Meals

6 breakfasts, 1 dinner

Guide

All Intrepid group trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader takes care of logistics, will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Others

Knossos - Archaeological Site Agios Ioannis - Village Visits Agios Ioannis - Live Music Evening Chania - Wine Tasting Chora Sfakion - Coastal Boat Ride Sougia - Agia Irini Gorge Hike Chania - Kalitsounia Bakery Workshop

Transport

TRANSPORT IN EUROPE: Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that’s why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city’s public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action. STRIKES: Ferry strikes, bad weather and the general unpredictable nature of Greek public transport means you need to be prepared for possible delays and itinerary changes. Public bus , Private vehicle , Boat , On foot

Accommodation

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available. OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances. TWIN SHARE BASIS: Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own. CHECK-IN TIME: Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination. PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION: If you’ve purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights. FACILITIES: Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don’t provide kettles or fridges. Hotel (3 nights), Guesthouse (3 nights)

Not included:

Flights

International flights are not included

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Insurance

Travel insurance is not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

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Day 1 Day 1: Heraklion
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Heraklion

Welcome to Crete! Greece’s largest island delights with clear waters, charming villages and a tangible history. Your island adventure begins with an 6pm welcome meeting where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. After the group meeting, perhaps head out for dinner with the group, and get your bearings around the capital with a leader-led orientation walk of Heraklion.
Day 2 Day 2: Knossos / Agios Ioannis
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Knossos / Agios Ioannis

This morning head out of the city to the renowned archaeological site of Knossos, considered to be Europe’s oldest city. Explore the ruins with your leader and soak in hundreds and thousands of years of history within its walls. Continue your Crete discovery with one of its most celebrated commodities during a visit to a nearby winery for a wine tasting. Take your time discovering the grape varietals grown in Crete, sampling a range of small-batch vintages. Then it’s time to check out some quiet corners of Crete – continue to the tiny coastal town of Chora Sfakion (sometimes referred to as Sfakia) and the historic village of Anopolis for some short stops, then carry on to Aradaina, teetering on the edge of a gorge, and learn about the history of this dramatic area. Your final stop for the day is the delightful village of Agios Ioannis, nestled into the foothills of the White Mountains. Your well-earned dinner this evening will be a lively affair – feast on local specialties accompanied by a wonderful live performance of traditional music, a perfect introduction to village life in Crete. Spend the night in a traditional guesthouse
Day 3 Day 3: South Coast / Sougia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: South Coast / Sougia

Bid farewell to Agios Ioannis and drive back to Chora Sfakion where you’ll board our private boat along Crete’s stunning south coast to the village of Sougia. This is Crete at its very best – an undiscovered sweep of beach overlooked by brooding mountains. It’s almost too pretty to believe, but believe it, you’re here! Upon arrival in Sougia the afternoon is yours to spend at leisure, and it’s certainly not hard to find something amazing to do. You may like to explore one of the coastal trails, take a swim in the warm waters, or just lay back on the beach and let life tick along around you with a drink in hand.
Day 4 Day 4: Agia Irini Gorge / Sougia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Agia Irini Gorge / Sougia

Rise early and board a local bus bound for the Agia Irini Gorge, carved through the west side of the White Mountains. Set off on a shady hike through the gorge as your leader shares stories of the area’s historical past and how it once hid Greek rebels during the Turkish Occupation. The hike is expected to take around three hours and you’ll be rewarded with fantastic views along the way, plus the chance to spot the unique flora and fauna of the region, including endangered Cretan wild goats, cypress, pine, and dittany trees. The rest of the afternoon is yours to spend as you please in Sougia.
Day 5 Day 5: Chania
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Chania

Say goodbye to Sougia this morning and catch a local bus to Chania. Beachside, colourful and full of culture, Chania is definitely a traveller’s favourite. On arrival, follow your leaders advice and directions to visit two local artisans and learn about how local pottery and knife are produced . The rest of the afternoon is free for your own explorations in Chania. Perhaps take a walk through the city markets, the Ottoman neighbourhood and Jewish quarter, passing by the workshops of traditional artisans of local pottery, knives and many more The town is also bursting with excellent restaurants, so be sure to ask your leader for dinner recommendations this evening.
Day 6 Day 6: Chania
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Chania

Start the day with a ‘kalitsounia’ workshop and experience firsthand how one of the most famous Cretan pastries is made. Kalitsounia is commonly had as an appetizer or for breakfast and you can choose your fillings according to your taste: Cretan ‘mizithra’ or ‘anthotyro’ cheese, legendary Cretan greens or choose a sweet filling instead. It’s tasty, nutritious and you can take them with you to enjoy later in the day. Enjoy some free time at leisure in Chania, perhaps taking the time to visit any spots you may have missed yesterday, or simply sitting back with a coffee and watching the locals go about their business. This evening you may like to head out to a local restaurant for a final dinner and use your knowledge of Cretan wine to pair with your meal.
Day 7 Day 7: Chania
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Chania

With no activities planned for the day, your adventure on Crete comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’d like to spend some more time exploring the island, just get in touch ahead of time and we can assist in arranging some additional accommodation to extend your stay (subject to availability).

7 days tour

Highlights Of Crete

This tour includes:

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Itinerary of your trip Highlights Of Crete

Day 1: Heraklion

Day 2: Knossos / Agios Ioannis

Day 3: South Coast / Sougia

Day 4: Agia Irini Gorge / Sougia

Day 5: Chania

Day 6: Chania

Day 7: Chania

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