Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Greece – Heraklion – Rethymno – Chania
100% customisable for you
Your Cretan adventure begins today with a four-hour flight from the UK to Crete’s Heraklion airport. After landing on the island, collect your hire car and load up your luggage for the short drive to the city’s bustling downtown area. Your hotel and home for tonight is ideally situated for seeing the city, so once you’ve checked in, head out to get your bearings and sample your first taste of fabulous Greek food.
This morning, drive to nearby Knossos for a tour of the Palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum with a private guide. The Palace of Knossos is Crete’s most popular historical site, and the breadth of its design and elegant decor shows the sophistication of Bronze Age Cretan civilisation. Legend also has it that King Minos built the labyrinth to imprison the mythical Minotaur here. As you explore the palace ruins, admire the remarkably vivid frescoes that this site is famed for.
To round off your visit, head to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. It’s home to some of Greece’s most prominent collections of ancient artefacts, bearing magnificent witness to the Minoan arts.
Afterwards, drive just over an hour to Rethymno, weaving between breathtaking views, serene sunbathing spots and traditional hilltop villages. Check into your hotel for the next three nights, then end the day with another delicious dinner.
Founded in ancient times, Rethymno is now Crete's third largest city and one where Venetian and Turkish influences have had a profound impact on its architecture and culture.
On one of your days here, enjoy a tour with a private guide, exploring the city’s history and food. Visit the Nerantzes mosque with its slender prayer tower, the Rimondi fountain and the Venetian loggia transformed into a mosque by the Turkish. Next, head to the 16th-century Venetian fortress with its fusion of European and Moorish architecture and impressive views over the town. Built between 1573 and 1580, it served as a refuge for locals during the Turkish siege of 1646. Explore the site to see Agios Theodoros Church, St. Catherine's Chapel, a mosque and ancient prisons. The tour ends on the terrace of a local tavern, sampling Cretan specialties and toasting your trip with Tsikoudia, a local tipple.
After two delightful days discovering Rethymno, this morning it’s time to hop back in your hire car for the one-hour journey west to Chania. Expect more picturesque scenery as you drive, following the rugged coastline and passing inland through sun-kissed olive groves. Arriving in Chania, check into your charming hotel for three nights, then spend the afternoon at your leisure before sundowner drinks overlooking the historic harbour.
Like Rethymno, historic Chania also showcases a beguiling blend of both Venetian and Turkish influences, which you’ll explore today in the company of a private guide. This tour of the Old Town, with its narrow lanes and ancient architecture, also includes the iconic harbour, where the legacy of Venetian rule can be seen in the centuries-old buildings and picturesque promenade. Explore rows of colourful Venetian facades, the Ottoman mosque, the lively market and 1866 Square, which was named to commemorate the year of the Cretan revolution against the Turkish.
Spend the rest of the day exploring at your own pace. With its 55,000 inhabitants, Chania has the hustle and bustle of a modern city, which is noticeable as soon as you leave the Old Town. Wherever you roam this afternoon, when it comes to tonight’s dinner, check our Dossier for the pick of the best restaurants in town.
Today, head out of the city for a private tour around the outskirts of Chania. Your guide is a passionate sociologist who will teach you all about the mythology and history of Crete as well as the daily life of Cretans and their customs. Discover the ancient city of Aptera and the Turkish fort, then cross the fertile plain of Apokoronas with its springs, olive, orange and cypress trees and hilltop villages. Next, visit the Cretan Feast, a family-run cooperative of producers of organic olive oil, essential oils, herbs and soap.
Your tour will also take you to the beautiful Kamares estate, a 14th-century site dating back to the Venetian era. Afterwards, head to the village of Paidochori for a pottery workshop, to try your hand at a new craft. The tour ends with a tasting of organic wine or a local aperitif in the shade of the towering sycamore trees.
All good trips must come to an end, so sadly it’s time to say a fond farewell to Crete and begin your journey home today. Pack up your hire car for the short drive from the city to Chania airport to catch your flight back to the UK, which lands around four hours later.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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