--- title: "Heraklion – what to see, and every way to get there | Mixroutes" description: "How to get to Heraklion from Souda, Santorini Island and Kos Island: every way compared, with today's quickest and its fare. Heraklion, Herakleion or…" url: "https://www.mixroutes.com/places/heraklion" markdown: "https://www.mixroutes.com/places/heraklion.md" image: "https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Venetian_Fortress_in_Heraklion_Crete_NE_side.jpg/1920px-Venetian_Fortress_in_Heraklion_Crete_NE_side.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" --- ![Heraklion](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Venetian_Fortress_in_Heraklion_Crete_NE_side.jpg/1920px-Venetian_Fortress_in_Heraklion_Crete_NE_side.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) # Heraklion Heraklion, Herakleion or Iraklion, is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. [Plan a trip to Heraklion](https://www.mixroutes.com/?to=Heraklion) [From Souda](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Souda&to=Heraklion) ## Every way there - Souda → Heraklion 97 km · quickest by road, 2h 44m · €14–20 [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/souda-to-heraklion) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Souda&to=Heraklion) - Santorini Island → Heraklion Train, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/santorini-island-to-heraklion) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Santorini+Island&to=Heraklion) - Kos Island → Heraklion Train, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/kos-island-to-heraklion) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Kos+Island&to=Heraklion) Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds. The field note What is in and around Heraklion, ranked by how widely it is written about, how you reach it, and the nearest places where we have researched how people move. [Read the note on Heraklion](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/heraklion) What Heraklion has - Y Scheduled flights Heraklion (HER), 4 km - N Trains and coaches no timetable feed known for this country - Y Ferries Worldchampion Jet & Champions League Jet 1, 1 km, Seajets; sailings estimated - Y Driving and taxi OpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band - N Bike and scooter share no share feed known - N Cruises no open itinerary source anywhere Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known. Nearest place with more: Chaniá, 102 km. 35.340°, 25.134° It is the fourth largest city in Greece, and the largest city in the Greek islands, with a municipal population of 179,302 (2021) and 211,370 in its wider metropolitan area, according to the 2011 census. The greater area of Heraklion has been continuously inhabited since at least 7000 BCE, making it one of the oldest inhabited regions in Europe. It is also home to the ancient Knossos Palace, a major center of the Minoan civilization dating back to approximately 2000-1350 BCE, often considered Europe's oldest city. The palace is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece, second only to the Parthenon in terms of visitor numbers. Get in ## Getting to Heraklion 1. Heraklion International Airport Has frequent flights from Athens and Thessaloniki, the main carriers being Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines. See ## Worth seeing The must-see sights are the Archaeological Museum downtown, and the Palace of Knossos 5 km south. A combined ticket is no longer offered. Take a stroll along the city's Venetian wall (Greek: Τείχη). It's 7.5 km long, with seven bastions jutting out. On the southernmost of these, the Martinengo Bastion, is the grave of Nikos Kazantzakis with its moving inscription, "I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. 1. Heraklion Archaeological Museum 2 Xanthoudidou St, fax: +30 2810279001, amh@culture.gr. 2. Palace of Knossos Free onsite parking available.), +30 2810 226470, +30 2810 226092, +30 2810 224630, protocol@kgepka.culture.gr. 3. Koules Koules (Greek: Κούλες) was built by the Venetians in the 16th C. 4. Fortifications of Heraklion The Fortifications of Heraklion are among the most impressive Venetian defensive works in the Mediterranean, encircling the old city of Heraklion. 5. Historical Museum of Crete 27, Sofokli Venizelou Ave, +30 2810-288708. 6. Loggia An elegant city meeting place, built in 1628. Do ## Things to do Amoudara the city's beach area; a 6 km strip of sandy beach, lots of cafes, bars and hotels and the site of "Technopolis", a modern multiplex cinema and open-air theatre. Horseback riding, experienced and amateur riders can ride at the beach of Karteros, or take riding lessons at Ippikos Omilos Hrakliou, located 6 km east of Heraklion, in Karteros. Eat ## Where to eat Throughout the city centre, it is easy to find cheap tavernas (ταβέρνα) offering full meals for under €20 for two people. A strict budget can be met by sticking to the supermarkets which provide the usual array of fruits, vegetables and cheese for modest prices (€5/day is quite feasible.) Central cafes serve the local breakfast treat bougatsa, a local pastry with cottage cheese, served with honey, or cinnamon and… How locals move ## Getting around Heraklion the local way - Get in From April to November charter airlines fly in from many European airports. - Get in The principal ferry route is from Piraeus, the port for Athens. - Get in These ferries mostly sail overnight, leaving in each direction around 21:00 to dock next morning at 06:00. - Get in The Heraklion ferry terminal is near the KTEL bus station just east of town centre. - Get in The operators are Minoan Lines, Anek Lines and Superfast Ferries Other routes are: from Thessaloniki and Dodecanese by G.A. - Get in Most ferries take vehicles and run year-round – trucking is an important part of their business, especially since so many people nowadays fly. - Get around Hiring a car is easy with the usual documentation (a standard EU driving licence is fine.) Get prior permission in writing from the rental company if you plan to take the car away on a ferry. - Get around Lots of taxi ranks in all the main locations, downtown and at the airport and ferry port. From [Wikivoyage: Heraklion](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Heraklion), CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09. Text adapted from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraklion) and [Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Heraklion), CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wolfgang Moroder (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons. --- This is the markdown version of https://www.mixroutes.com/places/heraklion, for search crawlers and AI assistants. The HTML page is the canonical copy. Mixroutes is made by Lascade LLC, Sharjah Media City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Index of every page: https://www.mixroutes.com/llms.txt