With that itinerary I would do Ag Nik from Elounda- they're quite close- and the day you flit from east to west, start earlyish, stop at Knossos, do the museum and then move on to Chania.

You can do Samaria with an organised tour or you can just do it yourself. The service bus leaves from the main square above the market in Chania about 5 in the morning (In August it will be BLAZING hot and you really must get this done early). The trip is somewhere between 2 and 3 hours to get to Omolos at the top of the gorge. I'm being slightly imprecise because we did it from Palechora. The walk shouldn't take more than 3-4 hours. You are well to remember it's not a race..BUT when you get to the bottom and the last 2 kms or thereby, there is no shade, so you do want through before the heat of the day. Take your dookers and have a late lunch and swim at Agia Roumeli whilst waiting for the boat to either Souyia or ...the other place.. and get the service bus back.

I have 3 trip reports on western Crete (one on Eatern Crete but further east than Elounda). If you want them email me- they're all on here anyway- and I'll send them to you. You could pass two days without ever leaving Chania.

"does one have to be really physically fit to do the Samaria Gorge tour?" I walked it with my son when he was about seven years old. So if he managed without difficulty so will you. There were also two little French girls about 4 or 5 years old, and a Greek couple approaching 80. The man walked with a cane. It is never the distance, it is the pace.

We just took before 6 am bus from Hania and at the other end first the boat to Hora Sfakion, then the bus back to Hania. There is absolutely zero reasons to take some organized tour.

With only two days in Hania you will have time only for Samaria and Hania itself. Samaria takes a whole day.

I'd suggest that you don't plan anything too strenuous the day after you walk the Samaria gorge! On our trip, one woman had taken the suggestion of "comfortable shoes" to mean some slip-ons that looked fine for the shopping centre. I think she had blisters on her blisters when she got to the bottom! Don't forget your camera, a bottle for fresh water - there are springs at various points along the route and do take a hat to protect you from the sun. The southern coast of Crete is particularly hot and offers little shade.

Many thanks people! All the useful info much appreciated! = )

By the way, when I mentioned that Casa Delfino "organized" the trip for us to the Samarian Gorge, it was simply selling us tickets than included the bus there, the boat ticket, and the bus back for a combo price of less than buying them individually. It wasn't a tour at all.

An excellent site I have been using to plan my Crete part of my upcoming Greece trip is http://interkriti.gr

Click on the FORUM at the top, and then on TOURISM. They have a user help forum just like this there, except populated by lots of Crete locals and travelers to Crete. Very helpful.

Here is a link to a great site -- http://viamichelin.com and generate a detailed map of Crete.

I am arriving late (10pm) staying one night at Hotel Olympic (Iraklion) 50 euros.

Knossos site
Gortys archaeological site
Faistos archaeological site
Matala beach overnight (Hotel Zafiria 28 euros)

Rethymnos
back to Iraklion
Tour of the Iraklio Archaeological Museum

Overnight at Hotel Olympic
Morning Flying Dolphin to Santorini/Thira

Have fun.

Rick in Maryland

FWIW, I love the explorecrete.com site for Cretan information. I've been a member on its message board almost as long as I've been here.