The 8 Best Lake Day Trips in Greece

1.Rethimno, Chania, and Kournas Lake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,694 reviews · 10 - 14 hours · from $45Our pick

Travel from Crete’s east to its handsome west coast, stopping in Rethymno, Chania, and freshwater Lake Kournas. You get free time in each place, hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and a guide in English, German, or French. Guides such as Michael and Elena have earned special praise for clear timing and local detail.

“I really enjoyed this day trip. It was lovely to see a bit more of the beautiful island of Crete. Our guide Michael gave us a lot of facts about Crete and the different areas we were going to. The only downside was not enough time in each place. Bus was very comfortable, long day, but I bet much enjoyed it.”

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2.Gramvousa & Balos Lagoon Day Trip with Boat Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 249 reviews · 1 day · from $64

Travel from Rethymno to Kissamos by air-conditioned bus, then cruise to Gramvousa and Balos Lagoon. You get 1.5 hours at the Venetian fortress and 3 hours at the beach. Guides such as Lazarus and Anastasia add useful commentary, while food and drinks cost extra.

“Alles hat gut geklappt. Unser Guide hat gut deutsch gesprochen( Auch englisch). Alles auf den Programm haben wir gemacht und man hat auch genügend Zeit gehabt bei beiden Orten. Würde es nochmals buchen”

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3.Chania and Lake Kournas Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 139 reviews · 6 hours · from $47

Travel by coach from Rethymno to Chania and Lake Kournas for six hours of sightseeing and free time. An English-speaking guide such as Nicholas or George shares local history, while you explore Chania’s harbour, swim in the lake, spot turtles, or rent a pedalo.

“Exactly what I wanted thanks so much. The driver and guide were first class”

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4.Melissani Lake, Drogarati Cave, & Myrtos Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 121 reviews · 7 hours · from $64

Travel by air-conditioned coach with an English-speaking guide to Sami’s Nautical Museum, ancient Drogarati Cave, and myth-filled Melissani Lake. Finish with 2.5 hours at Myrtos Beach for swimming. Guides such as Vanna and Stacey are praised for clear timing and local insight.

“Adonis and the driver were so lovely and helpful! We were a small group of 8 so Adonis allowed us to decide how we wanted to spend the day! He was very knowledgeable and friendly and ensured we were all comfortable. I will definitely be back again in the future and hope to see Adonis again soon! Thank you for accommodating us even in the rain! From Ummama & family”

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5.Private Day Trip to Kerkini Lake

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 120 reviews · 8 hours

Travel from Thessaloniki to Lake Kerkini in a private group of up to eight. With guides such as Nikos or Jannis, you will watch pelicans and flamingos, visit buffalo near the lake, take an optional boat ride, and eat in Vironia village.

“This day trip was absolutley fantastic! The place was gorgeous and we were able to see a great variety of animals. Our guide Nikolas was very passionate about birds and all the informarmation he was giving us, which made the whole experience even better. We truly raccomend going to Kerkini lake!”

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6.Day trip to Chania old Town,Kournas Lake& Rethymno

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 61 reviews · 9 - 11 hours · from $37

Travel from Heraklion and nearby resorts to Chania’s Venetian harbor, peaceful Lake Kournas, and Rethymno’s old town. A multilingual guide accompanies the day, with free time for photos, walking, food, shopping, and a possible swim. Expect up to 11 hours, including long bus rides.

“Leider war die Tour sehr hektisch. Es blieb kaum Zeit, sich die einzelnen Orte in Ruhe anzuschauen. Mir ist klar, dass man auf einer Rundreise nicht alles sehen kann, aber es war einfach zu wenig Zeit – weder zum Essen oder Trinken noch für eine saubere Toilette. Ich hatte das Gefühl, länger im Bus zu sitzen als wirklich etwas zu erleben. Außerdem kamen wir sehr spät im Hotel an. Ich denke, man hat sich zu viele Ziele vorgenommen – lieber nur zwei Orte, dafür mehr Zeit vor Ort. Noch einmal würde ich diese Tour nicht machen. Beim nächsten Mal würde ich lieber ein Auto mieten und die Reise selbst gestalten.”

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7.DayTrip Kournas lake Argyroupoli &Georgioupoli from Rethymno

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 45 reviews · 210 minutes - 9 hours · from $28Best value

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Rethymno to Kournas Lake, Argyroupoli, and the coast. You’ll have time for swimming, canoeing, Greek coffee, lunch, and village walks. English and German guides lead the day, with pickup from selected resorts and private groups available.

“Es war langweilig. Keine Schildkröten und langweilige Orte. Zeit hat sich gezogen.”

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8.Elafonisi Day Trip with Balos Lagoon Photo-Stop

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 38 reviews · 8 hours · from $56

Spend two hours swimming at Elafonisi, then take a 4x4 bus 8 kilometers along a rough road to Cape Vouxa. A guide leads you on a 20 to 25 minute walk to views of Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa. Hotel pickup, English guiding, and drop-off are included.

“Como já informei o GYG a actividade foi cancelada pelo fornecedor da mesma. Aguardo o reembolso do valor que paguei.”

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