Elafonisi Beach Private Tour (price per group of 6)

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Chania, Greece

8 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Encounter natural luxury with this private beach tour. Elafonisi island is connected to Crete with a narrow strip of sand forming a gorgeous long peninsula beach ready for exploring. With layers of white and pink sand, sparkling turquoise water, and a walkable shallow lagoon, this adventure is totally picturesque. The option to visit an olive oil factory or monastery is available, catering for all interests.

Travel in style in a private, air-conditioned vehicle
For an easy day, your guide leads the way
Spot local wildlife while driving through the Topolia Gorge
Pick up is available from your accommodation

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Private transportation
Guiding Services

Snacks

10 euro for snacks and drinks
Lunch

20 euro per person for lunch in a local restaurant
5 euro for renting a sunbed and umbrella (recommended)
Optional visit to an Olive Oil Factory. 15 euro entrance for Tasting Tour, 1 hour.
Optional visit to a Winery. 15 euro entrance for Tasting Tour, 1 hour.
Optional visit to Chrisoskalitisa monastery, 2 euro, 40 minutes

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick up and drop off from Souda port, your hotel/accommodation 10km or 6 miles around Chania old town, or any location near the main road towards Elafonisi beach. Please contact us regarding your pick up place for further information.

Arranged start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

07/31/2019 - 05/19/2027
Monday - Sunday : 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Itinerary

Elafonissi Beach

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Topolia Gorge

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Chrisoskalitissa Monastery

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Elos

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate

You must be able to get in and get out of the car. Elafonisi beach though definitely worth the visit
In case of traveller's serious health problems or other medical concerns please notify us
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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

Lindsay_Y

Our tour of Crete with George was absolutely perfect! From the moment he picked us up in a comfortable, air-conditioned van, we knew we were in great hands. George, who was born and raised on the island, has an incredible wealth of knowledge about Crete and shared fascinating stories and history along the way. His English was excellent, and he was so friendly and attentive, always making sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. The highlight, of course, was the drive out to stunning Elafonisi Beach — one of the most gorgeous places we’ve ever seen. You will need to bring your own towels and a change of clothes is recommended as well. George let us relax and spend as much time as we wanted there before taking us to a small local restaurant for lunch. He introduced us to authentic Cretan dishes and shared the background of the island’s culinary traditions, which made the meal even more special. This tour was the perfect mix of natural beauty, local culture, and warm hospitality. Highly recommend booking with George — he made our Crete experience unforgettable.

Reviews

4.8

based on 34 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Stella was lovely and...

Mark_B, Apr 2026

Stella was lovely and very accommodating. Her driving skills were fantastic! She took us to an excellent restaurant for lunch.

Great personable experience!

Lindsay_Y, Sep 2025

Response from Host, Sep 2025

We are so glad your experience at Elafonisi was so memorable. George and all our guides talk non stop, we try to give as much information as possible, to make the tour educative and interesting. We want your experience to be memorable and have the best time in Crete and Chania. The restaurants we visit are family owned and local, away from the beaten track and tourists. Food is tasty as the ingredients are fresh, cut ripe and cooked with love. Hope to see you again in the future. Search Niriis Tours to find us easily.

Great Experience!

Tammy_M, Jul 2025

Great experience with Sofia! Elafonisi Beach did not disappoint! Very lovely, relaxing and beautiful day! Left early to avoid crowds, so smart! Stops along the way for breaks, souvenirs, local sights. Lunch at a traditional Greek family restaurant was delicious. Shout out to Sofia, thank you again, a highlight of our trip, thanks to you!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

We appreciate your great words about our associate. Sofia has lived lots of years in Salt Lake City and her joyful personality makes the tour to Elafonisi unique for everyone! We are very happy to have her and do tours for us! Elafonisi is one of the best beaches in the world and the landscape of the road towards there, the Cretan countryside and the villages, are like a cart postal pictures! We hope to get to see you again here in beautiful Chania Crete Greece!

Elafonisi Beach private tour

Leanne_H, May 2025

Our tour guide Sofia was very obliging and stopped at many places of interest along the way to Elafonisi Beach. There we were given free time to relax & explore parts of this beautiful beach after which we were driven back to Chania to have lunch at a local restaurant and enjoy more free time to explore the old town. Her English was very good and she shared her local knowledge and love for Chania with us.

Response from Host, May 2025

We are glad you enjoyed the tour. Sofia is knowledgeable and fluent in English as she studied in the US. Elafonisi beach is a must, the best beach in the world for 2025 according to Trip Advisor. You combined the two best highlights of west Crete, Chania old town and Elafonisi beach. The tour was for Elafonisi beach, but because you decided to leave early (water is cold early May) we made up some extra time to visit Chania old town. We hope to see you again in the future!

great day at elafonisi beach

KevinN, Aug 2024

Had a very nice day travelling to Elafonisi beach with our guide. She did a job making sure we were comfortable and traveled safely back and forth. We had 3 sets of chairs and umbrellas waiting for us in a prime location on the Beach given her set up. Elafonisi beach was one of the nicest I have seen, with shallow blue water. On the way back we stopped small restaurant and had the most amazing goat with olive oil.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

We are glad you enjoyed the tour! It was best that we departed early at 7am to avoid the crowds, heat and tourists. We happen to know people, and although you cannot reserve sunbeds, we arranged it. Elafonisi beach is one of the best of the world! Fried goat is gamy, tender, and very tasty! Hope to see you again!

Beach and Lunch in Heaven!

robert_r, Jul 2024

Hello, we were on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. We had a 12 hour stop in Crete. Our choice was the Elafonisi Beach. I have been to beaches around the world, clearly this is my new #1 i will compare to all others. Absolutely perfect for families, couples and friends. While most of the pink beach is now gone you can see it especially at the sand bar area in the middle of the water. It is a 90+ min ride from Cruise Port. Fortunately our awesome tour guide Sophia was able to call ahead and get us sun beds with two umbrellas. The place fills up by 9 AM. That said you can buy umbrellas there as you walk down or bring them along cheaper in the town before. The water is the clearest I have ever seen for salt water, no algae. The beach is huge and you can walk out a great distance before reaching 5 feet, ideal for those who like to paddle out and talk and families with little kids. There is lots of beach to hike not feel crowded. We stayed 4 hours which was probably plenty for us. The trip to and from the beach was amazing our guide was very informative about Crete being a local who grew up there left and has come back for family life. The tour finished with an awesome lunch at local family restaurant, very affordable for families or newly weds. Food was top 3 on our extensive trip to Mediterranean. The best Moussaka and Dolmades I have ever eaten.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Its a pleasure when travellers have such a memorable experience on this island. Crete has a lot to offer, from nature, culture, history, traditions and food. You had a glimpse of all this and visited our best beach. There is still so much more to explore in Crete, and our #2 beach, Gramvousa island and Balos lagoon. You have to visit Crete again for a week. As you mentioned, the beach is ideal and safe for small children, as its shallow and has two life guard stations. The food is excellent in Crete, the best restaurants are in the mountains, away from the city centre. You still have to explore the #1 restaurant in the world, Dounias, located in Chania. We hope to meet you again in the near future!

Nice break for sight seeing

Deborah_B, Jul 2024

Great communication and smooth pick up it is a long drive to the beach - 2 hours over some winding roads. There is a bit of a walk to the beach over uneven paths. The beach is beautiful. Fine sand - but only a little of it is pink. The water is beautiful shades of blue turquoise and is shallow for wading. Beach chairs, umbrellas, and snacks available. The guide/driver stopped for restrooms and snacks which was very nice. Weather was windy so did not stay long as the sand was blowing. On the way back, an option for a local lunch was offered. Great accommodating guide. Nice break from sightseeing.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Elafonisi beach is one of the best in the world, the key is to depart as early as possible to avoid the crowds, after midday the wind picks up, but surprisingly there are no waves due to the wind direction. The pink sand is the inside of broken shells, unfortunately many visitors take is with them so there is not a lot left... Glad you enjoyed the day and tour.

Do not book with this vendor !!!

Victoria_K, Jun 2024

We did not take the trip because the vendor wanted an extra 1000 euros after our party of 12 had confirmed the price, with a Viator agent on the phone, of 848 euros and paid the fee. This issue was reported to Viator and American Express.

Response from Host, Jun 2024

I am very sorry you do not understand what we told you. Your review is misleading and incorrect. You booked two tours in less than 24 hours before the tour. That means that you have no free cancelation. We follow policies in Viator like everyone else. Viator called us and asked if we pick up from your location, near Hersonisos, 3,5 hours one-way drive away. we said that we did not pick up from this location and would charge extra. We clearly state in Viator and every site the limits of pick up, 25km around Chania town in west Crete. You asked to be picked up in East Crete, which is 3,5 hours, 180km away. If we do the maths, I would drive 3,5 hours to pick you, up, 3,5 hours to reach Chania, then return you and then return to Chania. Total 14 hours driving. You wished to visit Elafonisi, which is 8-9 hours tour, and 4-5 hours driving. So you the tour would last twice the time, 23 hours (perhaps you did not think that we have to sleep within a day), and 19 hours driving. In Greece its forbidden by law to drive so many hours within a day. It has to be up to 12 hours. You booked 2 separate tours for same destination. For the 14 hours extra driving, for two 7-seater mini vans vehicles, we offered 500 euro extra each, 1000 euro for both, return. A 4-seater taxi charges 350 euro one way , 700 euro both ways. So we offered half the price for the regular price, in a twice bigger vehicle! I am sorry but you cannot book a tour in California and ask a company in New York to pick you up. And it was clearly stated in the tour description. You put one star review, to punish us for your mistake. We said we have no authority to cancel a tour, or we will be penalised by Viator and asked to contact them directly, which you did prior to booking this tour. In the tour description two locations were written for pick up, one in Chania and the other east of Hersonisos. It was also marked that there is extra charge for the pick up. These tour descriptions were placed by someone, you or Viator, because we are not authorised to change the reservation description/ticket. You did not do the tour and if you wish to leave a review for the service of Viator, please do it somewhere else, not here that you rate the quality of the tour and service provided. As you said, you talked to a Viator agent on the phone and arranged the tour, not with us, so please talk to Viator to resolve the issue and not rate us for a Viator service. We follow the procedure, and you clearly do not.

Tour guide made all the difference

Katherine_F, Jul 2023

George was a fabulous tour guide! He communicated with me from the moment I booked the tour right up to the week of to make sure we had the best experience. He suggested we leave the hotel early to beat the crowds and he was absolutely correct in that decision. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch on the way home with George and loved getting to know him!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

I am glad you enjoyed Elafonisi without the crowds! Departing before 7am makes a huge difference to avoid traffic, heat and tourists. I am glad you liked the beach, and the small stops we made.

Great Advice - Glad we got there early!

Marc_G, Jun 2023

We had a great time heading to Elafonisi. George was an excellent tour guide. Follow his advice and get there early - we were glad we did. We got there and got four chairs and umbrellas, and then, not even 15 minutes later, they were all taken up. It was terrific advice. The walk there is not that bad. I recommend following his advice and checking out the lunch place he recommends. The orange juice is not to be missed. We had a great time, though, and would highly recommend this experience.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

For popular spots like Elafonisi, its better to go really early or really late. 7am departure or before, you will avoid traffic, heat, tourists and will find a nice spot and take photos. You had a small glimpse of the beauty of Crete.

True appreciation for Crete

Tyler_G, Jun 2023

This was one of the best tours we had in Greece! The knowledge of our guide was incredible! The weather ended up being overcast but our guide more than made up for the weather with his knowledge of Crete and Greece overall; highly recommend!

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thank you. Private tours can be flexible, so you will still have a nice experience us, no matter the weather!

Very nice day trip from Chania

Jason_V, Jun 2023

This was a really nice day trip. The weather was not in our favour and the beach was unseasonably chilly and cold so we didn't stay for long. The view is not as spectacular as Balos beach but it must be incredible on a hot, sunny day. We also had an amazing and inexpensive lunch in a small town (own expense). The guide had a very, very high proficiency in English and was very chatty and full of info and historical facts. I would definitely recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Jun 2023

We are sad the weather was not in our favor. When the sun shines you can see the green-blue transparent waters. End of May the weather was not good all over the Mediterranean, Italy had floods, deaths and homeless.

Awesome tour

Christina_E, Apr 2023

We had an amazing day! George was a fabulous tour guide who shared much information with us about Greek life on Crete and his personal life growing up there. We made a few stops on our way to Elafonisi beach which was beautiful. We spent time relaxing on the beach and wading out to the island. On our way back we stopped at an amazing restaurant in a small village for lunch. George helped us with the menu and made suggestions and we had a wonderful meal and we were all amazed at how good goat can taste!

Response from Host, May 2023

Sometimes I worry when I talk too much, but try to keep the conversation interesting about talking over various topics. I am glad you were adventurous to try the goat, the best meat you can get on the island!

Making Family Vacation Memories

Amy_S, Mar 2023

Our tour guide George was amazing. With our tour occurring before tourism season really had began George happily adjusted a few aspects of our tour to give us a full Greek experience during the day of our tour. We were able to see an olive factory, take many amazing pictures as we went over the mountains to the beach, see an old Church, learn so much about the Greek people and culture along the way. We spent a little over an hour on the beach. It was amazing to see and we maybe wish we had a little longer to hike than what we did. The openness of the beach in March was so beautiful. While we couldn't swim our kids ages 19, 17, & 14 were happy to wade, explore the beach, look for shells, and take pictures of the beautiful scenery while we were there. It was an AMAZING experience that we all thoroughly enjoyed! Thank you George for sharing so much with us along the way. He helped make it a great experience for all of us.

Response from Host, May 2023

I am glad you enjoyed the tour! The advantage of a private tour is that we can be flexible, which means spending less time on beach and more exploring. Your experience in March is completely different than in July when the crowds come, but you can at least swim!

Hands down the best tour on my Chania trip

Sean_B, Sep 2022

Start to finish this is one of the best experiences I’ve had one traveling around the world. If you’re looking for a specialized private tour this is one of the best. Petros our guide and friend along this journey was wonderful. He pointed out not only historical facts but information that only a local could know, this made the trip extra special and personal. Petros was not only knowledgeable; but kind generous and attentive to all of our needs. Awesome experience ! Petros you rock!!!

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Thank you, we are glad you enjoyed yourself on Elafonisi beach! We try to make our guests comfortable, get in the shoes of a local and enjoy Cretan hospitality, landscape and beaches! Hope will see you again!

Elafonisi family trip

Barbara_J, Jun 2022

The trip was wonderful. The views and the beach are beautiful. You don’ t feel the crowd as there is plenty of space and small pieces of Elafonisi to discover. My 3years old son refused to return;) our driver and guide was Peter- he was really helpful and open to our needs ( we traveled with kids). He told us many interesting things about the place. He also organized two baby car seats which was a great help for us:) the car was clean and comfy. We had a really good time there and I recommend this trip for families and couples😊

Response from Host, Jun 2022

I am really glad you and the kids enjoyed Elafonisi beach! Because of the 3-hour ride to get there (with stops), there is plenty of time to talk about Crete island, nature, history and its people. The stunning beach of Elafonisi is breathtaking and makes the whole trip worth it!