10 Balos Lagoon Cruises in Chania Worth Booking

1.Boat Cruise to Balos Lagoon & Gramvousa

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 6,755 reviews · 7 hours · from $47Our pick

Sail from Kissamos Port to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon on a large, comfortable ferry. Swim in clear water, hike to a Venetian castle, see a shipwreck and cave, and buy food aboard. The route may reverse, and Balos landing conditions can vary.

“Fantastic, very well organised and the team on board worked hard to keep everything clean and tidy which given the size of the vessel and the number of passengers is a big task. We had a great trip. The food was delicious and it was great value. Balos and Gramvousa are incredibly beautiful. There are pros and cons to being on whats essentially a cruise ship vs a smaller boat. In this case I think they did it very well and I would recommend it. The only thing I would change is the music haha but hey some people like euro pop so fair enough.”

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2.Gramvousa Island & Balos,Boat Tkt Extra

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 992 reviews · 10 - 12 hours · from $23Best value

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Chania, Kalyves, Almyrida, or nearby resorts to Kissamos, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos. Swim, hike to the Venetian fortress, and enjoy guide-led logistics. Boat tickets cost extra on most Chania departures, so check the final price carefully.

“Sooooo beautiful place! I would only want to stay there a bit more (than 1h on Balos and 3h on Gramvousa) but apart from that it was an unforgettable experience :)”

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3.Balos Gramvousa Cruise with Transfer and Boat Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 925 reviews · from $47

Spend a full day sailing from Kissamos to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon, with hotel-area pickup from Chania. You get time to swim, hike to a Venetian castle, and enjoy the boat’s bar and open deck. Staff names praised by visitors include Elvira, George, and Hope.

“Everything worked according to the plan, the bus came at the indicated hours, an the ferry as well. is just that the food on the board is below average, so I recommend to get something packed from outside.”

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4.Balos Gramvousa Day Trip with Boat Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 590 reviews · 12 hours · from $64

Spend a full day sailing from Kissamos to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island, with air-conditioned transport from Chania-area pickup points. Swim in shallow turquoise water, see the Dimitrios P shipwreck, and climb to Gramvousa’s Venetian fortress. Guides such as Vicky, Irene, and Eva are often praised for clear help.

“Everything was well-organized. Even though it was plenty of other people on boat our guide Vicky was always visible and even gave her number. She was supernice🧡🤗 Everything was explained perfectly. Balos was gorgeous, with crystal clear water and pink sand. Gramvousa nice to see, but it didn’t wanted to hike, that’s why enjoyed the beach, the only issue, there were lots of slippery stones, i guess it’s better to bring special water shoes for this I remember i was scared to return back from sea, but one kind woman noticed me and helped me 💛”

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5.Cruise to Balos Lagoon and Chania Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 526 reviews · 14.5 - 16 hours · from $88

Join Cretan Odyssey for a full-day trip from Heraklion to Balos Lagoon and Chania. Guides speak English, German, French, Italian, and Polish. Expect a long coach ride, a five-hour cruise, swimming at Balos, and two hours in Chania’s old town.

“All transport comfortable and on time. Guide informative and helpful throughout day. Enough time to explore Chania and visit Balas beach, very worthwhile trip, beautiful areas. Bring a jumper for boat etc. Excursion was everything as described and well planned out. Would recommend!”

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6.Balos & Falassarna Beach – Jeep Tour with Loungers and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 345 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $199Top rated

Travel from Chania in a comfortable air-conditioned 4WD with up to six people, taking the rough road toward Balos for a superb hilltop view rather than the beach itself. Then spend about three hours at Falassarna with reserved first-row loungers, drinks, wine or beer, and a Cretan lunch. Guides include Yiannis, Nikos, Nickolas, Dion, and Nasos.

“If you’d like a memorable time without a horde of tourists, this is it! Nicholas is dynamite tour guide. You’ll feel like you’re spending the day with good friends while seeing spectacular sea and landscapes. Then you’ll have an incredibly delicious lunch. Not an exaggeration. Worth every penny! Just do it!”

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7.Private Boat Trip Kissamos Balos (price per group – up to 10 people)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 143 reviews · 3 to 6 hours (approx.)

Sail from Kissamos to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa on a private boat for up to 10 people. Swim, snorkel, hike to the Venetian fortress, and ask your captain to adjust the route. Captains including Alex, Stelios, Lefteris, and Yannis are praised for safe, friendly service.

“Alexandrios made our experience enjoyable. He tried very hard to make the day perfect. We had a great day swimming and snorkelling.”

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8.Balos and Falassarna Tour with Loungers and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 130 reviews · 8 hours · from $194

Join a small group of up to six for an 8-hour 4WD trip from Chania to Balos viewpoint and Falassarna Beach. Guides such as Nikolas, Vassilis, and Nasos share local stories, provide snacks and drinks, reserve loungers, and serve a generous Cretan lunch with wine or beer.

“The trip was perfect in every way. Communication and instructions were clear, pick-up was exactly as described. We enjoyed our day with Nasos very very much! The views of Balos were breathtaking, our time at Falassarna was like being in heaven— did not want to leave! Nasos provided lots of interesting information about Crete and Greece he was a great driver and the conversations made the driving go by very quickly! Lunch was absolutely delicious and perfect after swimming for a few hours!”

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9.Gramvousa and Balos Tour from Chania(Boat ticket is included!)

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 114 reviews · 10 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $81

Travel from Chania to Kissamos by air-conditioned bus, then take a large ferry to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island. Expect turquoise water, a pirate castle, a shipwreck, limited shade, rocky water access, and a mostly self-guided day. Guides such as Carolina and Ioanna provide support during the transfer.

“Nous avons payé 38€ uniquement pour un trajet en bus nous amenant de la canée au port de Kissamos. Une fois dans le car, il nous a été demandé de payer 20€ supplémentaire par personne pour le coût du bateau alors que le nom de l’expérience s’appelle « croisière ». Nous avons du attendre le bateau pendant 1h sans aucune indication des guides.”

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10.Full-Day Private Tour to Balos Lagoon and Falassarna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews

Travel from Chania in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a flexible start time and personal pickup. Your guide, possibly Leonidas, Sakis, George, or another Crete Wanderer driver, takes you to Falassarna and Balos, with time for swimming, photos, lunch, and local stops.

“Pleasant way to make this trip by car and get personal tips and advice. The driver drove very calmly and safely along the winding roads. Nice arrangement where we got to influence the choice of lunch restaurant ourselves.”

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