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Chania (Balos & Elafonissi) in March
Mixed month: March is outside the recommended season (May – June, September – October). Against it: Samaria Gorge Closed. Clean Monday and the end of Carnival can fall this month.
The season opens in May, 2 months away. Wildfire Season usually starts in July, 4 months away.
3 days in Chania (Balos & Elafonissi) in March · from ₹40,303 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
Before you book March
Closures, crowds and rules at Chania (Balos & Elafonissi) this month.
Worth knowing
Samaria Gorge Closed
The Samaria Gorge national park is open for walkers from about May to October, and closes on days of heavy rain, strong wind or extreme heat even then. The Balos and Gramvousa boats also run only in the warm months. Chania itself is open all year.
What’s on in March
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
Clean Monday and the end of Carnival2027: Clean Monday 15 Mar
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.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹40,303 for two
- Room a night₹7,460
- Food a day, each₹3,458
Mid-range
₹88,776 for two
- Room a night₹14,910
- Food a day, each₹7,980
Luxury
₹2,03,990 for two
- Room a night₹34,080
- Food a day, each₹18,620
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Greece yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Athens (ATH), 275 km away
Then: Flight · 3h 48m (Aegean / Sky Express flight)
Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹20,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹11,590
- Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a VFS Global Greece centre in India, 4-8 weeks before you fly, and at least 6 weeks ahead for June to September (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Greece if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen. The fee is €90 (about ₹9,600; €45 for children 6-11) plus the VFS service charge, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- At the appointment give your fingerprints and photo (skipped if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months). The embassy takes up to 15 working days, longer if other Schengen states are consulted, and summer applications often take 3-5 weeks.
- If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's 2024 cascade rules for Indians you can be given a two-year visa, then a five-year one.
- On your first arrival in the Schengen Area your fingerprints and face are scanned at passport control (the EU Entry/Exit System, in full use since April 2026) instead of a stamp. Allow extra time at Athens airport.
Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages; Completed visa application form and two recent photos (35 x 45 mm); Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip; Return flight booking and a day-by-day itinerary, with the ferries or flights between islands; Hotel bookings for every night; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months, income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers).
One Schengen visa covers Greece and every other Schengen country (Italy, France, Switzerland and more) for up to 90 days in any 180, but not Türkiye, which needs its own visa or e-visa. ETIAS is only for visa-free travellers, so it does not affect you. Appointment waits and VFS charges vary by centre and season: check visa.vfsglobal.com for your city before you book flights.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Greece in March
Nearby in Crete:
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Chania (Balos & Elafonissi) in March, day by day, priced for your group.