Guided Tour to Knossos Palace & Heraklion
Description
Participate in a guided tour to the Palace of Knossos, the political and ceremonial center of Minoan civilization. The tour continues to the town center of Heraklion, completing in a day the historical path of 4000 years.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Knossos Palace is the capital of Minoan civilization, just 5km away on the south of Heraklion town. It is the largest of the preserved Minoan palatial centers on the island. Walk through it with your guide and find out how people lived 4.000 years ago, people that are believed to be the first Europeans, lived as an organized community in Crete and the center of their civilization the Palace itself. The Throne Room, the frescoes, the Minoan Columns, the water management will stimulate your imagination on how the community of the Minoans was living on the island back then.
Heraklion is the capital of Crete as well as the largest city on the island. It is a town living between modern life and a deep link with its past. The town is fortified by the old Venetian walls. From the town's center, a walk through Daidalou street will bring you to Lion Square and the famous Morosini Fountain remain of the Venetian era. The way to the left will take you to the permanent outdoor market of the town and finally to the Valide Mosque, a remain of the turkish occupancy. The way to the right will bring you to the Venetian Loggia and finally to the sea and the Koules Fortres
Optional you may visit the Archaeological Museum in the center of Heraklion city. It brings together, findings from all over Crete, covering over 5500 years of the island's history. It is one of the most remarkable museums in Greece containing the most notable and complete collection of artifacts and initials of the Minoan civilization around the world.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up customers from meeting points and hotels from the areas of Heraklion Karteros Kokkini Hani Gouves Analipsi Anisaras Hersonisos Stalida Malia Sissi. Pickup time depends on the location of the accommodation hotel. The exact pickup time and location will be sent via email.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Entry discounts apply to Knossos Palace and the Archaeological Museum:
- Free for EU citizens under 25 years old and non-EU citizens under 18 years old.
- 50% Discount for EU citizens aged over 65 from 1st of October to 31st of May.
- Valid ID or passport required to claim the discount.
- Food and drinks are not allowed on board the vehicle.
Reviews(91)
Tour started at Knossos so it was not as crowded as it got later. It was August so it’s still pretty crowded. Archeological Museum was very good too. You see the frescoes that were recreated for Knossos. Don’t forget sunscreen and a hat.
The guide was great but we did not enjoy the tour due to the length of time to complete everything. This was our fault but I want to make others aware so they don’t make the same mistake. The tour is done in 2 languages. This is noted on their description but we didn’t think through the implications. That means twice as long at every stop along the way at the Palace. The Palace is outdoors with very little shade and gets extremely busy. Other tours blew past us and were done in half the time. They also were able to see more of the Palace grounds. Two in my family grew impatient and wandered on their own so they saw everything without the guide. We compared with the two who remained with the guide and they saw much less. We can’t speak to the tour of the city as our family opted to tour the museum on our own versus doing the city portion since the Palace portion was so extended. Again the guide was very kind and knowledgeable. This was not her fault, it was ours. We personally will not do another tour given in multiple languages.
A truly beautiful place, rich in history and very well maintained. The Italian-speaking guide was excellent, courteous and very precise, with a great desire to share knowledge, very kind.
The guide was very knowledgeable and made us relive the life of a palace buried underground for thousands of years.
excellent guide in knossos palace very knowegeable , a truly wonderful experience we would recommend
The visit to the Palace of Knossos was very informative, thanks to a very competent guide who takes the time to provide important information at each stage of the visit.
Interesting with excellent guide. Worth a visit.
Pickup at a multipurpose bus station - we ended up on the wrong bus to the same location and it was difficult to rejoin the tour. Also there were not enough headphones so we couldn't hear the guide well. Otherwise the palace was interesting and worth seeing. We would take a city bus and hire a guide at the entrance if we were to do it again.
I have always wanted to see the Bronze Age ruin and having a guide to help explain all the sites was great!
Brilliant guided tour of Knossos and Heraklion. The tour guide Soula was incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining. She brought the history of Crete to life!
