Enjoy this excursion to the prized national forest of Crete, the Samaria Gorge - the longest and most beautiful gorge in Europe.
Walk through the gorge, approximately 11 miles (18 kilometers) which begins at the plateau of Omalos.
Cross through the White Mountains and finish at the tiny village of Aghia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea. The route is enriched with flowers, herbs and trees, little fountains, abandoned settlements and wild goats known as Kri-Kri, as well as birds of prey.
From the secluded village of Aghia Roumeli, take the boat to the village of Chora Sfakion to meet the coach for return trip to Heraklion.
my nephews actually took this excursion but for 2 20 somethings to say it was worth being ready to be picked up at 5:40 am from our hotel in Heraklion it was a winner-one of the things they tell people about repeatedly as a best memory day!
Review by: Olena L, December 2017
Amazing experience. Will make you tired and happy.
Review by: Matthew E, October 2017
Excellent trip. Coach ride was efficient if somewhat windy!. Quite expensive considering one pays for the boat and the Gorge itself. Our guide Thomas was excellent. Spoke about every aspect of the descent and was friendly and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend this experience if you are in Crete.
Review by: Elaine T, September 2017
Ridiculously overpriced at 58, not including gorge entry or ferry ticket but I really wanted to do this walk and am very glad that I did. We are fifty somethings who run a dairy farm, which is our only exercise. As we finished the walk in plenty of time, I can only conclude that anyone with moderate fitness would have no problem. The first couple of km is hard going as it is steep and although mostly stepped, the rocks are loose and some are slippery. It is the busiest section too with possibly two or three coachloads of walkers all starting together. Then you find that you have spread out nicely. The best stuff is just after the half way point at the Samaria village. There are signs with a number on at intervals, but you finish the walk just after the number 12.
Review by: Jude G, August 2017
Trip was fabtastic. Easy meet up place at the start of the day, very well organised but we like it that we were left to walk the track on our own. Meet up end if the day was easy and we loved the boat trip then easy rude in the bus. Perfect way to do the gorge walk from your hotel we were staying in Chania. We loved it that the whole day was so well organised. All we had to do was turn up, but be well prepared with food and water...and sturdy boots. Take your swim suit to swim in the sea at the end of the walk. Essential to have plastic beach shoes too.
Review by: Rachael N, August 2017
The actual walk through the gorge was amazing. The reason why I haven't given this five stars is due to the price charged. We saw a number of agencies local in Crete who offered the same excursion with similar itinerary and transport for a lot less. This is extremely expensive for what you get especially as you have to pay additional fees on top of this for the national park fees and the boat ticket.
Review by: Susan O, July 2017
It was great to have the option of a bus trip to Samaria Gorge from where we were staying in the east end of Crete in Hersonissos Town. We were picked up at 5:15 am and dropped off at 11 pm so it made for a long day but we were able to sleep in the bus early in the morning after pickup and especially after the challenging hike on a hot day! The hike took 6 hours and although pretty tough, we were so proud of ourselves for the accomplishment. A swim in the sea cooled us off and the hour and a half boat ride back to the bus was a beautiful way to see the south coastline of Crete. Highly recommended!
Review by: Hans M, June 2017
Yes it would be a nice hike so far, if you pass all the people there. But the bad thing about it, I pay way too much with Viator. A local agency there only ask about half the price for the same tour there.
Review by: Robyndrake, June 2017
An incredible experience! So nice to have the transportation handled, and good advice before starting down the gorge! It's a more challenging hike than anticipated. Definitely wear hiking boots and not runners! So nice to be able to sleep on the bus on the way back from the gorge.
Review by: Tim T, October 2016
Arrangements for pick up and drop offs was great. Our guide ensured that everyone was kep safe for the duration of the trek. The scenery was awe-inspiring and the mojitos at the end were very refreshing.
Review by: Mary F, October 2016
an easy way to get to the gorge and know that your transportation there/back is taken care of
Review by: Nick S, October 2016
We had a wonderful day at the Samaria Gorge! Our guide was knowledgeable, bus was clean, bus driver was friendly. We are so glad we went! However, the day was too long. We were staying in Elounda, so we were on the bus for 12 hours. In addition, we would recommend giving additional details about the schedule for the day - how long the hike is, what to bring, etc.
Review by: Sarah H, September 2016
Be prepared for a long day bus picked us up from our hotel at 6am and we didn't get back until 10:30pm that night, but the hike itself is fabulous. If you have the time definitely worth doing.
Review by: Sarah T, September 2016
worst guide ever. Had to ride 8 hours cramped into a small van. Hike was great!!
Review by: Sebastian B, September 2016
Amazing views and quite easy hike for experienced people, with a non common ending: swimming into the sea at the end of the trail.
Review by: Korneel D, September 2016
The day went perfectly as planned. The guide and bus driver were excellent and very helpful... and of course, the samaria gorge is absolutely amazing. A long descent, but once you arrive, the bay and sea water are very rewarding. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Review by: John P, July 2016
This was a fantastic walk through a beautiful Gorge. The guide service and transportation was excellent. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys hiking. Make sure you have comfortable shoes and are fit enough for a ten mile intense walk. It will test you.
Review by: Caitlin K, July 2016
B.eautiful environment and a great walk
Review by: Jennifer M, July 2016
The hike itself is great. The tour company did a great job coordination get our complicated travel arrangements. However, the guide was a little short on info, and some basic info about what to bring would benefit other hikers less experienced than us. The guide did do that but at the last minute
Review by: thebache, July 2016
Tour was nice and worth waking up early. Still far from Heraklion ... Better take it from chania or stay there .... Gorge is clean, water available every 2 km so you walk light
Review by: Mike E, July 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Gay T, July 2016
Beautiful day and amazing hike. And Irena was a wonderful guide who thoroughly prepared us. Would do it again. And make sure you follow the hike with a swim.
Review by: Marion G, June 2016
Absolutely stunning. It was run very efficiently, I booked online the day before, was told where and when to go to be picked up. The guide was helpful and informative. Really enjoyed my day
Review by: Sal M, November 2015
Trip was well organized and the tour operator worked closely with us to make sure and pick us up and dropped off at a convenient location and on schedule.
Review by: Cindy C R, September 2015
The hike was extremely well organized, and the sites were beautiful!
Review by: Jennifer Z W, September 2015
Amazing natural environment! Really appreciated the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the ride without driving the steep, narrow switchbacks. Coffee and biological stops along the way were great especially on the return, the soulvaki cooked on the outdoor grill was delicious.
Review by: Christopher S, August 2015
Well worth doing - great achievement to complete the walk and great views along the way
Review by: Joseph M, July 2015
There are something's that can't be helped with tour guides and groups. However, the tour company Viator used for the tour of Samaria Gorge was abstract and lacked information provided. In addition, the stand that ALL the buses stopped at were sub-par. Make sure you pack food BEFORE the trip. All the places they stop to pick up food have no real options for food unless you like moldy bread.
Review by: Cynthia M, July 2015
Pros: We were very impressed with this tour. Tour company was very organized, had on-time arrival to morning pick-up, a well-informed tour guide, and comfortable transportation. Tour had a great pace through the gorge, finishing with 2 hours at the end to enjoy swimming in the Libyan Sea and lunch in the beautiful and remote Agios Roumeli._br/_
Cons: If youre looking to stroll through the gorge at your own/slower pace, this tour moves a little more briskly than that. Some reviews noted pace was quicker than desired, however, we did not feel that way and, at 6 hours, we were tired from our journey so glad to for its pace, and did not feel rushed.
Review by: Harriet C, July 2015
My review is not based on the Gorge itself, the Gorge was amazing and the tour guide was brilliant. My review is based on the service that Viator provide. We stayed in Elounda and despite the very early start we decided to go ahead and book based on the timings provided by Viator and were happy to accept that it may be around a 16 hour day all round. However this was not the case, if you stay in the Elounda area you will be going for just shy of 24 hours. It was too much for us in terms of exhaustion, we didn't think that the day would be that long. Having experienced this I would say that either Viator should offer a more direct travel service to those who pay extra and are further out, or they should not offer this day tour to people who are that far out if they can't be accommodated for within a reasonable timescale. We felt that 16 hours was a reasonable time. 24 is not.
Review by: Ali, June 2015
Excellent tour. Date changed but all organization went smoothly. Would have like some history or information about the gorge on transit. Times suggested were underestimated by guide which encouraged us to rush and yet had 2 hours spare at beach. _br/_
Advertising said boat went to east, but went west
Review by: Nicholas E, June 2015
Excellent day! Highly recommend this tour
Review by: Nathaniel F, June 2015
Small bus picked us up, took us where we needed to go, and got us home quickly. Tour guy was funny and informative and had a great Austrian accent. This was more like a concierge service than anything else - would highly recommend over a large tour.
Review by: Tamara L, June 2015
Great experience but one must be in really good condition and hiking shoes would be best. Our tour guide Thomas was terrific and informative. Everything went smoothly and we had plenty of time.
Review by: Kelly T, June 2015
Very informative guide, I felt very safe with our bus driver, the logistics all worked out very well. Very good value for money and a worthwhile destination.
Review by: Monica M, June 2015
It was great! The tour guide was nice and informative and the tour pick-up and drop-off ran smoothly.
Review by: Denis D, October 2014
This was the highlight of my visit to Crete. The gorge itself was amazing due to its sheer height and beauty. The herbal smells particularly over the first few Km were amazing. The guide was helpful providing some background to the gorge and the small number of buildings in the valley. The history of those who lived in the gorge is fascinating. This is a trip that I would highly recommend.The only negative that I would say about the day was the very poor quality of the coffee / food rest stop, which the bus stopped at the half-way stage on travelling too and from the gorge. Better to be well planned and bring your own food!
Review by: sha, September 2014
An awesome experience. The guide was great very helpful if how the walk was structured and the gear and food we needed to take with us, The walk was amazing and the transport arrangements were very organised.
Review by: Jay W, September 2014
A stunning hike. The early start meant we were ahead of most other people which was appreciated. Our tour guide was knowledgeable about the area, friendly and approachable. However, there is no need to rush the hike; take time to enjoy the scenery. My hiking pace is brisk so I had 4.5 hours to wait for the ferry to leave from the village at the end. Bring swimming shorts and a towel for a swim in the Libyan Sea and also a book to read.
Review by: Christina A, September 2014
The Samaria Gorge and National Park is beautiful and a great experience. Wearing the proper shoes is a must, as this is an 11 mile hike along very rocky trails. Only downside was that its a longer day that perhaps it needs to be. Because the tour included 50 other people, my pick up from the hotel in Kolymbari was 515 and I didn't get dropped off until 2130. After finishing the hike, we had to stay the afternoon (about 4 add'l hours) in Agio Roumeli, and then ferry back to get a 1-2 hour bus ride back to the hotel. Due to ferry schedule, it's possible that cannot be helped. Also, I'm under the impression from talking with several other individuals on the bus that if you purchase your tour tickets in Chania, the price for the trip is less than half the price of what I paid through Viator. All in all, a great experience, but it's a very long day, even before and after the hike. Not sure that Viator is the way to go.
Review by: Timothy S, July 2014
From the bus pickup in front of our hotel to the very professional and skilled guides, this was a great way to do this hike.
Review by: Nina M, July 2014
amazing scenery to admire, and a feeling of freedom and being in the middle of nature. the gorge is really a tour for those who like the outdoors and who can handle a 5/6 hour hike. during the hike people will go at different speeds so likely the group will disperse
Review by: MARIYA T, June 2014
We enjoyed it greatly and encourage everyone pondering this idea to go ahead. You won't regret it! Our guide Thomas was very helpful, giving us valuable advice and at the same time, amusing us greatly.
Review by: Ashley S, June 2014
Cab picked us up in the morning and dropped us off at the bus. The bus dropped us back off at the same meeting point after the tour but the cab never came back to pick us up leaving us stranded in the cold after a long day. I was very disappointed in the traveled arrangements.
Review by: Theresa C, May 2014
I had a great experience hiking in Samaria Gorge! My guide, Barbara, was excellent. She gave us plenty of information on the bus ride, then we hiked at our on pace throught the gorge and met up at the end for the boat trip. Samaria Gorge is absolutely beautiful. I think it is a must-see for any interested hiker. It is mostly all downhill, so it will burn the legs a bit!_br/_
The only thing I would suggest to improve would be to have told me to bring hiking boots when I booked the tour months ago. I got that information the night before, which was a week after I had left home for the trip to Crete.
Review by: sharlior, September 2013
The Gorge was nice, but not worthy if you come from hotels that is situated far away (i.e: hersonissos). driving in bus 3.5 hours at lease for each direction. the view was nice, but lack of total guidance and explanations from the guide. he just spoke 4 languages and gave short directions about what to do and what not to do, besides that nothing.
Review by: Lisa L, July 2013
Great Guide!
Review by: Nina, July 2013
Well worth the effort. Be warned though, the walk is almost totally downhill in rocky and somewhat slippery rock paths. The river bed views do not arrive until well into half way of the 18km walk so if you do not like walking for its own sake, you may be frustrated. Also, don't do what some do: try to prove how fast you are by pushing ahead of others. This is not the place for that sort of nonsense. Stick to a flat course if you have something to prove. A really lovey experience. Wear good walking shoes.
Review by: Michael G, May 2013
Fantastic day out. Spectacular scenery a walkers delight._br/_
Tour is well organised, getting you there and back, but leaving you to enjoy walk at your own pace._br/_
It's an early start and late back, but always interesting with nice views across the island._br/_
With rest/food stops along the way to break the journey.
Review by: Regina R, April 2013
Whereas we had to walk 16 or 18 km in a normal valley, the actual gorge is about 3 km long, which disappointed us a bit. We arrived very early at the end of the gorge and had to wait very long. Despite this, the organisation of the tour was good.
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