Ferry from Athens (All Ports) to Heraklion, Crete

Here is all the information you need about the ferry route from Athens (All Ports) to Heraklion, Crete. On this page you can find details about the various ports and destinations, the ferry companies offering trips, as well as ferry ticket prices and travel times.

Heraklion (or Iraklio) is the capital city of Crete, which is the largest island in Greece. There’s a medieval city center and one-of-a-kind archeological history here, such as the Palace of Knossos. In addition, there are plenty of dining, shopping and nightlife options. This is an ideal destination spot for both families and groups of friends. It is located approximately 172.50 miles away from Athens (All Ports).
Getting back and forth from Athens (All Ports) to Heraklion, Crete is easy as ferries can be found all year round from 2 of the ports of Athens (All Ports).

There are ferry companies operating from Piraeus to Heraklion, Crete.
Piraeus is the main port of Athens and is easily accessible from downtown via taxi or metro. If you are heading to the port by car, it will take about 30 minutes from the city center. If you are going to the port from the Athens International Airport, hop in a taxi and you will arrive in about one hour. Alternatively, take the metro or bus if you have the extra time to spare. During the summer months, traffic around the port of Piraeus is usually hectic and busy. Keep in mind that you need to arrive at the port about one hour before your ferry’s scheduled departure time.
In addition, you can book a ferry from Rafina to Heraklion, Crete. Rafina is the second largest of the three ports in Athens. KTEL busses travel from downtown to Lavrio and back several times a day. Tickets cost 2€ – 5€ and the journey takes 1h 15m. Also, there is an KTEL bus that runs from Athens airport directly to the port of Rafina every hour from 04:40am to 20:45pm. Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver when boarding.

The route Piraeus to Heraklion, Crete is operated by 4 ferry companies: ANEK-Superfast, Minoan Lines, Fast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries. This route is operated all year round and the ticket prices range between 36.00 and 107.00 euros, depending on whether you travel with a highspeed or conventional ferry. Tickets for this route are available for passengers as well as vehicles, such as cars and motor bikes.
The trip duration from Piraeus to Heraklion, Crete is between 9h – 10h 9m. With Fast Ferries which is the fastest ferry company on this route you can arrive in 9h .
On this route, you can find both direct trips and those with stops at other islands. Typically, these stops will be Santorini (Thera), Sitia, Crete, Kasos, Karpathos Port, Rhodes Town (Main Port), Rhodes, Syros, Mykonos, Paros and Ios. ANEK-Superfast, Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines are currently offering a direct trip to Heraklion, Crete.

During high season (June – September) there are 242 scheduled ferry crossings between Piraeus and Heraklion, Crete per week. During low season (October – May) however, there are 196 ferry crossing per week. So, keep this in mind when planning your trip!

During high season (June – September) there are 242 scheduled ferry crossings between Rafina and Heraklion, Crete per week. During low season (October – May) however, there are 196 ferry crossing per week. So, keep this in mind when planning your trip!