Private Tour
Half Day Private Tour to Knossos Palace (Skip the line) & Panoramic City Tour
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
A private group tour around Heraklion and a visit to the famous archeological sites of Knosos and the museum. Private tours privide flexibility and personalized service. Pick up and drop off from/to your accomodations makes the experience much quicker and saves time.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
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
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Skip the line Entrance tickets to Knossos Palace
Official Local guide
Transport by air conditioned minivan
Gratuities
Meals
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Knossos Archaeological Site
Start your experience by meeting the guide at the pick up point. Enjoy the scenic ride heading to Visit Knossos, the capital of King Minos and the center of the magnificent Minoan civilization.It is located only a few kilometers south of Heraklion. Searching the keys to the past will travel back in time some 4500 years BC. Knossos Palace is famous around the world for its myths of Europa, the Minotaur, the Labyrinth and Theseus, Daedalus and Ikarus. In order to understand the future Knossos will open us a window to the most ancient civilization of Europe. Knossos’ architectural feats include several stores buildings (first in the world) with light wells and bathrooms, impressive pillars and an ingenuous drainage system, aqueducts, irrigation systems, paved roads and magnificent frescoes. This will impress you and show you an advanced beautiful jewelry and a way of life you never thought possible in the dawn of history.
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Herakleion city is one of the largest and most important museums in Greece and among one of the most important museums in Europe. The museum houses representative artifacts from all the periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering a chronological span of over 5.500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The singularly important Minoan collection contains unique examples of Minoan art, many of them true masterpieces. It is rightly considered as the museum of Minoan culture par excellence worldwide. The museum, located in the town centre, was built between 1937 and 1940 by architect Patroklos Karantinos on a site previously occupied by the Roman Catholic monastery
Options
Half Day Private Tour to Knossos Palace (Skip the line) & Panoramic City Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
11 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Overpriced and Incomplete
Cindy L,
Aug 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00First of all, our guide (Katrina) was amazing. So knowledgeable and friendly. Her tour of the palace (where she is an archeologist) was exceptional. However, we met her there. The driver picked us up, did not talk and showed us nothing. He dropped us off at the palace where Katrina was waiting, and he left to do other things, so we had to wait for his return when we were done at the palace. When he got back, there was an infant car seat in the van, so presumably he was picking up other people during our $1,144 outing. This part of the tour as described here on the website never happened: "After finishing the sights we will drive around Heraklio for the Panoramic city tour." We even skipped the museum, so we had plenty of time to see a panoramic tour. Sadly, we were simply driven back to where we were picked up. Although we enjoyed Katrina's tour of the palace, these couple hours were not worth $1,144, especially since tickets to the palace are only 26 euros each, and there were only 4 of us. We had a tour on Santorini for half that cost, and the driver took us everywhere and showed us everything. Why was this tour over a thousand dollars????
Fascinating Minoan History
Michael P,
Sep 20, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour guide Panayoitis was very knowledgeable and informative. He had great historic knowledge and could shed much insight into the ruins that we were touring. Only item that was disappointing was the archaeological museum did not open until 1 PM and we were caught off guard. So we opted for a walking tour and then went and had lunch at a great location tour guide recommended. The history perspective of visiting the Knossos Palace was fascinating and I would highly recommend it.
Good tour, but too much talking
Ryan H,
Jul 26, 2024
- Review from Viator
4.00Our tour operators were very accommodating as there was an unplanned strike the morning of the tour. The tour operator proactively reached out and rescheduled our tour. The tour was great and our guide is very knowledgeable. Unfortunately due to time constraints we weren’t able to go to everywhere that was planned. One suggestion I have to make: please have your tour guides curb their enthusiasm a little bit. While I appreciate the detail introductions of every artifact, we missed quite a bit. It seems like our guide wasn’t very happy when we interrupted her but given we are pressed for time, I’d rather see everything and read the history later myself.
Wonderful experience
Silvia G,
May 25, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Eleni, our guide, was very knowledgeable, she gave us so much valued information!! A highly recommended tour
Wonderful tour guide, amazing sites
Stephen G,
Oct 1, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00After a bit of a mixup in meeting location, we met up with our extraordinary tour guide Chatzea Eleftheria. Aside from being remarkably knowledgeable (and very fluent in English), she has a wonderful sense of humor and character, and has boundless energy. The historic sites, of course, were amazing, but she also provided context with tales of Greek mythology.
Great tour experience
Warren L,
Sep 28, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour guide (Isertis sp?) did a wonderful job. She made the entire tour both entertaining and educational. Her detailed pre tour preparation was clear and she took the time to learn our areas of interest and to correspond accordingly.
Great guide and Knossos is a must-see
David L,
Jul 15, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide was fantastic- super friendly and very knowledgeable. And the Palace of Knossos was extraordinary. A highlight of the trip.
Just brilliant
Deborah C,
Jul 14, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00We were met by Christina whom was a pocket rocket. We travelled in absolute luxury to Knossos Palace where we were treated to the most knowledgeable tour of the sight which is just amazing, what an ingenious civilisation some 4,000 years ago. We then travelled to the Archaeological Museum which was mind blowing, again Christina provided us with the most informative tour. The tour was a little expensive however worth every single dollar and Christina’s experience and knowledge was priceless!
Excellence Private Guide.
James T,
Jun 4, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00The private tour guide. She was an archaeologist and brought the Knossos site to life. This is perhaps one of the single most impressive sites we have visited.
Good Tour
559mattk,
Jun 3, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The day my friend and I were suppose to go to Knossos Palace, it rained and the Palace was closed. The tour guide picked us up on time. I liked that they offered to cancel and refund the tour due to the rain and the Palace being closed, but we decided to go anyways. As an alternative, the tour guide took us to the museum and walked the city with us. The tour guide was very informative and knowledgeable.
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