Aptera, Chania: A Brilliant Day Trip 2025

The charming town of Chania on the island of Crete, Greece, offers plenty to keep you entertained for several days. It has restaurants, shopping and cute passageways galore. However, if you’re also looking to take in some of Crete’s ruins, don’t miss out on one of the best day trips from Chania, a visit to the ancient city of Aptera.

This article will give you all the details for a brilliant day trip, including how much it costs to visit Aptera, how to get there and what else to do nearby.

Opening Hours

The site of Aptera is open during summer (mid-April to the end of August) from 8 am – 8 pm.

From the beginning of September until the end of October closing times shorten progressively by half an hour every couple of weeks, from 8 pm to 6 pm.

How To Get To Aptera, Chania

By Bus

When you’re planning your day trip from Chania to Aptera, consider taking one of the public buses on Crete and walking the last section. Buses leave from the main KTEL bus station, located on Kidonias and tickets can be bought on the day.

Bus ticket price – €1.90 each way
Journey time – 25 minutes
Bus route – Chania to Rethymno (via Souda port)
Chania bus timetables
Bus stop to get off at – Cross Megala Chorafia, in front of Akrimios restaurant

Walk approximately 35 minutes uphill from the bus stop to reach the entrance to the archaeological site of Aptera.

By Taxi

If the bus times to Aptera don’t suit your schedule and your budget stretches, taxis will take you straight there from Chania.

Cost – €24 each way
Journey time – 25 minutes
Bus stop to get off at – Cross Megala Chorafia, in front of Akrimios restaurant
Hail a taxi from outside the main Chania bus station

Owing to a giant blister I decided to combine a taxi to Aptera with getting the bus on the return. The advantage of doing it this way round is that you only have to walk downhill and you can stop at the village of Aptera for a fabulous meal. More on that later.

I should mention that the return bus was late and that it seemed like every bus that stopped told me it was the next one coming, but after a brief 30-minute delay the bus back to Chania did indeed turn up.

If you’ve hired your own car, there is parking at Aptera.

How Much Does It Cost

Entrance costs just €4 per person (€2 concessions), which is a total bargain considering the size of the place. You can easily spend a good couple of hours here exploring the ruins and taking plenty of photos.

Mains Things to See At Aptera

Aptera began its life as a city around the 9^th century BC. Its location is clearly strategically significant, being perched on top of a mountain above the bay of Souda. The site covers the whole of the mountain but only part of it is excavated and open to view.

A small exhibition explaining some of the history is located in the central building, the partly restored monastery of Agios Ioannis Theologos. Here is also where you’ll find the toilet.

The main ruins of interest are:

Roman baths
Roman villa
Three-vaulted Roman cistern
Temple
Ancient theatre of Aptera – located at the southern end of the site

Ongoing work at the site means that other finds may continue.

Best Part of The Day Trip

My favourite part of the day trip to Aptera is the ancient theatre of Aptera. Here you get a sense of what it looked like in times gone by and can take a moment to appreciate the architectural style of the period. The ominous dark clouds rolling in and the frequent rumble of Zeus’ thunder whilst I was there all added to the theatrics.

Is Aptera Worth Visiting?

Once you’ve had your fill of the beaches of Chania, I recommend you check Aptera out. I loved it. Sure, it’s not as expansive as some other ruins in Greece and perhaps not as famous but there are plenty of interesting things to see and photograph. Once you’ve got your images, get some great captions with my article on the best Greece captions for Instagram.

The opportunity to walk through an ancient city and take a seat at the theatre is one not to be missed. Sit in the auditorium and imagine yourself travelling back through time. A day trip from Chania to Aptera is also a great option for cloudy or rainy days on Crete.

If you’re looking for other lesser-known things to do in Greece, discover Danilia Village in Corfu. This quirky replica Corfiot village was built in the 1970s and has been used in tv and films.

What Else Is There To Do At Aptera, Chania?

After you’ve completed your visit to the Aptera site, head to the Ottoman fortress just up the road. From here you get a panoramic view across Crete. Be aware that although it seems from Google maps that you can walk back down the mountain to the main road from behind the fortress, you can’t. The path has been blocked by a fence. So you need to go back past the main site of Aptera and down through the village.

I can’t write about Aptera, Chania, without mentioning Taverna Aptera. Head to ancient Aptera for the morning so you can stop for lunch 20-minutes down the hill in the village of Aptera at this local restaurant. The owner serves and cooks up a storm. The venue itself is wonderfully haphazard-looking but all you need to do is find something you like the sound of on the blackboards and sit back and relax whilst you enjoy freshly prepared home-cooked dishes. We had the beans, courgette croquettes, sea bream and chicken in a tomato and wine sauce. Delicious. A real gem.

After your visit to Aptera, continue the day with a trip to one of Crete’s nearby beaches such as Kiani beach. Alternatively visit the wetland area of the lake of Almyros, further east up the coast.

If you’re ready to move on to another awesome destination on Crete, head south and base yourself in the laid back town of Paleochora, Crete, and the surrounding southern coast beaches.

What day trips in Chania have you enjoyed? Let me know in the comments.