Chania: Samaria Gorge Guided Hike

This is the second time we’ve walked the gorge. The trip was well-organised, the coach was on time and there was good information from Nikos, the guide. We had plenty of time to do the walk (took us about 5.5hrs) and were waiting for the boat for quite a long time at the end. Just some practical advice- it’s cold at the top but soon gets very warm. Take lightweight layers that are easy to take off and carry. Take a refillable water bottle, there are loads of drinking water points along the way. Take food if you need it- you can buy food at the cafe at the top but after that there’s nowhere to get food in the gorge. You may need a hat and suncream, there’s little shade for much of it. Wear comfortable and supportive shoes. Some areas are slippery and uneven. There’s a lot of walking down at the beginning then a bit of up and down as you go along. Make sure you have time to recover the next day or two and aren’t heading straight into another hike- unless you’re very used it. MH legs were sore for days!

We did the Samaria Gorge tour, leaving Chania at around 6:00 a.m. The bus stops in Omalos, where there’s a small canteen serving breakfast before the hike. The trail is about 16 km long, but it’s completely manageable if you do some regular exercise. Make sure to wear closed hiking shoes with good grip, as there are many rocky and slippery sections, and the route is a descent of more than 1,000 meters. Before our trip, we considered taking the ferry to Agia Roumeli and only hiking up to the Iron Gates, as we thought the full route might be too long. After doing the entire hike, I can confidently say that would have been a big mistake. Starting from Agia Roumeli means you begin with a steep uphill climb and miss the most spectacular parts of the gorge. The Iron Gates are famous, but they’re only a small section of the hike. The real beauty is walking through the gorge before you reach them, surrounded by towering cliffs, as well as the incredible first part of the trail that starts high up in the White Mountains with stunning scenery and nature. The sun only becomes an issue in the last part of the hike, so bring a hat or cap. There are plenty of natural water springs along the way, so there’s no need to carry a large amount of water. A piece of fruit and a sandwich are enough for the hike, and once you reach Agia Roumeli there are several tavernas serving delicious local food, making it the perfect place to have lunch after your walk. Our guide was fantastic. They rent hiking poles if you want them, gives clear instructions before the hike, and then stays at the back of the group to make sure nobody is left behind and to help anyone who needs it. After finishing the gorge, you can either walk the extra 2 km to Agia Roumeli beach or take the shuttle bus for €2. There are also two small cafés right at the park exit where you can buy cold drinks and ice cream before continuing. The beach at Agia Roumeli is the perfect place for a swim after the hike. I highly recommend bringing water shoes because the beach is very rocky and the stones get extremely hot. The scenery throughout the gorge is absolutely breathtaking and makes every step worth it. I highly recommend this experience. Just be prepared for sore calves and muscle aches over the next couple of days!

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.

+4

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 .

+3