Site tickets and hours (2026)
| Site | From Heraklion Airport | Adult ticket | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knossos | ~20 min by car | ~€20 | Arrive at opening; buy on the official site |
| Archaeological Museum | ~15 min | ~€12 | Combined tickets have changed: check before you go |
| Spinalonga | ~1 h 15 to Elounda | ~€20 + boat €8–20 | Boats from Plaka are the cheapest |
| Dikteon Cave (Lasithi) | ~1 h 15 | small fee | Steep path: good shoes |
Prices from 2026 sources; official tickets for state sites are sold on hhticket.gr, the Hellenic Heritage e-ticket portal, without reseller surcharges.
Guided tour or audio guide?
A live guide at Knossos (usually found at the entrance or booked ahead) brings the palace to life but works on a group schedule. An audio tour on your phone, like the ones in the widget above, costs less, starts whenever you arrive and pauses when you want shade. For the museum, an audio guide is enough for most visitors.
A tour between flights at Heraklion Airport
With five hours or more between landing and your next flight, Knossos and the museum fit: 20 minutes by taxi to Knossos, two hours there, 15 minutes to the museum, then back to the terminal in 15 minutes. Leave your bags with a storage service in town (there is no left-luggage office at the airport; see services) and keep the return timing generous in summer. A transfer or taxi is the practical way around.
Day trips by car from the airport
With a rental car, the easy day trips from the Heraklion area are Knossos and the wine villages of Archanes and Peza, Lasithi plateau, Spinalonga via Elounda, and Matala on the south coast (about 1 h 30). For background on the island’s Minoan sites, the Knossos article on Wikipedia is a good start.