Chania Retreat
Hotel
Day 1
Crete — 8 days (Chania, Samaria, Agia Roumeli, Loutro & Rethymno)
Eight days, two roadless villages, and one very long descent. Eight days with the Samaria transfer, all ferries and old-town guesthouses in Chania and Rethymno.
Cypress & Stone
Runs this trip
Trekking
Eight days, two roadless villages, and one very long descent
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Venetian harbourEight days across the west of the island: a gorge, a coast with no road, and the palace that gave us the word labyrinth. XyloskaloSixteen kilometres, all downhill, on loose rock. E4 pathLoutro has no road either.
Itinerary
Eight days across the west of the island: a gorge, a coast with no road, and the palace that gave us the word labyrinth.
ChaniaHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer into the old town
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationChania Retreat
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Old-town guesthouse
LANDMARKS Venetian harbour Egyptian lighthouse Old town Start point Chania, Chania International Airport (CHQ), Akrotiri 00:00 - 23:59Sixteen kilometres, all downhill, on loose rock. The village at the bottom has no road to it — everyone leaves by ferry.
Chania, Samaria, Agia RoumeliHow the day runs
- 2 hrs5:30 AM — up to Xyloskalo at 1,250 m
- 7 hrs7:00 AM — the descent to the Libyan sea
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationAgia Roumeli Lodge
Included Activities
- Park entry
- Guesthouse at Agia Roumeli
LANDMARKS Xyloskalo Iron Gates Agia Roumeli Kri-kri goats Loutro has no road either. The path along is exposed and hot by ten, and the ferry is a legitimate choice the day after Samaria.
Agia Roumeli, LoutroHow the day runs
- 5 hrs7:00 AM — the E4 along the cliffs
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationLoutro Lodge
Included Activities
- Guesthouse at Loutro
Optional Activities
- The ferry, for anyone whose legs are finished
LANDMARKS E4 path Marmara beach Loutro No cars, no road, and about forty permanent residents. It is the point of coming this way rather than driving the north coast.
LoutroHow the day runs
- Swim, eat, take the boat to Marmara if you feel like it.
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationLoutro Lodge
Included Activities
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Loutro bay Phoenix Sweetwater beach Rethymno has the best-preserved Venetian old town on the island and a fortress you can walk the walls of.
Loutro, RethymnoHow the day runs
- 1 hrs9:30 AM — the ferry to Chora Sfakion
- 2 hrs11:30 AM — over the mountains to the north coast
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationRethymno Retreat
Included Activities
- Ferry and transport
- Old-town guesthouse
LANDMARKS Fortezza Rethymno old town Venetian harbour Evans rebuilt large parts of Knossos in concrete in the 1900s, and archaeologists have argued about it ever since. The museum holds the actual finds and is the better half.
Rethymno, Knossos, HeraklionHow the day runs
- 2 hrs7:30 AM — east, at opening
- 0 hrs12:00 PM — the archaeological museum
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationHeraklion House
Included Activities
- Both entries and a guide
- Hotel in Heraklion
LANDMARKS Knossos Throne room Heraklion Archaeological Museum The plateau was irrigated by thousands of cloth-sailed windmills; a few hundred frames survive and almost none still turn.
HeraklionHow the day runs
- 2 hrs8:30 AM — up to the plateau at 850 m
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationHeraklion House
Included Activities
- Cave entry
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Lasithi plateau Dikteon cave Stone windmills Heraklion flies across Europe directly through the summer.
HeraklionHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer to the airport
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Old-town guesthouse
- Day 2Park entry
- Day 2Guesthouse at Agia Roumeli
- Day 3Guesthouse at Loutro
- Day 3The ferry, for anyone whose legs are finishedCosts extra
- Day 4Guesthouse night
- Day 5Ferry and transport
- Day 6Both entries and a guide
- Day 6Hotel in Heraklion
- Day 7Cave entry
- Day 7Hotel night
- Day 1 · 1 nightChania Retreat
- Day 2 · 1 nightAgia Roumeli Lodge
- Day 3 · 2 nightsLoutro Lodge
- Day 5 · 1 nightRethymno Retreat
- Day 6 · 2 nightsHeraklion House
- Day 1Chania to ChaniaTransfer into the old town
- Day 2Chania to Samaria5:30 AM — up to Xyloskalo at 1,250 m
- Day 5Loutro to Rethymno9:30 AM — the ferry to Chora Sfakion
- Day 5Loutro to Rethymno11:30 AM — over the mountains to the north coast
- Day 6Rethymno to Knossos7:30 AM — east, at opening
- Day 6Knossos to Heraklion12:00 PM — the archaeological museum
- Day 7Heraklion to Heraklion8:30 AM — up to the plateau at 850 m
- Day 8Heraklion to HeraklionTransfer to the airport
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Agia Roumeli Lodge
Lodge
Day 2
Loutro Lodge
Lodge
Days 3, 4
Rethymno Retreat
Hotel
Day 5
Heraklion House
Hotel
Days 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
You might also like
Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.2/5
Based on 18 reviews
Review summary
Food3.9/5
Guide4.2/5
Itinerary3.7/5
Transport4.0/5
Accommodation4.1/5
Tour operator4.2/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
O
Owen Clarke – Singapore2026-05-12 · Verified booking
The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought. Good value for what's included.
Was this helpful?
3
Y
Yuki Tanaka – Amsterdam2026-05-12 · Verified booking
Pace was set for the fastest people in the group and it made the middle days hard. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
Was this helpful?
4
P
Priya Nair – Jaipur2026-05-12 · Verified booking
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Worth every rupee.
Was this helpful?
5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Bengaluru2026-05-12 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Worth every rupee.
Was this helpful?
4
O
Owen Clarke – Auckland2026-03-15 · Verified booking
Crete in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Good value for what's included.
Was this helpful?
5
R
Rohit Verma – Chennai2026-03-15 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings. Crew were professional without being stiff about it. Would book with them again.
Was this helpful?
5
A
Aditi Rao – Chandigarh2026-03-15 · Verified booking
Did this over 8 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude. Good value for what's included.
Was this helpful?
3
A
Ananya Gupta – Ahmedabad2026-03-15 · Verified booking
Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
Was this helpful?
Questions people ask
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →