Day trip to Rethymno, Chania & Kournas lake

Overview

Available languages

German

English

French

9 hours

Mobile ticket

Get to know the west side of the island in a tour, enjoying a morning bus trip towards the cosmopolitan town of Rethymno, followed by a visit to Chania, the little “Venice” of Crete. Complete your day trip to the picturesque lake of Kournas, Crete’s only freshwater lake.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Transport by air-conditioned coach or minivan

Guide

Pickup and Drop off from hotels and designated meeting points

Food & Drink

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Rethymnon Old Town

Rethymno is the third biggest town in Crete west of Heraklion on the north coast of Crete. Here monuments of the archaeological, Ottoman, and Venetian eras co-exist. A stroll in the alleys of the old town, a visit to the Turkish minarets and the Venetian fortresses, or a coffee at the magnificent harbor are some of what you can do while you visit.

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Lighthouse of Chania

Chania is considered by many as the "little Venice" of Crete. Chania is the second largest town of Crete on the north coast west of Rethymno. The city of Chania is divided into the Old City, with the gorgeous harbor and the New City, beyond its Venetian fortifications. The Old City is one of the most beautiful cities in the Mediterranean and is called “Venice of the East”. You can find Turkish minarets and mosques, Muslim neighborhoods, Venetian fortresses, dockyards, fountains, squares, arches, mansions, and the lighthouse. Visit the famous Agora (market), which houses traditional little shops and taverns. Here you can buy souvenirs or leather goods for very good prices.

2 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Options

From Malia,Stalida,Hersonissos

Duration: 12 hours
Pickup included

From Heraklion, Ammoudara

Duration: 10 hours
Pickup included

From Agios Nikolaos, Elounda

Duration: 13 hours
Pickup included

From Analipsi, Gouves, Gournes

Duration: 11 hours
Pickup included

Reviews

3.80

44 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Places were really nice....
bharti a,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
Places were really nice. Chania had a really nice view. Beautiful colourful buildings! Loved Chania!
BAD ORGANISATION
vschijndel,
Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00
We sitting in the bus 5 houres for 200 KM We had 11 stops x 2 to take people op and off Normally they come to a point with a small bus for taken up persons, to the big bus. So the big bus crossed zig zag trough all the places where the peopels waight. From the trip we have much time lost so that the stop places very short where on the nice places
Tour was exactly what was...
Raju D,
Oct 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Tour was exactly what was advertised. Sufficient time at each destination. Guide Michael was very informative. Tour bus was comfortable ride.
Crete’s longest bus journey to Starbucks
Reiss S,
Sep 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
2.00
This “excursion” managed to turn a 1hr 20min trip into a 2hr 30min endurance test of hotel pick-ups. The bus was too small for the amount of passengers, so people were stressed about not sitting next to each other and kept playing musical chairs — and Michael, our guide, could not have given less of a s**te. I told him I was carsick and someone had taken my seat near the front, and his words of comfort were basically: “When you’re about to throw up, come sit at the front.” Inspiring stuff. 👍🏻 The actual stops? Pretty meh. Highlight was sitting in Starbucks for 40 minutes — Then there was the toilet incident. Someone unleashed what can only be described as biological warfare, leaving a stench so bad it should’ve come with a health warning. I sat outside for fresh air, but unfortunately was instead treated to the recurring aroma of someone’s a***hole every 10 seconds. Biggest issue was we spent more time on the bus than we did on the tour itself.
All in all a successful trip with nice guide Michael.
Angela J,
Sep 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
The day is very long, that is what you should prepare for. Time in Rethymnon was a bit tight.Perhaps you should leave the lake out.
Beautiful cities and beautiful lake to discover
Flyer60355132337,
Aug 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Walk very well. The cities of Rethymnon and Cannée are worth visiting. On Sundays there were not too many tourists so it was perfect to discover quietly these cities remained typical. And the lake of kournas great also we had time to do Pedaling, a very friendly time in a beautiful landscape. We had the chance to see turtles.
Michel you were amazing
MacDara101,
Jul 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Brilliant trip. Highly recommend. Our guide was such a friendly person, brilliant at his job. Thanks for an amazing day.
Recommended
Peter K,
Jul 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
These day trips are never to be forgotten, you see the places you want to go in 1 day. Amazing!!
Great Trip, well recommended
Grant W,
Jul 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Fantastic trip, well organised with a great guide Michael and driver David. Well recommended - a must see !
Wonderful trip
Zoe Z,
Jun 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Highly recommended, delightful excursion to picturesque Western Crete and its golden pearls Rethymno, Chania and Kournas Lake. Magnificent scenery along the way. Perfect organization and smooth transport in a comfortable bus. Warm applause for the professionalism of our knowledgeable, witty and kind-hearted guide Mihalis, who has taught as a lot about captivating Crete and the spots we were visiting. Many thanks as well to the bus driver David and shuttle drivers Stelios and Konstantinos for a safe and punctual drive. Congrats and best wishes!