From Rethymno: Full-Day Knossos And Heraklion with free time

Chania, Greece

9 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Without a rental car, visiting Crete’s Palace of Knossos and capital of Heraklion in a day from Rethymnon means using cabs or local buses. This tour eliminates the hassles, with air-conditioned transport and an option to include a Knossos guide to ensure you cover the highlights and Minoan Crete’s history and legends. Plus, you get free time in Heraklion to visit its Archaeological Museum or shop and eat at leisure.

Visit the Palace of Knossos and Heraklion in a day from Rethymnon
Travel easily and upgrade for a Knossos guide to get the max from the site
Get free time in Heraklion to shop, eat, or visit its Archaeological Museum
Includes return hotel transfers, with Knossos entry at own expense

What's Included

Hotel pick-up & drop off Panormo,Scaleta,Adele,Platania,Rethymno town,Stavromeno,Sfakaki&Atsipopoulo
Air-conditioned vehicle
Fuel surcharge
Guide in The Bus English , German and French(Mon-Thu)
At Private Tour with minivan Guide in English , German and French is Optional Only if Selected

Entrance fee - Archaeological Museum (child 18 free,over 65 discounted)

€12.00 per person
Food and drinks
Personal expenses
No pickup from remote hotels such as Grand Rimondi (pick up is from Creta star bus stop)
Entrance fee - The Palace of Knossos

€20.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Departure Point: • Hotel pick-up (in Panormo, Scaleta, Adele, Platanias, Missiria, Rethymno town Sfakaki, Stavromenos and Atsipopoulo) You'll receive specific pickup information in a separate email from the local partner (please check your spam folder). All the pick ups from Rethymno old Town will be from the bus stop of church of four martyrs (4 martyres church).

Itinerary

The Palace of Knossos

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Heraklion

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate

Seats are assigned by the theater box office and will not be known in advance of the performance date
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 60 minutes before tour starts and is done from central meeting points near the hotels, only in the areas of Panormo, Scaleta, Adele, Platanias, Missiria, Rethymno town and Atsipopoulo
Infants will be seated with their parents on the bus and will not have their own seat
This option includes guide ONLY on the bus
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Roberto_D

We can fully recommend this tour. The tour was really well organized and our tour guide (George) was absolutely fantastic. He was very friendly and helpful.

Reviews

4.0

based on 26 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great to have time to see...

Jude_A, Sep 2025

Great to have time to see and do what I wsnted. The idea of this tour is really just a transfer to heriklion and Knossos but that suited me

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you for the review

No Show

Olivia_S, Sep 2025

Nobody turned up to collect us at the agreed location. When I called the operator I was given a new location ten minutes away. When we arrived there there was still no bus waiting, and when I tried to contact them again, my call wasn’t answered, and I was just sent a text saying that we were too late.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

hello olivia smith at the same pick up point we collect this day only 14 persons because this pick up is the main pick up of the old town of rethymno.you was not there that's why nobody pick you up.and you don't call to the emergency call but to the office and the office was closed this time if you had call the emergency mobile maybe we will find you and you will be at the tour

Non event

Helen_D, Jul 2024

I don't have a memorable experience as we didn't end up going. An email was sent to us stating the pick up point 2 days before the event. We turned up in plenty of time. No bus. We rang and were told that the pick up point was actually across the road and therefore we had missed the bus. We were told we could get a taxi! We sent a screen shot to a WhatsApp number verifying the pick up point we had, no response. Messaged again, no response. Very disappointed to say the least.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

we sent to you 2 days before all the details and google map to catch the bus.when the bus left and you lose the bus we cannot do something for you

A great trip to Heraklion and Knossos!

Graeme_W, Jul 2024

It was a great trip to both Knossos and Heraklion. The guide was really informative, we had a good amount of time at both locations, and I would definitely recommend this trip.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Ηello thanks for the review

Great Trip

Dawn_O, Jun 2024

Very well organised, tour guide was amazing and very informative. 4 hours of free time in Heraklion, just enough time to visit the museum and have a good look round Heraklion, and 2 hours in Knossos.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Ηello thanks for the review

Dan's Review

DANIEL_H, May 2024

We thought we were booking a TOUR but this was not a tour. This was simply bus transportation, and the individual in charge made it clear right up front that he was NOT a tour guide. We were simply taken to Heraklion and dropped off for 4 hours, and then transported to Knossos, and dropped off there for 2 hours. All this free time was on our own. Especially at the Knossos Palace, you need an experienced tour guide so you know what you're looking at. Also, when we booked the "tour," we selected to be picked up at our hotel, the Anemos Resort, which was in the dropdown menu for hotels serviced. Then about a week before the "tour" we were sent an email stating that our hotel was not on the "pickup list," so we had to take a separate bus to a bus stop in Rethymno where we were picked up. This was a major hassle. Take the Anemos hotel OFF your selections of hotels to be picked up!

Response from Host, Jul 2024

The tour was Full-Day Knossos And Heraklion with free time And not a guided tour !!We dont pick up from the area georgioupoli-kavros area where Anemos Resort is and petres area.ou can see before you booked the tour

Excellent time... but be careful

John_F, Oct 2023

Well worth the visit the trip but I would be more careful walking around Knossos as the ground is very uneven, The tourist areas of Heraklion were also enjoyable, Anna and Kostos were great!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Ηello thanks for the review

Very nice expiriance.

Roberto_D, Sep 2023

We can fully recommend this tour. The tour was really well organized and our tour guide (George) was absolutely fantastic. He was very friendly and helpful.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Ηello thanks for the review

The trip ambassador was a...

Joanne_H, Jul 2023

The trip ambassador was a lovely guy, very welcoming and friendly. Great trip to Knossos insightful and definitely a must visit!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Ηello thanks for the review

Archeological Museum in Heraklion not Knossos.

Liz_C, Oct 2022

We really loved the Museum in Heraklion. It was a good size and had some wonderful things to see that have been obtained from Knossos and other sights. It took 2 hours to see. But Knossos was very disappointing. There seems to have been a large amount of recent cement pours(in last 100 years) making it seem very unauthentic. Would have been cheaper to get a local bus from Rethymno. You have to pay for entry to both the museum and Knossos separately plus if you wish a guide at Knossos that’s more money (which we have heard is not worthwhile). Do your reading before you go on the history. Very little information at the site. These additions almost doubles the cost of the bus ticket. The tour would be better with less time in Heraklion and less talking by the bus escort as he was talking too much (in 4 languages so kudos to him). Like I said disappointing.

Response from Host, Nov 2022

hello the entrance in knossos and the museum is the same or single without guide or with the tour only with us you skip the line and the tour is cheaper than the local bus because rethymno heraklion cost 7,60+7,60 return and heraklion knossos cost 2+2 return because the local bus have not direct from rethymnon to knossos thats 19,20 total we sell i 26 euro and you go direct and with comfortable bus and guide in the bus.

Highly recommended trip if you enjoy History

Andrew_F, Jul 2022

Great trip and a brilliant guide who was very informative. Plenty of time in Heraklion to see museum and Venetian fort and we’ll times for Knossos as well. Only negative was the bus whose air conditioning was very poor!

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Ηello thanks for the good review

Palace of Knossos and the Museum

Jayne_S, Sep 2019

Great tour which included the palace, museum as well as some shopping time in town. Tour guide very knowledgable.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

Thank you so much for your kind words. We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us.

Knossos Tour

Hugh_A, Jun 2019

We had a great day out enjoying both the museum and Knossoss. The tour guide was very good and a master of languages giving us lots of detail. We would say though that the first floor of the museum was mostly closed with only one section open to the public which was disappointing. As a result there was quite a bit of spare time to hand so we visited the Venetian Harbour and went around the Fort which is well worth a visit at €2 each. Great views of the harbour and city. Knossos was wonderful with extensive ruins and reconstructed sections All said its a great day out and would recommend it to a yo e interested in history.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

Thank you for taking time to post your review!We always glad to hear that you had a nice time. Sorry for the close section in the musuem... Happy to assist you again in the future!

Formidable par contre fuyez le bar restaurant irini

valerie_s, Aug 2023

notre accompagnateur la ponctualite et rigueur par contre le bar irrini lieu de rdv a refuse de le servir un cafe

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Ηello thanks for the review

Un guide pas trop a la hauteur

Ermelinda_A, Sep 2019

Le bus était confortable et la ville superbe mais nous avons vite décider de faire les visites seuls puisque le guide qui était avec nous n'était pas top. Le guide mélangeait l’allemand et l’anglais dans ses explications et avait un accent très prononcé. On avait donc du mal à percevoir quand le guide changeait de langue.. nous n'avons donc pas continuer la visite avec elle.. assez déçu.