What to do in the evening in Crete? Have dinner at a hotel? Go dancing? How about combining the two and going to a Cretan Night in a traditional village in the mountains?
What is a Cretan Night? It’s celebration, fun, dancing, fresh air and traditional Cretan delicacies, all in the open air and surrounded by beautiful scenery.
Where can you find a Cretan party? Literally in every village of the island! For example, in the villages of Kato Karouzana and Pano Karouzana you can experience the Greek nights the Cretan way. These are special evening excursions from Stalida that offer an insight into local traditions and customs, music, dancing, fun and a delicious dinner.
You will visit the following attractions on this tour:
During this celebration you will have the opportunity to see Cretans in their national costumes performing both Greek and exclusively Cretan dances and enjoy the famous Greek and Cretan hospitality too.
Everything will be simple and, if you wish, homely. On the tables there will be baked meats, fresh and stewed vegetables, Cretan cheese, rusks, tzatziki, olive oil. You’ll also have plenty of local homemade wine and raki to enjoy as you listen to the tunes of a Cretan lyre and watch mesmerizing dancers performing traditional Cretan and Greek folk dances throughout the evening. Smiling, happy Greeks, singing voices, lively music and dancing will be all around you. Don’t you think it’s a completely different atmosphere compared to what it would be if you stayed in a hotel? A Cretan Night in the village of Karouzana is just one of those soul festivals where you can join in the fun and feel the spirit of Crete.
How to get to a Cretan Night? Buy your own ticket and drive to one of the villages or opt for our fully organized trip: a bus will take you from your hotel to the venue and back to your hotel after it!
How do you choose which Cretan Night to go to? It is simple:
If you want to go to the Cretan Night in the village of Karouzana from Stalida, 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 Cretan Night in Karouzana village from Stalida online (see “How to book excursions in Crete”).
In 2025 you can get to the Cretan Night in Karouzana from Stalida from 03/05 to 15/11. Tour days currently available – Saturday. The traditional Cretan Night is held on Thursday in the village of Kato Karouzana and on Wednesday and Saturday in Pano Karouzana.
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.
A good mood and a camera are a must! You may also want to bring warm clothes in case it gets cold late in the evening.
Cretan Night – and there is dinner. Portions are large and very tasty. The menu consists of traditional 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 | |
|---|---|
| 17:50 - 19:10 | Departure from hotels |
| 19:30 - 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 place where the Cretan night takes place |
| 3 hours | Cretan Night: costume performance and traditional dances, dinner |
| Up to 1,5 hours | Return transfer by bus to hotels |