Chania Harbour
Agios Nikoloas - the lake
Knossis
Amari Byzantine church
Chania Harbour
All aboard for Spinalonga
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Spinalonga
Agios Nikolas
Chania Mosque
Amari Valley
Rethymnon Harbour
Arkadi
Tour highlights:
Spinalonga Island
The Venetian harbour town of Rethymnon
The superb Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Fabulous scenery
This tour provides the opportunity to get a taste of a selection of the many highlights found on the beautiful and fascinating island of Crete. Visits have been carefully chosen to combine a little of the island’s extensive history with wonderful scenery at every turn, not least of all the pretty lanes of the very attractive Venetian towns of Chania and Rethymnon, but also the islands high mountains and its beautiful coastline. Alongside these visits you will learn about the islands age-old and deeply rooted culture and traditions, that today still resonate throughout Crete, and enjoy some tasty regional cuisine.
Available Departures |
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| 01 - October - 2025 | £ 1599.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings London Gatwick Departing: 01st October 2025 at 14:15 Returning: 08th October 2025 at 14:45 |
Day 1: Fly from London Gatwick to Heraklion. Transfer to the Atrion Hotel. Evening at leisure.
Day 2: Agios Nikolaos and Spinalonga Island.
Our first highlight on the tour is a visit to Spinalonga Island positioned in the beautiful bay of Elounda and immortalised in Victoria Hislop’s very first novel ‘The Island’. Spinalonga was fortified in antiquity due to its strategic location protecting the bay. In the 16th century the Venetians added further fortifications in order to protect Crete and then, surprisingly, in the early 20th century, the island was established as a leper colony that remained in use until 1957. We will have a short guided tour on the island and then free time for exploring in both Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Welcome dinner at a local taverna.
Day 3: Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Knossos.
We couldn’t leave Heraklion without a visit to the excellent Heraklion Archaeological Museum with its fantastic displays of Minoan artefacts that date back some 3500 years. The Minoans were a highly sophisticated and palace-centred civilisation with extremely skilled craftsmen, which is very evident in the many wonderful finds displayed in the museum. Knossos is the most well-known of the Minoan Palaces found on the island and the only one we will visit on this tour. We will have a guided tour here, which will provide an insight into how important this civilisation was, then and even now because of the wonderful visible history they left behind. After our visits we will then transfer to our second hotel, the well-located Ideon Hotel, Rethymnon, situated right next to the wonderful old town. This evening, a group dinner will be arranged at a local taverna.
Day 4: Rethymnon guided tour and free afternoon
An opportunity to discover the lovely ‘old town’ of Rethymnon, which is situated just a few steps from our hotel. We will have a short, guided tour to discover some of its highlights, although any time you wander in these lovely old lanes is a highlight. The rest of the day will be free for you to explore this delightful town further at your leisure or relax at the hotel.
Day 5: Mountains, coast, valleys, villages, and seascapes.
It’s scenery all the way today as we get off the beaten track and discover another side of Crete, literally, as we will journey from the north coast to the south coast following an impressive road through the White Mountains that assures us of amazing views. We will stop along the way for a ‘Sfakian pita’, peer into the dramatic Imbros gorge, discover an old castle by the sea, and return to the north via a very impressive ravine. Lunch included today.
Day 6: Therriso Gorge and Chania
Our day today is divided between two very special places, both in the west of the island; Therriso Gorge, which is a short but incredibly beautiful natural gorge, and Venetian Chania, the most beautiful town on the island. At Chania, after a short orientation walk, there will be plenty of free time for you to do as you wish, perhaps enjoy lunch on the lovely harbour front, explore the attractive narrow lanes, which are a photographers paradise, or perhaps do a little shopping at one of the many enticing shops found here.
Day 7: Margaritas, Arkadi and Amari Valley
Today is all about rural life, both as it is today and how it was in the past. Our visits start at the attractive village of Margaritas, which, traditionally and still today, has always been a pottery village. We are privileged to be able to visit one of the potters who will tell us a little about how important this art has always been for his village. On our way from Margaritas to the rural and very beautiful region of Amari we will have a brief stop at the historic monastery of Arkadi that was importantly strategic in finally ridding Crete of the Ottoman yoke. We will enjoy a lunch of typical Cretan fare in a taverna in Amari that affords exceptional views once again.
Day 8: Return flight to London Gatwick
NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Excellent quality hotels are used throughout this tour, each offering a high standard of service, facilities, and comfort in ideal locations to explore the sites visited.
Atrion Hotel, Heraklion
Modern four-star hotel centrally located in Heraklion and within a short walk of a host of restaurants, cafés and bars. Facilities here include bar, restaurant, and comfortable bedrooms with all modern amenities.
Atrion Hotel Website
Ideon Hotel, Rethymnon
The Ideon Hotel is a three-star hotel well located right next to the lovely Venetian harbour and just a 2-minute walk brings you to the heart of the atmospheric back streets of the old town that characterise this town and where you will find an excellent choice of tavernas, cafes and interesting small shops.
The hotel offers comfortable air-conditioned rooms with private balcony, bath/shower, TV and telephone. The hotel facilities include a swimming pool, outdoor cafe, lounge bar and restaurant.
Ideon Hotel Website
We love to receive feedback from our customers. Their views help us to keep improving the ours we offer. If you have been on this tour and would like to submit a review, please log in to our client area here and fill in the short form.
Crete was beautiful and the trips varied and interesting. The hotels were well situated. The early part of the holiday when we were also accompanied by an excellent local guide was quite intense and there was a lot of standing while she talked to us which was to be expected as the holiday was described as ‘moderate: walking between sites, lots of standing for viewing’. The afternoon at leisure in Rethymnon was welcome. The rest of the holiday was at a relaxed pace. I was very moved by the short visit to the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Suda Bay. I cannot speak too highly of our tour guide Jane for how well she looked after us and also her insights into Crete and its people and also Nikos our coach driver who was very much part of the team.
Review by Cotterill who travelled 03-October-2024
Wonderful trip. I had booked a trip to Crete some years ago which did not go ahead, so very glad to get there at last. Jane Freeman is an expert on Cretan life and chose great places to visit and very good places to eat. The weather was perfect (although a bit too hot for me at) a very crowded Knossos). I certainly recommend this trip.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 03-October-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 03-October-2024
This was our second trip with yourselves, wonderfully guided by Jane Freeman. The tour was very well organised with just the right amount of group and individual activities. Jane looked after the group extremely well and was very helpful in organising our return journey with herself to our flight destination from Heraklion Airport. We would have no hesitation whatsoever in booking another trip with yourselves. Thank you.
Review by Venney-Arnold who travelled 03-October-2024
Special thanks to Nikos for hosting incredible driving.
Review by Graham who travelled 03-October-2024
There wasn't anything wrong with the tour. It was a pity that Easyjet were late both ways and we were marginally disappointed with the first hotel but recognise that the location was good for the immediate vicinity. despite having to walk our cases from/to the coach some few minutes away. Jane Freeman and Nikos were magnificent as ever.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 02-October-2023
Excellent as always and Jane great company .No complaints really but would like later and earlier flights and I hate Gatwick but realise that's probably beyond your control. The hotels were fine. It was a lovely holiday.
Review by Davies who travelled 02-October-2023
Review by Edgar who travelled 02-October-2023
Jane was as good as ever, just the right balance of humour and discipline, with a knack of getting everyome to join in and enjoy themselves. Nikos's driving skills were also as brilliant as ever.
Review by Evans who travelled 02-October-2023
Jane is a wonderful tour manager. She makes a difficult job look effortless and we felt completely at ease knowing that she was in charge.
Review by Shiels who travelled 02-October-2023
A lovely group of people. A great Tour Leader (Jane). An excellent mix of activities. A very good coach driver (Nikos) - and perfect weather! Thank you all.
Review by Hicken who travelled 02-October-2023
An excellent tour. We were well looked after by both Jane and Nikos. We have already booked for the Greek lakes tour next year!
Review by Dean who travelled 02-October-2023
Lovely holiday, time to relax in the certain knowledge that we were in very good hands.
Review by Hatt who travelled 02-October-2023
Had a great time. We visited some interesting and beautiful places. The locations chosen for our two lunches were outstanding. Jane Freeman, our tour manager, was not only deeply knowledgeable, she was caring to a degree that went far beyond our normal expectations. For instance, because I have a mobility problem, she she helped us with our luggage and we never felt rushed. Along with our superb driver, Nico, we covered a wide area of Crete. Our second hotel was top-rate. An unforgettable week!
Review by Harris who travelled 02-October-2023
As always, Jane proved to be an excellent Tour Manager. Nothing was too much trouble for her, she was very professional throughout and it was a pleasure to be in her company again. As usual, Nikos proved to be excellent driver, especially given some of the driving conditions he encountered in the Cretan countryside. All 4 included meals were most enjoyable and a very good standard. I didn't participate in all of the sightseeing tours (having been to Crete before); those I did were very enjoyable and well planned. Where possible, I would prefer to have a mid to late morning outbound flight and a lunchtime/early afternoon return flight, but I appreciate this is not always possible given the airline schedules these days.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 02-October-2023
Jane is not only in marvellous tour manager, but an absolutely lovely person. Nothing is too much trouble to her. You are very lucky to have her.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 02-October-2023
