Crete

15 Best Balos & Elafonisi Beach Tours

The beach day trips: Balos pooling turquoise behind its sandbar, best arrived at by boat past Gramvousa’s pirate fortress, and Elafonisi answering with pink sand in the far corner. Crete’s two cover-photo beaches, one per day.

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

Discover Crete’s highlights with a full-day boat cruise to Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa, featuring stunning scenery, historical sites, and crystal-clear waters.

Most Popular★ 4.2

“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…”

6,755 reviews7 hoursFrom $47by CRETAN DAILY CRUISES

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4.Chania Areas/Kalyves:Gramvousa Island & Balos,Boat Tkt Extra

Discover Crete’s stunning Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island with this full-day tour featuring scenic boat rides, hiking, and authentic Greek views.

★ 4.2

“Great day out. Scenery is beautiful. Had a great amount of time at both stops. It did take quite a long time to get to Balos on the ferry as the sea was quite choppy. Stella, our guide, was very amicable and funny, and JM…”

992 reviews10 - 12 hoursFrom $23by PLATANOS TOURS

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6.From Rethymno/Kavros: Elafonisi Island Pink Sand Beach Tour

Discover the stunning pink sands of Elafonisi on this full-day Crete trip from Rethymno. Enjoy scenic drives, cultural stops, and ample beach time for a memorable experience.

★ 4.4

“Very friendly and while driving we got to know many interesting things about Crete by Stella. We had a great time and would book the tour again :)”

799 reviews9 - 10 hoursFrom $28by PLATANOS TOURS

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9.From Kissamos Port: Boat cruise to Balos lagoon

Experience Crete’s stunning Balos Lagoon on a boat cruise from Kissamos port with clear waters, scenic caves, and spectacular views, perfect for a day of relaxation.

★ 4.2

“Great Value for a Beautiful Experience The price is absolutely worth it. Private catamarans cost around €1500, and even the smaller boats we considered were €400–€500. Given that 2–3 hours is more than enough time to enjoy Balos — whether you're a couple or traveling…”

678 reviews5 hoursFrom $42by CRETAN DAILY CRUISES

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

Discover Crete’s stunning Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island on a full-day boat trip from Chania, featuring scenic views, historical sites, and swimming opportunities.

★ 4.4

“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.”

590 reviews12 hoursFrom $64by Io Tours

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12.From Heraklion: Cruise to Balos Lagoon and Chania Old Town

Experience a full day exploring Crete’s stunning Balos Lagoon and charming Chania Old Town with this guided cruise from Heraklion. Perfect for nature lovers and history buffs alike.

★ 4.4

“lovely day out exploring different parts of the island. spend around 6hours on the bus and 7.5hours on the boat and on the islands. nice hike up to the Venetian Castle at Gramvousa and a relaxing couple of hours at Balos. boat can be chilly,…”

526 reviews14.5 - 16 hoursFrom $88by Cretan Odyssey

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13.Chania: Elafonisi Bus Trip with Free Time and Stop in Elos

Discover Crete's stunning Elafonisi Beach on an affordable, well-organized bus trip that includes mountain drives, free beach time, and charming village stops.

★ 4.4

“Honest review: Worth money? Yes Is food ok at the food stop? Yes Is the minibus ok? Yes Is the beach pink? No Is the beach pretty? Yes Is the driver and guide good? Yes Should you buy the trip? Yes Good to know: If…”

512 reviewsFrom $31.62by Quality Travel

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14.From Chania: Elafonisi Pink Sand Beach Day Trip w/ Elos Stop

Experience Crete’s stunning pink sand beach on a guided day trip from Chania, with scenic mountain drives, a historic village stop, and plenty of beach time.

★ 4.5

“Coach was on time at place of pick up and air conditioned, guide was very information and gave a many facts about Crete and Greece. We drove through the mountains which was gorgeous. The beach itself is like no other, gorgeous crystal clear lagoon that…”

406 reviewsFrom $34by Io Tours

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15.Elafonissi Beach Trip from Chania

Discover the beauty of Crete with a full-day trip from Chania to Elafonissi Beach, featuring stunning pink sands, scenic stops, and expert guides, all at a great value.

★ 4.5

“The beach is beautiful. The tour guide was helpful and driver was very good. If you want to have the most time at the beach I would suggest another tour. We followed the itinerary and had about 3 hours on the beach, but the stop…”

355 reviews12 hours (approx.)From $33.79by Elafonissos travel

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More Balos & Elafonisi Beach Tours

5.0Balos & Falassarna Beach – Jeep Tour with Loungers and Lunch7 to 8 hours (approx.)$199.62 4.9From Kissamos: Balos Gramvousa Sailing Cruise with Lunch7.5 hours$229 4.2Crete: Balos and Gramvousa Cruise13 - 15 hours$56 5.0Elafonisi & Falasarna Small Group Tour from Chania w/snacks10 to 11 hours (approx.)$127.03 4.3Heraklion: Gramvousa Island Day Trip & Balos Beach11 - 15 hours$47 4.3From Rethymno & Chania: Elafonisi Island Day Tour by Bus10 hours - 1 day$31 5.0From Chania: Elafonisi and Falasarna Guided Tour with Snacks10 - 10.5 hours$123 4.5Elafonissi Beach Tour from Chania with stop in Elos Village8 to 10 hours (approx.)$42.24 4.5Georgioupolis Area: Full-Day Bus Trip to Elafonisi Island11 hours$40 5.0Private Boat Trip Kissamos Balos (price per group – up to 10 people)3 to 6 hours (approx.)$701.71 4.4Falasarna: Jet Ski Safari to Balos Beach2 hours$287 4.9Chania: Balos and Falassarna Tour with Loungers and Lunch8 hours$194 5.0Elafonisi & Milia Mountain – Jeep Tour with Loungers and Lunch8 to 9 hours (approx.)$199.55 5.0Balos & Gramvousa Luxury Catamaran Sailing Cruise from Kissamos7 hours 30 minutes (approx.)$235.83 3.5Gramvousa and Balos Tour from Chania(Boat ticket is included!)10 to 12 hours (approx.)$81.93 5.0Full-Day Private Custom Tour to Elafonisi the Pink Sand Beach$441.21 4.0Heraklion Area: Direct Day Trip Elafonisi Island15 hours$53 4.2From KAVROS/GEORGIOUPOLIS : Elafonisi Island Pink Sand Beach8 hours$27 4.5Elafonissi Beach from Rethymno12 hours (approx.)$36.20 5.0All Day Private Family Tour to Elafonisi Beach & Agia Sofia9 hours (approx.)$336.55 4.3From Chania: Elafonisi Island Day Tour by Bus10 hours$33 5.0Full-Day Private Tour to Balos Lagoon and Falassarna$441.89 4.9Chania: Elafonisi and Milia Mountain with Loungers and Lunch8 hours$194 3.6Crete: Elafonisi Pink Beach Excursion15 hours$64

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