7 Days tour Religious Heritage

Day 1: Arrival in Heraklion — First Footsteps

Arrive in Heraklion, settle into your hotel, and savor a welcome dinner. If time allows, gently begin your pilgrimage mood with:

• St. Titus Church (Agios Titos) in the city center — home to relics of St. Titus, Crete’s first bishop.

• An evening stroll past the Church of Agios Markos, a Venetian-era gem now used for exhibitions.

Day 2: Heraklion’s Sacred Heart

Main visits

• Agios Minas Cathedral — the grand spiritual guardian of Heraklion.

• Agia Aikaterini Church — treasure trove of icons and post-Byzantine artwork.

Added highlights

• St. Titus Church (Agios Titos) — beautiful stone structure with profound historical lineage.

• Panagia Lakkos Church (hidden neighborhood shrine) — small but rich in frescoes.

Optional: Visit the Historical Museum of Crete to contextualize the religious art you’re seeing.

Day 3: Rethymno — Arkadi & Beyond

Main visit

• Arkadi Monastery — embodiment of Cretan resilience, ringed by vineyards and echoing history.

Added highlights

• Preveli Monastery (Lower/Upper) — overlooking the Libyan Sea; known for its miraculous icon of the Theotokos.

• Church of the Four Martyrs (Rethymno town) — graceful Neoclassical presence honoring local saints.

If time allows:

• Halevi Monastery (a quieter spot tucked in olive groves).

Day 4: Lassithi Plateau — Mountain Cloisters

• Kera Kardiotissa Monastery — perched amid rocks and pines; famed for its miraculous icon.

• Vidiani Monastery — serene Lassithi refuge with a small museum.

Added highlights

• Agios Georgios Selinari Monastery — nestled in a dramatic gorge; beloved by travelers for protection.

• Monastery of Agios Ioannis Kremastos — “the Hanging Monastery,” tucked into a cliffside.

Optional: Combine with a gentle walk to Psychro Cave, traditionally associated with Zeus, if mythic ambiance appeals.

Day 5: Eastern Crete — The Frescoed Jewel & More

Main visit

• Panagia Kera — a chapel where frescoes seem to hum with centuries-old color.

Added highlights

• Toplou Monastery — fortified 15th-century monastery with a renowned icon museum and fine local olive oil.

• Panagia Faneromeni Monastery (near Gournia/Ierapetra) — perched above the coast, with sweeping Aegean views.

Optional if staying near Agios Nikolaos:

• Agios Nikolaos Church on the small peninsula — one of the oldest chapels in the area.

Day 6: Chania — Monastic Majesty

• Agia Triada Monastery (Akrotiri) — geometric courtyards, citrus aromas, and Venetian stonework.

• Gouverneto Monastery — austere beauty dating to the 16th century.

Added highlights

• Chrysopigi Monastery — vibrant contemporary spiritual center with a welcoming atmosphere.

• Katholiko Monastery (reachable via a hike from Gouverneto) — the oldest monastery in Crete, sculpted into the ravine of Avlaki.

Optional:

• Trimartiri Cathedral (Chania old town) — the lighthouse of faith in the heart of the harbor district.

Day 7: Farewell from Heraklion

Transfer to Heraklion Airport, carrying with you the incense-shadowed chapels, cliff monasteries, and fresco-lit sanctuaries that now form part of your inner map.

If you have spare time before departure:

• Monastery of Paliani (near Venerato) — one of Crete’s oldest convents, known for its sacred myrtle tree.