first of all worth saying that the gorge is spectacular. Amazing scenery from the top until the bottom and you arrive in Agia Roumeli which is a lovely picturesque village with an incredible beach for swimming. The whole day ran smoothly, we were picked up outside our hotel and our tour guide Ingrid helped with everything down to the boat tickets you need for the ride at the end of the day. The walk is fairly long but the path is well trodden, so decent shoes are useful as it’s a bit skiddy on the rocks in steep parts. It was hot when we did the hike but there is plenty of shade apart from the last 2km or so.

So I am fit and have no problems with walking distances. What I didnt know was that this hike is MOSTLY downhill on loose slippery rocks for 16 kms! It is really dangerous and you have no time to stop to look at scenery because you are looking down all the time. Walking pole (s) essential. Take water - you can refill bottles along the way. Some toilet paper is a good idea too. Two days later I am in so much pain from the walk that I cannot enjoy Chania. So - this is for crazy hikers, but not the average tourist.

This is definitely an amazing experience! Given that I wasn't a seasoned hiker, I made it through. However, it was extremely challenging, mind and body.

Amazing day out, I did a private tour and it was a long day picked up in Chania at 530am didn't get back till 9pm. Make sure you take food with you energy bars/ gels + electrolytes you'll be sweating a lot 😅 once you're in there there's no way out apart from the port.... 20km away. Decent hiking shoe/boots are a must as the terrain is slippy and rocky pretty much the whole way with some steep rocky descents. Wouldn't do this if you're not reasonably fit, I'm reasonably fit and it took me a good 6-7 hours. Plenty places to fill your water bottles up from the natural stream running through here. Nothing really much else to say....enjoy the rest areas a f take in the beautiful scenery it is magical just make sure you're at the port at 530pm as that's when the Boats leave

This is a great experience, we loved being able to hike, see the mountains and go to the beach in one day! The hike is not easy but doable. The one thing that makes it less enjoyable is the sense of being on a march… the schedule is tight, crowds of people are hiking the way they drive on the freeway, and if you are looking for relaxation or time to appreciate the wilderness, this isn’t you hike. That said, it was very organized!

Best decision to take this trip with Kyriakakis agency! The bus driver is very familiar with the hard road and our guide Ingrid was the best...warm, funny and explaining everything! For the 1st of September we had excellent weather, 28 Celsius degrees and the hike itself was ok! The landscape was awesome and even though we don't do hikes usually, we completed it without any issues! If you like going and have no health issues, GO! It's worth it!

Scenery was exceptional. Bus driver felt very safe with. So many curvy roads Sonia was informative and caring Regarding the hike it was very hard due to the terrain. Took us longer than expected however take it into consideration we are in our 60s but reasonably fit We are very proud of ourselves for completing the journey !!!

So they're not kidding when they say the walk is a lot. We accidentally went on one of the hottest days of the year (35 in the shade level hot), so it was quite a trek, but it was also amazing. The Gorge is stunning. There were quite a lot of people, especially at the beginning, but it thinned out as people found their own pace to walk at. The ground is unlevel and downhill the whole way, so your calves are burning the next day, but there's water all the way along and incredible scenery. 100% recommend swimming at the bottom, and we had great food at one of the tavernas. We also had the most fantastic tour guide - she doesn't walk with you in the Gorge, but has all sorts of fascinating information on the history of the area during the journey home. I think her name was Ingrid. 10/10. Lastly be aware that if you aren't in Chania (we were picked up from Kolymbari) then it's going to be a wildly early start. We were out of bed for like a 5am pickup.

So this hike was absolutely gorgeous. I had no idea that Crete offered such beautiful mountains and expansive views. I would def do this hike again if I come back to Crete. The beach town Agia Romeli at the end of the hike was great! Such a beatiful and iconic remote greek beach town. We got to swim around in the beach and have food/drinks when the hike was all done. Some important things to note: 1 - this hike is LONG (roughly 10 miles) so if you don't consider yourself at least mildly in-shape, you should skip this. if you have back issues standing for long periods of time, or knee issues (since you mostly hike down hill), you should skip this. 2 - during the hike, you only have access to get additional water. So either stock up on snacks/treats at the breakfast location you stop at prior to getting to the trailhead, or bring your own snacks. You will need them. 3 - this hike starts very early and higher up in elevation, so the weather is brisk when you start. Bring a sweatshirt.

4th time doing this hike. Never disappoints. Definitely not an easy hike, especially in the beginning, but getting to the bottom and seeing the beautiful Libyan sea is all worth it

A tough enjoyable hike down the breathtakingly beautiful Samaria Gorge. We are both very fit and it took us a little over 4 hours. We walked through to the coast taking a short break to refuel at the abandoned village, the halfway point. The hike is over very rough ground proper sturdy footwear is vital. A good pair of trainers and good walking socks. Hire out and use a walking pole as it gives you a third point of balance. We'll worth the effort if you're relatively fit and healthy. Not to be considered if you have an injury. A small backpack with Sunscreen, hat , sunglasses, camera, packed lunch and water bottle are vital. A change of clothing would also be a good idea as ther is a chance to swim in the sea and freshen up while waiting at the port. There is plenty of fresh crystal clear cool water to drink in the gorge so no need to carry any.

We are from Brazil and have seen many beaches in the world - this is the most beautiful amazing beach EVER - water is so clear - it is like swimming in liquid glass! Have to go by boat - road is terrible - big boat is great - no need to spend a lot for private - no beach bar - bring your food from the boat restaurant

This is a great challenge if u want a break from the beach, with spectacular views. Beach isn’t the best tho at the end when all u want to do is wash the dust of the gorge away

Balos Lagoon is a MUST visit beach and lived up to its reputation. Gramvousa exceeded our expectations with gorgeous views of the lagoon and the coast. As other reviews said, the tour experience you are buying is essentially transportation from your hotel to the boat port. Then you get on a large boat (run by another company). You are on the same boat all day (boat is a large ferry/ship with indoor/outdoor seating, and plentiful food/drink plus beach basics like umbrellas & snorkel gear for purchase or rental), and the boat actually guides your experience. The boat has hundreds of people on it so it is crowded but it wasn’t an issue when we got to the two destinations. We stood by the exit at each site so we could get off first and then set out in a different direction from everyone else so we weren’t in the crowds. The locations are large so people can spread out easily and it wasn’t a big issue being so many people. To be honest, you could probably do this trip without the tour company but we appreciated having all the logistics handled for us since we didn’t have a car. The tour company was very nice and the bus was very clean and drove safely. Would recommend this trip if you want everything handled for you!

Flawless experience so glad we went with this company. Communication was amazing and every step of the trip went like clockwork. Our guide was extremely informative and we had every confidence in our driver. Would highly recommend this company and this particular tour.