Full-day tour of Crete’s historic Knossos Palace and Heraklion
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Full-day tour of Crete’s historic Knossos Palace and Heraklion

4.3/5
Excellent
1168 reviews
from
£68.00
Free cancellation
Language: English
Mobile voucher accepted
Duration: more than 8 hours
Entrance fees included
Fast track
Guided tour
Instant confirmation
Tour with Audioguide
E-Voucher
Why you’ll love this…
  • It'll take you right back to the beginnings of European civilisation on a tour of Knossos Palace
  • You'll get fast-track access to the labyrinth of corridors leading to King Minos' original throne
  • The history-steeped streets of Heraklion's city centre are yours to wander on a guided walking tour
  • Heraklion's street markets are the ideal place to haggle over local treats and hand-made crafts
  • Your guide's a proud, local expert when it comes to the history and legends of Crete
What to expect

'The Palace of Knossos is one of the most important archaeological sites in Crete because it's where Europe's first civilisation began,' says Veta, one of our guides. A born and bred local, she knows a thing or two about the legends and myths surrounding the island's most popular attraction. You'll spend the day watching history come to life as you tour the grounds of the palace, before crossing over to Heraklion for some free time in the capital.

Once the hub of Crete's Minoan civilisation, Knossos Palace sits in the heart of what's considered to be Europe's oldest settlement. You'll enjoy a guided tour around its treasures, stopping by the throne room, royal apartments, frescoes and more. And with fast-track access, there's no waiting around in queues.

It's then time to head to Heraklion, the island's capital. See the 17th-century Morozini Lions fountain and the 400-year-old Venetian Loggia – which is still the city hall – during a short guided walk around the city centre. We'll round the day off by taking you to the open markets for some free time. Poke around stalls laden with hand-made trinkets and fresh local produce or stop off for a coffee at a local café for some people watching. Other must-sees include the Koule Fortress and the Church of Agios Titos.

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What's included
  • check Transport
  • check Guide
  • check Admission to Palace of Knossos
  • check Knossos App provided for a 360-degree virtual view of Knossos
  • check Audio headset guide
What to remember
  • Just so you know, Crete is a large island with many resorts and hotels dotted along the coast. Because of this, the transfer time on this tour could be up to 2.5 hours each way, depending on your hotel's location and traffic conditions on the day
  • Knossos App allows guests to see a 360º and 3D view of the archaeological site
  • There's a donation towards the preservation of Knossos Palace for every excursion sold
  • This is a very popular and in-demand activity. Expect higher levels of attendance during July and August
  • Bring your passport or official EU identification
  • Not suitable for guests with reduced mobility
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Provider
TUI Hellas Travel, Tourism and Airlines SA, with Tax Number 094469778 and Travel License Number 0261Ε60000126100
Booking fee
Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.
Cancellation policy
Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins.

What people say about this experience

Excellent

4.3 /5

Based on 1168 reviews from verified customers

Review categories

Service

4.1/5

Staff

4.1/5

Safety

4.1/5

Value for money

4.2/5

50%
36%
11%
2%
1%

Sort by:

  • E

    EVG

    Verified booking

    5
    29 October 2025

    Travelled as a couple

    The tour guide, Popi, was extremely knowledgeable and provided excellent information. It made for a very interesting day.

  • C

    Chris and Rachael

    Verified booking

    2.6
    26 October 2025

    Travelled as a couple

    We enjoyed the palace, but what we did not enjoy was being walked around to each part, for the guide to talk for 30 minutes in each spot, in the rising temperatures. She kept talking about the cobbled floors and star signs. If we could have had a brief introduction and then walked around on our own where we could have read the descriptions listed everywhere we would have really enjoyed it. She was also rude to the public by making them walk away from our group if they were taking their time.

  • M

    Mark Lewis

    Verified booking

    5
    24 October 2025

    Travelled as a couple

    Excellent guide who provided excellent support and incredible intresting information. Thanks to her, everything was well organised . The major problem for traveling from Easter crete( Elounda) is the time it took to get to Knossos ith all the pick ups..2 hrs, ridiculous really. TUI shoulsurely divide into smaller groups whatever the economics

  • M

    Mikey

    Verified booking

    3.4
    9 October 2025

    Travelled as a couple

    Knossos was the highlight of the tour although it is a very popular destination and it was very crowded. I don’t think it suits a large group like ours as you are shuffling single file through the crowds and often lose the signal of the guides audio. Quite often the guide in front was talking about something that the last of the group were minutes behind. We had a double decker bus and some of the group had been on for an hour before it picked us up the an 1.5 hrs to the first location.

  • N

    Nancy

    Verified booking

    3.8
    9 October 2025

    Travelled as a couple

    Tour guide Maria was very knowledgeable and friendly. The palace has a fantastic history however there was no time after the tour to explore on your own. Would have preferred an hour or so after and less time in Heraklion. We queued for a long time to view the throne room only to feel pushed through due to it being so busy which took up a lot of the tour time.

  • D

    Diana

    Verified booking

    4.6
    9 October 2025

    Travelled as a couple

    The guide ( Popi ?) Was superb. Very knowledgeable and experienced. Driver great too. More toilets at Knossos itself then more time would be free !!

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