The 15 Knossos Palace Tours in Heraklion That Earn Their Price

1.Palace of Knossos E-Ticket and Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 1,540 reviews · 1 - 5 hours · from $34Our pick

Visit Knossos Palace at your own pace with a pre-booked entry ticket, site map, and downloadable audio guide in five languages. Learn about Minoan art, trade, fashion, rituals, and daily life as you pass the South Propylaeum, West Magazines, Queen’s Megaron, and Mount Juktas viewpoint.

“It was a great experience, the audio really brought life to the site and the whole process is very easy. Would definitely recommend!”

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2.Knossos Palace & Heraklion Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,127 reviews · 6 - 9 hours · from $35

Travel by air-conditioned bus from selected Crete resorts to Knossos and Heraklion. A licensed guide, often including Vangelis, explains the palace, then you have free time for the Archaeological Museum, market, Venetian fountain, Loggia, and Koules Fortress.

“A very good day trip. The tour guide's enthusiasm for Crete's history was infectious”

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3.Zeus Cave -Old Traditional Villages-Olive Oil Factory

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 694 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $136Top rated

Spend about 7.5 hours with a local English-speaking guide such as Stavros, Ed, Mike, or Spyros, traveling from Heraklion through olive country and mountain villages. Taste olive oil and raki, visit Krasi and Mochos, see Lasithi windmills, and add Dikteon Cave and Knossos when open.

“Ed was a great tour guide! This tour was a little of everything and very off the beaten path. Ed offered options, choices and suggestions while providing tons of info and comedy relief. Will definitely recommend Ed to my friends who go to Crete in the future!”

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4.Knossos, Lasithi, Lasinthos and Olive Farm Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 351 reviews · from $50

Spend 10.5 to 11 hours exploring Crete from Heraklion. Visit Vidiani Monastery, Lasinthos Eco Park, Krasi’s ancient plane tree, an olive mill, and Knossos Palace with a live guide. The day includes hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and time for local food and shopping.

“Very interesting tour. Guide was very knowledgeable and at the Palace brought a guidebook to show us pictures of what the ruins would have looked like. The coach was full, and those who got on later seemed to struggle to sit together. It took an hour to pick everyone up, so we were on the coach for 1h30 before the first stop. The pottery workshop consisted of watching a potter for 5 minutes on his wheel (electric) creating a basic piece. Only the children were invited to have a turn afterwards-there were only 3 wheels, so no possibility of everyone having a go like the tour description had suggested, which…”

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5.Historical Center City Tour & Knossos Palace

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

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.”

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6.Knossos & Lasithi Plateau: Zeus Cave,Villages, Olive Oil Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 328 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $127

Travel from Heraklion in a Wi-Fi-equipped minivan to an olive oil press, Krasi, the Lasithi Plateau, Zeus Cave, a mountain taverna, Mochos, and Knossos. Guides such as Marinos, Nikos, and Angie add local stories and flexibility. Zeus Cave is closed for restoration until summer 2026.

“An amazing small group tour across the mountain regions, a stop at an olive oil factory and a visit to Knossos Palace. Everything was relaxed and perfectly timed – we didn’t feel at all rushed. The beauty of this tour was that unlike larger tours, we were able to visit areas that coaches simply cannot access. The best part of the day was having Nikos as our guide – what a warm and friendly person with an hilarious sense of humour! Thank you, Nikos, for making this a truly unforgettable day”

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7.Knossos Palace and Heraklion Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 240 reviews · 10 hours · from $35

Travel from Rethymno to Knossos Palace and Heraklion by air-conditioned coach. Guide Anastasia adds stories about Minoan Crete, myths, and local life along the way. You’ll tour Knossos, then have about four hours for the Archaeological Museum, old town, lunch, and shopping.

“Exactly or even better than advertised on the ‘box’. Great driver and guide, Costa and Anastasia, they were knowledgeable and personable in equal measure. Thank you for a great day.”

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8.Knossos Palace & Heraklion Full-Day Tour from Chania Area

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 235 reviews · 9 - 11 hours · from $57

Travel from Chania to Knossos with a licensed guide, hear the stories of the Minotaur and Ariadne, see the 3,000-year-old throne, visit Heraklion’s Archaeological Museum, and enjoy free time for lunch, shopping, and raki. Guides may speak English, German, or French.

“Really comfortable coach, very friendly guides and lots of activities!”

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9.Palace of Knossos 3D Virtual Audio Tour by Tablet

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 230 reviews · 1h 30m · from $22Best value

Walk through Knossos with a mini iPad showing the palace in 3D and 360 degrees, then compare the reconstruction with the ruins before you. Audio commentary is available in eight languages. The tablet, headphones, sunshield, and case are included, but palace admission costs extra.

“First time doing the VR tour, really enjoyed it! Sometimes it’s tough to imagine what the ruins would have looked like, so this helps you picture it. We liked that it was self guided, took us about 75 minutes. Would do again at other sites!!”

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10.Knossos Palace & Heraklion Full-Day Tour from Rethymno Areas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 197 reviews · 5 - 10 hours · from $25

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Rethymno to Knossos and Heraklion. Choose a guided visit with multilingual guides such as George, Sofia, or Anastasia, or explore independently. Allow extra money for the €20 Knossos and €12 museum tickets, payable in cash.

“Everything was really well organized. The museum in Herakleion was great. Knossos was amazing and we had a great guide. The only negative thing was that we ran out of time in Knossos and didn't have enough time to listen to all of the guide's stories about mythology.”

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11.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.

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12.Knossos Palace and Heraklion Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 153 reviews · 12 hours · from $56

Travel from Chania to Knossos Palace, Heraklion, and Rethymno in one long day. A local guide explains Minoan myths and ruins, with headsets at the sites. You get about three hours in Heraklion, an optional museum visit, and one hour in Rethymno.

“This trip is a great way to see part of the island. Knossos Palace is really interesting although our group was so large it was difficult at times to hear the commentary. The palace ruins are extensive and it might be a better option for those that want to be able to make their own way around.”

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13.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…”

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14.Knossos Palace and Museum E-Tickets with Audio Guides

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 126 reviews · 1 day · from $69

Visit Knossos Palace and Heraklion Archaeological Museum in one day with timed e-tickets and self-guided audio tours in five languages. Use your own phone and headphones, follow the stories at your pace, and allow extra time for Knossos navigation, transport, and the museum’s many displays.

“La dificultat al estar en diferents nivells, de trobar els punts. Al Palau de Knossos”

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15.Knossos, Zeus, Villages & Olive Oil Factory Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $128

From Heraklion, join Stavros, Ed, Mike, or another English-speaking local guide for a small-group day through Cretan villages, an olive oil factory, Lasithi Plateau, and Knossos. Expect local coffee, honey, raki, village food, and plenty of mythology, with the Zeus Cave included when open.

“The entire experience was excellant, informative and got to explore the less explored side of Crete”

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