Crete itinerary: 7, 10 and 14 days, day by day

Crete is about 260 km long from west to east, and the road between Chania and Sitia covers 286 km. On the map, the island looks like something you could cross in a morning. On the ground, between the northern expressway, the winding mountain roads and the Balos track, driving times quickly exceed what the kilometres suggest, and that is where most overambitious itineraries fall apart.

This article is the practical version. For 7, 10 and 14 days, I give you the stops day by day, the base to sleep in each night, the distances and a realistic driving time. If you would first like an overview of the island (regions, atmospheres, the main road trip options), start with the complete guide to Crete: here, we get down to the practical details, step by step.

The distances come from Explore Crete's road distance table, supplemented by route calculations. Treat them as rounded estimates, not as a stopwatch: a lorry on the Sfakia road or a herd of goats on the Balos track is enough to add twenty minutes.

01The ground rules before choosing a Crete itinerary

Before you look at the tables, here are five rules that stop me turning a trip to Crete into a driving marathon.

Accept that you won't see everything

Crete is the largest island in Greece. Even in 14 days, you will leave out whole swathes of it: the south coast from Paleochora to Sougia, the villages of inland Rethymno, the far east around Zakros. I recommend deciding first what matters to you (beaches, Minoan sites, hiking) and building the itinerary around that, rather than ticking off a list.

Mountain roads slower than they look

The northern expressway (VOAK) links Kissamos, Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos: it is the fast route, with about 2 hrs for the 138 km between Chania and Heraklion. As soon as you head down to the south coast or up to the plateaus, your average speed drops: tight bends, villages crossed at walking pace, few chances to overtake. For the south coast, allow plenty of time.

Two or three bases, not one a night

Changing accommodation every evening costs you half a day each time (check-out, luggage, check-in). I prefer bases of 2 to 4 nights with day trips radiating out from them. The itineraries below use 2 to 3 bases in 7 days, 4 in 10 days and 5 to 6 in 14 days, always with at least two nights in the same place.

Flying into Heraklion or Chania

The island has two main airports: Heraklion, in the centre, with the most direct flights, and Chania, about 14 km from the town, ideal for the west. For 10 or 14 days, the best combination is an “open jaw”: fly into Chania and out of Heraklion (or the other way round). That way you avoid 140 km of backtracking. Car hire companies sometimes charge extra for dropping the car off in another town: check this when you compare offers.

A car is essential

KTEL buses link the towns on the north coast well, but not the Balos track, the Lassithi villages or most of the southern beaches at convenient times. For these itineraries, a car is essential. Everything you need to know about insurance, excess and pitfalls is in my guide to hiring a car in Crete.

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One last habit: several sites in the east (Lato, the Panagia Kera church in Kritsa, the Agios Nikolaos archaeological museum, the Cave of Zeus) are closed on Tuesdays. Plan your days accordingly.

027-day Crete itinerary: half the island

In one week, trying to do the whole island means spending three days on the expressway. I suggest two versions, to choose according to your airport and what you fancy: the west for beaches and the wild south coast, the centre and east for Minoan sites, Spinalonga and mountain villages.

West version: Chania, Balos, Elafonisi and Loutro

Arriving and leaving from Chania airport, with three bases: Chania, Kissamos and Loutro.

Photos : Pierre Bouyer

Day 2 is the most demanding: after Kaliviani, a dirt track of about 8 to 10 km leads to the car park above the lagoon, to be driven at a crawl (25 to 40 minutes depending on the source), then 1 km of footpath down to the beach. The climb back up takes 30 to 45 minutes in full sun: set off before 9am. A small fee for the Gramvousa reserve is charged near Kaliviani. All the details, including the boat option from Kissamos, are in my article on the Balos lagoon.

For Day 3, get to Elafonisi before 10am in summer: the paid car park (about €3 to €5) fills up fast and the lagoon is far more beautiful without the crowds. I go into opening times and access in my guide to Elafonissi beach. In Loutro, a village with no road, the car stays in Chora Sfakion: the boat takes about 20 minutes, from about €11 one way according to Ferryscanner. Check the company's timetable, which varies with the season.

Centre and east version: Heraklion, Elounda and Lassithi

Arriving and leaving from Heraklion airport, with just two bases: Heraklion, then Elounda (or Agios Nikolaos, 11 km away).

Knossos costs €20 (€10 reduced) and stays open late in high season: in summer, the late afternoon lets you avoid the heat and the morning tour groups. My guide to the Palace of Knossos explains how to make sense of the site without a guide. The Heraklion museum (€20) is ideally visited just before or just after, so you can compare the original frescoes with the copies at the palace.

For Day 3, Spinalonga costs €20 to enter (€10 reduced), plus about €12 for the return boat from Plaka, €14 from Elounda. The island is open from 1 April to 31 October, 8.30am to 6pm. It is all in my guide to visiting Spinalonga. Day 4 and Day 5 must not fall on a Tuesday: Lato (€5), Panagia Kera (€5) and the Cave of Zeus close that day, and open from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Articles on Elounda, Plaka, Agios Nikolaos, Kritsa and Lato are coming to the site soon.

0310-day Crete itinerary: west, centre and a slice of the east

Ten days let you link the two halves without rushing, provided you fly into Chania and out of Heraklion. Four bases: Kissamos (or Chania), Rethymno, Heraklion and Elounda.

Photos : Pierre Bouyer

This split keeps the driving days reasonable: the longest is still Day 2 because of the Balos track. Day 5 is a loop to the south coast: Arkadi is about 23 km from Rethymno, Preveli about 37 km, and you reach the beach on foot down a staircase cut into the cliff. If you would rather take a breather, swap it for a day in Rethymno and on its beaches.

Day 10 assumes a late afternoon flight: Kritsa and Lato open at 8.30am, allow two hours there, then an hour to the airport. With a morning flight, move Kritsa and Lato to Day 8 or Day 9 and head straight to the airport from Elounda.

0414-day Crete itinerary: the whole island from west to east

Two weeks is the length of trip that lets you cross the island without sacrificing the south coast or the east. Fly into Chania, out of Heraklion, with a real highlight to finish: 3 nights in Lassithi.

Three nights in Lassithi

Day 10 is the busiest: it combines the museum in the morning with the Lassithi plateau in the afternoon, on the way to Elounda. The Cave of Zeus, in Psychro, reopened on 29 May 2026 after two years of closure; it closes at 3.30pm and on Tuesdays, and admission costs €15 (€8 reduced). If you are running late, skip the museum and leave Heraklion by 9am.

Day 11 is deliberately light: a boat from Plaka (about 10 minutes) to Spinalonga, lunch and a swim in Plaka, evening in Elounda. Day 12 takes in Kritsa, the Dorian site of Lato a few kilometres above the village, then Agios Nikolaos, its Lake Voulismeni and its archaeological museum, reopened in 2024 (€10, closed on Tuesdays). The village of Fourni, in the Elounda hinterland about 11 km away by road, slots in easily at the end of the day.

Day 13 depends on your flight. If you leave in the evening, option A is worth it: the Richtis gorge is about 18 km from Sitia (a 3 km path to the waterfall and the beach, 3 to 4 hrs there and back), then a night in Sitia lets you see the Vai palm grove the next morning. You will then need almost 3 hrs of driving to Heraklion airport: it is the only long day behind the wheel of the whole trip. With a morning flight, stay in Elounda and leave in an hour.

05Variations: children, hikers and low season

With children

• Cut down the number of bases: Chania then Elounda or Agios Nikolaos are enough for 7 to 10 days, with excursions of less than an hour.
• For Balos, take the boat from Kissamos rather than the dirt track: the 30 to 45 minute climb back up in full sun is hard going with little ones.
• Elafonisi and its shallow waters suit children well, as long as you get there early.
• Spinalonga is easy: 10 minutes by boat from Plaka, an island you can visit in 1 hr 30 to 2 hrs, and a reduced rate of €10.
• Avoid Loutro with a pushchair: the village is explored on foot, with steps, and can only be reached by boat.

For hikers

The Samaria Gorge is a descent of about 16 km, from Xyloskalo (1,250 m, Omalos plateau) to Agia Roumeli, taking 4 to 6 hrs on foot. Entry costs €10. The park generally opens from May to October, depending on conditions: in 2026, it opened on 19 May, and the gorge can close at any time in the event of rain or flood risk. The simplest way is to stay in Chania, take the morning bus to Omalos and come back on the boat from Agia Roumeli to Chora Sfakion, where a bus to Chania will be waiting.

In the 14-day itinerary, I recommend putting Samaria on Day 2, then adding the Imbros gorge (about 8 km, 2 hrs 30 to 3 hrs 30 on foot) on Day 5, on the way to Chora Sfakion. Further east, the Richtis gorge and the Zakros gorge, at the end of the Sitia road, can replace a beach day. Keep a buffer day: in the mountains, the weather decides.

Low season (November to April)

In low season, the 10-day itinerary needs tightening. Spinalonga is only open from 1 April to 31 October and Samaria closes in winter. The Balos and Loutro boats cut their sailings drastically, and many hotels in Loutro, Elounda and Plaka close. Sites close earlier: Knossos opens from 8am to 5pm in winter. On the plus side, the roads are empty, the towns (Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion) are lively all year round and coastal hikes are done in the cool.

My low season advice: two town bases (Chania and Heraklion, or Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos), cultural days and walks rather than beaches. To pick the right month, see my guide on when to go to Crete.

06Budget for entry fees along the way

Entry fees quickly add up on a road trip, especially as a family. Here are the full prices for the main sites on these itineraries.

07To finish: choosing how long to stay

If you only have a week, resist the temptation to do the whole island: one half done well beats three days on the expressway. From 10 days, the Chania and Heraklion open jaw changes everything, and with 14 days you can finally end in Lassithi without rushing.

To plan the rest of your trip, find all our addresses and articles in our guide to Crete, and keep the car hire guide to hand to avoid nasty surprises at the rental desk.

08Frequently asked questions