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

“This is a “must do”! What a great way to play in this magnificent water in a safe fashion. Wonderful way to see some history and amazing scenery, also. The food on the boat is delicious. It is a large boat with many, many people…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

3.Chania: Balos Gramvousa Cruise with Transfer and Boat Ticket

Discover Crete’s stunning Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island on a full-day boat tour from Chania, including transfer, guided commentary, and free time to explore.

★ 4.1

“It was a unique trip. Balos Lagoon was amazing, and the pink sand and warm waters were delightful. Gramvousa beach was lovely, and had perfectly clear waters. The boat journey was comfortable, and food/drink was reasonably priced. Staff on the boat were friendly. We would…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

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…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

7.Chania: Elafonisi Beach Day Trip with stop in Elos Village

Experience Crete’s stunning Elafonissi Beach with a full-day guided trip from Chania, including scenic stops in Elos Village and expert local insights.

★ 4.5

“We had a lovely time on this tour to gorgeous Elafonisi! Ingrid delighted us with very interesting facts about the local areas we were passing through, as well as wider facts about Crete, which was perfect for us as first time visitors. The honey at…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

8.From Heraklion: Elafonisi Beach Day Tour with Pickup

Experience Crete's famous pink-sand Elafonisi Beach with this guided day tour offering scenic drives, free beach time, and hassle-free pickup for under $60.

★ 4.5

“It's a truly wonderful experience.On the bus ride, you have time to admire the beauty of the landscape.Our guide was truly friendly and knowledgeable, providing us with lots of information about the landscape and the local customs.The bus ride was comfortable despite being quite long.…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

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

“Balos is very very special, the lagoon and the water are worth it, it is a little bit too crowded and I did not see the phenomenon with the tectonic plates listed in the description, overall worth it, also keep in mind that if you…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

10.Rethymno Area: Gramvousa Island & Balos, Boat Ticket Extra

Experience Crete's stunning beaches and historic sites on this full-day tour to Gramvousa Island and Balos Bay, with boat tickets and transfers included.

★ 4.3

“The trip was overally very nice. Logistically-wise everything was very good organised, both the bus and the boat were on time all the time. The only minor issue was the boat. It was very loaded with people and sometimes you would need to stand for…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

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

“So glad we booked this excursion…amazing natural beauty! Wear some good water shoes…very rocky. Very well organized, pick up/drop off right from your hotel.”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

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

“our guide, Agnes, was very nice and caring person, who filled bus rides both ways with stories about Cretan history and lots of interesting facts. there was no rush at any point, we have enough time for all the activities, the organisation was very good.…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

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

“Guide is such a brilliant woman, who knows and loves Crete. She can recommend you anything you want, she is really kind and knows what she is doing. The road there was worth this money, and all the company of interesting people. Elafonisi is defiantly…”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

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

“Great tour! Our guide was amazing and shared so many stories and facts about Crete and especially Elafonissi and Agia Sofia cave.”

Check Availability →Read our full review →

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