How do I know if Samaria is open?

Check the day you intend to walk, with the park and with your operator. A booking made in spring does not guarantee a Wednesday in July.

Shoes with grip, not sandals. Bring water, a hat, and a layer for the plateau in the morning. The bottom of the gorge is much warmer than the start.

Is there a shorter gorge?

Yes. Imbros, nearby, is the usual alternative. It is still rocky, and it is not 16 kilometres.

White Mountains

Samaria Gorge.

Samaria is a one-way walk to the sea. The day is the hike plus the boat and the bus, and it is only a plan while the gorge is open.

Start: Omalos plateau, above Chania
Finish: Agia Roumeli, then a boat
Length: A full day, about 16 km of walking
Open: Usually May into October, not every day

Photo: Salih Akbudak / Pexels

Samaria Gorge

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.
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Hike
Imbros Gorge, the shorter walk
Chania4–5 hours
The shorter gorge when Samaria is the wrong plan.
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Private
A private driver for one day
Crete7–9 hours
Your own stops, and someone to say when the list is too long.
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More experiences

9 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Boat trip
Paleochora to Sougia by boat
Paleochora4–6 hours
Sougia is the next harbour east of Paleochora, a small beach village under the mouth of Agia Irini. The boat is the coastal way between them. You can swim at Sougia and return, or use the boat as the end of the gorge walk. There is not much else in the village, which is the appeal. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits a slow south-coast day. Skip it if you wanted tavernas and a promenade. Paleochora has those. Sougia has a beach and a gorge. Boats leave the Paleochora quay in the morning in season. If you are coming out of Agia Irini, time the walk to the boat, not the other way around.
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History
Lissos ancient site from Sougia
Paleochora4–5 hours
Lissos is the small ancient healing site west of Sougia, reached by a coastal path rather than a road. The walk is the visit: mosaic floors, a cove, and the return the same way. It is not staffed like Knossos. You need water, shoes, and a realistic sense of the afternoon heat on an exposed path. The usual length is 4–5 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits walkers who like a ruin at the end of a path. Skip it with a buggy or in the middle of a gorge day. The two walks do not belong together. Start from Sougia beach and follow the coast path west. There is no bus to the site. Allow the return walk in the time you think the visit will take.
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Day trip
Sougia beach between the gorges
Paleochora4–6 hours
Sougia is the pebble beach village between Paleochora and Agia Roumeli, with a small harbour and a path toward the ancient city of Lissos if you want the walk. The day is a swim and a slow lunch. You reach it by road from the north or by the south-coast boat. It is not Elafonisi and it is not a resort. The gorge of Agia Irini finishes nearby, which makes Sougia a natural end to that hike and a crowded plan if you also wanted a long beach afternoon. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits a quiet south-coast day. Skip it if the group only wants sand flats. The beach is pebbles. Drive the mountain road from Chania, or take the boat from Paleochora. The village is one street back from the shore.
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What to know before you book

What the hike is

You enter at the top, walk down through the gorge, and come out at Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea. There is no road at the bottom. The way back is a boat east or west along the coast, then a bus to Chania or the plateau.

How long to allow

Walking takes most people five to seven hours, plus the wait and the boat. The organised day starts early from Chania and ends in the evening. Do not book a flight that night.

When it is open

The gorge normally opens in May and closes in October. It also shuts on particular days for weather, fire risk or rockfall. “In season” is not the same as “open tomorrow”. Check that morning.

How to choose

Book the guided day if you want the bus and the boat handled. Walk it yourself only if you have the top-of-gorge bus and the return boat sorted. If the distance is too much, walk Imbros instead.

FAQ

Questions.

Check the day you intend to walk, with the park and with your operator. A booking made in spring does not guarantee a Wednesday in July.
Shoes with grip, not sandals. Bring water, a hat, and a layer for the plateau in the morning. The bottom of the gorge is much warmer than the start.
Yes. Imbros, nearby, is the usual alternative. It is still rocky, and it is not 16 kilometres.

Samaria Gorge.

Samaria is a one-way walk to the sea. The day is the hike plus the boat and the bus, and it is only a plan while the gorge is open.

Start

Omalos plateau, above Chania

Finish

Agia Roumeli, then a boat

Length

A full day, about 16 km of walking

Open

Usually May into October, not every day

Photo: Salih Akbudak / Pexels

More experiences

9 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

Boat trip

Paleochora to Sougia by boat

Paleochora4–6 hours

Sougia is the next harbour east of Paleochora, a small beach village under the mouth of Agia Irini. The boat is the coastal way between them. You can swim at Sougia and return, or use the boat as the end of the gorge walk. There is not much else in the village, which is the appeal. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits a slow south-coast day. Skip it if you wanted tavernas and a promenade. Paleochora has those. Sougia has a beach and a gorge. Boats leave the Paleochora quay in the morning in season. If you are coming out of Agia Irini, time the walk to the boat, not the other way around.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

History

Lissos ancient site from Sougia

Paleochora4–5 hours

Lissos is the small ancient healing site west of Sougia, reached by a coastal path rather than a road. The walk is the visit: mosaic floors, a cove, and the return the same way. It is not staffed like Knossos. You need water, shoes, and a realistic sense of the afternoon heat on an exposed path. The usual length is 4–5 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits walkers who like a ruin at the end of a path. Skip it with a buggy or in the middle of a gorge day. The two walks do not belong together. Start from Sougia beach and follow the coast path west. There is no bus to the site. Allow the return walk in the time you think the visit will take.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

Day trip

Sougia beach between the gorges

Paleochora4–6 hours

Sougia is the pebble beach village between Paleochora and Agia Roumeli, with a small harbour and a path toward the ancient city of Lissos if you want the walk. The day is a swim and a slow lunch. You reach it by road from the north or by the south-coast boat. It is not Elafonisi and it is not a resort. The gorge of Agia Irini finishes nearby, which makes Sougia a natural end to that hike and a crowded plan if you also wanted a long beach afternoon. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits a quiet south-coast day. Skip it if the group only wants sand flats. The beach is pebbles. Drive the mountain road from Chania, or take the boat from Paleochora. The village is one street back from the shore.

See prices on GetYourGuide

View details Book now on GetYourGuide

What to know before you book