Starting our day from Heraklion area , we will head south to reach the palace of Phaistos . Second largest Minoan site and residence of King Radamanthys according to the myths, the site offers amazing views of the plain of Mesara. Radamanthys together with his brother Minos – Kind of Crete and Knossos, had a reputation as fair and objective rulers among the whole Mediterranean and according to Greek Mythology, they became two of the three Judges of the underworld. (third was Aiakos – the son of Zeus by Aegina, King of Mirmidons )
The advantage of the palace , which was excavated mainly by the Italian Archaeological School , is the two building phases ( main Minoan – Old and New Palaces ) along with the limited use of concrete – a different approach of the Italian archaeologists. The palace of Phaistos is not as crowded as Knossos and you will have a better understanding of the are and the building style of the Minoans .
On the slopes of the hill to the south of Phaistos stood the Minoan town. The area is still being excavated though and part of it can be seen from the main courtyard of the Palace looking down.
There are many reasons why the visitors of the island Crete should choose to visit Phaistos in the south. With the Messara plain to the east and the Ida mountain to the north, Phaistos is situated in an interesting landscape probable the most beautiful compared to the other Minoan Palaces. The Mesara museum, clearly a highlight of the area will offer you the wealth of the finds and the archaeological sites in the near by area .
The palace of Phaistos is not so crowded, less groups visit the area and it will be easier to move around, getting the best photos, enjoying your private tour. In addition the different approach of the Italian Archaeological Survey and the excavators, give a clear advantage to Phaistos. Parts of the old palace remain visible and the Italian archaeologists did not use extensively concrete to rebuild the palace.
Let us guide you through the two most important Minoan palaces, so that you will be able to form a more objective opinion about the Minoan architecture. In addition, you will enjoy the landscape of south Crete and understand the general area, where amazing artifacts were discovered (which you can nowadays enjoy at the museum of Heraklion )
Later after the guided tour , we will end up in the area of Matala for some relaxing time in the south . You can drink a coffee in the area , have lunch or snack , or even go shopping in the narrow pedestrianized streets.
Estimate the duration of the tour to a full day tour ( at least 8 hours ).
Explore Crete, with the team of Experts, book your experience now…
The tour is available for direct booking, you can continue at the “BOOK YOUR TOUR” and proceed to a booking .
You have to use the note area to inform us about the number of participants in order to have the right transportation on the date of issue . You are booking the tour by depositing an amount ( refundable according to the “ Terms and Conditions”. The total cost is listed below :
Starting point of the tour Heraklion ( any of the hotels in Heraklion area , port or airport of Heraklion and around ). If your hotel is not in Heraklion, please contact us, before booking to check the distances.
We will provide plans of the archaeological sites and of course during the day the licensed guide will be available to answer all your questions.
IMPORTANT NOTICE : We might need to change which site will be visited first – in order to avoid the crowds or the heat. The temperature in the south is plus 2-3 Celsius ( compared to Heraklion for example) , so do not forget hats and sunblock.
Cost 680 euro up to 2 participants (every extra participant plus 60 euro up to 6 total in a mini van )
Inclusions:
- Guiding services for a professional licensed English speaking guide / chauffeur , present during the whole tour .
- Transportation with our company vehicle ( clima / A.C) – Chauffeur service with a licensed guide
- Pick up from your hotel / accommodation in Heraklion and drop off is included (if the pick up / starting location is not Heraklion , please kindly inform us to check if there is additional cost or due to distance the tour is not possible to be done within a reasonable time frame )
- Bottle of water per person
- Liability insurance
- Maps and plans of the sites
- Company vehicles are a KIA Sportage SUV model of 2018 and a NISSAN NV 300 8 seats van
Exclusions:
- Entrance fees of the sites are not included ( We can arrange of course to skip the lines and avoid the crowds , so let us know if you wish us to arrange the tickets )
- Lunch is not included in the total cost
- Gratuities are not included