Set sail to Gramvousa Island and Balos Lagoon on a guided day trip. Explore scenic locations, swim along the coast, and stroll up to the castle on the hill to admire picturesque views.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Reserve now & pay later: Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Duration 15 hours: Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide: German, French, English, Polish, Italian
Pickup included: Pickup available from Sisi, Malia, Stalis, Hersonissos, Anissaras, Agkisaras, Gouves, Gournes, Kokkini Hani, Karteros, Amoudara, Agia Pelagia and from centrally located points in Heraklion town. You will receive a personalised email about the exact place and time of pick-up, within 24 hours after making the booking. Please check your spam folder.

Highlights

Gasp at the immense natural beauty of the quiet western coast of Crete
Navigate along the shoreline and admire the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea
Climb up the rocky hill at Gramvousa to explore the castle and take in the views
Relax and swim in the crystal clear Balos Lagoon, away from Cretan crowds
Get acquainted with a lesser-known but equally beautiful side of the island

Full description

Start with pickup from Heraklion or the surrounding area. Drive over to Kastelli by bus to board your boat. Balos are Gramvousa are located on the West part of the island. Depending on the area your hotel is located is around 4 hours by bus to the place where the boats depart. Embark the boat from the village of Kasteli and head over to Balos Lagoon and enjoy plenty of time to swim in the quiet crystal clear waters, walk across the golden sand beach and soak in the sun as you relax. Cruise across the western Cretan sea and arrive at the tranquil Gramvousa. Swim along the coast and stroll up to the castle on the hill to admire panoramic views of the natural landscape as you hike up to that point. The drivers will be awaiting you at the port, in order to begin the drive back to Heraklion.

Includes

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Professional driver
Tour guide
Boat cruise
Entrance fee to the natural park
Liability insurance coverage

Lunch and drinks (available for purchase)

Not suitable for

Wheelchair users

Important information

What to bring

Sunglasses
Sun hat
Towel
Sunscreen
Beachwear

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.5 /5

based on 82 reviews

Review summary

Guide
4.6/5
Transportation
4.5/5
Value for money
4.4/5

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lovely day out exploring different parts of the island. spend around 6hours on the bus and 7.5hours on the boat and on the islands. nice hike up to the Venetian Castle at Gramvousa and a relaxing couple of hours at Balos. boat can be chilly, best to pack a jacket

September 24, 2022

Superb trip. Even though the bus and boat time is very long, it is worth it. The beaches are amazing, similar to the pictures you see on the internet…a magical day. The lunch is really very good and inexpensive (7€/person). Bring sneakers if you want to go up to see the fortress (note this is not specified). I recommend this excursion!

September 1, 2022

I recommend this activity because Gramvoussa and Balos are unique places to visit. On the other hand, you have to like the road because the trip by coach is very long to reach the port. But everything went very well for the transfer, the coach ride and the cruise. You should know that we have about 1h30 of free time in Gramvoussa and about 2h30 of free time in Balos. So you have time to swim in these two places.

August 29, 2022

From Heraklion: Gramvousa and Balos Cruise with Hotel Pickup

From Heraklion: Gramvousa and Balos Cruise with Hotel Pickup

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