Category Crete Gorge Walks

Crete · CRETE GORGE WALKS

The 15 Best Gorge Walks in Crete

86 tours

Crete has more walkable gorges than anywhere else in Greece, and they range from the sixteen-kilometre Samaria descent to Imbros, which a family can do in three hours. Every walk below is one-way and downhill, which means transport at both ends. Here is what each involves, how hard it really is, and what the guided version adds.

From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion & Guide

From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion & Guide - How the guide support works when the trail gets tricky

1.From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion & Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,191 reviews · 9 - 12 hours · from $41Our pick

Guided Samaria Gorge hike from Chania with White Mountains drive, Agia Roumeli swim time, and ferry return. Challenging, great value.

“Amazing day! We did the hike with our children, and our guide Christina was wonderful — kind, supportive, and really caring. When our son fell, she immediately helped us, and it felt safe knowing there are doctors along the way. The views were absolutely breathtaking, and the whole experience was unforgettable. It’s a long downhill walk on stones and rocks, so good shoes are a must.”

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From Rethymno: Samaria Gorge Full-Day Trek, Pickup & Guide

From Rethymno: Samaria Gorge Full-Day Trek, Pickup & Guide - Breakfast briefing at Omalos, then your gorge entrance plan

From Chania/Rethymno: Samariá Gorge Guided Hike with Pickup

From Chania/Rethymno: Samariá Gorge Guided Hike with Pickup - Pickup, Coaches, and What the Long Day Really Means

3.From Chania/Rethymno: Samariá Gorge Guided Hike with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,010 reviews · 1 day · from $37

Full-day Samaria Gorge hike from Chania or Rethymno with hotel pickup, guided trail, Agia Roumeli swim, and ferry ride.

“Lovely day spent walking the gorge, Nikos was very helpful too and explained everything clearly. Overall excellent day out make sure you wear proper hiking boots as struggled in basic trainers. The scenery was absolutely stunning.”

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From Chania: Samaria Gorge with Professional Hiking Guide

From Chania: Samaria Gorge with Professional Hiking Guide - Getting There by Air-Conditioned Coach: The Early Start Works

From Heraklion: Samaria Gorge & Agia Roumeli Hiking Day Trip

From Heraklion: Samaria Gorge & Agia Roumeli Hiking Day Trip - Morning pickup and the coach ride: what you’re signing up for

5.From Heraklion: Samaria Gorge & Agia Roumeli Hiking Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 422 reviews · 15.5 - 17.5 hours · from $58

Hike Samaria Gorge to Agia Roumeli, swim in the Libyan Sea, then ferry back to Chora Sfakion. A long day with big payoffs.

“I was only in Crete for one full day and I chose this activity. So glad that I did. The hike was amazing and I got to see so many different things along the day. We had bus time, the hike took me about 4-5 hours, we had beach time, and a ferry ride. It’s a long day (16 hours from pick up to drop off), but well worth it.”

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Samaria Gorge Hiking from Chania with Professional Hiking Guide

Samaria Gorge Hiking from Chania with Professional Hiking Guide - The long-day schedule: Chania pickup to ferry return

6.Samaria Gorge Hiking from Chania with Professional Hiking Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 372 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $51

Luxury bus and boat from Chania to Samaria Gorge, guided descent through 600 steps, then swim at Agia Roumeli and return by ferry.

“It was hard but good - left me feeling very satisfied . I hiked 16 kms and it was an eye opener. I loved this hike and hated it all at the same time!!!! Crazy - if you need a reality check this trip is for you”

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From Rethymno/Chania: Imbros Gorge Hike

From Rethymno/Chania: Imbros Gorge Hike - Starting the day in the gorge zone: food, tickets, and early rhythm

7.From Rethymno/Chania: Imbros Gorge Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 353 reviews · 8 hours · from $30Best value

Hike Imbros Gorge from the White Mountains to the sea, then unwind in Chora Sfakion with time to swim, eat, and cool off.

“Didn’t get much from the guide- he dropped us at the top of the gorge and picked us up at the bottom. It would have been nice to know that it’s possible to buy breakfast and water at the start, and buy more water halfway down. I got some information from other reviews, but think the description could be better. That being said, the gorge is a very nice hike and we are glad we did it. Don’t expect any information about it from the guide. I personally did not get much from going to the beach, others may .”

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From Heraklion,Agia Pelagia,Malia: Samaria Gorge Guided Trip

From Heraklion,Agia Pelagia,Malia: Samaria Gorge Guided Trip - Timing and route: pickup from Heraklion, Agia Pelagia, and Malia

8.From Heraklion,Agia Pelagia,Malia: Samaria Gorge Guided Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 298 reviews · 12 - 14 hours · from $53

A long, guided hike through Samaria Gorge from Crete resorts. Includes White Mountains views, Agia Roumeli swim time, and ferry return.

“This was an incredible experience. The gorge was out of this world beautiful from start to finish. Our guide was fantastic, super organised and friendly. We were picked up at 5:15qm and dropped off at 10:15pm. The bus trip went quick enough as had a sleep and stopped off twice in the way. Lovely late lunch at a little restaurant at the ferry port. We had a quick swim in the sea before getting on the ferry back to the bus. Ferry trip around the coast was also beautiful. A wonderful experience. Definitely wear trainers with grip/walking boots. Walk is mostly in the shade & take some lunch”

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Crete: Samaria Gorge Hike

Crete: Samaria Gorge Hike - Price and what you really pay for the gorge day

9.Samaria Gorge Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 201 reviews · 17 hours · from $56

Guided Samaria Gorge hike to the sea, including Iron Gates, an Agia Roumeli swim, and a south-coast boat ride.

“Incredible, un-missable experience! If you're visiting Crete, don't mind a challenge and want to see some of the most beautiful surroundings you ever seen - this is the trip to take. A very well organised tour. Transportation was comfortable, our guide was very welcoming, enthusiastic and multilingual. Plenty of comfort breaks! The hike itself is as described, 15km over uneven terrain, but so worth it! A definite must see for Crete!”

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From Chania/Kalyves: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Hiking Day Trip

From Chania/Kalyves: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Hiking Day Trip - The early bus to Omalos: where you start to feel the altitude

10.From Chania/Kalyves: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Hiking Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 162 reviews · from $32

Full-day Samaria Gorge hike from Chania with a guide, transfers, Agia Roumeli swim time, and ferry return.

“The activity in and of itself was GREAT! It was a bit confusing with the pickup but got it sorted in time. The early morning bus ride through the White Mountains as the sun rose, was beautiful. Pari was our guide. Listen to her speech near the end of the bus ride, on the way up, and you’ll have the best possible experience. She does this 5x a week, so she knows what she’s talking about and is great. The cafe at the starting point has delicious spinach pie, two small bathrooms and eating area etc etc. There are squat toilet houses along the trail also with fresh drinkable water…”

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Crete: Sarakina Gorge, Forests, and South Coast Safari

Crete: Sarakina Gorge, Forests, and South Coast Safari - Getting picked up: the orange Land Rover Discovery and small-group flow

11.Sarakina Gorge, Forests, and South Coast Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 138 reviews · from $111

Off-road Crete safari with Sarakina Gorge, Kroustas forest, olive oil tasting, taverna lunch, and swim time on the south coast.

“Great guide and learned lots about Cretan life. Unfortunately a lady on the trip was taken ill so we had to return after lunch and didn’t get to finish the planed itinerary.”

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From Chania: Imbros Gorge Guided Hike and Village Visit

From Chania: Imbros Gorge Guided Hike and Village Visit - Imbros Gorge: 9 km of narrows, stone steps, and real atmosphere

Crete: Samaria Gorge Hiking with transfer and expert Escort

Crete: Samaria Gorge Hiking with transfer and expert Escort - Picking up at your hotel area, and why it matters

14.Samaria Gorge Hiking with transfer and expert Escort

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 125 reviews · 12 - 16 hours · from $47

Guided Samaria Gorge hike in Crete with transfers, first-aid trained escort, and a South coast boat ride plus swim in Agia Roumeli.

“Our guide Nicos was awesome. The pick up point was prompt and easy to find. Nico's explained to us very clearly out itinerary for the day so when it and checked in with us on the trail. Getting back was also so smooth. I highly recommend this service.”

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From Rethymno: Imbros Gorge & Libyan Guided Sea Tour

From Rethymno: Imbros Gorge & Libyan Guided Sea Tour - The Imbros Gorge hike: narrow passages, clear landmarks, good payoff

15.From Rethymno: Imbros Gorge & Libyan Guided Sea Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 118 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $34

Walk Imbros Gorge, swim in the Libyan Sea, and eat a traditional lunch in Chora Sfakion, with Rethymno hotel pickup.

“Sehr gut organisiert, von der extrem pünktlichen Abholung bis zum perfekt erklärenden Guide alles passend. Keine Beanstandung, genau wie beschrieben. Sehr gelungener Ausflug mit nahezu perfekter Organisation.”

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