Captivating Crete

8 days
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4.4/5 Great
64 reviews  
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Group Tour
Spend a week on the largest and most southerly of the Greek islands; an island that some consider to also be Greece’s most beautiful, as its coastal plains stretch up to high mountainous ranges that almost divide the island in two. Crete’s desirable climate and landscape has created a past filled with turbulence and success, most notably in numerous mythologi...
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

What's this trip about?

    Spend a week on the largest and most southerly of the Greek islands; an island that some consider to also be Greece’s most beautiful, as its coastal plains stretch up to high mountainous ranges that almost divide the island in two. Crete’s desirable climate and landscape has created a past filled with turbulence and success, most notably in numerous mythological legends to which it can lay claim and for its advanced former occupants of the Minoan civilisation. Staying for seven nights at your hotel, the choice will be whether to relax by the crystal-blue sea, by the pool, or join included and optional excursions to explore this historical and charming island.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - 12 max
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityOperator does not provide
End CityOperator does not provide

Travel Themes

  • Cultural

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Greece

Attractions

  • Crete
  • Heraklion
  • London

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • 7 nights in hotel (accommodation as specified or similar)
    • 14 meals: 7 breakfasts (days 2-8) 7 dinners (days 1-7)
    • VOX portable audio headset system on excursions
    • Included excursions and visits: 3
    • Half-day excursion to Heraklion with a local guide
    • Full-day excursion to Lasithi Plateau with a local guide
    • Full-day excursion to the west of the island with a local guide
    • Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service
    • Free connecting flights to London
    • Check-in service by Titan staff
    • Services of an experienced Titan tour manager
    • Scheduled British Airways direct flights
    • Best available coaches with experienced drivers
    • Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
    • Airport taxes, security charges and fuel surcharges
    • UK Air Passenger Duty (APD)

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Itinerary

Day 1 London - Heraklion - Hersonissos Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your journey to London Gatwick Airport and a direct, scheduled British Airways flight to Heraklion. On arrival we transfer to Hersonissos and your choice of the Hersonissos Maris Hotel (4T) or Aldermar Royal Mare Hotel (5T), where we stay for seven nights on a half-board basis. Day 2 Heraklion We head for the dynamic capital of Crete today, the fifth largest city in Greece. Its inner harbour is guarded by the well-preserved Venetian fortress of Rocca al Mare and the bustling city has a rich cultural history, some of which can be seen in the Archaeological Museum. With restaurants, cafés and many small shops, it is a delight to explore. Day 3 Lasithi Plateau We join an included excursion today to the Lasithi Plateau, famous for its centuries-old white-sailed windmills, formerly used for irrigation. Greek mythological legend depicts Dikteon Cave, located on the plateau, as the birthplace of Zeus. The energetic may wish to walk into the cave and down steps - up to 200 - through five chambers to see the cave’s stalactites and stalagmites. Elsewhere on the fertile plateau, Karfi is considered the last outpost of Crete’s ancient Minoan civilisation that flourished between the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. Day 4 Hersonissos The island of Crete is well known for its ancient Minoan past and the power of this civilisation is illustrated on an optional visit to the Palace of Knossos. Visit the ancient Minoan Palace, believed to be more than 4,000 years old. The complex has a number of buildings on four levels and most of what remains belongs to those built after 1700 BC. In Greek mythology, it is said that the Palace was the home of King Minos, whose wife bore the Minotaur who was imprisoned within the labyrinth and slain by Theseus. Day 5 Hersonissos The island of Santorini feels often familiar; its scenery is so commonly featured in books and magazines. To walk on the island, amongst the white-roofed buildings against the contrasting beautiful blue skies, can feel as though you are walking within a picture postcard. Today an optional excursion is on offer to explore this island independently, formed as part of a large volcanic caldera, a feature that can be recognised as you arrive by boat. Day 6 West Crete The wild and rugged landscape of western Crete, including snow-capped mountains, delightful villages and beautiful coastlines, will be highlighted on today’s excursion. We will visit Chania, the former capital, known as the ‘Little Venice’ of Crete and home to a street devoted almost entirely to leather goods. There is also a beautiful Venetian harbour, which was the location for some of the scenes from the film Zorba the Greek. Continue to Rethymnon, Crete’s third-largest town, on the north coast. Known as the ‘City of Scholars’, the old part of the town has numerous Venetian palazzos, Turkish houses with wooden balconies and a number of small 18th century mosques. There will be free time to wander the old streets of the town, or perhaps spend time in a harbourside coffee bar. Day 7 Hersonissos There is more time today to relax in your surroundings, or perhaps join an optional excursion by boat to visit the island of Spinalonga. The island has had a varied past, from Venetian rule in the 16th century to the setting for a leper colony four centuries later - a subject covered in Victoria Hislop’s 2005 novel, The Island. It is now an uninhabited island, home to small pebble beaches and shallow waters. Day 8 Hersonissos - Heraklion - London Today we travel to the airport for a direct, scheduled British Airways flight to London Gatwick Airport. On arrival you will be met and guided to your Titan vehicle, for the journey home.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $1,269
Price per day$159
Last Updated: 8/11/2021

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Titan Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Titan Travel Reviews & Ratings

4.4/5  Great
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Other Titan Travel Reviews

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Mike

Aug 2020

Provided byTitan Travel

they are taking too long

they are taking too long to refund our cancelled holiday from May 202...

D

Dave

Jun 2020

Provided byTitan Travel

Provide refunds to customers

Provide refunds to customers who do not want to re-book holidays

D

Dot

May 2020

Provided byTitan Travel

Well organised tours with lovely people

Well organised tours with lovely people

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Introducing Titan Travel

Titan will never compromise on quality. We continue to make every effort to ensure that, when you travel with us, you enjoy the holiday of a lifetime, every time. Every individual aspect of your holiday has been carefully considered to deliver the best ratio of quality and value, provide complete peace of mind and yet still satisfy the most adventurous travel spirit. The expert planning, choice of hotels and transportation methods, included excursions and the services of an expert Titan tour manager can really enhance your appreciation of a destination and transform an ordinary holiday into a truly inspiring one.

Many escorted holidays sold by British tour operators originate in the destination and are aimed at the international market, with multilingual commentaries, sweepingly general itineraries and local contracted hotels and tour managers. Titan holidays are different. They are expertly crafted in-house and are only on sale in the UK; our well-travelled product specialists know their destinations inside out and select the best hotels, airlines, trains and cruise vessels. Properly balanced itineraries, most unique to us, are designed to include excursions and visits of particular interest to British travelers as well as a number of free days when there is always a choice of relaxation or enjoyable things to do. And, in the majority of cases, Titan holidays are escorted by the best tour managers in the business.

 

Included on every Titan holiday

Door-to-door chauffeured transfers wherever you live in the UK with no mileage restrictions as part of the peerless VIP door-to-door travel service †

Free return regional flights and home transfers for customers in northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands

Direct scheduled international flights (wherever possible) with world-renowned airlines

The services of a Titan tour manager throughout † (unless stated otherwise)

Named hotels, selected for their location and quality, or carefully chosen cruise accommodation

Best available coaches with experienced drivers and daily seat rotation

Excursions and visits to those attractions which are obvious highlights of a region, clearly specified in the ‘What is included’ panels of the tour pages

A number of meals, also specified in the ‘What is included’ panels

A comprehensive airport check-in service at Heathrow and Gatwick

SkyCaps porterage at Heathrow and Gatwick

Porterage at hotels (one bag per person)

All applicable airport and port taxes, security charges and UK air Passenger Duty


Not included in our new range of essentials holidays.


Exceptional Value

Quality often comes with a price tag and, indeed, Titan has never striven to be the cheapest tour operator. What you get with us though is unparalleled value for money, with a host of inclusions as standard and a range of exclusive offers and discounts.

Traveling in style
With Titan, not only does your holiday begin and end at your front door, it also includes scheduled international flights with world-renowned airlines and the most memorable form of touring transport. Where this is a coach, we look to provide the best available, with air-conditioning, w/c and daily seat rotation in the interests of fairness. But escorted tours are not simply limited to coaches. Titan is one of the UK’s leading rail specialists and a number of our holidays incorporate journeys on iconic trains, that seem to transport you not only through some of the most dramatic and beautiful landscapes in the world, but also back in time to a nostalgic ‘golden age’ of luxurious and stylish travel.

If you are undecided between the elegance and relaxation of a cruise and the enthralling insight of an escorted tour, Titan’s Cruise & Tour® holidays could be a perfect choice. You can cruise with some of the most respected names in the industry, including Fred.Olsen and Holland America, around regions of awe-inspiring beauty and head ashore for an extra land-based touring element. Alternatively, the waterways of Europe, Egypt and China link the most spectacular cultural gems in picturesque fashion and a river cruise is an outstanding way to appreciate wonderful destinations from a different and more relaxed perspective. Our river cruise partners include Uniworld, multi award-winning operator of 5★ boutique river cruises.

Included Excursions
We don’t believe that our holidaymakers should pay extra for optional excursions to experience what are obviously the most important attractions of a country or region. You get much better value if they are included from the start. Unless otherwise stated, every visit mentioned in the tour itinerary is included in the cost of your holiday.

Quality named hotels and lodges
Hotels on Titan holidays are much more than simply a place to sleep at the end of the day. They may place you at the heart of a thrilling city or in a retreat of sublime tranquillity; reflect the character and heritage of a destination or play an integral part in its social scene; present inspiring views or a range of exhilarating experiences. Location and quality are key considerations. At Titan, we always seek to provide the best of both choosing a lower priced holiday based on lower quality, more remote hotels can often be a false economy in the time and money you end up wasting during your stay.

Low or No Single Supplements

We are always looking at ways of minimizing or eliminating our single supplements. A number of tours featured on this website have low or no single supplements to pay.

The UK's best holiday price promise

It has always been a Titan principle that the earlier you book, the lower the price you pay. Our holiday price promise provides complete peace of mind – if we subsequently reduce the price to below what you have already paid (after any discounts have been applied), we will contact you to refund the difference†!

This guarantee applies to tour prices only (excluding all Traveller, by Titan holidays and any selected loyalty rewards we may offer to past travelers from time to time) and does not include airline upgrades, holiday additions, extended stays or regional connecting flights and selected special offer products.

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Logistics

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
titantravel-Titan-56

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