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must-visit in CreteHistoric Ruins & Heritage

Palace of Knossos

📍 Knossos 714 09, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Palace of Knossos
1 photos
4.6/ 5.0
★★★★★

Quick Facts

Location
Greece, Crete
Category
Historic Ruins & Heritage
Duration
1.5–2 hours; 2–3 hours in high season with queues.
Address
Knossos 714 09, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Coordinates
35.2979, 25.1632

Introduction

The Palace of Knossos stands about 5 km south of Heraklion, Crete, the ceremonial and administrative heart of Minoan civilisation (c. 2000–1400 BC) and the core of one of Europe's oldest cities. The palace complex covers some 20,000 square metres across multiple storeys and wings, with light wells and plumbing, and may have housed 1,000–2,000 people. The labyrinth of Greek myth — home of the bull-headed Minotaur — is widely identified with this sprawling palace; the word labyrinth may link to the labrys double axe, the Minoans' most common sacred emblem. From 1900 the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans excavated here for over three decades and partly rebuilt the palace in reinforced concrete: bright fresco copies (the Bull-Leaping and Lily Prince) decorate reconstructed colonnades, the Throne Room's gypsum seat is widely called Europe's oldest throne with griffins painted either side in Evans' restoration, and the magazines still line up giant pithoi jars for oil, wine and grain. Linear B tablets found here are the earliest writing in Greek. The overlap of genuine antiquity and modern reconstruction — and the controversy around it — is what makes Knossos so compelling.

✨ Highlights

1
Central Court and bull-leaping
The 50-by-25 m court is the palace's heart and the presumed setting of bull-leaping; the fresco originals are in Heraklion's museum.
2
The Throne Room
Its gypsum throne is widely called Europe's oldest; the griffins flanking it are Evans' restoration — the site's signature space.
3
Evans' reconstruction
Excavated from 1900 and partly rebuilt in reinforced concrete: the red columns and fresco copies make it vivid — and archaeology's biggest controversy.
4
Pithoi magazines
Rows of giant storage jars set into the magazines held oil, wine and grain — Bronze Age logistics at palace scale.
5
Kouloures in the West Court
Three circular pits once read as granaries, now mostly seen as ritual deposit pits — a key to Minoan religious practice.
6
Linear B tablets
Tablets found here are the earliest writing in Greek, deciphered by Evans' team — they pushed back the start of Greek history.

🛈 Practical Info

→Duration：1.5–2 hours; allow 2–3 hours in high season including queues.
→Guides：Audio guide €5 (cash); licensed guides €15–20 per hour; signage covers a fraction, so a guide is strongly advised.
→Gear：Almost no shade — water, hat and sunscreen in summer; uneven ground calls for grip shoes; large bags go to free lockers.
→Order：See the original frescoes in Heraklion's museum first, then the copies on site — the sequence completes the story.
→Pair with：The Heraklion Archaeological Museum, the Koules fortress and the old town make an easy same-day loop.
→Free days：6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September (European Heritage Days) and 28 October; EU citizens under 25 enter free with ID.
→Booking：Timed slots are sold on the ministry's e-ticketing service etickets.tap.gr; the site also closes temporarily on extreme-heat days - on 22 July 2026 it shut from 12:00 to 17:00 because of the heat.
→Opening Hours：Apr-Aug daily 08:00-20:00; Sep 1-15 08:00-19:30, Sep 16-30 08:00-19:00, Oct 1-15 08:00-18:30, Oct 16-31 08:00-18:00; Nov-Mar 08:30-17:00, last admission 16:45.
→Transportation：Bus 2 from Heraklion's terminal, about 20 minutes (€1.70, every 20–30 min); taxi about €12–15; free parking if driving.

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
AdultEUR20

Full EUR 20, reduced EUR 10 (the over-65 reduced rate only runs 1 October to 31 May). The official Knossos and Heraklion museum combined ticket has been discontinued - buy the two sites separately.

💡 Tips

• Enter at the 8 a.m. opening: tour groups arrive after 10 and the site turns into an oven by midday.
• Keep telling original from reconstruction: the red columns, fresco copies and concrete floors are Evans-era work.
• Don't just circle the central area — the West Court kouloures and the pithoi-filled magazines by the south entrance reward a detour.
• Tell children the Minotaur and labyrinth story with the labrys double-axe etymology, and the ruins become a stage.
• The audio guide takes cash only — bring some; licensed guides wait at the entrance and are worth it on a first visit.
• No food or drink inside; the bus runs late in summer but stops earlier in winter — check the return timetable.
• The state combo ticket is gone, so any 'combo' you see online is a tour operator's bundle; the ministry's etickets.tap.gr is the reliable way to book a slot.

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Palace of Knossos?

Apr-Aug daily 08:00-20:00; Sep 1-15 08:00-19:30, Sep 16-30 08:00-19:00, Oct 1-15 08:00-18:30, Oct 16-31 08:00-18:00; Nov-Mar 08:30-17:00, last admission 16:45.

How much is the admission for Palace of Knossos?

Adult: EUR20; Full EUR 20, reduced EUR 10 (the over-65 reduced rate only runs 1 October to 31 May). The official Knossos and Heraklion museum combined ticket has been discontinued - buy the two sites separately.

Any practical tips for visiting Palace of Knossos?

Enter at the 8 a.m. opening: tour groups arrive after 10 and the site turns into an oven by midday. Keep telling original from reconstruction: the red columns, fresco copies and concrete floors are Evans-era work.

How long should I spend at Palace of Knossos?

A typical visit takes 1.5–2 hours; 2–3 hours in high season with queues..

Compiled from Ministry of Culture ticketing information and official Knossos visitor materials (Oct 2026). Prices and hours shift by season — confirm on the official ticketing platform.