2 Days Tour Experience Crete! Cretan Villages with Patsos Gorge & Rethymno with Arkadi Monastery & Margarites | Departure from Heraklion city center

price from 320 € per person

Description

Every Wednesday from March till November 


 

Duration 2 days / 1 overnight


 

Day 1: Meet with your guide at the terminal of Cretan Spiti Travel at Eleftherias Square in front of Astoria Capsis Hotel at 08:30 and start driving to our first stop Zaros, an attractive, refreshingly unspoiled  village famous for its spring water, which is now bottled and sold all over Greece, and an ideal base for walkers to explore the beautiful nature. Zaros also has some fine Byzantine monasteries, and delicious farm-raised trout served up in tavernas around town and on emerald-green Lake Votomos which will be visited. Then we continue our drive to the traditional Cretan village of Vatos, a small village hidden in the green where we find all the elements of its tradition. Walking down the alleys we visit the old school and its fountain as well as the museum with the farming tools and utensils of earlier times. We finish at a cauldron of the village where you make Raki (the famous alcoholic beverage of Crete). Spili is our next stop known for its Venetian snake with a long line of 25 stone lion heads that run cool water from their mouths. Optional lunch at Spili. Then we visit Lampini, the church and the museum of Panagia. The church is inscribed with a cupola, and depicts frescoes of the 12th and 14th century. It was an Episcopal church, since the village of Lampini once accommodated the seat of the famous Episcopate of Lampis, which had existed since 431. Drive to Gorge of St. Antonios, walk through a very nice hiking trail in the gorge with super green and lush surroundings up to the cave of St. Antonios. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Rethymno.

 

Day 2: Breakfast at the Hotel. At approximately 09.30 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 the terminal in front of Astoria Capsis Hotel at 18:00.


 

Cancellation Policy:

For cancellations up to 8 days prior to departure date, no cancellation  fees

For cancellations 7 day prior to departure date, 100% cancellation fees

Non-Show, 100% cancellation fees


 

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

Included

✅ Air-conditioned Motorcoach

✅ Hotel accommodation in 3* or 4* hotels during the tour on half board basis

✅ Professional guide/escort

✅ VAT and all legal taxes

Not Included

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

❌ Lunch in restaurant throughout the tour +40€ per person

❌ Entrance fees to the archaeological sites

❌ Drinks & beverage during the meal

OPTIONAL Gratuities (at guests' discretion)

❌ Anything that is not specified in the program as included

Prices

320€ per person in double room / 3rd adult in triple room 288€

Children up to 1 year old, free of charge / Children between 2 to 11 years old 160€

Single supplement +70€

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