Samaria Gorge is a 16 km hike through a national park in western Crete, running one way from Xyloskalo on the Omalos Plateau at about 1,250 metres down to the coastal village of Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea. The average walker takes 5 to 7 hours; entry costs 10 EUR and the gorge is typically open from 1 May to 31 October. It is the longest gorge walk in Europe that most visitors will attempt, and its narrowest point, Sideroportes or the Iron Gates, closes to a few metres across with cliffs rising almost vertically several hundred metres overhead. Agia Roumeli has no road, so the day always ends with a ferry.
At a glance
- Length
- 16 km, one way, walked downhill
- Walking time
- 5 to 7 hours for the average hiker
- Start altitude
- About 1,250 m, at Xyloskalo on the Omalos Plateau
- Entrance fee
- 10 EUR per adult, paid at the gate; the ferry from Agia Roumeli is extra
- Open season
- Typically 1 May to 31 October
- Drive from Rethymno
- About 2 hours to the Xyloskalo trailhead
The hike
The walk starts at Xyloskalo, the northern gate of Samaria Gorge National Park on the Omalos Plateau, at around 1,250 metres. Xyloskalo means wooden staircase and the name is earned in the first hour: stone steps and rocky ground cut into the mountainside, cool air, wide views over the White Mountains, and a descent that is hard on the knees.
Lower down the trail levels out at the abandoned village of Samaria, the midpoint and the natural place to rest. Stone houses, the church of Osia Maria and the remains of village life mark a community that lived here year-round until the area became a national park.
Below the village the path drops into the riverbed proper. The walls rise and close in, boulders block the line, and at Sideroportes, the Iron Gates, the gorge narrows to a few metres while the cliffs go up almost vertically for several hundred metres. After that the terrain flattens, the vegetation thins and the route runs down to sea level and the southern checkpoint.
Agia Roumeli and the ferry
The hike ends at Agia Roumeli, a village on the Libyan Sea reachable only on foot or by boat. There is time to swim and eat before the ferry to Chora Sfakion, from where the road home begins. Missing the boat is the one genuine failure mode of the day, which is why guided groups track their pace against it.
Season and fee
The park is normally open 1 May to 31 October. Entry is 10 EUR per adult, paid at the gate, and the ferry ticket is separate. Outside the season the full route is closed, though a short stretch from Agia Roumeli sometimes stays walkable.
Is it hard?
Medium to high. The difficulty is length and relentless downhill rather than exposure or scrambling, and knees rather than lungs do the suffering. It is not recommended for people with heart conditions or serious knee problems. May and September give the best walking temperatures.
Good to know
How long does the Samaria Gorge hike take?+
The average hiker completes the 16 km trail in 5 to 7 hours. A full day from Rethymno, including the drive to Omalos, the walk, the ferry from Agia Roumeli and the return, runs about 12 hours.
How much does it cost to enter Samaria Gorge?+
10 EUR per adult, paid at the entrance. The ferry from Agia Roumeli to Chora Sfakion is a separate ticket.
When is Samaria Gorge open?+
Typically from 1 May to 31 October. Dates shift slightly year to year with the weather, and the park closes the trail after heavy rain.
Is Samaria Gorge difficult?+
It is a medium-to-high difficulty walk. There is no climbing and no exposure, but 16 km of continuous descent puts real strain on the knees. It is not recommended for anyone with heart conditions or significant knee problems.
Can you walk part of Samaria Gorge?+
Yes. The short version, sometimes called Samaria the lazy way, starts at Agia Roumeli and walks up to the Iron Gates and back. It is roughly 6 km return and reaches the most dramatic section without committing to the full descent.
Visit Samaria Gorge with us
HikingSamaria Gorge
5.0· 61 reviews16 km from the Omalos Plateau through the Iron Gates to the Libyan Sea.
- 12h
- small group · max 8
- May–Oct
From €350
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NatureSpring Wildflowers & Orchids of Crete
5.0· 58 reviewsSeven days of orchid plateaus, gorges and mountain flora, based in Spili
- 7 days
- small group · max 14
- 1 departure
From €990
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- Rethymno or Chania: Which Should You Base Yourself In?Choose Chania for a short trip built around the most beautiful harbour in Crete and the beaches and gorges of the far west; choose Rethymno for a longer stay, a sandy beach that starts where the old town ends, lower prices, quieter evenings, and a central position that puts both halves of the island within a day's drive. Chania's old town is larger and more spectacular but also far busier and more expensive, and its own town beach is small, so beach days mean driving 40 to 75 kilometres. Rethymno's old town is smaller and more lived-in, with a stronger Ottoman layer, and its beach runs about 12 kilometres east from the harbour. If you have three days, go to Chania. If you have a week and a car, base in Rethymno and drive to Chania for a day.
- Samaria or Imbros? Choosing Between Crete's Two Best-Known GorgesChoose Samaria if you want the landmark and can commit a full twelve-hour day to 16 kilometres of continuous descent from 1,250 metres to the sea, ending at a village reachable only by boat. Choose Imbros if you want the same limestone-corridor scenery in 8 kilometres and 2 to 3 hours of easy downhill walking, with a vehicle waiting at the end, no ferry timetable to catch, and the option of going in any month of the year. Samaria is open only from 1 May to 31 October and is the busiest hiking route in Greece; Imbros runs year-round and carries a fraction of the traffic. For most visitors - families, anyone with knees, anyone who only has half a day - Imbros is the better hike. Samaria is worth it if the length is the point.
- 12 Best Day Trips from RethymnoRethymno is the best day-trip base in Crete because it sits in the middle of the north coast. Within 45 minutes you can reach Lake Kournas and the Argyroupoli springs, the pottery village of Margarites with Arkadi Monastery, and the south coast at Preveli and Triopetra. Within 90 minutes you reach Imbros Gorge and Knossos with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Beyond that, at two hours or a little more, lie Aradaina Gorge, the Samaria trailhead at Omalos, the 2,453 m summit of Pachnes, and the pink lagoon at Elafonisi. Every one of the twelve below is a return trip in a single day.
- Best Time to Visit Crete: A Month-by-Month GuideThe best months to visit Crete are May, September and October. May brings 24°C days, an opening Samaria Gorge from 1 May and small crowds; September has the warmest sea of the year at around 25°C with the summer crowds gone; October keeps the sea near 23°C and gives the best walking weather, with Samaria open until 31 October. July and August are the hottest at over 35°C inland, the busiest and the most expensive. April is the greenest month, with wildflowers, over seventy orchid species and Orthodox Easter, but the sea is only about 17°C and Samaria is closed. Winter is mild, cheap and beach-free.
