Fantastic 3 Weeks in Crete: An Itinerary That You Will Want to Copy!

This post offers you a well-tested itinerary to spend three weeks in Crete. It can be easily adapted to two weeks in Crete, and it is a road-trip itinerary, so car rental is a must!

Getting Ready for 3 Weeks On the Road in Crete

First of all, in this article, I’ve included some important tips to plan your road trip in Crete that you must consider before starting the plan.

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Itinerary for 3 Weeks in Crete

Crete had always been my favorite place for a vacation, and I visited many times until one day I decided to settle on the island for good. However, and before moving here permanently, I would tour the island every summer. And my best memories are always from this first road trip with the kids during which we spent three 3 weeks touring Crete by car.

Our itinerary started in Heraklion, continued to the Lasithi region, and then saw us visit Rethymnon and Chania.

Since then, I have done this itinerary a few more times and I have also planned this itinerary with a few variations for friends and clients wanting to visit Crete by car. And it has always been a success! So, down below, I share my fool-proof 3-week itinerary for a car trip in Crete. It includes the villages where I stayed overnight and hotel recommendations that include the exact places where we stayed.

I really hope this 3-week itinerary in Crete can inspire you to discover Crete by car because I know you will love the adventure! So, with no further ado, let’s get to this 3-week itinerary in Crete.

3-Week Itinerary in Crete: The Map

As you can see from the map, the itinerary starts in Heraklion (airport) and heads east to Stalida to then continue to Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra (& Chrissi Island), Viannos, Matala, Adelianos Kampos (& Rethymno), Chania Falasarna, Elafonisi (& Balos), and ends in Chania (airport).

The arrival was at Heraklion International Airport and the departure from Chania International Airport. But you can easily invert the arrival and destination aiports (or ports) or -with minimal change to the itinerary, even arrive and depart from the same town.

>> CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIVE MAP

Crete Road Trip
Week 1: From Heraklion to the East

In detail:

Arrival: Heraklion Airport and immediate car rental. You can see the best of Heraklion even if you don’t stay in town. If you choose a smaller village near the city to stay, like we did, you can enjoy free time on the beach and reach the capital of Crete in a short time but also have access to relaxing activities.

I booked a stay in Stalida because it is really convenient, It has a kid-friendly beach, and still lets you reach many attractions in Heraklion city and the broader region.

1. Stalida is only 30 km from the center of Heraklion.
2. It allows you to avoid the city beaches in Heraklion, which are not the best on the island.
3. It was on the way to Agios Nikolaos, our second stop and offered easy access both to the Heraklion and the Lasithi regions.
4. Stalida is more relaxing than the obvious (but chaotic) choices in the region, including Malia and Hersonissos. Other alternative places to stay near Heraklion are Amoudara, Agia Pelagia, or Kokkini Hani.
5. You can book accommodation in Stalida here.

Heraklion (Stalida) – 2 nights

DAY 1
Keep the first day quiet, you’ve just arrived! Spend some time relaxing at the beach in Stalida the morning and devote the late afternoon to discovering Crete’s Cretaquarium. You can purchase tickets in advance here.

DAY 2
On the second day, you can manage to fit a visit to Knossos Palace in the morning, adding the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion and the city center in the afternoon. In the evening, I suggest driving back to Stalida, from where it will be very easy to visit the mountain village of Mochos where you can taste a traditional Cretan meal.

Agios Nikolaos – 2 nights

DAY 3
If you get on the road early in the morning, you can make the most of the day. Drive east to reach the Lasithi region, where you’ll spend the next two days. After about an hour on the road, you’ll be in Agios Nikolaos, the capital of the region.

Upon arrival, head straight to Almyros Beach where you can spend the morning swimming and relaxing. Get back to town for lunch (I eagerly recommend eating in Karnagio, by the lake), and devote the rest of the day to visit Lake Voulismeni, the seaside promenade, and the pedestrian roads in town.

There are plenty of things to do in Agios Nikolaos for the whole family, you can visit the Folklore and the Archaeological Museum or simply go shopping in the city center.

It’s a good idea to book a hotel in the center of town so that you park your car and then go around on foot (parking can be difficult in summer). During this trip, we stayed here, but other times I visited Agios, I enjoyed this hotel in particular because of its convenient location and lake views.

DAY 4
An early wake-up call to drive to the nearby Elounda Village, where you can have breakfast and get ready to board the first boat to Spinalonga, a former leper colony and the second most visited archaeological site in Crete. check the surrounding area. It will take you about 15 minutes to reach Elounda by car while the boat trip to Spinalonga is about 25 minutes.

Visiting the island took me about two hours, but you can tour it faster if you want. Onece back in Elounda, I suggest driving along the coast to Plaka (no more than 10 minutes by car) for a delicious fish lunch by the sea.

If, instead, you prefer more authentic Cretan tastes and what to see the mountain villages, then drive to Krousta village (around 25 minutes from Elounda) for lunch – the place I recommend is Xatheri, a traditional Cretan restaurant that you will not want to miss.

After lunch, head to the picturesque Kritsa village, where you can visit two small but interesting museums and the interesting Panagia Kera, a Byzantine church with frescoes from the 13th century.

Ierapetra – 3 nights

DAY 5
Get back on the road early so that you have enough time to make a few stops along the way, since there are to check on the way from Agios Nikolaos to Ierapetra, including Voulisma Beach, one of the prettiest shores on the Mirabello Bay.

You can also explore Kavousi, a village hosting a millennial olive tree, or make a stop in Gournias, an impressive Minoan port town active the Bronze Age. After that, you can take the road to Ierapetra where you’ll arrive in less than an hours.

You will probably reach Ierapetra in the afternoon, that means that most shops will still be open. Do as I did, go straight to the port to by a boat ticket to Chrissi Island for the next day. If you prefer to avoid the hassle, it’s always possible to book the trip online.

DAY 6
At about 9 a.m., you will get on the boat that takes you to the fantastic island of Chrissi, one of the most beautiful unspoiled beaches around Crete. You will spend the whole day on the beach, swim, and relax! And make it back to Ierapetra at about 5 p.m.

On Chrissi Island you can purchase food and drinks at the beach only. Alternatively, you can but some fruit, drinks, and buy some sandwiches in Ierapetra before the departure.

Once back in Ierapetra, you will have enough time for a short in the old part of city. If you’re not too tired, check the Fortress of Ierapetra, the Old Mosque, and the House of Napoleon, all of them a short walk from the port.

DAY 7
Take it easy on your last day in Ierapetra and explore some of the nicest beaches in the southeastern coast. I suggest venturing further east. You can drive to Makrigialos in the morning (about 25 minutes from Ierapetra), spend time on the beach, and then check out a local taverna for a quick lunch. In the afternoon, drive to the lesser-known Dragon’s Cave for a quiet an relaxing spot by the sea.

If you don’t mind driving a bit more, Skip Makrigialos and spend a whole day in the beaches of Xerokampos, one of the most remote locations on the island.

Crete Road Trip
Week 2: The South and Back to the North

The first part of the trip was really tiring. Looking back I should have spent one night in the mountains, probably Anno Vianos, and then move on to Matala. Doing all that driving in one day proved really long and took a toll on our mood.

Matala – 2 nights

DAY 8
Right after breakfast, get on the road, you will drive most of the morning to get from Ierapetra to Matala. In our case, we booked a stay in nearby Kamilari, which is just two minutes from Matala, but has a quieter vibe and accommodation is more affordable.

Since the trip is quite long, count on making a few stops along the way. We first took a breat at Myrtos, only just a few minutes west of Ierapera, but worth visiting for the beach and the charm of the village. We just stayed for an hour, enough to have a coffee and see the pretty alleys of the settlement.

As you keep driving back west, I suggest making another stop as the trip can be long and tiring. We chose the mountain village of Ano Viannos, where we spent an hour stretching hour legs in the village square, had a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice and simply spent time relaxing.

Finally, we arrive at Kamilari at around lunchtime. It you’re as tired as we were after such a long drive, I suggest spending the rest of the afternoon at the beach. In my case, Kalamaki Beach (in the same village) became one of my favorite places in Crete.

Kalamaki is a long sandy and organized beach with cafes and restaurants next to the sea as well as tourist and souvenir shops that offer free sun loungers and umbrellas. At night, we head to the beach for a romantic dinner on the sand and we were so tired that we didn’t even go to Matala Beach.

🎯 LOCALS KNOW BETTER: Why I chose to stay in Kamilari instead of Matala
I opted to stay in a nearby village instead of booking a place in the center of Matala because Matala was fully booked. It proved a winning idea to avoid the high price tag of Matala hotels and discover a stunning location that I would have otherwise never seen. Kalamaki is less than 10 minutes from Matala by car.

DAY 9
Early in the morning, drive to the nearby Archaeological Site of Phaistos. It’s totally up to you how much time you can devote to the visit. We spent a bit more than an hour. If you want, you can also visit Gortyn, another interesting archaeological site that’s just a short drive from Phaistos.

After the visit, I suggest going to Matala Beach, where you can have lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach. I suggest visiting the Matala Caves late in the afternoon, when the sun is not so high and the temperatures go down a little. In the evening, you can explore the hippie village, have a drink by the sea, and but a few souvenirs.

On my second trip to Matala, and since I don;t really like the beach and I had already seen the caves, I hiked to Red Beach, less than a kilometer from Matala. Red Beach is more relaxed and ideal for snorkeling.

Rethymnon – 2 nights

DAY 10
After breakfast (on Kalamaki Beach!), we got back on the road to explore Rethymnon, where we stayed for two days. The journey from Matala takes a bit less than 2 hours. This time again, we skipped staying in town and book a nice, family-friendly hotel in the nearby village of Adelianos Kampos.

This way we could enjoy the beach in the area and rest from the past long days on the road. On our first day, we spent time on the beach, took the kids to play mini golf, and had lunch on the main road in Adelianos. A nice and relaxing day with time down and not many activities.

🎯 LOCALS KNOW BETTER: Agia Galini
If you have more time available, it’s a good idea to drive west from Matala to the seaside village of Agia Galini. This is also a popular place to stay in the south if you’re looking for some quiet nightlife and a good beach and don’t want to stay on the north coast of Rethymnon.

DAY 11
You can spend the morning in Arkadi Monastery, which is about 30 minutes from Adelianos Kampos and then go Rethymnon for a self-made walking tour in the old town. The rest of the afternoon will be more than enough to explore the old town, including Rethymnon’s Fortress, Rimondi Fountain, the Venetian port, the ancient mosques, and the Egyptian Lighthouse.

>> RELATED ARTICLE
– One-Day Itinerary in Rethymno Old Town: How to Spend One Day in Rethymnon

Chania – 3 nights

DAY 12
The road from Rethymnon to Chania is quite good, depending on the traffic conditions, it can take you from 45 minutes to a bit more than an hour to reach the center of Chania.

However, I suggest forgetting about about the city on your first day and driving directly to the Akrotiri peninsula to spend the day resting on Stavros Beach, one of the nicest shores in the area.

DAY 13
Chania Old Town is one of the best places to visit in the region… and on the whole island! You can spend the day in the old town and include a visit to the Folklore Museum, the ancient Synagogue, the churches, and all of the landmarks. >> This one-day itinerary of Chania is the perfect place to start planning the itinerary.

If you love the city as much as I do, check this itinerary for 2 days in Chania that includes a lot of information about the best places to visit in town.

DAY 14
Spend this last morning in Chania again on the beach, however, this time check out the beaches opposite Souda Bay. My favorite in the area is Marathi, and for lunch head to Patrelantonis, on the same beach, for a delicious fish lunch before visiting the nearby Archaeological Site of Aptera.

In the early evening, head back to the old town for one more walk at the port, explore the Venetian Arsenals and maybe have dinner by the sea, Chania Sailing Club is a fantastic place for dinner with a view of the lighthouse.

Crete Road Trip
Week 3: Northwest Crete (The best part of my itinerary!)

Having 3 weeks in Crete to drive around the island was great to have a faster pace at the beginning in order to see more places and it also allowed us to take it easy during our last week, to rest and enjoy the best beaches on the island. This will also let you to slow down and relax from the long days onthe road, and you will also discover the beautiful beaches in West Crete.

Elafonisi – 2 nights

DAY 15
There are several roads to go from Chania to Elafonisi Beach. It’s a good idea to drive through Topolia Gorge to fit a stop in the area of Kommolithi where you can discover a unique landscape before getting back on the road to the beach.

Along the way, you can also explore the Cave of Agia Sophia, and visit the spectacular Chrisoskalithissa monastery. You will spend the rest of the afternoon at Elafonisi Beach or explore other stunning beaches in the area.

DAY 16
Elafonisi is truly an outstanding pink sand beach, often described as one of the best shores in the Mediterranean. You can spend the second day in the area, especially if you’re keen on water sports as this is one of Crete’s best spots for kitesurfing, windsurfing, snorkeling, and even fishing.

Falasarna – 4 nights

🎯 LOCALS KNOW BETTER: 4 Days in Falasarna?
Some people might consider that spending 4 days in Falasarna can be a lot. I disagree. Falasarna is a great place, quite and relaxing, perfect to rest and disconnect. Besides, there are interesting beaches nearby (Sfinari and Platanakia are just two of them) and the area offers easy access to Elafonisi and Balos.

DAY 17
Drive along the coastal road from Elafonisi which takes you back to the north. You can stop for a few hours at Sfinari Beach and then drive to Falassarna. The road is very bendy, often with rocks and dozens of goats on the way. This makes you drive slowly most of the time. The trip can be exhausting, but the views are rewarding!

Once in Falassarna, check in your hotel and … just relax. Have a cold coffee on the beach and then dinner. In my opinion, the best place to eat in the village is Spilios, one of my favorite restaurants in Crete!

DAY 18
Day trip to Balos! It’s a good idea to get up early and drive to Kavonisi (the port of Kissamos), the journey from Falasarna is under 20 minutes. From here, you will take a day cruise to Balos.

As an alternative, you can drive off-road to reach the beach. I personally prefer this last choice, but I understand not everyone is up to the nerve-wrecking adventure!

DAYS 19-21
Use these three days in Falasarna to relax! You can visit Ancient Phalassarna Archaeological Site, and the Archaeological Museum in Kissamos, but the best part of Falasarna is – without any doubt – the beach. Swim, sunbathe, go snorkeling, and eat delicious local food for three days in a row!

When I took this trip, this last week was my favorite out of my 3 weeks in Crete because it was the most relaxing and the beaches were truly incredible.

• On your last day, and depending on your flight time, get back on the road and drive to the airport of Chania to board your flight back home.

• If, instead, you depart from Heraklion airport, it’s a better idea to get on the road the night before and spend the night in a hotel near the airport of Heraklion.

Essential Things You Need for 3 Weeks in Crete

Car Rental in Crete

This is a road trip in Crete, so a car is a must. Renting a car in advance should be one of the things to consider at the early stages of your planning.

I always suggest people to navigate Crete independently, relying on organized tours only when the roads don’t allow an alternative. Organized trips are also ok to get a special insight into a particular place, such as an archaeological site where the information a tour guide can provide will make all the difference.

Road trips in Crete are the most authentic way to explore the island. You’ll be able to find the most convenient rental car using this trusted local company.

Get a Good Map or use a GPS Device

Or use both! Call me old-fashioned, but I still love stopping in the middle of nowhere, unfolding my map, and making up my mind about where to go next. Not everybody does, nor do my kids! They’ve talked me into getting google maps on the car and I must admit that, since then, we travel faster.

But hey…guess what? The map is always in my backpack.

A Word on Accommodation

I’ve often traveled around the island and picked a place to stay on the go. But that only applies when I travel in Crete during off-season months. It’s almost impossible to do that in summer anymore!

If you travel in July and August, but also even in September (which is a popular month to visit Crete), it might be hard to find accommodation if you haven’t secured a place online before arriving. This accommodation guide tells you where to stay in Crete because it includes hotels but also different areas other than the city center, convenient if you prefer a quiet place to sleep

If you travel from May to September, the best you can do is to book in advance. I’ve personally used Booking.com many, many times, their Genius program helps you save and get free upgrades, such as breakfast included, or cancellation flexibility.

These were three of the most beautiful weeks I ever spent in Greece, so much so that I kept returning to Crete every summer… until one day, many years ago, I moved to the island and started this blog.
But that’s a whole different story for a whole different article!

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Three Weeks in Crete

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