ENSEMBLE EXPERIENCE
Complimentary Shore Event in Heraklion
- Explore the amazing Grand Palace of Knossos from the Bronze Age
- Admire the Royal Quarters, Throne Room & Queen’s Quarters
- Visit Arolithos to experience a traditional Cretan village
- Savor a Cretan lunch & local spirit
- Enjoy free time to stroll around
Crete’s fertile soil and towering peaks witnessed the rise of one of the earliest recorded civilizations on earth, the Minoan, which flourished 3-4,000 years ago.
Knossos was the ancient court of the legendary King Minos. Excavations on these Bronze Age sites were begun by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans and his team in 1893 and lasted 35 years.
Entering the Great Palace through the West Court, you can easilysee why the legend of the labyrinth grew up here. It takes about one and a half hours to explore all the parts of this amazing Palace.
During this walking tour, you’ll admire the superb Royal Quarters, the Throne room with an Antechamber and main throne, and the Queen’s Quarters whose wall above the entrance door is decorated with a copy of the famous dolphin frescos.
Apart from the Royal Palace, there are also other buildings included in the site, such as the Small Palace, the House of the High Priest and the Caravanserai.
YourEnsemble Experiencethen continues toArolithos to experience a traditional Cretan village.
In this village, you’llsee how people used to live and the atmosphere of times gone by. There is a museum in the village, which hosts the equipment people used in their numerous tasks during the day.
Walking through the narrow, colorful alleys of the village, you’ll reach the main square where, under the shade of a plane tree, you canenjoy a Cretan lunch and the local spirit raki. Afterwards, you may stroll around the narrow streets of Arolithos andget acquainted with the typical life and customs of a Cretan village.
Ensemble® Experience shore excursions are capacity-controlled, subject to change without notice, and require a minimum number of participants. All times are approximate. Your Ensemble® Traveler host onboard will advise final details.