Rethymno, Arkadi Monastery & Margarites! From Heraklion

Operates every Thursday from April till October

Total duration 9 ½ hours approximately

Starting time 08:30 – Ending time 18:00

Meet your guide across from the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, in front of Hari’s Creperie at 08.30.

We start our tour driving to our first stop Margarites, a small traditional village located in the prefecture of Rethymno. The village is known for its unique pottery tradition, its picturesque alleys, and its well-preserved architecture.

Afterwards we reach the Arkadi Monastery, which constitutes a landmark of architecture and civilization considering the magnificent facade of the church, the highly developed spiritual tradition as well as the flourishing development of fine arts. However, the holocaust, which took place in 1866, gave the monastery an eminent place in history, elevating it to an eternal symbol of freedom and heroism, recognized worldwide.

Rethymno is our last stop, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Greece with many intact historical buildings and it’s one of the most beautiful towns in Crete. We will visit the picturesque old town of Rethymno and have lunch (optional). At the end we will visit the Venetian stronghold of Fortezza which is built on top of a low hill above Rethymno Town. The hill is known as Paleokastro, which means old castle in Greek and suggests the existence of an older structure in that place. This huge fortress, with its turbulent history, was built between 1540 and 1570 by the Venetian maritime power as a bulwark against Turkish pirates. More than 100,000 Cretans on compulsory labor and over 40,000 pack animals were used in the construction of this mighty fortress. However, the Fortezza was conquered by the Turks in 1646. After many upheavals during the next three centuries, only the outer fortifications of the Fortezza remain intact and few buildings are still under restoration. The Fortezza is visible from every part of the town and provides the visitor a panoramic view of Rethymno town. The visitors enter from the East Gate through an impressive archway.

After the visit we continue driving across the north side of the island along the Cretan Sea and crossing the coastal villages of Bali, Fodele and Agia Pelagia, and reach the city of Heraklion, and end our tour at 18:00 at Heraklion center.

Included:

✅ Air-conditioned motorcoach

✅ Professional escort (English, French, Italian, Spanish)

✅ VAT and all legal taxes

Not Included:

❌ OPTIONAL & UPON REQUEST  Pick-up & Drop-off service from/to your hotel

❌ Entrance fees to the sites

❌ OPTIONAL Lunch in restaurant (+25€ per person)

❌ Drinks & beverage during the meal

❌ Gratuities (at guests’ discretion)

Discounts:

Cancellation Policy:

For cancellations up to 2 days prior to departure date, no cancellation  fees

For cancellations 1 day prior to departure date, 100% cancellation fees

Non-Show, 100% cancellation fees

Notes:

1. For bookings up to 2 days prior to departure please contact us in order to check for availability.
2. Please arrive on time to the meeting point. Unfortunately, there is no option to wait for latecomers. In case of delay, missed pick-up, missed departure time, no refunds.
3. Please provide full name, telephone number (country code included), e-mail and accommodation details (hotel name & address) upon booking.
4. The travel agency reserves the right to alter or cancel any tour due to adverse weather conditions or insufficient passengers number or force majeure 12 hours prior to departure time with a notification to the traveler.

Once your booking is confirmed, you will receive a separate e-mail from our team with your activity voucher and detailed pick-up information. Please remember to check your spam or junk folder as well.

For clarifications please send us a mail at online@travelid.gr or contact us at +30 2810 335 227

We are at your disposal from Monday to Friday 09:00 am till 20:00 pm and Saturday 09:00 till 15:00 pm