My husband and I plan to hike the Samaria Gorge in about two weeks. We'll be staying in Chania. Should we try to make our own arrangements, or should we book a tour? If the latter, any recommendations would be appreciated. I'm a bit concerned about the logistics of getting back to Chania after the hike.
Posted by
139 posts
Hello,
Yes, I recommend getting a tour. That's what we did when we hiked it in 2018. We were staying in Chania and walked down the street to a local travel agency to book it. But I just checked and Get your Guide lists one for $36. That sounds about right.
As the $36 one says, they pick you up in town. Then they drop you off at the top of the gorge. A guide walked down also, but you will be walking at your own pace. You will have time to swim or wade in the ocean at the bottom and get something to eat. And then the guide will help make sure you get on the ferry.
The ferry ride to where the bus picks you up is gorgeous.
The only negative for us was on the return. Back towards town, they stopped at a LOT of hotels before ours and that felt like it took Forever.
Of course, we were pretty tired. And I gotta say, we were sore for a few days. 😀
Also, we bought a set of hiking poles to share while we were in Chania. If you do that, be sure to use the rubber tip, not the pointy sharp kind.
Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Posted by
London
707 posts
Admittedly this was a while ago but we did it independently and it was very simple. There were I believe two or three different buses leaving for the top of the gorge at different times in the morning so you can decide how much time you think you need. Once at the bottom we had time for a swim (there was also a place to get drinks and snacks) and then the ferry took us over to the next town where the bus was waiting. It’s all timed to make it easy for people to use public transport. Of course you may have other reasons you prefer to use a guide. Good luck, it’s a beautiful walk!
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8868 posts
It has been a while, but we did it on our own as well. Bus to the top, ferry to the second town, bus back to Chania. Basically, the whole way, you are just following the crowd. I get the security of having a seat, but a tour really only gets you a couple bus rides, but maybe that is enough.
Do wear sturdy shoes, being a downhill hike sounds easy, but there are steep sections, and much of it is broken rock that you are walking on, not smooth trail (unless they have vastly improved the trail).