The 15 Hiking Tours in Crete We Would Book Again

1.Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion & Guide

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

Trek Crete’s Samaria Gorge from Chania with transport, an English guide, a ferry ride, and free time at Agia Roumeli.

“Sara was an excellent host and very thoroughly explained everything we needed to know prior to arriving at the gorge. The bus does stop at a cafe before entering the gorge so you will have an opportunity to get a sando or snack bars. Sara’s instructions were very clear and easy to follow & she was extremely knowledgeable. She gave us recommended times to hit each major checkpoint to ensure everyone kept pace within a manageable timeframe. The hike is almost entirely downhill and there are some extremely steep and slippery slopes. It is manageable if you are prepared.m: you absolutely need hiking boots w ankle support or sneakers with…”

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2.Samaria Gorge Full-Day Trek, Pickup & Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,610 reviews · 9 - 12 hours · from $37

Review of the Samaria Gorge trek from Rethymno, with honest advice on fitness, footwear, transport, costs, scenery, and Agia Roumeli.

“Our guide, Alexandra, went above and beyond. She’s funny, witty and an incredibly caring and talented lady. I highly recommend this epic adventure”

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

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

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge from Chania or Rethymno, then swim in Agia Roumeli and ride the ferry along the Libyan coast.

“Great trip and the Gorge was well worth a visit. The path can be a little challenging but it is very easy to navigate.”

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4.Samaria Gorge with Professional Hiking Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 720 reviews · 14 hours · from $37

Review the Samaria Gorge hike from Chania, with practical advice on terrain, transport, extra fees, swimming, guides, and whether it is worth the long day.

“One of our favorite hikes ever! Definitely worth the small price to join this tour instead of trying to organize all of the logistics of this hike on your own! Our driver, Nico, was fantastic, and our guide Ingrid was exceptional! They both have tons of experience with trip so you are in great hands! The hike itself was amazing, beautiful views the entire time, and a gorgeous beach at the end. The 10 miles of downhill can be hard on the knees but it was well worth it!”

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5.Samaria Gorge & Agia Roumeli Hiking Day Trip

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

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge from Heraklion, swim at Agia Roumeli, and return by ferry in a demanding but memorable 16-hour day.

“The hike was awesome and worth doing. The transportation just makes for such a long day. We got picked up from nearby hotel by mini bus that took us to big bus which stops for other hikers and then makes 2 twenty minute stops for food and bathroom so trip was 4 hours to gorge. Then trip home is 2 stop ferry to bus with one 20 minute drop with several drop offs to mini bus with more drop offs. So left at 6am and back to hotel at 10:30 pm. Hike was beautiful and worth it but the travel there and back is so long. If you can find…”

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6.Samaria Gorge Hiking from Chania with Professional Hiking Guide

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

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge from Chania with transport, a guide, mountain views, Iron Gates, and time to swim at Agia Roumeli.

“Great experience from start to finish! It was a unique opportunity to see another part of the island and combine hiking and the beach. Ingrid, the guide, is a wealth of information and delivers it with personability and humor.”

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7.From Rethymno/Chania: Imbros Gorge Hike

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

Hike Crete’s scenic Imbros Gorge, then swim and eat by the Libyan Sea on an easy guided day trip from Rethymno or Chania.

“we had a great time! thank you to Rena who picked us up from the Agora to take us to the coach! Carolina was a great tour guide, who made sure everyone was looked after and addressed any questions they had. Niko was a considerate driver, who drove carefully, not like other coach drivers! we had a great time, everything was smooth with our trip. highly recommended, Αλίκη”

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8.Samaria Gorge Hike

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

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge from Xiloskalo to Agia Roumeli, then swim in the Libyan Sea and sail the south coast for $56.

“Interesting but a challenging hike, especially in 34 degrees we had on that day. Guide Athina was amazing and providing great information with a touch of humor. Good shoes (not slippery!) are a must, usually I am laissez-faire on the topic but I really appreciated having good shoes, water bottle and head protection/sunscreen. It will take a whole day and maybe even next day you'll be a bit fatigued so have it in mind.”

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

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

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge with a mountain guide, then swim at Agia Roumeli. Includes hotel transfers, ferry, and free cancellation.

“It was very good to have a local guide to pick us up. We did not walk as a group which we liked as we walked fast. We had heaps of time to chill at the beach afterwards. After the boat ride back, transport back to Chania was super easy as we did not have to try to find a local public bus to take us back. It was already organised.”

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10.Imbros Gorge Guided Hike and Village Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 133 reviews · 8 hours · from $35

Hike Imbros Gorge from Chania, then swim and eat by the Libyan Sea in Sfakia. A scenic, family-friendly Crete day trip with hotel pickup.

“I love Carolina and the info she provided! We had a great time hiking and swimming. My favorite day so far.”

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11.Samariá Gorge Full-Day Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 129 reviews · 12 hours · from $37

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge from Rethymno with a guide, swim at Agia Roumeli, and ride the ferry along the southern coast.

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12.Samaria Gorge Hiking with transfer and expert Escort

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

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge with transfers, a trained guide, Libyan Sea swim, Agia Roumeli stop, and south-coast boat ride.

“Our tour guide, Claudia, was wonderful. Given the logistics involved in a trip like this, there’s potential for so much to go wrong but everything was slick and professional. Whether you think the hike itself is tough or easy obviously depends on your fitness and love for this sort of adventure. It will be a completely different experience for everyone. My friend, who has knee probelms, found the experience pretty excruciating but still managed to complete it and said she was glad to have gone. The scenery was beautiful and the trail wasn’t too busy after the first hour when everyone’s different paces meant the crowds thinned out. We went…”

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13.Kourtaliotiko Gorge: Guided River Adventure Trek with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 106 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $112

Swim to a waterfall, walk Kourtaliotiko Gorge, and enjoy a Cretan farm lunch on this guided 4.5-hour river adventure.

“this was an amazing experience . our guide was knowledgeable about the area and the Gorge. we explored other parts of the Gorge not so commercialized. it was serene and absolutely amazing. our guide was knowledgeable, friendly very professional. was overall amazing time and I would recommend it to anyone”

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14.Kourtaliotiko Gorge River Trek with Lunch! Pick-up Avaliable

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 90 reviews · 5 hours · from $112

Trek Crete’s Kourtaliotiko Gorge, swim to a waterfall, cross natural pools, then enjoy lunch and a smoothie at Banana Garden.

“Spektakulär in eine hohe schmale Schlucht mit Wasserfällen hineinzuschwimmen zu können und durch das Flussbett in Richtung Tal zu warten-sehr gut organisiert und ein schöner Abschluss im Banana Garden. Sehr sympathischer Guide (Neoprenanzug, Helm und wasserdichtes Handycase wird gestellt, feste Schuhe z. B. nicht die neuesten Turnschuhe,die nass werden können, unbedingt mitnehmen) - unsere absolute Empfehlung, Sonja und Ole”

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15.Samaria Gorge Trek: Full-Day Excursion from Chania with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 51 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $41

Hike Crete’s Samaria Gorge from Chania with transport, guide support, ferry tickets, and free time for lunch and swimming in Agia Roumeli.

“So glad we got to see this gorge! The travel time to and from is quite long and not great for folks who get motion sickness from right turns in a bus. Other than that, it was memorable and we are glad we did this. You’ll need a swim suit and cash for this adventure.”

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