Day 1: Fly to Heraklion from Gatwick or choice of regional airports (subject to availability) and transfer by coach to the Istron Bay Hotel for check in for a 7 night stay on dinner, bed and breakfast basis. 

Day 2: Leisurely first day tour to Minoan Gournia, the 14th Century church of Panagia Kera, the village of Krista and the harbour town of Agios Nikolaos. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 3: Full day tour to Sitia, the Monastery of Toplou and the palm forest of Vai. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 4: Half day scenic tour to the hill village of Kalamafka and south coast Ierapetra. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 5: Day free or optional tour (charged locally) to the Minoan Palace of Knossos and the Archaelogical Collection at Heraklion. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 6: Full day tour to the Palace of Malia, the Monastery of Kera, and the plateau of Lassithi. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 7: Full day tour to the Island of Spinalonga and harbour town of Elounda. Dinner at the hotel. 

Day 8: Transfer to Heraklion airport for return flight to the UK. 

NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour managers discretion.

INCLUDED

• Return charter flights from Gatwick to Heraklion including all payable taxes.
• 7 nights' accommodation in standard room on dinner, bed and buffet breakfast basis at 5-star Istron Bay Hotel. 
• Transfers and excursions as detailed in the itinerary 
• Tour manager and local guide throughout

NOT INCLUDED

• Single room supplement 
• Superior twin room supplement  
• Holiday insurance 
• Regional flight supplement - regional flights are available from a number of UK airports including Manchester, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Bristol. These are subject to availability and supplement. Please contact us for a quote.  
• Meals other than those stated 
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc 
• Porterage and gratuities

Panagia Kera
This ancient Byzantine church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, has some of the best-preserved and probably the most famous set of Byzantine frescoes anywhere in Crete. The church has three naves and dates from the 13th century as do some of the frescoes.

Kalamafka
We take you into the hinterland of the eastern coast to enjoy scenic views with a visit to the traditional village of Kalamafka. This village is one of few on the island that continues to survive, much as it has for centuries, with the locals living mainly from the land. It has a timeless feel in its narrow streets of white-washed houses and in its position tucked into the hills, hidden from invaders of the past! 

Spinalonga
Fortified by the Venetians in the late 16th century this small island rests quietly in the middle of the beautiful bay of Elounda. It was successfully defended against the Turks until 1715, long after the rest of Crete had succumbed. In 1903 the Cretan authorities founded a leper colony here, which was inhabited until 1955. The 17th century fortress is well-preserved as are the ruins of the village which give a fantastic insight into a past way of life on the island.

Malia Palace
Along with Knossos, Zakros and Phaestos, Malia is one of the 4 major Minoan palaces on the island, set beside the sea on the north coast. It is likely that a first palace occupied the site around 1900 BC that was subsequently destroyed in 1700 BC. The 2nd palace, erected soon after, was destroyed at the same time as the other palaces around 1450 BC.

Lassithi
One of the highpoints of Crete, both in altitude and atmosphere, Lassithi plateau is a green carpet hemmed in on all sides by the Díktean Mountains. As the excavations have shown, this inaccessible area, encircled by high mountains, has been inhabited since Neolithic times. In 1293 it was such a nest of resistance that the Venetians forced everyone out and built 10,000 whitesailed irrigation windmills. Although very few windmills are in use today, it still makes a splendid sight against the mountains.

Toplou Monastery
Founded in the 15th Century Toplou, (which means Monastery of the Gun), stands alone amidst a dramatic and barren landscape owned predominantly by the monastery and used to graze its goats. The monastery continues as a working monastery with less than a handful of monks who work the land, produce olive oil and red wine. The monastery houses a fascinating museum of icons that date from the Byzantine period. 
 
Knossos (optional tour)
We do not include this as part of our itinerary as it is included in our other Minoan Crete tour, so we didn't wish to repeat it on this tour. Knossos is the most well-known of the Minoan sites on the island, controversially made famous by the restoration work done by British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. It is situated close to Heraklion, which gives us the option to include in this tour a visit to the Archaeological Collection of the Heraklion Museum, which houses some of the most famous Minoan finds from the sites on Crete. This tour will be operated subject to numbers and a charge will be applicable and paid locally for participants who wish to join this tour.