8 days in Crete Itinerary

Crete's largest city, Heraklion remains best known for its proximity to a sprawling Bronze Age archaeological site, once the center of a vanished Minoan civilization.

Family-friendly places like Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Kotsanas Museum will thrill your kids. Get out of town with these interesting Heraklion side-trips: Gouves Animal Shelter (in Kato Gouves) and Safaris (in Agia Pelagia). There's lots more to do: explore the ancient world of The Palace of Knossos, get up close and personal with brilliant marine life at CRETAquarium, see the interesting displays at Kazantzakis Museum, and have some family-friendly fun at Experience Creta.

Plan my day in Heraklion using traveler tips and tourist information provided by Inspirock.

Valletta, Malta to Heraklion is an approximately 7.5-hour flight. You can also do a combination of bus, ferry, and car; or take a bus. The time zone difference moving from Central European Standard Time (CET) to Eastern European Standard Time (EET) is 1 hour. In March, daily temperatures in Heraklion can reach 20°C, while at night they dip to 11°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 4th (Tue) early enough to catch the shuttle to Chania Town.

The place where Cretan and Venetian cultures merged in the 13th century, Chania Town attracts throngs of tourists with its well-preserved medieval harbor.

Kids will enjoy Old Venetian Harbor and Rethymnon Old Town. Get out of town with these interesting Chania Town side-trips: Rethymnon (Old Venetian Harbour of Rethymno, Historical and Folklore Museum of Rethymno, &more) and Lake Kournas (in Kournas). The adventure continues: explore the different monuments and memorials at Souda Bay War Cemetery, take an in-depth tour of Archaeological Museum of Chania, learn about all things military at Maritime Museum of Crete, and get the lay of the land with Walking tours.

For ratings, photos, more things to do, and more tourist information, read Chania Town online trip itinerary builder.

You can take a shuttle from Heraklion to Chania Town in 2 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. April in Chania Town sees daily highs of 24°C and lows of 14°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 7th (Fri) to allow time to fly back home.