Runs: daily (minimum participants 35)
Duration: approximately 4 -5 hours

Knossos is not simply foundations, but a three story Palace complex of rooms, halls and passages dating from 2.500 BC and the centre of the Minoan civilisation. This is the labyrinth where Theseus slew the Minotaur, and where history and legend go hand in hand. After Knossos, a sightseeing tour of Heraklion with extra time for shopping will follow.

Runs: Monday, Tuesday, Sunday (minimum participants 40)
Duration: approximately 6 hours

The most famous island on Crete, this rock stronghold and fortress is located on the north-west entrance of The Bay of Elounda. Embarkation at Elounda - A 20 minute’s boat trip will bring you to Spinalonga, a small island with an exceptional interesting history. The Venetian Fortress, which still stands, was built in 1579 and it protected the entire gulf. After the Turks left, the island became synonymous with human pain. In 1903, Spinalonga developed into a gathering place for lepers from all over Crete. After Spinalonga, a sightseeing tour of Agios Nikolaos with shopping time will be arranged.

07:45           Meeting at the hotel’s reception

08:00           Departure by busses from the Hotel

08:45           Arrival at Elounda Village and Embarkation

09:20           Arrival at Spinalonga Island and guided visit (approx. 1 hour)

10:30           Departure from Spinalonga and opportunity for swimming in                       the clear water of Kolokitha Bay (depending on weathers’                       conditions)

12:30           Arrival at Elounda, and departure for Ag.Nikolaos city

13:00           Arrival at Agios Nikolaos. Free time for shopping

14:00           Departure

14:30           Return to the Hotel

Runs: Monday, Tuesday (minimum participants 35)
Duration: approximately 5 hours

Visit to the famous Lassithi Plateau. The peaks of a range surround the Lassithi Plateau, which occupies an area of 2,500 hectares. Thanks to the geological composition of the ground, the plateau retains the rainfall and some 10,000 windmills raise the water from wells to irrigate the plain. All the mills belong to the one-sided type of windmill, which grinds in a standard position, always on the same direction of the wind. We will visit the Dikteon Andron and enter the cave of Psychro, which is one of the most important cult places of Minoan Crete and the Cave where Zeus was born. Afterwards, drive through traditional Cretan villages on the way back to the hotel.

Runs: Tuesday, Sunday (minimum participants 40)
Duration: approximately 5 hours

Kritsa is one of the most picturesque towns in Crete, built amphitheatrically on a rock hill. It is located 11 km from Agios Nikolaos and has 2000 inhabitants.
In Kritsa people keep the old Cretan customs and traditions. The town is considered one of the most important centers of the Cretan folk and weaving art. The area near the village of Kritsa has many attractions to offer. It combines a traditional village setting with several Byzantine churches which rank among the best in the island.

Cretan Olive Oil Farm. It lies in a well- attended space of 2000 square metres and embraces the entire traditional Cretan everyday life. In the farmyard, the visitor will enjoy a rich array of 50 wide-ranging aromatic herbs as well as organically farmed vegetables, fruit and flowers, set around a Lassithi –type windmill, which dominates the surroundings. Guests at the farm are always more than welcome to join in and help with the crushing and, what’s more, take back with them - as a token - a bottle of the new wine they themselves produced! Yet, this Farmyard is not the only attraction: the best surprise awaits inside! Most preciously kept from waste, the owners retrieved a one hundred and thirty-year-old olive press at the village of Vrouha and carried it intact onto the farm’s premises.

AGIOS NIKOLAOS. Agios Nikolaos, with over forty years of experience in the tourism industry, is an international and cosmopolitan resort that welcomes thousands of visitors annually. The lake is its most charming feature. Legend suggests that Athena and Armetis bathed in its waters. This lake is connected to the sea by a straight channel, while its natural surroundings of red rock and trees attract the visitor magnetically. At a small open-air theatre by the lake, locals and visitors alike can enjoy interesting artistic and cultural presentations. A walk around the shops of Agios Nikolaos is an enjoyable experience.

08:15           Meeting at the hotel’s reception

09:00           Arrival at Kritsa and the Church of Panaghia Kera (guided visit)

10:15           Departure from Kritsa

10:30           Arrival at the Oil Olive Farm

11:30           Departure from the Oil Olive Farm

11:45-12:30  Arrival at Aghios Nikolaos City (Free time for city sightseeing                         and shopping)

12:40            Departure

13:30            Back to the Hotel

Runs: Sunday (minimum participants 40)

Chania is a city of unique beauty, filled with an abundance of fragrant flowers, and boasting a rich cultural heritage. Ancient and modern monuments, the Venetian Harbor and the Old Town, colorful neighborhoods, a traditional lifestyle and the friendly inhabitants warmly invite you on a step by step journey to become acquainted with the city, promising you unforgettable moments. Built on the ruins of ancient Kidonia it has seen and survived many invaders, but has also tasted civilizations that left their marks on building faces, castles, walls, antiquities, monasteries and churches. The city has two entrances: the airport of Akrotiri, and the port of Souda (the largest in the Mediterranean). The public market holds a master place in the center of the city, a brilliant cross-shaped building that was completed in 1913, and in proportion with the one in Marseilles.  Near the city center the Public Garden awaits you next to the "Peace and Friendship of the people" park. The gardens are the prettiest in Crete, and also the public garden offers a small zoo with animals from Cretan fauna. The Venetian port picturesque any time and season is attractive to visitors and locals, for its beauty and for it's choices of entertainment for all tastes and demands. The old city "intramural" districts preserve their Venetian nobility. Narrow paved alleys are surrounded with tasteful renewed houses, from various ages, are offered for a pleasant walk. Many neoclassic houses are also saved in districts which "neighbor" with the city of Chania, like Halepa.

MONASTERY OF ARKADI

It lies on a low plateau, 23 kilometers from the town of Rethymno. Built during the last Venetian period, it consists of a large set of fortress-like buildings. The main building included the cells, the warehouses where the agricultural products were treated and stored and the stables. The elaborate central entrance was restored just four years after the 1866 explosion. It leads to the interior court, through a vaulted passage. In the middle of the court, stands the impressive church, with its two naves dedicated to Saint Constantine and Saint Helen, and to Our Lord.

RETHYMNON

The capital of the prefecture, Rethymno, is a beautiful harbour in the northern coast of Crete. It is a graphic city with traditional but also modern elements. The old city has maintained an atmosphere that reminds the years of the Venetian period and the Ottoman domination. But also the regions round the harbour, have a lot of splendid monuments, as the Fortress Fortetza (1573), the Lotzja, a monument of Cretan rebirth, the Venetian harbour and a lot of churches and panes as the church of Agios Fragkiskos and the panes Neratzes, Arrows (Veli), Kara Muse All and Big Door. The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia today houses the Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon. The big municipal gardens are ideal for those in search of shade. In Rethymno you can visit a lot of museums with samples of Cretan and Greek history and art. The Archaeological Museum, the Historical and Folklore Museum, the Ecclesiastical Museum, the Collection Helen Fratzeskaki and other galleries.

08:30              Departure. Drive through the north coastal national road                           towards to the Monastery of Arkadi.

10:00 app.      Visit the Monastery of Arkadi

12:00 app.      Arrival at Chania city. Guided visit of the indoor market and                           free time for shopping or sightseeing.

15.00 app.      Departure from Chania

16.00 app.      Arrival at Rethymnon city. City sight seeing and free time

17.00 app.      Departure from Rethymnon city

18.30 app.      Back at the Hotel

Runs: Monday, Tuesday (minimum participants 35)

The most important archeological and historical site of the island. The residence of King Minos, Knossos is not simply foundations, but a three story Palace complex of rooms, halls and passages dating from 2.500 BC and the centre of the Minoan civilisation. This is the labyrinth where Theseus slew the Minotaur, and where history and legend go hand in hand.

Duration of the guided visit approximately 1½ hours.

HERAKLION CITY 

The city of Heraklion still enjoys its reputation as one of the most attractive Mediterranean capitals. It has enough to offer that the cultural tastes and shopping needs of both the visitors and the residents are fully catered for. For those who wish to learn a little bit about the history, Heraklion is home to ancient monuments and examples of major Western civilization. The region of Heraklion is famous for Zeus, the Greek god of hospitality, who met and fell in love with a Princess of unsurpassed beauty, named Europa. She gave birth to the race of Minoan Kings and sages, the founders of the earliest civilized nation in Europe. There are many medieval monuments that indicate the prosperity of the era, situated in the center of the city. If you continue onwards from the port to the city centre, the first significant landmark you can see is 'Lotzja'. Nowadays this houses the City Council and part of the Municipality of Heraklion services departments. The majestic fortress, 'Koules', stands by the port. It had been used for centuries not only for the protection of the city but as a prison too, with its huge dark hallways and cells. In the center of Heraklion, at the North-east corner of ' Liberty Square' (Plateia Eleftherias) is the Archaeological Museum of Crete. West of Heraklion, there is the Cretan History Museum, where the riches of the Christian, Byzantine, Medieval and earlier times are preserved for all to see. There are also many objects d'art, examples of Cretan popular culture through the ages. These include pieces of work by the great painter EL GRECO, who was born and studied painting in Heraklion itself. In addition, visitors have the chance to see a typical Cretan house as well as memorabilia of the great author, Nikos Kazantzakis. Just a few meters from the Church there is an elaborate fountain, called 'Liontaria' (lions). It is exquisitely sculpted and decorated with images inspired by the sea and the animal kingdom. It was constructed during the first decades of the 17th century by Francisco Morozini, not only to decorate the square but also to provide the city with water. Heraklion is surrounded by an enormous medieval wall, which used to protect it from enemies and gave the city its reputation as the best-fortified state in the Mediterranean basin.

08:30               Meeting at the Hotel with the guides

08:45               Departure from the hotel, driving towards to Heraklion                                       through the National North road, the guide will provide you                           with a lot of information, concerning the Minoan civilization.

09:30               (Approximately) Arrival at Knossos Palace

11.15               Departure from Knossos

11.30-12.30    Heraklion City Tour

12.40-14.30    Lunch time in Heraklion city 

14.40 - 15.30  Guided visit to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion  

15.45                 Departure from Heraklion

16.40                 Back at the hotel

Runs: Monday, Tuesday (minimum participants 35)

Phaestos is located 62 km south of Iraklion and administratively is part of the Municipality of Kamilari It was the second biggest city of the Minoan Crete and it is built on a hill, at an altitude of 100 m from sea level, in the fertile valley of Messara. The valley is surrounded by mountain ranges and in the south extends the Libyan Sea. The exact location of Phaestos was first determined in the middle of the 19th century by the British admiral Spratt, while the archaeological investigation of the palace started in 1884 by the Italians F. Halbherr and A. Taramelli. According to mythology, Phaestos was the area of king Radamanthis, brother of king Minos. It was also the city that gave birth to the great wise man and soothsayer Epimenidis, one of the seven wise men of the ancient world. Excavations by archaeologists have unearthed ruins of the Neolithic times (3.000 B.C.).During the Minoan times, Phaestos was a very important city-state. Its dominion, at its peak, stretched from Lithinon to Psychion and included the Paximadia islands. The city participated to the Trojan War and later became one of the most important cities-states of the Dorian period.

Gortys is located at the Messara Valley, near the village of Agioi Deka. Gortys is crossed by the river Lithaios, today called Mitropolianos that dominates the valley of Messara. According to the myth, Zeus led Europe, after kidnapping her, to Gortys. The offsprings of this union were three sons, Minos, Sarpidon and Radamanthis. Gortys was one of the oldest and strongest cities in Crete during the prehistoric and historic period. The population of ancient Gortys is believed to be 300.000 people. The Gortynians occupied Phaestos during the 3rd century B.C. During the Roman period, Gortys reached the peak of its glory and it was the capital of Crete. Gortys was the first city of Crete to accept Christianity, and maintained its glory until 828 A.D. when it was occupied and destroyed by the Saracens. Since then it was never inhabited again. In the center of Gortys was the temple of Pythios Apollon, the most important pre-christianic temple of the city, built on the ruins of a Minoan settlement.  The most important monuments of the ancient Gortys are the ruins of the Acropolis and the Odium. The Odium of the ancient city was the place where parts of the great Law Code of Gortys were discovered. The Gortys Law was inscribed on stones. Four series of inscribed stones are preserved today, which constitute relics of great importance for the study of the epigraphy and Law of the time. The inscription is in a Dorian dialect and it was written at the end of the 6th century B.C.

Matala was the port of Phaistos during the Minoan period, following the destruction of Kommos and the port of Gortys during the Roman period when Gortys was proclaimed capital of Crete by the Romans. The Gortynians occupied Matala at 220 B.C. Ruins of the ancient city are still visible on the sea bed as the ancient city was sunk in the sea. The archaeological pick has unearthed some traces of the palaces built by the nobles from the ancient cities of Phaistos and Gortys. It is located 4 km south-west of the village of Pitsidia and 75 km from Iraklion. It is built on the coast line of the Messara bay inside a small and picturesque inlet. The turquoise blue sea and the red disk of the sun which sets in the evening horizon create a hue of colours that evoke novel emotions.

Runs: Tuesday, Sunday (minimum participants 35)

A stunning 18 km walk through Europe's longest and most beautiful gorge, which is a national wildlife protected area. Your early morning route will take you along the north coast of the island through Rethymnon and Chania, before you begin the climb towards Omalos, 4,000 ft above sea level. This is where your walk begins as you descend into the gorge via the wooden steps. The path then takes you through varying widths of the gorge from 2 - 40 meters wide and from 250 - 600 meters deep, revealing a natural masterpiece of rock faces, pine trees, streams and waterfalls and breathtaking views. Enjoy a well-earned rest at the bottom of the gorge with a dip in the warm waters of the Libyan Sea and a bite to eat, before boarding the boat for Chora Sfakion, where your coach will be waiting for the journey back to the hotel.

5:30               Departure for Omalos Plateau

9:00               Arrival at Xyloskalo - starting point for the walking tour                                      (approximately 19 Khm 4 to 5 hours of walk)

13:30-14:00  Arrival at Agia Roumeli

17:45              Embarkation to the boat (1 hour boat trip duration from                                        Ag.Roumeli to Chora Sfakion where the bus will be waiting                          for the return trip)

22:30              Arrival at the Hotel

Runs: Upon request

1st Day
08:30 Departure from Hersonissos to Rethymno.
10:00 Visit to Rethymno old town
11:30 Departure to Chania for a visit of the El. Venizelos’ tombstone and the Peninsula of Chania
13:30 Chania old town – free time for lunch in the port
18:00 Arrival at the hotel in Chania. Dinner and overnight stay

2nd Day
Departure early in the morning to take the boat to Agia Roumeli (approximately 1 hour drive), where the Samaria gorge ends. You will then get the chance to walk a part of the gorge or enjoy a swim. In the afternoon, you will take the road back to Chora Sfakion, were the bus for your return to Heraklion will be waiting.

Runs: Upon request

DAY 1
Morning transfer to the port of Heraklion
09:15 Departure with the Flying Dolphin Catamaran
11:00 Arrival at Santorini Port
Upon Arrival, transfer to hotel or selection of tour.
Overnight at A Class Hotel in Thira/Kamari or Monolithos (DBL room on BB basis)

DAY 2
Breakfast at Hotel
Day free of leisure or selection of below tours
Transfer to the port of Santorini (if departure is on day 2)
17:45 Departure from Port of Santorini
19:40 Arrival at Heraklion port
Transfer to the hotel in Hersonissos

Additional Optional Tours for Santorini

Volcano, Hot Springs, Thirassia Athinios Port
Full Day: From 11:15 to 17:00 approx.
You will depart by bus to Athinios Port where you will board the traditional boat “Adonis” which will sail to the Volcano (Nea Kameni) where you will walk and your escort will explain some of the most important details of the eruptions.  You will see the 6 craters of the still active volcano then return to the boat for your next stop to the Palea Kameni – Hot springs.  Have the chance to swim in the therapeutic green sulphur waters and bath in the therapeutic mud.  Thirassia is next on the tour, where you will have time for lunch or a swim or a visit to the traditional village of Manolas which is at the top of the winding 184 steps.  A fun time if you decide to take a donkey!  After a relaxing 1,5 hour in Thirassia, you will be taken back to Athinios Port where your coaches will be waiting for you to drive you back to your pick-up points.
Days Available: Everyday
Languages: English Spanish Greek & German

Volcano, Hot Springs, Thirassia & Oia Sunset Full Day: From 11:15 to 21:00 approx.
After we have visited the above areas you will carry on to the traditional village of Oia where you will have the opportunity to see the unique and legendary sunset.  Once you reach the port of Ormmos there a number of stairs, which you can either walk up or use one of the friendly donkeys! Oia is built along the rim of the caldera wall; You can walk in the village and enjoy the magnificent panoramic views, the traditional architecture, the art galleries, the romantic coffee shops.  Twenty minutes after the sunset we return to the village square to get on the buses which will take you back to the points of your departure.
Days Available: Everyday
Languages: English Spanish Greek & German

Sunset Cruise Eve Tour: From 17:30 to 21:00 approx
Cruise along the Caldera in a traditional sailing boat for a memorable romantic evening, watching the sun touch the waters as it sets between Thirassia and Oia. You can enjoy the view of the colorful volcanic cliff tops and the unique santorinian sunset, all accompanied with music, traditional buffet and unlimited wine. A delightful way to start your evening.
Days Available: Monday
Languages: English