History
Knossos and the city after a ship at Heraklion.
Photo: Natalia Sevruk / Pexels
Quick facts
- Region
- Heraklion
- Start town
- Heraklion
- Planning time
- Depends on the selected itinerary
- Type
- History
Some days start when a ship is in Heraklion and then go to Knossos before any time in the city. That is a port meeting plus the palace, not a walk you begin at the site gate and not the museum unless the plan names it. The photograph of the seaward walls at Koules is the harbour side. The palace is inland from that wall.
Agree the meeting point inside the port, the time you must be back, and whether the palace ticket is included. Koules, the ferry gate and the palace are three different places.
Is it worth it
It suits travellers who are off a ship for a limited number of hours. Skip it if you are already in a hotel and only need the palace. The clock is the ship, not the site.
What to bring
- Comfortable shoes, sun protection for outdoor sites and any admission documents.
Tips
- Check the selected listing for transport, admission, equipment and cancellation terms.
Related tours
ArchaeologyPhoto: Simon L Kozhin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized or cropped for display
Knossos Palace: remains, restoration and myths
HeraklionAllow for entry, the palace visit and your return
Compare a guide at Knossos with a visit that includes transport, then decide whether to add the city museum.
View detailsFind options on GetYourGuide
HistoryKoules fortress at Heraklion harbour
HeraklionDepends on the selected itinerary
Koules is the Venetian fort on the Heraklion mole. The visit is the ramparts, the views back to the city and out to Dia, and a short circuit inside. It is not a half-day site. It is the right hour when you have finished the museum or you are early for a boat. Wind on the mole is stronger than in the streets behind it. It suits a harbour history stop if the permitted paths, steps and exposure fit your group. Keep children on visitor routes and follow site barriers; fortress walls are not play equipment. Check current opening and access separately from any museum or boat booking. The fort is on the harbour, walkable from the centre. Combine it with the market street rather than with a south-coast beach.
View detailsFind options on GetYourGuide- Boat trip
Fishing boats in Heraklion harbour
HeraklionDepends on the selected itinerary
The fishing boats tie up in Heraklion harbour, inside the city, separate from the marina yachts and from the Koules fort on the mole. Watching the boats is a quayside stop. It is not a fishing trip and not a ferry to Dia. It suits a short harbour walk. Skip it if the group wanted to board a boat. A moored fleet is not a sailing. Use the harbour quay in the city, not the marina gate and not the airport. Check which pontoons are public before you walk out along them.
View detailsFind options on GetYourGuide
Options checked on GetYourGuide
Each link opens one product page. The operator named there is not a Discover Crete partner. Availability, the pickup and the inclusions are confirmed on that page for the date you choose.
Knossos and Heraklion from the port
A shore day that collects you at Heraklion port, visits Knossos and the old town, and returns to the ship. The page lists the palace ticket as paid on site, not included. Check your ship’s time and the ticket on the product page.
Check this port shore dayKnossos and Heraklion from the port
FAQ
Questions.
- Planning time: Depends on the selected itinerary. Confirm the exact duration and whether travel from your accommodation is included in the selected option.
- Suggested season: Check current access and the selected date. Confirm the date, access conditions and operating schedule before making a booking.
- Agree the meeting point inside the port, the time you must be back, and whether the palace ticket is included. Koules, the ferry gate and the palace are three different places.
- It suits travellers who are off a ship for a limited number of hours. Skip it if you are already in a hotel and only need the palace. The clock is the ship, not the site.