Samaria Gorge Hike

A great gorge! Important -> wear good shoes Pickup and the tour to the starting point went absolutely smoothly and were organized - we walked down the gorge on our own. The meeting point at the end is a taverna by the water; the tickets for admission and the boat still need to be considered. The ride to the hotel was also well organized - the only drawback is that we were supposed to get off a good 400 meters from the hotel because the way to the hotel would have been a detour. After a 16-17 km walk, basically no problem, our feet and legs were just already shot (:

Perfectly organized by the agency and expertly guided by the tour guide.

The Samaria Gorge is a beautiful walk for 14 km in the gorge with 2 km to Agia Roumeli. Nature is overwhelmingly beautiful and very photogenic. You can go with a local trip organizer, but on your own is also possible. Some preparation for what you need during the walk is important. Some tips: - expect to be "on the road" for the total day 14 to 15 hours; - there is no mobile phone service in the gap; an airtag cannot be tracked either; - buy the entrance tickets to the gorge online; - buy the boat tickets to Sougia at the end of the gorge in Agia Roumeli; - buy the bus tickets at the beginning of the gorge if you want to go from Sougia to the beginning of the gorge again; - better and much faster: do not buy bus tickets; take a taxi or taxi bus back to the beginning in Sougia; if you are with 3 or 4 people, the taxi is about € 50 total (cash); - the boat from Agia Roumeli to Sougia leaves at 17: 30 hours; there is also a boat earlier (13:00), but then has to run through the gorge and basically no one can do that; - the walk is doable for any reasonably fit person, but fatigue and muscle pain is the sure result for the 2 days after; - after 2 to 3 km there are no stairs and no even path; concentration where you put your feet is very important; wear good walking shoes and socks; on sneakers or sports shoes it is possible, but the risk of injuries and blisters is many times higher; - wear synthetic (sports) clothing and underwear that does not absorb sweat; - if necessary, bring walking sticks to keep your balance better; - bring a large bottle with water and energy-dissolving tablets; the water from the water points in the gorge is good to drink; no need to carry extra water yourself; - take further food with you in the form of energy bars; they are light and nutritious; - bring a camera, take pictures and enjoy the effort and nature.

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This is a full day adventure. You only need a plastic/water bottle as there are many places to refill with fresh water along the way. Wear shoes that have excellent treads and ankle support (no flip flops, no shoes without tread). Wear thin layers depending upon the weather. Do BOTH do this hike if you have bad hips or knees. Walking sticks would have been helpful. You cannot enjoy the grandeur of the gorge without stopping to look up (it’s very difficult to walk and look around for fear of slipping or twisting your ankle). Worth seeing but you should be strong/healthy. I kept thinking about the ocean reward at the end as the 13 kilometer hike was difficult. Go to the beach to the right of the ferries if you want a beach with sand and not the same rocks you just traversed.

It was my second time to visit this place, so I knew what I could expext from it. The gorge is amazing, but it is a long distance. Our tour guide was really nice and I felt myself in safe, because she gave us every important information about the gorge and the path. This was a long trip, but it is totally worth. I can only recommend it if you feel yourself enough fit to complete.

We had an amazing day. Our guide, Smaro was outstanding. On the coach to the gorge she gave lots of helpful information about how to stay safe on the hike, but she also talked points of interest along the way. Smaro stayed at the back of the group on the hike to make sure no one was left behind, and was always pleased to see us when we met up at rest stops. Her great energy and enthusiasm really helped motivate us! The gorge was absolutely stunning and we would definitely do it again, although next time I will be wearing proper walking boots!

Checkin Creta picked us up on time from the location provided, initial instructions given before the trip were very informative. Make sure you bring cash as the guide will collect this for the entrance fee and ferry when you board the coach. You are left to do the walk yourselves with guide staying with the last person of the group throughout the walk. Samaria Gorge itself was absolutely beautiful with spectacular views, this is hard walk though due to the terrain. So be prepared as steep declines on very uneven surfaces with slippery rocks. Good grip shoes are a must for this! At the end there is a tavern where you meet the guide to get your ferry tickets and then wait for the ferry to arrive. Instructions for when getting off the ferry to find the coach were very limited from the guide, as pretty much our whole group got off found one another and were then clueless as to where we were suppose to be meeting the coach. When you get off the ferry turn left and walk up the steps on the right and this is where the coach/bus car park is, where the coach will be waiting for you. Overall experience was definitely one to tick off and very glad we completed it as the gorge is incredible!

Wow, what an experience!! From booking the tour online all the way through to dropping us off at the hotel, I can safely say it was a breathtaking day. We booked online with absolute ease, and were given the choice to pay upfront or cash on arrival. Cash on arrival easier for us. Organised pickup over WhatsApp, and we're told 5:35am from our hotel. No problem for us, but then we met another couple and they wanted to go so added them on to our booking with ease. Coach pulled up 5 mins early and we were greeted by an absolute gentleman Koustas who welcomed us and once we paid gave us our tickets for the Samaria Gorge national park. Koustas was an outstanding tour guide, speaking multiple languages who made it his mission to make sure everyone understood the days itinerary. Once we arrived at the Gorge he allowed everyone to crack on at their own pace and he stayed with the last people all the way down the Gorge. Once we had reached the end, Koustas came and sat down with us and we had a lengthy chat about home, life in crete over refreshments. We then got on the ferry from Agia Roumelli which is an experience in itself, and Koustas was the last man on board making sure everyone was on. We then sat down and we chatted some more about his Marathons and family. Koustas then out of nowhere gave myself and my new fiance a gift to celebrate our engagement which happened whilst in the Gorge. I don't think I've ever come across a tour guide so welcoming, so happy to make sure everyone else was enjoying themselves. His customer service was something special. As for the tour itself, the Gorge is difficult for any hiker but well worth it.

Thanks to Chekin Creta and Costas it was unforgettable travel and excellent adventure! Highly recommended!

If you love exploring nature and have got medium fitness you must do this tour. Our experience with our guide Kostas was absolutely brilliant. Gave us all the information we needed and was there all the way looking after us. The day is long but so worth it. We saw some amazing views and were so lucky to have experienced it. Checkin are a great tour company. We also did their Chania and Kournas lake trip which was brilliant as well.