My Crete Roadtrip – The Perfect 5 Days Itinerary

Itineraries › My Crete Roadtrip – The Perfect 5 Days Itinerary

Many holidaymakers underestimate the beauty of Eastern Crete. Yet the area around Agios Nikolaos and Sitia is just perfect for a road trip around Crete. It offers just about everything in closer proximity while you will also be able to visit some true hidden gems. I spent one week with my rental car exploring the island. Follow me on this 5 day road trip around Crete to wild beaches, Minoan sites and incredible Cretan food.

Driving in Crete is more relaxed than you think! The roads in Crete are largely well-maintained and connect the main towns. There are no motorways on the island, but dual-carriageways. In the mountainous regions, be sure to drive with caution: as well as sharp bends, there are sometimes mountain goats straying onto the road.

5 days in Crete – Is that enough?

You won’t be able to see the entire island of Crete in 5 days, but you can surely discover some of its most beautiful places:

• Visit a Venetian town
• Discover Minoan archaeological site
• Experience a Boat trip
• Relax on Stunning beaches
• Drive along Picturesque mountain roads

To help you plan your holiday in Crete, I have put together an itinerary that will allow you to explore the island in 5-7 days and discover all the main highlights of this charming Greek island.

Crete Road trip: My Itinerary

• Day 1: Start in Heraklion
• Day 2: Palace of Knossos
• Day 3: The Coastal Town of Sitia
• Day 4: Richtis Gorge
• Day 5: Toplou Monastery
• Day 6–7: Eastern Beaches

Crete road trip – Overview

• Start and end: Heraklion
• Stops: Heraklion – Palace of Knossos – Richtis Gorge – Sitia – Toplou Monastery – Eastern Beaches
• Distance: approx. 320 km
• Driving time: approx. 6 hours
• Recommended duration: 5 to 7 days

Table of Contents

Day 1: Rental Car Pick Up at the Airport & Heraklion

My Rental Car pickup went smooth and easy. I had pre-booked a compact car from Kafetzakis Car Rental via DiscoverCars. I had submitted all my documents and driver information in advance and could start after just 10 minutes of signing the rental agreement. I paid just 140 Euros including full insurance for 5 days. I did a quick check of the car and was able to head off into Heraklion town which is located very close to the airport.

Recommended: Guide to Finding the Perfect Rental Car for Crete

Now my Crete road trip through was about to begin! Arriving in Heraklion, I checked into my hotel and was ready to head out to explore the city. I found that one to two days are more than enough to explore Heraklion. At first glance, the Cretan capital seems a very dynamic and exciting city. The city never sleeps and can be seen as the place where history meets the present. Wondering through the narrow alleyways, I discovered some cute cafes and eventually reached the harbour areas that is surely worth a visit due to its impressive views of the city.

Heraklion Highlights:

• The Koules Fortress: This impressive 16th-century fortress is situated right on the harbour promenade. The exhibition within the ancient fortress walls is highly recommended. From there, you can also reach the roof of the building. The panoramic view from here stretches across the city and the sea.
• The Archaeological Museum is one of the largest and most significant institutions in Greece. The collection of antiquities spans several millennia of Greek and Cretan history – from the Neolithic period to Roman times. Admission to the museum costs €5, and you can also rent an audio guide.
• The Minas Cathedral on Agia Ekaterini Square is one of the largest religious buildings in Greece. The cross dome and the numerous biblical frescoes on the interior walls are particularly impressive.

For dinner I headed to Apiri Greek Eatery Restaurant to experience some authentic Cretan cuisine. The fish served could have hardly been fresher. Here, the owner simply pops over to the neighbouring fish market and serves you sea bream, and food is prepared in an open kitchen.

Naturally, there’s a dessert or a raki on the house to finish. Hospitality is a clearly a priority here! I really loved the location next to the square with church view.

Day 2: Palace of Knossos and Drive to Sitia

Time for a trip to the Palace of Knossos. The palace is situated on the southern outskirts of Heraklion and is an absolute must-see on any road trip through Crete.

Crete’s greatest historical attraction was once the island’s most important Minoan city. Myths surrounding the Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus are woven into the fabric of this impressive historical site. The centrepiece of the vast complex is the Palace, the heart of the Palace of Knossos — which is said to have housed more than a thousand rooms and spanned five stories. The “Throne Room,” with its alabaster royal throne, is a true highlight, featuring red walls adorned with griffin frescoes.

Tip: I recommend visiting the site early in the monring as it gets really crowded here by midday.

After visiting the site, we head along National Road 90 towards Sitia. The distance is just 120 kilometres – not particularly far. The route however is characterised by many hairpin bends & narrow mountain roads bringing your speed down to an average of around 60 km/h. The coastal views over the glittering sea and the mountains on the other side makes up for everything, though. After about three hours, you will arrive in the beautiful eastern cretan town of Sitia. Time to park, unpack and quickly find something to eat!

Day 3: Excursions from Sitia

Use the morning to explore Sitia, with just around 15,000 inhabitants, life here is much more laid-back than in larger cities like Heraklion or Chania. One day is enough to explore the waterfront promenade and the old town with its terraced alleyways.

The local beach begins right at the eastern end of the waterfront promenade, where cafés and restaurants draw all the life to them. All the essential shops are located within a few meters of the waterfront plaza; the alleys leading up the hill toward the castle open onto residential neighborhoods full of flowers and cats. Even the harbor is quiet.

Some tips for your day in Sitia:

• Kazarma Fortress: The former Venetian fort. In the summer, theater performances and concerts are held here. Once at the top (€3 entry), you’ll be treated to a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and the bay.
• Petrás: To the west of the hamlet of Petrás, on a headland, lie the ruins of the Hellenistic city of Tripitós. On the rocky ridge where Petrás stands, archaeologists have also unearthed the foundation walls of a Minoan palace.
• Archaeological Museum: Displays finds from eastern Crete dating from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The most famous exhibit: the Kouros of Palekastro, a Minoan statue carved from ivory.

The heart of the town is the harbour promenade, with its many small tavernas, cafés and a small sandy beach. My restaurant tip: Inodion – a family-run taverna established in 2005 serving authentic Eastern Cretan cuisine made with fresh local ingredients, featuring wood-fired barley rusks and homemade dishes cooked in Sitia’s extra virgin olive oil.

Day 4: Hike through Richtis Gorge

In the east of the Greek island of Crete between Sitia and Agios Nikolaos lies a true natural gem that offers you a spectacular insight into the wonderful world of Crete: the Richtis Gorge. At the foot of the Lassithi Plateau mountain range that stretches the length of the island lies the entrance to the gorge.

Although the Richtis Gorge cannot compete in size with the famous Samaria Gorge in the west of the country, it is at least as beautiful.

• Location: Richtis Gorge near Exo Mouliana

• How to get there: Car
• Must-see: Richtis Waterfall
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Distance: About 7 km
• Time: about 3-4 hrs

The starting point of the hike is located near the parking on the New National Road near the village of Exo Mouliana. From here, the path leads steadily downhill into the gorge. We walk along narrow forest paths, clamber over the odd tree trunks and cross wild streams. After just under an hour and a half, a fantastic view opens up of the 20-metre-high Richtis waterfall in the gorge. From here, it’s just another 30 minutes to reach the beach. Once there, you can watch the waves crash against the rugged cliffs. However, don’t linger too long as we have to make our way back up to our car!

Useful Links:

• Crete Island Official Website
• Richtis Gorge Hiking Map here

Day 5: Crete road trip to Moni Toplou Monastery

Today, we’ve more than earned a lazy day on the beach! But first we have to get there: so off we go in the hire car for a little Crete road trip to the east coast! Our drive takes us back across the high plateau and along winding roads, always with the vast sea in sight.

Toplou Monastery is located on the northeastern tip of Crete, at the base of Cape Sidero, 10 km east of Sitia. The monastery is one of the most historic in that we saw in Crete and is known for its large estate. In religious circles, it is known as the Monastery of Panagia Akrotiriani, while locals simply call it the Great Monastery.

• Location: Toplou Monastery

It’s worth visiting Toplou and you can combine the visit with the area’s beautiful beaches, the site of ancient Itanos, and the famous palm grove of Vai. The area is one of the driest and most inhospitable places in Crete, while the constant strong winds have attracted one of the island’s first wind farms.

Day 6: Eastern Beaches

Just a 20 minute drive from Moni Toplou lies the Vai Palm Beach. Why is this beach a real highlight on a road trip through Crete? More than 5,000 Cretan date palms form Europe’s largest natural palm grove here. The only downside: even in the off-season, it’s still quite busy here.

If you are looking for q more tranquil setting, head to the much quieter neighbouring Psili Ammos Beach. You can easily reach the bay via the steps visible from Vai Beach. A small path then leads down to the often deserted beach, which is very popular with visitors for precisely that reason.

Another tip for travelers looking for secluded beaches in eastern Crete is Chiona Beach (Paralia Chiona), located just a few minutes from the village of Palekastro. We like the beach is known for its fine, reddish-gold sand. Even in the high season, we did not find large tour buses here, just nature lovers. A highlight is Taverna Hiona at the northern end of the beach, which serves fresh fish and Cretan specialties

Day 7: Return to Heraklion

Returning the hire car was just as smooth as pick up. I found it almost a bit hard to hand back our vehicle after such a fantatsic road trip, but one is better off exploring the old town of bustling Heraklion on foot. So I continued by taxi to Satori Concept Hotel: this cosy boutique hotel in the heart of the city scores highly with stylish and spacious rooms and a really good breakfast.

Conclusion: My 5 tips for a road trip through eastern Crete

Crete is huge! So huge that you could easily spend two weeks or more here to see the whole island. Ideally, spend a week exploring the west of the island and then the east. Good starting points for trips by hire car are Chania & Heraklion.

• Atmosphere: Greece’s largest island offers a wealth of variety for explorers.
• Best time to visit: May, June, and September are ideal for avoiding the intense summer heat.
• Cost: Prices are moderate, and often very affordable in the countryside.
• Food: Try dakos, a barley rusk topped with tomatoes, or fresh feta.
• Transportation: A rental car is highly recommended for the long distances on the island.

The off-season is perfect for a road trip around Crete! In September and October, the popular sights and beaches are much less crowded than during the high season. We were travelling around Crete at the end of October and were even able to go for a swim in the sea with temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees. By November, however, the first restaurants and shops start to close and the Cretans take their well-deserved winter break.