Agios Nikolaos

Bus & Minivan Tours

Explore Crete on a day tour by boat and bus. Discover the town of Agios Nikolaos, cruise through Mirabello Bay, stop for a swim in Kolokytha Bay, and admire the sights of Spinalonga Island, with lunch included. Start with pickup in the morning. First, explore the cosmopolitan town of Agios Nikolaos, the place where the boat sails from, towards the island of Spinalonga. Enjoy a morning walk and have a coffee around its beautiful port and the lake of the town. On Wednesdays, visitors can also enjoy the traditional bazaar as an additional attraction of this town. At midday, set sail on the boat for the cruise portion of the tour. Lunch will be served on the boat. Enjoy the views while crossing the unique Mirabello Bay, the Agios Nikolaos coast, and Elounda. Then the boat will stop at the beautiful bay of Kolokytha where you can swim and dive from the cruise boat into the crystal clear waters. Next, stop on Spinalonga Island, known as "the island of tears." Take a guided tour with professional guides for about 30 minutes and enjoy some free time to admire the views and take photos. Finally, sail back to Agios Nikolaos, where the bus will drop you back at your accommodation. Basic Meal: Grilled chicken Mixed salad with tomatoes and cucumber Feta cheese Slice of bread Vegetarian option: Tortilla with vegetables Mixed salad with tomatoes and cucumber Feta cheese Slice of bread Vegans may receive the same meal as vegetarians, without the option of feta cheese.

Travel to northeastern Crete, visit Agios Nikolaos and see its beautiful scenery, and take a boat trip to Spinalonga Island on this exciting day tour of some of Crete's most interesting sites. Begin the day with the visit to Agios Nikolaos, and see the shore of Mirabello Bay. Explore the town, famous for the lake at its center and its shopping and cafes. Take your time for a walk to enjoy the views, enjoy some shopping or have a drink in one of the numerous cafes around the lake. Explore an open-air market on Wednesdays. Move on to see Elounda village, a former fishing village on the northern coast of the island. Depart from Elounda for the cruise to Spinalonga Island. Learn about the island's vibrant history, from a home for the Venetians and Turks to a place of isolation for those suffering from leprosy. Experience the island, more popular after the 2005 historical novel “The Island” about how lepers lived in Spinalonga. Join the hundreds of people who come to the island every day to visit and learn its history.

Discover the beauty of the island of Santorini on a bus and catamaran tour from Heraklion or Agios Nikolaos. Capture pictures of the classic blue and white houses in Oia and have some free time to explore Fira in the shadow of the Santorini volcano.  Enjoy the convenience of being picked up directly from your accommodation. Sit back and relax on the air-conditioned bus transfer to the high-speed catamaran in Heraklion harbor. Sail across the Mediterranean to the island of Santorini. Hop off the boat to take a tour of the beautiful island in a comfortable and climate-controlled bus. Listen to live commentary about the history of one of the most romantic destinations in Greece. Travel to the village of Oia at the northernmost tip for magnificent views of the typical blue and white houses across the hillside and stunning views of rolling hills meeting the sea. Continue to the capital at Fira and have some free time to browse the shops or enjoy a drink at a bar with views of the volcano and the returning boat in the evening. Cruise back to Heraklion and transfer back to your hotel.

Morning Pick up: We will start collecting participants from pick-up points in the morning. Depending on the place of your hotel/apartment the bus drive will differ. Bus Drive: 1 hour 1st stop: Agios Nikolaos Explore the cosmopolitan town of Agios Nikolaos. That’s where the boat sails from, towardsthe island of Spinalonga. Boat Trip: 1 hour 2nd stop: Spinalonga – 1 hour 20 minutes After the cruise through Mirabello bay, our groups will arrive at Spinalonga, the island of tears. There will be a guided tour by professional guides for about 45 minutes and some free time to admire the views and take photos! Boat Trip: 15 minutes 3rd stop: Kolokytha Bay – 1 hour 30 minutes On a quick cruise trip the group will arrive at the beautiful bay of Kolokytha. Enjoy your time by the beach, for swimming, sunbathing and have a BBQ lunch prepared on the spot. Boat Trip: 40 minutes 4th stop: Agios Nikolaos – 1 hour 30 minutes Enjoy somefree time, to explore on your own pace, sit at a cafewith views of the beautiful lake or the port, and wander around this small Cretan town. End of the tour Return to resorts: Embarkation in the buses and drive back to the hotels where we gathered participants in the morning. Depending on traffic and on the pick-up places of each one, the time of journey back to the hotel will differ. Bus Drive: 1 – 1.5 hours BASIC MEAL: Grilled pork steak Mixed salad with tomatoes and cucumber Feta cheese Slice of bread ALTERNATIVE FOR PEOPLE NOT EATING PORK (PLEASE MENTION THAT, WHEN MAKING THE BOOKING IN ORDER TO PRE-ORDER THE CHICKEN PORTION): Grilled chicken Mixed salad with tomatoes and cucumber Feta cheese Slice of bread VEGETARIAN OPTION: Tortilla with vegetables Mixed salad with tomatoes and cucumber Feta cheese Slice of bread Vegans may receive the same meal as vegetarians, without the option of feta cheese. For all participants we offer: Dessert: 1 fresh fruit Drink: a glass of wine or juice

Embark on a full-day trip to the island of Spinalonga from Crete and enjoy a walking tour of the island. Visit the towns of Agios Nikolaos and Elounda and take a swim in the crystal water. Be picked up from the Heraklion area and taken along the picturesque northeast coast through the gorge of St George, reaching the small fishing village of Elounda. Today Elounda is a popular holiday resort, often visited by celebrities for the luxurious white beaches. From there, take the boat to the small island of Spinalonga. The history and the culture of Spinalonga are laced with different diverse strands of history. In Ancient Greek times it served as a natural guard for the city of Olous; later it was used as a hide-out for Saracen pirates, turned into a fortress by the Venetians, and later settled by the Turks.  After your visit to the island of Spinalonga (1.5 hours), the boat will head for one of the bays in the area. Swim in the crystal clear waters, and then savor a delicious barbecue served on board. Later, return to Elounda, where you take the bus to go to the picturesque town of Agios Nikolaos. Enjoy shopping, exploring and marveling at the bottomless lake there. At the tour's end, the bus will take you back to Heraklion area.

Visit Santorini, the island neighboring Crete, and enjoy a short cruise in just 1 day. After pick-up from your hotel, head to the harbor and begin your 4-hour boat tour on the Cretan Sea. Upon arrival, see the white houses of Fira that lie high above the edge of the crater, and decide whether you would like to spend more time on this volcanic island. Wander the small town of Fira or visit the picturesque town of Oia. Enjoy the leisurely Greek lifestyle and visit a taverna or two. Relax on the beach, enjoy the day by the sea, and simply leave your cares behind.

Reach the cosmopolitan city of Agios Nikolaos on the Gulf of Mirabello, passing the north-east coast and St. George’s Gorge. Agios Nikolaos is famous for its picturesque bottomless lake, explored by the ocean researcher Jaques Cousteau and the subject of numerous legends. Discover the pretty city on your own, stroll through the shops, or relax in one of the cafes and watch the world go by. Continue to Elounda, enjoying some of the most beautiful views of Crete. Look across the Elounda Lagoon at the enchanting islands of Spinalonga and Kolokitha. Spinalonga has been an important place throughout history. Have some time to explore the island on your own. After a short drive you will reach Plaka, a small fishing village directly opposite Spinalonga. From there a 10-minute boat ride takes you to the island. Plaka was the ferry port of the leper colony, whose history was documented in a book and a Greek television series. Visit the filming sites, enjoy lunch or have a refreshing swim. The last stop of the day is Elounda, a former fishing village but today a famous holiday resort with the most 5-star hotels in Greece. Take plenty of time to stroll through the picturesque harbor and have a cup of coffee before heading back to your accommodation.

Start your day at the breathtaking Kourtaliotiko Gorge. Walk through the rising rock walls and admire the incredible natural scenery, before you reach the lonely chapel in Agios Nikolaos. Listen to the ethereal sound of the wind, created by its movement through the gorge. Reach the springs of Kourtaliotis, where you can purchase rare herbs, which only grow in the mountains, from the locals. Arrive at the exotic coastal resort of Kalypso, an old pirate shelter. Relax on Karavos beach, which has recently become a national park. Clamber across the towering rocks and dive into the turquoise water of the Libyan Sea. Travel to the village of Mariou and enjoy a delicious local lunch, complimented with their traditional drink, raki. Finish your adventure at the stunning village of Spili, carved into the heart of the mountains. Escape the sun as you relax under the trees and view the famous Lion Fountain. 

Start your day with pickup from selected regions in Crete and first head to Heraklion for a guided tour of Knossos Palace. Walk through this Minoan palace with your guide and find out how people lived here 4,000 years ago. The Throne Room, the frescoes, and the Minoan columns will allow you to imagine how the Minoans once lived. Continue towards the city center of Heraklion where you can visit the Archaeological Museum and the town itself. The Archaeological Museum brings together findings from all over Crete, covering over 5,500 years of the island's history.   Head to the Heraklion town center and walk through Daidalou Street to Lion Square and the famous Morosini Fountain of the Venetian era. Explore the permanent outdoor market of the town and the Valide Mosque, a remnant of Turkish influences. Explore the Venetian Loggia and head to the sea and the Koules Fortress before being dropped back off at your hotel.  

After pickup from your hotel, the first stop on your tour is Kritsa, a historical village rich in legends. Here you'll discover picturesque gorges and several ancient archaeological and religious sites. From Kritsa, drive higher into the mountains through the pine forest and past Katharo Plateau (altitude 1250m). This plateau is famous for the Cretan dwarf hippopotamus fossils found in the area and features a magnificent landscape surrounded that is home to many legends dating back to the Ottoman era. Next you'll visit the impressive Lassithi Plateau (altitude 1150m). More than 10,000 traditional windmills operated in the area until just a few decades ago. In the 1950s and 1960s, the plateau was actually one of the first wind farms in Europe. If you're lucky, you'll also have a chance to see some native wildlife. From here you'll continue on to the Diktaean Cave, that is, the birthplace of Zeus, which is located at the village of Psychro (altitude 840m). Finally, explore the village of Krasi and take photos of the famous Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis’ beloved plane tree. This particular plane tree’s circumference is approximately 24 metres and it is estimated that it is 2400 years old.