Our top pick425 reviews
1 dayRethymno: Gramvousa & Balos Lagoon Day Trip with Boat Ticket
★ 4.5 · 425 reviews
- A full day, Bus from Rethymno to Kissamos port
- 1.5 hours on Gramvousa
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
Bus, private car or private boat
Balos Lagoon Chania day trips: pickups, prices, timings
Balos Lagoon Chania day trips come in three shapes: a bus from stops around Chania to Kissamos port with the boat ticket included, a private car to the viewpoint above the lagoon, or a private powerboat from Chania old harbour. Here is what each costs, what the price covers and how long the day takes.
Quick answer
The short answer. The cheapest Balos Lagoon Chania option on this site is the bus day at $55 per person: pickup stops from Chania town to Kasteli, the boat ticket included, Gramvousa and Balos in one day of 10 to 12 hours, and 947 reviews at 4.4. Our top pick overall is the Rethymno departure at $62, rated 4.5 across 425 reviews. Four of you and no bus? A private car costs $448 for the vehicle.
Balos Lagoon Chania trips at a glance
- From Chania by bus
- $55 per personboat ticket included; 10 to 12 hours
- Pickup stops
- Chania town, Agia Marina, Plataniasalso Kolimvari, Kasteli and others
- From Rethymno by bus
- $62 per personour top pick; boat ticket: check your option
- Private car
- $448 per carup to 4 people; 7.5 hours from Chania
- Private day with Falassarna
- $157 per personviewpoint, then about 3 hours on the beach
- Private boat
- $1,682 per boatup to 5 people; 09:00 from Chania old harbour
- Local fee
- One euro per personextra, say the Rethymno and Kissamos boat listings
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationon all five trips on this page
Side by side
Five trips from Chania and Rethymno, compared
Each Balos Lagoon Chania option prices something different: a seat, a car or a whole boat. Read what the price covers before you compare the numbers.
| Trip | Pickup area | Price | What the price covers | How long | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus day from Chania | Stops in Chania town, Agia Marina, Platanias, Kolimvari, Kasteli and others | $55 | One person: the bus and the boat ticket | 10–12 hours | 4.4 · 947 |
| Bus day from Rethymno, our top pick | Rethymno | $62 | One person: the bus to Kissamos port; boat ticket — check your option | 1 day | 4.5 · 425 |
| Private car | Chania | $448 | The whole car with an off-road driver, up to 4 people; lunch extra | 7.5 hours | 5.0 · 3 |
| Private Balos and Falassarna | Chania | $157 | One person: viewpoint above Balos, then about 3 hours at Falassarna Beach | 1 day | 5.0 · 2 |
| Private boat | Chania old harbour, 09:00 | $1,682 | The whole boat, up to 5 people: Balos, Gramvousa and Menies | 8 hours | No reviews yet |
From Chania by bus
How the bus day to Gramvousa and Balos runs
Pickup. The bus calls at stops across the area: Chania town, Agia Marina, Platanias, Kolimvari, Kasteli and others. The group leader arranges the boat tickets, so on this Balos Lagoon Chania day you do not buy them at the port yourself. Harriet from the United Kingdom, staying nearer Kissamos than Chania town: «it was only approx 30 minutes on the bus».
The boat. From Kissamos port the route passes Tersanas Cave and Cape Vouxa. On Gramvousa you see the shipwreck and the 16th-century castle; at Balos you swim. Two stops in one day is what makes it a Gramvousa and Balos tour from Chania rather than a beach run. Jacob from the United Kingdom: «Perfect beach day trip to the beautifully clear Crete sea.»
At Balos. The listing does not give the time on the sand. Sofia from Hungary: «We really liked the sea at Balos it was absolutely beautiful. But we could imagine to spend more time at this beach at least a hour more.» As a Balos beach tour from Chania, the swim is the high point, so bring snacks: Ebony from Australia found that «apart from the boat cafe there is no where else to get food».
The length. Balos Lagoon near Chania? Near enough for a day out, but a long one: the listing gives 10 to 12 hours, because the bus drives to Kissamos port and back.
Before you book
Five things to check before you pay
Two minutes on the listing now saves a long day going wrong on your Balos Lagoon Chania trip.
- Which stop you board at
Chania town, Agia Marina, Platanias, Kolimvari, Kasteli and others. The nearer Kissamos you stay, the shorter the ride.
- Whether the boat ticket is in your price
It is on the Chania bus day. The Rethymno listing contradicts itself, so check your option.
- A one-euro fee at Balos
The Rethymno and Kissamos boat listings add it on top of the price. Budget for it.
- Food, water and shade
Laurann from Ireland: «Please be prepared for lack of sunbeds at Balos Lagoon and no shade.» Pack snacks, water and sun cover.
- Cancellation
All five trips on this page list free cancellation. Read the deadline on your listing.
Our top pick
Staying in Rethymno: the top pick on this site
Our top pick is the Rethymno day at $62 per person, rated 4.5 across 425 reviews. A bus takes you from Rethymno to the port of Kissamos, then the boat gives you 1.5 hours on Gramvousa and 3 hours at Balos. It is a Balos Lagoon trip with a long first leg: Melanie from the United Kingdom counted «a 2 hour bus ride from Rethymno to Kissamos port then a 1hr boat ride».
The boat ticket. The listing title promises a boat ticket, but the description says «There, you’ll pay for the cruise». Check whether the boat ticket is included in your option before you pay. The one-euro ecological fee is extra either way.
Why it is our pick. It holds the higher rating of the two bus days, and the time split is written into the listing. Jamie from the United Kingdom: «My only advice would be to climb up the steps. It is 100% worth the trouble.» If you are based in Chania, though, the Balos Lagoon Chania bus is the closer start.
Groups
What two or four people pay
On a private Chania to Balos tour the price is for the car or the boat, not the seat. For a Balos Lagoon Chania day as a group, that changes the sums.
| Trip | Priced | Two people | Four people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus day from Chania | per person | $110 | $220 |
| Bus day from Rethymno | per person | $124 | $248 |
| Private car | per car, up to 4 | $448 | $448 |
| Private Balos and Falassarna | per person | $314 | $628 |
| Private boat | per boat, up to 5 | $1,682 | $1,682 |
The ferry question
The ferries leave Kissamos, not Chania
Look for a Chania Balos ferry and you will not find one on a timetable: on this site the scheduled boats to the lagoon leave from Kissamos port, further west.
What is sold as Chania Balos cruises is, here, a bus to Kissamos and a boat from there. The Chania listing calls its day «this cruise from Chania», and that is the combination you get: the bus to the port, the boat ticket and both stops.
If you want a boat Chania to Balos with no bus at all, this site has one: a private powerboat for up to five that leaves Chania old harbour at 09:00, at $1,682 per boat. For a Balos boat trip without the bus or the private price, get yourself to Kissamos port. The boats there cost $40 and $45 per person. Either way, a Balos Lagoon Chania day by sea starts with a drive or a private hire.
The private side
Chania harbour, the lagoon and Falassarna
Three frames from the private side of a Balos Lagoon Chania Crete day out.
Out of Chania old harbour
A powerboat slides past the stone lighthouse at the harbour mouth. The private boat to Balos leaves this harbour at 09:00.
Boats in the lagoon
Yachts and catamarans sit on bright turquoise water below bare, rocky hills, with a strip of pale sand behind them.
Shade at Falassarna
Reed umbrellas frame turquoise water and dark rocks. The private day from Chania spends about 3 hours at Falassarna Beach.
Private from Chania
Three private ways to Balos from Chania
Each private Balos Lagoon Chania option trades the bus for your own driver or boat. Here is what each one covers.
- Private car, $448 per car
An off-road driver takes up to four of you to Balos and back in 7.5 hours, letting you «bypass ferry schedules», in the listing’s words. The car stops at the viewpoint above the lagoon; walking down is your choice, 20 to 40 minutes. Lunch is at your own cost. Rated 5.0 from 3 reviews. For four, that is $112 each.
- Balos and Falassarna, $157 per person
A private day from Chania: early access to the viewpoint above Balos with no hike, then about 3 hours at Falassarna Beach. Rated 5.0 from 2 reviews. A traveller from Finland: «We especially enjoyed the tour as someone else did the driving on tough Balos road».
- Private boat, $1,682 per boat
Up to five people, 09:00 from Chania old harbour, 8 hours: Balos before the ferries, then Gramvousa and Menies. No reviews yet. For five, that is $336.40 each.
Our verdict
Which Balos trip to book from Chania
Staying in Chania: book the bus day. At $55 per person it is the cheapest day trip from Chania to the lagoon on this site, the boat ticket is included and 947 reviews rate it 4.4. As a Chania Balos tour it covers both Gramvousa and Balos.
Staying in Rethymno: our top pick at $62, 4.5 across 425 reviews. Four of you and no bus: the private car at $448 for the vehicle. That is the Balos Lagoon Chania choice that skips the ferry schedules.
Would you rather skip the bus and board at the port? The boats from Kissamos to the lagoon cost $40 and $45 per person.
See the boats from Kissamos→Book direct
Book a Balos Lagoon Chania day, or the Rethymno one
Our top pick first, then the Chania bus day and the three private options.
Shipwreck and castle on Gramvousa947 reviews
10 - 12 hChania:Balos Lagoon, Gramvousa Island & Boat Ticket included
★ 4.4 · 947 reviews
- 10 to 12 hours, Bus from Chania-area meeting points
- Shipwreck and castle on Gramvousa
- Longest tour here
- Free cancellation
About 4 hours at Balos7.5 h
7.5 hChania: Private Tour to Balos Lagoon
★ 5.0 · 3 reviews
- 7.5 hours, Private off-road driver
- About 4 hours at Balos
- Optional lunch stop, extra
- Free cancellation
$448per group, up to 4 people
Check availability→ 
3 hours at Falassarna Beach1 day
1 dayChania – Balos Lagoon & Falassarna Beach Private Tour
★ 5.0 · 2 reviews
- A full day, Viewpoint over Balos, no hike
- 3 hours at Falassarna Beach
- Pickup with your own driver
- Free cancellation
$157
Check availability→ 
Balos before the ferries8 h
8 hChania: Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island Boat Tour
- Eight hours, Private powerboat, up to 5
- Balos, Gramvousa and Menies
- Departs Chania old harbour
- Free cancellation
$1,682per group, up to 5 people
Check availability→ Common questions
Balos Lagoon Chania trips: your questions answered
How do you get to Balos Lagoon from Chania?
By bus and boat, by private car or by private boat. There is no Chania to Balos ferry on a timetable: the bus day at $55 per person drives you to Kissamos port, and the boat ticket is included. A private car costs $448 for up to four people; a private powerboat leaves Chania old harbour at 09:00 for $1,682 per boat.
How long does a Balos Lagoon Chania day take?
The bus day from Chania is listed at 10 to 12 hours. The Rethymno day is listed simply as one day. The private options are shorter: 7.5 hours by private car and 8 hours by private boat. Oliver from the United Kingdom, on the Chania bus day: «travel is long to get there but worth it when there».
Is the boat ticket included?
On the Chania bus day, yes: the listing title says so, and the group leader arranges the boat tickets. On the Rethymno day the title says «with Boat Ticket», but the description says «There, you’ll pay for the cruise». Check whether the boat ticket is included in your option before you pay.
Is there a fee at Balos?
Yes, a one-euro fee per person. The Rethymno listing calls it an ecological fee and lists it as extra; the boats from Kissamos port list the same local fee, charged from age 13. The Chania bus listing does not mention it, so budget a euro each anyway.
Is there a private Balos trip from Chania?
Three. A private car with an off-road driver costs $448 for up to four people and runs 7.5 hours. A private day that adds Falassarna Beach costs $157 per person. A private powerboat from Chania old harbour costs $1,682 for up to five, with Balos before the ferries, Gramvousa and Menies; it has no reviews yet.
Can you see Balos and Falassarna in one day?
Yes, on the private day from Chania at $157 per person: early access to the viewpoint above Balos with no hike, then about 3 hours at Falassarna Beach. Two reviews rate it 5.0. Lunch is at your own cost.
