I
Was a nice day, Christina...
Was a nice day, Christina is a very motivated guide. Bus transfer went well too. Length of everything was good.
Knossos Palace & Historical Heraklion City Tour, with Old Market
+13 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 6–7 hours
- Price from
- $47 / person
- Rating
- 4.4 / 5 · 69 reviews
- Languages
- DE, EN, IT, PL
- Group
- Small group, up to 50
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation
- Hotel pickup
- Available
- Confirmation
- Instant
Prices checked on Sep 11, 2026Things to do in Heraklion
Description
Heraklion is the capital of Crete and one of the Mediterranean region's most fascinating and vibrant cities with many historic monuments to visit. It is full of places to discover. Knossos is one of them, the mythical labyrinth and ancient capital of Minoan Crete, 5000years ago. Take this tour and combine a visit to its city center and to the Palace of the Minoan Civilization.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will start collecting participants from pick-up points in the morning. Depending on the place of your hotel/apartment the bus ride will differ.
Knossos, the mythical labyrinth and ancient capital of Minoan Crete, 5000years ago. Our participants will enter the Archaeological Site with our Representative in order to attend a Guided Tour for about 1 hour & 20 minutes and then enjoy some free time to take photos and admire the historic Minoan place. Participants have to wait in line, in order to receive their tickets and enter the Palace.
After leaving the Palace of Knossos, our bus will take us to the city of Heraklion. There participants will attend a guided tour in the city center and the historical part of Heraklion followed by 2h30min free time at the old market for walking, photos and shopping. Optional: The visit to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, is optional and will be a without tour guide as the covid regulation for visiting the museum as group, is very strict and would take too much time and high cost.
Embarkation in the buses and drive back to the hotels where we gathered participants in the morning. Depending on traffic and on the pick-up places of each one, the time of journey back to the hotel will differ.
Highlights
Liability Insurance Coverage by ALLIANZ for our tour participants
Air-conditioned vehicle
Professional Driver
Tour Guide
What's included
Included
Liability Insurance Coverage by ALLIANZ for our tour participants
Air-conditioned vehicle
Professional Driver
Tour Guide
Not included
Snacks
Archaeological Museum (optional)
Knossos Palace
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up travellers from specific points in the areas of Sisi, Malia, Stalis, Hersonissos, Anissaras, Agkisaras, Piskopiano, Koutouloufari, Gouves, Gournes, Kokkini Hani, Karteros, Amoudara, Agia Pelagia and from two centrally located points in Heraklion town. As soon as you make the booking we will contact you in order to let you know the exact place and time of the Pick-up which is closer to your place of hotel, please check your email.
Traveller Ratings
4.4
69 reviews
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Frequently asked questions
How long does this tour take?
Knossos Palace & Historical Heraklion City Tour, with Old Market lasts about 6–7 hours. The itinerary has 4 stops.
How much does this tour cost?
Prices start at $47 per person for this Heraklion experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 24 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Can I cancel this tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. We pick up travellers from specific points in the areas of Sisi, Malia, Stalis, Hersonissos, Anissaras, Agkisaras, Piskopiano, Koutouloufari, Gouves, Gournes, Kokkini Hani, Karteros, Amoudara, Agia Pelagia and from two centrally located points in Heraklion town. As soon as you make the booking we will contact you in order to let you know the exact place and time of the Pick-up which is closer to your place of hotel, please check your email. Pickup points include CONTACT_SUPPLIER_LATER, LOC-6eKJ+or5y8o99Qw0C8xWyBDabk0iB3GgdmidVUfmN9M=, LOC-6eKJ+or5y8o99Qw0C8xWyHcskbRBOD7Bzt9L/zW7IEI=.
What languages is this tour offered in?
The experience is available in DE, EN, IT, PL, FR.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 50 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Specialized infant seats are available
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Reviews(69)
U
Special Family Experience at Knossos Palace
Visiting Knossos Palace was a really special experience for me and my family. It was fascinating to walk around such an important part of Crete’s history and imagine what life was like thousands of years ago. We really enjoyed learning about the Minoan civilization and discovering the different parts of the palace. A beautiful experience and definitely somewhere I would recommend visiting while in Crete.
3
Great tour guide
Overall, my husband and I had a good experience on this trip. The tour guide Soula was extremely knowledgeable and made Knossos Palace come to life with her explanations and enthusiasm. She also gave a good tour around the historical centre of Heraklion. It would be better value for money if the ticket to Knossos Palace was included in the tour price as it is €20 extra each. We had a good amount of free time in Heraklion, around 2.5hrs after the tour. We had a bit of a problem with pickup, as the pick up location was very vague and the bus arrived 25 mins before the time given to us. So when we arrived around 10 mins early to the location, we did not see the bus as it was further along than we were stood. Luckily the tour company rang me to inform me that the bus was there and we got on at the time given to us prior to the day. We felt that the atmosphere when we got on the bus was a bit hostile as they had been waiting a long time for us, which we were unaware of as we arrived early to the pick up point. When we got on the bus, we were shocked to see that one whole window was completely shattered in the frame (see photo). The bus should not have been sent out on an excursion in this condition. The air con was also not great.
Y
A beautiful day
Very good tour guide in Knossos. Nice city tour in Heraklion. Unfortunately, the bus was 30 minutes late in the morning. In Heraklion, we had to find our way to the bus on our own. Overall a nice excursion.
M
tours of the palace and...
interesting tours of the palace and the city. We have a little free time to potentially go to the museum.
B
Wondrous
This was a very interesting and educational tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable, and entertaining. What an amazing culture!
V
Inconsistency between booking and service provided
We had booked a tour with a guide in Italian, paying a higher price for it compared to other guided tours with a guide only in English. Unfortunately, upon arriving at Knossos we discovered that our tour guide was explaining only in English. Good, but not in the language we booked. If it is not possible to guarantee the service, it should not even be made bookable.
Operator response
Ms Veronica, Which date was your reservation made? I ask because we provide this tour in Italian every Saturday and we always have Italian speaking guide. We have never done this to our clients. Perhaps you went with another company and not ''CRETAN ODYSSEY'' and it is not fair to receive this review. Please check your reservation again and let us know please in the following mail excursions@cretanodyssey.gr Thank you very much. Warmest regards, Yiannis Spanakis
M
Impressive
Visiting after 5 PM, few people, great for a relaxed visit! Very beautiful site. Explanations via free QR code, audio in English or Greek. For French, it is to be read. Otherwise, ask the AI.
1 people found this helpful
P
Super.
Very informative and super organized
R
Great day out!
The tour was amazing, very well organised and the tour guide was really good in showing us where to meet back up after our excursion in the city! The fabulous zula 💕 fully recommend xx
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