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Crete White Mountains Hiking Tour

Crete White Mountains Hiking Tour
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On this Crete White Mountains hiking tour, you will spend 8 days exploring some of the most emblematic spots of the "Great Island", including Chania, Samaria Gorge, Mount Gigilos, and more!

White Mountains

8 Days

May - Oct

High

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Discover ancient paths, shepherd trails and the amazing coastline of Greece.
  • Walk through the famous Samaria Gorge, the largest gorge in Europe!
  • Enjoy swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Crete beaches.
  • Climb Mount Giglios, visit Chania, and spend time in lovely Loutro.

Description

On this 8-day Crete White Mountains hiking tour, you will experience the magic of this amazing Greek Island and explore some of its most beautiful spots.

We will start the adventure from Chania, an amazing town with a historical port and the gorgeous White Mountains as a backdrop. From there, every day will be an adventure as we traverse through gorgeous gorges and swim in the beautiful turquoise beaches that Crete is famous for. We will have the chance to stop at a local fishing town, and also hear the twinkle of goat bells in the meadows. Additionally, we will have the chance to enjoy the delicious local cuisine on the way. You can find a detailed itinerary below.

Keep in mind that the hiking level of this trip is moderate to strenuous. We will hike to the summit of Mount Giglios and do some scrambling there, as well as spend many hours covering the awe-inspiring trails of Crete’s White Mountains. Therefore, a good fitness level is a must. If you have any questions about the intensity of the hikes and your preparation level, please feel free to ask. Of course, we will be there to help and guide you every step of the way!

So, are you ready to discover the amazing Crete White Mountains? Then contact us today to start planning this unforgettable hiking tour in Greece!

Price includes

  • Accommodation included
  • Guiding fee
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Transport during the trip
  • Permit and entrance fees
  • Clean drinkable water

Price details

  • INCLUDED
  • All accommodations as listed (or similar) based on double occupancy
  • Services of an Englishspeaking tour leader/guide throughout the tour
  • All transportation during the trip
  • Entrance fees at the Gorges of Agia Irini and Samaria
  • Hotel stay over taxes and service charges
  • Transport and handling of one reasonably sized suitcase and one carryon per person
  • Included meals: Day 1: Dinner / Day 27: Breakfast /Lunch / Dinner / Day 8: Breakfast
  • NOT INCLUDED
  • Domestic and/or international airfare
  • Medical expenses, travel or emergency evacuation insurance
  • Gratuities for leader/guide or driver
  • Alcoholic beverages and meals other than outlined in itinerary
  • Transfer to and from the airport/port
  • Other items of personal nature

Itinerary

Day 1: Chania

Chania is a beautiful location that boasts a historical harbor, a busy market, beautiful beaches, and the White Mountains in the background.

We will meet at your hotel in the afternoon for a trip briefing and enjoy delicious Cretan-style Mediterranean cuisine on our first dinner together in a traditional local restaurant.

Overnight in Chania.

Day 2: Agia Irini Gorge and Omalos Plateu

Our hike begins as we access the White Mountains through the narrow Agia Irini Gorge.

On the way, we will enjoy the lush and diverse vegetation and giant ancient plane trees until we reach the village of Agia Irini.

From there, we will transfer to the Omalos Plateau, at an altitude of more than 1000 meters.

Overnight in Omalos.

Hiking distance: 7 km / Hiking Duration: 3h 30min
Driving from: Chania to Entrance of the gorge 70km, 1h 30min

Day 3: Mount Gigilos

We will climb Mt. Gigilos, reaching the 2080 m summit of this legendary peak that overlooks Samaria.

The north face seems daunting, with a vertical slope of solid rock, but go around the back and get to the summit with just a little scrambling.

Bearded vultures, the biggest birds in Europe, are always gliding past the clifftop at midday, so we might catch sight of them too.

Overnight in Omalos
Hiking distance: 9klm / Hiking Duration: 6 Hours

Day 4: Samaria Gorge

We will begin by hiking through Samaria Gorge, the longest in Europe! On the way, we will pass trickling streams, pine forests, and through the “Iron Gates”, the narrowest point of the gorge, where the rocks on each side reach an altitude of 600 m.

After a 16 km descent, we will reach Agia Roumeli, with its lovely fine pebble beach and sparkling sea. The refreshing dip is optional but who would refuse?

Overnight in Agia Roumeli.
Hiking distance: 16 km / Hiking Duration: 6h 30min

Day 5: Agia Roumeli to Marmara and Loutro

After an early wake-up call, we will breathe in the cool morning air as we walk on sand and shingle next to the sea up to the picturesque chapel of St. Pavlos (Paul), said to mark the place where Saint Paul landed on Crete.

Next to the chapel is a freshwater spring where we will stop for a refreshing swim.

Up next is Marmara beach, where we will jump in again before a delicious lunch in a local taverna overlooking the sea.

After lunch, a water taxi will transfer us to Loutro.

Overnight in Loutro.

Hiking distance: 11km / Hiking Duration:  4,5 hours

Day 6: Free Day

We will enjoy a free day at the tiny fishing village of Loutro, which you can only access by sea or through hiking trails. Options for the day include relaxing at the beach or hiking to Marmara via Foinikas, where the Aradena Gorge is located.

The hike each way is about 2 hours so you can either go and return on foot or arrange for a water taxi to bring you back to Loutro.

Overnight in Loutro.

Hiking distance: 4,8 km / Hiking Duration:  2,5 hours

Day 7: Sfakia and return to Chania

We will start the day on the coastal path to Chora Sfakion, and stop on the way for a swim at Freshwater Beach. This 3-hour stretch has some fine cobbled stone trails on a steep rock face the overlooks the vibrant sea.

From Chora Sfakion, we will drive to Chania. In the evening, we will get together for a farewell dinner. Overnight in Chania.

Hiking distance: 6.6 km / Hiking Duration: 3 Hours

Driving distance Chora Sfakion to Chania: 70km, 2 Hours

Day 8: Departure

After a hearty Mediterranean breakfast, we will say goodbye.

 

Equipment you will need to bring

LUGGAGE Duffel bag or rolling luggage Day pack to carry camera, water bottle, snacks, etc. Luggage locks and tags OUTERWEAR Mid-weight polar fleece sweater Rain jacket and rain pants, or poncho CLOTHING Hiking shorts Casual clothing made of light-weight fabrics T-shirts Long-sleeve shirt Hiking pants, loose and easy to move in Underwear Swimsuit ACCESSORIES Sun hat or baseball cap FOOTWEAR Lightweight and supportive hiking boots, broken-in with good ankle support Beach sandals Casual, comfortable shoes for the evening OTHER Sunscreen and lip protection Sunglasses and retainer strap Beach towel OPTIONAL Security pouch or money belt Trekking poles or walking staff Camera, memory, and batteries Reading and writing materials Watch with alarm or travel alarm Travel pillow Motion sickness remedies Personal first-aid kit Insect repellent (low-risk) Electrical adapter plug/converter


About the guide

Guide profile image

Trekking

5.0

(6)

Tour Operator

Trekking Hellas is the largest and most renowned tour operator in Greece, in the outdoor holidays area. For over 33 years, we have been providing high quality services for individuals and groups, offering unique adventures in the most beautiful locations in the country, with highly qualified guides.

The variety of activities in offer is huge, from sea kayaking, hiking and rafting, to biking, via ferrata, rock climbing or gastronomy tours, among many others.

We operate 12 bases all over Greece, with different activities. The personnel in each base has the required qualifications to guide the specific activities we operate: eg. for hiking at low altitudes we work with experienced mountain guides with degrees from mountaineering associations and from our own training school; for sea kayaking we require the BCU certificate.

We contribute to the sustainable rural development by supporting local communities and offering work opportunities to their inhabitants, and the global effort to reduce over-tourism. We strongly embrace and implement a socially and environmentally responsible policy promoting the protection of nature and environmental awareness.

Our network makes it possible to offer and operate at the highest standards a variety of activities all over the country, in classic touristy destinations (Santorini, Athens, Crete, Rhodes, etc.) and less known regions of Greece (Tzoumerka, Karpenisi etc.).

Send us a request and come join us for a unique adventure in Greece!

Languages

Italian | German | French | English

Request more information

What people are saying about Trekking

Cecile

Très beau programme. Les logements étaient magnifiques et un très bel accueil. Dommage que le deuxième soir il y avait un seul restaurant ouvert dans le village et tellement de monde. On a fini par acheter un paquet de chips à l’épicerie. Il est dommage qu on ai pas été épaulé lors de mon accident au genou. On a du tout improviser toutes seules. Et cela nous a engendré des frais imprévues vu mon état. Dommage de ne pas avoir eu de soutien dans un pays qui nous était étranger.

A wonderful experience! We were two people and we hiked several parts of the Menalon trail (self- guided) with Trekking Hellas. The reservation process was smooth. The office staff were very helpful and polite. They responded quickly to all our requests and helped us tailor the hike to our great satisfaction (Thank you Theodore for the patience!). After finalizing the trip details and completing the full payment- we got a detailed description of the trip with all the necessary contacts, including a very useful gpx file of the trail. In the hike itself, everything went smoothly. On the first day we met a guide, who gave us a map of the trail, and advised us about the trail. The company was responsible enough to tell us in advance about part of the trail that was wrecked during the winter (they even pre-arranged a taxi that waited for us in the middle of the hike and transferred us to a nearby point). The villages we arrived at were beautiful (We especially like Dimitsana and Vytina. The hotels were lovely, and the staff were always friendly and helpful. One final tip: The hikes are great but they are not easy. We highly recommend that you read the trail specifications in advance and choose to walk only the parts that fit your needs. In some cases, the advised hikes may be too long. For example, day 3 of the suggested itinerary includes roughly 19.1 km (Dimitsana- Zygovitsi-Elati). Given that the trail is ascending and descending - this means a very long day. We only walked Zygovitsi-Elati (15km; enough for us), but we met a family who did walk the entire path and walked for 11 hours on that day. While it is doable, we recommend that you make your choices in advance -so that the you enjoy your vacation. We wish you a nice stay in Greece. According to our experience, with Trekking Hellas you are in good hands. This not the first time we booked tours with Trekking Hellas, and probably will not be the last. Highly recommended!

The Menalon trail is a very nice and versatile walking path of about 75km in center Greece. We decided to take the self guided trek offered by Trekking Hellas because it saved us the burden of searching for accommodations along the path, and also they take care of transferring our luggage from hotel to hotel, so we can carry minimum weight when walking. I must say our experience was great. We got prompt support before and during the vacation. All arrangements worked perfectly. Every hotel owner knew us and prepare a nice lunch box for the day walk, so we did not have to think about that as well. All hotels selected where highly rated ones. This not the first time we booked tours with Trekking Hellas, and probably will not be the last. Highly recommended!

Natasja

George offered great introduction and guidance. Very patience and increased the level of climbing according to the participants. Great experience!

Yvonne

Our first time with Explore-Share. An absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. Extremely good value, very well organised with attention to detail. We travel widely and this has by far been the best of experiences. Well done to all concerned. We are already looking at booking another trip!


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