Verder mooie dag gehad.”

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7.From Rethymno: Knossos Palace and Heraklion Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 240 reviews · 10 hours · from $35

Travel from Rethymno to Knossos Palace and Heraklion by air-conditioned coach. Guide Anastasia is known for lively stories about Minoan Crete, while four free hours in Heraklion let you visit the Archaeological Museum, walk the Old Town, shop, or eat at your own pace. Expect €32 in extra admission fees.

“Our guide (Anastasia) was very nice and very informative. She gave us a lot of information about Crete and its history which was very much appreciated 👏 Our driver (Kostos) got us back and forth safely. The bus was great and the seats were comfortable. Knossos was interesting and definitely worth a visit if you like history. Heraklion was fun to experience but it was a little to crowded for our liking. This however has nothing to do with the tour itself. We saw the sights that Anastasia recommend and they were great and then we had coffee and did some shopping, which was nice. All in all a very…”

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

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

Travel from Rethymno or Chania to Preveli Palm Beach with hotel pickup, a guide, bus transport, and a short boat ride from Damnoni. You’ll have time to swim, walk beside the palm-lined river, see Kourtaliotiko Gorge, and return through Crete’s dramatic south coast. The boat ticket costs extra.

“This excursion was really nice in the globalité. Firstly we've been amazed by the first gorges we've visited ! After that we've been to Preveli, it was nice but do not expect to do snorkeling there (the sea water is kind of blurry). Later we've been to Damnoni (the initial point were the Preveli boat takes you) and it was a great surprise ! The beach was really nice ans idéal to do snorkeling ! To finish we've been to Plakias and that was thé dark point of the excursion... We've been to Plakias only to et in the restaurant our guide recommended us. Our drinks have been servef in…”

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9.Heraklion: Gramvousa Island Day Trip & Balos Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 206 reviews · 11 - 15 hours · from $47

Travel west from Heraklion to Kissamos, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon. You get time for the Venetian fortress hike, swimming, photos, and a beach stop. Guides such as Valeria, Lydia, and Kostas have been praised for clear information, while the long coach ride and crowded boat require patience.

“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”

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10.From Heraklion: Day Trip to Matala Hippie Beach and Caves

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

Travel from Heraklion to Matala for four hours of free time at Crete’s famous hippie beach. Swim, snorkel, eat by the sea, stroll the colorful town, or climb into the former Roman tombs for an optional fee. Hotel pickup, return transport, and multilingual guide service are included.

“Was erg leuk om te zien, leuk toeritisch plaatsje. Bus vond ik wel verouderd”

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11.From Rethymno: Chania and Lake Kournas Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 139 reviews · 6 hours · from $47

Travel by coach from Rethymno to Chania Old Town and Lake Kournas. You’ll have free time for the Venetian Harbour, lighthouse, shops, cafés, and a lakeside swim or €10 pedalo ride. An English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, and drop-off are included.

“definitely one of our favorite day trips. make sure to take your bathing suit. the swim in the lake is very refreshing. chania is beautiful. it was a bit short with lunch so we barely had time to walk along the lighthouse wall after lunch. I recommend increasing the time at Chania to make it really worthwhile. but overall one of our favorite days.”

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12.From Georgioupoli: Easy Hiking Day-Trip to Imbros Gorge

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 100 reviews · 8 hours · from $34

From Georgioupoli, guide Alexandra or another English- and German-speaking guide leads you through Imbros Gorge, then to Frangokastello for swimming and lunch. The walk takes about two hours, but sturdy hiking shoes are essential. Hotel pickup, transport, and drop-off are included; the gorge entrance costs €2.50 extra.

“tres bien a la hauteur de nos attentes Alexandra enjouée et intressante”

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13.Heraklion Area: Direct Day Trip Elafonisi Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 92 reviews · 15 hours · from $53

Travel from Heraklion-area hotels to Elafonisi by air-conditioned bus, crossing Crete through Topolia Gorge. You get about 4.5 hours for swimming, walking, snorkeling, and relaxing beside shallow turquoise water. A multilingual guide provides commentary in English, German, French, Polish, or Romanian. Lunch is not included.

“Nice to experience a different side of Crete, the beach was nice but felt disappointed by the pink beach as was made out that it’s very pink when it is isn’t! Too long travel time…”

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14.Sightseeing Day Trip with Cooking Lesson and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 77 reviews · 8 hours · from $108Top rated

Spend eight hours in rural Crete with pickup from Analipsi, Heraklion, Hersonissos, or Sisi. Ride a Land Rover Defender or Mercedes Vito through Embasa Gorge, visit a goat farm and olive oil mill, make pottery, cook with local chefs, and eat a Cretan lunch. Guides including Nikos, Marios, Nico, and Vagelis bring local stories and humor.

“Nikos and Mike were amazing hosts super knowledgeable, we got to see a lot of Cretan historical sites in one day whilst also observing and doing multiple activities. If you don’t have a lot of time on the island it’s a great way to see Crete!”

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15.Heraklion:Day trip to Chania old Town,Kournas Lake& Rethymno

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 61 reviews · 9 - 11 hours · from $37

Travel from Heraklion-area hotels to Chania’s Venetian port, peaceful Lake Kournas, and Rethymno’s old town. You’ll have a multilingual guide, air-conditioned bus transport, and free time for photos, food, walking, and shopping. At $37, it is a useful first look at western Crete, but expect a full day and several hours on the road.

“Super hyggeligt tur, der var styr på det hele ☺️”

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