Adventure

Samaria Gorge: Day Trip from Agia Pelagia, Heraklion & Malia

4.7 / 5

51 reviews

Activity provider: PLATANOS TOURS
Adventure

Samaria Gorge: Day Trip from Agia Pelagia, Heraklion & Malia

Activity provider: PLATANOS TOURS

From US$ 52.01 per person

Enjoy a challenging trek through one of the longest and most famous gorges in Europe. On this excursion from Heraklion you’ll marvel at natural wonders throughout the day, from the White Mountains, to thousand-year-old forests, and much more.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 14 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English, German
Pickup included
Pickup for this option is only from the areas of Heraklion City and Ammoudara beach resorts. Pickup begins earlier than the stated starting time and is from your hotel or the closest point accessible by a vehicle. You'll receive specific pickup information in a separate email from the local partner (please check your spam folder).

Experience

Highlights
  • Experience a challenging trek in Samaria Gorge
  • Admire the stunning natural beauty on a drive to the White Mountains
  • Visit the village of Agia Roumeli after the trek
  • Witness extraordinary rock formations
  • Learn all about indigenous rare plants, flowers, and bird species
Full description

Your full-day excursion to Samaria Gorge begins with pickup in Heraklion and a drive to Omalos, in the heart of the White Mountains. Enjoy breakfast before setting out on your challenging 10-mile (17 kilometer) hike.

The trek will take you over rocks and stones, through a forest of thousand-year-old trees and along a river by fresh-water springs. Along the way, you’ll have spectacular views of Crete’s most beautiful mountain range, and you are also likely to see mountain goats roaming in the wild. You will be accompanied by a professional mountain escort who speaks English, German and Greek. Your escort will be there to explain all the necessary information about your hike and provide you with the tickets for the entrance and ferry. After your breakfast you will enter the Samaria Gorge, where you can walk at your own pace as your guide waits at the end of the group to help you out if you need them. At the end of the trek you’ll visit the village of Agia Roumeli, where you’ll find a number of taverns, bars, and shops. You can enjoy some free time to take a swim or have some lunch. Late in the afternoon you’ll board a boat that will take you from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia, where your bus will be waiting to transfer you back to the starting point.

Includes
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (in Malia, Stalis, Hersonisos, Anissaras, Analypsi, Gouves, Gournes,Heraklio, Ammoudara, Agia Pelagia/Lygaria, and Fodele)
  • Guide in English/French
  • Transfers in an air-conditioned bus
  • Hiking tour
  • Entrance ticket to Samaria (€5 can be paid onsite)
  • Boat ticket (€13 can be paid onsite)
  • Food and drinks
Not suitable for
  • Children under 6 years
  • Pregnant women
  • People with back problems
  • People with mobility impairments
  • People with heart problems

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Hat
  • Hiking shoes
  • Water

Know before you go

  • At the time of booking please mention your hotel name and location (you will be notified by email about the pickup point and time)
  • Pickup begins up to 90 minutes before tour starts and is done from central meeting points near the hotels (in the areas of Malia, Stalis, Hersonisos, Anissaras, Analypsi, Gouves, Gournes, Heraklio, Ammoudara, Agia, Pelagia/Lygaria, and Fodele)
  • The 5 to 6-hour trek is challenging, you must have good trekking shoes or at least a sturdy pair of trainers
  • This trek is not recommended for children under the age of 6, pregnant women, or anyone with health problems
  • This tour is very challenging with 17 kilometers of walking and some rocky terrain
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 51 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.8/5
  • Transportation
    4.1/5
  • Value for money
    4.4/5

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Star rating:

Really well organized hike from the pick-up to the drop-off. The guide was kind, well informed and he took good care of all of us. Besides that, the hike was totally worthy, but difficult. I'm in good shape and after the 11km could hardly walk anymore. The way down is tedious, so wear good shoes, bring energy bars, bring some bandages for blisters and do not forget your camera, the view is absolutely stunning!

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March 24, 2023

You will get an email confirmation about the time when your bus will pick you up in the morning. Our one was 5:20 from Hersonissos. We had 2 stops on the way there plus all passenger collection, got to the destination at 10:30. Our guide gave us the map and collected money (me and my wife paid 32€ together for the boat and entrance to the Samaria George) which you need in cash for the boat transfer at the end of the tour. Make sure to wear good shoes as you're just about to go 1200 meters downhill and all surface is out of rock with slippery or sharp shape. There is plenty of stops where you can refill the water straight from the spring and couple of toilet stops. We got back to hotel at around 11pm and on the way back we had one stop. Departing 17:30 from the port.

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March 24, 2023

You pay just for the guide + bus, the gorge entry & boat tickets need to be payed additionally in the bus (which btw had some problems that day and we had to switch to the other one). The experience in Samaria was excellent tho and would recommend it to anyone!

March 24, 2023

Product ID: 294260