--- title: "Heraklion Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/heraklion description: "Minoan legends on a Cretan shore" --- # Heraklion πŸ‡¬πŸ‡· Β· Greece Β· Eastern Mediterranean > "Minoan legends on a Cretan shore" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 10.2h - **Departure Sailings:** 55 - **Visiting Sailings:** 307 - **Cruise Lines:** 9 ## Peak Season Busiest months: May (62 sailings), Oct (57 sailings), Apr (56 sailings) ## About Heraklion Heraklion is Crete's capital and its busiest city, built inside Venetian walls that still ring much of the old town. The harbour is guarded by the Koules Fortress, and the streets behind it are dense with cafΓ©s, bakeries, and small shops. A shuttle from the cruise terminal drops you near the centre, where the Morosini Fountain and the market street (Odos 1866) are the natural starting points. The Palace of Knossos, about 5 km south of the city, is the main archaeological draw. It was the centre of Minoan civilisation, and the partly reconstructed ruins give a good sense of the scale. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum downtown holds the original frescoes and artefacts from the site. For food, tavernas serve dakos (barley rusk topped with tomato and cheese), grilled octopus, and local wine. Most shops close on Sundays. Taxis and the hop-on bus cover the key stops easily. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** EUR (Euro) - **Language:** Greek - **Timezone:** Europe/Athens (UTC+2) - **Tipping:** 5-10% at restaurants ## Location Coordinates: 35.3443, 25.1433 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Heraklion/@35.34434,25.14331,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Heraklion&ll=35.34434,25.14331&z=13) ## Things to Do in Heraklion Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~10h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [5Hour Safari Tour in Crete(Heraklion)with Quad,Jeep,Buggy & Lunch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/d3cf1b00-e9de-498c-83c0-95f26bd396c2.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (1,287) | 5h | βœ“ | €89 | Viator | | [Quad Safari: Off-Road Day Tour with Dinner & Transfers](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/458fced3-4d89-4d13-af8c-4ebc1c55a5e5.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (590) | 5h | βœ“ | €63 | Viator | | [Sailing Trip to Dia with Snorkeling, Dining & Sunset Option](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/cb0e5139-875d-4076-92d0-4b3f64b77101.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (261) | 4h 30m | βœ“ | €76 | Viator | | [Heraklion: Dia Catamaran Cruise Mediterranean Meal & Water Fun](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/c1d5f035-1089-479f-8115-43a1858bd1a7.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (269) | 5h | βœ“ | €105 | Viator | | [Crete Finikia and Giouchtas Mountains Horse Riding Tour with Lunch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/58e05654-0f6b-46f6-bfd3-5df12e14fda1.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (197) | 5h | βœ“ | €80 | Viator | | [Ecobike tour in historic Heraklion](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/8210097b-3a66-4049-9f3f-65b81bda832c.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (141) | 3h | βœ“ | €75 | Viator | | [Experience Scuba Diving in Heraklion Crete](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/9a7417dc-0340-4c22-b80f-7918d8da5d7e.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (116) | 4h | βœ“ | €99 | Viator | | [Heraklion E-Bike Food Tour – Discover the Flavors of Crete](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/8744dbb6-4266-40ee-89b9-ba4694c394f7.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (117) | 4h | βœ“ | €115 | Viator | | [Sunset Jeep Tour in Crete](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/6e1db5db-d58d-45d4-889f-829ab3e75220.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (204) | 6h | βœ“ | €82 | Viator | | [Quad Safari: Off-Road Evening Tour with Dinner & Transfers](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/5f8c1bfb-71f2-43c9-a0b6-e868d069d0b2.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (102) | 5h | βœ“ | €92 | Viator | | [Heraklion SUV Private Guided Wine Tour with Lunch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/bcb31044-a4f6-4dc2-a44d-592ce91b479a.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (174) | 6h | βœ“ | €189 | Viator | | [Spectacular Dinner-Show](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/72c45ec0-3054-476b-a69b-c58b18c94b5d.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (90) | 3h | βœ“ | €40 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Souda (Chania)](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/souda-chania.md): 53 nm - [Santorini](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/santorini.md): 66 nm - [Syros](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/syros.md): 126 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [AIDA Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/aida-cruises.md) - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Costa Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) - [TUI Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/tui-cruises.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise β†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/siren-s-strait-sicily-to-athens~COSTA-PACIFICA-20280404-3.md)** - **Price:** €419 per person (€838 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Costa Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises.md) - **Ship:** [Costa Pacifica](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises/costa-pacifica.md) - **Duration:** 3 nights - **Departure:** 2028-04-04 - **Itinerary:** Siren’s Strait – Sicily to Athens ## Featured Cruises from Heraklion Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Laurel & Marble – Rome, Valletta & Athens](https://cruisello.com/cruises/laurel-marble-rome-valletta-athens~COSTA-PACIFICA-20270407-9.md) | Costa Pacifica | Costa Cruises | 2027-04-07 | 9 | €757 | | [Timeless Gems of the Aegean & Nile – Katakolon, Rhodes & Alexandria](https://cruisello.com/cruises/timeless-gems-of-the-aegean-nile-katakolon-rhodes-alexandria~MSC-LIRICA-20261104-11.md) | MSC Lirica | MSC Cruises | 2026-11-04 | 11 | €729 | | [Mediterranean Escape – Valletta & Santorini](https://cruisello.com/cruises/mediterranean-escape-valletta-santorini~CEL-CELEBRITY_INFINITY-20270315-7.md) | Celebrity Infinity | Celebrity Cruises | 2027-03-15 | 7 | €789 | ## Browse Cruises - [Cruises departing from Heraklion](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?departurePorts=heraklion) (55 sailings) - [All cruises visiting Heraklion](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=heraklion) (362 sailings) ## Browse - [Eastern Mediterranean cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)