Full-Day Beginner's Hiking Route Tour to Samaria Gorge

Overview

If you are tired of walking but want photos for you Insta-followers, If you do not
I feel like walking today but want to admire the terrific natural environment. If you want to live a superior experience without getting tired, then this excursion is made for you!

We will arrive around 7 o’clock in the morning and after breakfast, you will have the chance to photo-shoot the entrance of the gorge and admire the creation of nature. The hiking guide will give you all the necessary instructions and then he will enter the gorge with the rest of the group (you will meet again at Agia Roumeli).

The driver will take you to the small village of Sougia where you embark on the boat to reach the village of Agia Roumeli which is the exit of the gorge of Samaria.

You can walk until the exit of the gorge, to the “Iron Gates” or swim and have a
lunch there until you meet with the rest of the group.

Itinerary

1. 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 a short stop for pictures and/or breakfast, you will hop on the bus and depart for the traditional village of Sougia. It is there that you will hop on a boat and sail along the coast of Crete till you reach Agia Roumeli.

   30 minutes
2. Agia Roumeli

   With ample time on your hands, you can start a short hike inside the gorge up until the Iron Gates, the narrowest part of the canyon, at only 4 meters (13 feet) width. Alternatively, at the beach at the end of the gorge, you can take a swim in the warm Libyan Sea and even enjoy a traditional Cretan lunch!
   
   At around 16:30 you will meet again with the rest of your group as well as your hiking escort returning from the hike of the gorge and board the boat back to the village of Sougia, where you will start your trip back to the place where you were picked up from.

   6 hours
3. Samaria Gorge National Park

   The gorge of Samaria is the biggest, most imposing and beautiful gorge in Greece and 2nd in Europe, and that is why it is internationally renown and mostly visited, since more than 300.000 people cross it each year. It has a wonderful landscape with rare geo-morphological formations. It is a unique biotope with particular richness in fauna and flora. It has a rich mythology as well, that goes back to prehistorical years and a tumultuous history during the difficult years of Crete. Samaria Gorge was proclaimed National Park of the White Mountains of Crete in 1962 when a couple of local families were still living in the village of Samaria, in the middle of the gorge and who were mainly busy with cattle-breeding and woodcutting. The surface covered at the time was 48.500 sqm., whereas the expansion of the Park today at 250.000 sqm. includes a remarkable part of the White Mountains.

   6 hours · Admission not included

Meeting and pickup

Upon reservation kindly advise the name of your accommodation in order to send you exact pick up time and point!

Good to know

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Be sure to wear comfortable hiking shoes for the trek through the gorge
• It is advisable to bring the following items with you: sunscreen, sunglasses and hat
• It is important to stay hydrated, so bring a bottle of water (you can refill it in the gorge's springs) and a light snack (fruits etc.)
• You can swim at Agia Roumeli beach just after you exit the gorge so make you have a swimsuit and beach towel with you

Cancellation policy

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