The 10 Best City Tours in Crete

1.Historical Center City Tour & Knossos Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 340 reviews · 7 hours - 510 minutes · from $47Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned bus from selected Crete resorts to Knossos Palace, where guides such as Soula and Christina explain Minoan history with headsets. Then walk Heraklion’s center, see the Venetian Harbor, shop the old market, and choose the Archaeological Museum during free time.

“Nice experience. The guide was very sympathetic and told us a lot of interesting information about the place and the minoic culture. I liked the time they gave us to explore the city center on our own so we were able to eat something and go shopping at the market.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Day Trip To Heraklion City Center & Market & CretAquarium

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 205 reviews · 7 hours · from $23

Travel by air-conditioned bus from eastern Crete to Heraklion’s Pateles market, city center, Venetian port and Koules Fortress, then visit Cretaquarium in Gournes. A multilingual guide, hotel pickup and return are included. Bring cash for food, shopping and the aquarium ticket.

“It was fantastic our guide was so clear explain for as lots of informations and history about the Crete culture we love it .”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.City Highlights Small Group Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 176 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $51

Ride through Chania with local guides such as Theo, Dimitris, and Billy on a relaxed 2.5-hour route through the old town, Venetian harbor, and historic walls. Expect an English-speaking group of up to eight, city bikes, helmets, water, an energy bar, and homemade iced tea.

“Had a great morning (on 16.06.) thanks to our guide. He had an amazing knowledge about whole Chania/Crete. He showed us a beautiful places, secret spots and amazing views. We had a little break and he offered us a tasty lemonade and bio- bars to keep us going. Great activity to explore Chania and learn some interesting historical facts. I loved it! Can definitely recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Knossos Palace, Heraklion City, Market Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 164 reviews · 6 - 8 hours · from $41

Travel by coach to Knossos Palace, where a live guide explains the Minoan ruins, then stop at a Cretan farm near Patsides for local samples. Finish with guided time in Heraklion, including the Venetian Harbor, Koules Fortress, old market, shops, and free time for lunch.

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Knossos Palace & Heraklion City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 152 reviews · 8 hours · from $29

Ride from Chania or Rethymno to Knossos and Heraklion by coach, with about two hours at the palace and time for the museum and city center. Guides such as Manos, Adonis, and Caterina have led past departures, but site guiding can vary, so budget €20 for entry tickets.

“The advertised 8-hour trip from Rethymno ended up being far longer at 11 hours. This was due to a significant amount of stops at different hotels on the way there and back. I expected it would be a little longer than advertised, but 3 hours longer is a little much! additionally, while we were also the first on the coach, we were not notified of our pickup time and location being moved, we got a call 15 minutes before the advertised time asking where we were. Fortunately, we were already ready at the original location, but we did have to march down the marina to the bus. Finally, there was…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Mini-Train City Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 148 reviews · from $19Best value

Ride a mini-train through Chersonissos with audio commentary and Greek music. Choose the 100-minute town route or a longer half-day trip through Avdou, Gonies, and Potamies, with local sweets and Raki included on the village option.

“Waste of money. No guarantee you can get on the trains and is purely a tour of hotel stops”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Chania City Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 98 reviews · 7 hours · from $29

Travel by comfortable bus from Rethymno to Chania, hear local history from your guide, then enjoy about five hours on your own. Walk the old town, photograph the Venetian harbor and lighthouse, and choose your own lunch stops. Pickup details vary by hotel and weekday.

“Wszystko punktualnie i zgodnie z planem. Miły przewodnik i uprzejmy kierowca. Dużo informacji o historii miasta i atrakcjach do zobaczenia. Formuła wolnego czasu na zwiedzanie bardzo nam odpowiadała;) polecamy !”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Knossos Palace, Museum & Rethymno city Private Tour from Chania

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) Top rated

Travel from Chania to Knossos, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and Rethymno in a private van for up to six people. Christine and Thanos share Cretan customs on the road, while an optional specialist guide brings the palace to life. Lunch, snacks, drinks, WiFi, and hotel pickup are included.

“From the moment Christine and Sotiris met us at the port gate holding a sign with our name, we knew we were in good hands. The vehicle was clean, comfortable, and even had a video screen playing helpful clips about Crete and Knossos as we drove—such a thoughtful touch that added context to the day. What really made this tour outstanding was the depth of knowledge shared by both Christine, our guide for the day, and Thalia, our licensed guide at Knossos Palace. Thalia’s vivid and detailed explanations brought the ruins to life—she helped us see what the palace might have looked like, how it was used, and why it…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.E-Bike City Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 16 reviews · from $49

Ride an easy-to-moderate e-bike loop through Chania with a local guide, stopping for Cretan herbs, olive oil, cheese, and honey, plus the Armenis knife factory, Folklore Museum, Koum Kapi, and Nea Chora. Small groups, helmets, and multilingual guiding are included.

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Day trip to CHANIA CITY – KOURNAS LAKE

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 8 reviews · from $39

Travel by air-conditioned bus from Rethymno to Chania, with about four hours for the old town, market, Venetian harbor, and lighthouse. Then spend time at freshwater Lake Kournas for walking, swimming, lunch, or a pedal boat ride. English guidance and hotel-area pickup are included.

“Bus didnt show up, no trip. They didnt answer the phone.”

Check availability →Read our full review