Samaria Gorge Hiking Tour from Chania with Professional Guide
Description
Explore Samaria Gorge on this full-day sightseeing adventure tour if you search for a unique hiking experience with a local tour guide. Hiking the 16km-long Samaria Gorge, one of Europe's longest canyons, is high on the list of must-dos for many visitors to Crete. There’s an undeniable raw beauty to the canyon, with its soaring cliffs and needlenose passageways. After the long trek enjoy an invigorating dip in the cool waters of Agia Roumeli at the exit of the Gorge.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The gorge of Samaria is counted among the top destinations of the Chania district and a journey to Chania can never be considered complete, unless you visit the gorge. The gorge’s trail starts at Ksyloskalo (Omalos plateau, 1.227 meters altitude) and after following the river bed, it ends up at the littoral village of Agia Roumeli. The trail of Samaria is the most visited trail in the whole of Greece, it is excellently equipped with signals and signs which eliminate the danger of getting lost, it is comfortable and very well cared for, mostly with stones and soil. It is not considered a very difficult hike, vivid proof of which is the fact that hundreds of people cross it daily from the opening (in May) till the closing of its visiting season (in October). It is a very pleasant hike, not a strenuous one, with many landscape alternations and a versatile environment.
The gorge ends up at the village of Agia Roumeli our escort will have already stipulated a meeting point there, in order for them to give you the tickets to the ferry, which will take you from Agia Roumeli. You have free time to swim in Agia Roumeli and lunch (optional) in one of the village’s taverns. Agia Roumeli is a unique place. It has a genuine Cretan heritage and a strong sense of character. 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.
At 17:30 you go aboard the ferry, Sougia or Sfakia (usually Sougia) being your destination. When you reach the port, our bus will be waiting to return you to your hotel. Our bus returns you to the location you have been picked up from. Sougia Village is one of the most laid back and refreshingly undeveloped beach places along the unique south coast of Crete, southern of Chania, with a lovely wide curve of sand and pebble beach and a few taverns where you can enjoy excellent traditional food as well as fresh fish. It was the site of the ancient town Syia that flourished during Roman times. Sougia became a village after the second world war and in late years it started to develop into a seaside tourist resort, not only due to its gorgeous beach and natural beauty but also for the peaceful and relaxed atmosphere that Sougia offers to its visitors.
Right after that, we return to Chania and to your hotels.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
You will receive notification via email regarding your pick-up details, including the pick-up location and time. We aim to pick up individuals at their hotel or as close as possible to their accommodation based on the address you have provided. (Pick up times will vary from 05:30 - 06:30 depending on your accomodation) Pick-up & drop off service is offered for the listed areas: • Chania town • Chrissi Akti • Kato Daratso • Agioi Apostoloi • Kalamaki • Stalos • Agia Marina • Platanias • Gerani • Maleme • Kamisiana • Tavronitis • Kolimvari 1.There is an additional charge, for any other area that is not listed. 2.Pick-up locations can be hotels, buildings, and squares. 3.Please be aware that you have to be on time at the pick-up location as the bus cannot wait..
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children have a regular seat on the bus. [Children: 4 - 12 years old]
Reviews(20)
They pretended it would be too hot and postponing the day after although the forecast was identical for the other day. Got the money back but not a credible statement.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We appreciate both positive and negative reviews, as they help us improve our services. However, we would like to clarify that the cancellation was not due to weather conditions. The tour had to be canceled because our professional mountain guide became unexpectedly ill. As safety and quality are our highest priorities, we do not replace our certified guides with someone we do not know or whose qualifications we cannot personally verify. While we understand the inconvenience this caused and sincerely apologize for the disruption to your plans, we believe it would have been irresponsible to lower our standards by operating the tour without the experienced guide our guests expect and deserve. We are pleased that you were able to find an alternative tour and that your refund was processed promptly. Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on one of our tours in the future.Best regards ,Rania Alexaki
A beautiful experience, the views are incredible. All downhill but a little challenging due to the fact that you are hiking on rocks. Would absolutely recommend it.
We would like to thank you for sharing such a nice and detailed review! We truly appreciate the time taken.Thank you again ! Best regards ,Anna Kastrinaki
It is a long hike and if you have never done any gorge hikes this is a good first start.. It is downhill almost most of the way and when you get to the river near the end and walk the bridges it makes it even more fun.
We booked this trip (through the Get Your Guide website, but IO Tours sent all the correspondence) and it was cancelled as the gorge was closed. I was promised a refund, but a week later I still haven’t received it, despite sending two emails to chase it. I have now had to open a dispute with my bank. I’m now left with having to give a bad review to see whether that produces a response. Avoid this company.
Don’t use this tour for the Gorge! No information was given by Dafni our guide on logistics. What time our ferry was, how long in duration, bus after, no restroom breaks!, no information about restaurants after the hike - very bad
Definitely worth doing with this company. Pari was an excellent tour guide and Yannis an excellent bus driver. Advice, definitely get a hiking stick, check your footwear, clothing tightness for chaffing (got some and saw more at the end, take Vaseline on the rubbing parts), water if you don’t want the spring water you find plenty of and food like energy bars and a little fruit. Have a little breakfast before when they stop with a hard boiled egg and banana. Listen to what Pari tells you about safety and the timeline for your decent. Take amazing photos. Swim at the bottom, it will help reduce the inflammation and eat a little something at the restaurant you meet back up at the end. Very delicious food. Pat yourself on the back and talk with other hikers. Met very nice folks who were all very interesting.
A wonderful trip, well organized, the guid, Dafni, was very nice. We are all have muscle pain now, a day after, but very happy 😀
My husband and I, both active hikers had a spectacular experience. The guide rated the hike a level 3/3 in difficulty primarily due to its length (16-18 km), we found the trail to be moderately challenging, probably somewhere around a 2.2/3 difficulty. The descent itself isn't the hard part— it really the distance that tests your endurance. Our guide, Pari, was great! Though she spent much of her time at the back helping the slower walkers, she was always available to answer any questions with a smile and maintained an upbeat demeanor throughout. A word of advice about gear: while other operators might rent out hiking sticks for €1-2 per day, when I called, IO Tours mentioned they provided them for free. However, at the start, we could only find sticks for purchase at the mini-market for €15. They turned out to be a worthy investment, especially beneficial for the downhill sections which can be tough on your joints. To anyone else going on this hike: * Definitely consider bringing trekking poles or hiking sticks to make your journey more comfortable * Book this directly through the operator direct (or viator, expedia, kayak, or whatever platform). Our hotel charged €50 for the same tour, while we only paid €33 when booking with them. There is little difference between the operators, all start in Chania around 6 AM, and all take the ferry back at 5:30 PM. Thanks IO and Pari for making the Greece trip more memorable!
Beautiful nature, not that hard if you love walking. Will return. Lots of option to have a break, fill water bottle. Possible to wask with children.
Disappointing experience with Io tours. Very minimal input from the guide, and the transport home was a disaster. Very disorganised, and the coach was over an hour late returning with no reason for the delay, or communication from the guide. The guide also strongly discouraged me from attempting the hike. The Gorge itself was spectacular. Thoroughly enjoyed the hike. Legs hurt a lot the day after, so take that into consideration.
