Places to visit in Crete

Top Things to Do in Crete, Greece

Places to Visit in Crete


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Crete.

From quick jaunts to full-day outings.

Top Attractions in Crete

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

What travellers are saying

  • Katie
    Richmond, VA50 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a must-do on Crete! We enjoyed the drive and had a great time at the beach, but please load up on SPF! We saw so many people burnt to a crisp and even got burnt ourselves despite using sunscreen. The sun is no joke here. The pink sand isn't as pink everywhere as social media portrays it to be -- but it's there! The water was clear and beautiful.
    Written 11 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Katie
    Richmond, VA50 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a view worth seeing! We had a rental car that we drove up to the parking area and it was a bumpy ride. Luckily, our rental car didn't get damaged and we didn't get charged any fees but I can see how that can happen often. I really enjoyed the view on the drive and seeing all of the goats! Just be careful of the bees on the way up and down -- there were quite a few swarming around our car.

    We're experienced hikers so we thought we would hike down from the parking area, but once we got to a good viewpoint we decided we would just stick with seeing the view from up top. I really don't recommend hiking up and down in the summer, it's just too steep and too hot and many people looked like they were going to faint. If we had more time I would have loved to take a boat to the lagoon, but even seeing it from up top was great!
    Written 11 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Louise B
    Sydney, Australia11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We visited in March so it was quiet. The rooms were easy to navigate with clear information (English and Greek) and layout. We had visited the Knossos Palace site earlier in the day and hence benefited from having some understanding of the size (large!) and complexity of the site - many not all) of the artefacts on display were from Knossos

    We were surprised and impressed by the range of Cycladic art display. The Minoan civilisation artefacts were quite incredible.

    The fresco room was one of the highlights but all of it was impressive. Do not miss this! Quite one of the best archaeological museums we have ever visited.
    Written 16 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • clarebraybrooke
    Oswestry, UK12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Super experience. Would highly recommend. We will be back in 2024. The Grandchildren had so much fun and learnt so much without knowing it. What a super place. Staff are lovely.
    Written 5 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Irpino Montecalvo
    Crete, Greece7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing ! An accumulation of feelings throw you in another world. From all the Old Towns in Crete , Rethymno's Palia Poli(The Old Town) is special and this is the merit of it's people who live here and of authorities which preserved this real piece of history. You can feel it only walking on it's streets, not only the commercial ones!
    Some people loves Chania, some people loves Heraklion, but from my oppinion, Rethymno is something else in all this commercial world! Feel it ! It's old, but still very young and beautiful!
    Written 28 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Katie N
    Nottinghamshire, UK3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Really beautiful place to visit and worth it for the lovely boat trip alone! The views are spectacular. The only problem is that the information is very limited and so you don't learn as much as would be good.
    Written 2 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • db7477
    Carlsbad, CA2,502 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon at the Venetian Harbor. We loved strolling about and investigating the surrounding streets and shops.
    Written 30 December 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • MillertimeUA
    Alpharetta, GA19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spectacular beach with beautiful, clean water. Great big area with plenty of lounges for everyone. If you like sunsets. this is the place to be on Crete. We stayed in Chania and drove to the Falassarna Beach. Easy drive, good roads and they have refreshments and a restaurant right at the beach. A must see beach when you're on the island of Crete - definitely a top 10 beach in all of Greece.
    Written 20 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • JJJourneys
    Singapore, Singapore2,312 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I joined a guided tour to Europe’s second longest gorge hike, but I will mostly be talking about the gorge itself here. Do note that the hike is not for the faint-hearted; if you have existing health conditions, it is best not to risk attempting this hike. I am of average fitness, and managed to complete this hike in 6 hours, which is about the average time if you are a novice hiker like me. Having a hiking stick on hand could be quite helpful, especially since the terrain is very rocky, and in some cases, slippery too, and a wrong step can quickly put you in a bad ankle situation. The earlier part of the hike has a lot of steps going down as well, which can be steep, so be careful. There will also be certain points in the hike (middle and towards the end) where you have to do mini river crossings. Wear good walking/hiking shoes for this trail, and ensure that you have enough food too. There were a few rest stops along the way; there will be toilets there and spring water (safe to drink) to refill your bottles. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated and energised along the hike and you will be fine! Do not forget to enjoy the view along the way as well, everywhere you look is a postcard worthy scenery in itself! Definitely worth the tough terrain. Entry to the park was 5 euros; keep the ticket stub to show the staff at the end.

    If you are here on guided tour, note that it will be a very early start. I started the journey from Heraklion, so I had to get up at 5 am to make the meeting time at 6 am. The journey to Samaria takes about 4 hours (literally the other side of the island), and we only started the hike around 10 am or so, and ended at 4 pm. The guide will provide you a general time to meet for different rest stops, so if you stick to the times given, you should be fine. This is necessary because you have to make it to a town by the coast called Agia Roumeli (a 2km walk in itself) in order to catch a ferry ride to Hora Sfakion, where the buses will take you back to your accommodation. The ferry is typically the last ferry for the day, so you have to make it regardless in order to avoid additional costs of finding accommodations. All the best, and most importantly, enjoy this hike of a lifetime!
    Written 30 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Michelle T
    New York City, NY666 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unlike some other historical spots, there actually isn’t much of Knossos left. So while it is called a palace, it’s really an archaeological site with ruins. There is a lot of imagination involved with a visit to Knossos, as a lot of it is either gone or moved to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. If you’re looking for something as grand as the Acropolis or even as well maintained as Pompeii, this isn’t it. Go in with this mindset and you won’t be disappointed. I do highly recommend a tour guide, as I feel like we would’ve had a hard time envisioning what Knossos used to look like without her help.
    Written 18 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Kathy C
    Alexandria, VA190 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I have, in the past couple of years, become fascinated by the Ottoman Turks in the Mediterranean. The Monastery was the site of a massacre of Cretan soldiers and the civilians who sought refuge during the Ottoman resistance in the 19th century. It's a working monastery today, but much of the older rooms, like the kitchen, is open to visitors. Beautiful location with a fascinating history.
    Written 12 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • clarebraybrooke
    Oswestry, UK12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is the most beautiful place, serene and quiet, with loads and loads of history and things to do and see. Level access to the beach from the museum. atmospheric cafe for lovely coffee and watch the world go by.
    Written 5 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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