Samaria Gorge Tour from Chania - The Longest Gorge in Europe

Crete, Greece

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

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Overview

With traditional villages and plenty of warm Mediterranean sunshine, the Samaria Gorge is the longest of its kind in Europe—but it’s also a challenging and rewarding hike, considered by many to be among the toughest in Crete. This adventurous full-day combination bus and hiking tour from Chania takes you deep into the gorge itself, where large boulders lie beneath soaring limestone cliffs. Follow a 10-mile (16-km) route though the Samaria Gorge and experience the best of the Crete countryside with a guide.

Full-day Samaria Gorge hike from Chania
Trek through Europe’s longest gorge with a guide
Admire panoramic views over the limestone cliffs
Discover peaceful villages nestled along the gorge
Tackle challenging hiking terrain
Tour includes pickup and drop-off at your Chania hotel

What's Included

Local guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
All Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle

Entrance fee for Samaria: 5 € (Children under 15 y.o : free)
Boat ticket (11 €/ Chd 5,50 € under to 11 years old)
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Entrance fee - Samaria Gorge National Park

€5.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Hotel Lobby

Operating hours
.7:00 am

Itinerary

Meet your guide at your Chania hotel for an early morning departure. Travel out of the city to the Samaria Gorge by air-conditioned coach to begin your full-day tour. The longest gorge in Europe, Samaria is widely considered among Crete’s top natural attractions.

During your 10-mile (16-km) hike, follow rugged trails through the Samaria Gorge and marvel at the beautiful scenery you find. Admire high limestone cliffs, and pass traditional villages where life ticks by at a relaxed pace.

Clamber around boulders and navigate thin, rocky passes along the gorge floor. On arrival into Agia Roumeli, stop for a rest and food (own expense). Then, return by boat to Sougia and meet your coach for the return journey to your Chania hotel.

Samaria Gorge National Park

5 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
The duration of the hike is at least 5 hours and that’s why you must wear proper footwear with socks, a hat, light-colored clothing and sunscreen. You must have a bottle of water with you (there is drinking spring water along the trail), a light snack, if you wish, and of course a walking mood.
Camping is not allowed in the gorge, you can’t spend the night there, light a fire, smoke (you can only do so at the special milestones on the trail), you can’t hunt, set traps, bring guns or animals along, you can’t uproot plants and you are of course not allowed to bathe in the river.
Not wheelchair accessible
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

We must keep the lavatories clean for the sake of our own health and we mustn’t throw paper inside the toilets.
You must hold on to the ticket issued at the entrance of the gorge until the end of the hike, in order to go through control at the exit gate.
WE KINDLY ASK ALL VISITORS TO COMPLY WITH THE RULES OF THE STATE PARK IN ORDER TO ENSURE A SAFER HIKE, AS WELL AS TO HELP PRESERVE THE UNIQUELY RICH FLAURA AND FAUNA OF OUR COUNTRY.
You must have with you: Proper footwear and socks -A hat - Sunscreen - A bottle of water - A swimsuit and a beach towel
Please notice that extra charges may apply per person or in total of the group for pick-ups from hotels- villas- airbnb outside the proximity of our tour selected pick route. In that case we can provide round trip transfer for customer(s) convenience ad-hoc quoted as per location of customer(s)' property.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

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

Featured review

Matthew_S

The gorge is amazing! Hike through several different terrains and scenic views. Allow a full day from departure to return. Transportation to and from was comfortable. If I had to change anything, it would be nice if the guide affixed a flag to the end of her walking stick to use as a visual to gather group at key points like at the ferry departure and coach bus.

Reviews

4.1

based on 15 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

sAMARIA GORGE

Seaside45512055364, Oct 2019

Our guide was amazing and really helped to make the trip as enjoyable and interesting as possible. She was so encouraging as we found it to be a very difficult hike (and we are experienced and very strong hikers) with the elevation and the smooth slippery rocks along the way that required slow and very careful footing.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

Dear Guest, We appreciate your comments regarding your recent trip/tour. Such comments are very encouraging for all of us and enhance even more our commitment for constant upgrade of our services. Looking forward to see you again in the near future to one of our tours and until then, we wish you all the best!

Great Hike, a Must-do!

Matthew_S, Jun 2019

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Dear Guest, Thank you for posting such a positive feedback of your recent tour in Samaria Gorge. It makes us so glad to read that you enjoyed every aspect of your tour. It is our pleasure to make each guests tour special and one to remember. We hope to have the opportunity of welcoming you back for another even more memorable tour. Best Regards

Fine Experience

Kristen_F, May 2019

We did not realize that we would be doing the hike entirely on our own (i.e. the guide was only there to buy our tickets and check in prior to boarding the boat and bus. The hike was gorgeous but entry to the park and the boat (only way to get back to bus) was not included in the price. There are bathrooms along the way but are really just holes in the ground. There are plenty of fountains for water but no where to buy food until the end of the trek. Once the park ended, it was another 2km to the town to board the boat. There are some shops and restaurants there but not much and not all places take credit card. Young/fit individuals may want to consider a different tour (if offered) because this hike can be done in 4 hours and the tour allots ~8 hours before meeting to get on the boat. If there is one that starts later or if there are boats that leave earlier it would have suited better. The boat ride is long and the bus ride back is longer - it is nice since the switchbacks provide a good view of the coastline

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Dear Guest, We appreciate your comments regarding your recent tour. It is always a pleasure to receive such a positive feedback. Such comments are very encouraging for all of us and enhance even more our commitment for constant upgrade of our services. Looking forward to see you again in the near future to one of our tours. Best regards

Understand that this tour is a...

Stuart W, Aug 2017

Understand that this tour is a hiking tour. Now, I'm a fit person, I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, and I'm in relatively good shape. However, I'm not an experienced hiker, and on previous treks I've been given the nickname of twinkletoes due to the amount of times I have fallen over. The terrain on this hike is rocky and slippery, I wish I had worn better shoes walking boots even. I was not too proud to hire a walking pole from the guide for 2.50 which I felt really helped in some of the areas. Honestly, after looking at your feet for so long it felt like playing an ankle destroying game of Tetris. I did roll my ankles a couple of times, and I saw others do this also. Ouch. The guide was quite repetitive stating to always be looking at your feet and that this is a long and challenging walk - but in fairness, I think this advice was spot on. Although it was a walk in the park, figuratively it was not in my opinion!. The weather on the day we went was hot, so dress appropriately and sunscreen/hat etc. The entrance to the park and the boat ticket cost 15 euros which was taken from each passenger in the morning on the coach trip to the park. For those who prefer premium toilet roll I would recommend trying to backup - your nice toilet stops will be in the cafe/shop stop before you get to the park, and then toilets at the village/town where you take the ferry at the end of the 5 hour walk. Otherwise you'll be stuck with the toilets on the walk, which are squat style, and you'll have to put up with whatever mess the lines of tourists have left for you. At the bottom of the park you will be advertised/offered a 2 euro bus to the village/town of Agia Roumeli. At this point the walking is easy, downhill, less rocky, and really only another 15-20 mins to the town. So you can save yourself 2 euros but after a long hike I can understand why people take it. One thing to be aware of. The guide gives times of being at / leaving checkpoints. These are: 1st checkpoint : Aga Nikalous : 9:30 Samaria 2nd checkpoint: 11:00 3rd checkpoint: 13:15 which is the bottom of the national park 20 mins walk to town... 16:45 be at the restaurant to take the boat tickets 17:30 the ferry leaves Agia Roumeli As you can see with those timings, you can actually take more time in the park. The guide setting those timings made it somewhat rushed. But on a hot day I can understand why you'd want to be out of the park when the sun is at its hottest. Overall, really good - just wish I took better shoes.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Amazing experience. Although it...

Haider M, May 2017

Amazing experience. Although it meant getting up early in the morning you can sleep on the bus ride there. Just made sure you are prepared with food,snacks and water through the gorge.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Excellent tour, highly organized and...

Tracey T, Dec 2016

Excellent tour, highly organized and a great guide! The only thing I would change is adding an uphill option for a more challenging hike.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

This was an amazing day. I would...

Nicole C, Sep 2016

This was an amazing day. I would highly recommend this trip if you are good shape and prepared for a very long day. I was picked up at 6:15 AM, the hike began at 8:00 AM and lasted approximately 4.5 hours, I then walked to the village of Samaria and spent the afternoon in tavernas and on a beautiful beach. The only ferries out of the village come at 5:30 PM and take you one village over. The ferry is approximately 45 minutes long. Upon exiting the ferry you get back onto the bus for a hour and a half bus ride. Returning to Chania around 8:30 PM. The day was a lot longer than I anticipated. If you are considering this hike, know there is no where to purchase food along the hike. In order to be prepared I would suggest packing snacks, bring a water bottle there is fountains to fill up, packing a bathing suit for the beach, and bringing along a camera to take pictures of the scenery.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

You can find the exact same trip...

Tom_B, Aug 2016

You can find the exact same trip locally at less than half of the Viator price. Same bus, same guides, ... However, the Gorge is absolutely worth the visit. The walk is tough, but feasible, even for the not very well trained. Put on good shoes, however. There is a small local bus that runs from the exit of the park to the seaside, which is a good option if you feel you have walked enough as you probably will.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Dear Guest, Thank you for posting your feedback of your recent tour. Your detailed review helps us to see our product through your eyes. Do have in mind that what you have experienced is completely different from what you are to be offered on the spot plus transportation in r/t from your hotel and back is not included. We hope to have the opportunity of welcoming you back for another tour. Best Regards

The pick up was right on time...

Dennis S, Aug 2016

The pick up was right on time. Thomas was very informative on the way to the gorge and after the entire hike. He got us to the gorge earlier than a lot of buses get there so you beat the crowds w this tour. The hike was absolutely gorgeous. A mix of Grand Canyon and Zion national park. Recommend it!

Response from Host, Jan 2020

The Gorge was wonderful. Thomas was...

Linda_S, Jun 2016

The Gorge was wonderful. Thomas was an excellent guide and very helpful. It was definitely an experience I will always remember.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Great walk, early start to stay...

Matthew G, Jun 2016

Great walk, early start to stay ahead of crowds and make most of shade. Well organised, the guide Thomas was super, checked in on everyone at all the rest stops and good commentry on the bus. Spring water available all way down so only need one water bottle folks.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Our trip to the Samaria gorge was...

Arne_G, May 2016

Our trip to the Samaria gorge was very nice. We had to get up very very early but it was totally worth it! Our guide Thomas was nice and friendly and could tell us a lot about the gorge and its environment. It was a very long day but this is something you have to do if you're in Crete.