Samaria Gorge: Crete's Scenic Hiking Adventure

Experience the untouched beauty of Crete on a hiking tour of the Samaria Gorge. Traverse unspoiled terrain, swim in crystal waters, and explore traditional villages at your own pace.

Duration: 14 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Omalos - Early in the morning, you will be picked up from designated spots around Chania via a luxurious bus and reach the starting point of your tour in Omalos Plateau around 7am. The panoramic view of the gorge from the plateau is a photophile’s delight, so after short stop for pictures and/or breakfast, you will hop on the bus and depart for…
What's Included
  • Air-Conditioned Luxury Bus
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Full Liability Insurance
  • Hiking Escort
What's Not Included
  • Personal expenses, extra beverages or meals
  • • Boat Fare: 14 euros //Up to 12,99 yrs : 7,00 €
  • Entrance fee: EU CITIZENS: 0-17FREE/ 18-64(10,00 €)/ 65+ (FREE)
  • Entrance Fee: OTHER NATIONALITIES: 0-4FREE/ 5-64(10,00 €)No discount for 65+ (10,00 €)
Additional Information

Prepare for an extraordinary journey through one of Europe’s longest and most stunning gorges! This full-day hiking adventure is perfect for nature enthusiasts and active adventurers. Hike approximately 16 kilometers through awe-inspiring landscapes, towering cliffs, ancient forests, and the renowned narrow passage known as the “Iron Gates.” Along the…

Location
Omalos
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(362 Ratings)
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Sharon_s
Oct 5, 2025
Amazing Hike ! - Amazing experience! Our tour guide Ingrid was very informative, friendly and safe conscious. Would highly recommend! Note: If you have any questions, CALL Viator or Tour directly.
Review provided by Viator
Halya
Sep 24, 2025
Samaria gorge hike - We had a very good guide for this experience. She prepared us well right from the start of the trip to the end. The hike itself was very challenging and there are a lot of people doing the same trail you are. Some are faster so you need to be prepared for people wanting to pass you. We did our own timing and let the speedy ones zoom by. It is an experience you should do as the scenery and the challenge are unique.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bryan_z
Sep 24, 2025
Great activity but it’s hard - It was hard but good - left me feeling very satisfied . I hiked 16 kms and it was an eye opener. I loved this hike and hated it all at the same time!!!! Crazy - if you need a reality check this trip is for you
Review provided by Viator
783christiei
Sep 18, 2025
If you want to hike the entire gorge, this is the tour for you! - A Beautiful, long and (a bit) strenuous hike. We are hikers coming from the mountains of Colorado and we were still sore the next day! Easy to book. The description was a little off. Bus picks you up near your hotel early, wines into the white mountains during the sunrise and stops for a quick 30 minute breakfast (optional and not included). Here you meet your guide and you pay for your ferry tickets. The bus then takes you to the park entrance where you may purchase your ticket. You hike at your own pace, but it still was crowded (it’s a tour after all!) If you tend to be frustrated by folks who don’t have good hiking etiquette, you might skip it. But if you can be patient, the views are well worth it. Note - There is probably an additional 3 km walk past the exit of the park to get to the town. Crystal blue waters for swimming and a shower for rinsing off. Lots of little restaurants and great food. The locals are fabulous and welcoming. The ferry takes you along the beautiful coast and then you catch a bus back to your hotel. Also note, you could book a city bus, but we found they were sold out almost 2 weeks before our trip. It really was hassle free to do this tour and know we had a ride there and back. Our guide was good at organizing and providing instruction. He followed our group, lagging about 10 to 20 minutes to ensure he picked up any stragglers. Definitely recommend for those who love hiking and want to see more of Crete!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jet56352752890
Sep 17, 2025
Stunning trek worth the long day but be informed before you book! - Stunning tour we are glad we did. Things to note; it’s a really long day (5-6am start for hotel pick up.) You need to be fit and active and have the appropriate footwear. We enjoyed the trek and got down to the beach for 1230 to relax swimming and enjoying the beach and loungers all afternoon before the boat (530pm) and coach drive back. You pay for the entrance to the national park 10euros pp yourself on top and the boat is 14e pp too. We got dropped at our hotel circa 9pm so it really is a long day! Other than those warnings, we loved it and throughly enjoyed ourselves. Would highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Potlootje
Sep 13, 2025
Wonderful walk, so tough that you only look down where you place your feet for the first part - We were super happy that we chose this excursion, instead of doing them on our own, so you can just rest during the bus and boat trip. It is a very tough hike, starts at 1250 m altitude and 20 km long, so definitely put on good hiking boots with firm grip, you walk a very large part of the descent on loose stones, we also rented hiking sticks, which turned out to be no unnecessary luxury. Ingrid was a top guide, during the bus ride you get a lot of useful and interesting info, including a plan where you can refill your drinking can and where the ((French ) toilets are Sunscreen and cap are also useful, flip-flops or water shoes are indispensable for a delicious swim in the sea after the walk (cools your muscles and any blisters immediately) because the black pebble beach is piping hot (look like coals) ... Wonderful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simon_o
Sep 2, 2025
Amazing hike of Samaria Gorge - Amazing and challenging hike. As advertised. Amazing views and stunning scenery. The whole thing was well-organized. Prompt bus pickup at my hotel at 6am, and safe transportation to the start and from the ferry drop off. Amazing guide. You are at the whim Of the ferry schedule to start the return so it is a full day (back to my hotel at 9:00pm). Not for the feint of heart. The first 4km is a steep downward hike - stone stairs, uneven and rocky footing. The descent was less steep for the rest. But you need to maintain focus for footing.
Review provided by Viator
John_b
Aug 29, 2025
Very well organized and... - Very well organized and professional staff. Great communication. This is me and I think I am in pretty good shape for my late 70’s. I had trained before hand but was not prepared for the difficult of the decent into the gorge. The views are spectacular but the rocks are slippery. A decision was made not to continue after reaching the stream. I can’t say enough good things about the tour company and the support staff and crew of the Samaria Gorge park. I felt safe and protected and secure at all times. I tried. My legs just wouldn’t cooperate this year. But Go for it.
Review provided by Viator
Natalie_k
Sep 16, 2025
Epic Hike! - The bus ride home was terrible! We both got car sick, the driver was taking turn uncomfortably fast. The hike was EPIC!! Glad we did it
Review provided by Viator
Will_p
Sep 24, 2025
Cancelled due to no pickup location or communication from company. - Not sure if it’s really fair to give a 1 Star review as I’m just upset we did not get to do the hike but just a warning to others out there. Be sure to contact the tour company directly to get your pickup location. I messaged with the company through Viator and never got a response on where pickup location or time would be. The company called me at pick up time asking where I was but by then it was too late. My frustration is if they had my number to call me 3 minutes before the bus was going to leave the pickup location I had no idea about, why couldn’t they have left me a message telling me where the pickup time was the day before? I also have had no issues contacting other tours through the Viator app during this trip. Only this company. We ended up having to cancel because our options were to get a taxi and take us to a location where the bus would be waiting for 15 minutes which at 6am would likely be impossible, reschedule (we couldn’t), or cancel.
Review provided by Viator
From $50
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).