Published on Jun, 2024

Definitely worth doing with this company. Pari was an excellent tour guide and Yannis an excellent bus driver. Advice, definitely get a hiking stick, check your footwear, clothing tightness for chaffing (got some and saw more at the end, take Vaseline on the rubbing parts), water if you don’t want the spring water you find plenty of and food like energy bars and a little fruit. Have a little breakfast before when they stop with a hard boiled egg and banana. Listen to what Pari tells you about safety and the timeline for your decent. Take amazing photos. Swim at the bottom, it will help reduce the inflammation and eat a little something at the restaurant you meet back up at the end. Very delicious food. Pat yourself on the back and talk with other hikers. Met very nice folks who were all very interesting.

Published on Jun, 2024

My husband and I, both active hikers had a spectacular experience. The guide rated the hike a level 3/3 in difficulty primarily due to its length (16-18 km), we found the trail to be moderately challenging, probably somewhere around a 2.2/3 difficulty. The descent itself isn't the hard part— it really the distance that tests your endurance. Our guide, Pari, was great! Though she spent much of her time at the back helping the slower walkers, she was always available to answer any questions with a smile and maintained an upbeat demeanor throughout. A word of advice about gear: while other operators might rent out hiking sticks for €1-2 per day, when I called, IO Tours mentioned they provided them for free. However, at the start, we could only find sticks for purchase at the mini-market for €15. They turned out to be a worthy investment, especially beneficial for the downhill sections which can be tough on your joints. To anyone else going on this hike: * Definitely consider bringing trekking poles or hiking sticks to make your journey more comfortable * Book this directly through the operator direct (or viator, expedia, kayak, or whatever platform). Our hotel charged €50 for the same tour, while we only paid €33 when booking with them. There is little difference between the operators, all start in Chania around 6 AM, and all take the ferry back at 5:30 PM. Thanks IO and Pari for making the Greece trip more memorable!

Published on Aug, 2023

Unforgettable views! Must do everytime I am in Crete. Make sure to bring suncream and walking shoes.

Published on Sep, 2022

Overall a great experience! The gorge itself is very beautiful, but please, take some sturdy boots with you. There are often slippery or loose stones and it is quite easy to break your ankle without proper support. The nature and the stops are wonderful. Our guide was amazing, she informed us well on the route. The route is beautiful, and the bus driver very skilled. The gorge ends after 16 km at a place where you need to walk another 2,5-3km to Agia Roumelli. A bus for 2€ is offered for those who do not want to walk anymore. The guide gave us tickets for the ferry in the evening. The ferry ride was also very beautiful. After the ferry the bus picked us up. In total a great, worry free experience. You do not have to worry not to make it to the bus or the last ferry, if you would do it on your own. Special thanks also to the guide who made sure we were well throughout the way.

Published on Jun, 2022

Very enjoyable walk through the gorge with beautiful views. Well organised and plenty of time ( about 9 hours for the walk and spending time at the beach). This is well worth the money.