One day 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

      Arrive at opening or in the late afternoon to avoid the heat and tour groups, and see the museum in Heraklion the same day. Allow 2 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Heraklion Archaeological Museum

      Visit after Knossos so the frescoes and objects connect to what you have just seen. Allow 2 hours.

   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

      Walk out along the harbour breakwater after visiting Koules, then head to Lions Square for bougatsa. Allow 1.5 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Chania Old Town and Venetian Harbour

      Walk the breakwater to the lighthouse at sunset for the view back over the harbour and the White Mountains. Allow Half a day.

   6. Evening

      Malia

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

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 9–10 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Crete
• 3 days in Crete
• 5 days in Crete

Questions travellers ask