Join a guided tour of Knossos, a complex of more than 1500 interlocking rooms, once an astonishing palace built for a mighty king of the Bronze Age. Knossos is considered Europe’s oldest city. As you wander through the labyrinthine ruins, get the chance to see the original throne of ‘’Minos”, the mystifying sanctuaries, the luxurious domestic quarters of the royal family, Crete’s treasures pantries, and the water-management systems. The first palace of Knossos was erected soon after 2000 BC. In 1700 BC, a catastrophic earthquake destroyed the Palace. A new palace was built immediately, the most monumental of all, and for over 300 years it represented the pre-eminent center of power in Bronze Age Crete. The new palace was an imposing complex with important architectural innovations, splendid frescoes adorning the walls, hundreds of rooms distributed in four storeys, impressive storage areas, specialized workshops, and spacious courts hosting ceremonies and feasts. Learn how during the last decades of the 14th century BC, a series of earthquakes led to the final destruction of the palace. 

Experience Ancient Crete at your own pace with a combined e-ticket for the island's top two archaeological attractions, the Palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Experience two captivating self-guided audio tours on your smartphone. Receive your ticket in a separate email from our local partner, and download the app and audio tours onto your phone prior to your visit. Then travel back in time to experience the grandeur of Crete from the Minoan period to Roman times. Put on your headphones and discover the Palace of Knossos and the exquisite artifacts exhibited in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Through the power of storytelling, learn interesting facts and hear little-known stories from ancient times. The content of the tours is the result of in-depth research, squeezed into brief original stories that will make your visit both engaging and informative. The audio tours can be used repeatedly and anytime, before or after your visit. This is an unmissable opportunity to gain valuable insights into ancient Crete and the Minoan civilization, and to engage with your surroundings in an entirely original way.

Receive a short 30-minute tour on your arrival at the museum of rural history and folk craft in the Arolithos Traditional Cretan Village. Traditional Cretan cuisine is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world. Here you can learn from the masters while they create famous Cretan dishes which you can participate in before making your very own. You can create stuffed vine leaves, stuffed vegetables, pork with wine sauce, lamb with green beans, traditional Cretan ntakos, tzatziki and sarikopites, and coiled cheese pies. Afterwards, you can sit down to enjoy the dishes you have prepared with local wine and mineral water. Participants will also receive a cooking certification document, which has been authorized by the Arolithos Traditional Cretan Village.

Explore the oldest civilization in Europe on a full-day tour from Chania. Enjoy a guided tour of the Minoan Palace of Knossos, visit the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, and wander through Heraklion Town. Begin your tour from your accommodation in Chania, and as your drive, learn about the myths of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur or the story of Daidalos and Ikaros. In Heraklion, head to the Palace of Knossos and explore the ruins. Next, visit the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion and admire over 15,000 ancient Greek artifacts. Afterward, enjoy a walking tour of the town of Heraklion. Discover a Venetian fortress at the entrance of the harbor, gorgeous Neoclassical buildings and Byzantine churches.

Experience the Heraklion Archaeological Museum at your own pace with a skip-the-line e-ticket and a fascinating self-guided audio tour on your smartphone. Receive your ticket by email, download the app, and the audio tour on your phone, prior to your visit, and travel back in time to experience the masterpieces of Minoan art. Put on your headphones and explore representative artifacts from all periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering a chronological span of over 5,500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times through the power of storytelling and learn historical information and uncommon stories and anecdotes from the ancient times. Get an engaging and informative visit with in-depth research, squeezed into brief original stories. The audio tour can be used repeatedly and anytime, before or after your visit. Gain valuable insights into one of the oldest and most important museums in Greece that is rightly considered as the Museum of Minoan Culture par excellence.

Following pick-up from your hotel in Rethymno, travel along the northern coast of Crete by comfortable bus. Make your way to the archaeological site of Knossos, where King Minos built his palace. Get a 2-hour guided tour of the monument, designed by Daedalus in such an intriguing way that no visitor was said to find their way out without the help of a guide! Journey through the incredible history of King Minos and the Minoan civilization, and hear about some of the legends of Crete at what was once the island's largest palace. Then, drive to the ancient city of Heraklion to take a guided tour of the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Learn more about the island at what is considered to be one of the finest museums in the world dedicated to Minoan art with its many galleries of historic frescoes, jewelry, statues and more. Get some free time for coffee or lunch, and shop for souvenirs in the city center before the return journey to Rethymno. 

Experience Ancient Crete at your own pace with two tickets for the top archaeological attractions, the Palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, and two captivating self-guided audio tours on your smartphone. Receive your e-tickets by email, download the app and the audio tours on your phone, prior to your visit, and travel back in time to experience the grandeur of Ancient Crete. Put on your headphones and discover the most well known archaeological attractions of Crete through the power of storytelling and learn historical information and uncommon stories and anecdotes from the ancient times. The content of the tours is the result of in-depth research, squeezed into brief original stories that will make your visit both engaging and informative. The audio tours can be used repeatedly and anytime, before or after your visit. This is an unmissable opportunity to gain valuable insights into ancient Crete and the Minoan civilization and relate to your surroundings in an entirely original way.

Depart from Chania at around 7 AM and head eastwards along the north coast. Pass the city of Heraklion and continue towards inland Crete until you reach the Palace of Knossos. The palace is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the world, a cradle of European culture and the center of the Minoan civilization. Follow your guide on a 2-hour tour through the fascinating story of the Minoan period and learn about the Minotaur and Ariadne. Afterward, rejoin the bus which will bring you to the heart of the capital city of Crete, Heraklion. Take the chance to visit the archaeological museum, where you can see and learn about the Minoan period while accompanied by your guide. Finally, enjoy 2 hours of free time to explore the busy and lively city of Heraklion, have Cretan lunch, and drink Raki. At around 3:30 PM, the bus will depart on its return journey to Chania.

Enjoy a tour of the mythological Labyrinth with your own licensed guide who will take you through Knossos, focusing on the highlights of the area and its most prominent features. Afterward, the driver will take your group to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion where your private tour will continue. Discover Knossos, the capital of Minoan Crete, considered Europe’s oldest city. Hear about the islands long history from your guide and learn about the peak of the Minoan culture in 2000 B.C. Later visit the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion where you can marvel at the findings of the first civilization of Europe, the Minoans. The tour will guide you through the ages, in a period of time that extends over a 5.000 years, from the neolithic to the roman era.

Explore the history of Crete on this tour from Heraklion. Soak up local culture at the villages of Mochos and Krasi. Find out where the mythological figure Zeus was thought to have been born. Travel to the archaeological site of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Enjoy the convenience of being picked up in a comfortable van from your accommodation in Heraklion. Sit back and relax on the way to the traditional mountain village of Mochos. Admire its narrow alleys, cobbled streets, and colorful gardens.  Continue to Krasi village to view a Platanus tree that is 2,400-year-old. Stand in the shade of this tree which is locally known as the Writer's Tree. Travel to the cave of Diktaion Andron, which is believed to be the birthplace of Zeus. Have the chance to purchase tickets to go inside the cave. Admire views of the Lasithi Plateau before heading to the archaeological site of Knossos. Buy a ticket to the site to see richly colored frescos amid the remains of this Bronze Age palace. Purchase a ticket to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum to explore collections of Minoan art and artefacts. Feel free to stop and purchase lunch during the tour. Return to your accommodation in Heraklion at the end of the tour.