Chania: Samaria Gorge Guided Hike
Description
Early in the morning, you will be picked up from designated areas around Chania via a luxurious bus and reach the starting point of your tour in Omalos Plateau around 7am. The panoramic view of the gorge from the plateau is a photophile's delight, so after short stop for pictures, you will begin descending the 600 wooden steps that will take you inside the Samaria gorge. There will always be a hiking escort to ensure everyone's safety and provide assistance if needed. The hike will conclude at Agia Roumeli, a beach at the end of the gorge, At around 17:00 you will board a boat to the picturesque village of Sougia, where you will start your trip back to the place where you were picked up from. Time-Table 05:20‐06:10 Pick up 07:15 First stop Omalos Plateau 07:45 Begin hike Xyloskalo 14:00 End hike at Agia Roumeli Village 16:30 Meet your guide at Agia Roumeli 17:00-17:30 Departure from Agia Roumeli to Sougia 20:00‐20:30 Arrival at your Hotel
Tour Options
Itinerary
The gorge of Samaria is the biggest, most imposing and beautiful gorge in Greece and 2nd in Europe, and that is why it is internationally renown and mostly visited, since more than 300.000 people cross it each year. It has a wonderful landscape with rare geo-morphological formations. It is a unique biotope with particular richness in fauna and flora. It has a rich mythology as well, that goes back to pre-historical years and a tumultuous history during the difficult years of Crete.
Early in the morning, you will be picked up from designated spots around Chania via a luxurious bus and reach the starting point of your tour in Omalos Plateau around 7am. The panoramic view of the gorge from the plateau is a photophile's delight, so after short stop for pictures, you will begin descending the 600 wooden steps that will take you inside the Samaria gorge. Shadowed by the adjacent White Mountains and with plenty of drinking water to be found along the way in many natural springs, this self-paced hike will create unique memories for every traveler. Behind your group, there will always be a hiking escort to ensure everyone's safety and provide assistance if needed.
Agia Roumeli is a unique place. It is a peaceful community, nestled between breathtakingly high and wild mountains and a long beach of fine pebble by the deep blue, crystal clear Libyan sea. The village is remote and near enough isolated; you can only reach it on foot or by boat, as there is no road. Visitors have discovered that Agia Roumeli is a superb place to spend their holidays, and many tend to return again and again. The surroundings allow guests to completely relax and switch off the outside world. Anyone who can relate to nature will find plenty to do here. Agia Roumeli is situated in one of the wildest regions of Crete wit rare flora, fauna and geology. Being the exit of the Samaria Gorge National Park, it offers magnificent walking and hiking trails through unspoilt and protected nature. The strong sun in combination with the salty sea and almost deserted beaches give you a unique sense of nurturing solitude. Free time for swimming and lunch!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Kindly contact the tour operator for the exact time and we will inform you upon reservation
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(6)
Very well organized. One felt well accompanied and cared for. Any problems were dealt with in a very solution-oriented manner. For example, I had to catch the last public bus in Chania, as my hotel was in Almyrida. Therefore, I was quickly placed in a minibus and dropped off at the bus station so that I could catch the bus on time. The two guides, Nicos & Nicos, coordinated this excellently.
The scenery of the gorge is simply spectacular. Tour is very well organized, Nicos is a great guide. BUT !! The hike is far far more difficult than described. I have a feeling that organizers completely under estimate, or maybe hide even, what tourists should expect and how to prepare. This is not a hike for anyone even slightly not at their best. It took us 6.5 hours and we had some elderly in our group whom it took even longer and who were overwhelmed and bit shocked of how difficulty differed from rather easy going description. There was no info to seriously prepare, eg that proper hiking shoes is almost a must (sports shoes are just just just enough, we had them and slipped all the time on the stones). We survived, but at times almost regretted getting ourselves into it (especially that 3rd part of the hike, 7-11km felt most strenuous, with hike on the stones in the gorge in full sun while already tired). It's an amazing experience, but be prepared. If you're fit, you'll have an amazing time. If you have doubts - think twice and read Google reviews for lots of first hand experiences)
This trip exceeded all our expectations, from beginning to end. Any queries we had beforehand were answered quickly and clearly. The transport organisation on the day was first class, as was our guide Nicos who gave us very clear information about the entirety of the trip, what to expect, and was extremely helpful from beginning to end. The gorge walk itself was absolutely stunning. Highly recommended!! 😃
Samaria Gorge is stunning however it is not a 13km walk. Both my husband and I measure our steps and we did 19km and 25km respectively. The whole distance is downhill and over rough ish terrain. I do not consider myself to have issues with knees but about 2/3 into the hike, I begun feeling a bit of an ache in my right knee (dominant side). The rest stops are convenient and quite pretty, with two of them having chapels/churches. Supportive footwear is a must. Gorge is stunning, with astonishing scenery. Lots of photo/video opportunities. At times it felt like we've been in different climate zones due to different humidity. Booking process using Viator was easy and painless.
Lovely day and hike. The guide and driver were both really lovely and informative. Would highly recommend. Thank you!!
First of all a would thanks Ria that helps about the tours and also when it cancelled she called Me and explained why. Also we did the safari Tour she text us to see if we enjoyed it . When we had a problem she immediately checked to help us . I will recommend tourmaster RIA AND also the guides explained us to detail about the tours we had .
