The 15 Heraklion Palace Tours We Would Buy a Ticket For

1.Crete: Palace of Knossos E-Ticket and Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 1,540 reviews · 1 - 5 hours · from $34Our pick

Visit Knossos Palace south of Heraklion with a pre-booked adult ticket, site map, and optional audio guide in English, German, French, Spanish, or Italian. Explore Minoan frescoes, palace storage rooms, the Queen’s Megaron, and views of Mount Juktas at your own pace. Add audio guides for Heraklion or Phaistos Palace if desired.

“The site is busy. The audio at times was confusing but that may be our issue. The site used a lot of concrete to recreate parts rather than original materials but does give a good representation of what it may of originally been like.”

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2.Historical Center City Tour & Knossos Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 340 reviews · 7 hours - 510 minutes · from $47

Visit Knossos with guides such as Christina, Soula, or Eleni, then explore Heraklion on foot. You get a guided palace tour, city walk, and about two and a half hours for lunch, shopping, the old market, or the Archaeological Museum. Pickup, air-conditioned transport, and drop-off are included, but entry tickets cost extra.

“Our tour guide Eleni was brilliant and her English tour of Knossos and Heraklion was so interesting. We really enjoyed the Archaeological Museum and would recommend buying the combined ticket for €20. Picked up and dropped off as stated. Had 3 hours free time in Heraklion so had time for a coffee, lunch and the museum.”

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3.Crete: Knossos Palace, Heraklion City, Market Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 164 reviews · 6 - 8 hours · from $41

You’ll visit Knossos Palace with a live guide, sample Cretan products at a farm in Patsides, then spend free time in Heraklion. Pickup covers resorts from Malia to Ammoudara. Guides speak English, German, French, or Polish, though the Polish Friday afternoon option skips the farm.

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4.Private Tour-Knossos Palace Zeus Cave Olive Oil Mill & Wine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $151Top rated

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a local English-speaking driver-guide such as Spyros, Stavros, Dimitrios, or Mike, traveling by Mercedes van from Heraklion and nearby resorts. Visit Knossos, an olive oil mill, pottery workshop, mountain villages, old windmills, Krasi’s ancient plane tree, and a family taverna. Zeus Cave is currently closed.

“Wonderful tour with Ed. Very informative and made the tour fun! Loved seeing the mountain side and village stops. Excellent lunch stop.”

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5.Crete: Knossos Palace and Museum E-Tickets with Audio Guides

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 126 reviews · 1 day · from $69

Visit Knossos Palace and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in one day with timed e-tickets and two smartphone audio tours. Choose an 08:00 or 10:00 Knossos start, then enter the museum at 13:00 or 17:00. Bring your own charged phone and headphones, and download everything before you go.

“Il est difficile de s'orienter correctement, et dès qu'on utilise son téléphone pour prendre une photo, faut relancer complètement l'appli sinon il n'y a plus de son. Mais sinon super intéressant !”

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6.Guided Tour to Knossos Palace & Heraklion

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 83 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $39

Spend about eight hours visiting Knossos Palace and central Heraklion with a guide such as Roula, Eleni, or Helen. Hear Minoan legends, use provided audio receivers at the ruins, and enjoy free time for lunch, the Archaeological Museum, shopping, or the harbor. Hotel pickup is offered in selected resort areas.

“Great day out, thoroughly enjoyed! The only criticism was the two and a half hour bus journey picking people up but I guess that was necessary. Guide was excellent and great place to experience!”

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7.Knossos Palace guided tour – Heraklion City tour + market

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 51 reviews · 6 - 8 hours · from $37

Spend 6 to 8 hours exploring Knossos Palace, sampling Cretan products near Patsides, and touring Heraklion. A live guide leads you through Knossos and the local market area, while free time covers lunch, shopping, the Venetian harbor, or the Archaeological Museum. Entrance tickets cost extra.

“de Engelstalige gids was goed onderlegd!wat ik persoonlijk jammer vond is dat ze maar door ratelde...De wetenswaardigheden kon je niet eens verwerken...iets rustiger is ook goed en iets minder ook! ik persoonlijk voelde het als een" haastige" dag, maar toch genoten. voor iemand die minder goed ter been is , is het bezoek aan het paleis van Knossos erg zwaar.”

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8.Mythical Escape: Zeus Cave & Knossos Palace with Lassithi Plateau from Heraklion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and chauffeur exploring Lassithi Plateau, Krasi, Zeus Cave, and Knossos Palace. Guides such as Christiana, Alexander, Stella, and Andreas bring local history to life, while pottery, wine, Cretan snacks, and a memorable mountain lunch add a personal touch. Pickup is available anywhere on Crete.

“The most amazing trip with the best guide ever!!! Andres is so knowledgeable and fun and showed us so many amazing things! This is a trip we will never ever forget. Thank you so much for everything! Just speechless!”

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9.Knossos Palace & Historical Heraklion City Tour, with Old Market

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 51 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $48

Travel from northern Crete to Knossos Palace and Heraklion with an English-speaking guide such as Christina, Soula, or Irene. Expect a guided visit to the Minoan site, a short city walk, and about 2.5 hours for the old market, shopping, lunch, or the optional museum. Pickup is available from many resort areas.

“Both sites were very interesting to visit and discover, especially Knossos. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide who was also attentive to the people in our group, spoke clearly and made the experience very positive.”

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10.Knossos Palace Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 39 reviews · 11 hours · from $75

Travel from Chania to Knossos Palace with an English-speaking guide, then spend time in Heraklion’s old center. You’ll get a two-hour guided visit at the Minoan palace, coach transport, and audio whispers. The Archaeological Museum is optional and costs extra, as does the €20 Knossos ticket.

“The on site guide was excellent. He was knowledgeable and most importantly, we could hear him clearly.”

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11.Knossos Palace and Arch. Museum of Heraklion Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $258

Explore Knossos at 11am with a licensed guide, then visit Heraklion Archaeological Museum at 1:30pm. The English tour covers Minoan myths, palace remains, and original artifacts in a group of up to 12. Tickets are included, but you must arrange transport between the two sites.

“My tour was hosted by Katherine, a local archaeologists with intimate knowledge of the site. I would definitely recommend joining her tour if you’re interested in history.”

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12.The valley of Zeus (Olive oil, wine tasting)-Knossos palace tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 27 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $253

Spend 4.5 hours visiting Knossos Palace with a licensed guide, skip-the-line entry, and a small walking group, then head toward Archanes and Vasilies for olive oil, wine, raki, apaki, and local-product tastings. Pickup from Heraklion is included, but you must confirm your exact meeting point and arrive on time.

“An unmissable tour. Katarina was so enthusiastic, deeply knowledgable and kind. We really appreciated the information and stories she presented about the rich past of Crete and the Minoan Civilization. Being at Knossos really surprised me and was truly one of the most special places I've ever visited, but a great guide is essential here. Going into the second part of the tour we felt we couldn't get any better -- Ary was so knowledgable about Heraklion and it's more recent past and truly took us to some great spots all over the city. One of the best tours I've ever taken.”

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13.Knossos Palace: E-ticket with Audio and Heraklion City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 26 reviews · 1 day · from $43

Visit Knossos Palace with a pre-booked adult ticket and a Clio Muse audio tour on your phone, then walk Heraklion from Koules Fortress to Jesus Gates. You’ll hear stories about the Throne Room, Morosini Fountain, Loggia, and Minoan life in English, German, French, Spanish, or Italian, at your own pace.

“Hi and thanks for your comment! Hope to see you again soon! Best regards, Aiza”

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14.Knossos Palace Guided Tour & Heraklion City

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 25 reviews · 8h 30m · from $41

Spend a full day visiting Knossos with a live English, French, or German guide, tasting honey and herbs at a village farm, then exploring Heraklion. Guides such as Lili, Christina, and Irina have led the tour. Transport, pickup, and palace guidance are included, but the €20 Knossos ticket, food, and museum entry cost extra.

“Everything was smooth and well organized! Communication before the trip was excellent, with clear pickup details and quick replies to our questions. The guide was kind, informative, and made the tour enjoyable. I’d recommend it, as Heraklion can be tricky to explore on your own, so this organized tour was a great choice and good value for money.”

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15.Crete Shore Trip & Knossos Palace from Heraklion (Iraklion) Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $59

Leave Heraklion Port by air-conditioned vehicle for a guided visit to Knossos Palace, then walk through Heraklion Old Town with an English-speaking local guide. Guides such as Maria and Iskander have led strong tours, while the short format keeps you on schedule for your ship. Palace admission costs an extra €20.

“Good! Informative! New small bus that was hard to get around in. Thank you for the time. Good pastry’s in the old town.”

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