It is a long downhill on uneven stones, then a wait for the boat. You do not need climbing skills. You do need shoes, water, and a day with nothing else in it.

Is the gorge always open in summer?

No. Rain, fire risk and rockfall close it on particular days. Check the morning you plan to go, including with the operator if you booked a guided departure.

Older children who like long walks, yes. Small children, no. Use Imbros, Preveli, or a beach day instead.

On foot

Gorge hikes in Crete.

Samaria is the famous one-way hike. Imbros and Kourtaliotiko are the days you book when 16 kilometres is the wrong plan.

Longest: Samaria, a full one-way day
Shorter: Imbros or Kourtaliotiko
Season: Samaria usually May–October
Return: Boat or bus, not the same path

Photo: Salih Akbudak / Pexels

Gorge hikes in Crete

3 ways to do this. Prices and reviews stay on GetYourGuide.

Top pick
Samaria Gorge walk
Chania7–9 hours
Downhill to the sea, then a boat. Not a loop.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Hike
Imbros Gorge, the shorter walk
Chania4–5 hours
The shorter gorge when Samaria is the wrong plan.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Hike
Kourtaliotiko and Preveli
Rethymno4–6 hours
A south-coast half day: gorge and palm beach together.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide

More experiences

13 more ways to do this. Descriptions are ours. Prices stay on GetYourGuide.

Gorge hike
Agia Irini gorge hike
Chania5–6 hours
Agia Irini is the gorge west of Sougia, a shaded walk that is serious and still kinder than Samaria. You descend through trees to the south coast and need a lift back, by boat toward Sougia or Paleochora or by a prearranged car. The path can close after rockfall or fire. It is a hike with a logistics problem at the bottom, not a loop from the car park. The usual length is 5–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits walkers who want a gorge day without Samaria’s crowds. Skip it in midsummer heat if you are not used to a long descent, and do not start without a plan for the return. The usual entrance is inland, reached by road from Chania toward Sougia. Arrange the pickup before you walk. The gorge is not a circle.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Samaria Gorge hike from Chania
Chania7–9 hours
The full Samaria walk starts on the Omalos plateau, drops through the gorge to Agia Roumeli, and leaves by boat along the south coast. It is one way. The park closes in the cold months and after dangerous weather. The Xyloskalo steps are the hard beginning, and the last kilometres on the riverbed are the part people underestimate. You finish on a boat, not on the bus that brought you. The usual length is 7–9 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October, when the park is open. It suits fit walkers who can be on their feet all day. Skip it with knee trouble, in extreme heat, or if the group needs to be back in Chania at a fixed afternoon hour. The boat and the road home set the clock. A bus or driver climbs from Chania to Omalos before the park opens.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Samaria Gorge from Rethymno
Rethymno10–12 hours
Doing Samaria from Rethymno adds a long coach on either side of the same one-way hike. The walk itself does not change: Omalos, the gorge, Agia Roumeli, the boat. What changes is the hour you leave and the hour you return. In July that can mean a dark start and a late dinner. The park’s own closing time does not wait for a coach from Rethymno. The usual length is 10–12 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October, when the park is open. It suits determined walkers based in Rethymno who will not move west for a night. It is a poor idea if anyone is unsure about the distance. The transfer, not the scenery, is what makes this version tiring. Coaches leave Rethymno before dawn for Omalos. The return is boat and bus, often via Chania, and back along the north coast.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Samaria Gorge from Heraklion
Heraklion12–14 hours
Samaria from Heraklion is the same gorge plus the longest coach of the three city starts. You cross most of the island before you take a step, and you cross it again after the boat. The hike is unchanged and the day is not. People book it because they are sleeping in Heraklion. The honest version is to sleep closer to Omalos, or to pick Imbros or a closer walk. The usual length is 12–14 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October, when the park is open. It suits only walkers who accept a very long day and an early start. Skip it with children, with anyone who tires on stairs, or if this is your only full day in Crete. The gorge will be the smallest part of the memory. The coach leaves Heraklion long before the park gate.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Imbros gorge hike
Sfakia4–6 hours
Imbros is the gorge east of Samaria, from the village of Imbros down toward Komitades and the Sfakia coast. It is narrower, shorter, and usually open when Samaria is shut. You still need a way back up or a taxi to the coast road. The stones are loose in places. It is a proper walk, just not a national-park expedition. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are Most of the year, harder after rain. It suits walkers who want a gorge without the Samaria logistics. Skip it in the hour after heavy rain, and do not treat it as a stroll you can add after a boat to Loutro. Start in Imbros village, on the road between Chania and Sfakia. A taxi or a second car solves the one-way problem. Ask in the village if the path is open.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Aradena gorge hike
Sfakia4–6 hours
Aradena cuts down from the deserted village and the metal bridge above Sfakia toward Marmara beach. The walk is steep at the top and stony below. A bridge jump is sometimes offered nearby and is a separate, optional stunt, not part of the hike. The reward is the coast at the bottom, and the problem is the same as the other south-coast gorges: you do not walk back up unless you mean to. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits experienced walkers staying in Sfakia or Loutro. Skip it in strong wind if you hoped to leave Marmara by boat, because that boat is how many people avoid the climb out. Reach the Aradena bridge by road from Anopoli, above Sfakia. Arrange a boat from Marmara or accept the climb. Do not start late.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Kourtaliotiko gorge and Preveli
Rethymno5–7 hours
Kourtaliotiko is the dramatic road gorge south of Rethymno, with a short walk to a waterfall lookout, and Preveli is the palm beach at the river mouth below. Doing both is a coherent day because they share the same valley. The beach is a steep path down and a hotter path up. The gorge stop is brief. Neither is Samaria. The usual length is 5–7 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits a south-coast day from Rethymno. Skip the beach path with a buggy or with anyone who will struggle back up in the heat. The lookout alone is the easier version. Drive the Spili road south from Rethymno. The gorge car park comes first. Preveli beach is a separate turning toward the coast. Leave time for the climb.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Agiofarago gorge and beach
Matala4–6 hours
Agiofarago is the gorge south of the Messara that ends at a pebble beach and a small monastery cove. The walk is real and exposed in the afternoon. You go down and you come back up the same way unless a boat is genuinely running, which you should not assume. Water, shoes and an early start are the whole method. It is one of the wilder easy-to-reach walks in the south, and “easy to reach” still means a dirt approach. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits confident walkers. Skip it in high heat with children, and skip it if you need a taverna at the bottom. The beach is the reward and the facilities are almost none. Drive south of the Messara toward the signed track for Agiofarago, then walk.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Zaros and the Rouvas gorge
Heraklion5–7 hours
Zaros is the village on the southern flank of Psiloritis, with a short gorge walk, springs, and a lake nearby. The Rouvas path climbs into woodland and is a different scale from Samaria. You can make it a serious hike or a village day with a short walk. Say which you are doing. The springs are why the place is green. The beach is not part of this day. The usual length is 5–7 hours, and the months that usually work are April to November. It suits walkers based in Heraklion who want mountains without the Samaria coach. Skip the long version in July if you are not fit. The short village version is still a good lunch. Drive from Heraklion to Zaros, about an hour. The gorge path starts above the village. A guide helps if you want the longer Rouvas route rather than the first viewpoint.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Richtis gorge to the waterfall
Agios Nikolaos4–6 hours
Richtis is the gorge inland of Exo Mouliana, between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia, walked down to a waterfall and a small cove. It is not Samaria. The path is waymarked, rocky, and shaded in places, and the last section can be slippery. The waterfall is the point. In a dry September it is a trickle, and after spring rain it is the reason you came. The walk back up is the part people underestimate. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, after rain the stones are slick. It suits steady walkers who can spare a half-day from the east coast. Skip it with a buggy, after heavy rain, or if anyone needs a flat path. There is no boat at the end to collect you. Drive the coast road to Exo Mouliana and follow the gorge signs to the car park.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Zakros gorge, the Valley of the Dead
Sitia4–6 hours
The Zakros gorge, often called the Valley of the Dead, runs from inland Zakros down to the Minoan palace at Kato Zakros. The walk is a few hours on a stony riverbed, with caves in the walls and almost no shade. It is waymarked and it is not a casual stroll. You need a plan for the return: a taxi, a second car, or the walk back up, which changes the day. Summer heat in the gorge is serious. Water is your job. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, not after heavy rain. It suits fit walkers who can arrange the car shuttle. Skip it in high heat at midday, after storms, or with anyone unsteady on loose rock. Start at the upper entrance near Zakros village. Finish at Kato Zakros. Arrange the ride back before you step in.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Ha gorge, for people who already hike
Ierapetra5–7 hours
Ha gorge cuts down to the south coast west of Ierapetra. It is a serious scramble with metal rungs in places, not a signed family walk like a mild section of Richtis. People who are comfortable on rock and exposure use it. Everyone else should not start. Water, shoes and a retreat plan matter, and a guide is the sensible version if you do not already know this kind of path. After rain the rock is a reason to postpone. There is no boat collect at a café. The usual length is 5–7 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, and only in stable weather. It suits experienced hikers. Skip it for a first gorge, for children, and for anyone who does not like exposure. Imbros and Richtis are the easier east-and-south alternatives. The trailhead is inland of the south coast near Ierapetra.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide
Gorge hike
Kotsifou gorge road from Plakias
Plakias2–4 hours
Kotsifou is the gorge on the road inland from Plakias, dramatic from the car and walkable in short sections if you pick a safe pull-off. It is not a full-day hike like Samaria and it is not the Kourtaliotiko slot, which is the neighbouring canyon with the waterfall. The interest is the walls and a village beyond them. Walking on the road itself is a bad idea. Use a path or a viewpoint, then decide whether the day continues to Preveli. The usual length is 2–4 hours, and the months that usually work are Year round, slow after rain. It suits a scenic hour with the car. Skip any plan that puts pedestrians on the gorge road. The driving line is narrow. Drive inland from Plakias toward the villages. Stop only in real lay-bys. If you want a proper walk, choose Kourtaliotiko’s path or Preveli instead.
See prices on GetYourGuide
View details Book now on GetYourGuide

What to know before you book

What you are walking

Samaria drops from the Omalos plateau to the sea at Agia Roumeli. Imbros is a shorter gorge in the same mountains. Kourtaliotiko, above Preveli, is a half day from Rethymno. All three are rocky and downhill.

How the day is shaped

You do not walk back up Samaria. The exit is a boat along the south coast, then a bus. That is why the hike is a tour even if you are happy walking alone: the return is the logistics. Imbros is easier to arrange and still needs a pickup.

Best season

Samaria is normally open from May into October and closes for weather and maintenance outside that. The first and last weeks are the least crowded. Summer midday in the gorge is hot; the morning start is the cool part.

How to choose

Book Samaria if you want the full walk and you can start early. Book Imbros if someone in the group is unsure. Skip both if you need to be at an airport the same evening.

FAQ

Questions.

It is a long downhill on uneven stones, then a wait for the boat. You do not need climbing skills. You do need shoes, water, and a day with nothing else in it.
No. Rain, fire risk and rockfall close it on particular days. Check the morning you plan to go, including with the operator if you booked a guided departure.
Older children who like long walks, yes. Small children, no. Use Imbros, Preveli, or a beach day instead.

More experiences

13 more ways to do this. Descriptions are ours. Prices stay on GetYourGuide.

Gorge hike

Agia Irini gorge hike

Chania5–6 hours

Agia Irini is the gorge west of Sougia, a shaded walk that is serious and still kinder than Samaria. You descend through trees to the south coast and need a lift back, by boat toward Sougia or Paleochora or by a prearranged car. The path can close after rockfall or fire. It is a hike with a logistics problem at the bottom, not a loop from the car park. The usual length is 5–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits walkers who want a gorge day without Samaria’s crowds. Skip it in midsummer heat if you are not used to a long descent, and do not start without a plan for the return. The usual entrance is inland, reached by road from Chania toward Sougia. Arrange the pickup before you walk. The gorge is not a circle.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Samaria Gorge hike from Chania

Chania7–9 hours

The full Samaria walk starts on the Omalos plateau, drops through the gorge to Agia Roumeli, and leaves by boat along the south coast. It is one way. The park closes in the cold months and after dangerous weather. The Xyloskalo steps are the hard beginning, and the last kilometres on the riverbed are the part people underestimate. You finish on a boat, not on the bus that brought you. The usual length is 7–9 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October, when the park is open. It suits fit walkers who can be on their feet all day. Skip it with knee trouble, in extreme heat, or if the group needs to be back in Chania at a fixed afternoon hour. The boat and the road home set the clock. A bus or driver climbs from Chania to Omalos before the park opens.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Samaria Gorge from Rethymno

Rethymno10–12 hours

Doing Samaria from Rethymno adds a long coach on either side of the same one-way hike. The walk itself does not change: Omalos, the gorge, Agia Roumeli, the boat. What changes is the hour you leave and the hour you return. In July that can mean a dark start and a late dinner. The park’s own closing time does not wait for a coach from Rethymno. The usual length is 10–12 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October, when the park is open. It suits determined walkers based in Rethymno who will not move west for a night. It is a poor idea if anyone is unsure about the distance. The transfer, not the scenery, is what makes this version tiring. Coaches leave Rethymno before dawn for Omalos. The return is boat and bus, often via Chania, and back along the north coast.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Samaria Gorge from Heraklion

Heraklion12–14 hours

Samaria from Heraklion is the same gorge plus the longest coach of the three city starts. You cross most of the island before you take a step, and you cross it again after the boat. The hike is unchanged and the day is not. People book it because they are sleeping in Heraklion. The honest version is to sleep closer to Omalos, or to pick Imbros or a closer walk. The usual length is 12–14 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October, when the park is open. It suits only walkers who accept a very long day and an early start. Skip it with children, with anyone who tires on stairs, or if this is your only full day in Crete. The gorge will be the smallest part of the memory. The coach leaves Heraklion long before the park gate.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Imbros gorge hike

Sfakia4–6 hours

Imbros is the gorge east of Samaria, from the village of Imbros down toward Komitades and the Sfakia coast. It is narrower, shorter, and usually open when Samaria is shut. You still need a way back up or a taxi to the coast road. The stones are loose in places. It is a proper walk, just not a national-park expedition. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are Most of the year, harder after rain. It suits walkers who want a gorge without the Samaria logistics. Skip it in the hour after heavy rain, and do not treat it as a stroll you can add after a boat to Loutro. Start in Imbros village, on the road between Chania and Sfakia. A taxi or a second car solves the one-way problem. Ask in the village if the path is open.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

White houses at Loutro on the Sfakia coast

Gorge hike

Aradena gorge hike

Sfakia4–6 hours

Aradena cuts down from the deserted village and the metal bridge above Sfakia toward Marmara beach. The walk is steep at the top and stony below. A bridge jump is sometimes offered nearby and is a separate, optional stunt, not part of the hike. The reward is the coast at the bottom, and the problem is the same as the other south-coast gorges: you do not walk back up unless you mean to. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits experienced walkers staying in Sfakia or Loutro. Skip it in strong wind if you hoped to leave Marmara by boat, because that boat is how many people avoid the climb out. Reach the Aradena bridge by road from Anopoli, above Sfakia. Arrange a boat from Marmara or accept the climb. Do not start late.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Preveli beach on the south coast of Crete

Gorge hike

Kourtaliotiko gorge and Preveli

Rethymno5–7 hours

Kourtaliotiko is the dramatic road gorge south of Rethymno, with a short walk to a waterfall lookout, and Preveli is the palm beach at the river mouth below. Doing both is a coherent day because they share the same valley. The beach is a steep path down and a hotter path up. The gorge stop is brief. Neither is Samaria. The usual length is 5–7 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits a south-coast day from Rethymno. Skip the beach path with a buggy or with anyone who will struggle back up in the heat. The lookout alone is the easier version. Drive the Spili road south from Rethymno. The gorge car park comes first. Preveli beach is a separate turning toward the coast. Leave time for the climb.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Agiofarago gorge and beach

Matala4–6 hours

Agiofarago is the gorge south of the Messara that ends at a pebble beach and a small monastery cove. The walk is real and exposed in the afternoon. You go down and you come back up the same way unless a boat is genuinely running, which you should not assume. Water, shoes and an early start are the whole method. It is one of the wilder easy-to-reach walks in the south, and “easy to reach” still means a dirt approach. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits confident walkers. Skip it in high heat with children, and skip it if you need a taverna at the bottom. The beach is the reward and the facilities are almost none. Drive south of the Messara toward the signed track for Agiofarago, then walk.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Zaros and the Rouvas gorge

Heraklion5–7 hours

Zaros is the village on the southern flank of Psiloritis, with a short gorge walk, springs, and a lake nearby. The Rouvas path climbs into woodland and is a different scale from Samaria. You can make it a serious hike or a village day with a short walk. Say which you are doing. The springs are why the place is green. The beach is not part of this day. The usual length is 5–7 hours, and the months that usually work are April to November. It suits walkers based in Heraklion who want mountains without the Samaria coach. Skip the long version in July if you are not fit. The short village version is still a good lunch. Drive from Heraklion to Zaros, about an hour. The gorge path starts above the village. A guide helps if you want the longer Rouvas route rather than the first viewpoint.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Richtis gorge to the waterfall

Agios Nikolaos4–6 hours

Richtis is the gorge inland of Exo Mouliana, between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia, walked down to a waterfall and a small cove. It is not Samaria. The path is waymarked, rocky, and shaded in places, and the last section can be slippery. The waterfall is the point. In a dry September it is a trickle, and after spring rain it is the reason you came. The walk back up is the part people underestimate. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, after rain the stones are slick. It suits steady walkers who can spare a half-day from the east coast. Skip it with a buggy, after heavy rain, or if anyone needs a flat path. There is no boat at the end to collect you. Drive the coast road to Exo Mouliana and follow the gorge signs to the car park.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Zakros gorge, the Valley of the Dead

Sitia4–6 hours

The Zakros gorge, often called the Valley of the Dead, runs from inland Zakros down to the Minoan palace at Kato Zakros. The walk is a few hours on a stony riverbed, with caves in the walls and almost no shade. It is waymarked and it is not a casual stroll. You need a plan for the return: a taxi, a second car, or the walk back up, which changes the day. Summer heat in the gorge is serious. Water is your job. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, not after heavy rain. It suits fit walkers who can arrange the car shuttle. Skip it in high heat at midday, after storms, or with anyone unsteady on loose rock. Start at the upper entrance near Zakros village. Finish at Kato Zakros. Arrange the ride back before you step in.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Ha gorge, for people who already hike

Ierapetra5–7 hours

Ha gorge cuts down to the south coast west of Ierapetra. It is a serious scramble with metal rungs in places, not a signed family walk like a mild section of Richtis. People who are comfortable on rock and exposure use it. Everyone else should not start. Water, shoes and a retreat plan matter, and a guide is the sensible version if you do not already know this kind of path. After rain the rock is a reason to postpone. There is no boat collect at a café. The usual length is 5–7 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, and only in stable weather. It suits experienced hikers. Skip it for a first gorge, for children, and for anyone who does not like exposure. Imbros and Richtis are the easier east-and-south alternatives. The trailhead is inland of the south coast near Ierapetra.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Gorge hike

Kotsifou gorge road from Plakias

Plakias2–4 hours

Kotsifou is the gorge on the road inland from Plakias, dramatic from the car and walkable in short sections if you pick a safe pull-off. It is not a full-day hike like Samaria and it is not the Kourtaliotiko slot, which is the neighbouring canyon with the waterfall. The interest is the walls and a village beyond them. Walking on the road itself is a bad idea. Use a path or a viewpoint, then decide whether the day continues to Preveli. The usual length is 2–4 hours, and the months that usually work are Year round, slow after rain. It suits a scenic hour with the car. Skip any plan that puts pedestrians on the gorge road. The driving line is narrow. Drive inland from Plakias toward the villages. Stop only in real lay-bys. If you want a proper walk, choose Kourtaliotiko’s path or Preveli instead.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

What to know before you book