Visit the archaeological museum of Heraklion in a shared tour
Visit the archaeological museum of Heraklion in a shared tour
Join a mini group. Minimum participant 2 pax - maximum participants 16
The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is the largest museum of Crete and one of the most important museums in Greece.
It houses representative artefacts from all the periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering a chronological span of over 5,500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The recently reorganized Minoan collection contains unique examples of Minoan art, many of them true masterpieces. The archeological Museum of Heraklion is a highlight of the city and definitely a must for those who want to understand the level of the Minoan civilization.
The museum, located in the town centre, was built between 1933 and 1940 by architect Patroklos Karantinos in the area where in the past the Roman Catholic Franciscan monastery was, which unfortunately was destroyed by a devastating earthquake back in 1856.
The main building of the museum was closed for interior renovation from November 2006 to May 2013 with a small temporary exhibition remaining open. The archeologists reorganized the Minoan collection, making the museum of Heraklion one of the most interesting of the world.
Meet your qualified licensed guide at the entrance of the Heraklion Archaeological Museum (depending on the number of groups visiting the sites we can use as starting point one of the two sites – Knossos or the museum – and enjoy a visit of the highlights of Heraklion).
Take a look at... Visit the archaeological museum of Heraklion in a shared tour
General info
Please note that from the 1st of April this season ( summer season of 2024 ) the combined ticket for both sites is no longer available – and the cost from the 1st of January of 2026 for the museum is 20 euro . For the site an appointment is necessary , due to time zones and time slots. This also means that the guests will have to be on time for their appointment otherwise the ticket is autumatically cancelled. ( if the guests don’t validate the ticket within the chosen time / appointment. ) If you wish us to book your tickets kindly add a note and we will be able to contact you with the details ( reduced entrance fees are available according to the law – but the guests are responsible to bring and provide the proper documentation ). Tickets of the museum booked through our travel agency at the moment and so far have a certain flexibility in the time of entry . The cost though of the tickets is non refundable .
Meet your licensed qualified guide and explore the Minoan collection of the museum of Heraklion and the highlights of the Minoan civilization.
After the guided tour of the museum, you can have free time and stay in the museum to take pictures.
Duration: The duration of the tour is aprox 90 min. the tour of the museum of Heraklion ( Minoan collection ), at least 1 hour and 30 min . Estimate you will need about 30 min to reach the museum ( or a close by parking area ), due to traffic.
For an extended guided tour for guests with special interest in archeaology, please contact us at visitknossos@gmail.com to make an appointment ( at a convenient time to avoid the groups ) and to inform you about the cost.
Group capacity: Maximum participants up to 16. For a larger group, please contact us at visitknossos@gmail.com.
Larger groups: If you are a larger group / family / friends travelling together, you can add participants during the booking process up to 16 pax ( extra cost per participant 80 euro )
Who organises the tour : The tour is offered by the travel agency Guides of Greece Sustainable Tourism Development – Tailor Made Travel Services E.E, which is a fully registered travel agency organized by certified licensed guides Panos and Ioanna . We cooperate with a small group of licensed guides – to provide the best of service.
Cost: The cost of the tour is 80 euro per person for minimum 2 participants per booking ( 160 euro ) and refers to the cost of the licensed guide / archaeologist in a shared tour . ( with all taxes and 24% VAT included). The entrance ticket for the museum are not included – but we can arrange the skip the line service. Cost of extra participants up to 16 total is 80 euro and you can add the number of participants during the booking process.
The service is available for online booking.
Skip the line entrance can be arranged, we can of course pre-buy the tickets for your party, please add the details ( number of participants and ages ) when you make your booking . There is no combined ticket from April 2024 and you need to be on time to avoid issues – since Knossos and the museum will have time slots / zones ( cost per person for Knossos is 20 euro – the museum 20 euro ).
I have a rental car at the museum? At Heraklion city there are parking areas available, close to the museum , within walking distance ( the cost of the parking varies from 4 to 7 euro depending on the total hours) the guide can provide information regarding the location.
If you need transportation arrangements, for a more fulfilling experience, please let us know, in order to inform you about the cost. ( cost of transportation depends on the pick up point / distance or the number of participants – van or minibus perhaps needed for the service) We can send you a secure link for the cost of the tour – transportation and tickets, so that you can pay via your credit card (ssl to proceed to a payment with your credit card directly to the bank ).
Included
- Services of a professional licensed qualified guide or an archeologist qualified guide
- Invoice will be provided by our travel agency
- Maps and plans of the site and Heraklion ( via email)
- Audio tour guide system
- VAT (24 %) and all taxes
Not included
- Entrance tickets are not included (but if you wish us to prebuy the tickets for you let us know at the “add note area” of the booking form – NO extra charge for skip the line service )
- Transportation not included (transportation can be arranged upon request though)