11 Chania Boat Trips Worth Booking

1.From Kissamos Port: Boat Cruise to Balos Lagoon & Gramvousa

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 6,755 reviews · 7 hours · from $47Our pick

Spend seven hours sailing from Kissamos to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon on a large, comfortable ferry. Swim in clear water, hike to Gramvousa’s Venetian castle, see its shipwreck and seaside church, and relax at Balos. Food, drinks, toilets, shaded seating, and an audio guide are available onboard. Bring water shoes and arrive 40 minutes early.

“MOST UNBELIEVEABLE EXCURSION! The Lagoon was much bigger than expecting, accomodating a large amount of visitors as many tours come and go. The extensive shallow waters mixed with the crystal clear magnificent blue waters makes for a perfect playground for ALL ages! The 2nd stop is Pirates Beach. The hike up to the fort took us 20 minutes, down in 10 moving at a constant pace with time afterwards to snorkel to the sunken ship. Suggestion: if you want a seat on the ferry, and in the shade, get there early. Plenty of food on ferry and they rent umbrellas for 7 euros/day. This is not a guided tour, simply…”

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2.Chania/Almyrida: Balos Gramvousa Day Trip with Boat Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 590 reviews · 12 hours · from $64

Spend about 12 hours traveling from Chania to Kissamos, then cruise to Balos Lagoon and Imeri Gramvousa. You can swim in clear, shallow water, explore a Venetian fortress, and see a half-sunken shipwreck. Guides such as Vicky, Eva, Irene, and Irini are praised for clear directions and friendly care. Expect a large ferry and a steep castle walk.

“Wonderful day at Balos and Gramvousa, it was all worth it and good value for money. Thank you to our guide Vicky who gave us all the necessary information and took good care of us.”

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3.Kolimvari: Sailing Cruise with Meal & Water Activities

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 390 reviews · 5 hours · from $129

Spend five hours sailing from Kolymvari with a friendly crew such as Loukas and Jason, stopping near Agioi Theodoroi for swimming, snorkeling, and stand-up paddle boarding. A fresh three-course meal, unlimited drinks, music, and small-group service are included. Choose a morning or afternoon departure, with sunset views on later cruises.

“One of our favorite days on Crete. The boat was gorgeous and our guides were very welcoming. The small group made the trip even better. We saw many boats pull up with 30+ people on it and we were grateful for our 10.”

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4.Chania Town: Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise to Thodorou & Lazareta

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 285 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $53

Cruise from Chania’s old port with Captain Nestor and George to Thodorou, the Goat Island reserve, and Lazareta. Look for Kri Kri goats, view a World War II German aircraft wreck through the glass bottom, then swim, snorkel, or relax by the quiet beach. The 3.5-hour trip includes one drink and swim stops.

“Captain Nestor and George were great hosts. Unfortunately the weather was not favorable. They when the extra mile to make the experience memorable. Superb hospitality”

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5.Boat Trip with Guided Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 243 reviews · 4 hours · from $88Top rated

Salty Descents takes you from Chania, Souda, Kalyves, Platanias, or Georgioupoli to two Cretan snorkeling sites. With guides such as Ioanna, Giorgos, and Giannis, you get quality gear, safety instruction, about 90 minutes in the water, fruit and water, and a small group capped at 10.

“Overall a really great experience! Easy pick up at the hotel, nice and comfy transport to the site, and some really Well chosen spots to snorkle. The guides were really friendly and gave clear instructions. The equipment provided were also of good quality. An experience that left nothing to be desired. Big recommendation.”

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6.Chania Old Port:Luxury Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Prosecco

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 177 reviews · 3.5 - 4.5 hours · from $100

Set sail from Chania Old Port with an English-speaking crew, welcome Prosecco, sushi, and Mediterranean snacks. Cruise to Agioi Theodoroi for swimming, snorkeling, SUP, and a sunset over the sea. The catamaran carries up to 20 people and includes an open bar, Wi-Fi, toilets, and an outdoor shower.

“It was a great cruise, the entire staff was awesome, engaging and friendly. We got to the location for watching the sunset with plenty of time for those wanting to swim to have time before the best part of the sunset. The captain positioned us well for the sunset which was my main focus. They served prosecco at the start of the trip for those that wanted it, and provides unlimited white wine, beer and other non alcoholic beverages as well as some snacks (fruit, cheese, meats). I've been on several cruises across Europe and this one was the most enjoyable.”

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7.Afternoon Catamaran trip – Dinner, Drinks & Sunset

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 168 reviews · 5 hours · from $165

Join DanEri Yachts for a five-hour afternoon cruise from Kolymvari aboard Vesselina, a comfortable catamaran limited to 20 people. Crew members such as Angelo, Nana, Peach, and Yianni have helped make this a relaxed, social outing, with swimming, snorkeling, SUP boards, dinner, unlimited drinks, and sunset sailing.

“10/10 - super nice guides, beautiful view, tasty food and a really, really good time! we booked this as a couple and had a lot of fun!”

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8.Morning Catamaran Cruise with Premium Lunch & Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 128 reviews · 5 hours · from $164

Sail from Kolymvari on the Vesselina, a modern catamaran limited to 20 people. Enjoy espresso, a healthy brunch, local snacks, a nutritionist-designed Cretan lunch, unlimited beer, wine, soft drinks, and time to swim or use the SUP boards and snorkeling gear near Agioi Theodoroi. Hotel pickup is optional.

“It was great. I traveling with a person who has mobility issues and the crew were awesom in helping. Beautiful boat and nice food. Was great to have a SUP board and flamingo to relax on. Great experience!”

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9.Falassarna & Balos Cruise With Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 113 reviews · 10 hours · from $58

Spend a full beach day on Crete’s west coast, starting at Falassarna before sailing from Kissamos to Balos Lagoon. Your $58 ticket includes pickup, return transport, the Balos boat, and a reserved sun lounger at Falassarna. English, Greek, and German-speaking drivers handle the transfers.

“1st pick up was ok although the mini bus broke down and they sent a big one to Falasarna beach to pick us up instead so there was a 10 min delay with pickup here. By the time we got to the boat there was already a lot of people on it so the available seat locations were not the best. Boat trip was fine but it is a separate organizations compared to the one who did the pick up/drop off. The main issue was that due to windy and rough sea conditions the boat arrived back at 18:30 to Kissamos port instead of 18:15 and the bus operator decided…”

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10.Chania Old Port: Boat Rental, Drive Yourself

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 57 reviews · 1 day

You collect a small boat at Chania Old Port and learn the basics in about 20 minutes before setting out for Lazareta and Agioi Theodoroi. The boat carries up to five people, and no boating license is required. Choose to drive yourself or book a captain. Fuel, food, and drinks cost extra.

“Really fun and beautiful scenery. however, the guide spoke very poor English, so we found it hard to understand her instructions which then resulted in some frustration in both parts. I'd also say the condition of the boat in terms of steering and engine was pretty ropey but maybe that's to be expected.”

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11.Guided Tour to Loutro (Boat tickets Included)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 37 reviews

Travel south from Chania with guides such as Nicole, stopping at Imbros Gorge before a private boat ride from Sfakia to Loutro. You get four hours to swim, eat, and explore this whitewashed seaside village, then return by boat and bus. Boat tickets and hotel-area pickup are included.

“Amazing tour with Wanderlust tours! I think we got the best guide and busdriver, we could see that they enjoyed their job because they gave the little bit extra so the experience became unik ❤️ We couldn’t be more happy☺️ We will highly recomend Wanderlust tours and would not hesitate to book another tour next time in Crete. As the guide said: everyone returns to Crete❤️ Love Magnhild and Øystein”

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