Knossos Palace Crete: Complete guide to Minoan archaeological site, throne room, frescoes, ticket prices and tours with practical tips on transport from Heraklion and nearby attractions
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Knossos Palace is one of Crete’s most important architectural landmarks and the island’s most visited historical site. Visiting Crete without seeing Knossos Palace is like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower.
In this article, I’ve tried to describe in maximum detail what can be seen in this Minoan palace, which, according to legend, served as a labyrinth for the legendary Minotaur. I’ll also describe all the nuances related to visiting this Cretan landmark: how and by what means to get there, where to buy entrance tickets and how much they cost, whether it’s better to go independently or as part of a tour, what else to see in the vicinity of Knossos Palace.
Also, for those who decided not to limit themselves to beach relaxation during their visit to Crete but want to combine beaches with interesting tours and trips (both on the island and beyond), it won’t be superfluous to remind that on my website you’ll find useful and detailed articles about how to visit the Samaria Gorge in Crete, as well as how to take a 1-2 day trip from Crete to Santorini island.
Palace of Knossos. Key takeaways from this article
The article about Knossos Palace turned out to be quite long, as we rewrote it several times — almost entirely — and each time added more and more useful information (by my count, we have already spent nearly 180 hours on it between the two of us, and we are still not planning to stop, as there is still a great deal more to cover). So we have put together a short block with the most important points from the article.
Knossos Palace: why go there?
Knossos Palace is not just an ancient building — it is the heart and soul of the Minoan civilisation, one of the earliest and most advanced cultures in Europe. It is a unique testament to the rich history and complex social structure that flourished on the island of Crete over 4,000 years ago. The palace is breathtaking in its scale, intricate layout and refined decoration. Its architectural solutions were far ahead of their time and had a significant influence on the subsequent development of architecture in the region. And most importantly, Knossos Palace is closely linked to the legend of the Minotaur and the labyrinth. Although this is a myth, it makes the place all the more mysterious and appealing to visitors.
With all of this in mind, it is no surprise that Knossos is an extremely popular destination. Even in mid-October, there are a lot of people here (which is why it is better to buy your ticket in advance rather than queuing up on the day). Yes, much of it has been rebuilt and restored using modern materials, but the site is absolutely worth a visit.
What are Knossos Palace’s opening hours and how much do tickets cost?
An entrance ticket to Knossos Palace costs €18 for adults. For €25 you can buy a combined ticket giving access to both the palace and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
It is best to book tickets online in advance. In season (June to September) there is a surge of tourists trying to buy tickets at the on-site ticket desk, resulting in fairly long queues. To avoid this, I recommend choosing one of the e-ticket options for Knossos Palace here. These options typically include a palace entrance ticket combined with various audio guide options, and cost between €18 and €39 per adult.
Knossos Palace is open daily from 8:00 to 19:00. In winter, this open-air museum closes earlier — at 17:00, sometimes even at 15:00. Plan to spend around 2 hours at Knossos Palace — in our experience, this is usually enough time to take in all its monuments and halls.
How to get to Knossos Palace?
Knossos Palace can be reached in the following ways:
- By public transport — specifically by bus. This is the cheapest way to reach the archaeological site. In Heraklion, a city bus runs to Knossos Palace from Bus Station A, located near the sea port, on the Port–Knossos route. Ticket price: €2. (We also wrote in detail about getting there by bus from Chania, with ticket prices, as this came up a lot — see the section “Is it worth going to Knossos Palace if you are staying in the Chania area?”)
- By organised excursion or private guide. An excursion to Knossos Palace is one of the most popular tours on the island.
If you are staying in Heraklion itself, you can get there independently by bus — just remember to buy your palace ticket in advance.
If you are staying not in Heraklion itself but nearby, it is better to book an excursion that includes a transfer from your hotel or resort. Why? We wrote about this in detail further down in the article, in the section “Is it worth going to Knossos by scheduled bus from Heraklion independently?”
Organised excursions to Knossos depart from the Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania areas (even if you are not staying in these cities directly, tour operators have transfer programmes from nearby resorts to join the tour).
Why did we choose a guided excursion to Knossos Palace for our first visit rather than going independently?
We decided to go with an excursion rather than independently not only because of the complex journey (as I mentioned, we were staying in Chania at the time). First of all, these tours are accompanied by a professional guide (usually English-speaking) who will share fascinating facts about the site — and in my view, this is a better experience than using an audio guide (which, incidentally, supports several languages including English). On top of that, the tour is organised from start to finish, with everything thought through and running like clockwork. We chose from three options (we went with the second):
- Full-day trip to Knossos Palace and Heraklion from the Chania area. A private tour priced at €510 for groups of up to 8 people (groups of 9 or more pay €540).
- Chania — Knossos Palace — group guided tour — €58 per person.
- Full-day excursion to Knossos and Heraklion from Chania and Rethymno — €49 per person.
Private excursions to Knossos Palace: why they are worth considering (if you speak English)
- Private excursions offer flexibility in choosing your time and route. On top of that, we personally tend to come away from a single private tour with two or three times more pleasant impressions and emotions than from several group tours combined.
- Another advantage is the full attention of the guide, who is ready to answer your questions throughout the entire day.
- Overall, it is an extremely comfortable experience, especially given the included transfer. In terms of price, you do not pay significantly more — particularly if you book for 2–3 people.
- For travellers with specific needs, such as elderly visitors or people with limited mobility, private excursions can offer the necessary support and a programme adapted to their needs.
In general, if you have the choice between a private and a group excursion, the private option is the better one. It will be far more comfortable and interesting. And there are plenty of appealing options for Knossos Palace:
- Private guided tour with a skip-the-line ticket to Knossos Palace. Price for 2 adults: €180 (€90 per person).
- Private tour including a visit to Knossos Palace and the museum, a city tour and a winery visit. Price for 2 adults: €420 (€210 per person; entrance tickets paid separately).
- Private tour to Knossos Palace with entrance tickets already included in the price. Price for 1 adult: €298.
Knossos Palace description
Undoubtedly, this is the most popular, most visited and one of the most recognizable palaces not only in Greece but throughout the world – the main hero from the covers of most guidebooks, books, calendars, and postcards.
For the most part, the Palace at Knossos gained its wide fame thanks to Sir Arthur John Evans’s partial reconstruction.
The reconstruction still causes much debate, but be that as it may, thanks to it, it was much easier for us personally to imagine how the palace, at least approximately, looked, as well as what other Minoan palaces were like.
History of the Palace at Knossos
The impressive and majestic Knossos Palace was built 5 km south of the modern city of Heraklion.
It was the most luxurious and largest Minoan palace on the island, measuring approximately 180×130 m, accommodating more than 1,000 rooms, a developed sewage system, storerooms, spacious halls and courtyards.
This palace complex was more than just a residence for the king, priests and dignitaries. It was an economic and administrative center, around which the glorious city of Knossos with a population of about 90,000 people stretched.
The ruins that have survived to our time belong to the second Knossos palace. Earlier, in the same place existed the first palace, which was presumably built in 1900 BC, but was destroyed around 1700 BC during a powerful earthquake in Crete.
The construction of the second palace in the same place marked the beginning of the New Palace period. The Palace at Knossos existed approximately until 1450 BC, leaving behind for a long time only legends, traditions and few remnants of former glory.
This was the most luxurious and largest Minoan palace in Crete
And only, more than 3 millennia later, in 1878, Minos Kalokairinos drew attention to the hill where at that time there were only agricultural lands.
Then Minos Kalokairinos discovered western storage rooms that were once part of the palace complex. But unfortunately, during the Turkish occupation of Crete, serious excavations and study of the area were not destined to happen.
Years passed, and Minos Kalokairinos’s finds were not given proper significance. But at the end of the 19th century, some finds from Crete island fell into Arthur Evans’s hands, causing genuine interest in the then still unknown culture.
In 1894, Arthur John Evans arrived in Crete and bought land in the Knossos area, and in 1900 began large-scale excavations of Knossos Palace and its surroundings.
It was then that the great time of sensational discoveries began, laying the foundation of a huge chapter in the history of a great and highly developed civilization that existed in Crete several millennia ago.
Interest in research was so great that Knossos excavations were conducted at a fantastic, even by today’s standards, speed. Each new day brought new discoveries.
Bronze vessels, stone vases, the famous statue of the Fertility Goddess, a game board, the Prince with Lilies fresco and many other finds were discovered here, most of which were moved to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
The famous Prince with Lilies fresco at Knossos Palace
Interesting facts about the Palace at Knossos
During excavations, it became clear that the Minoans invented central heating. In the palace, under the floor, a special hall was arranged where cylindrical structures were installed.
When fire was lit in this hall, the structures heated up, transferring heat to the floor and warming the rooms. Also, royal chambers were heated with hot water supplied through pipes from a boiler installed under the floor.
Minoan – such is the name Arthur John Evans gives to the discovered civilization and its culture. The excavations allowed getting answers to many questions, while leaving much unsolved.
In particular, Linear A and Linear B scripts discovered by Evans, which still resist decryption. Besides excavations, Arthur John Evans makes a decision about partial palace restoration, which is a reason for sometimes very harsh criticism.
We, thanks to Evans’s work, have an excellent opportunity to touch the history of the great Minoan civilization, travel to the past and at least slightly imagine how people lived several millennia ago.
Once fire was lit in this hall, as a result of which the structures heated up, transferring heat to the floor and warming the rooms
Was the Minotaur's Labyrinth in Crete really located in Knossos Palace?
But not only reconstruction became the reason for the palace complex’s popularity. It’s Knossos Palace that is most often associated with the Labyrinth where the Minotaur dwelt. Why?
Most likely, mainly because of the building’s size and complexity. The palace consisted of many rooms connected to each other by complex passages, often resembling a labyrinth.
Indirectly, the presence of a labyrinth in Crete’s largest Minoan palace was indicated by coins depicting a labyrinth, which the ancient city of Knossos minted. And myths in every way fueled the desire to quickly find that very Minotaur’s Labyrinth.
But this is only the most popular version. In our time, there are many arguments proving the opposite.
The palace consisted of many rooms connected to each other by complex passages, often resembling a labyrinth
So, the image of the double axe labrys, which was a sacred symbol among the Minoans, is often found in the palace. And the word Labyrinth probably came from the Lydian term Labrys.
There’s also an opinion that all the building’s confusion and complexity is rather a consequence of the fact that the Minoans didn’t always follow symmetry laws, especially when it concerned utility rooms located on the lower floor.
I repeat, these are only opinions and versions. Moreover, in recent years, searches for the mythical Minotaur’s Labyrinth are increasingly shifting to other corners of Crete island.
So, for example, one version states that perhaps the Minotaur’s Labyrinth could have been located in one of the caves on the island.
Where is Knossos Palace located?
The Minoan palace at Knossos is located in the central part of Crete island, just about 4 km southeast of Heraklion city center.
- Palace coordinates: 35.297883, 25.163118 (35°17’52.4″N, 25°09’47.2″E).
- Car parking coordinates near the palace: 35.298329, 25.161189
How to get to Knossos Palace?
It’s quite easy to get to Knossos Palace by the following means:
By public transport, namely by bus. This is the cheapest way to reach the archaeological territory.
From Bus Station A, located in the seaport area, a city bus runs to Knossos Palace. Buses run on the Port – Knossos route. Ticket price – 1.2 euros.
I tried to describe all questions about moving around Crete by bus in my article Buses in Crete.
With an organized tour or individual guide. A tour to Knossos Palace is one of the most popular tours conducted in Crete. And not surprisingly, because we’re talking about one of those places whose history you want to learn about in as much detail as possible.
And indeed, almost every tour company on the island is ready to offer a tour to this unique Minoan palace.
And nowadays, a tour to the Minoan Palace of Knossos can even be bought online, without leaving home, or without getting up from a beach lounger, on a special tour booking website.
So, for example, through the internet you can find such a tour as: Knossos Palace and Heraklion – full-day tour from Chania.
By the way, on this and other similar sites you can look at prices and orient yourself in advance on the cost of such a tour, so that later when searching, for example, in street agencies, you can already freely navigate the price.
And yet, having chosen an organized tour as a way to become acquainted with Knossos archaeological territory, the main thing is not to make a mistake in choosing the company and guide, because much depends precisely on how the tour itself will be conducted.
Therefore, I strongly recommend carefully studying reviews about certain tour firms and guides in advance.
In a rented car. This is one of the most convenient and rational ways to get to the palace at Knossos. After all, then after becoming acquainted with this landmark, you can go to other, no less interesting corners of Crete island.
About how to properly rent a car on the island, you can read in the article about car rental in Crete.
May be useful: During our trips to Crete, we rented a car on the Discovercars portal. Additionally, you can check car prices in this region on Economybookings and Autoeurope portals.
By taxi. This is one of the simplest, but at the same time one of the most expensive ways to get to Knossos Palace.
Nevertheless, if you decide to use this option, I recommend ordering such transfers on this website.
How to get to Knossos Palace from Heraklion. Which is better — going with a tour or independently? Our advice
There are 2 ways to get there from Heraklion — by bus (price: €2, journey time: 15 minutes, palace entrance ticket: €5) or as part of an excursion. In my view, booking an excursion is the better option, because the bus trip comes to €20–22 in total including the palace entrance, while excursions cost around €40–45 plus tickets — and for that money you can see not only Knossos but also, for example, the Cave of Zeus and the Lasithi Plateau, plus a comfortable transfer.
Yes, it works out somewhat more expensive, but you will come away with far more impressions than from visiting Knossos Palace alone. I can say this from personal experience, having been there twice: once independently and once as part of a guided group.
1. As I mentioned above, for an additional charge you can see even more. This is a combined tour covering Knossos, Lasithi, the Cave of Zeus and an olive farm. You will also visit the Panagia Vidiani Monastery, a religious house dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and learn how people lived 4,000 years ago during a guided tour of Knossos Palace.
The tour price for 1 adult is €45. Tours run year-round at a fixed price. Duration: 11 hours.
Included in the price: hotel pick-up and drop-off, air-conditioned transport with a driver, a guide and insurance. Lunch at the olive farm is paid separately, as are entrance tickets to the Cave of Zeus and Knossos Palace (€6 and €15 respectively).
2. By the way, if group tours are not your thing, you can book a private excursion. For example — a tour with a licensed guide through Knossos Palace with the chance to learn about the ancient Minoan civilisation.
The tour price for 2 adults is €180 (€90 per person). It is better to book for at least 2 people, as purchasing for 1 person costs the same — €180. The price does not change throughout the year and includes the Knossos Palace entrance ticket (skip-the-line) and a private tour led by a licensed archaeologist. Note that this tour is available in English, German, Italian and Russian.
Useful to know: all excursions from Heraklion that include a visit to Knossos Palace are available at this link.
Archaeological territory Knossos opening hours
- November to March – 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM;
- April to October – 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays and until 3:00 PM on weekends.
Knossos Palace ticket prices and where to buy them
Entrance tickets to the palace complex’s archaeological territory can be bought:
- at ticket offices at the palace itself;
- at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion;
- online, on the GetYourguide website.
By the way, combined tickets for visiting both Knossos Palace and the Archaeological Museum are also available (such tickets have a limited validity period).
Knossos Palace ticket prices:
The best time to visit the palace, in our opinion, is morning and evening hours, when in the morning the sun is still, and in the evening is no longer so active.
In other words, in summer it’s most comfortable to walk around the palace territory during opening hours or a few hours before the archaeological territory closes.
Knossos Palace tickets: how and where to buy them?
This is a very popular site — arguably the most outstanding historical monument in Crete — so there are always a lot of visitors, and from what we have observed, very few of them buy tickets in advance. Everyone stands in queues, and based on reviews from some tourists, the queues in high season from July to August can be quite long. I would therefore not recommend buying on the day. Below I have put together several ticket options for Knossos Palace with various additional features:
1. If you do decide to go independently, I recommend booking your Knossos ticket in advance (guaranteed entry without queuing):
This option costs €18 per adult and includes a timed entrance ticket for a specific date, an audio guide to the city of Heraklion and an audio-guided tour of the Knossos archaeological site (own headphones required; audio guides are available in English, French and Italian, and only if the relevant option is selected). This tour is sometimes available at a discount, but tours do not run from November to mid-spring.
From the excursion options, I would recommend:
2. Ticket with an audio tour of Heraklion and Knossos Palace. During the tour you can stroll through the palace halls, see the Morosini Fountain, the Loggia and the Northern Lustral Basin, as well as the throne room, the Kouloures and the tripartite shrine. Price for 1 adult: €28 (tours do not run in winter; the price remains the same at all other times).
Included in the price: palace entrance ticket, a self-guided audio tour (via a smartphone app) and offline content (maps, audio texts). Own headphones required; audio guides available in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.
3. Ticket with audio guide to Knossos and the Archaeological Museum. Explore Knossos Palace and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum at your own pace with an audio guide. An audio guide to the city of Heraklion is also included. Tickets available from April to October; price for 1 adult: €18.
Included in the price: entrance ticket to Knossos Palace, entrance ticket to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, an audio guide and additional offline materials. Own headphones required; audio guides available in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.
What to see in the vicinity of the palace at Knossos?
Probably, it’s most correct to combine a walk through King Minos’s Palace territory with a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, which, in turn, houses numerous finds, many of which were discovered precisely on the palace complex territory at Knossos.
After all, essentially, both these famous landmarks harmoniously complement each other, helping us maximally immerse ourselves in Crete island’s richest history and the great Minoan civilization that once existed here.
Also, in Heraklion is located the Natural History Museum, which will be interesting not only for adults but also for children.
Not far from the city is the Savvathiana women’s Monastery, the picturesque village of Archanes and the sacred Mount Juktas, from where stunning views of endless vineyards open.
In general, in the Heraklion area there’s a huge number of interesting places and landmarks to visit, and of course, they can’t be walked around or driven around in one day.
Therefore, when you plan trips to the Heraklion area (especially if you’re coming from Chania, ~150km, and sometimes more), it’s better to stay at one of the city hotels.
Is it worth going to Knossos Palace? Our view
Yes, Knossos Palace is a place that is absolutely worth visiting. But is it worth dedicating an entire day to it? The palace tour is certainly captivating — but only for the first few hours. The best option, therefore, is to combine a visit to Knossos with other notable sites on Crete.
- During a walk through the palace ruins, visitors are introduced to the magnificent history of the ancient Minoan world — but it is worth bearing in mind that the majority of the excursion takes place outdoors under the blazing sun.
- Exploring the ruins does not take a great deal of time. Although the palace is impressive in terms of its history, most of its grounds consist of archaeological remains that can be seen in 1–2 hours. After that, the visit can feel repetitive, as a significant portion of the palace is ruins rather than intact structures.
What is more, Crete has a great deal more to offer. The island is home to many other remarkable sights — such as the Lasithi Plateau, the Cave of Zeus, ancient villages and stunning natural landscapes. It is well worth combining several locations in a single tour to come away with more vivid impressions and see more interesting places in the same amount of time.
In my view, the best option is to choose an excursion that combines several sites in Crete (including Knossos Palace) — this works out far better value and is a much more rewarding experience overall. Knossos Palace, while extraordinarily fascinating from a historical perspective, does not take long enough to justify giving it an entire day.
On top of this, excursions that include a visit to Knossos Palace typically feature stops in local villages where olive oil is still produced using traditional methods, giving you a glimpse into life in modern-day Crete. And if you enjoy nature, such tours also often take in the island’s scenic landscapes — mountains, valleys and other natural wonders — which add another dimension to the experience.
So if you are planning a trip, combining Knossos Palace with other locations is the better choice, making for a far more full and memorable day.
Tour to Knossos Palace or better to explore independently?
It so happened that we had the opportunity to visit this unique archaeological territory both independently and as part of a tour.
And this is one of those cases when we, based on personal experience, can say with full confidence that places like Knossos Palace should definitely be visited precisely with a tour.
The thing is that, no matter how much literature you read, no matter how much you prepare in advance, during independent walks, as it turned out, we missed a lot of interesting information.
Of course, here the tour guide should also be good, capable of interesting you, telling secrets that will be difficult to dig up on your own, skillfully seasoning their tour with intrigue and mysteries, of which this amazing place literally consists.
We were lucky; the tour through Knossos Palace became for us a real journey into the past, and that’s when we understood how important it sometimes is to study Crete with a person who loves these places, constantly studies them, follows new discoveries, which they can then tell us about with interest.
Where to order a tour? This can be done both at a street agency and through a receiving guide (although it’s unknown which tour guide will lead this tour).
Now there are opportunities to order a tour in advance, through the internet, having previously read reviews about the tour itself and about the tour guide, which is very important. Moreover, visiting Knossos is possible as a package of several different tours at once; there’s a choice, for example:
- From Heraklion: tour of the historic city center and palace at Knossos
- Heraklion: Lasithi Plateau, Zeus Cave and one-day tour to Knossos
- Knossos Palace – Museum – Heraklion Tour
- Chania/Rethymno: Knossos, Archaeological Museum in Heraklion
- Ierapetra: Knossos Palace and guided Heraklion tour
- From Chania: Private tour to Zeus Cave and Knossos Palace
- From Agios or Elounda: one-day tour to Zeus cave and palace at Knossos
May be useful: See all available tours with a visit to the palace at Knossos at this link
In our opinion, this is one of the best options – to book a tour in advance, as there’s an opportunity to make a more correct choice for yourself, carefully study the program of one or another tour, reviews about it, yes about the guide. Moreover, this is an excellent opportunity to at least somewhat plan the program of the upcoming vacation on Crete island.
Is it worth going to Knossos Palace if you are staying in the Chania area?
Yes, it is absolutely worth making the trip to Knossos Palace from the Chania area, because bus connections between Chania and Heraklion are very frequent, and a large number of excursions depart from there. In practice, Chania is one of the main departure points for excursions to Knossos.
But first, let me explain how to get to Knossos by scheduled bus from Chania, as this comes up a lot:
- Start at the Chania central bus terminal, located near the old port.
- Buses to Heraklion run fairly often, roughly every hour (the first departure is around 5:30 a.m.). The journey takes about 2.5 hours (ticket price: €18–20).
- You will arrive at Heraklion’s main bus terminal.
- From there, take scheduled bus No. 2 (ticket: €2) to Knossos Palace. It departs every 15–20 minutes. The journey to Knossos takes around 20 minutes (without traffic).
- Get off at the “Knossos” stop. The entrance to the archaeological complex is just a couple of minutes’ walk from there.
As you can see, the return bus journey takes almost 6 hours and will cost around €40–44. That leaves you with three options:
- a very brief look at the palace, since most people also want to have a quick look around Heraklion and grab something to eat there;
- staying in Heraklion overnight and exploring the city with the audio guide that typically comes with the Knossos Palace ticket;
- using a ready-made excursion.
From the excursions to Knossos from Chania, here are a few options I would recommend (note that even when tickets are not included in the tour price, entry to the sites without queuing is always guaranteed):
1. On this excursion from Chania you will see Knossos Palace with its famous architectural style and heritage, explore the city of Heraklion and visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum (optional).
Price for 1 adult: €58, including hotel pick-up and drop-off, a guide and a walking tour of Heraklion.
The palace entrance ticket is paid separately (€18 per adult), and the Archaeological Museum can also be visited for an additional €12 per adult. This tour is available at the link — runs from April to October.
2. A full-day excursion from Chania to Heraklion (10 hours)checking availability for your dates in advance at this link. It includes not only a walking tour of Heraklion but also visits to Knossos Palace and the Archaeological Museum. You can choose between a group or individual tour (runs from June to September).
Price for 1 adult: €95, including hotel transfer, a guided tour of Knossos Palace in English (1.5 hours), a guide, an audio-visual presentation of Cretan traditions, free Wi-Fi in the vehicle and insurance. Palace and museum entrance tickets are paid separately (€18 and €12 respectively).
This tour is very popular and has an excellent number of positive reviews on GetYourGuide, so it is worth checking availability for your dates in advance at this link.
3. Another full excursion from Chania to Knossos and Heraklion, lasting 6 hours (not including transfer time). The tour starts at around 7:00 a.m. as all participants are collected from their hotel. A 20-minute coffee stop is made en route to Heraklion.
- The group arrives at Knossos at 10:00 a.m. and the guided tour of the palace begins immediately.
- This is followed by a three-hour walk around Heraklion, during which you can have a coffee or lunch on the famous Lions’ Square, visit the magnificent Church of Agios Minas, buy souvenirs or pop into the Crete Archaeological Museum.
- The group returns at 18:00.
Price for 1 adult: €68, including transfer, guide, a tour of the palace and Heraklion, and insurance. Museum and palace entrance tickets are paid separately (€12 and €18 respectively). These excursions can be booked at this link and run from April to October.
Useful to know: all excursions from Chania to Knossos Palace are available at this link.
Our tour through Knossos Palace
I immediately want to note that, having arrived at the sign and left the car at one of several quite spacious parking lots in the Knossos area, we somehow didn’t immediately find the palace itself.
Tourists walked along the road, but they didn’t orient us either. Their movement was more like Brownian motion. Someone was looking for their bus, someone was going to the palace, and someone was just looking for a local cafe to gain strength before a serious inspection.
As a result, we oriented ourselves by a fairly modest sign with the inscription: KNOSSOS ENTRANS. EINGANG. PALAST. PALACE. PALAIS.
By the way, you can leave your car here both in paid and free parking.
The sign by which we oriented ourselves where to go to get to the palace
We bought entrance tickets online in advance here. Therefore, we immediately go to meet the great history of the highly developed Minoan civilization.
For clarity, to make it clear where we walked, what we saw, we’re posting the Knossos Palace Plan.
Plan of Knossos Palace
Below I’ll describe in order what we saw during our palace tour, so you can form your own impression of what can be seen here.
Western Court of Knossos Palace
This is not only the main entrance for visitors to the archaeological territory today. Here, according to one version, was the main entrance to Knossos Palace.
The first thing you notice is three large pits lined with stones inside, so-called donuts.
Some sources say the containers were used for grain storage, others claim they were for collecting sacrificial remains. Parts of an altar were discovered nearby.
Interestingly, the western court dates to the Old Palace period.
Western Court of Knossos Palace
Corridor with the Procession fresco
The corridor, also called the Processional Way, was decorated with a fresco depicting youths and maidens carrying offerings to a Deity or female priestess.
Part of the corridor was destroyed, and information about the corridor in various sources is somewhat contradictory.
According to one version, based on conclusions about the similarity of the floor structure at the beginning of the corridor and the floor at the entrance to the central court from the south side, it’s assumed that the Processional Way connected the palace’s western entrance with the central court.
South House
A three-story house, dated by Arthur Evans to approximately 1600 BC, is located at the palace’s southwestern boundaries. Most likely, the South House belonged to the high priest.
Three-story South House
Southern boundaries of the palace, Horns of consecration
Then we deviated slightly from the standard route along which tours are led and which guidebooks talk about.
From the south house we took a course slightly eastward, admiring the once majestic panorama of the palace’s southern facade, which is crowned by sacred horns made of parolite, also causing many questions and disputes.
Southern boundaries of the palace
Central courtyard
Having passed parallel to the south entrance, we get to the very center of Knossos Palace – the central court with a floor paved with slabs.
The court’s dimensions are quite impressive and amount to 50×25 m, thanks to which all the palace’s central and large-scale events took place in this space. And the large open space created additional ventilation and lighting for the palace’s inner rooms.
In addition, according to one version, various rituals took place in the central court.
Central Court
Prince with Lilies
Palace visitors got to the central court through the south entrance, which is part of the Processional Way, as evidenced by the floor structure similar to the beginning of the corridor and the famous Prince with Lilies fresco.
The fresco’s original was found in a very deplorable state. But restoration work revived the fresco, and now its original is stored in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
For clarity, part of the Processional Way leading to the central court was restored.
Well, having waited for most tourists to switch their attention to other parts of the palace, we tried to imagine what people experienced when entering Knossos Palace through this corridor.
Prince with Lilies fresco in the central court and south entrance through which visitors enter this court
South Propylaea
To the west of the south entrance to the central court are the majestic South Propylaea with a large staircase leading to the upper (main) floor of the palace (Piano Nobile), where Knossos Palace’s cult rooms were located.
The importance of those rooms is indicated by the fact that from the south side the Propylaea were closed with doors.
The decor of this palace part (the same floor structure, frescoes), according to Evans, indicated that the South Propylaea were also a continuation of the Processional Way.
Here is the famous Rhyton Bearer – a youth holding a conical vessel for libations.
South Propylaea with large staircase leading to the upper (main) floor of the palace (Piano Nobile)
In the northern part of the Propylaea, pithoi were found dating to the Post-Palace period, indicating that most likely the South Propylaea at that time were used as storerooms.
Staircase to Piano Nobile
In the northern part of the Propylaea, a large staircase rushes upward, once having columns on both sides and leading to the main floor of Knossos Palace (Piano Nobile).
Arthur Evans believed that it was on the upper floor that state rooms and reception rooms were located, as it was here that space was best lit and ventilated.
Large staircase in the northern part of the Propylaea, once having columns on both sides and leading to the main floor of Knossos Palace (Piano Nobile)
Climbing the stairs, on the right you can see a rectangular room (8A). Greek Temple – that’s how Arthur Evans interpreted this structure, based on finds made here.
Evans also concludes that this room was built a long time after the palace’s destruction.
Tours from Rethymno to Knossos Palace: which ones are worth considering?
Based on the experiences of people I know and numerous reviews, Rethymno is a fairly popular departure point for excursions that include a visit to Knossos Palace. Here, in my view, are the best tours departing from there that I was able to find:
- Full-day trip to Heraklion with a visit to Knossos Palace. Here you can explore the ancient ruins of Knossos Palace at your own pace, stroll around Heraklion and visit the Archaeological Museum (optional). Price for 1 adult: €22 (the tour runs from April to October at a fixed price). Included: transfer, air-conditioned transport, a stop at Knossos, the Archaeological Museum and the city of Heraklion. Palace and museum entrance tickets are paid separately (€18 and €12 respectively).
- Visit to the Archaeological Museum, Knossos Palace and Heraklion from Rethymno. Duration of the private tour: 8–9 hours. Price for a group of up to 8 people: €380, which works out at €47.50 per person (for groups over 9 people: €450). Included: transfer, modern transport, a visit to the palace and museum, and a walk around Heraklion. In essence, this is a “stroll at your own pace with all necessary transfers” type of tour. Along the way you will see the monument designed by Daedalus, the palace of King Minos and the museum, and have the chance to take a walk and have a coffee in Heraklion.
Useful to know: all excursions from Rethymno to Knossos Palace are available at this link
Piano Nobile
Finally, having climbed the stairs to the upper floor, we get to the antechamber. From the antechamber, having gone north, we enter the Three-Column Shrine.
That’s what Arthur Evans called it, comparing it with a similar shrine depicted on frescoes, and also as a result of finding three columns, pilasters and a stone in the shape of a lioness’s head that fell to the first floor.
Stone in the shape of a lioness’s head found in the Three-Column Shrine
To the south in a small room was the Shrine’s treasury, where jewels, various gifts and a large amount of cult utensils were found.
Having gone north of the Three-Column Shrine and turned left, we get to the Great Hall with two columns.
And north of the Great Hall is the Shrine room with six columns. Arthur Evans assumed that the room had a sacred character, based on wall paintings discovered on the lower floor, fragments of a pithos and amphoras that fell to the floor where the storerooms are located.
Here also, the famous Parisienne fresco was discovered.
Western Magazines
From the main floor (Piano Nobile), a view opens onto an entire complex of elongated rooms. These are the palace’s Western Magazines.
Pithoi arranged along the walls date to various time periods. Here are also underground niches, presumably serving for storing precious objects.
However, other sources claim that grain, wool, fabrics and other things valued in those times were also stored here.
Palace’s Western Magazines
But undoubtedly, the main product stored in the western magazines was olive oil. This is indirectly indicated by the magazines’ walls, blackened from fire, which raged here much stronger than in other palace rooms.
Sacred symbols in the form of a cross, star, branch and double axe (labrys) were discovered inscribed on the western magazines’ walls.
The magazines themselves communicated with Knossos Palace’s crypts. All this clearly indicated the sacred character of these rooms as well.
Throne Room
From the eastern side, Piano Nobile communicates with a staircase to the Central Court, where we returned in order to visit the Throne Room – a room enjoying perhaps the greatest popularity among tourists.
Above the Throne Room is the Hall of Frescoes, where copies of such frescoes as: Bull Games, Ladies in Blue, Saffron Gatherer, Blue Bird, Blue Monkey and copies of other no less famous finds are collected.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t get into the Hall of Frescoes due to increased excitement on the part of tourists. But we decided to visit the Throne Room at all costs.
The first room is an antechamber with four passages, behind which the Throne Room itself is located. Here, in the same place as thousands of years ago, stands a stone throne discovered by Evans during excavations.
Opposite the throne is a small lustral basin, even further, slightly hidden from our view, a Shrine with a stone pedestal.
Throne Room
The walls restored by Evans are decorated with frescoes depicting griffins – a sacred symbol in Minoan religion.
To the right and left of the throne are benches on which, presumably, priests possibly sat. Everything here speaks to the fact that the Throne Room had a cult character; important rites clearly took place here.
Restored walls are decorated with frescoes depicting griffins
But what happened to the hall subsequently remains only to be assumed. They say that during excavations, Arthur Evans discovered randomly scattered vessels here, which gave grounds to think that at one time something extraordinary and tragic happened in the Throne Room.
However, Knossos Palace is still full of mysteries like this one.
Tripartite Shrine
South of the Throne Room and staircase was a room consisting of three parts, from which came the name Tripartite Shrine.
It’s assumed that the room’s facade was decorated with columns supporting a cornice crowned with a whole row of double horns. The central element of the Tripartite Shrine was the tallest.
The conclusion about what was actually here, Arthur Evans made by comparing the found room with a similar room depicted on an element of wall painting, which is currently stored in the Heraklion museum.
Clay tablets with Linear B script and clay seal impressions were found inside the shrine.
Tripartite Shrine, located south of the Throne Room, consisted of three parts, from which came its name
Behind the Shrine are two dark rooms with columns, known as Pillar Crypts.
In these rooms’ floors, depressions in the form of baths are made. And apparently, they were used for libations.
In another room, two large rectangular repositories built into the floor were found. The containers were full of clay vases and valuable objects, among which was the famous statuette of the Snake Goddess, which can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
Eastern Wing
Guided by the assumption that Knossos Palace was the residence of the King of Knossos, Arthur Evans believed that the royal family’s living quarters were located precisely in the palace’s eastern wing.
There were both spacious halls and small rooms connected by a complex of corridors. However, it should be noted that over time archaeologists’ opinions divided, giving birth to new assumptions that in the eastern part of the palace at Knossos there were not living quarters at all, but possibly shrines.
While it’s not precisely determined what was actually here, we personally are more sympathetic to Evans’s version about royal chambers.
Grand Staircase (State Staircase)
These rooms were connected by an impressive Grand Staircase, spreading over four floors, two of which were below the central court level.
Having two flights on each floor, the staircase was quite smooth, which made climbing it quite effortless.
Grand Staircase spreading over four floors
The Grand Staircase was well lit thanks to a light well with wooden columns, decorated with colorful frescoes.
Hall of Double Axes or King's Megaron
The staircase’s lower level is connected by a corridor to the Hall of Double Axes, where, as was assumed, was the King’s Megaron with a beautiful corner portico of columns.
Hall of Double Axes or King’s Megaron
Having exited the Hall of Double Axes and gone slightly southwest, we get to the next room.
Queen's Megaron with the famous Dolphins fresco
And slightly west is the Queen’s Bathroom, separated from the main room by a wall with a window.
Queen’s Megaron with Dolphins fresco
Further was the Cosmetic Room, bordering a light well bearing the name Spindle Court.
The Cosmetic Room communicated with a room in whose floor a sewage opening was found. Most likely, there was a toilet here.
But the main thing that Knossos Palace hid in this part – another treasury, where precious objects made of gold and ivory were found.
Here was also found the famous statuette Bull Leaper.
Craftsman's Workshop and School
From the northern part of the Grand Staircase, a corridor rushes east, ending with a door to the Anteroom of Wooden Beams. North of the Anteroom was the Craftsman’s Workshop.
During excavations, stone processing tools and unfinished products were found here. To the north was the so-called School, where, as Evans believed, they learned to write on clay tablets, and clay was mixed in a mortar standing next to a bench.
It’s quite possible that here was not a School but a pottery workshop.
Among other assumptions, the theory has a right to exist that the main (principal) workshop was on the upper floor, from where vases and amphoras fell to the first floor. But then it remains to guess what was in the lower rooms.
Having gone even further north from the workshops, we stumbled upon something that struck us with its size. These were huge vessels, stored in separate rooms.
Magazine of Giant Pithoi
Here are stored huge pithoi, amazing with their size and wealth of reliefs. It’s also interesting that the Magazine of Giant Pithoi dates to the Old Palace period.
Thus, it’s more than 4000 years old, which is already unique in itself… In the photograph it’s very difficult to appreciate the vessels’ size. But these pithoi are truly gigantic, the height of human growth.
Magazine of Giant Pithoi
In front of the Magazine of Giant Pithoi is a staircase beginning from the Eastern Entrance to Knossos Palace, which Arthur Evans reconstructed.
The entrance’s tower-like structure resembles a bastion, from which the eastern entrance was given the name Eastern Bastion. Although it’s quite obvious that this tower clearly was not of a fortification character, accordingly, was hardly a bastion.
Chessboard Corridor (Chess Corridor, Zatricio Corridor)
The corridor located northwest of the Magazine of Giant Pithoi bears several names, which arose thanks to a game found here similar to backgammon or checkers, made of ivory, rock crystal, gold and silver.
Chessboard Corridor located northwest of the Magazine of Giant Pithoi
At the beginning we already said that Knossos Palace had sewage. In this palace part, you can make sure that the Minoan palace really had a quite perfect sewage system.
In particular, in the southern part of the Chess Corridor we stumbled upon a preserved part of the sewage network. But, as often happens with us, admiring and marveling, we forgot to photograph this wonder.
And we were already drawn to what was saved for dessert, in some way a symbol of Crete island – the Western Bastion with a copy of the Bull fresco, located in the Northern Entrance Corridor.
Copy of Bull fresco located in the Northern Entrance Corridor
Northern Entrance Corridor
As is clear from the name, the corridor connected the Northern entrance to Knossos Palace with the Central Court.
Opposite the Western Bastion was located the Eastern Bastion, also having a colonnade and, in all probability, also decorated with frescoes.
Corridor that connected the Northern Entrance with the Central Court
To the west of the Corridor, rooms surrounded by a wall going much deeper than the Central Court level were found.
According to Arthur Evans’s version, the walls are elements of a structure belonging to the original palace. A stone lamp, bucket, fresco fragments were found here, among which was the Tripartite Shrine fresco.
Rooms surrounded by a wall going much deeper than the Central Court level
Leaving Knossos Palace through the Northern Entrance Corridor, we get to the Hypostyle Hall.
Hypostyle Hall
Arthur Evans called this hall the Customs House, assuming that here goods and things entering the palace were inspected.
It’s quite possible that here could have been a hall for holding feasts. As usual, everything concerning the Minoan Palace at Knossos is shrouded in many assumptions and mysteries.
Hypostyle Hall
Leaving the palace through the Northern Entrance, on the left our view opened onto the Northern Lustral Basin.
Northern Lustral Basin
The Lustral Basin is surrounded on both sides by columns and is faced with slabs. The Northern Lustral Basin building was reconstructed by Evans.
He believed that this basin was intended for ablutions of visitors who visited Knossos Palace through the Northern Entrance.
Lustral Basin surrounded on both sides by columns and faced with slabs
Interestingly, similar basins are found in several places in this palace, and in general, were typical for other Minoan period structures.
And these rooms still cause much debate about their purpose, as there’s no certainty that the containers in so-called basins were filled with water at all. And there was no drainage system in these basins…
To the northwest of the Northern Lustral Basin is, in our opinion, another mystery of Knossos Palace.
And the last location for us this day. Evans called this territory the Theater.
Theater
The area, paved with slabs and bounded by a staircase in its eastern and southern part, indeed, by form resembled a theater.
In the southeastern part of the area, as if embedded in the staircase, is an elevation which, according to Evans, served as a box from where the royal family watched actions that took place here.
Area paved with slabs and bounded by a staircase in its eastern and southern part resembled a theater by form
There’s an assumption that through the Theater still passed the Processional road, leading to the palace’s northwestern part, and then going south along the western facade toward the Western Vestibule.
Our impression of the palace at Knossos
Undoubtedly, Knossos Palace made a very strong impression on us. But unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, we can’t say that everything here is clear.
This place holds too many mysteries, as does the entire Minoan civilization.
Well, and regarding the assertion that the palace complex at Knossos is that very Minotaur’s Labyrinth.
Indeed, the complex system of corridors connecting many rooms, to some extent resembles a labyrinth. Perhaps this is another grandiose mystery of Crete island, which to this day remains unanswered.