--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Heraklion, Greece | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Heraklion, ranked: Knossos, the Archaeological Museum, the Venetian walls and Koules, Lions Square bougatsa, the 1866 Street market and the wine villages, with tickets and transport." url: https://wimup.com/city/heraklion type: City guide updated: 2026-10-29 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Heraklion Heraklion, Greece · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read Heraklion is Crete’s working capital: a busy port inside the longest-standing Venetian walls in Greece, five kilometres from Knossos. It is not a pretty town at first sight. Give it a morning at the museum and an evening in the old lanes and it becomes the best base on the island for the Minoans. ## Quick answer Give Heraklion three days. Day one is Knossos at opening time, then the Archaeological Museum in the afternoon, in that order, so the frescoes and the Phaistos Disc land after you have seen where they came from. Day two is the town: the Venetian walls to Kazantzakis’s grave, Koules, the 1866 Street market and bougatsa on Lions Square. Day three goes south to Phaistos and Matala, or east to Spinalonga. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** May · Jun · Sep · Oct - **Ideal length:** 3 days - **Budget per day:** €80–130 - **Language:** Greek - **Getting around:** On foot in the centre, city bus to Knossos, KTEL bus or hire car beyond - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.heraklion.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Heraklion ### 1. Walk the Palace of Knossos Archaeological site · Knossos, Heraklion 714 09 The largest Minoan palace on Crete, five kilometres south of the centre, part restored in concrete by Arthur Evans after he dug it from 1900. The reconstructions are debated and still the clearest picture of a Bronze Age palace you will get. - **Time:** 2 to 3 hours - **Cost:** €20 standard ticket - **Best at:** Opening time, before the tour coaches - **Tip:** Buy a timed ticket on hhticket.gr and bring water; the site has little shade Links: [Website](https://hhticket.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. See the Minoans at the Archaeological Museum Museum · Xanthoudidou 2, Heraklion 712 02 The world’s main collection of Minoan art: the Phaistos Disc, the bull-leaping fresco, the snake goddesses and the bull’s-head rhyton. Go after Knossos, so the rooms fill in what the ruins leave out. - **Time:** 2 hours - **Cost:** Ticket at the door or on hhticket.gr - **Best at:** Late afternoon, when the groups have gone - **Tip:** The upper floor holds the Knossos frescoes; most visitors run out of time before they reach it Links: [Website](https://www.heraklionmuseum.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Walk the Venetian walls to Kazantzakis’s grave Landmark · Martinengo Bastion, Heraklion 712 02 Seven bastions ring the old town, and the Martinengo is the highest. Nikos Kazantzakis is buried on top under a plain wooden cross and his epitaph: “I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.” - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset, looking towards Mount Juktas - **Tip:** Walk up from the Chania Gate and follow the rampart path south and east ### 4. Climb Koules at the harbour mouth Fortress · Venetian Harbour, Heraklion 712 02 The Venetian sea fort the Venetians called Rocca a Mare, built in the 16th century to guard the old harbour. The rooftop is the view: the fishing boats below, the ferries beyond, the town walls behind. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Small entry fee - **Best at:** Early evening - **Tip:** Walk out along the breakwater past the fort afterwards; locals do it at dusk ### 5. Read Crete’s later history at the Historical Museum Museum · Sofokli Venizelou 27, Heraklion 712 02 Byzantine to modern Crete in one mansion on the seafront, with two paintings by El Greco and a reconstruction of Kazantzakis’s study. Open 09:00 to 17:00 daily from 18 May to 31 October 2026. - **Time:** 1 to 2 hours - **Cost:** Ticket at the door - **Best at:** A hot afternoon - **Tip:** Start with the large model of Venetian Candia on the ground floor; it explains the walls you have just walked Links: [Website](https://www.historical-museum.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Eat bougatsa on Lions Square Food · Plateia Eleftheriou Venizelou, Heraklion 712 02 Heraklion’s breakfast is bougatsa: flaky pastry around sweet cream or salty mizithra cheese, eaten beside the Morosini Fountain of 1628. Kirkor and Phyllosophies have both worked the square for about a century. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** A few euros - **Best at:** Before 10:00 - **Tip:** Order it half sweet, half cheese, and let them dust the cream side with sugar and cinnamon ### 7. Shop the 1866 Street market Market · Odos 1866, Heraklion 712 02 The old market street runs from Lions Square to Kornarou Square: herbs, olive oil, thyme honey, cheese and raki. The stalls nearest the square sell souvenirs; the food shops get better towards Kornarou. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Free to browse - **Best at:** Weekday mornings - **Tip:** Finish at Kornarou Square, where the Venetian Bembo Fountain stands beside an Ottoman kiosk ### 8. Pass the Loggia to Agios Titos Church · Plateia Agiou Titou, Heraklion 712 02 The Venetian Loggia of 1626 to 1628 is now the town hall; the square behind it holds Agios Titos, church, mosque and church again. Its relic of Saint Titus, Crete’s patron, came home from Venice in 1966. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Evening, when the square cafés fill - **Tip:** Dress for a church: shoulders and knees covered ### 9. Taste Cretan wine in Peza and Archanes Winery · Peza and Archanes, Heraklion regional unit Heraklion’s wine country starts twenty minutes south of town, with estates growing Vidiano, Kotsifali, Mandilari and Liatiko. Boutari’s Skalani estate is the closest; Lyrarakis below Peza revived near-lost local grapes. - **Time:** Half a day - **Cost:** Tastings by the estate - **Best at:** Late morning, then lunch in Archanes - **Tip:** Book tastings ahead and choose a driver; there is no practical bus between the estates Links: [Website](https://www.lyrarakis.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. Drive south to Phaistos and Matala Day trip · Phaistos, Heraklion regional unit 702 00 Phaistos is Crete’s second palace, about an hour’s drive south-west over the mountains, on a ridge above the Messara plain. Pair it with Gortyna on the way and a late swim under the cliff caves at Matala. - **Time:** A full day - **Cost:** Site tickets on hhticket.gr - **Best at:** Leave by 08:30 - **Tip:** KTEL buses reach Phaistos and Matala, but a hire car lets you stop at Gortyna Links: [Website](https://hhticket.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best old town in Heraklion The Venetian and Ottoman town between the harbour and the bastions. 1. **Lions Square** (Free · Centre): The Morosini Fountain of 1628 and the town’s meeting point, ringed by bougatsa shops. 2. **Venetian Loggia** (Free · Centre): The Venetian nobles’ club of 1626 to 1628, rebuilt after the war and now the town hall. 3. **Agios Titos** (Free · Centre): Church, mosque and church again, holding the relic of Crete’s patron saint. 4. **Agios Minas Cathedral** (Free · Centre): One of the largest churches in Greece, finished in 1895 for the town’s patron saint. 5. **1866 Street** (Free · Centre): The market street: herbs, honey, cheese and raki, best towards Kornarou Square. 6. **Kornarou Square** (Free · Centre): The Venetian Bembo Fountain and an Ottoman kiosk turned café, at the top of the market. 7. **Koules and the breakwater** (Small fee · Old harbour): The 16th-century sea fort, then the long harbour wall locals walk at dusk. ## Best museums in Heraklion The Minoans first, then everything that came after them. 1. **Archaeological Museum** (Ticket · Centre): The Minoan collection the whole island is measured by. [Website](https://www.heraklionmuseum.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Historical Museum of Crete** (Ticket · Seafront): Byzantine to modern Crete, two El Grecos and Kazantzakis’s study. [Website](https://www.historical-museum.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Natural History Museum of Crete** (Ticket · Seafront west): Run by the University of Crete in an old power station on the seafront; strong on Cretan wildlife and quakes. [Website](https://www.nhmc.uoc.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Agia Aikaterini** (Ticket · Centre): A Venetian church of Saint Catherine of Sinai, now a museum of Cretan icons. 5. **Cretaquarium** (Ticket · Gournes): Mediterranean sea life at the former American base in Gournes, 14 km east. [Website](https://www.cretaquarium.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 6. **Nikos Kazantzakis Museum** (Ticket · Myrtia): The writer’s life and work in Myrtia, about 15 km south-east among the vines. ## Best restaurants in Heraklion Cretan cooking from the old town to the harbour, by the plate or by the kilo. 1. **Peskesi** (Cretan · Old town): Old Cretan recipes in a restored mansion, cooked from the owners’ own farm. 2. **Erganos** (Taverna · Old town): A family taverna by the Kazantzakis park: home cooking, generous plates. 3. **Ippokampos** (Ouzeri · Seafront): The seafront ouzeri locals send visitors to for grilled fish and small plates. 4. **Parasties** (Cretan · Old town): Cretan cooking with a long wine list, a few streets in from the seafront. 5. **Herb’s Garden** (Mediterranean · Old harbour): The rooftop of the Lato hotel, looking straight down at Koules and the harbour. 6. **Kastella** (Seafood · Seafront): A waterfront fish taverna: the day’s catch, sold by the kilo and cooked simply. 7. **Ligo Krasi Ligo Thalassa** (Seafood · Old harbour): Seafood mezedes facing the Venetian fortress at the port end of Marineli. ## Best cafes & bars in Heraklion Bougatsa at breakfast, freddo at noon, cocktails on Korai after ten. 1. **Kirkor** (Bougatsa · Lions Square): Bougatsa on Lions Square for close to a century. 2. **Phyllosophies** (Bougatsa · Lions Square): The other bougatsa shop on the square, its line going back to a Smyrna pastry master. 3. **Korai Street** (Cafés · Centre): The pedestrian café strip where the town spends its afternoons. 4. **Xalavro** (Cocktails · Old town): A cocktail bar in the courtyard of a ruined house; order the Mastiha Sour. 5. **The Bitters Bar** (Cocktails · Korai): An industrial cocktail room on Korai, with DJs at the weekend. 6. **Toucan Skybar** (Rooftop · Eleftherias Square): A fifth-floor terrace above Eleftherias Square and the town’s best sunset seat. ## Best beaches in Heraklion The town beach, the airport strip and the coves to the west. 1. **Ammoudara** (Sand · West): The long sandy town beach at the western edge, reached by city bus. 2. **Karteros** (Sand · East): Sand and dunes about 8 km east, just past the airport. 3. **Amnissos** (Sand · East): A wide beach 9 km east, under the flight path, with a Minoan villa site behind it. 4. **Agia Pelagia** (Bay · West): A sheltered bay about 20 km west, with KTEL buses from town. 5. **Psaromoura** (Cove · West): A small rocky cove just north of Agia Pelagia, clearer water and fewer sunbeds. ## Best wineries in Heraklion Crete’s main wine region begins at the edge of town; book every tasting. 1. **Boutari, Skalani** (By booking · Skalani): The estate closest to town, about 8 km out and 4 km from Knossos. [Website](https://www.boutari.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Lyrarakis** (By booking · Alagni): Below Peza; the house that revived Plyto and Dafni, two nearly lost white grapes. [Website](https://www.lyrarakis.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Douloufakis** (By booking · Dafnes): Liatiko reds and aromatic Dafni whites in the village of Dafnes. 4. **Domaine Paterianakis** (By booking · Melesses): Organic vineyards near Melesses, in the Peza area. 5. **Minos-Miliarakis** (By booking · Peza): One of the oldest family wineries in Peza, at the heart of the appellation. ## Best day trips in Heraklion Palaces, a leper island and a plateau of windmills, all within two hours. 1. **Phaistos** (Full day · South): The second great Minoan palace, on a ridge above the Messara plain. 2. **Gortyna** (Half day · South): The Roman capital of Crete, and the Law Code carved in stone, on the road to Phaistos. 3. **Matala** (Full day · South coast): A south-coast bay under cliffs cut with Roman-era tombs, later a hippie camp. 4. **Spinalonga** (Full day · East): The Venetian island fortress and former leper colony, by boat from Plaka or Elounda. 5. **Lasithi Plateau** (Full day · East): A high farming plain ringed by mountains, and the Dikteon Cave of the Zeus myth. 6. **Archanes** (Half day · South): A restored wine village under Mount Juktas, with the Minoan sanctuary of Anemospilia. 7. **Malia palace** (Half day · East): The third Minoan palace, flat and open on the coast east of town. 8. **Agios Nikolaos** (Full day · East): A harbour town on a lake and the Mirabello Gulf, an hour east by KTEL. ## Festivals & annual events in Heraklion (2026) - **Orthodox Easter** (Apr / May): Good Friday processions from every parish, then midnight fireworks on Saturday. The date moves each year. - **Battle of Crete commemorations** (May): Ceremonies across the island marking the German airborne invasion of 20 May 1941, Heraklion among its targets. - **Matala Beach Festival** (Jun): A three-day music festival on the sand at Matala, a nod to the bay’s hippie years. - **Heraklion Summer Arts Festival** (Jul–Sep): The city’s summer season of theatre, music and dance, much of it in open-air venues. - **Dafnes Wine Festival** (Jul): A free wine festival on the square of Dafnes, one of the region’s wine villages. - **Feast of Agios Titos** (25 Aug): Crete’s patron saint, with a procession from his church in the old town. - **Raki season** (Oct–Nov): Village stills fire up after the grape harvest to make tsikoudia, and many invite people in. - **Feast of Agios Minas** (11 Nov): Heraklion’s patron saint, a public holiday in town, centred on his cathedral. ## Must-try dishes in Heraklion, Greece - **Bougatsa**: Heraklion’s breakfast: flaky pastry around sweet cream or salty mizithra. - **Dakos**: Barley rusk under grated tomato, mizithra, oregano and olive oil. - **Chochlioi boubouristi**: Snails fried face down in salt and olive oil, then doused in vinegar. - **Gamopilafo**: The wedding pilaf: rice cooked in rich meat stock, finished with butter. - **Kalitsounia**: Small cheese pies, savoury with herbs or sweet with honey. - **Staka**: A rich cream from sheep’s milk, spooned over fried eggs or pilaf. - **Apaki**: Pork cured in vinegar and smoked over herbs, served in slices. - **Tsikoudia**: Crete’s grape-pomace spirit, poured free at the end of most meals. ## Heraklion transport & airports - **Airport** (Air): Heraklion “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) sits about 5 km east. City bus line 1 runs to Eleftherias Square; a ticket bought before boarding costs less than one from the driver. [Website](https://www.astiko-irakleiou.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Ferries** (Sea): Minoan Lines and ANEK sail overnight to Piraeus all year, about nine hours. In summer Seajets fast boats run to Santorini and the Cyclades. [Website](https://www.minoan.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [Website](https://www.anek.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Intercity buses** (Bus): KTEL runs from the station by the port to Chania, Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos, Phaistos and Matala. Buy at the station or on board. [Website](https://www.ktelherlas.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **City bus and car** (Road): The old town is walkable. Line 2 reaches Knossos from the centre. Hire a car for the wine villages and the south coast. [Website](https://www.astiko-irakleiou.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Heraklion at a glance - **Country:** Greece - **Region:** Crete, Heraklion regional unit (island capital since 1971) - **Population:** 179,302 in the Municipality of Heraklion (2021 census) - **Founded:** Arab Chandax in the 820s, Byzantine from 961, Venetian Candia from the 13th century, Ottoman from 1669 - **Nickname:** Candia, the Venetian name once used for the whole island - **Language:** Greek - **Currency:** Euro (€) - **Time zone:** EET (UTC+2), EEST (UTC+3) in summer - **Calling code:** +30 2810 - **Airports:** Heraklion (HER), Chania (CHQ) - **Power:** 230V, types C and F - **Emergency:** 112 ## Interesting facts - The Venetians held Candia through a siege from 1648 to 1669, one of the longest in history. - Knossos, Phaistos and Malia joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025 as the Minoan Palatial Centres. - Nikos Kazantzakis, author of Zorba the Greek, was born in Heraklion in 1883. - The Phaistos Disc, in the Archaeological Museum, is stamped in a script no one has deciphered. - El Greco was born on Crete in 1541, and two of his paintings hang in the Historical Museum. ## Heraklion travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Heraklion? Three. One for Knossos and the Archaeological Museum, one for the old town, the walls and the market, and one for a day trip south to Phaistos and Matala or east to Spinalonga. Add a fourth for the wine villages around Peza and Archanes. ### How do you get from Heraklion to Knossos? City bus line 2 runs from the centre to the site in about 20 to 30 minutes, and a taxi takes about 15. Arrive at opening time with a ticket bought on hhticket.gr, and you will be through the throne room before the coaches. ### Is Heraklion worth visiting or just an airport? Worth a stay. The town is plain at first sight, but nowhere else puts Knossos, the best Minoan museum and Crete’s wine country within half an hour. Stay inside the walls and the evenings in the old lanes make the case. ### What is the best beach near Heraklion? Ammoudara is the town beach, long and sandy, on the city bus. For clearer water go about 20 km west to Agia Pelagia and its coves, or to the south coast at Matala, which pairs with a visit to Phaistos. ### Should you base yourself in Heraklion or Chania? Heraklion for the Minoan sites, the east and the wine country; Chania for the gorges and the western beaches. They are about two and a half hours apart by KTEL bus, so a week on Crete splits well between the two. ## Nearby guides - [Chania](https://wimup.com/city/chania.md): Day trip · 10 picks - [Naxos](https://wimup.com/city/naxos.md): Greece · 10 picks - [Rhodes](https://wimup.com/city/rhodes.md): Greece · 10 picks - [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 156 cities Part of the [Greece guide](https://wimup.com/country/greece.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md) ## Sources - [Heraklion tourism board](https://www.heraklion.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk the Palace of Knossos (official site)](https://hhticket.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See the Minoans at the Archaeological Museum (official site)](https://www.heraklionmuseum.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Read Crete’s later history at the Historical Museum (official site)](https://www.historical-museum.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Taste Cretan wine in Peza and Archanes (official site)](https://www.lyrarakis.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Natural History Museum of Crete (official site)](https://www.nhmc.uoc.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Cretaquarium (official site)](https://www.cretaquarium.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Boutari, Skalani (official site)](https://www.boutari.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Airport (official site)](https://www.astiko-irakleiou.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Ferries (official site)](https://www.minoan.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Ferries (official site)](https://www.anek.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Intercity buses (official site)](https://www.ktelherlas.gr/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.