Explore the beauty of Crete Island with these 35 Solo travelers’ tours. Experience the serene beaches, historic sites, and local cuisine alone. Unleash your inner explorer!
This trek walks the 18 kilometres of Samaria Gorge from the Omalos plateau to the Libyan Sea, with pick-up along the Rethymno coast and a guide who meets you at checkpoints along the way. Samaria runs through the White Mountains and is one of the longest gorges in Europe, ending at Agia Roumeli where a ferry carries walkers on to Chora Sfakion. PLATANOS TOURS runs it over 9 to 12 hours from €35.20, and it holds a 4.61 rating across 1,743 reviews, the largest review base of any experience on this site.
The day moves from coach to gorge to ferry to coach. Four stages fill it.
First is the drive from the Rethymno coast up through the White Mountains to Omalos, with a breakfast and coffee stop before the entrance, reviewers report reaching the gorge around 09:00. Second is the descent, 18 kilometres through the riverbed and the rock formations, past thousand-year-old forest and the Iron Gates. The guide leaves the group at the top and follows behind, positioning themselves at checkpoints to help anyone struggling. Third is Agia Roumeli on the south coast, where the guide waits at an agreed restaurant with the ferry tickets. Fourth is the boat to Chora Sfakion and the coach back.
The operator is explicit that this is challenging: 18 kilometres over rocky terrain, not recommended for children under 6, pregnant women or anyone with health problems.
The route crosses the White Mountains from the north coast to the south.
The €35.20 covers the transport and the guiding, with the two fixed fees paid on site.
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Non-EU visitors pay the €10 entrance from age 5 with no senior discount.
We recommend this version for the guiding model, which is smarter than it first looks. The guide does not lead the walk, they let the group go at the top and follow behind, then appear at checkpoints. One German group described meeting their guide, Pia, several times along the route, always ready with advice, and finding her waiting at the agreed restaurant in Agia Roumeli with the ferry tickets already in hand. On an 18-kilometre descent where everyone walks at a different pace, that is exactly the right way to run it.
The scale of the review record matters too. At 1,743 ratings this is the most-booked experience we list, and a 4.61 average across that many bookings tells you far more than a perfect score across twenty would.
Reviewers are consistent on the two things that decide your day. Shoes come up in almost every review, sturdy boots or at least solid trainers for rocky terrain. And times vary widely: one group took 6.5 hours top to bottom, another 6 hours without breaks, and a French reviewer found it easier than expected. Fitness and footwear, not luck.
Three things to weigh honestly.
The day is long and ends late. GetYourGuide’s own review summary says travellers find the schedule could be tighter, with long waits for the ferry and an extended return. A British reviewer put it plainly: be prepared for a late return. The listed duration runs 9 to 12 hours, and the upper end is real.
The extra fees add 70% to the price. €10 entrance plus €15 ferry on a €35.20 ticket is €25 in cash you must have with you. Value for money is the weakest dimension at 4.5 out of 5 and this is why.
It is genuinely hard. A Dutch reviewer who trained beforehand still found it exhausting. If anyone in your group is uncertain, the shorter Imbros gorge is the better first walk.
Wear boots, carry €25 in cash, and clear your evening.
Give your hotel name and location at booking; the pick-up point and time arrive by email. The trek takes 5 to 6 hours of walking and the day runs 9 to 12 hours.
Bring a hat, hiking shoes, sunscreen, water and trekking gear. The operator does not recommend this trek for children under 6, pregnant women or anyone with health problems.
The walk is 18 kilometres, taking 5 to 6 hours, inside a day that runs 9 to 12 hours in total.
You pay €10 entrance and €15 for the ferry in cash on site, with reductions for children and EU seniors.
The guide follows the group and waits at checkpoints rather than leading, then meets everyone at Agia Roumeli with the ferry tickets.
Fit enough for 18 kilometres of rocky descent. Reviewers who trained in advance still describe it as exhausting, and it is not recommended for children under 6 or anyone with health problems.
Expect a late return. GetYourGuide’s review summary notes ferry waits and an extended return leg, and the listed duration reaches 12 hours.
Hiking boots, or at minimum sturdy trainers. Footwear is the single most repeated piece of advice across the review record.
Check dates and prices for the Samaria Gorge trek from Rethymno.
Terra Creta is a working olive mill in the Kolymbari region west of Chania, and this one-hour tour walks you through production from harvest to bottling, ending with a guided tasting of three oils. The estate sits in the heart of Kolymbari’s groves, one of the recognised olive-growing areas of western Crete. Tickets start at €10, and the tour holds a 4.73 rating across 446 reviews.
The hour moves from grove to press to glass. Three parts make it up.
First is the facility itself, a modern mill where you see the equipment and the guide explains the sequence from harvesting through extraction to bottling, along with what actually separates extra virgin from the rest. Second is the storage and handling advice, which the staff give as practical guidance rather than sales patter. Third is the tasting: three different Terra Creta oils, served with finger foods and water, with bread for dipping.
The shop afterwards stocks the oils, balsamic vinegar and Greek olives in travel-safe packaging, and takes cards as well as cash.
The estate sits inland from the north coast, between Kolymbari and the olive villages behind it.
The €10 covers the tour and the tasting.
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We recommend this as the cheapest hour of real education available in Crete. Ten euros buys a guided walk through a working mill and a three-oil tasting, and 446 reviewers averaging 4.73 agree it delivers. A New Zealand visitor called it educational and good value in the same breath; an American couple said they learned exactly what they wanted to about the process.
What the reviews keep coming back to is the guides’ enthusiasm. An Estonian reviewer wrote that their guide was extremely passionate about olive oil and it was a joy to see. A Polish guest praised the way they talked about the place and the production, noting you rarely get to see a real factory. Americans who cook with olive oil said the tour changed how they use it.
The tasting is generous rather than token. One Polish reviewer described unlimited opportunity to try different oils with bread, and a Finnish guest mentioned plenty of oil and olives to take home.
Three things to know before you go, and the first one decides which month you should book.
The mill only runs from October to February. Outside those months the machinery stands still, so a summer visit is a tour of the facility and the process rather than a working press. That is not hidden, but it changes what you see.
Parts of the site may be closed in summer. The operator states that some areas inside and outside the mill may be inaccessible between April and September for building expansion and machinery upgrades.
The pace can feel quick. GetYourGuide’s own review summary says some travellers find the delivery rushed with little time for questions, and asks for slower explanation. At one hour with a full tasting, that is the trade-off.
Visit in autumn if you can, arrange your own transport, and ask your questions early.
The meeting point is Epar.Od. Rapaniana-Vouves, Kolymbari 730 06. You reach it by taxi in about 25 minutes from Chania or Kissamos; no hotel pick-up is provided.
The mill operates only from October to February, and some areas may be inaccessible between April and September because of building work. The shop takes cash and cards.
The tour takes one hour, covering the facility, the production process and a three-oil tasting.
The mill presses only from October to February. Outside that window you tour the facility rather than watching production.
The tasting covers three different olive oils served with finger foods, water and bread for dipping.
No transport is included. The estate is about 25 minutes by taxi from Chania or Kissamos.
Wheelchair access is provided, though some areas may be closed between April and September for building work.
The shop sells oils, balsamic vinegar and olives in travel-safe packaging, and accepts both cash and cards.
Check dates and prices for the Terra Creta olive oil experience tour.
For this excursion, you will be picked up from your hotel area by our airconditioned bus. The first
stop is at the Spili village. You will have a chance to see a 100% traditional village with its well know
lion-head fountains in the middle of the village. Walking along its cobbled streets you can explore
the tourist shops which are full of traditional Cretan products. The next stop is at Matala where you
will have 2,5 hour of free time to enjoy the golden sandy beach. Matala is not only known for its
beautiful beaches but also for its artificially carved caves that date all the way back to the Minoan
period. These same caves were later occupied by a hippy commune in the late 6 0’s and 7 0’s. Many
musicians have composed song about the beauty of Matala including Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens.
The next stop is at the amphitheatrically built village of Agia Galini. Here will have 1,5 hours to
explore the village. The small, traditional houses and the harbor make the perfect match for a
coffee οr lunch break. The bus will then take you back to your hotel ending this amazing excursion.
Crete Private Guide run this private walking tour of Chania old town, covering about 3 kilometres in 4 hours from the Agora covered market. The route takes in the Venetian fortifications, the Arsenals, both cathedrals, the old synagogue, the Turkish mosque, the Chania gardens and the Egyptian lighthouse, with food tastings along the way and a wine tasting of four local varieties at the end. Marketed as The 4 Winds, it runs in Greek, English and French with private transport included.
The tour starts at 09:00 and walks a loop of the old town, stopping to eat and drink as it goes. Five parts make it up.
First is the Agora, the covered market, which the tour visits rather than passes. Second is the old town circuit: the Venetian fortifications, the Arsenals where the galleys were built, the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox cathedrals, the old Jewish synagogue, the Turkish mosque, the Chania gardens and the Egyptian lighthouse. Third are the tasting stops, made in conversation with locals rather than at set counters, loukoumades, pasteli, tsikoudia, frappé, graviera and mizithra cheeses, olives and paximadi among them. Fourth, the guide takes you to chosen spots for photographs and video. Fifth is a wine tasting at a selected venue, with four local wines from area wineries made from Cretan grape varieties.
The whole route covers roughly 3 kilometres on foot.
Everything is inside the old town of Chania.
The tour is priced per group rather than per head, and covers everything on the route.
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Group pricing runs from €360 for one person to €930 for eight, which works out from about €115 per person on the larger group sizes. The tour covers the Chania and Rethymno regions; pick-ups more than 25 kilometres from Chania city centre carry an additional €20 to €100 depending on distance and group size.
We recommend this tour for the range it covers in four hours. The Agora, the Venetian arsenals, two cathedrals, a synagogue, a mosque and the lighthouse is the full religious and civic layering of Chania, Venetian, Ottoman, Jewish and Greek, and most old-town tours pick two of those and leave the rest. Doing it at walking pace with tastings threaded through is a better way to absorb it than a lecture at each stop.
The food is specific rather than generic. Loukoumades, pasteli, tsikoudia, graviera and mizithra, olives and paximadi are what Cretans actually eat and drink, and tasting them in conversation with the people selling them is the part visitors remember.
Being private throughout is the third reason. You set the pace, the guide answers your questions rather than the group’s, and transport from your accommodation is built into the price.
Two things to weigh.
The published rating rests on a very small number of reviews, so treat it as encouraging rather than settled and speak to the operator before booking.
It is a walking tour in an exposed old town, starting at 09:00 and running four hours. Comfortable shoes are a requirement rather than a suggestion, and summer heat builds quickly on the route.
Wear real shoes, come hungry, and check the pick-up distance before you book.
The tour starts at 09:00 at the Agora covered market and runs 4 hours over about 3 kilometres. Private transport from and to your location is included within the Chania and Rethymno regions.
This is a walking tour, so wear comfortable shoes. Pick-ups more than 25 kilometres from Chania city centre carry an additional charge.
Contact Crete Private Guide directly: creteprivateguide.com, info@creteprivateguide.com, +30 690 650 5872.
The tour runs 4 hours and covers about 3 kilometres on foot.
The tour starts at 09:00 at the Agora, the covered market in Chania old town, which it visits as its first stop.
Tastings include loukoumades, pasteli, tsikoudia, frappé, graviera and mizithra cheeses, olives and paximadi, sampled in conversation with local sellers.
Four different local wines are included, all from wineries in the area using Cretan grape varieties.
Yes, it is private and priced per group, from €360 for one person to €930 for eight.
The tour is offered in Greek, English and French.
This is the main ferry to Balos and Gramvousa, sailing from Kissamos port on Crete’s north-west coast. The boat spends about an hour crossing the bay, stops at Gramvousa island with its Venetian castle and shipwreck, then anchors at the Balos lagoon between the Gramvousa peninsula and Cape Tigani. CRETAN DAILY CRUISES runs it over 7 hours from €40, and it holds a 4.09 rating across 8,482 reviews, the second most-booked GetYourGuide experience in all of Greece.
The ferry runs a loop from Kissamos and the order of the two stops varies by day. Three stages fill the 7 hours.
First is the crossing, roughly an hour along the bay past steep cliffs, secluded beaches and a large cave believed to have been an ancient shipyard. An audio guide runs in Greek, English, German, French and Polish. Second is Gramvousa, where the boat docks at the small port: a shipwreck sits on the beach, a Greek Orthodox chapel stands by the shore, and a steep 20-minute climb reaches the Venetian castle on the island’s high point. Third is Balos, the lagoon listed among the most photographed beaches in the world, where the water is shallow and emerald and you swim off the sand.
Depending on the itinerary, Balos may come first and Gramvousa second.
The route covers the two landmarks of the north-west corner of Crete.
The ticket covers the boat and the audio guide, and it excludes the road transport at both ends.
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Purchases on board are card only, no cash is accepted.
We recommend this ferry as the practical way to reach Balos, and the practical case is strong. The overland route to Balos is 12 kilometres of unsealed track ending in a 20-minute walk down a cliff path, and most hire car agreements exclude it. The boat removes all of that, and at €40 for a 7-hour day including both stops it is the cheapest way to see either.
The scenery does the selling. Reviewers describe Balos as breathtaking and the turquoise water as the best they have swum in, and an American guest recommended sneakers for the castle climb specifically because the view from the top is worth the effort.
The boat’s size is a genuine advantage in one way. A Spanish reviewer pointed out that a big ferry is exactly what you want when the sea gets rough on this exposed corner of the island, and reviewers from Italy and France both praised the organisation and punctuality.
Now the reasons this scores 4.09 rather than higher, because on 8,482 reviews the pattern is real.
Guiding is the weakest dimension at 3.5 out of 5, and it is the lowest guiding score of anything we list. A German reviewer described the staff on the ship as really unfriendly and the food as below average, though French and Italian reviewers rated the bar service and included meal well. Experiences clearly vary by crew and by day.
The boat is very large and very full. A Spanish reviewer noted it is tough to find a spot on the top deck, an Italian one that boarding and disembarking take a long time because of the boat’s size, and a Polish reviewer warned to expect crowds especially when getting off. This is mass transport, not a small cruise.
Time at the stops is the recurring complaint. GetYourGuide’s own review summary says travellers want more time at each stop and at Balos in particular, and a French reviewer who enjoyed the trip said the same.
If you want the same two stops on a small boat with a two-hour stop at each, the Limeniskos speedboat tour carries 17 people at roughly double the price. If you want this same ferry with a hotel transfer included, there is a packaged version from Chania and Rethymno.
Bring a card rather than cash, wear shoes you can climb in, and get to the top deck early.
Departures run at 10:35 and 10:55 depending on the option, and the meeting point varies with it. You reach Kissamos port yourself, no transfer is included.
Bring comfortable shoes, a hat, swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a credit card. The Kissamos municipality collects €1 from every passenger over 13 before boarding, and the trip is flagged as likely to sell out.
The cruise runs 7 hours from Kissamos port, covering the crossing plus stops at both Gramvousa and Balos.
No transfer is included. You make your own way to Kissamos port, or book the packaged version that includes pickup from Chania and Rethymno.
The climb takes about 20 minutes up a steep rocky path, and reviewers recommend trainers rather than sandals.
No, purchases on board are card only. Bring €1 in coins separately for the municipality fee.
It is a large ferry. Reviewers note that helps in rough sea but makes boarding slow and top-deck seats hard to find.
The Kissamos municipality collects €1 from every passenger over 13 before boarding, as an administrative fee for visiting Balos and Gramvousa.
Check dates and prices for the Kissamos port boat cruise to Balos and Gramvousa.
Following pick-up by bus, journey to the southwest corner of Crete to spend a relaxing day on the pink sand beaches on the small island of Elafonisi.
Take in the lush green landscape on the way to the island as you travel through the impressive Topolia Gorge and pass many old and very typical villages. Stop for a coffee and breakfast in the village of Elos, known for its chestnut trees.
Upon arrival at Elafonisi, get at least 4 hours to relax and swim in the crystal clear water. Laze in the sun, or go for a stroll along the pink sand beach. Benefit from beach kiosks where you can purchase food and water to rehydrate and re-energize.
Situated just off the shore of the main island, Elafonisi can be reached by walking through the water. Both the beach and island are protected wildlife areas of rare beauty. Depart by bus at approximately 16:00 and return to Rethymno for an estimated arrival time and hotel drop off at around 18:30.
Before heading to Spinalonga the first visit is an olive oil park where you can experience first-hand the standardization of extra virgin olive oil, table olives, and olive paste.
You will be able to taste the authentic Greek product, which is famous worldwide for its great taste and nutritional value, as well as other authentic Cretan products like “raki” and honey.
After your first stop, you reach the capital town of Lasithi, Agios Nikolaos. You can discover the pretty city on your own, stroll through the shops, or relax in one of the countless cafes next to the picturesque bottomless lake of Voulismeni.
You continue your journey to Plaka, a small fishing village directly opposite Spinalonga. Here you will have plenty of free time to enjoy lunch or a refreshing swim. Moreover, from there you can take a 15-minute boat ride that takes you to the well-known island of Spinalonga.
The history and the culture of the island of Spinalonga became one with human tragedy over time. It has been an important place throughout history for the ancient Greeks, as a natural protection for the city of Olous, for the Saracens as a hiding place for their pirates, for the Venetians as a fortress, for the Turks as a settlement and for a long time the island served as a leper colony.
After your self-guided tour at Spinalonga, approximately 90 minutes, you’ll return to Plaka. There you have plenty of time to enjoy a coffee or your lunch, before going back to the hotels. An amazing trip with many destinations that you definitely should not miss!
Additional important information about the pickup and drop-off handling:
Pickup areas and times are as follows:
Ammoudara Beach road at 8 a.m.
Heraklion center 8:05 a.m.
Karteros 8:20 a.m.
Kokkini Chani, Gournes 8:25 a.m.
Kato Gouves 8:30 a.m.
Analipsi 8:40 a.m.
Anissaras 8:50 – 8:55 a.m.
Hersonissos, Piskopiano, Koutouloufari 9 – 9:05 a.m
Stalida, Stalis 9-9:10 a.m.
Malia 9:25 a.m.
Sissi 9:40 a.m.
Visit Preveli beach, the Kourtaliotiko gorge, with hotel pickup and drop-off in Rethymno or Chania. Cruise aboard a boat on the Libyan sea, swim in crystal-clear waters, and relax on a sandy beach.
Start your tour from your accommodation where your guide will meet you. Take a short scenic drive through to Damnoni beach where your personal boat driver awaits. Find yourself in Preveli after a short, picturesque boat ride.
Enjoy a swim in the Libyan Sea at Preveli beach and feel free to explore the Kourtaliotiko gorge and marvel at the mountainous terrain. Connected to Preveli beach is a series of springs and waterfalls that lead into the gorge which can also be visited.
Discover a mixture of sandy beaches, lush forest, and mountains. Return to your accommodation on a route through the Kourtaliotiko gorge.
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