Day trip

Day Tour of Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda & Plaka

4.4 / 5

227 reviews

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    Day trip

    Day Tour of Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda & Plaka

    4.4

    227 reviews

    From US$ 36.30 per person

    Discover Crete during a day trip in an air-conditioned coach. Visit Agios Nikolaos and the Elounda Lagoon. Explore the fishing village of Plaka as well as the island and former leper colony of Spinalonga.

    About this activity

    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
    Covid-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
    Mobile ticketing
    Use your phone or print your voucher
    Duration 10 hours
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Instant confirmation
    Live tour guide
    English, German
    Pickup included
    Your hotel or the main road in Ammoudara - Heraklion, Heraklion, Kokkini Chani, Gouves, Gournes, Anissaras, Analipsi, Hersonissos and Malia. After booking the tour operator will contact you with a detailed description of your pick-up point and time.

    Experience

    Highlights
    • Visit Agios Nikolaos and walk around the famous Lake Voulismeni
    • Enjoy views of the Gulf of Mirabello and the Elounda Lagoon
    • Take a short boat ride from Plaka to Spinalonga
    • Learn the history of Kolokitha and Spinalonga
    • Explore the former leper colony
    • Round off the day with a walk in the idyllic fishing village of Elounda
    Full description
    Reach the cosmopolitan city of Agios Nikolaos on the Gulf of Mirabello, passing the north-east coast and St. George’s Gorge. Agios Nikolaos is famous for its picturesque bottomless lake, explored by the ocean researcher Jaques Cousteau and the subject of numerous legends. Discover the pretty city on your own, stroll through the shops, or relax in one of the cafes and watch the world go by. Continue to Elounda, enjoying some of the most beautiful views of Crete. Look across the Elounda Lagoon at the enchanting islands of Spinalonga and Kolokitha. Spinalonga has been an important place throughout history: for the ancient Greeks as natural protection for the city of Olous; for the Saracens as a hiding place for their pirates; for the Venetians as a fortress; for the Turks as a settlement; and for a long time the island served as a leper colony. At Spinalonga Island you can choose to join an English guided tour or explore the island by yourself. If you do not wish to visit the archaeological site at all, you can join a one-hour boat trip to a secret location with a surprise, and dive into the crystal clear water. After a short drive you will reach Plaka, a small fishing village directly opposite Spinalonga. From there a 10-minute boat ride takes you to the island. Plaka was the ferry port of the leper colony, whose history was documented in a book and a Greek television series. Visit the filming sites, enjoy lunch or have a refreshing swim. The last stop of the day is Elounda, a former fishing village but today a famous holiday resort with the most 5-star hotels in Greece. Take plenty of time to stroll through the picturesque harbor and have a cup of coffee before heading back to your accommodation.
    Includes
    • Ride in a modern, fully air-conditioned coach
    • Guide
    • Boat ticket (€6 adults, children aged 4 to 12 are free)
    • Admission to Spinalonga (adults €8; children up to 18 years - free; EU citizens over 62 years with an ID card and students with an ID card €4)
    Not suitable for
    • People with mobility impairments
    Covid-19 precautions

    You must book this activity online because the ticket office is closed

    Safety measures in place
    • All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
    • You must keep social distance while in vehicles
    • The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds
    Traveler requirements
    • You are required to bring and wear a mask

    Select participants and date

    Participants

    Date

    Prepare for the activity

    Important information

    What to bring

    • Face mask or protective covering
    • Passport or ID card
    • Swimwear
    • Towel
    Customer reviews

    Overall rating

    4.4 /5

    based on 227 reviews

    Review summary

    • Guide
      4.7/5
    • Transportation
      4.5/5
    • Value for money
      4.5/5
    • Safety
      4.7/5

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    Great day, so well organised and the guides were lovely and really great. We got on at hersonnisos and that meant the longest part of the bus journey was only an hour in between stops which was great for us with 2 kids. Aghios Nikolaos was lovely and then on to Plaka to board boat. The island of Spinalonga was incredible for me as I have read The Island book a few times, first over 15 years ago so it was a big deal for me to go and I found it very interesting and moving. Such a beautiful yet eerie place.. Then had a meal in Plaka at Maria’s Taverna which is over 90 years old having been there since 1930, the most incredible Moussaka I have ever had, can’t stop thinking about it. Just beautiful, full of character having been a restaurant for such an amazingly long time. Would love to know more of its history. Then on to Elounda where some people went swimming, we visited the church.great day. Only criticism is that 1hr15 is nowhere near long enough on Spinalonga. 2.5 or 3 hrs would be!

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    October 18, 2021

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler – United Kingdom Verified booking

    Helpful?

    A really nice day

    We had a fab time! The scenery was stunning, to say the least, and the guides and staff were really nice. Our guide Mary provided really insightful stories and we enjoyed learning more about the story of Spinalonga and Agios Nikolaos. The only downside was that the BBQ lunch on the boat was a bit chaotic. You had a tray of food with a piece of meat, salad and a drink on your legs and had to balance it out to take a bite. I wish we would have had something a bit more convenient like sandwiches, but other than that it was amazing. Would definitely recommend it to anyone!

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    September 9, 2019

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler – United Kingdom Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Good day out in the beautiful east coast of Crete.

    Comfortable bus ride to East coast of Crete, followed by a boat ride by a local charter, lunch on board with a stop on Spinalonga, finishing with a short stop in Agios Nikolaos. Wish we would have visited the island before swimming in the bay. Avoid buying any food/drink at Spinalonga: huge rip off (5 euro for 330 ml of water???). Otherwise, decent way to spend the day.

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    August 14, 2019

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler – Canada Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Organized by
    TOURLINE

    Product ID: 71252