Travel Guide to Crete, the BEST Island in Greece
Itinerary
Ferry or Fly to Heraklion
Heraklion- Based here for 2 days
Drive the gorgeous Greek coastline to Chania. It is a short two hours and flies by!
Chania- Based here for 2 days
Fly or Ferry to your next destination!
Our portion of our Greece trip in Crete was short, only four days. If possible I would recommend spending more time in Crete- or better yet your entire trip in Greece. Seriously it’s that AMAZING!
You can easily do 3 or 4 days in both Chania and Heraklion or more.
Here is our complete Greek Itinerary and Guide!
Traveling more in Greece? Check out our Ultimate 2-3 Week Greece Guide, Athens Guide, Oia or Fira Guide, Oia Things to Do Guide, Naxos Guide, Santorini Guide, Crete Guide, and Halki Village- The Best Day Trip in Naxos.
Have a wonderful trip in Greece and make all your Mamma Mia dreams a reality!
Happy Travels!
How to get to Crete?
If Crete is your first stop the best way will be to fly into Heraklion or Chania depending where you want to start.
If you are coming from Naxos (Check out our Naxos Guide) or Santorini or Mykonos you can easily take a ferry or even a short domestic flight.
We took the ferry and were able to easily book it through the ferry hopper app. The ferry hopper app allows you to search different ferries and book from your phone. It is GREAT because you can check in to your ferry from your phone and have a mobile ticket.
We took the ferry from Naxos (another one of our favs) and it was about 4 hours, or so it said but was actually normal. Expect the ferries to last longer than you think, if you are not the first ferry of the day. They gradually get further and further behind as the day goes on due to different stops.
Another tip- it doesn’t matter what type of ticket you buy at Sea Jets- it is basically open seating.
How to get around Crete?
Get a car, this without a doubt is a must! You will need one to get around Crete, especially when going from Heraklion to Chania. Getting around Heraklion, Chania, and day trips are made so much easier with a car as well.
You can get by without a car once in Heraklion or in Chania but you will want to rent one to get from Heraklion to Crete and for any day trips.
Chania and Heraklion are both very walkable once you arrive, so we walked a lot as well.
Where to stay in Heraklion?
I would recommend staying in Old Port area where you can easily walk around and explore the port and Old Town as well as the modern areas of Heraklion.
We stayed at Heraklion Old Port Apartments and found the location to be great! We also had a kitchen and a great view of the port. This is a budget friendly option.
What to do in Heraklion?
Heraklion was our first stop in Greece. It is bustling, gritty, lively, beautiful and was a blast to explore.
Heraklion- Koules Fortress (Rocca a Mare)– This is a must while in Heraklion, and is truly spectacular.
The Fortress has a museum inside the fortress that tells you all about the history of the Fortress and the Venetian rule in Crete among the vast history of the fortress and of Crete. It is unreal how well perserved it is.
There are two floors and at the top you will see a gorgeous view of the port.
Tickets are around 4.00 USD
This was one of our favorite things we did in Heraklion!
Old Town- You just can’t go wrong with any Old Town and Heraklion is no different. Charming ally ways filled with local shops, restaurants, and Venetian architecture just makes it the perfect place to explore Heraklion. Old Town is located next to modern Heraklion making it a great combination of the old meets the new and what I think makes Heraklion such an interesting city that you can spend days just wandering the streets with something new at every turn.
Lions Square and the Morosini Fountain– The Lions Square is a wonderful lively area of Heraklion with restaurants, bars, shops, and bustling with people. It is a great place to people watch and just gets wilder as the night goes on with late night eating. The Morosoni Fountain is located in the heart of Lions Square and is a stunning Venetian fountain.
Venetian Loggia– The Venetian Loggia was built in 1620 and served as a meeting point for Venetian noblemen to discuss political and local economics, essentially a clubhouse.
Where is the Venetian Loggia?
The Venetian Loggia is located on the square of Saint Titus along 25th August street. It now serves at the Heraklion Town Hall Meetings.
It is a beautiful historic building, located next to the Lion’s Square.
Heraklion Archaeological Museum- Known to be one of the best museums in the world and has a great Minoan collections (the ancient people in Crete). This museum is very informative and a great way to learn more about Minoan Civilization and the history of Crete.
Knossos Archeological Site– Knossos was an incredible Greek ruins that we found both fascinating and breathtaking. The Archeological Site did a great job at explaining the history of the ruins and the Minoan civilization and the famous king Minos.
How to get to Chania?
Next stop- Chania! You will need to rent a car and drive from Heraklion to Chania. It is about two hours between the two cities. And it is just a stunning coastal drive where you will have stunning views of the coastline while also seeing beautiful Greek countryside.
Where to Stay in Chania?
Stay in Old Town in Chania. This is my favorite area we stayed in on our entire Greece trip. It is a lovely old town with Venetian architecture that will make you feel like you are in Italy. It is in the heart of Chania with tons of shops, restaurants, and is very lively. You’ll be in the middle of it all! Old Town is close to the Old Venetian Harbor where there are more restaurants and shops with an incredible view of the harbor. This area is very walkable and easy to explore.
We stayed at Veneri Boutique Suites and loved it! We had a balcony overlooking bustling Old Town and the colorful buildings and it was the perfect location!
What to do in Chania?
Old Venetian Harbor- The Venetian Harbor is a stunning harbor with crystal clear waters, a perfect boardwalk, and shops and restaurants all around. It’s a beauty with gorgeous Venetian architecture and the Venetian Light House. It is the perfect place for a stroll to soak in all the beauty, shopping, and great local eats. It is the perfect view, be sure to have a drink or meal with a view of the harbor, it is breathtaking.
Walk the Seawall to the Venetian Light House– There is a walkway that goes all the way up to the lighthouse with the sparkling teal waters on either side. This is the perfect spot for a relaxing walk to work off all that delicious Greek and Italian food you’ve been eating.
Old Town– Chania’s Old Town is walking distance from the Venetian Harbor and is just a delight! It is very Venetian and has colorful buildings that will leave you in awe. And it has great local shops and restaraunts. We loved eating, drinking, shopping, and just simply soaking in all its beauty.
Balos Beach- We ran out of time on our last day to go to Balas Beach and it was devastating but hopefully you can make your Balas Beach dreams come true. You can get there by boat- there are tons of tours and boat rides departing from the Old Venetian Harbor. Just walk around and ask a couple stands for times and prices. You can also rent a jeep on your own.
To paint you a picture of the paradise that is Balas Beach- it is a white sand beach with teal waters and a lagoon. From Balos Beach you can walk/swim through the shallow waters to the baby island of Gramvousa which also has a Venetian fort on it. These are the same waters Prince Charles and the wonderful Princess Di swam in during their honeymoon in 1981. It looks like a dream. Comment below if you have been, we’d love to hear more about it!
Extra time?
Samaria National Park– Greece’s National Park is located in the southern part of Crete, which is about an hour from Chania.
The park is 28.9 square miles and has great hiking trails with gorgeous mountain views and of course the star of the park- the Samaria Gorge. The Samaria Gorge is the longest Gorge in Europe.
It looks just stunning! We ran our of time to go to the park but it is on the list for our next visit to Crete!
Enjoy your trip to Crete! Check out our blog about the 6 Reasons Crete is the Best Island in Greece! for more information on Crete!
Happy Travels!
Want to have this guide on your phone to take with you while on the go?
Check out the Ultimate Greece Guide via an app! This guide will include everything from this guide and also includes Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, and a Greek Village Day trip. It includes map locations, hours, important key information all created by me!
