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Heraklion (Knossos)

Minoan Knossos and Crete's Capital

Plan this trip
2 daysIdeal stay₹6,920From / night₹2,560Food / day₹2,130Entry

Crete's capital and busiest airport: the Minoan palace of Knossos 5 km south, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum with the Minoan frescoes and the Phaistos disc, the Venetian harbour fortress and walls, and Lion Square for an evening. The base for the wineries of the interior, the beaches east to Hersonissos, and the Lasithi plateau. Flights from Athens take 50 minutes, overnight ferries from Piraeus about 9 hours, and in season fast boats reach Santorini in under 2 hours. Indian restaurants in town. A hire car is the way round Crete.

Highlights

  • Palace of Knossos
  • Minoan frescoes in the Archaeological Museum
  • Venetian harbour and Koules fortress
  • Winery tour in the Cretan interior
  • Phaistos and Gortyna
  • Cretan food: dakos, kalitsounia, raki

Things to do

  • Palace of Knossos (book the first slot)Morning · 2h 30m
  • Heraklion Archaeological MuseumAfternoon · 2h 30m
  • Venetian harbour, walls and Lion SquareEvening · 2h
  • Wine tasting in the Peza and Archanes villagesAfternoon · 4h
  • Day trip to Phaistos and MatalaMorning · 8h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Heraklion (Knossos)via GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Heraklion (Knossos)via Klook

Tourisma may earn a small commission if you book — it never changes your price.

When to go

Best time: April – June, September – October

Heads up

Summer Heat

July and August bring heatwaves of 35-40 °C and more to the mainland and the big islands. See ancient sites at opening time (they have little shade, and can close at midday in extreme heat), rest in the afternoon, carry water, and book rooms with air-conditioning.

Worth knowing

Wildfire Season

From July to September hot, dry winds spread wildfires in Attica, the Peloponnese, Halkidiki and the islands; in 2023 thousands of tourists were evacuated from resorts on Rhodes. Follow the 112 emergency text alerts (sent in English), obey road closures and evacuation orders, never light a fire or barbecue outdoors, and check the fire-risk map before hiking. Travel insurance should cover cancellations.

  • Orthodox Easter (Pascha) — Greece's biggest festival: candlelit Good Friday processions, the midnight Resurrection service on Saturday with fireworks and church bells, and lamb roasts on Sunday. Corfu's is the most famous, with clay pots thrown from balconies on Holy Saturday morning. Greeks travel home, so ferries, flights and hotels fill, and shops, museums and sites close or shorten hours from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Book well ahead.
  • Clean Monday and the end of Carnival — The first day of Orthodox Lent and a public holiday: families fly kites (in Athens on Filopappou Hill) and eat a meatless picnic of lagana bread, taramosalata and vegetable dishes, easy for vegetarians. The Carnival (Apokries) parades end the weekend before.
  • Epiphany: the Blessing of the Waters — Priests throw a cross into the sea, a river or the harbour and young men dive to bring it back, at Piraeus, Thessaloniki's seafront and island harbours. A public holiday.
  • Dekapentavgoustos (the Assumption) — The feast of the Virgin Mary and the peak of the Greek summer holiday: village festivals (panigiria) with music and food the night before, a great pilgrimage to Paros' Church of a Hundred Doors, and every ferry and island room full in the week around it. Athens empties and many of its shops close.