From the dozens of excursions around Heraklion, we suggest you choose these:
- be sure to visit the most legendary attraction of the island - the Palace of Knossos (the one where Theseus killed the Minotaur). The guides in Heraklion will take you on a guided tour (guided at around 70 EUR for adults and 35-40 EUR for children) to tell you about Ariadne's Tangle, take you along the Kings Road and even show you the 3500 year old bathtub! You can also get here on your own, by bus number 2, buy a ticket for 6 EUR, take a lot of booklets and devote as much time to the palace as you want. You won't get lost: there are diagrams, signs and descriptions everywhere. And be sure to bring a large bottle of water, so you don't have to buy it here at triple the price;
- sightseeing tour of the historical part of Heraklion. For 20-100 EUR you can make a whole journey through time - the guide will show you on the streets of Heraklion and Byzantium, and Venice, and the Ottoman Empire. If you get tired of history, book an evening excursion (from 65 EUR), for example, "Cretan Evening". As a rule, such offers include parties or tasting events, during which wine flows, tables are bursting with national dishes, singing until the morning and dancing till the fall. Tours can be booked with one of the local companies;
A bus tour from Heraklion to the surrounding area. For example, visit the Samaria Gorge - you can descend from a height of 1250 meters along the steep cliffs, see wild goats and pass through the Iron Gate (the gorge is only 3 meters wide). The average cost of such excursions from Heraklion is 55-80 EUR.
A very popular among tourists excursions in Heraklion on yachts - such a tour, as a rule, lasts 8-10 hours. For 350-400 EUR you can rent a yacht with drinks and snacks, go to the open sea, diving or fishing.
