which ports for excursions

We are sailing in June on HAL Oosterdam, Adriatic Dream, with two other families.

We've focused on our arrival and departure ports (Venice and Rome), but need to start plans for everything else. We plan to do private excursions or explore on our own, depending on the port.

Our group includes 6 adults and 5 kids (ages 5, 6, 10, 10, 15).

Is anyone willing to share opinions of which ports we should schedule excursions for vs. explore on our own? Will be very grateful for any thoughts!

Cruise day

4 - Katakolan (Olympia), Greece

5 - Souda (Chania), Greece

6 - Mykonos, Greece

Thanks for any help!!

Mykonos is an easy DIY. Just walking around is a great tour.

https://markandkareneurope2013.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

Mykonos is an easy DIY. Just walking around is a great tour.

 

https://markandkareneurope2013.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

Great to hear that! Look forward to checking out your photos!

We are sailing in June on HAL Oosterdam, Adriatic Dream, with two other families.

 

We've focused on our arrival and departure ports (Venice and Rome), but need to start plans for everything else. We plan to do private excursions or explore on our own, depending on the port.

 

Our group includes 6 adults and 5 kids (ages 5, 6, 10, 10, 15).

 

Is anyone willing to share opinions of which ports we should schedule excursions for vs. explore on our own? Will be very grateful for any thoughts!

 

Cruise day

4 - Katakolan (Olympia), Greece

5 - Souda (Chania), Greece

6 - Mykonos, Greece

 

 

Thanks for any help!!

Just a hint: whenever you see a place name in parenthesis that means the main attraction is away from the port. For example Katakolon is the port and Olympia is the main attraction. Those are the first places to look for excursions either private or ship.

From Chania you might want to go on a longer excursion to the Knossos Palace and Heraklion. The kids would enjoy that. There are things to see in old town Chania, like the old port and the museum so all you would need is transportation from Souda into Chania and maybe a walking tour.

From Katakolon do go to Olympia. The kids will enjoy running in the original olympic track. They now have 3D tours around the site that really let you see the way it was. The museum is small and excellent.

Thank you so much! We will want to do an excursion to Olympia for sure. I will start researching companies for that, but if anyone has a suggestion of one that could possibly accommodate our group of 11 in one vehicle, please let me know!

Thanks for mentioning the options for Chania. I'm not sure if our group will prefer to explore that town on our own or something else. I will look into those destinations you mentioned. I am very grateful for the leads!

Forgot this. From Mykonos, you might want to go to the island of Delos in the morning for a walking tour, then spend the afternoon in Mykonos town. An alternative would be a 4-wheel drive tour of Mykonos that goes to several beaches and historical sites. Then, stay in Mykonos town for a while. The 4-wheel drive tour is great fun. Either way, do not miss spending a little time in the town.

Def take the ferry over to Delos in the morning and spend afternoon in Mykonos town where there is some shade. Delos was very fascinating and worth the trip out.

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Thank you for your advice! Do you recommend taking a public ferry to Delos? Do you mind sharing what to do there?

The public ferry is how you get to Delos. You can buy your tickets and sign up for a walking tour right at the port in Mykonos. All the tour guides are equally competent so sign up with any of them. But you should take the tour if you really want to enjoy the place. After the tour, you can wander around or take the next ferry back. This is an amazing archaeological and historic site. It is not a public beach. Google it.

Thanks for the information about Delos - that is sounding great!

I have a question about Olympia. We're looking at Olympic Tours and they have an option to do Olympia, the archaeological museum, plus one of an assortment of other activities. The optional add-ons include cooking class and meal, meal at the same place as the cooking class (which is at a hotel where the kids could swim at the pool before lunch), stop at a honey farm, beach. I'm assuming the beach would be too miserably hot for us in June.

Any thoughts on how to choose a 4 hr trip that includes just the Olympia site and museum vs a 6 hr trip that includes one of these optional stops? I am somewhat tempted by the 6 hr trip that includes a buffet lunch with pool for the kids. Buffet would be a good option for children. Any other thoughts?

What hours are you in port for Olympia? It will be hot and after spending time at the archeological site and the museum you may be ready to head back to the ship and spend time at the pool. There is also a beach close to the cruise port if some of the group would rather do that. You have a really big group there who may want options. http://www.katakolon.org/beaches.html

Thanks that is a really good point. The ship is in Port from 8 until 5

It will not be miserably hot in June and the sea will be on the cool side.

Hi folks. Don't forget the OP has a bunch of young kids to take along. I'm not sure how many ruins they will be interested in. Olympia yes. As someone mentioned they can run the original stadium and generally run around a bit (but try not to climb on the roped off bits. You will get told off.😉). Also, as mentioned, the museum in Olympia is excellent. It is well presented with some really quirky pieces and it is not so big to get bored. And you will find that the (ancient) Greeks were fascinated with testicles and penises...

In Katakolo we organised a FABULOUS tour with Andreas from Taxi Katakolo Tours. (Note there is no N in Katakolo). Superb service from start to finish. He has regular cars and also mini buses. He recommended a lunch spot in Olympia village where we had the best meal of 3 weeks in Greece. Now, normally I take recommendations from tour guides about restaurants with a grain of salt , but in thus case it was spot on. .

Now Delos (Mykonos) may be bit of a stretch for the kids. Mykonos town is so lovely to run around. There are the old windmills 10 minute walk away, "little Venice " at the waters edge where you probably be splashed by the waves, Petros the celebrity pelican (and his stunt doubles) and, and, and. The town beach is OK and several great beaches are a short bus or taxi ride away.

Now Delos (Mykonos) may be bit of a stretch for the kids. Mykonos town is so lovely to run around. There are the old windmills 10 minute walk away, "little Venice " at the waters edge where you probably be splashed by the waves, Petros the celebrity pelican (and his stunt doubles) and, and, and. The town beach is OK and several great beaches are a short bus or taxi ride away.

I have to agree with your comment on Delos given the age of OP's children. Delos is a lot of ruins, very jumbled. Terrific for those of us with a major interest (it is a very important site) but not easily understandable for children like Pompeii or the Acropolis in Athens.

Also, the island is quite small, hilly and rocky with very little shade and only one spot to purchase any refreshments / use toilets (at the small museum onsite).

Really so appreciative of all this advice!!!!! Thanks very much.

Thank you so much! We will want to do an excursion to Olympia for sure. I will start researching companies for that, but if anyone has a suggestion of one that could possibly accommodate our group of 11 in one vehicle, please let me know!

 

Thanks for mentioning the options for Chania. I'm not sure if our group will prefer to explore that town on our own or something else. I will look into those destinations you mentioned. I am very grateful for the leads!

George's Taxi-- We had a marvelous day at Olympia and surroundings with them. And we were at Olympia long before the ship's tours arrived. We had the place to ourselves for over an hour and were leaving as they were arriving. The way you should see ruins! Silence!

Mykonos is an easy DIY. Just walking around is a great tour.

 

https://markandkareneurope2013.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

Thank you for this, helped me with my decision - No tour for this port. looks beautiful.

Chania is a beautiful town, and it would be a crying shame to go on some long excursion elsewhere, missing out on this jewel of the Mediterranean. When we went there on Navigator OTS it was our favorite port. It's very easy to get to, as there should be a free (or low cost) transfer bus available, and the journey time is around 15 minutes. Things to see include the Venetian harbor, the Venetian shipyards, the old mosque, the castle with a marine museum, and a fantastic old town. Find a restaurant under the old city walls for an unforgettable light lunch. There's also a great beach around the headland past the castle. Here's a picture from our visit - ;)

The other thing is we went to Katakolo last year, and to get to Olympia we took the train - the station is within easy walking distance of the port. $$$$ cheaper than a taxi!