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Map of Crete Family Holiday including Greece

A fun-filled odyssey around sunny Crete

Discover a land of ancient legends, delicious cuisine and pure sunshine on a 7-day family adventure in Crete. There’s so much fun to be had on Greece’s largest island – experience rural life during a day on an organic farm, find out how to make Crete’s tastiest snack, learn about Greek mythology during a visit to the birthplace of Zeus and discover the remains of an ancient world in Knossos. Paired with beach time and dips in the warm Mediterranean Sea, this Greek getaway is sure to tick everyone’s boxes!

Start
Chania, Greece
Finish
Heraklion, Greece
Destination
Greece
Style
Original
Theme
Family
Code
ZGFC
Physical rating
Ages
Min 5
Group size
Min 1, Max 16

Why you'll love this trip

  • Get behind the scenes of Cretan cuisine during a hands-on cooking workshop where you’ll learn how to make Kalitsounia, tasty little pastries that the whole family will love!

  • Take a step back in time during a guided visit to Knossos, the ancient capital of the Minoan civilisation. Explore the remains of a palace, courtyards, apartments and more.

  • Experience a different side of Crete during a visit to a local organic farm – the kids will love picking vegetables, collecting eggs and milking goats (and you’ll love sampling organic wine!)

  • Visit the birthplace of Zeus, the legendary Diktaion cave. Explore caverns filled with stalactites and stalagmites as your leader shares stories from Greek mythology.

  • Soak up Crete’s natural delights during a hike around the lush Kydoni Gorge and an afternoon on the beach – the warm and still blue waters are perfect for the kids.

Is this trip right for you?

  • Please ensure you consult your local government’s advice regarding domestic travel prior to booking this trip.

  • Don’t let the heat keep you from exploring the world! Summer temperatures can be very high in Greece (over 40°C), which can make things uncomfortable. It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat, and drink plenty of water. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.

  • Make sure you pack some sturdy and comfortable shoes as there can be a lot of walking around the towns, ruins, and walking trails of this area.

A little girl stops to take a photo of artwork on the walls of the Minoan palace at Knossos. Crete, Greece
Venetian bay of Chania at sunny day, Crete, Greece
ZLSA - Beautiful Alley way in Chania Crete
Family in Mirabello Bay, Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece
Agios Nikolaos and Voulismeni lake in Crete island, Greece.
Ancient Minoan sacred Psychro cave where god Zeus was born, Diktaion Cave, Crete, Greece
Kalitsounia preparation, Crete, Greece
Heraklion, the old port with traditional fishing boats and town with its ancient buildings

Itinerary
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Welcome to Crete! Greece’s largest island offers something for everyone, from inviting beaches to rugged canyons and thousands of years of culture and history. Your family adventure begins in Chania, a delightful city famed for its restaurant-lined 14th-century Venetian harbour. A welcome meeting will take place at 5pm this evening where you’ll meet your local leader and the other families joining you on this adventure. After the meeting, you may like to get to know your group over dinner in town. Cretan food is fresh, healthy and never boring – the dakos salad is a must-try, and the kids will love Cretan cheese pies.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Kydon or similar (1 night)
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Today will be spent discovering the treasures of Chania, starting out with a walking tour of the Old Town. Your leader will show you highlights and local hangouts as you explore a charming tangle of colourful streets. The Dimotiki Agora is the town’s central market, selling the fresh produce that supplies many of Chania’s restaurants. Pay a visit to this vibrant hub to sample some local specialties from the market stalls. Then, you and the family will get a behind the scenes look at Cretan cuisine during a hands-on cooking class where you’ll learn how to make Crete’s most beloved snack, the Kalitsounia. Sometimes sweet, sometimes savoury, sometimes filled with cheese and always delicious, these tasty little pastries are sure to please the whole family. The rest of the afternoon is free for your own explorations.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Kydon or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Chania - Walking Tour
  • Chania - Kalitsounia Bakery Workshop
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

It’s time to get active today and get to know some of Crete’s natural wonders! Start the day with a 1-hour hike around the Kydoni Gorge, following a shady path beneath towering trees and lush vegetation before descending through a centuries-old olive grove and passing by the church of Saint Demetrius. After your walk, take some time out for a well-earned lunch, then you’ll experience one of Crete’s biggest attractions – the beach! The sea is warm and calm, making a perfect spot for little ones to swim, and there’s few more picturesque places to lay back and relax.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Kydon or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Chania - Hike in Kydoni Gorge
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

See a different side of the island today as you catch a public bus to the city of Rethimno, from where you’ll travel to a local organic farm. Here you’ll get a glimpse of rural Crete and the kids will have a chance to be a farmer for the day! There’s plenty of fun to be had here, picking vegetables, collecting eggs, milking goats, baking bread and preparing stuffed vegetables. But it’s not just a day for the kids – you’ll also visit the wine press and sample some fantastic organic wines. After an exciting day, take a private transfer to the port city of Heraklion, Crete’s capital and your base for the rest of your adventure.
Accommodation
  • Capsis Astoria BB or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Rethimno - Farm visit with lunch
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Today the family will take a step back in time during a visit to the famous archaeological site of Knossos. Once the capital of the Minoan civilisation, the city’s ruins conjure up images of what life here once looked like. Enjoy a guided tour through the remains of a palace, courtyards, baths and private apartments. Your guide will bring the site to life for you and the kids and they’ll and be on hand to answer any questions the family has about the fascinating civilisation that once thrived here. Afterwards, return to Heraklion and head to a soap making workshop where the whole family will have a go at creating your own traditional Cretan soap with the guidance of an experienced chemist – this is a hands-on experience you won’t soon forget!
Accommodation
  • Capsis Astoria BB or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Heraklion - Guided tour of Archaeological site of Knossos
  • Heraklion - Pottary making class
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Crete is home to more than 3000 caves, but the most legendary is the Diktaion cave, believed to be the birthplace of father of gods, Zeus. Aside from its mythological weight, the cave itself is dazzling, featuring unusual rock formations, enormous stalactites and stalagmites and even a lake. Explore the chambers of the cave as your leader shares stories of its geological features and the myths attached to them. Back in the light of day, pay a visit to the delightful village of Agios Nikolaos, founded in the 14th century. Take some time to explore the village’s traditional streets then enjoy an afternoon at leisure.
Accommodation
  • Capsis Astoria BB or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Heraklion - Diktaion Cave
  • Heraklion - Agios Nikolaos Village Visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

With no activities planned for today, your Crete family adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’d like to spend more time exploring Heraklion, just get in touch ahead of time and we can help to arrange additional accommodation (subject to availability).
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

6 breakfasts, 3 lunches

Transport

Private minivan, Public bus

Accommodation

Hotels (6nights)

Included activities

  • Chania - Walking Tour
  • Chania - Kalitsounia Bakery Workshop
  • Chania - Hike in Kydoni Gorge
  • Rethimno - Farm visit with lunch
  • Heraklion - Guided tour of Archaeological site of Knossos
  • Heraklion - Pottary making class
  • Heraklion - Diktaion Cave
  • Heraklion - Agios Nikolaos Village Visit

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Crete Family Holiday trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

1. Please note that these trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you.
2. Minimum age for children on this trip is 5 years old.
3. A discount of 10% applies on this trip to children under 17 years of age at time of travel.
4. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

Essential trip information

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