Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ
Traveler rating
3.6/5
Based on 33 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ worth booking?
Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ is a 8-hour experience in Heraklion, Greece, from $16 per person. It scores 55 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 3.6/5 rating across 33 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 55 / 100
- Rating
- 3.6/5 (33)
- Duration
- 8 hours
- From
- $16 per person
Discover the seaside village of Elounda and walk amongst history on the island of Spinalonga. Finishing our touring on this much afflicted place, we head for the small bay of Kolokitha. It’s one of the most beautiful be
What you get
- BBQ and Boat (if selected)
- Hotel pick-up in Malia,Stalis,Hersonisos,Anisaras,Gouves,Heraklion,Ammoudara,Ag Pelagia,Fodele
- Professional guide MON:EN-DE-FR-PL TUE: EN-PL-RUS-RM FRI:EN-PL-RUS SAT:EN-DE
- Professional guide English, German and French(mon-wed-thu)
- In-vehicle air conditioning
About this experience
Discover the seaside village of Elounda and walk amongst history on the island of Spinalonga. Finishing our touring on this much afflicted place, we head for the small bay of Kolokitha. It’s one of the most beautiful beaches on Crete. It is a remote beach with white sand and deep blue serene water, side by side with old olive groves. There we can swim from the boat. Here you have plenty of time for swimming at the crystal clear waters, tasting the BBQ served on board. The menu includes pork* chop BBQ, greek salad, feta cheese, bread, wine or Fanta and seasonal fruit.(EVERY SUNDAY the dinner is in a tavern we DONT have BBQ on board) After our short respite, we go back to Elounda. Then we move to the picturesque town of Agios Nikolaos, where we have our last stop. We have the chance to enjoy our coffee getting a perfect view of the magnificent lake, do our shopping in the traditional local shops and relax for a while before we hit the road for our going back.
What's included
Included
- BBQ and Boat (if selected)
- Hotel pick-up in Malia,Stalis,Hersonisos,Anisaras,Gouves,Heraklion,Ammoudara,Ag Pelagia,Fodele
- Professional guide MON:EN-DE-FR-PL TUE: EN-PL-RUS-RM FRI:EN-PL-RUS SAT:EN-DE
- Professional guide English, German and French(mon-wed-thu)
- In-vehicle air conditioning
Not included
- Entrance fees
- Personal expenses
- Boat ticket and BBQ (adults)
- Entrance fees
- Boat ticket and BBQ(children aged 5-11 years)
- Boat ticket Without BBQ (ONLY ON SUNDAYS)
What you'll see and do
Spinalonga (Kalydon)
Discover the seaside village of Elounda and walk amongst history on the island of Spinalonga.
120 minutes here · Admission not included
Elounda
10:30 Departure from Elounda with the boat 10:50 Arrival Spinalonga 12:30 Departure from Spinalonga and time for swimming 13:00 Arrival Elounda 15:00 Departure from Elounda to Agios Nikolaos 15:15 Arrival Agios Nikolaos 16:45 Departure Agios Nikolaos – back to the hotels 18:30 Arrival Heraklion.
120 minutes here
Agios Nikolaos
Last stop the capital town of Lasithi, Agios Nikolaos. Relax in a café next to the bottomless Lake of Voulismeni and enjoy your walk to the local shops.
60 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 15 minutes before departure.
Options you can book
from Agia Pelagia,Fodele
Pick up included: Pickup from Agia Pelagia, Lygaria and Fodele. Pickup included
From Sissi
Sissi: Discover the seaside village of Elounda and walk amongst history on the island of Spinalonga. Pickup included
Tour in Romanian
Tour in Romanian Pickup included
From Herakleion-BBQ & Boat
BBQ & Boat included Pickup included
from Herakleion and Ammoudara
Spinalonga Island: Discover the seaside village of Elounda and walk amongst history on the island of Spinalonga. Pickup included
from Malia,Stalis,Hersonissos
Pick up included: Pickup from Malia, Stalis, Hersonisos, Analipsi, and Gouves. Pickup included
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- de, ru, en, pl, fr, ro
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- PLATANOS TOURS
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Take swimming suits
- At the time of booking please mention your hotel name and location. You will be notified by email about the pickup point and time
- Infants will be seated with their parents on the bus and will not have their own seat
- Seats are assigned by the theater box office and will not be known in advance of the performance date
- Pickup begins up to 90 minutes before tour starts and is done from central meeting points near the hotels, only in the areas of Malia , Stalis ,Hersonisos , Anissaras , Analypsi , Gouves , Gournes , Heraklion , Ag. Pelagia , Sisi and Ammoudara
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 33 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
5 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Organization
4 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Food and drink
3 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Pace and timing
3 mentionsSeveral reviewers found the schedule tight or the day long.
Knowledge and storytelling
2 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Value for money
2 mentionsTravelers feel they got more than they paid for.
Traveler reviews
33 verified traveler reviews for Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Pros and cons
There were positive and negative aspects of the tour. The bus was large and fully booked, but was comfortable. The places visited were interesting. The BBQ on the boat was disappointing. The boat was over-crowded, with passengers from multiple tours. The boat, smelling of fuel, remained at the quay until dinner was complete (90+ minutes). Everyone had to line up to obtain their meals, and eat their meal with their trays on their laps. Since we were stationary during the meal, I would have preferred a nice taverna that provided service. Also, one of the tour guides on the boat (I do not know if she was from the same tour operator), was making a political statement by wearing a keffiyeh scarf. While individuals are free to wear what they wish, I believe it is inappropriate for someone to make political statements while on duty.
Response from the operator: thank you for the review
via Viator
Excellent day out
The day trip was excellent, pick up on time, coach down to Elounda then the boat trip to Spinalonga. Back to the coach and a visit to an Olive factory which was very interesting, followed by some free time in Agios Nikolas. then the coach back to the pick up pint. It was a long day but well worth the money and would totally recommend.
Response from the operator: Thank you for the review
via Viator
Read the comments
In one side it was 10/10 and in the other hand it was not a boat trip... so it was a 12 hour long excursion with a bus and a bit of boat... we stayed 5 hours on the bus, 1 on the boat, 1 hour swimming, 1 hour grill, 2 hours on the Spinalonga island 1 hour in an olive oil factory and 1 hours in Agios Nicolaus city. It was very beautiful and the tour guides were very nice so it's worth is to see this much beauty. The bus part was awful, we stayed a bit at like 10 hotels to collect the people (we started from Heraklion) . The swimming part was okay, a nice hidden ⛱️ ;) the bbq was not a big deal , I will insert a pic, and we had to pay 15 euro extra in cash for the food (1 slide of pork and a greek salad + 1 🍊)... the island is amazing, that was the best part (you have to have 20 euro extra in cash for the entrance) . So after the beach and the Spinalonga the boat trip was over, back to the bus and to an 🫒 factory. We got some tasting:) back to the bus again, and we had 1 hour to see Agios Nicolaus city. And back to the bus for another 2.5 hour busride back to Heraklion. It's a full day activity but maybe worth to book a normal boat trip only to Spinalonga and if you have a car it's easier to visit the other places (it was 90 euro per total, not 55 like when we did the booking). It would be nice to know the full program in advance...but it was well organised
Response from the operator: thank you for the review
via Tripadvisor
Left waiting around and then stranded. Incorrect itinerary was provided. However, actual boat trip was good.
We had a good time when on the boat, but we were misled by the operator… We were given the wrong itinerary. We were told to get to the boat 90 minutes before it actually departed (and left sat on deck bored). We were nearly left stranded in Elounda at the end - thankfully there was a bus route and we knew how to sort bus tickets… Despite being very prompt with messages, it was clear they didn’t really understand the excursion and its timings. For instance, we were told if we wanted a pick up it would be 8:10… for an hour-long ride for a 11:50 start! When we questioned this as it seemed very early they didn’t tell us that on route there would be two excursion stops, so we made our way there privately.
Response from the operator: if you read the email we sent sent to you and follow the google map nothing will be confusing
via Tripadvisor
Great Trip - Highly Recommend
I read a lot of bad reviews for this excursion but I booked anyway as I really wanted to see Spinalonga. Contrary to previous reviews we had an excellent trip. We were collected efficiently, clear instructions were sent the day before. The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable and was able to speak both English and German/Dutch? The trip to the Olive Factory was a lovely start to the day, as well as the stop to Agios Nikolaos, there was plenty of time to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the wonderful views and do some shopping. The trip to Spinalonga was well organised we had our own private boat for our group. The Island itself is just as amazing as expected. We had plenty of time to have a wander and explore. The last part of the trip was to relax for a further couple of hours on the beach in Plaka, this was great if you're hungry or would like a swim, however there wasn't much else to do, so we were twiddling our thumbs for quite a while and were ready to head back to our hotel. Cons of the trip - we would have preferred for the boat trip and entrance fee to Spinalonga to be included in the cost, with tickets pre-purchased. Although we were fortunate there was not a big queue I can see this being an issue in high season which then takes away the time to explore Spinalonga Island. They will also only accept cash for the additional charges.
Response from the operator: Thank you for the review
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Price range
- $16 to $45
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 12
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Who runs this experience
Operated by PLATANOS TOURS, who run 38 experiences we rank across 2 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 55.5.
See everything PLATANOS TOURS runsWhy this scores 55
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Heraklion.
How much does Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ cost?
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Prices start at $16 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Heraklion usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ take?
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Plan for about 8 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Heraklion is not rushed.
Is Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 55 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (3.6/5 across 33 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Heraklion, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 8-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ?
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Around 12 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Heraklion can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Heraklion and add a light layer if any part of the 8-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Heraklion : Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos , Elounda Boat Tour & BBQ start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Heraklion within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Heraklion?
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On Outty we rank every Heraklion experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Knossos - Zeus Cave - Old Traditional Villages-Olive Oil Factory, Knossos & Lasithi Plateau: Zeus Cave, Villages, Olive Oil Tour, 5Hour Safari Tour in Crete(Heraklion)with Quad,Jeep,Buggy & Lunch. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Heraklion?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Heraklion?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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