Every thing You Must know to Plan Your 7 Day Crete Itinerary

Whereas many first-time vacationers to the Greek Islands will solely select to go to the heavy hitters of Mykonos and Santorini, the less-visited island of Crete is a perfect spot for a extra enjoyable and inexpensive go to to Greece. Your seven-day Crete itinerary will probably be stuffed with visits to sandy seashores, crystal blue waters, and picture-perfect cities flanked by white mountains and rolling hills of olive groves. Greece’s largest island is certain to not disappoint. 

Crete is situated to the south of the Greek mainland and the Cyclades Islands (which incorporates the islands of Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos, and so forth). Perched in the course of the Japanese Mediterranean between the Sea of Crete to the north and the Libyan Sea of the Mediterranean to the south, the island has not solely served as a strategic location for varied empires to arrange commerce and navy outposts, but it surely has additionally served because the lifeblood of historical civilizations such because the Minoans.

Why Go to Crete?

Due to all of this historical past, Crete is house to a few of Greece’s finest historic and archaeological websites, in addition to breathtaking landscapes.

Given the island’s dimension and inhabitants, Crete has been capable of keep a standard Greek (although additionally uniquely Cretan) ambiance when put next with a few of Greece’s smaller islands, which at the moment are overrun with vacationers. Cretan delicacies is famous. I can actually say that the time I spent in Crete was in all probability the perfect I’ve eaten on any trip in my life.

Since Crete is so massive and fertile, a lot of the meals accessible in Crete is regionally grown— and really low-cost, not solely by European requirements however even by Greek requirements. Cretan hospitality is notably as legendary because the delicacies and is house to a few of Greece’s best vineyards.

Crete actually has all of it. With its virtually paradisiacal ambiance, it’s actually no surprise that the island is taken into account by some to be the fabled birthplace of Zeus and lots of different Historical Greek Gods.

It is a perfect vacation spot for households with youngsters, because the seashores are lovely, and the waters are typically fairly calm and shallow. It’s nice for younger folks trying to social gathering in additional down-to-earth settings than glitzy Mykonos. Crete can be splendid for solo journey or for {couples} in search of a romantic getaway. 

7 Day Crete Itinerary

Spending every week in Crete would give first-time guests an opportunity to essentially expertise what the island has to supply. For every week in Crete, arrive in Heraklion by way of airplane or ferry. Spend two days in Heraklion and its surrounding sights just like the Historical Minoan Palace of Knossos earlier than shifting on to the Venetian Port metropolis of Rethymno.

You’ll be able to then spend one to 2 days in Rethymno and its environment earlier than touring west to Chania and the seashores and nature of the west of Crete, the place it’s best to spend three to 4 days at a minimal. In the future in both Chania or Rethymno ought to be swapped for cultural actions like a winery tour, a cooking class, or a mixture of a couple of.

You probably have one week in Crete, observe this 7 day Crete itinerary to see the island’s highlights.

Day 1: Heraklion

Begin your go to to Crete in Heraklion. Though Heraklion is probably not probably the most lovely metropolis on the island, it’s well-connected to the remainder of Crete, Greece, and Europe, and it’s house to a few of the island’s key archaeological and historic websites.

Start your time in Heraklion by visiting the Archaeological Museum. The Archaeological Museum is considered one of Greece’s finest and most necessary historic websites. The museum incorporates an beautiful array of artifacts and is especially well-known for its items from the Minoan civilization,, providing a wonderful introduction to Crete’s prolonged historical past.

Get to the museum early, because the strains can get exceptionally lengthy within the afternoon, particularly throughout peak season. One other perk of going to the museum early is that you would be able to buy a mixed ticket for the museum and the Palace of Knossos from the Archaeological Museum’s ticket workplace.

Block out a superb chunk of time to spend on the museum throughout your time in Heraklion. Even if you’re not a museum lover it would be best to spend a minimum of an hour looking. I feel I spent about two hours on the museum, although I simply may have stayed longer. 

Relying on how lengthy you spend within the museum, chances are you’ll already be hungry for lunch by the point you end trying. Stroll from the museum to the Venetian Harbor to get pleasure from a lunch of freshly caught seafood with a view of boats floating on the Aegean Sea and a pleasant sea breeze at one of many many harborside eating places.

Strive Peskesi, away from the waterfront, for scrumptious plates of regionally sourced, farm-fresh Cretan classics like fried, stuffed zucchini blossoms or goat cooked in yogurt. Peskesi presents probably the greatest culinary experiences in Heraklion.

After lunch, take a while to wander the slim streets of Heraklion’s Previous City. Although not as fairly as Chania or Rethymno, Heraklion does nonetheless have a pleasant ambiance. There may be loads of purchasing to be achieved, a inexperienced park within the middle, and a few lovely outdated buildings and church buildings from the Venetian and Ottoman eras in Crete. These embody the Janissary Fountain (close to to the Archaeological Museum), the Venetian Loggia, the Venetian Dockyards, the Church of Agios Titos, and the Basilica of Saint Mark, which now homes an artwork gallery.

For those who solely have a day in Heraklion, make your method to the Knossos Archaeological Web site both by taxi from the taxi stand simply in entrance of the Heraklion Archaeological Museum or by bus, the bus route for which can be accessible in Eleftherias Sq. simply outdoors of the museum. It shouldn’t take greater than half-hour to succeed in the palace by bus, and a taxi journey can be even shorter if you’re really pressed for time at this level in your day.

If you have already got your ticket for Knossos Palace from the Archaeological Museum, you possibly can simply stroll proper as much as the doorway— in any other case, you have to to buy a ticket on the ticket kiosk close by. Knossos Palace is a shocking web site of the traditional Minoan civilization. Its sheer age is sufficient to amaze, as is its scale.

In case you are solely spending a day in Heraklion, chances are you’ll want to depart to catch your ferry, flight, or bus after visiting Knossos. If not, although, return to Heraklion for dinner.

Day 2: Heraklion

You probably have a second day in Heraklion, I like to recommend merely spreading out a few of the sightseeing from the one-day itinerary I’ve prompt into your second day.

You could possibly additionally make this second day right into a day journey to Rethymno from Heraklion or make your second day a calming day by the ocean by touring from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos, or to Plaka or Elounda, after which to Spinalonga Island— as soon as a leper colony, however now a rest vacation spot— by way of a brief boat journey. You’ll be able to lease vehicles from the Heraklion Airport or take public buses from the bus station down the hill from Eleftherias Sq., subsequent to the ferry port. 

Day 3: Rethymno

Rethymno’s winding, slim streets, its historic websites, and its pure magnificence make the city particular. Start your go to to Rethymno by strolling from wherever you’ve got parked or the central bus station into the Previous City to wander by way of the charming slim streets. Rethymno’s Previous City is small— smaller than Heraklion’s or Chania’s— however there are nonetheless loads of good outlets, eating places, bars, and historic websites to include into your go to.

Discover Rethymno’s Venetian historical past by visiting the sixteenth-century Porta Guora gate and the Venetian loggia. The Venetian Rimondi Fountain of Rethymno can be value passing by. It’s situated very near Rethymno’s Archaeological Museum, in addition to the Ottoman Period Neratze Mosque, which often hosts live shows.

For lunch and drinks throughout your first day in Rethymno, strive Raki Ba Raki. The restaurant is fantastically set between two of the nicest streets in Rethymno’s Previous City with ample out of doors seating, which is very value profiting from within the summertime. Along with their scrumptious mezedhes (mezze) and entrees— like their excellent braised oxtail with orzo—, additionally they provide a terrific number of native wines. I like to recommend breaking apart a day in Rethymno with a cease right here. 

As lovely because the websites that line Rethymno’s picturesque streets are, the city’s actual gem is its Venetian harbor and lighthouse. Although smaller than Heraklion’s, Rethymno’s harbor is considerably nicer. It’s a excellent place for folks watching, having fun with the solar, grabbing a drink, and particularly strolling, as there’s a good palm tree-lined boardwalk that extends east from the harbor in the direction of a stretch of metropolis seaside.

Attempt to make it to the Fortezza, Rethymno’s Fortress, within the late afternoon or early night and also you could possibly catch the sundown. Rethymno’s fortress is an interesting amalgamation of the town’s Venetian, Ottoman, and Greek previous.

A must-visit on the highest of the fortress advanced is the deserted Sultan Ibrahim Khan Mosque, situated in a wonderful, domed constructing that housed a Venetian church devoted to Saint Nicholas previous to the Ottoman conquest of Rethymno within the Sixteenth Century. On the western flank of the fortress (outdoors of the fortress museum advanced itself) is the tiny Chapel of Agios Spiridon, fantastically carved into the aspect of a cliff and embellished with gorgeous Greek Orthodox iconography.

Day 4: Rethymno

You need to use your fourth day in Rethymno to expertise the crystal blue waters of the Rethymno area’s lovely Preveli Seaside, situated a couple of forty-five-minute drive throughout the island from Rethymno on the southern coast. KTEL presents a bus service from Rethymno’s Central Station on to this seaside that takes about thirty-five minutes.

The close by Preveli Monastery, which appears out over the water, can be value visiting. Alternatively, use today to interact in a cultural exercise, like a wine-tasting.

Once I stayed in Crete, I visited the Dourakis Vineyard close to Rethymno.  A well-liked vineyard amongst vacationers and locals alike, the Dourakis Vineyard is situated in a picturesque a part of the Cretan countryside between Chania and Rethymno. It’s accessible by automotive or by way of public transportation.

Day 5: Chania

Chania, situated within the western a part of Crete, boasts a stunning Previous City, standard seashores with shallow waters, and a very good meals scene. It is usually the right gateway to Crete’s finest sandy seashores and one of many island’s most well-known pure websites, the Samaria Gorge. 

Chania’s Previous City is extremely charming and is effectively value no less than a day of your time. Start your first day in Chania with sightseeing in Chania’s Previous City by doing a strolling tour that begins on the Previous Market of Chania. This lined market relationship from the 1800s is now principally stuffed with outlets promoting souvenirs for vacationers however there are nonetheless some genuine outlets left that promote conventional Cretan market wares like marinated olives and contemporary produce.

Go away the market by way of the north finish and circle left after which proper across the block and onto Chatzimichali Ntaliani to go by the Ottoman-era Ahmet Ağa minaret. Flanked by outlets and cafes lined with lovely bougainvillea, the views of this minaret are emblematic of Chania. The espresso store Monogram on this road is a superb place for a morning or afternoon cappuccino or latte.

Proceed on to Splantzia Sq. to absorb the views of the Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Nikolaos with its Ottoman-era minaret nonetheless standing from when the church was a mosque. After the sq. and the church, stroll in the direction of the water to absorb the views of the Venetian Harbor and the lighthouse.

This space of Chania has a wonderful boardwalk that gives beautiful views and a vigorous restaurant and bar tradition through the day and evening. The Chania Kasteli presents a wonderful vantage level for views of the Venetian Harbor, notably at nightfall. Slightly below the Kasteli are the ruins of the town’s Byzantine partitions, some excavations of the traditional Minoan web site of Kydonia, and the small, pink-domed Ottoman Küçük Hasan Paşa Mosque of the Janissaries.

Maintain strolling alongside the harbor earlier than turning left on Kondilaki, after which observe the indicators for the Etz Hayyim Synagogue, as soon as the religious middle of one of many world’s oldest Jewish communities earlier than its virtually whole destruction through the Nazi Occupation of Greece.

This ought to be a lot to fill a morning in Chania’s Previous City. For lunch, I extremely suggest consuming at Kouzina E.P.E. An affordable lunch-only possibility, the restaurant presents a la carte choices along with specials ready every day to be eaten within the restaurant or to be taken away. The grilled halloumi and oyster mushroom salad I ate there may be to today probably the greatest dishes I’ve ever ordered whereas touring overseas. The complimentary crème caramel and tsikoudia ceaselessly served for dessert are additionally scrumptious. 

After lunch, proceed exploring the middle of Chania’s slim streets. Whereas Chania’s Previous City has its fair proportion of kitschy memento outlets, there are additionally some beautiful, understated boutique jewellery and handicraft shops. One in every of my favourite locations to buy in Chania was at Terra Verde, which sells genuine Cretan foodstuffs together with olive oil, honey, and fleur de sel.

Additionally value visiting are the Presentation of the Virgin Mary Cathedral of Chania and Chania’s Roman Catholic Assumption Cathedral, in addition to Chania’s museums. Though none are massive, Chania’s Previous City incorporates a gallery with a powerful Byzantine artifact assortment, the Maritime Museum of Crete, the Greek Nationwide Soccer Museum, and a public artwork gallery.

Behind the Maritime Museum and the Byzantine assortment is one other considered one of Chania’s forts. Although it’s not almost as spectacular as Rethymno’s, it’s value strolling by since it’s on the very least situated close to a few of Chania’s finest jewellery and handicraft purchasing.

Dwelling to a few of Crete’s finest eating places, consuming out in Chania is among the finest elements of visiting the town. For a novel eating expertise, strive the Turkish-inspired To Pigadi Tou Tourkou (The Properly of the Turk) or Tamam.

For extra conventional Cretan or Greek eating, strive Oinopoieio. Seafood lovers ought to strive To Maridaki. Eating places in Chania throughout peak journey season get crowded, so make certain to make reservations no less than a day, if not just a few days, prematurely at a few of the extra standard eating places.

This strolling tour is an efficient method to construction a go to to Chania’s Previous City in case you solely will probably be spending a day within the space.

Day 6: Chania

In your second day in Chania, strive exploring a few of the native seashores, like Nea Chora Seaside, Hrisi Akti Seaside, Yannis Seaside— my private favourite—and Agii Apostoli Seaside.

In case you are feeling notably adventurous, you may as well use today in Chania to take a day journey to considered one of Western Crete’s beautiful, sandy seashores. Falasarna Seaside, Balos Seaside, Balos Lagoon, Gramvousa, Elafonissi Seaside, Gramvousa, and Paleochora are a few of the hottest choices.

They’re all accessible from Chania by way of automotive or by public bus, although Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa require a further hike and/or scenic boat journey. Mountain climbing within the Samaria Gorge is one other standard exercise close to Chania.

Day 7: Chania

Use your ultimate day in Chania to strive a unique seaside, simply stroll round and people-watch in Chania’s Previous City, or strive some extra of the area’s pleasant delicacies. You’ll be able to incorporate one other cultural exercise on this final day by signing up for a cooking class. I used to be fortunate to have discovered a overview on the Airbnb I rented in Chania that mentioned that the proprietor of my Airbnb, Arietta Stamatakis, provided cooking courses.

I extremely suggest taking considered one of her cooking courses if you’re staying in or round Chania. Arietta is a wonderful prepare dinner and collectively together with her husband, previously a pastry chef, they are going to take you to their village farmhouse in Daratsos to assemble greens and herbs to prepare dinner a multi-course Greek meal based mostly on a menu that you’ll devise with Arietta.

Our menu consisted of kolokithokeftedes (zucchini fritters), gemista (peppers, eggplant, and tomato filled with herbed rice—generally referred to as dolma asthroughout Turkey and far of the Arab World), sfakianopita (Cretan dessert cheese pies with honey), and plenty of wine. It is best to be capable of request a cooking class together with her even if you’re not renting her property by contacting her by way of her property itemizing.

In fact, this week-long itinerary just isn’t so inflexible—reasonably, it is going to give first-time vacationers to Crete a superb really feel for the primary elements of the island. For those who wouldn’t have every week to spare you can spend an extended weekend in considered one of these three locations, relying on the place you might be coming from.

And, when you’ve got additional time, you possibly can at all times keep longer than every week and discover extra of the island or spend longer in every of the three principal cities. For me, it might be onerous to say no to additional time on an island that looks like heaven on earth.

Attending to Crete

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For the advisable week-long Crete itinerary it’s best to take into account arriving in Heraklion and departing from Chania, both by way of flight or ferry, relying on the place you might be touring from. If you wish to tour the western a part of Crete solely, although, it’s best to arrive and depart from Chania. For those who’re going to tour central and/or jap Crete solely, it’s best to arrive and depart from Heraklion. 

As Greece’s most populous island and a well-liked trip spot for Greek and European vacationers, Crete is well-connected by air and by boat to factors in Greece and the remainder of Europe, notably so within the hotter months— roughly from April by way of October. Crete has three airports with scheduled passenger service.

The 2 principal airports are Heraklion Worldwide Airport and Chania Worldwide Airport. There’s a small, third airport in Sitia that solely handles home flights inside Greece. There are not any nonstop flights from North America to both Heraklion or Chania, subsequently touring from North America requires a stopover in Athens or one other European hub airport.

In case you are arriving from one other vacation spot in Europe or the Center East will probably be simpler to discover a nonstop flight to Heraklion or to Chania, particularly on low-cost and finances airways through the hotter months like EasyJet, Ryanair, TUI Airways, Transavia, and Wizzair. 

Crete can be simply accessible by way of ferry. The principle ferry port of Crete is situated at Heraklion however there are various different ports on the island, together with Rethymno, Kissamos, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, and Souda (Chania). Heraklion has frequent ferry service to Piraeus (Athens) and to different factors all through Greece, together with Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Ios, Syros, Karpathos, Anafi, and Santorini.

For those who resolve to mix Crete with different islands in Greece, take into account arriving in Heraklion by way of ferry from one other island with a straightforward ferry connection. All the different ports have much less frequent ferry companies to a restricted variety of Greek locations, together with Piraeus (Athens). Ferries might be immediately booked on the web site of the ferry firm with which you select to journey, or you possibly can e-book on a web site like Ferryscanner.

Getting Round Crete

There are some ferry companies inside Crete, such because the route that operates between Sitia and Heraklion, however the best and most handy method to get round Crete is by automotive or bus.

Households or teams touring to Crete may wish to take into account reserving a automotive, although make certain to e-book a number of months prematurely! Vehicles (particularly automated vehicles) are typically rented out rapidly and costs skyrocket if you don’t e-book early sufficient. I have a tendency to make use of AutoEurope when renting a automotive in Europe to buy the perfect costs.

American vacationers might want to get hold of an Worldwide Driver’s Allow (IDP) from an organization like AAA earlier than arriving in Crete with the intention to lease a automotive. Solo vacationers and people touring on a finances could make use of Crete’s environment friendly and handy public bus companies on KTEL.

Touring by automotive or by bus will give guests to Crete an opportunity to expertise a few of the island’s most lovely scenic drives. KTEL serves main routes just like the Chania to Heraklion by way of Rethymno route, but it surely additionally serves some smaller, touristic routes like these between Chania and a few of the lovely seashores within the west, like Falasarna and Elafonissi. 

What’s the Greatest Time to Go to Crete?

Whereas a lot of Greece’s islands have rocky seashores, Crete is well-known for its uniquely sandy seashores. Vacationers trying to indulge within the Cretan seaside expertise ought to journey within the hotter months of the spring and the summer time—late Could by way of early October, roughly.

November by way of April will probably be chillier than the summer time months and doubtless not heat sufficient to sunbathe, however Crete by no means will get actually chilly since it’s so far south in Europe. Though there will probably be fewer lodging accessible for lease in addition to fewer flights and ferries accessible through the winter months, winter can nonetheless be an honest time to go to Crete if you’re trying to expertise a few of its archaeological and historic websites, the native tradition, the delicacies, and nature.

The place to Keep on Crete

Relying on the place you select to spend time in Crete, it is possible for you to to pick from all kinds of lodging. Beachy areas like Agios Nikolaos may have numerous resort choices geared in the direction of international vacationers.

Heraklion has an honest number of motels and residential leases like villas by way of websites like Airbnb. I stayed on the Capsis Astoria and was very happy with the good rooftop terrace, full with a decently sized pool, a bar, and good views of Heraklion, Crete’s white mountains, and the Aegean Sea. The rooms had been plain however clear and trendy, and the combined continental and conventional Greek breakfast on the lodge was spectacular regardless of any pandemic-related hygiene protocols that the lodge needed to observe throughout my keep.

Chania and Rethymno have numerous boutique motels in addition to a wide variety of house leases. In Rethymno, take into account reserving a keep on the Rimondi Boutique Lodge. Situated proper subsequent to the Rimondi Fountain and the Neratze Mosque, this boutique lodge is a well-regarded possibility for a calming keep in Rethymno. Chill out within the lodge’s fantastically furnished rooms and on the luxurious pool and spa.

I stayed in the perfect Vrbo/Airbnb I’ve ever rented whereas I used to be in Chania. Arietta Stamatakis’ Airbnb/Vrbo is ideal for renting throughout a keep in Chania for pals, {couples}, or households. Upon arriving in Crete, she and her husband greeted us with contemporary oranges and a melon from their backyard, freshly squeezed lemonade, cooked bergamot, home made kalitsounia (Cretan cheese pies) and spanakopita, home made tea biscuits and muffins, in addition to some tsikoudia that she and her husband had distilled by themselves. Renting her property was really the perfect glimpse into Cretans’ superb sense of hospitality throughout my go to to Crete.  

Smaller cities and cities in Crete which are frequented by fewer vacationers like Kissamos may have fewer choices than Chania or Rethymno, for instance, however there’ll nonetheless be good lodge and rental choices. E book early to get the perfect offers, although chances are you’ll often encounter some last-minute reserving offers.

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Pinterest picture courtesy of Canva. All different photos are courtesy of Max Levine except famous in any other case.

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