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West Crete — 5 days

4.8(17 reviews)8 daysStart and end in
3 photos
Old Mule Routes
Runs this trip
8 Days · 7 Nights
Fully planned multi-day journey
Accommodation
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Fully guided
A guide travels with the group for the whole trip.
Trekking
Eight days, two roadless villages, and one very long descent
High Intensity
Travelers can expect 6-8 hours of challenging high-altitude trekking
Group Size 1 - 22
1 guide per 15 ratio
Ages 14+ Welcome
The operator's minimum age for this trip is 14
1,250 m at the highest point

Where this operator goes

8 days · 14 stops

Itinerary

8 days, planned by Old Mule Routes

Pickup point

Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026

Meet atChaniaChania International Airport (CHQ), Akrotiri
Reporting time00:00 - 23:59
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What the price covers

Included in the price

You arrange yourself

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.

Chania Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 1

Agia Roumeli Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 2

Loutro Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Nights 3–4

Rethymno Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 5

Heraklion Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Nights 6–7

What you'll eat

7 breakfasts and 4 dinners across 8 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 8.

  • DinnerServed on days 1–4
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–8

11 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

One other operator runs this trailThe same trail, at their own price, group size and refund window.Cypress & Stone₹1,37,999See all 2
BEFORE YOU GO · CAUTIONARY DETAILS
Break the boots in before you come
The single most common reason a trek stops being enjoyable. New boots on day one means blisters by day two and a descent on ruined feet by day four. Walk fifty kilometres in them at home first, on hills if you can find any.
Deal with a hot spot immediately
The moment something rubs, stop and tape it. Everyone on the trail will wait two minutes for that and nobody wants to wait an hour later while it is dressed properly.
The group moves at its slowest walker
That is not a courtesy, it is how groups stay together and how nobody ends up alone on a ridge in cloud. If that person is you on a given day, say so early rather than falling quietly behind.
Never leave the group to go ahead
Almost every serious incident on a marked Indian trail starts with somebody moving faster than the guide and taking a turning that looked obvious. Waiting at junctions is the whole discipline.
Treat your water
Streams above the villages look clean and mostly are; below them they are not, and giardia will ruin a week. Filter, boil, or use tablets — and drink more than you feel like.
Weather turns faster than you can descend
An afternoon build-up in the Himalaya arrives in under an hour. That is why days start early and why a guide who wants to turn back at eleven in the morning is not being cautious for the sake of it.
A stream is not the same in the afternoon
Snowmelt peaks with the day's heat, so a crossing that was ankle-deep at eight is thigh-deep at three. Cross early, unclip your waist belt, and face upstream.
Carry original photo ID
Forest and park entry in the Indian Himalaya is permitted through the district administration and checked at the gate against the permit your operator holds. A photocopy is not always accepted.
The medical certificate is not a formality
Several states now require a doctor-signed fitness certificate on higher and glacier-bound routes, and more ask for one over 55 or with a pre-existing condition. Get it early; it is a reason people are turned back at the road head.

Who runs this trip

Operated by
Old Mule RoutesVerified

“Self-guided European walking with route notes and luggage transfer”

Based in Porto Running treks since 2016
Rating
4.8(17 reviews)
Response time
—

About Old Mule Routes

Route notes, GPX and a van that moves your bag. No leader on the hill, which suits some people and not others.

View Operator Profile
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 14 days before departure

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.8/5
Based on 17 reviews
Review summary
Food
4.8/5
Guide
4.5/5
Itinerary
4.3/5
Transport
4.5/5
Accommodation
4.4/5
Tour operator
4.6/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
D
Divya Reddy – Lucknow2026-08-01 · Verified booking

The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed. Good value for what's included.

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5
A
Aditi Rao – Jaipur2026-08-01 · Verified booking

Crete in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Sleeping under canvas at that height is cold work and the kit was up to it. Simple food, well made, and enough of it. Worth every rupee.

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4
R
Rahul Menon – Lucknow2026-08-01 · Verified booking

Did this over 8 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. No hesitation recommending them.

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5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Delhi2026-08-01 · Verified booking

Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. Worth every rupee.

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5
N
Nikhil Joshi – Chennai2026-07-03 · Verified booking

Did this over 8 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Sleeping under canvas at that height is cold work and the kit was up to it. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. No hesitation recommending them.

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5
T
Tara D'Souza – Mumbai2026-07-03 · Verified booking

Crete in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Camp was pitched and the kitchen going by the time we walked in each evening. Simple food, well made, and enough of it. Worth every rupee.

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5
L
Laura Whitfield – Lisbon2026-07-03 · Verified booking

Crete in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Would send friends their way.

Reply from Old Mule Routes

Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.

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5
N
Nikhil Joshi – Kolkata2026-07-03 · Verified booking

Crete in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Sleeping under canvas at that height is cold work and the kit was up to it. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought. Good value for what's included.

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Questions people ask

It is sixteen kilometres and 1,250 m of descent on loose rock, and it takes most people six to seven hours. Nothing is technical and nothing goes up — which is exactly the problem, because it is the knees that suffer. Poles help more here than on most walks.

One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →