Self Guided Samaria Gorge Hike in Crete, Greece

The Samaria Gorge hike is the most popular hike in Crete, and for good reason! This one-way hike is jaw-droppingly beautiful and ends in a quaint Greek town. Many folks will do a guided tour but you definitely do not need one. Keep reading for more information to help plan your trip.

Summary of your Samaria Gorge Hike

Trail Distance: 10 miles
Elevation Gain: Downhill hike
Terrain Rating: Medium
Navigation: Very Easy (well-marked every 20-30 minutes)
Hike Time: 4-6 hours
Dog Friendly: Yes

Samaria Gorge Route

Here is the summary of your Samaria Gorge Route. You will start early, and end late, but it is an incredible adventure and I would recommend it to all travelers to Crete!

• Start your day really early by taking the 6:15AM bus from Chania to Xyloskalo
• Pay the 5 Euros entrance fee, start the hike around 8AM, end anywhere from Noon – 2PM
• There are water refill stations every mile or so. There is a bathroom 1/2 way through and at the beginning/ends of the trail
• There are two small snack huts at the end of the hike
• You can either pay a few Euros or hike down to Agia Roumeli
• Take the 5:30pm ferry from Agia Roumeli to Chora Sfakion. Take a connecting bus from Chora Sfakion to Chania (the bus departs soon after the ferry arrives)

All the Details for Hiking Samaria Gorge

We started the day really early from our villa to get to Chania. We were surprisingly able to find free street parking for the entire day! (PM or Comment below for parking details). From there, the bus for Samaria Gorge left promptly at 6:15AM to Xyloskalo. The road was long and windy so we didn’t get much sleep.

It was a bit cold in early September in the beginning of the hike, but air was crisp and fresh. We started our descent through the stairs and was blown away by how beautiful the area was! This first section of the hike is more like a dense forest, it felt like I was in Yosemite.

After the stairs ended, we started to descend into more rocky terrain. About half way through the hike, you will reach Samaria settlement. There are bathrooms here and some people will stop for a snack. Soon after, we finally came upon the Gorge! We spent some time to take photos here before pressing on.

I think the last 1-2 miles were maybe too much. This is when our feet started to get tired from the awkward rock-shaped trails (none of us packed hiking boots). But we finally arrived to the end and treated ourselves to coffee and orange juice before paying (yes we paid) for a shuttle to town!

Once we got to town, we were completely famished and found a great restaurant called Calypso to eat at. Like true Americans (well only half of us were Americans), we ordered an entire table full of food.

On the way back, the ferry passed a cute town called Loutro. It’s like everything you would imagine in a Greek postcard. Santorini-like buildings with the crowds. If we had more time and didn’t have our villa, we would have stayed one night here!

Overall the hike was fantastic and a great way to get some exercise in during a vacation that was full of eating, beach, and more eating 🙂

WHAT TO PACK FOR SAMARIA GORGE

For this hike, I would definitely recommend good shoes because the rocks can be quite tiring on your feet. Although this hike is all downhill, it also can be a little rough on your knees so poles may be recommended.

1. Osprey 36L Sirrus Pack and rain cover or Topo Designs Mountain Pack (similar here)
2. Leki Corklite Trekking Poles (optional but good if you have bad knees for descending down elevation)
3. Hoka One One shoes: Those who follow me know that I ditched my hiking boots a couple of years ago. Shoes are very personal and you should definitely wear what is best for you, but I love having a lighter shoe with cushion on the bottom so my feet don’t hurt. Hoka One Ones are perfect!
4. MSR Dromlite 2L: my favorite drom bag, have had it over 8 years and it’s holding up great
5. Icebreaker Merino mid-layer: a great mid-layer when it gets windy/cold in the fall and winter!
6. Smartwool Short Sleeve Tshirt: great t-shirt for when it’s hot. Helps wick away sweat

Have you been to Samaria Gorge before? What did you think?