If you only book one day trip while you’re in Crete, it has to be a day out exploring the ancient palace of Knossos with kids.
The legendary home of the fabled Minotaur in its labyrinth, and the prison of Daedalus and Icarus, it was the heart of the Minoan civilisation which ruled here for around 2,000 years, from around the time of the first pharaohs in Ancient Egypt.
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Rediscovered in the late 19th century, there’s more to see than many ancient sites after it was (controversially) restored but that does mean that visiting Knossos with kids is often more entertaining than others too.
And if your kids are fans of the Percy Jackson books, it’s unmissable – the Minotaur and King Minos’s ghost play important roles in the series, and it’s well worth reading The Battle of the Labyrinth in particular before they visit.
Whether they are or not, here are my tips for planning a day out at Knossos with kids and what you need to know.
For more things to do in Crete with kids, check out my top picks
The Palace of Knossos: the essential facts
The Palace of Knossos is one of Crete’s most famous important archaeological sites, just outside the capital Heraklion.
Home to the ruins of a Bronze Age palace that was the ceremonial and political centre of Minoan civilisation, Knossos is considered to be Europe’s oldest city. The first settlement on the site dates even further back, to around 7,000BCE.
And its palace is steeped in ancient history and Greek mythology, most famously the legend of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur but also the tale of Daedalus and Icarus, who flew too close to the sun.
Discovered in 1878, the excavations unearthed a series of buildings, roadways and palace complex, including impressive wall frescoes and artefacts suggesting a cult of bull worship.
The legendary labyrinth was said to be hidden under the palace itself but no trace has been found: some historians believe the sprawling site of Knossos, with its paths and dead ends was the inspiration for the story.
Leaving aside the myth, the Palace of Knossos is the largest preserved Minoan site on Crete, although not the only one you can explore. Some parts, including the Little Palace, date back as far as 2000BCE and there are four wings arranged around the central courtyard.
As you explore, you can see the royal quarters and throne room, but also everything from shrines to store rooms.
After local archaeologist Minos Kalokairinos identified the site, the main excavations were carried out by British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, between 1900 and 1931. The work made his reputation, but included some very controversial restorations, including using modern materials like concrete for repairs and repainting frescoes.
While it’s not the way current excavations would be carried out, it does mean that it appears a lot more intact, so more interesting to explore with kids than a heap of stones.
Tips for visiting Knossos with kids
Arrive early
I can’t stress this enough! Not only does it get very hot with little shade, especially if you’re visiting in summer, the queues and crowds quickly get very big.
At 8am, we walked straight in to pick up our tickets & had only one cruise ship tour to dodge. By the time we left two hours later, the site was heaving and the line for entry snaked well beyond the ticket booth.
If you can’t come early, it’s worth coming later in the afternoon when a lot of the tour groups have moved on to other sites in Heraklion (or back to their cruise ships) and when the temperatures are starting to drop.
Do bring plenty of water and a hat as well.
How to prebook tickets for Knossos
While most of the major ticket websites, like Get Your Guide, Tiqets and Viator, do sell tickets, they don’t usually offer the reduced child rate unless you’re also booking a tour.
If you have children who are EU citizens or kids aged under five, they get in free (though you may be asked to show a passport or ID card to verify this).
Those aged 6-25 from non-EU countries (including the UK and US) get a 50% discount but the only way to get the reduced option is to book direct or pay when you arrive (which is very risky at busy times).
While you receive email confirmation after buying directly, you still need to pick your tickets up when you arrive at the site before using them to pass through the turnstiles.
If you get there early, you can expect to walk straight up to the windows and just show the confirmation. Otherwise, there are roped off lines to queue, which start in the open space between the car park and ticket desk.
If you do have prebooked skip-the-line tickets, you should be able to walk past these directly to the turnstiles but staff are on hand to answer questions and to organise the lines.
Buy joint tickets for the Museum
While you’re booking, adults can get joint tickets with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum for adults (kids need 2 separate ones).
It’s well worth combining the two as the impressive museum holds a lot of the artefacts found at Knossos as well as other exhibits which help bring the site to life so they work well together.
Look out for the originals of the frescoes reproduced at Knossos as well as the mysterious Linear A Minoan language tablets – and do allow plenty of time, the museum is huge!
If you visit Knossos first, pick up tickets for both when you arrive to avoid queueing again at the museum later – instead you can go straight to the ticket barriers. If you visit the museum first, you should also be able to collect your tickets for Knossos there.
The Heraklion hop-on hop-off bus stops at both Palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum as well as exploring the city
Knossos with a guide
While there are plenty of options to prebook guides, you can also hire them at the gate if you want – as you arrive, you’ll see them waiting to the right of the ticket booths.
As ever, if you know you definitely want a guide, it’s worth prebooking during peak season especially if you’re not arriving early – once the guides are off showing people around the site, you won’t have chance.
You can find skip-the-line entry including a guided tour although these tours are not exclusively aimed at families so better with older kids
If you prefer to go at your own pace, there are signs dotted all around the site with more background though (and with so many guides around, you’re bound to overhear snippets too). You can also buy tickets including smartphone audio guides.
There’s no question that the guides are great for helping bring the site to life, pointing out the key details as well as giving the background: you can expect tours to last around 60-90 minutes, although you could also then head back to wander around more if you wanted.
You may have to wait for a group of around 6-8 before the guide leaves, if you don’t want a private tour. Prices will vary depending on how many are in the group (more if you want a private tour) and the time of year, but around 80-100 Euros for four people is common.
You can also find specialist Percy Jackson tours of Knossos – check out Knossos Guides.
Most guide books on Crete also have a section on Knossos, including the Lonely Planet Guide to Crete but you can find dedicated guide books including Knossos: A Complete Guide to the Palace of Minos
How to to get to Knossos
If you have your own hire car, there’s free parking at Knossos next to the entrance – as you might expect, there’s plenty of room first thing (including a coveted spot in the shade of the trees) but it does fill up throughout the day.
If you are staying in Heraklion with kids, there are buses which run out to the Palace of Knossos as well, or taxis aren’t too expensive (around 7-10 Euros) as the journey is only around 3 miles from the city centre.
Alternatively, you can use tickets for the Heraklion hop-on hop-off bus which stops at Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, as well as giving you a tour of the city.
There are also plenty of tours to Knossos if you’re staying elsewhere on the island, including a day trip from Chania, as well as from Rethymno and Malia.
Don’t expect to see a labyrinth!
If your kids are expecting to arrive and see a maze laid out in front of them, it’s worth setting a few expectations in advance.
Although you’ll explore the palace site itself, which some historians believe inspired the labyrinth myth (and according to legend, sat on top of the labyrinth), you won’t get to wander through an endless maze of passages.
There are a few places where you’ll see bull’s horns dotted around, but there are also no minotaurs – which comes as something of a relief!
Work is constantly ongoing at the site as well, including for restoration purposes, so not all areas may be open during your visit.
Greek myths for kids – what to read
Although you don’t have to know much about Greek mythology before you visit Knossos with kids, it makes a big difference if they have some background knowledge to keep them engaged.
There are countless books of Greek myths for kids with options for different age groups. We have this beautiful Usborne Book of Greek Myths or the publisher also has this Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths which is ideal for younger kids.
Greek Myths for Young Children is designed for reading out loud if you’re travelling to Crete with younger kids and this Sticker Greek Myths is another fun kid friendly option to pack.
Or for books focusing more on the myths of Knossos, The legend of Theseus: Theseus and the Minotauris a child-friendly version, while Monsters of the Greek Myths includes the Minotaur, along with Medusa and the Chimera.
And Amaze-ing Minotaur is a fun illustrated version of the legend for kids aged 5+.
If you prefer something which isn’t just a retelling of the myths, the Percy Jackson series is great for kids – especially aged around 8-12 – and features Knossos in the stories as well.
For those visiting with teens, there’s a fantastic alternative look at the story in Ariadne, told from her perspective as half-sister to the Minotaur and the woman who helps Theseus find his way through the labyrinth.
Visiting Knossos with kids: need to know
Tickets currently cost 15 Euros for adults, 8 Euros for children aged 5-25 (non-EU citizens), free for under fives and EU citizens aged 5-25.
Combined entry tickets including the Heraklion Archaeological Museum cost 20 Euros for adults. Child tickets for the museum cost 6 Euros and you need to buy both separately. Otherwise entry to the museum alone costs 12 Euros.
There are some free admission days at the Palace of Knossos, including every first Sunday from November 1 to March 31, if you’re visiting Crete out of peak season, as well as International Monuments Day on April 18 and International Museums Day on May 18. For the full details, visit the official site.
Opening hours during the summer months are between 8am and 8pm daily except Tuesdays when the site opens at 10am. There are more limited opening hours during the winter months, when the site closes at 5pm (and sometimes earlier)
There are toilets and a small cafe, although it’s often busy, as well as a fresh juice stall by the entrance – once you’re inside, there are no facilities. Food is not allowed but you can take your own water in. There is also free parking on site.
If you’re wondering whether Knossos is stroller friendly, there are ramps alongside the stairs to help you get around if you’re bringing a buggy, but you can also expect sections with unpaved paths and uneven surfaces.
A baby carrier is better if you are visiting with little ones. Realistically, it’s not an easy place to visit with toddlers though.
For more tips on visiting Greece with kids, check out my guide to the country including Athens and the Greek Islands
Things to do near Knossos with kids
If you’re planning to visit Knossos with kids, you’re unlikely to spend the whole day exploring (even with dedicated fans of Greek myths) but it’s easy to combine some of the nearby attractions at Heraklion.
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Even if your kids aren’t normally fans of museums, this is definitely one to put on the list, and a great option to combine with a visit to Knossos, which is around 15 minutes away.
With 27 galleries across two floors, its collection covers 5,500 years, from the Neolithic age to Greco-Roman times, including the world’s best collection of Minoan treasures – easily the best museum to visit in Crete with kids.
You can wander through recreated period rooms, looking at frescoes and sculptures, as well as other artefacts along the way, including everything from artworks to household items.
It’s also blissfully air conditioned. You can buy joint tickets with the Knossos palace entry.
Heraklion hop-on hop-off bus
The Heraklion hop-on hop-off bus stops at both the museum and the Palace of Knossos as well as the city’s other highlights, so it’s a practical and fun way to explore Heraklion with kids.
There are eight stops along the route including the Old Port Square, the Historical Museum of Crete and the Venetian Walls (as well as the Archaeological museum and Knossos itself).
Tickets are valid for 48 hours and a full loop takes one hour. Buses run around every 45 minutes in summer.
Labyrinth Park
If you want to find a labyrinth for your kids to explore, add Labyrinth Park to your list of family attractions in Crete.
This unique Minoan-themed amusement park close to Heraklion has a huge 1,300sqm labyrinth for the whole family to get lost in, and it’s an entertaining place to teach kids about Greek mythology – definitely one of the most unusual things to do in Crete with kids!
Ideal for younger children, there are a huge range of activities, including mini golf, quad bikes, archery, horse rides and a live escape game as well.
You can also pop by the projector room, where videos on the ancient Minoan Civilization of Crete are shown throughout the day, and enjoy lunch in the ancient Knossos-themed cafe.
Visit the beach
If you want some time relaxing after a morning exploring Knossos, it’s easy to head to the beach once you’ve explore the palace.
Some of the closest are the Hersonissos Beaches – a collection of small local beaches just to the east of Heraklion, with calm, clear waters and plenty of family-friendly facilities.
Take a boat tour
For another relaxed afternoon alternative, try a sailing trip from Heraklion to Dia island, just to the north of Crete.
While it means ensuring you’re finished at Knossos in time to make the afternoon sailing at 2.30pm, the four and a half hour boat tour makes for a chilled out end to the day – the area was a favourite destination of famous underwater explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau as well.
There’s time to swim and snorkel, as well as relaxing on the shores of Dia Island or taking a walk under the cedar trees. There’s some history to be found along the way too, as you discover an ancient Minoan port.
The trip includes a delicious Mediterranean meal – as well as having the odd glass of local wine – before arriving back to Heraklion at 7pm. The boat tour is suitable for kids aged 4+.
Cretaquarium
Venture below the waves at Cretaquarium, a Mediterranean-themed aquarium close to Heraklion. Home to over 2,000 sea creatures across 60 tanks, there’s plenty to see and it’s easy to while away and hour or two here.
From giant sharks to microscopic plankton, kids can learn all about marine life in the region and there’s an audio guide as you explore (or you can pay extra for a short guided tour too).
Book tickets with free cancellation here.
Dinosauria Park
Travel even further back in history than Knossos at this interactive theme park devoted to dinosaurs.
At Dinosauria you can travel back in time to the Mesozoic era as you wander around the park discovering full-sized animatronic creatures, while interactive screens teach you about the life and habitats of each dinosaur you encounter.
Kids can also get hands-on with fun activities including fossil excavations, hatching a dinosaur egg, and caring for injured creatures at the General Hospital of Dinosaurs. The park has a cafe, gift shop, and large children’s play area too.
Acqua Plus Water Park
Acqua Plus is the biggest and most popular water park in Crete, just 25 minutes from Heraklion with over 50 exciting water slides, rides, and games for kids and adults of all ages.
For teens and older children, you’ll find extreme slides like the Kamikaze and Giants of Terror, while little ones can enjoy the kids’ waterslides, activity playgrounds, a fantasy inflatable castle, and lots more.
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