Crete Attraction Tours: Boats and Guides

October 31, 2026

Most attraction tours in Crete are one of three kinds: a guide at an archaeological site, a boat to an island or lagoon, or a vehicle tour into the mountains. Each has a separate ticket for the site itself, which is the thing visitors most often miss when comparing prices. The currency is the euro, and small boats and local guides often take cash only.

Guides at Knossos

The Palace of Knossos lies about 5 km south of Heraklion. Entry is EUR 20 full price or EUR 10 reduced all year, and it has its own ticket, with no combined ticket for the Heraklion museum. Independent licensed guides usually wait near the gate. Group tours are about EUR 10 to 15 a head, and a private guide is about EUR 90 to 120 for a short tour, paid directly. Book the site entry through Hellenic Heritage and settle the guide’s rate before you start walking. Knossos was added to the UNESCO list as one of the Minoan Palatial Centres in July 2025, and the rebuilt sections are worth having explained by someone who knows which parts are original.

Balos and Gramvousa cruises

Cretan Daily Cruises runs day boats from Kissamos port, about 40 km west of Chania. The route passes the Gramvousa peninsula, stops at the island of Imeri Gramvousa, where a steep path climbs to a Venetian fortress, and ends at Balos lagoon. Sailings are usually at about 10:00 and 12:30 from May to October, with a return in late afternoon. Adult fares run from about EUR 25 to 45 depending on the operator, so check the operator’s site for the current price. A small municipal fee is collected in cash. Balos is a shallow lagoon in a Natura 2000 reserve, which means wading and floating but no diving, camping or fires.

Spinalonga boats

Spinalonga, the former Venetian fortress that served as a leprosy colony from 1903 to 1957, is a place to visit quietly. Boats leave from three ports:

Plaka: small caiques make the 7 to 10 minute crossing about every half hour in season. A return ticket is about EUR 10 to 12.
Elounda: larger boats take 20 to 25 minutes, with a return ticket of about EUR 12 to 15.
Agios Nikolaos: day cruises of about four hours add swim stops and a barbecue, from about EUR 25 to 35.

The boat ticket never includes the island entry, which is EUR 20 or EUR 10 reduced and is paid at the island or online. Boats run from April to October, and the island is a long day from Heraklion or Chania, so base yourself in Agios Nikolaos, Elounda or Plaka.

Jeep tours to the Lasithi Plateau

Four-wheel-drive day tours leave from Heraklion, Hersonissos and Agios Nikolaos. They climb past shepherd huts to the Lasithi Plateau, which sits at about 850 m and is known for its white-sailed windmills, then call at the village of Krasi and stop for lunch in Psychro. Dikteon Cave, the legendary birthplace of Zeus, is paid for separately at EUR 15 or EUR 8, from 08:30 to 15:30, and is closed on Tuesdays. The cave reopened on 29 May 2026 after two years shut, so check it is open before you choose a tour that includes it.

Historical Museum of Crete

The Historical Museum at Sofokli Venizelou 27 in Heraklion holds the only two El Greco paintings on permanent display on Crete, along with Venetian sculpture and the study of the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. Entry is a few euros. Summer hours are 09:00 to 17:00, and in winter it is shorter and closed on Sundays.