- Tour code
GRCADV02
- Start
Agios Nikolaos
- End
Chania
- Min. age
16 years old
- Group size
Max 6-16 travellers
- Trip style
Explorer
- Trip pace
Active
- Language
English
Greece's largest island packs a lot in. There are mountains behind every beach, ruins that go back thousands of years, and a food culture built on olive oil, cheese, honey and wine. This trip moves west across the island, from Agios Nikolaos to Rethymno to Chania, so you see a different side of Crete every couple of days.
You start by the water in Agios Nikolaos, heading out on a traditional caique over the sunken remains of Olous, with a beach barbecue and a swim at Kolokytha. In Rethymno you visit an olive oil farm with a cooking lesson, walk through the Minoan palace of Knossos and try the potter's wheel in the village of Margarites.
The last stretch is Chania, with its Venetian harbor: a morning at Lake Kournas on the way, a beach, a hilltop monastery and a cave, a market walk, and a farewell dinner that ends in Cretan dancing.
Three group dinners, three lunches, daily breakfasts and all the activities are organized for you, so your job is to swim, taste and enjoy the company.
Why This Journey
Many visitors see Crete from one beach resort. Crossing the island lets you understand it: the Minoan palace that anchors European history, the Venetian harbors of Rethymno and Chania, and the villages where olive oil, pottery and music are still everyday life rather than a show.
The hands-on moments are what you'll remember: cooking with local recipes on an olive farm, shaping clay at a potter's wheel and learning the steps before the farewell dinner. It suits travelers who want culture and beach time in equal measure, and solo travelers who'd like good company around the table.
Where You'll Stay
Agios Nikolaos (2 nights): Hermes Hotel, on the seafront promenade near the harbor. Rethymno (2 nights): Fortezza Hotel, in the old town below the Venetian fortress. Chania (3 nights): Porto Veneziano Hotel, on the Venetian harbor. Proposed accommodation (or similar), subject to confirmation. Rooms are based on two people sharing a double room with two beds.
Getting There
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travellers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Fly into Heraklion Airport (HER) and out of Chania Airport (CHQ); arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
What you will see and do
Cruise Crete's coast and swim from quiet Mediterranean beaches
Knossos, a sunken city, a monastery and a pottery village
Cretan wine, cooking and traditional dance
What's included
All activities mentioned on the itinerary
Accommodations in double rooms
Experienced Soca Islands Host with you throughout the trip
Max 16 travellers per group
Arrival and departure airport transfers
Group transportation
One farewell group activity when possible
What's excluded
- International flights (travellers arrange their own)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Optional activities on free time
- Single room supplement (single rooms on request, subject to availability)
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Group itinerary
Land at Heraklion Airport (HER), where your transfer takes you east along the coast to Agios Nikolaos, a harbor town on Crete's northeast coast with mountains rising behind it. According to myth, Zeus was born in a cave not far from here.
Arrive early and you have time to walk around Lake Voulismeni and the waterfront. In the evening your Soca Islands Host gathers the group for a first dinner of Cretan dishes and local wine.
After breakfast you board a traditional wooden caique and set off along the coast. You glide over the submerged ruins of Olous, an ancient city now under the sea, and step ashore on a small island crowned by an old fortress.
Back on land there is a beach barbecue lunch, then time to swim at Kolokytha Beach. Your evening is free in Agios Nikolaos.
The morning takes you to an olive oil farm. Tour the press, taste the farm's cheeses and honey, and get stuck into a cooking lesson on classic Cretan recipes.
Next up is Knossos, the great palace of Minoan Crete and one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Europe. From there you drive west to Rethymno for a group dinner.
Margarites is a small hillside village famous for its potters. Watch local craftspeople shape and fire their work, then sit at the wheel and make a piece of your own.
Lunch is in a village taverna before you return to Rethymno for a free afternoon and evening around the old town and harbor.
Take your time over breakfast before heading to Lake Kournas, the island's only natural freshwater lake. Swim, paddleboard or relax on the shore, with a Greek lunch by the water.
In the afternoon you continue to Chania and settle in by the Venetian harbor, your base for the rest of the trip. Tonight is yours.
Start the day on one of Crete's most beautiful beaches, with the morning free to swim and sunbathe.
Later you drive up to a hilltop monastery with wide views of the sea, then explore a nearby cave with striking rock formations. Head back to Chania for a free evening along the harbor.
Join your guide at a local farmers' market to taste produce and cheeses, then carry on through Chania's streets and small shops, perhaps stopping for an aperitif.
As evening falls you learn the steps of a traditional Cretan dance before the farewell dinner, with live music, good food and plenty to celebrate.
Enjoy a slow breakfast before your transfer to Chania Airport (CHQ). If you have time to spare, Chania and the rest of Crete are easy to keep exploring.
Accommodations
Here's a glimpse of the hotels we selected for this adventure.
Hermes Hotel
A seafront hotel on Akti Koundourou, the waterfront promenade of Agios Nikolaos, with views across Mirabello Bay. The harbor, Lake Voulismeni and the town's cafés and tavernas are a few minutes' walk away.
A rooftop pool, restaurant and bar make it an easy base for the first two nights, and the boats for the caique trip leave from the harbor nearby.
Fortezza Hotel
A family-run hotel in the old town of Rethymno, below the Venetian fortress that gives it its name. The Venetian harbor, the lighthouse and the old town's lanes and tavernas are all within a few minutes' walk.
Rooms are arranged around a courtyard pool, which makes it a relaxed base for the two Rethymno nights.
Porto Veneziano Hotel
A long-established hotel at the eastern end of Chania's Venetian harbor, beside the old shipyards and a short walk along the waterfront to the lighthouse, the market and the old town lanes.
Many rooms look over the harbor, and its position makes it easy to walk everywhere on the three Chania days, including the market walk and the farewell evening.
Rooms
You'll stay at Trip Hotel.
- Included
Shared double
Shared with the person you book with, or a fellow traveller of the same sex.
- +$1,548 per person
Single room
A room to yourself, subject to availability.
Room prices are per person for the Jun 13, 2027 departure and can differ on other dates. You choose your room when you book.
Tour FAQS
Fly into Heraklion International Airport (HER) and out of Chania International Airport (CHQ).
Proposed accommodation is Hermes Hotel in Agios Nikolaos (2 nights), Fortezza Hotel in Rethymno (2 nights) and Porto Veneziano Hotel in Chania (3 nights), or similar hotels, subject to confirmation.
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travellers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
Yes. Your arrival transfer from Heraklion Airport (HER) and departure transfer to Chania Airport (CHQ) are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
7 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 group dinners: breakfast on Days 2 to 8, lunches on Days 2, 4 and 5, and group dinners on Days 1, 3 and 7. Other meals are at your own cost.
Extra nights can be requested, subject to hotel availability; contact our Customer Experience team for a quote.
There are no scheduled activities on the final day, so feel free to book your departure at your own convenience.
We recommend arriving before 3 pm on Day 1 to make it in time for the welcome event. But don’t worry no matter when you land, we’ll have an airport transfer ready for you.
Please Refer to your government’s travel advice or consult your local consulate. Remember, passport and visa requirements can change, so make sure to stay updated.
Excluding alcohol, we suggest budgeting around USD $40.00 per day for extras.
While we’re not medical professionals, we want to help you prepare for a safe and healthy adventure. Here are some tips:
- Consult with a healthcare professional: Schedule an appointment with your travel nurse or doctor at least eight weeks before your adventure to get any necessary vaccines or medications.
- Up-to-date medical advice:
- US residents: Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- UK residents: Visit the NHS Fit For Travel website.
- Australian residents: Refer to the Smart Traveler Health website.
3. Government travel advice:
- US residents: Consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
- UK residents: Check the FCDO Travel Advice.
- Australian residents: Visit the Smart Traveler website.
4. Medication tips: If you take prescription medication, bring enough to last the entire trip, plus a few extra days in case of delays. Carry a copy of your prescription in case you need to visit a clinic abroad.
We hope this helps you prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Please keep in mind that our itinerary, activities, and hotels might change. These adjustments could happen with little notice due to factors like availability, weather conditions, seasonal shifts, or other circumstances beyond our control. Rest assured, we always aim to minimise any impact on your experience. Occasionally, we may tweak the itinerary to try out fresh ideas and keep the adventure exciting.
We believe solo travelers shouldn’t have to pay extra to explore the world. That’s why our group trips are designed around shared accommodation and do not include a single supplement. Solo travelers joining our group trips are paired in twin or multi-share rooms with another traveler of the same sex for the duration of the trip.
Some of our Independent trips are structured differently. For these itineraries, solo travelers will need to book at the single occupancy rate.
Tips are not included in the cost of this tour. Remember, tipping is entirely at your discretion and based on what you feel comfortable with.
Would you like to learn more or customise our The Crete, Greece Trip trip?
Have questions about accommodations, accessibility, group preferences, or dietary needs? Complete the form below and our team will get back to you shortly.
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