Visit the Palace of Knossos in Crete: tickets, prices, schedules

Are you going to visit the Knossos Palace in Crete? This is our mini tour guide to the Palace of Knossos!

Are you visiting Crete this year 2019? Don't miss visiting the Knossos Palace in Crete, the most important of the Cretan Minoan palaces, occupied since the 8th millennium BC! Knossos is recognized as the heart of the Minoan civilization and the seat of King Minos, and the birthplace of legendary stories such as the myth of the labyrinth with its minotaur, that of Dedale and Icare.

Located south of Heraklion on the commune of Cnossos, the Palace of Knossos is one of the unmissable of any trip to Crete and all the history lovers of Antiquity.

Are you a feru in history? Here is our guide to visit the Palace of Knossos!

Presentation and history of the Palace of Knossos

Before anything, let us go back to the pages of distant history. This remarkable site was continuously occupied by the Neolithic at the end of Antiquity, from 7,000 to 3,000 before our Christian era. A former palace was built around 2000 BC, destroyed by a earthquake in -1700. Rebuilt on a more complex plan, it served as a basis for the Acheans when they conquered Crete in the 15th century BC.

First discovered in 1878 by an antiquary Crétois – Minos Kalokairinos - the Palace of Knossos owes its current fame thanks to the work of the English archaeologist Arthur John Evans which, from 1900, led major excavations on the site until 1931. It is therefore he who excavates the Palace of Knossos, the Minoan city and the cemeteries. Thinking to have under his eyes the ruins of the palace of the king of Crete Minos, in the form of labyrinth, A. Evans interprets his discovery as the place where Minos would have locked the Minotaur monster, famous legend of ancient Greece.

He then undertook some renovation works with reinforced concrete and iron, which, by his action, would forever distort the place and make it lose its authenticity: his action, challenged by today’s historians – he would have restored some buildings according to his own imagination – nevertheless allowed to highlight a major archaeological site of the Greek antiquity. The site reveals the greatness of the Minoan and Mycenic civilization. Visiting the Palace of Knossos is therefore a remarkable site that would pass the ruins of the Roman Empire for very young constructions...

In addition, the Palace of Knossos is the place where several ancient legends are told, including that of Thea who, with the help of Ariane’s thread, managed to get out of the palace of Knossos – to escape a sacrifice – after killing the Minotaur. Around 1450 BC, the palaces of Crete were destroyed for unknown causes: it was the end of the Minoan civilization. The Palace of Knossos in Crete became a Roman colony from 67 BC. It was necessary to wait until 1897 for the Crete to become an independent state (until 1913), and for the ancient vestiges, owned by the State, to be examined.

This archaeological site covers 75 hectares and it is estimated that there are still many discoveries to be made. Today we can visit the Palace of Knossos but only a small part of the site is open to the public.

What to see and do at the Knossos Palace in Crete?

By visiting the Palace of Knossos in Crete, the visitor can admire four wings located around a central courtyard (50 meters per 25), with an entrance door for each: west door, east door, north door and south door.

The rooms of the palace now disappeared are as follows: the wing is comprised of royal apartments, the west wing housed the shops and warehouses (where we discovered the pithoi , storage amphores), floors served at the throne room and receptions. The north wing consisted of the customs office and a stone theatre.

In the south wing, they were found Propy . Visit the Palace of Knossos in Crete also allows to see the famous red columns , reversed from the other Greek columns. It is explained: the Minoan columns have a smaller base than their summit. The site is also rich in frescoes but they result either from a recent restoration or from the creation of a replica, the original being exposed to the archaeological museum of Heraklion.

Well, don't miss it. Prince's fresco with lys flowers after the horns of the consecration.

How to visit the Knossos Palace in Crete?

To visit the Palace of Knossos in Crete, you follow a tour in 26 steps. One visit with a guide You can give you all the necessary information about the rooms, courses, columns and frescoes, interconnected with life at the time (according to our current knowledge), but there are few informational panels on the site if you choose to visit the Palace of Knossos freely.

There are several ways to access the Palace of Knossos in Crete:

• By car: If you opted for the car rental in Heraklion or you have your own vehicle, you should be 15 minutes by car from Heraklion and 2 hours by car from Chania. Once on site, there are two parking spaces in the east of the entrance and upstream of the site
• By bus: We can go to Knossos by several means of transport, including the bus, with line 2 that connects the Port to Knossos

Schedules and rates of the Knossos Palace in Crete

How to book a ticket to visit the Palace of Knossos?

HORARI

The archaeological site is open to the public every day:

• From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between November and April
• From 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in September
• From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in October
• From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in May to August

Good to know: The ticket office closes 30 minutes before closing.

RATES

For the fares, here are the prices to be expected:

• Adult bill: 15 €
• Reduced price: 8 €
• Free for under 15 years

The palace is free March 6, April 18, May 18, the last weekend of September, October 28, every first Sunday from November to March.