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Crete Hike – Mountains, Gorges, Villages, and Beaches Write a review
Discover the Magic of Crete
Known as the birthplace of Zeus and the cradle of Europe's earliest civilization, Crete offers a wealth of wonders beyond its famous beaches and crystalline seas. The island's landscape is dominated by towering mountains, with dozens of peaks exceeding 2000 meters in altitude which provide a stunning scenic backdrop to life on the western side of Crete. Few places in the world combine such impressive mountains so close to the sea. Combine that with an often perfect climate and you have a stunning hiking destination.
Your journey with us begins in Chania, arguably the most charming city in Crete. From there, we venture into the White Mountains (Lefka Ori), named for their bright, bleached limestone in the summer and rich snow cover in the winter. Over the next week, You will hike ancient paths and shepherd trails, climb peaks, and explore some of the island's most beautiful gorges, including the renowned Samaria Gorge. Even on a hot summer day, descending into the gorge provides the perfect shaded retreat topped off with a delicious swim at the end of the hike.
Like anything in life, the best rewards come with some effort, and that is true for this tour. This is a wonderful week of strenuous but amazing hikes. This is a challenging tour thanks to the daily distances, the elevation change (both up and down), and the footing, which is quite rocky. This is not a luxury tour either. To access the best of Crete, we stay in perfectly comfortable, clean, and super-friendly small hotels. To frequent luxury hotels on this tour would be a case of the tail wagging the dog, and this dog likes to hike! We have designed this tour to hike the most spectacular trails that Crete has to offer. At the end of the day, you will be welcomed into small, family-run hotels that offer delicious, authentic local cuisine in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. All rooms have ensuite facilities for your convenience. Please also notice the price. We have passed on reduced hotel costs to you.
Although this is a new Customwalks tour for 2025, our Greek partners Dimitris, Nefeli, Alex, and Anna have been running it for several years, so they have had time to work out any teething problems. We look forward to receiving the first tour reviews and ratings of this wonderful new tour.
Crete Hike – Mountains, Gorges, Villages, and Beaches itinerary Request full itinerary
Welcome to Chania, a town that will beguile you with its charming multicolored buildings that ring the little fishing port. Nestled against the backdrop of the White Mountains, Chania boasts a lively harbor, rich historical sites, a bustling market, and beautiful nearby beaches, making it the perfect starting point for our adventure. In the afternoon, we’ll gather at our hotel for an introductory meeting, followed by our first dinner together at a traditional Cretan restaurant. The cuisine here is exceptional, and we’ve meticulously chosen the best dishes for you to savor. Overnight: Chania in a 3* modern, comfortable hotel with swimming pool with a great location. Hotel and dinner included.
Start your day with a hearty breakfast before we venture into the White Mountains via the narrow and scenic Agia Irini Gorge. Wild goats roam this remote gorge which boasts lush vegetation, including plane, pine, and cypress trees. Wild herbs release their delicious aromas as you hike along. Our hike concludes near the Omalos plateau, at an elevation of over 1000 meters. Historically, the plateau's isolated and inaccessible location made it a refuge during uprisings against the Turks in years past. Near the northern entrance, you can still see the 'castle' of the famous chieftain Hadjimihalis Giannaris, a great rebel leader of the 19th century. Nowadays, with the addition of a road and electricity, a few families live here year-round, running small hotels and tavernas. This makes it an ideal spot to end our hike. A short transfer will bring you to your hotel, where you can relax and before a hearty dinner of local specialties accompanied by some robust Cretan wine. After dinner, you will drift off to sleep, serenaded by the gentle ringing of goat bells in the distance. Overnight: Omalos in a 2* hotel. The Hike: 9.5 km / 5.9 miles; Duration: 5 hours; Elevation Gain & Loss: 1142 m / 3747 ft & 157 m / 515 ft; Driving Distance: Chania to Gorge Entrance 70 km / 43 miles (1 hr 30 min). Hotel, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.
Today you have an unforgettable journey down through Europe's longest gorge. You will trek the spectacular Samaria canyon. You will cross trickling streams, walk under scented pine forests, and squeeze through the "Iron Gates," where towering cliffs rise 600 meters vertically on either side of you. After descending 16 km, You will arrive at the charming coastal village of Agia Roumeli, known for its beautiful pebble beach and clear turquoise waters. Dive right in! There is nothing better than a plunge into the gorgeous waters of the Aegean after a long hike, although the frosty beer at the beachside taverna is a close second! We stay in a simple little hotel in the seaside village of Agia Roumelli. Overnight: Agia Roumeli in a 2* hotel. The Hike: 16 km / 10 miles; Duration: 6 hours; Elevation Gain & Loss: 601 m / 1972 ft & 1797 m / 5896 ft. Hotel, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included.
Start your day with a refreshing morning swim before lacing up your hiking boots for another superb hike in the mountains. You will enjoy breathtaking views as we hike along one of Europe’s most pristine coastlines. As you can see from the elevation gain, this is not a simple waterside track, you will climb up above the sea for breathtaking views. Our destination is the quaint mountainside village of Agios Ioannis, population 15. Believe it or not, a cozy small hotel awaits us here. This evening, we offer an optional short hike to Papakefala Summit to take in the sunset before dinner. Overnight: Agios Ioannis in a 2* hotel. The Hike: 10 km / 6.2 miles; Duration: 4.5 hours; Elevation Gain & Loss: 934 m & 182 m. Hotel, Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Today, we will tackle Pachnes, the legendary peak of the White Mountains. Situated near the southern edge of a complex mountain range of over 30 summits exceeding 2000 meters, this limestone landscape is a geological marvel. It resembles a high desert, with lunar-like terrain. It is hard to adequately describe this unique and unforgettable experience. Overnight: Agios Ioannis in a 2* hotel. The Hike: 7.7 km / 4.8 miles; Hiking Duration: 4 hours; Elevation Gain & Loss: 934 m / 3064 ft & 182 m / 597 ft. Hotel, Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Wake up to the peacefulness of our mountain retreat and enjoy a quiet morning coffee as the sun rises. From Agios Ioannis, we will descend into the Aradena Gorge, where the rocky riverbed narrows dramatically between towering cliffs almost the entire way down. This hike is challenging and immensely rewarding. After reaching the beach at Marmara, we'll follow a scenic coastal path to the charming harbor of Loutro. From there, a short ferry ride will take us to Sfakia, and we'll drive back to Chania for our farewell dinner. Overnight: Chania in a 3* modern, comfortable hotel with swimming pool with a great location. The Hike: 9.4 km / 5.8 miles; Duration: 5 hours;Elevation Gain & Loss: 640 m / 2100 ft & 1227 m / 4026 ft; Driving Distance: Sfakia to Chania 70 km / 43 miles (2 hours). Hotel, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before concluding your Customwalks adventure in Crete. After breakfast, make your way independently to one of the island's international airports for your return flight home or continue exploring this magnificent region of Greece at your own pace. Hotel and Breakfast included. A transfer is not included becuase everyone takes different flights. Your guide will help you with any taxi booking you require.
Please note: Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour, we make discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes bad, like a trail has been washed away. Therefore, we sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding wonderful new elements or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured; we always aim to provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary before departure.
Crete Hike – Exploring Mountains, Gorges, Villages, and Beaches Tour Includes:
Booking: Please e-mail us at info@customwalks.com to receive a booking contract or simply click on the BOOK NOW button or the 'Contact Us' tab. Thanks!
Activity Level 4/5 = Rewarding: This is a Rewarding tour for fit hikers who will find them a satisfying and challenging workout; they are not appropriate for unfit hikers. This is one of our most challenging hiking tours. This tour features strenuous hiking.
Terrain: Rolling and often steep terrain with frequent challenging ascents and descents, often over rugged and uneven terrain. The trails are very rocky.
Actual hiking time: between 4 - 6 hours per day, mostly in the morning but also in the afternoon
Distances: Usually 10 - 15 km (6 - 9 mi). Max distance is 18 km (11 mi).
Surfaces: Trails are a mix of compact earth or dirt tracks, gravel roads, and rocky, uneven trails. You will also encounter ancient stone stairways and rocky steps. You may also find somewhat overgrown sections. The trails are very rocky.
Footing: Good to tricky. You must pay attention to where and how you place your feet. Proper hiking shoes or boots with thick soles with good treads are required. Sports sandals, running shoes, and tennis shoes are not adequate. The trails are very rocky.
Specifics: This tour has some sustained climbs of up to two free hours, so you just put it in low gear and enjoy the exertion and wonderful views. You need to enjoy the physical exertion of sometimes strenuous and challenging hikes to enjoy this tour.
Hiking Poles: Highly recommended, and your guides will mutter to themselves when they see you did not bring any poles. If you don’t bring your poles and ask your guide to use his or hers, they will refuse because they need them! Having said that, we have six pairs of hiking poles available for people to use on a first-come, first-served basis.
Other: These tours are not appropriate for first-time hikers. People with hip and knee issues might aggravate their pre-existing injuries. Hikers need to be fit and able to hike five hours daily. You should also be used to negotiating rocky, uneven terrain.
Rewarding - ChallenginTours: Dolomites Grand Traverse, Dolomites Alta Via, and Tuscany Mountains
As a point of reference, what is a 1 out of 5 Activity rating? A 1 out of 5 rated tour is a tour without any hiking. Walks would be in towns, cities, and villages, and the countryside walks would be on paved or gravel/dirt roads and occasionally on some packed earth trails. Elevation gain and loss would be negligible.
As a point of reference, what is a 5 out of 5 Activity rating? A 5 out of 5 rated tour is a tour that would be physically challenging and technically difficult even for very fit and experienced hikers. The hikes would have steep ascents and descents on narrow, exposed trails with challenging footing, such as on scree fields or through rock falls and boulders. Distances would be up to 25 km/16 miles per day and feature ascents of over 1,000 m/3,200 feet in a day. A 5 out of 5 tour would also mean you would carry a heavier-than-normal pack. None of our tours are rated 5 out 5. Our most challenging tours are 4.5 out of 5: the Dolomites Alta Via (because of some exposed trail that requires some technical expertise) and our Republic of Georgia tour, which has some long hikes with over 1,000 meters of elevation gain.
ARRIVING IN GREECE: Arrival in Chania, Crete: There are many flights that connect Chania airport with Athens. Moreover, there are many direct flights from various cities in Europe.
GETTING AWAY AT THE END OF THE TRIP: There are usually several flights a day from the Heraklion airport to Athens, and it only takes an hour.
If you have any questions or specific requests about any of our tours, we’re here to help. You can fill in the form below, send us an email, or call us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
