This easy yet informative guided tour from Karteros to the Knossos Palace, Archaeological Museum and the city of Heraklion is probably the best way to discover the Minoan civilization and ancient history of Crete. The trip takes about half a day and includes visits to the Palace of Knossos, the Archaeological museum of Heraklion and some free time to stroll around the island’s capital.
You will visit the following attractions on this tour:
Our tour starts in the morning with a visit to the Palace of Knossos. You will have plenty of time to stroll around the archaeological site and take lots of photos and, of course, you will have a guided tour of the Knossos Palace with a top quality guide. Now let’s dive into some details.
The Palace of Knossos gives an insight into the architectural, technological and cultural achievements of the Minoans, while the Archaeological Museum houses artefacts and treasures that further illuminate their way of life. So first of all, be prepared to listen, learn and look around.
Your guide will tell you the story of when and how the Palace of Knossos was built, when and how it was supposedly destroyed and when and how it was discovered and reconstructed. As a brief introduction, it’s important to say that Knossos Palace was the largest of the four Minoan palaces on the island of Crete. Imagine this: it was a really complex multi-level structure with corridors connecting countless rooms and courts. It served as the centre for everything from royal quarters to the conduct of administrative, economic and religious affairs. During the tour you will see many interesting places such as the royal apartments, throne room, storerooms and of course you will see the decorations with colourful frescoes. Imagine that a civilization of that time could have built something so large-scale and well-organised (and that was about 4000 years ago!).
It’s getting close to the middle of the day, which means it’s best to move into the shade. We are heading to the capital city of our island, to Heraklion.
Our bus will take you to the center of the city and there you will have two options: if you want to continue studying history and archaeology, you can go directly to the Archaeological Museum on your own. Here you will find all the artifacts, statues, pottery, frescoes, money, jewelry, tools, weapons and other items from over 5500 years of Cretan history. The Archaeological museum of Heraklion also houses the famous Bull-Leaping Fresco and other original frescoes from the Palace of Knossos, the Phaistos Disc and a variety of artefacts with thousands of years of history, that have been found not only in the palace of Knossos, but all over the island. The museum consists of two floors with many halls and takes about two hours to visit on your own. After the museum, you will have about an hour of free time to explore the central streets and squares of Heraklion.
Visiting both sites in sequence will give you a deeper understanding of the ancient Minoan civilization and its importance in Greek and European history, but it’s perfectly okay if you would like to spend some more time in the old city after your visit to the archaeological site of Knossos. In this case you can skip the museum and have three hours free time in the center of Heraklion.
During your free time in Heraklion, you can go to Lions Square, admire the Morosini Fountain, explore the Venetian and Ottoman monuments, visit the Church of Saint Titus, pass by the Loggia or even walk to the harbor to see the Koules Fortress. Additionally, there’s a variety of shops, restaurants, and cafes around for you to discover and have a leisurely lunch. It’s a perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in history and indulge in some local culture and cuisine!
You can come with us from Karteros to the guided tour of the Palace of Knossos, visit the Archaeological Museum and walk around the old town of Heraklion, but instead of lots of words – check out some of our photos above and take this tour to see it all for yourself!
If you would like to take a guided tour of Knossos Palace, visit the Archaeological Museum and spend some time in the most beautiful part of the city of Heraklion, the price of the organized bus tour 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 are welcome! We will run this personalised tour in a suitable car or minivan for you on any day. No large groups, long pick-ups or waiting – just you, your family or friends and the guide! You can ask us in advance – and we will organise everything for you.
You can book an excursion to the Knossos Palace and the Archaeological Museum of Crete from Karteros online (see “How to book excursions in Crete”).
In 2025 the excursion to the Palace of Knossos and the Archaeological Museum from Karteros takes place from 05/04 to 08/11. Available tour days – Thursday and Saturday.
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.
Not really. In fact, there will be very few walks: a guided tour of the Palace of Knossos and a walk around the city of Heraklion, where you decide how far and how long you want to walk.
Something to protect you from the morning sun at Knossos Palace (sunscreen, sunglasses, headwear…) and money for entrance fees and lunch.
As the tour does not start very early, you will have time to have breakfast at the hotel or ask for an early breakfast (“lunch box”).
We will arrive in Heraklion at noon. You’ll find plenty of cafes, taverns and restaurants there (from 10-15 euro per person).
Yes, absolutely. These excursions are always led by guides of the highest quality, because getting to know the Minoan civilization is a fascinating journey and one that you are sure to remember forever!
Very high.
Languages: English, German, French on any available day. On some days we can also organize excursions with Italian, Polish, Romanian and Russian speaking guides, so check the booking calendar or send us a request.
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 | |
|---|---|
| 7:20 - 8:50 | Departure from hotels |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | Arrival at Knossos Palace, guided tour and free time |
| 12:30 - 14:30 | Arrival at the Archaeological Museum, free time |
| 12:30 - 15:30 | Free time in Heraklion |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | Return to hotels |
| Duration and travel time | |
|---|---|
| up to 1 hour | From hotels by bus to the Knossos Palace |
| 2 hours | In the Knossos Palace |
| 15 minutes | From the Palace of Knossos to the Archaeological Museum |
| 3 hours | Time for the museum and/or walking around Heraklion |
| up to 1 hour | Transfer by bus to hotels |