Traditional Greek Nights are held in one form or another in almost every village on the island, but a tour of the Cretan Night in Anopolis is actually a much bigger event. Firstly, because more than two dozen professional actors and musicians are involved in organising the show, and the action takes place on a large stage in a hall under a sliding roof. Secondly, because the show is not so much a Cretan Night as an entertaining folklore programme with both traditional Cretan stories and Greek themes in general.
You will visit the following attractions on this tour:
The regular program of a Cretan Night at Anopolis can include “A night with the gods of Olympus”, Minoan themes and of course more modern traditional Cretan dances, as well as the dances of the Evzones (do you know who the Evzones are?) and Greek Alexis Zorba and his world-famous Sirtaki! The melody of the Sirtaki dance was written by Mikis Theodorakis especially for the movie about Zorba and was previously unknown in Crete and Greece, as was the dance itself. The movie was filmed on our island and the music and dance of Sirtaki have become so inseparable from Greek culture over the last half century that you can’t go anywhere without them!
What is the difference between a Cretan Night in the village of Anopolis and other Greek Nights? Our impressions: first of all, it is not so much a “home atmosphere” as it is a Greek-style folklore evening and a big spectacular show with music and dancing on stage, followed by dinner with traditional Greek food and drinks. Dinner, by the way, consists of two or three hot dishes and lots of vegetables, wine, raki – everything is traditional and all the delicacies are quite tasty, but in our opinion the Greek evening at Anopolis is more about the show and performance.
If you want to go to the Cretan Night in the village of Anopolis from the resort towns of the Heraklion region, the price of the trip in 2025 is:
This tour is sometimes included in special promotions and sold cheaper for our followers – keep an eye out for discounts on Facebook!
Are you traveling as a big family or a group? Contact us in advance or visit our offices and we will try to make you the best offer.
You can buy an excursion to the Cretan Night in Anopolis village from the resort villages of the Heraklion region online (see “How to book excursions in Crete”).
In 2025 you can go to the Cretan Night in Anopolis from the Heraklion region towns from 14/05 to 22/10. Available tour days – Wednesday.
Please note that trip schedules are subject to change, including cancellation. This is extremely rare and may be due to weather conditions. For example, heavy rains at the beginning (April and May) or end of the season (September and October) and other force majeure situations. If there are any changes, we will try to let you know as soon as possible.
Please make sure that you have correctly identified your vacation area in Crete and read the cancellation and refund policy.
If there is less than 24 hours before the trip, please contact the manager to check availability before you make a booking!
Firstly, you can come to one of our offices where booking for all services is available and payment can be made either by cash or card.
Secondly, in case of online booking you can choose cash payment (which is available for some areas only) or you can pay online by card. In the case of cash, we will arrange a meeting with our courier in advance, who will bring the prepared documents to your hotel or villa and collect the cash. Please note that this option is only available for bookings made well in advance (days or weeks before the trip!). In case of online payment, you will receive the tickets by e-mail or WhatsApp – as you prefer.
Please keep all documents and tickets until the end of your trip!
It depends on the location of your hotel or villa. In some cases a tour bus will literally stop at the front door of the hotel and you just have to be there, in others it may be a short walk to the nearest pick-up point. This is usually a large central street, bus stop, square, car park, etc. – somewhere where there is no risk of the tour bus getting stuck on a narrow one-way street or stuck in traffic.
You will receive full details of the time and place of the pick-up with your travel documents when you make your booking. Please read it carefully before the trip.
First of all, a good mood and a camera. If you plan to dance, comfortable shoes are a must. You can bring some warmer clothes just in case, as it can get chilly in the late evening.
The Cretan Night at Anopolis is essentially a dinner with a menu consisting of traditional Greek and Cretan dishes.
There are no special restrictions. It is not advisable to bring very young children (0-5 years) as there is a lot of music and dancing and they may get tired.
This is not a guided tour, but rather a leisure trip. Therefore, there is no separate information guide.
Depending on the area in which you are staying, you can expect to return to your hotel after 23:00
Please note that this is an approximate tour schedule. Times may vary depending on traffic and pick-up and drop-off locations. Exact times will be sent to you along with other information when you make your reservation and specify your hotel.
| Schedule of the excursion program | |
|---|---|
| 17:55 - 19:10 | Departure from hotels |
| 19:45 - 22:30 | Cretan night: costume performance and traditional dances, dinner |
| 22:30 - 23:00 | Return to hotels |
| Duration and travel time | |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,5 hours | From hotels to the village of Anopolis |
| 3 hours | Cretan night: costume performance and traditional dances, dinner |
| Up to 1,5 hours | Return transfer by bus to hotels |