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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Heraklion
Ηράκλειο
Give Heraklion 2 nights: one full day for the Archaeological Museum and Knossos, half a day for the Venetian walls and harbour. Skip it as a beach base.
Heraklion is Crete's capital and ferry and airport gateway, and it holds the two sights that explain the island: the Minoan galleries of the Archaeological Museum and the Palace of Knossos, 5 km south. The centre is compact and walkable, the coast resorts sit 25–30 km east, and most travellers use the city for two nights before or after the west of Crete.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Ηράκλειο
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), Nov–Mar (reduced ferry and museum hours)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted; card terminals are required in many businesses.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–120 excl. bed · High €120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; a passport is needed to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Tourist police 1571
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave the coins, €0.50–1.; Taverna or restaurant: 5–10% in cash on the table; not expected at gyros shops.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night.; Boat crew or guide: €5–10 per person for a day trip.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the mainland. On many islands it is desalinated or hard: ask locally and buy bottled if unsure.
- Toilets
- Use cafés (buy something), museums and sites. Paper goes in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2–4 |
| Bougatsa pastry | €2–4 |
| Taverna meal for two | €20–35 |
| Beer, café / supermarket | €3–5 / €1–2 |
| Archaeological Museum entry | €12 full, €6 concession |
| Knossos entry | €15 full, €8 concession |
| Koules fortress entry | €4 full, €2 concession |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HER · Heraklion International Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis)
- 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the centre; city bus line 1 and a flat-rate taxi run to downtown.3.1 mi (5 km) east of the centre; city bus line 1 and a flat-rate taxi run to downtown.
Typical fares
- Airport → downtown, taxi
- flat €18, about 15 min (check)
- City bus, Zone A
- €1.20 from a machine, more on board (check)
- Ferry Piraeus → Heraklion
- overnight sailing, about 9 h; fares vary by operator (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is flat and walkable; you do not need a car. City buses (Astiko KTEL) cover the airport (line 1) and Knossos (line 2); buy at a machine or kiosk, not on board, where it costs more. Inter-city coaches leave from one station near the ferry port. Driving in the centre is slow and parking is scarce.
See and do
Known for
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum
- Palace of Knossos
- Venetian walls and Koules fortress
- Ferry and airport gateway to Crete
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Knossos | City bus line 2 from the centre to the site entrance | About 30–40 min |
| Chersonissos | KTEL coach east along the coast | About 45 min |
| Malia | KTEL coach east | About 1 h |
| Epano Vatheia | Drive or taxi into the hills south of the city | About 40–50 min |
Sleep
- Historic centre (Lions Square and around)
- Walk to the museum, the walls and the port; noisier at night, few parking spaces.
- Near the port and bus station
- Best for an early ferry or a KTEL coach; 10–15 min walk to the museum.
- Amoudara
- City beach strip 6 km (3.7 mi) west; cheaper beds, needs a bus or taxi for the centre.City beach strip 3.7 mi (6 km) west; cheaper beds, needs a bus or taxi for the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σαςya sas |
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώefharisto |
| How much is it? | Πόσο κάνει;poso kani |
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton logariasmo parakalo |
| Where is the bus stop? | Πού είναι η στάση;pu ine i stasi |
| Can I pay by card? | Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα;boro na pliroso me karta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'kaliméra' (morning) or 'kalispéra' (evening) on entering shops and tavernas; avoid: Launching straight into a question
- Hospitality: Accept offered coffee, sweets or raki; it is part of the welcome; avoid: Refusing flatly — take a little
- Churches: Covered shoulders and knees; quiet voices; a small candle donation; avoid: Turning your back on the altar for photos during a service
- Gestures: Wave with the palm turned towards yourself; avoid: The open palm pushed forward (moutza)
- Conversation: Family, food and football are easy topics; avoid: Lecturing on the debt crisis, Türkiye or the name of North Macedonia
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries or wine; arrive a little late; avoid: Leaving food on the plate if you have been served more
- Dress: Casual; long trousers or skirt for monasteries; avoid: Swimwear in town, shops and churches
Scams and watch-outs
- Buy bus tickets before boarding: on-board fares are higher (€2 Zone A, €2.50 Zone B).
- The combined museum-plus-Knossos ticket is no longer sold: budget for both separately.
- Summer heat peaks in July and August; do Knossos at opening, not at midday.
- Winter ferry frequency drops sharply; island-hopping may mean routing back via Piraeus.
Heraklion is a safe city by European standards. Watch traffic and scooters on crossings, keep bags closed in the market and on buses, and treat unlicensed taxis at the port with caution.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Heraklion yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum
- Palace of Knossos
- Venetian walls and Koules fortress
- Ferry and airport gateway to Crete
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Municipality of Heraklion: www.heraklion.gr/
- Heraklion city buses (Astiko KTEL): astiko-irakleiou.gr/en/itineraries
- Wikivoyage: Heraklion, revision 5304917 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5304917
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
HeraklionΗράκλειο
Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση, παρακαλώ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy in Heraklion; embassies are in Athens. Consular help for most countries comes from Athens (check).
Keep the museum and Knossos tickets separate: no combined ticket is sold.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/heraklion). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.