Walking in Crete

8 days
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4.7/5 Excellent
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Small Group Tour
Twinkling Mediterranean waters, a rugged interior and millennia-old civilisations make Crete a must for any hike-loving adventurer. See it for yourself on this highlight-heavy walking getaway, which includes a never-forgotten journey down the dramatic chasm of Samaria Gorge and a stop at the peaceful sugarcube village of Loutro. We also dig deep into the loca...
$4,151
From$3,075
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

    • Walk the UNESCO-listed Samaria Gorge
    • Stay overnight in the all-white coastal village of Loutro
    • End a gorgeous hike with sea swims at the palm-backed Preveli Beach
    • Soak up the history of the once-powerful ancient Greek city of Eleftherna
    • Tour one of the most popular wineries in Crete and taste their produce

What's this trip about?

    Twinkling Mediterranean waters, a rugged interior and millennia-old civilisations make Crete a must for any hike-loving adventurer. See it for yourself on this highlight-heavy walking getaway, which includes a never-forgotten journey down the dramatic chasm of Samaria Gorge and a stop at the peaceful sugarcube village of Loutro. We also dig deep into the local history and culture, admiring ancient ruins of long-gone empires, discovering ancient pottery traditions and sampling the popular local wine at a vineyard. Of course, tracking plenty of coastal trails means we have time for refreshing dips in that inviting sparkly sea.Trek trails on the largest island in Greece, where the magical Mediterranean meets ancient empires

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 16 people
Age range16 years and up
Flights and transport
Start CityChania
End CityChania

Travel Themes

  • Hiking & Walking

Destinations

Activities

  • Hiking

Min Group Size

  • Min Group Size: 4

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 16

Trip includes

    • Seven breakfasts, four boxed lunches, four dinners
    • All accommodation
    • All transport and listed activities
    • Tour leader throughout
    • Necessary luggage transfers and ferry tickets
    • Entrance fees to ancient Aptera, Eleftherna and Samaria Gorge
    • Licensed archaeological guide in Aptera

Itinerary

Day 1 Start Chania; optional orientation tour; welcome briefing and optional dinner

The adventure begins in Chania, a historic port city with a 14th-century Venetian harbour and atmospheric old town. If there’s time, we can enjoy an orientation tour, visiting the old harbour to see the Venetian lighthouse; the renovated Grand Arsenal, an ancient ship...

Day 2 Transfer to Paleochora; coastal walk to Sougia

We transfer (1hr 30min) to the coastal town of Paleochora, where we begin our first hike. Our adventure takes us east along a seaside route – part of the European E4 trail – to the village of Sougia, initially tracking a paved path before taking us to Anydri beach aft...

Day 3 Hike the Unesco-listed Samaria Gorge

Today we tackle the Unesco-listed Samaria Gorge, a 10mi (16km) long chasm running through the White Mountains to the Libyan Sea. We begin with a 10-minute transfer to the starting point, before setting out on what has to be one of the most spectacular walks in Greece....

Day 4 Hike to the white-washed village of Loutro

Post breakfast, we check out and begin today’s walk from Agia Roumeli beach, which takes us along the southern coastline. Our goal is the tiny seaside village of Loutro, an all-white bundle of buildings backed by rocky mountains and a contender for the most beautiful ...

Day 5 Ferry to Chora Sfakion; hike to the palm-backed Preveli Beach

We bid a fond farewell to Loutro this morning, hopping on an approximately 20-minute ferry to Chora Sfakion, where we jump into a transfer (1hr 30min) to our starting point for today’s hike: the 18th-century Preveli Bridge. From here, we walk through olive groves to t...

Day 6 Visit the ancient Greek city of Eleftherna; pottery village of Margarites; winery tour and tasting

Our hike today is a culture-soaked adventure. It starts in the once-powerful ancient Greek city of Eleftherna, now a small village, where we admire the Byzantine tower at the city entrance, the Roman reservoirs and tunnels, the acropolis, and the Hellenic bridge, befo...

Day 7 Circular village walk; return to Chania; farewell dinner

This morning, we continue our cultural immersion with a visit to the lesser-known archaeological site of Aptera, a city-state during the ancient Greek period and, with a spot between the two port cities of Minoa (now Marathi) and Kisamo (Kalives), a one-time commercia...

Day 8 End in Chania

Our trip ends today after breakfast. Depending on when you wake up, you may have time for one last wander around the beautiful city of Chania before you begin your return journey home.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,075
Price per day$384
Last Updated: 11/8/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Shared Room
Single Room
Availability
11 May 2025
18 May 2025
$3,450
$4,050
8 spots left
01 Jun 2025
08 Jun 2025
$3,450
$4,050
8 spots left
21 Sep 2025
28 Sep 2025
$3,450
$4,050
8 spots left
05 Oct 2025
12 Oct 2025
$3,450
$4,050
8 spots left

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Exodus Adventure Travels Reviews & Ratings

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Sheila Bissell

Apr 2025

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Excellent service

Excellent service

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Apr 2025

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Roger

They were very helpful, polite and knowledgeable

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Dave

Apr 2025

Written on
Exodus Adventure Travels Company Reviewsby Exodus Adventure Travels

Holiday cost reduced after I’d booked on it…

Booked a holiday which included my loyalty discount. Just checked the website and the trip I’m booked on has had its price reduced, which is pretty frustrating. Perh...

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Travel insurance
    • Visas or vaccinations
    • Single accommodation (available on request)
    • Tourist tax (paid locally)

Accommodation

We stay at small two- and three-star family-run hotels where possible, choosing traditional accommodations that highlight the local architecture of each destination. Most offer free wifi. Worth knowing Single accommodation is available on this trip for a supplement; see the Dates & Prices. In the remote villages of South Crete (Agia Roumeli and Loutro), due to the limited availability of accommodation, there is a possibility that the group will not be accommodated in the main hotel , but in the back or next to them buildings belonging to the same group/owners. Please note, some hotels don't have elevators.
Cancellation policy

The cancellation policies of this trip when booked through Travelstride are determined by the stated policies of the tour operator - Exodus Adventure Travels.

If you or any other member of your party decides to cancel a confirmed booking you must notify Travelstride in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by Travelstride and will be effective from the date on which we receive it.

Period before departure in which you notify us

From the date your Booking Confirmation is issued up to, and including, 90 days prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation.

  • 89 to 52 days (inclusive) prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation.
  • 51 to 31 days (inclusive) prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation.
  • 30 days or less prior to the departure date specified on the Booking Confirmation, or after the booking has started

Cancellation charge

Deposit can be transferred to a new booking which must be made within 3 months of the date the original booking was cancelled, and depart within 12 months of the new booking date. If a new booking is not made within this period then the deposit will be forfeited. Any remaining balance will be refunded excluding any non-refundable costs.

  • 50% of the total holiday cost. Any remaining balance will be refunded excluding any non-refundable costs.
  • 75% of the total holiday cost. Any remaining balance will be refunded excluding any non-refundable costs.
  • 100% of the total holiday cost.

For Polar holidays, the following cancellation charges will be made:

Cancellation period (before departure) - Cancellation Fee (per person)

Outside of 180 days - No fee if cancelled within 15 days of booking date. US $1,250 cancellation fee if cancelled 16 days or more of booking date.

179 to 120 days - Loss of deposit.

119 to 90 days prior to departure - 50% of the holiday cost.

89 to 60 days prior to departure - 75% of the holiday cost. 

59 to 0 days prior to departure - 100% of the holiday cost.

For more additional details, see the booking conditions of Exodus Adventure Travels at the following web address: https://www.exodustravels.com/us/about-exodus/exodus-booking-conditions

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
All breakfasts, four picnic lunches and four dinners are included. The buffet breakfasts include fresh bread, butter, jam, fresh juice, milk, local yoghurt, honey and wild cherry syrup, porridge, eggs, ham and cheese, cereal, muesli, cake and cookies, honey, coffee/tea, chocolate and lots of fresh seasonal fruit. A dining experience in Greece isn’t the same without spending evenings in a taverna – a small, family-run Greek restaurant – and on this trip we visit many of them. Dishes to try in the evenings include homemade filo pastry pies, moussaka, stuffed vegetables plus a variety of other vegetarian and vegan dishes, fresh salads, crunchy bread, cheeses and locally caught fish and seafood. Also try the local meat, such as lamb, pork, chicken and beef.
Age Requirements
16 years and up
Additional Information
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Trip ID
exodus-TFD

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