Knossos Palace and Plateau of Lassithi from Heraklion Region
Overview
Great chance to visit the highlights of the Minoan civilisation in this full day tour and learn more about Cretan traditions, enjoy panoramic views of the scenic route in the mountains and visit a fantastic natural sight in the end.
• See the main attractions of the island and learn a lot of interesting information about the customs of the local population.
• Find out how mysterious myths about the Minotaur and the real story are intricately intertwined while visiting famous KNOSSOS PALACE.
• Get the experience of traveling on the beautiful mountain routes to the delightful LASSITHI PLATEAU and marvel at the miraculous icon in one of the most revered monasteries from the locals “KERA CARDIOTISA - Our Lady of Heart”.
• Descend to the bottom of the ritual DIKTAION CAVE where according to the legend the Zeus was born and enjoy the beauty of the underground lake.
At the end of the tour, you will have time to dine in the traditional Cretan tavern or visit a pottery workshop.
• See the main attractions of the island and learn a lot of interesting information about the customs of the local population.
• Find out how mysterious myths about the Minotaur and the real story are intricately intertwined while visiting famous KNOSSOS PALACE.
• Get the experience of traveling on the beautiful mountain routes to the delightful LASSITHI PLATEAU and marvel at the miraculous icon in one of the most revered monasteries from the locals “KERA CARDIOTISA - Our Lady of Heart”.
• Descend to the bottom of the ritual DIKTAION CAVE where according to the legend the Zeus was born and enjoy the beauty of the underground lake.
At the end of the tour, you will have time to dine in the traditional Cretan tavern or visit a pottery workshop.
Inclusions
- Pick-up from your hotel (at the specific tourist bus stop, outside of the hotel)
- Transfer with air-conditioned bus
- Certified tour-guide
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: The Palace of Knossos, Knosos, Crete 714 09 Greece
Knossos, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city. Visit the famous Palace of Knossos, where mysterious myths about the Minotaur and the real story are intricately intertwined.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Lassithi Plateau, Crete 72052 Greece
Get the experience of traveling on the beautiful mountain routes to the delightful Plateau of Lasithi, a spectacular panoramic plain set high in the mountains in the eastern region of Crete. The Lasithi Plateau stretches 11 km (6.8 mi) in the E-W direction and 6 km (3.7 mi) in the N-S direction. It is approximately 70 km (43 mi) east from Heraklion and lies at an average altitude of 840 m. The plateau is famous for its white-sailed windmills, (more accurately, wind-pumps), made to a local design, that have been used since the early XXth century to irrigate the land.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Dikteon Cave, Mount Dicte range in East Crete, Psichro, Crete 720 52 Greece
Diktaean Cave is an ancient Minoan sacred cave in Lasithi plateau in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete, one of the putative sites of the birth of Zeus. Descend the stairs into the depths of the cave, where you can see fantastic compositions of stalactite figures reflected in the mirror surface of a lake.
Visit of the cave of Zeus requires walking on the sloping path up, about 20 minutes. It may seem difficult for people with sore legs and even very small children - donkeys can be used on this section of the road (10-15 euros).
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Kera Kardiotissa Monastery, Heraklion, Crete Greece
The Monastery of Kera Kardiotissa is located 50km southeast of Heraklion, in a wooded area of North Dikti Range, next to the road leading to the Plateau of Lassithi. This is a historic monastery, after which the nearby settlements of Kera and Ano Kera Kera have been named.
The beautiful stone-built church of the monastery is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary (celebrates on September 8). The present church is built in four phases. Originally there was a single aisled temple that was later expanded with two rooms and a smaller chapel. Typical are the old frescoes of the 14th century, quite damaged by time.
Duration: 1 hour
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: The Palace of Knossos, Knosos, Crete 714 09 Greece
Knossos, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city. Visit the famous Palace of Knossos, where mysterious myths about the Minotaur and the real story are intricately intertwined.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Lassithi Plateau, Crete 72052 Greece
Get the experience of traveling on the beautiful mountain routes to the delightful Plateau of Lasithi, a spectacular panoramic plain set high in the mountains in the eastern region of Crete. The Lasithi Plateau stretches 11 km (6.8 mi) in the E-W direction and 6 km (3.7 mi) in the N-S direction. It is approximately 70 km (43 mi) east from Heraklion and lies at an average altitude of 840 m. The plateau is famous for its white-sailed windmills, (more accurately, wind-pumps), made to a local design, that have been used since the early XXth century to irrigate the land.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Dikteon Cave, Mount Dicte range in East Crete, Psichro, Crete 720 52 Greece
Diktaean Cave is an ancient Minoan sacred cave in Lasithi plateau in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete, one of the putative sites of the birth of Zeus. Descend the stairs into the depths of the cave, where you can see fantastic compositions of stalactite figures reflected in the mirror surface of a lake.
Visit of the cave of Zeus requires walking on the sloping path up, about 20 minutes. It may seem difficult for people with sore legs and even very small children - donkeys can be used on this section of the road (10-15 euros).
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Kera Kardiotissa Monastery, Heraklion, Crete Greece
The Monastery of Kera Kardiotissa is located 50km southeast of Heraklion, in a wooded area of North Dikti Range, next to the road leading to the Plateau of Lassithi. This is a historic monastery, after which the nearby settlements of Kera and Ano Kera Kera have been named.
The beautiful stone-built church of the monastery is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary (celebrates on September 8). The present church is built in four phases. Originally there was a single aisled temple that was later expanded with two rooms and a smaller chapel. Typical are the old frescoes of the 14th century, quite damaged by time.
Duration: 1 hour
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- If an infant does not sit on lap in the bus, It is necessary to pay a child ticket.
- Pick-up from the specific bus stops next to the hotels. From Area 1: all the villages between Fodele, Agia Pelagia, Xeropotamos(West Heraklion), Area 2: Heraklion Center and East, Carteros, Kokkini Hani, Gouves, Gournes, Hersonissos, Stalida, Malia, Sissi.
- After booking we will contact you to arrange the pick-up. Please, note, if you do not provide your pick-up details up to 24 hours before the tour, we do not guarantee the pick-up. For pick-up from different location, please, contact us.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Anna P
July 2022
Although entry tickets for museums was not included in the price, it was very well organised and the tour guide and driver were very nice and helpful. Good option for those who want to be transported around Crete’s places of interest that are hard to reach without a car.
Although entry tickets for museums was not included in the price, it was very well organised and the tour guide and driver were very nice and helpful. Good option for those who want to be transported around Crete’s places of interest that are hard to reach without a car.AndrewB
September 2023
In summary, the tour is very interesting and we had a very good guide but the organization and quality of the tiur bus was disappointing. The details - the first 95 minutes of the day were devoted to picking guests up at various hotels and moving them around to get the right people on the righ...
In summary, the tour is very interesting and we had a very good guide but the organization and quality of the tiur bus was disappointing. The details - the first 95 minutes of the day were devoted to picking guests up at various hotels and moving them around to get the right people on the right language tour! There has to be a better way! Our first bus broke down (these things happen) but the replacement bus was old and had very weak air conditioning so it was hot and stuffy with everyone complaining. It was a nice day but better organization and a bus with functioning air conditioning would certainly have made it better.Grant_M
August 2020
Firstly expect to spend more than half your time on the bus. Took around 2 hours to pick up all the passengers and another 30 minutes to get to the first stop. No WiFi on the bus either. The tour stops were nothing special, the cave has become almost man made with steps everywhere and I wouldn’t...
Firstly expect to spend more than half your time on the bus. Took around 2 hours to pick up all the passengers and another 30 minutes to get to the first stop. No WiFi on the bus either. The tour stops were nothing special, the cave has become almost man made with steps everywhere and I wouldn’t call it an underwater lake. More like a puddle. The tour guide was lovely but all in all the tour was not good. Also I understood that the money paid for this trip did not include entry to the Knossos palace and so on but we were even asked to pay 2 euros for earphones so we could hear the tour guide speak. Basically paid £110 for the two of us to sit on a bus for hours on end.CarinaD_11
August 2021
Vanuit Stalis tour geboekt dagje Lassithi/Knossos. Uitvoerder Orange. Hadden we gevraagd aan excursiebureau want goede recenssies gelezen. De dag begon met 1/2 uur vertraging.. wat vervelend want je staat daar maar wat te wachten aan de bushalte en geen info.. Eens opgehaald merkten we dat de b...
Vanuit Stalis tour geboekt dagje Lassithi/Knossos. Uitvoerder Orange. Hadden we gevraagd aan excursiebureau want goede recenssies gelezen. De dag begon met 1/2 uur vertraging.. wat vervelend want je staat daar maar wat te wachten aan de bushalte en geen info.. Eens opgehaald merkten we dat de bus toch niet zo fantastisch was als beschreven in eerdere reviews, was verouderd en airco stond niet hard. De gids, een dame maakte een wat uitgebluste indruk en gaf weinig info.. eerst naar Klooster waar onze eerste stop was, mooi religieus plaatsje maar veel heb ik er niet van onthouden.. en de gids in 3 talen niet goed verstaanbaar en niet helder in haar uitleg, Anderen vroegen ook meermaals bijkomende info, dus ik was niet alleen. Daarna bezoek aan Keramiek shop, voor ons geen meerwaarde. Dan lunch in goed restaurant op het Lassithi platteau. Fijn restaurant, voor €30 had je met twee gedronkel en gegeten: salade + kotelet+ aardappels, lekker! Daarna naar Knossos site, waar het goed was dat we toebedeeld waren aan een gids van Knossos zelf die een boeiend verhaal bracht! Dit maakte onze dag! Onze gids/ begeleider ging zelf niet meer mee op de bus en bleef in Knossos, vanwaar wij met de bus en chauffeur opnieuw naar de hotels vertrokken. We hadden een mooie dag maar hadden meer verwacht van Orange en de gids/ reisleider. In vgl met een eerder geboekte dag bij Altino travel waar we mee naar Spinalonga gingen zouden we nu eerder voor Altino als uitvoerder kiezen.LoriL_K
October 2023
Overall you got what was offered from the excursion but BEWARE of a few details left out in the details. One being if you are one of the first stops being picked up as early as 7:45, you can be on the bus or shuffle buses for 2 dehours before your first stop at the monastery. The second detail le...
Overall you got what was offered from the excursion but BEWARE of a few details left out in the details. One being if you are one of the first stops being picked up as early as 7:45, you can be on the bus or shuffle buses for 2 dehours before your first stop at the monastery. The second detail left out was the cave of Zeus requires the proper footwear and stamina to climb the steep, rocky incline before you even get to the admission gate. Third, the restaurant where you are " guided" to eat lunch, it is a cafeteria disguised as a taverna. The food was good but pricey for such a small town, and the waiter pushy on what to eat and brought bread to the table for which they charged without knowing. Also, some foods not available even though on the menu. Also, the credit card machine just happened not to work. Guide did not give ANY information on the theater as an option to visit while waiting at the plateau. Guide knowledgeable and the knossos experience was good.Vroni M
September 2020
We did two tours with MLB Knossos Palace and a trip to Spinalonga Island. Both trips were well organised. Since we have a 9month old we required a baby car seat for the tour bus and got it without any problems. The tour guides on both trips were absolutely great! Spoke minimum 4 languages and ...
We did two tours with MLB Knossos Palace and a trip to Spinalonga Island. Both trips were well organised. Since we have a 9month old we required a baby car seat for the tour bus and got it without any problems. The tour guides on both trips were absolutely great! Spoke minimum 4 languages and explained sights, view points and historic events in a entertaining but informative way. The tours itself were well planned and stopped at some interesting places. The busses were punctual at pick up and also drop off. All in all great organised and fun trips. With good conscience I recommend MLB.