3 Days in Crete Itinerary

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, meaning there is no shortage of things to see. You could spend weeks in Crete and discover something new everyday, but seeing as that is not an option for most of us, I’ve compiled my ultimate 3 days in Crete itinerary here.

Three days gives you a good amount of time to explore one area of Crete. If it’s your first trip I recommend exploring the Chania/Western Crete area. Keep reading for my three days in Crete itinerary. Chania has an airport that has several flights daily from Athens. There are also great places to stay in Chania.

If you have a bit longer to explore, check out my five days in Crete itinerary here.

Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

Day 1: Chania Old Town & Venetian Harbor

I recommend spending your first day in Crete exploring downtown Chania’s Old Town and Venetian Harbor area. Chania is one of the most charming cities in Crete. The Old Town area is filled with charming, winding alleys that are great for exploring aimlessly. Stop to grab a coffee at one of the many little tavernas/cafes and do some people watching.

Chania (and Crete in general) has a rich history that gives it a unique mix of influences from various cultures that have occupied Chania throughout history. The Venentians had a particular impact on Chania during their time there, you’ll see this especially in the charming Venetian Harbor.

The Venetian Harbor is a great place to catch an epic sunset in Crete. Any of the restaurants facing west are a great place to grab a spot on the patio for dinner and sunset with a view. My top recommendations are PALLAS or Palazzo Alamare on the harbor.

Chania has tons of great restaurant options though – check out my full guide here.

Day 2: Elafonisi & Falasarna Beach

For your second day in Crete, I recommend venturing out of Chania to explore some of Crete’s best beaches. Western Crete is home to some of Crete’s best beaches, and what are considered some of the best beaches in the world. You can see my full guide to best beaches in Crete here.

Elafonisi and Falasarna are two of the most popular beaches in Crete, and if you’re up for a long-ish day trip it’s possible to see both in one day!

Elafonisi Beach

I recommend heading to Elafonisi early in the morning to beat some of the traffic and the crowds. It’s about an hour and a half drive from Chania, but during the summer the traffic can start to back up quite early on the narrow roads, so it’s best to head out on the earlier side.

The drive is a bit of a challenge (really narrow roads, and some dicey hairpin turns through the mountains) but overall not too bad in my opinion! I recommend renting a car in Crete, as it gives you much more flexibility to explore, the island is huge, and without a car your schedule is dictated by public transportation.

Elafonisi is one of the most stunning beaches in Crete (my second favorite) The large beach features pink sand, crystal clear blue waters & a stunning mountain backdrop and is a can’t miss on your trip to Crete.

Getting to Elafonisi in the morning gives you a few hours to chill and explore the world famous beach before heading to another one of Crete’s infamous beaches, Falasarna!

Falasarna Beach

I recommend taking the coastal route from Elafonisi to Falasarna. Google maps may give you several options, but if you choose the route that hugs the coast, that is my recommendation. It will give you stunning cliffside views for the entire trip. The ride is about an hour and twenty minutes. The drive is similarly narrow roads with hairpin turns as the drive from Chania to Elafonisi, but not too bad.

I recommend stopping to grab a late lunch on your way there, Falasarna has some excellent restaurant options. You can see my full list of best restaurants in Falasarna here. My top pick would be Zacharias Tavern. It’s right on the way from Elafonisi to Falasarna and it was one of my favorite meals my whole trip.

Falasarna beach is a large, pretty beach with steep mountain backdrops. It’s a little more accessible and the other two infamous West Crete beaches (Elafonisi and Balos) making it a good pick for families.

The beach also has more in terms of amenities and there are several restaurants/beach bars in the area.

Falasarna faces directly west, making it one of the best places to watch the sunset in Crete. If you don’t mind driving a bit in the dark to get back to Chania (the roads aren’t too bad from Falasarna to Chania) I recommend staying and catching the sun set at Taverna Spilios, which offers some of the best views.

Day 3: Balos Beach & Kissamos

For your final day in Crete I recommend heading to Balos Beach, which is one of the absolute most stunning beaches in the world, and my favorite beach in Crete. Balos is a bit harder to get to than Elafonisi.

Balos is a lagoon that can be reached either by ferry that runs several times a day from Kissamos, a small town about 40 minutes from Chania. Or Balos can be reached by car. The last 4 miles of the drive is on a dirt/rock road up the side of the mountain to Balos. The ride isn’t terrible, but it’s definitely not for nervous drivers. Also, rental car companies are fairly adamant you don’t drive rentals up the rock road and that damage on that road is not covered.

That didn’t stop the tons of cars (all rentals) that I saw from driving up the road (this was during early April, so I can only imagine how many more there are during peak season) As long as you go slow and try to avoid big rocks and ditches you should be fine!

The ferry costs 29 euro. Cruises depart twice daily at 10:10AM and 12:40PM and last about 7 hours. Details can be found here. The ferry also stops at Gramvousa, a small island en route to Balos.

Since you’ll be in Kissamos anyways to either get the road to Balos or catch the ferry to Balos, I recommend spending your third night here (although you can head back to Chania if you want, it’s only a 40 minute ride)

Kissamos is a charming little beachside town with epic views of the coastal mountains, and cheap accommodation options. On my most recent trip to Crete I stayed at the Nautilus Bay Hotel and cannot recommend it enough! It’s such good value for your money. I paid $100 a night for a king bed with ocean views. The hotel is modern, clean, has a private beach, pool, beachside bar, free parking & more!