Heraklion is the largest city in Crete and its capital. The city attracts tourists with unique historical sights, incredibly beautiful sandy beaches, warm sea and nature. To make your vacation the most pleasant experience, we have prepared a life hack and a guide, from which you will learn a lot of useful information. Now you can plan your independent trip to Heraklion without any problems.
How to get to Heraklion on your own
Air travel
The most convenient, fastest, and, perhaps, the most economical way. Direct flights from Moscow are carried out only during the summer period. It should be noted that they coincide with the tourist season, which lasts from April to October. Companies operating flights - Transaero, Aeroflot, AegeanAir, S7 Airlines.
Travel times range from 3 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours 5 minutes, excluding travel delays. Flights are operated almost daily, several times on some days. The cost of one economy class ticket is 10-20 thousand rubles. During the rest of the year, airlines offer connecting flights that operate in Athens, Paris, St. Petersburg or Prague. At the same time, the travel time increases and ranges from 8 hours 40 minutes to 13 hours 40 minutes. The cost of a ticket with a transfer is from 20 to 30 thousand rubles for economy class tickets.
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Air flight + sea transport
With careful planning, this method can be cheaper, but it is time-consuming. You can fly from Moscow by more than 10 companies, the prices are quite favorable - from 5 to 10 thousand. There is a ferry from Athens, travels at night, travel time is about 8 hours, the cost is from 70 to 100 euros. For 70 euros you can buy a place on the deck, for 100 euros - a cozy place in the cabin.
Visa to Greece
Since Greece belongs to the European Union, the visa you need to obtain is a Schengen visa. The process of obtaining a visa in each country of the Schengen agreement is different, below we will talk specifically about the method of obtaining a visa to Greece. Registration and issuance of visas are handled by:
Consular centers located in capitals at the embassies of countries.
Consulates general in Russia are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novorossiysk and Kaliningrad.
Address in Moscow: st. Spiridonovka, 14.
St. Petersburg: Chernyshevsky pr., 17
Novorossiysk: st. Mira, 13
Kaliningrad: st. Ogareva, 33
Greece Visa Application Centers
Here they check the correctness of filling out the documents and send them to the Consulate. There are Greek visa centers in the following cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novorossiysk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saratov, Ufa and Khabarovsk.
The cost of a Schengen visa is 35 euros, it is paid equivalently in rubles or euros, depending on the rules of this visa center. In case of urgent paperwork, the cost can increase up to 70 euros. In addition, you must pay a service fee if you apply through the visa center.
Documents for obtaining a visa
Required:
- full copy of all pages of the national passport
- a copy of a foreign passport that was issued within the last ten years and is valid for another three months after the planned return
- visa application
- medical insurance valid for the entire period of the trip in the entire Schengen area, the equivalent of the insured amount - at least 30 thousand euros
- two photographs (color) 3.5x4.5 cm, must have been taken within the last 6 months
- paid visa fee
- hotel booking confirmation
- document confirming ticket booking
- certificate from the place of work or proof of ownership of real estate, the presence of bank accounts
- a certificate from the tax service about the official sources of income
To obtain a visa, the salary certificate must indicate an amount of at least 12 thousand. The Greek Embassy is considered loyal, the least number of refusals is observed. In the summer time, a visa can be issued within a week, however, in order not to worry, it is better to do everything in advance.
Where to stay in Heraklion
In the high season it will be difficult to find housing, let alone cheap. When choosing economy class apartments, pay attention to accommodation along Handakos Street, as well as streets near the Venetian harbor. Heraklion has only two hostels - Pension Castello and Avra. The cheapest hostels are Heraklion Youth Youth Hostel, Manos Studios. Cheap hotels: Castro Hotel, Park Hotel, Sun Hotel.
The cost of the most economical room is from 550 rubles per day with early booking. There is a Wi-Fi zone, swimming pools, beaches, in some cases breakfast is included in the price. If you are not used to saving on amenities, then we recommend paying attention to hotels: Aquila Atlantis Hotel, Galaxy Iraklio Hotel.
Beaches overview
Heraklion is rich in beaches for any tourist and wallet.
The northern coast of Heraklion has more than ten beaches. On the beach of Agia Pelagia there are a variety of taverns and restaurants, the sea is usually calm. Ligaria beach will delight vacationers who are tired of people and bustle, it is the most quiet and peaceful here. The steep descent into the water is characteristic of Paliokastro Beach, ideal for snorkelling. Windsurfing is taught at Ammoudara Beach.
There are also plenty of beaches on the south coast. The beaches of Lentas, Vati and Kaloi Limenez are used by the locals, which means they have free access and a small number of visitors. In general, the beaches on the south coast are more tourist-free, while the beaches on the north coast have a gently sloping bottom and pleasant water temperatures.
Food and entertainment
For a budget tourist, taverns and cafes, which are visited by the local population, will be an acceptable option for lunch. Focus on this principle, then you will get a combination of low price and good quality. In general, in Heraklion, next to all the establishments, the menu of the establishment with the indication of prices is displayed, it is very convenient for the tourist to be able to orientate himself. You shouldn't neglect the local markets, here you can buy local food at competitive prices.
Heraklion entertainment is very diverse. Lovers of sports and outdoor activities will be able to enjoy water parks, diving, parachute jumping, fishing, sailing. Shopping lovers will also be satisfied - Daedalou Street is famous for the presence of brand shops, 1866 Street will delight connoisseurs of handicrafts, works of art and souvenirs.
What to see in Heraklion
Day 1
The first day should start from the main tourist street of Heraklion. We begin our journey from the Venetian Fortress - a memory of the time of Venetian rule in Crete, a structure that has been well preserved. Further along the way, you will meet the Catholic Church, the building of the city council, Lviv square, the Sky fountain.
The final point of the route will be the archaeological museum. The museum should be given special attention, because it belongs to the best museums not only in Greece, but also in the world, if we talk about Minoan art. The cost of visiting the museum will cost 4 euros in the summer, from November to March - admission is free. This hike will take about 3 hours. Along the way, you will meet parks, cafes, eateries on the street. Stop and have a rest where.
On the first day, there will be plenty of time for another small route. From the archaeological museum, walk a few minutes towards the Yenikar Aga fountain, near which you will definitely see living statues.Walking along the narrow musical streets of the city, be sure to look at the main square, the main attraction of which is the gate of St. George.
Not so long ago, this shrine of the city became available for tourists; it is here that exhibitions of art are held. Further, following Pediados Street, do not miss the Bastion of Jesus and Stoa Macasi. On Romanou street there is the Holy Mosque, the Church of St. Catherine. These architectural structures date back to the 16th century.
The program of the first day turned out to be quite intense. This is quite enough.
Day 2
On the second day, we recommend visiting the palaces and fortresses of Heraklion. One of the most famous landmarks in all of Crete is the Palace of Knossos. Let's start with him. The palace is located on the outskirts of Heraklion, you can get to the place by bus that goes from Lviv Square, the time between bus departures is short. The museum is open daily from 8 am to 7 pm in summer and from 8 am to 3 pm in winter. The cost of the visit is 6 euros.
The Palace of Knossos is an architectural monument of civilization that lived before our era. At the same time, the structure is quite well preserved. The layout of the palace is complex, in different eras it was completed, it has more than 100 rooms, 4 floors in height. When entering the palace, it is recommended to take a brochure with a diagram for better orientation. The palace will not leave visitors indifferent!
The Kules fortress cannot be ignored. In order to visit this structure, you do not need to go, because the building is located on the main harbor of the city. The entrance fee is 3 euros, but some indoor areas are not allowed. The fortress is a 15th century fortification, the walls of which reach 9 meters. The imagination of visiting tourists amazes with its scale, historical integrity and beauty.
Day 3
We offer to diversify your vacation with boat trips on the third day. An eight-hour sea voyage on a comfortable yacht can be booked both individually and in groups. The cost of an individual tour will be much higher, this should be taken into account when planning costs. In general, renting a boat will cost 350 euros, the price also includes seafood, drinks, fruits.
The day excursion assumes up to 10 people, only 4 people can go on the night excursion. During the excursion, you can swim in the crystal clear warm sea, go diving, try your hand at the art of fishing.
The guide will definitely offer to stop by the Bay of St. George, do not miss this opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the deserted sea coast, it is recommended to see the sunset in this place. Back in town long after sunset, visit one of the local restaurants or cafes. This day will surely be remembered by the traveler!
We recommend spending the fourth day within the city, visiting several museums, architectural and historical sights. However, everything is in order! We recommend starting the journey from the Chronakis residence.
Heading towards the harbor, take a look at the Frioli Fountain. Further, it is more expedient to visit the Museum of Nature. As you drive along the seaside, don't miss the Dermatas Gate. Following in the same direction, visit the Historical Museum. Collections from the Byzantine era are located here. Significant exhibits of the museum are jewelry of the Byzantine period, gold coins dating from the first centuries of our era.
If you follow the tips above, you won't have to waste time looking for points of interest. The places described in the article are designed for a budget tourist, while taking your breath away, enriching your horizons and delighting the visitor.
Heraklion is a place rich in natural and architectural beauty! Visit it just once and want to visit it again and again! Happy travels!
Read what to bring from Greece in our article.
