Hi everyone,

Planning a trip to the Greek Islands and would like advice if we should go to Crete(opposed to other islands) and how many days we would need to experience it.

Thank you in advance.

From everything I've been reading about Crete, 2 - 3 days should be enough time to explore it.

I've spent 6 weeks there in the last 5 years and I've not scratched teh surface.

You need at least 5 days.

I have also spent at least two months in Crete during the years. I cannot see how anybody could see/do/feel/experience in two days all that Crete has to offer.

We spent a fortnight there 20 years ago, and I still remember it as one of our best holidays. You would need a week minimum, depending on what you like doing/seeing. That would enable you to see the main archeological sites, some of the countryside, explore the west of the island. With longer, you could spend more time in the places that interest you. Some tour companies combine it with Santorini, as it is relatively close by. My 20 year old guide book to greek island hopping, says that as well as direct boats from Piraeus, there are boats to Santorini, Paros, Ios, Syros, and a lot of other places I've never heard of. Or you can just fly direct to Chania [the west] or Heraklion [the east]. There are buses running along the north coast, connecting these and all the main places in between. Good luck!

IMO, you need at least 5 days; 2-3 days would be "hit and run". It is a large, diverse island with lots to see and do, unlike, eg, Santorini, which is absolutely gorgeous but not a lot to do.

I work with someone from Greence; he advised me at least 7 days was needed

Seven to ten days minimum. Crete is a large and diverse island. Lots to see and experience. People on this forum spend countless days on Santorini. That's OK, but my personal opinion is that Santorini is not worth more than 2-3 days, You've seen the sunsets, you've been to the shops, you've walked the crowded streets, the beaches are small and dirty, Akrotiri is closed and aside from all of that it is the most expensive vacation spot in Greece. Please don't get me wrong, every first time visitor should see it.
It's just that it gets far more attention than it deserves and there are better places to visit, Crete being one of them.

6 or 7 days, minimum, in my view. Measured against any of the Cyclades Islands, Crete needs the most time.

We only allowed 4 days on Crete and it didn't begin to be enough. If I had to chose between Crete and Santorini, both of which I visited last year, I'd chose Crete. Which puts me in the minority. But it depends on what you want to do. Santorini is striking but after two days there's not much left but lying around. If you want to "see stuff", definitely Crete. Having learned my lesson last year, we spent more time on Rhodes last month. If I go back to Greece, I'll plan to spend at least a week on Crete.

I'll echo polly229's response. We did 3 nights on Santorini, 5 on Crete, and 2 in Athens. If doing it over, I'd do 2 on Santorini (including the one night getting there), 6-7 on Crete, and 1 in Athens.