Guided tour of Knossos Palace and the city of Heraklion, from Rethymnon

This excursion takes you straight to the heart of the Minoan Crete. The trip starts with an early pick up from the nearest point to your accommodation between 08:00-09:00 in the morning.

Knossos is the most important center of Minoan civilization; It’s the place where the myth of labyrinth with the Minotaur and the myth of Daedalus and Icarus are connected. The palace of Knossos dated 2000 BC was the prosperous Minoan Capital and the residence of the legendary King Minos. The ruins were excavated and partly restored by Sir Arthur Evans in the late 19th century brought to the light an enormous complex of over 1000 interlocking rooms which is probably the source of the well-known legend of the labyrinth. A guide will present all the facts and legends of this incredible discovery.

After a 2 hours tour at the Palace of Knossos, we will slope away to the city of Heraklion and the Archeological Museum which is one of the most notable museums of Greece and one of the most important in Europe. The museum includes exhibits from all the eras of Cretan prehistory and history but also collections with unique masterpieces of Minoan art. In the end, we will have free time to visit the city of Heraklion for shopping or food.

Knossos is the site of the most important and better-known palace of Minoan civilization. According to tradition, it was the seat of the legendary king Minos. The Palace is also connected with thrilling legends, such as the myth of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur and the story of Daedalus and Icarus. The site was continuously inhabited from the Neolithic period (7000- 3000 B.C.) until Roman times. After its partial destruction in 1450 B.C., Knossos was settled by Mycenaeans from the Greek Mainland. The city flourished again during the Hellenistic period in 67 B.C. It was captured by the Roman Quintus Caecilius Metelus Creticus. Knossos was discovered in 1878 by Minos Kalokairinos. Arthur Evans conducted systematic excavations at the site between 1900 and 1931, bringing to light the palace, a large section of the Minoan city, and the cemeteries. The restoration of the palace to its present form was carried out by Arthur Evans. The interventions were mostly imposed by the need to preserve the monuments uncovered. 

Around 17:00-18:00, we will have returned to Rethymno.