Hello! I'm Inna, planning to visit Crete in November (9th-17th), I'm flying to Athens on November 9th, and then I'm thinking of going straight to Chania. Could someone advise, please, if I should stay a few days in Chania (like 4 days) and a few days in one of the other cities like Rethymnon and Heraklion (2 days)? I can't drive, so will have to rely on buses or ferries. Also is it worth it on my way back to stop in Athens for one last day? 4 days Chania, 2 days Heraklion or Rethymnon, and 1 day Athens? My plane back home is on the 17th. Or perhaps one day in Athens is nothing and should be better spent in Crete. Thank you very much!
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8053 posts
Inna, do you actually have 8 nights, from the 9th to the 17th? I really liked Iraklio, and would suggest maybe 3 nights (or just 2) in Hania, 2 nights in Iraklio (or maybe 3) and at least 1 night in Rethymno.
Have you been to Athens before? If not, at least a night or two there would be essential to a Greece trip.
Posted by
11700 posts
Chania is the nicest of the three places you listed. In fact it is considered one of the two prettiest cities in Greece( the other one is Nafplion).
Next would be Rethymnon. Heraklion is a city, a place to enter and leave Crete from. It has a nice area near the water but doesn’t compare to Chania nor Rethymnon.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8053 posts
Iraklio has the best museum in Crete, one of the best in Greece, the Archaeological Museum, but you probably already knew that, Inna. The art and artifacts from the ancient Minoan civilization are amazing. There’s also the Knossos palace complex just south of town, and it’s easy to reach by local bus. We booked a private guided tour for Knossos, to get the most from our visit.
For seafood, dinner at Ippokampos (which means seahorse in Greek) was a highlight.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Cyn, thank you so much for your suggestions. No, I haven't been to Athens before. Yes, thinking about how to fit in at least one day in Athens. I don't want to be stressed and pack too much on this trip, would still be nice to keep it relaxing.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thank you Suki for your response. Appreciate your advice!