It’s finally here! A full itinerary for a jam packed week in and around Chania, Crete. I will provide several options for things to do everyday because everyone has different taste with how they like to spend their time during a holiday. Chania is perfect for a relaxing week in the sun and/or adventurous whirlwind week, this is completely up to you! Each day I’ll provide options for relaxing things to do and adventurous things to do. In addition, there will be free things to do vs. tour (requires money!) options. I want to provide all of these options in an effort to make at least one thing everyday appealing to everyone. So I’m sorry about the length of this post 🙂
While I understand that we’re not able to travel right now (due to COVID-19), this shouldn’t stop you from wanderlusting and planning for a future trip. Therefore, be sure to save this blog post for your future travel to Chania! Pinterest is a great way to do so! Pin the image below to your travel board/bucket list trips:
Day #1:
Arrive in Chania! Yay!
Arriving from Heraklion Airport: take a taxi (more expensive) or local bus from the airport to the main bus station (Bus Station A – Efessou 63, Iraklio 712 02, Greece) and then catch a bus to Chania. These bus services depart hourly, and operate every day – the journey takes approx. 3 hours. Arriving from Chania Airport: taxi (more expensive – approx. 30 euros) or local bus from airport to the main bus station (KTEL Chanion-Rethymnou S.A is the bus to take). These bus services depart every couple of hours and the journey takes approx. 30 mins. Alternatively, you could rent a car from either airports (very easy & convenient!) and drive into Chania to your accommodation.
Accommodation: Kumba Hostel (4 nights) – approx. 15 min walk from the bus station.
To do:
- Check into your room! I suggest that if you want to budget your money, opt for the 12 bed dorm but if you want to splurge then go all out and get the private.
- Your arrival time will dictate what you can do for the rest of this day… the first day can be a chill day to just wander around and check out the city of Chania and try to familiarize yourself!
- Walk into old town Chania for sunset (only about a 15 minute walk from the hostel) and head to the lighthouse to get an amazing viewpoint for sunset.
**You can choose to rent a car today for the week or on day 5 when you change accommodations to go to Kalathas! Tip: having a car is very useful for getting around, especially if you want to do some beach hopping in Chania & once in Kalathas, a car is pretty much necessary.
Day #2:
First full day in Chania!
To do:
Adventure: Spend the day snorkeling around Crete on a boat. You can book this type of excursion through “Air BnB Experiences” – I always find this to be an affordable way to do local things! Also, you are supporting a local rather than a big tour company which I personally think is great!
Relax: Spend the day beach hopping! There are SO many beautiful beaches in and around Chania. Spend the day checking a bunch of them out. Pack a lunch for a picnic, bring your beach towels (if you don’t want to have to pay for a sunbed!), sunscreen & an umbrella (if you have one!) and take off to explore the beautiful beaches for the day.
- Beaches within walking distance from the hostel: Koum Kapi Beach (500m) & Paralia Koum Κapi (900m)
- Beaches close to Chania (driving/busing distance) from the hostel: Paralia Koum Kapi (3.3km), Kladissos (3.1km), Chrissi Akti (5.3km), Iguana Beach (6.4km) & Platanias Beach (13km)
Day #3:
To do:
Adventure: Samaria Gorge. THIS IS A FULL DAY ACTIVITY. You will have to rise bright and early to head out for this adventure! There are numerous tour options for this activity and you can even book through Kumba. The gorge is 12.8 km long, however, there is another distance of 3.2 km to walk after leaving the gorge to reach Agia Roumeli. You need about 5-6 hours to walk the 16 km. Overall, the trail is not difficult but it is rather long. However, the beautiful scenery will be sure to keep you entertained along the walk!
Relax: do a “foodie” day in Chania and try all of the local Greek dishes. Such as, souvlaki, Dakos, Sarikopitakia (cheese pie), Cretan cheeses, Loukoumades (dessert) and Cretan salad (similar to a “Greek salad”). Don’t forget to finish off your meal with a palette cleansing shot of Raki!
Day #4:
To do:
Adventure: Balos Lagoon or Elafonisi Lagoon. Both of these lagoons are absolutely amazing but are unfortunately full day trips. If you wanted to, you could obviously do both (on separate days!) however, they are similar in the sense that they are both lagoons.
Balos Lagoon is known for its white sand and exotic white vivid blue and turquoise shallow waters. Balos can be accessed multiple ways, by ferry or by car are the most popular. The ferry leaves from Kissamos (can take a bus here or drive and park if you have a car). It stops at Gramvousa where you can swim at the beautiful beach or hike up to see the old fortress and take in the breathtaking views. While this hike can theoretically be done in sandals, running shoes are the better choice of footwear! Afterwards, the ferry will drop you off at the stunning Balos Lagoon where you’ll have time to explore and relax. Alternatively, driving to Balos is quite scenic and enjoyable, however, the 1km hike back up the car park can be quite strenuous on a hot summer day.
Elafonisi Lagoon is known for its pink sandy beaches. However, some say that the sand is not actually as pink as the pictures online make it appear. This lagoon is about 75km outside of Chania and accessible by daily bus services or boat. I didn’t get to this beautiful spot throughout my time in Crete so I don’t have any pictures. Instead, I chose to go to Balos, however, if your time permits it – I would definitely recommend checking out both spots.
Relax: Do some shopping in the winding streets of old town Chania! Check out the local fish market in the harbour & visit the The Nautical Museum of Crete. Its collection includes models of ships, nautical instruments, painting, historical photographs and war relics. The material is classified chronologically, starting from the Bronze Age up to our times.
Day #5:
Today you’re heading to Kalathas to stay in your next accommodation. So, it’s (sadly) time to say goodbye to Kumba! Check out early in the morning and drive to Kalathas to Esplanade Apartments where you will be spending the next three nights. Alternatively, you can take the local bus, however, for the activities for the next couple of days a car will be required to access them.
Accommodation: Esplanade Apartments (3 nights)
Adventure: Katholiko Monastery & Hike. Hike down to the ruins of the Katholiko monastery – the oldest monastery in Crete that was founded in the 11th century by St. John the Hermit. The views are stunning as the hike finishes off at sea level. It is an amazing hike filled with beauty & history – the perfect combination.
Relax: Beach hop & tan by the pool! Kalathas beach is within walking distance, so you can walk to the beach woo! Bring some snacks & drinks and chill out for the afternoon. Also, the pool at Esplande is wonderful. You can spend your day tanning by the pool on the sunchairs and jumping into the pool whenever you need to cool off. The sunset from the pool is also a dream so grab a bottle of wine/cocktail of your choice & sit in the pool or chair and enjoy a breathtaking view of the sunset. The sunset is also amazing from Kalathas beach so be sure to experience it from both places throughout your time in Kalathas!
Day #6:
To do:
Adventure/Relax: Seitan Limania Beach! THIS BEACH IS A MUST SEE. The most beautiful “hidden/secret” beach in all of Crete. The only way to reach this beach is by car. After driving down the windy and kind of freaky road (there is no guardrails on the narrow cliffside road!) to the parking lot, you will be absolutely stunned by the view of the beach. You have to walk down the cliff along a path to get to the beach – once again, the best footwear choice would be running shoes.
Try to get to this beach early in the morning because it does get quite busy by midafternoon. So spend your morning/early afternoon here with a picnic and then drive to some other local beaches (there are soooo many!) to spend the rest of your afternoon at before heading back to the hotel to enjoy the sunset.
Day #7:
Last day in Kalathas! What you do today depends on your next travel plans. You could go see other islands in Greece, head to Heraklion and do things there or head back home. Whatever you choose, try to make the most of your last day in Kalathas. Check out more beaches and then say your goodbyes to the beautiful island of Crete!
Rainy Day Options:
I thought I’d provide some rainy day options in Chania & Kalathas in case the weather is not the best for the options I suggested. Crete is meant to be enjoyed outside – HOWEVER, the weather doesn’t always allow this so here are some fun things to do in and around Chania if you (sadly!) have a rainy day:
- If you’re a craft beer fan you could check out Cretan Brewery S.A. and sample some local Crete brews!
- Visit the MANY monasteries on the island
- Visit a winery or olive oil factory (almost every village has it’s own!)
- Check out a museum!
Final Note: all of the things to do can be switched around, no need to do them in the exact order provided. Especially if the weather does not cooperate during your trip.
I hope you find this itinerary useful for your week long trip in to Chania, Crete! Don’t hesitate to reach out to me on the contact page or via my email (wanderlustmorg@gmail.com) with any questions and/or concerns. I’d love to hear if you use my guide when traveling to Chania! I also love to plan trips (and I’m very good at it!) so hit me up if you want help planning your next vacation! In the meantime, happy planning and dreaming about all of the places there is to see. We’ll be able to travel our beautiful world again someday soon!
