2 days in Crete

Day by day

1. Day 1: Knossos and Heraklion Archaeological Museum

   Knossos, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Koules Fortress and Heraklion's Venetian walls and Chania Old Town and Venetian Harbour, then Malia in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Knossos

      Arthur Evans excavated and partly rebuilt it in concrete in the early 20th century, with painted replicas of frescoes, so the throne room, grand staircase and storerooms are easy to picture.

   2. Late morning

      Heraklion Archaeological Museum

      The principal collection of Minoan art, including the original frescoes from Knossos such as the bull-leaping scene, the faience snake goddesses, the bull's-head rhyton and the mysterious Phaistos Disc with its stamped spiral of symbols.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dakos

      Every taverna on the island, often the first dish on the table.

   4. Afternoon

      Koules Fortress and Heraklion's Venetian walls

      The city's massive Venetian walls still ring the centre, and on the Martinengo bastion is the grave of writer Nikos Kazantzakis.

   5. Late afternoon

      Chania Old Town and Venetian Harbour

      Behind it, lanes of the Topanas and Splantzia quarters hold Venetian arsenals, churches and small squares.

   6. Evening

      Malia

      A strip of bars and clubs popular with young groups in summer.

2. Day 2: Samaria Gorge and Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa

   Samaria Gorge, Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa, Elafonisi and Spinalonga, then Hersonissos in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Samaria Gorge

      The trail is downhill all the way, and boats take hikers from Agia Roumeli to Chora Sfakion or Sougia.

   2. Late morning

      Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa

      Boats from Kissamos port stop at the Venetian fortress on Imeri Gramvousa island before Balos; by car, a rough dirt road ends with a 20–30 minute walk down to the beach.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Kalitsounia

      Bakeries and tavernas across Crete, especially around Easter.

   4. Afternoon

      Elafonisi

      You can wade across the shallow water to the islet, and the calm, warm lagoon makes it one of the island's best beaches for young children.

   5. Late afternoon

      Spinalonga

      Short boat rides from Plaka, Elounda or Agios Nikolaos lead to its walls, restored streets and the colony's houses, made famous by the novel The Island.

   6. Evening

      Hersonissos

      Seafront bars and clubs with a mixed resort crowd.

Before you go

• Knossos: Buy e-tickets online in advance in summer, when ticket queues build by mid-morning.

If it rains

• Swap in Cretaquarium (Hersonissos and Malia): Combine it with a beach afternoon nearby, or go when the midday sun is too strong for the beach.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 26–33 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Car. The national road along the north coast links Kissamos, Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos; Chania to Heraklion is about 140 km, roughly two hours.

More or fewer days

• One day in Crete
• 3 days in Crete
• 5 days in Crete

Questions travellers ask